Page 22 of Kiss of Ice

“Don’t bother. I don’t require us to ‘get along’. I just require you to do as I say.”

She bit back a rude reply. Gods, he was temperamental. Pleasant one minute, snarky the next.

“As you wish, your Majesty. So which door leads to my apartment?”

His eyebrows shot up.

“Which door? All of them, of course. The whole thing is yours. Were you expecting me to put you in a broom cupboard?”

“At this point, I have no idea what to expect.”

“Well, have a look and find out.”

She opened the first door. It was a living area, huge and sumptuous, with a crystal chandelier hanging from the vaulted ceiling and wide plate-glass windows offering glorious views over the royal estate. She stared out at the lush greenery.

“It’s wonderful. How far does it extend?”

“We have around twenty thousand acres of meadow and woodland. Part of the River Nush runs through one side. And there’s a lake somewhere, damned if I can remember where it is. I should warn you the woodland is home to several dryads so don’t be alarmed if you come across them. They like to wander.”

“Dryads so close to a city?”

“The estate is private. Protected. They seem to like it.”

The next room was a dining area. A large table carved from Feyir oak dominated the centre, with enough space for twenty people. A sideboard along one wall held bottles of wine and a collection of snacks.

Ren gazed hungrily at a tower of pastries. It had been a long time since breakfast. But there was no way she would ever help herself to food in front of the Emperor. No doubt he thought she ate too much already.

Other doors led to a cavernous dressing room and a luxurious bathroom complete with an enormous sunken tub. Ren spent some time trying to figure out what all the taps did.

“Which ones actually fill the bath?” she wondered. Kam shrugged.

“Who knows? I just get the servants to do it.”

She immediately felt like a bumpkin. At home, she filled her own bath because she’d never seen the point in asking a maid to run up all the way from the servants’ quarters simply to twist open a faucet. And then twist it closed again. But obviously things were different here.

The final room was the bedroom.

“Oh.”

It was the only thing she could say as she stared at the gigantic bed in the middle of the room. It was piled high with feather-filled pillows and silken sheets. Too big for just one person.

She turned away hastily and nearly knocked a vase off the dressing table. She caught it and set it down, avoiding the Emperor’s gaze.

A lemon velvet chaise-longue was positioned in front of the window, covered in exotic throws. The cream carpet underfoot was soft and deep. Another crystal chandelier hung from the ceiling but there were also tiny glow-lights dotted about which she knew could be adjusted to exactly the right brightness. Or dimness.

A second door from the bedroom led to a smaller ablution chamber – more compact but no less luxurious than the main one. And a third led to an enormous closet filled with cosmetics and jewellery fit for a queen.Or an Empress.

She turned to find the Emperor watching her. He was leaning against the dressing table, arms folded.

“It’s all very lovely. Thank you.”

“I’m glad you like it. Now strip.”

“Sorry?”

“Your dress. Take it off.”

She backed away a few steps.

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