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Empress Hiding Page 23


  Rafal simply stared at her as she continued – the Crowned Prince was not even sure where to begin asking questions much less which questions to ask. She had built her own abode? She lived completely alone? She was teasing and yet their differences were so vast …

  She likes to swim! His beast shouted in his head in another bout of this communication that had begun with their meeting Chiyoto yesterday. Go with that!

  But, Rafal thought, she was not used to socializing at all … there was no one in her life with whom to socialize. What kind of progenitor sent their not-even-twelve-cycle-old offspring into the unknown?

  And where did she live so alone? And why was she now returning planetside?

  And what kahrolasi difference does any of that make? She is ours now!

  His beast was becoming more than a little irate at Rafal’s internal questions of doubt.

  Chiyoto felt Rafal’s attention fall away from her story into which she had obviously gotten way too wrapped and was, by the way he now stared at the table and not at her, boring him with her childish words and rendition.

  Chiyoto let her words trail off as she ripped her gaze from the side of his face to stare at her unfinished food instead. She removed her hand from atop Rafal’s, placed it properly in her lap, and reached for her glass to quench her suddenly extremely dry mouth. She had been rambling like that young little male in the line to board the shuttle earlier this day – the adults around him had feigned an interest in the same way Rafal had started out doing … until she had apparently become too incessant in her speech for him to even feign an interest.

  “Oh Makers! She was such a complete idiot!”

  She had downed at least two large gulps of the liquid before she realized Rafal had ordered a blood cocktail for her. And, perhaps, the blood was not fresh or, simply, that the blood there was definitely not mixing well with his blood she had consumed less than an hur ago – which really made no sense as there had never been a problem before now – but she began to feel ill. Runa agreed that something was just not right with the blood in the drink in her hand or with the mixture of the two.

  So, she placed the glass down gently – still not able to look a Rafal because of her rambling.

  “It is actually all quite mundane, Rafal, and I …”

  Rafal chuckled and shook his head as he interrupted her – the action unconsciously and immediately bringing her eyes up to meet his as he increased his grip on her forearm.

  “There is nothing in the least mundane about you, shioliah,” his voice was deep and gravelly and his eyes had changed shades just a hint, “And I find myself wondering …”

  Suddenly, all emotion disappeared from his eyes and his grip on her forearm loosened entirely and he sat quite straight, a terribly menacing look over-taking his still-handsome face.

  And although his gaze never left her face, his focus was definitely not on her anymore.

  Chiyoto’s stomach churned from more than just the drink she had just downed.

  It was then that Runa growled inwardly only to be echoed quietly yet outwardly by Rafal’s beast – there was a being approaching their table. It was definitely a Crimson and, from just a quick glance at the aura the male carried, he definitely held no glad tidings or even approval toward Rafal and certainly not toward her. Even without his menacing aura, Chiyoto would have known that easily by his body language – he was simply not a very nice male.

  And Runa heartily agreed.

  Rafal spoke first, his beast quite noticeable in his voice, “The bilikman is in the far corner, shioliah,” as he motioned with his head only to the general direction of behind her. “Hurry back,” he seemed to add as an afterthought.

  Chiyoto stood and looked again at the male approaching the table. He was draped in all the fineries that defined his station as a member of the Khedive’s inner circle – to include the large jeweled broach on his left hip.

  And Rafal was none too happy with his presence.

  The male’s beast was most likely more finery than fire – this according to Runa – and his white hair was far too soft and his eyes too close together. Once again, Chiyoto found herself amused at her beloved altre even amidst her confusion of emotions where she and Rafal had been interrupted.

  And she felt her stomach churn more violently this time.

  They had almost reached the bilikman when the male spoke to Rafal.

  “We are glad, Prin …”

  The legate was cut off sharply with Rafal’s threatening voice.

  “Prime Magistrate!” Chiyoto could feel his beast’s deep rumble even from her removed vantage point, “Do not make the mistake again.”

  An awkward pause during which the decorated male cleared his throat.

  “Prime Magistrate, I see that you have found a play toy,” his voice reached Chiyoto’s sensitive ears and her tender heart, “It is good to see that your seizing of the Royal Suite instead of utilizing your own personal transport has yielded such an ample piece of ass for your pleasure.”

  His words dug deep, and Chiyoto caught herself on the decorative trellis separating the bilikman entrance from the main dining room.

  But what cut worse was the lack of response from Rafal – his continued silence as she shakily pushed open the bilikman door to enter almost made her knees go weak.

  “Had he nodded in compliance? He certainly had not growled so that she could hear it.”

  Or perhaps it was the wretch that her stomach began just as she stepped into the relief area. Not able to fight the expulsion of her stomach’s contents because her head was so filled with the male’s cutting words, Chiyoto gladly gave into the heaves and quickly emptied her stomach.

  Rafal watched his Chiyoto finally enter the bilikman, and he let his beast sound forth fully and completely in his voice, “You need to leave, Juristin,” Rafal promptly grasped the table edge so tightly that the metal groaned and finally broke under the force of his grip, “Or I will not be responsible for the actions of my beast.”

  The elder courtier seemed to delight in Rafal’s lack of control at the same time his eyes signaled the old pich was scared to death of the Crowned Prince.

  “You know, Prime Magistrate, they will go anywhere, do anything for any monetary handout you offer,” he continued as if Rafal had not even issued his warning, “You certainly do not need to embarrass yourself with them on your arm in so public a setting.”

  Rafal was about to explode with rage – his beast clawed at his insides for release – to devour the male while he screamed in pain and then leave him partially alive and half-eaten to bleed to death. But Rafal would not make a scene with his Chiyoto here – would not let that dark side of him show this soon after meeting her. Especially now that he knew she had literally led a life away from society – from social interactions – from kahrolasd political relationships such as existed in his family. What would his innocent Chiyoto think of him if he simply killed this esholeshek like he and his beast needed to do right here, right now?

  They would be over-joyed – the pich needs to die.

  No, not right now.

  But soon.

  Rafal stood – his build outsizing the gray-haired pich in both girth and height – and looked down upon the puffed up courtier and let his beast breathe for them both as he demanded,

  “We would see you, Juristin.”

  The decorated male finally began to tremble at that request as Juristin could now scent Rafal’s beast’s breath pouring over his face.

  “Prime Magistrate,” the male lowered his eyes and tried to slink slowly backwards, “We apologize …”

  But Rafal was not letting this go.

  “Yield to my sight or face my beast,” the command was low and ground out – the fact that the beast wanted blood obvious, especially to Juristin.

  And his spotted bear.

  The now-
not-so-arrogant noble raised his eyes to Rafal, his pampered and coddled bear cowering beneath Rafal’s cutting stare.

  Rafal’s voice was murderous in its intonation.

  “When next we meet, neither of you will walk away without injury.”

  Rafal snapped his teeth together threateningly, startling the fear-struck male out of his sight trance.

  “Now, leave!”

  Rafal coldly watched the coward quickly flow away in all his colors and drapes as he worked internally to calm himself and his beast for Chiyoto’s return – his promise to his beast that they would deal with Juristin later.

  It was a promise he fully intended to keep.

  When his Chiyoto was not around.

  Chapter 14

  Chiyoto leaned over the washbowl and gently caressed her face with water – her hands trembling from both her emotions and her retching. Deep inside, she felt Runa’s unease – they had not experienced such a physical malady like this since consuming that unidentified rodent over a decade ago.

  And although Runa assured her Chiyoto that physically they would be fine, that male’s words as he spoke of her to Rafal still echoed around in Chiyoto’s head. She ran her cool fingers through her hair – wishing as she gazed at her reflection that she could see the bright pink and chartreuse that belonged there – the black simply a reminder that things were just not all right, no matter how much she tried to pretend that they were.

  No matter this unplanned distraction with Rafal.

  Chiyoto gently closed her eyes and took a deep breath, trying to settle both her emotions and the prodding Runa – her dragoness altre once again using this opportunity to implore her to remove the Keeper just in case some physical malady were to befall her. Shaking her head in the negative with a faint smile and, at the same time, sensing another presence approaching them, Chiyoto slowly opened her eyes. There, in the speculum, a beautifully painted female – her braided hair adorned with multiple colored ribbons and rings with jeweled clasps – smiled at her as she genteelly approached the countertop. The female was an easily-discerned Blood-borne due to her lack of aura in Chiyoto’s eyes, but she obviously had attempted to mask her defining scent with a mixture of perfumes and Crimson pheromones – it was such an unfamiliar and almost awkward combination that Runa shivered in disgust inside of her while Chiyoto fought valiantly to remain unmoved between how she already felt and the waves of distaste the female’s scent was inducing.

  But the female smiled easily at Chiyoto as she stood beside her and checked the illustration lines on her neck and exposed shoulder.

  “I see the Magistrate has decided to finally break his public celibacy,” she harshly looked Chiyoto up and down, but then quickly gentled her gaze as she continued to speak, “So young,” she sighed as if in resignation, “Is he your first, little gadis lemak?”

  Chiyoto frowned and Runa sounded forth a chorus of curses at the – in the Runa’s colorful words – painted fahise with fake lips.

  “My first …?” she managed to prompt without betraying Runa’s outrage at the ‘lemak’ comment.

  The painted female smiled almost pitifully as she withdrew a purple coghue pen from her small pouch to touch up a design on her neck that had obviously been bitten.

  “Big money marks, sweet thing,” she said calmly as she managed to make the purple blotch into an attractive blossom, “It is obvious you have not earned enough for a real wardrobe yet.”

  Chiyoto’s gaze flicked from the female’s reflection back to her own as she smoothed her hair once again and took a long, hard look at her figure – smoothing a hand over her hip and turning a bit to the side to change her stance just a bit. Then she smiled shyly as she realized the weight and meaning of the female’s words.

  “Oh, no,” Chiyoto reassured the aloof female as she tried to smile through the doubt growing inside of her, “Raf – urr – the Magistrate and I are simply getting to know each other . …”

  The female cut her off with an almost malicious laugh as she finished the touch-up illustration on her skin.

  “Oh, please! Why do you think he has seated you away from everyone else?”

  Because it is obvious most of the others – that is, crowds in general – annoyed her Rafal … so she had thought.

  The painted female popped the purple coghue pen back in her pouch and took out a bright gold one to highlight the edges of the blossom she had completed, “And I suppose he escorted you here on his arm through the main Commons Area for everyone to see, yes?”

  No, he took a few back corridors because they were especially tardy for their reservations and needed to hurry … because they had been running late, right?

  The female leaned closer to the speculum to make sure the highlighting of her handiwork was precise as she glanced over at Chiyoto’s face of disbelief, “And what do you think he will render as payment for this expensive dinner, little gadis?”

  Oh, Makers, was she supposed to pay … Mamere had always said it was the male’s … but Mamere was old and her Rafal had certainly seemed sexually aroused earlier. She should have brought some funds just in case …

  Her touch-up painting finished, the female popped the gold coghue back into her pouch, took out a small, blue tablet that she placed under her tongue, and secured the pouch back onto her arm.

  There was silence as the female grabbed onto the counter as if to steady herself, closed her eyes briefly, and released a deeply-held breath as she re-opened them to try to re-focus on Chiyoto.

  “You have lemak but well-balanced goods,” she looked Chiyoto up and down again, “And you certainly advertise them well” – even went so far as to grab Chiyoto’s breast in a very non-sexual, business-like manner – “Still, I suggest you be prepared to deliver them because rumor has it that the Prime Magistrate has a very serious temper.”

  Chiyoto nearly recoiled at the female’s touch – neither her nor Runa prepared for such a touch from another being. But the painted female continued to slightly adjust a few ribbons in her hair, and she smoothed out the layers of her finely-sewn clothing.

  “And I can assure you that he and that horrid beast of his will not be denied,” she superficially smiled one last time as she slapped Chiyoto firmly on her substantial buttocks, “Just close your eyes and think about something else – it gets easier. I promise.”

  And the beautiful Blood-borne female practically floated out the door, leaving Chiyoto to stare at her own reflection again.

  They stood for some time – Chiyoto’s emotions swirling endlessly as she repeated and repeated the female’s words.

  With Runa screaming in her head to stop and that she had lost her mind – the dragoness actually found herself trusting Rafal on this one and not the painted, drug-using fahise that had just spouted a bunch of general street knowledge about Rafal as well as her working ‘profession’ – Chiyoto turned on her heel to confront the male to whom Runa knew her Chiyoto’s heart already belonged.

  And all Runa could see was disaster ahead.

  In some ways, it seemed, her Chiyoto was very much still that idealistic yet scared and lonely twelve cycle-old that Rafal had just heard all about – the one that Mamere had sent away to learn to become more docile, more tempered, more in control of the unquestionably strong Runa housed within her.

  But that had never been Chiyoto – no matter what Mamere had hoped for – and all this emotional interaction with the handsome Rafal’s strong and dominant personality had done nothing but bring out the fire and the defiance that had always been at the heart of her Chiyoto.

  And that little painted fahise thought Rafal had a serious temper …

  Runa sighed. There was little she could do at this point to change her Chiyoto’s mind with the turbulent emotions churning violently inside of them both.

  All the strong altre could do was watch.

  Ah, well, it would cert
ainly be enjoyable for the moment, yes?

  Runa chuckled to herself.

  Rafal sat trying to calm both himself and his beast – his focus never leaving the bili door. He needed Chiyoto back beside him – longed for her creamy peppermint to fill his olfactory again – for his skin to tingle in her presence.

  Suddenly the door opened, but the female that emerged was not his Chiyoto – it was one of the Blood-born orospus he had seen at some of the more prestigious functions in Capital City. He had not seen her enter the bili, but then again, he had probably been occupied with that kahrolasi pich, Juristin.

  His beast roared again for the mouthy legate’s slaughter.

  But then Rafal wondered, had Chiyoto heard any of the legate’s words? And if she had been hurt as Rafal knew she would be, would she have simply snuck away without saying anything to him? He would need to reassure her, but how would any of this go over with his Chiyoto’s lack of social interaction? Especially interaction on the political stage?

  The questions swirling in his mind, he almost unconsciously pushed back from the table with the intent to check on her when his beast growled inside at the approach of another. Rafal did not have to turn as he scented Jaylis at almost the same instant.

  And he stilled in anticipation – internally fighting to calm his, once again, more-than-slightly-exercised beast.

  The Captain of the Black Guard’s approach to the table was quite deliberate, and he stood almost as if to preside over Rafal. Jaylis’ face was statuesque, but his eyes shown with his irritation as he just slightly nodded his head in acknowledgement of the Crowned Prince.

  “Prime Magistrate,” he spoke almost through clenched teeth as he closely examined the plate of half-eaten food next to Rafal, letting his gaze take in that and then glower further at Rafal, “You did not alert your Guard of a state dinner this evening. We would have …”

  Rafal cut him off – he had no patience remaining for these games at the moment.

  “That is because it is but a casual meal, and the shuttle is not a large enough venue to warrant a Detail, Jaylis,” Rafal let his beast seep into his voice as he fingered his dining blade with the tension that was building all over again – he held it up in Jaylis’ direction as if to inspect its sharpness, “We are quite capable of taking care of ourself.”