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“Do you need anything before we go?” Aiden asked.

  “You two act as though you’re heading off on a long journey. You’re just going downstairs to eat. If I need something, I’ll hobble down there and make a scene.”

  Lilly paused while she and Aiden exchanged glances.

  “Proctors aren’t famous for our sense of humor. But a human I cared for tried to develop mine.”

  She smiled. “Druids aren’t good at it, either. But I have Farius making dad jokes every now and then. It’s a work in progress.”

  “Have a good evening,” Lilly said.

  She and Aiden left his room and found a table in the downstairs restaurant and ordered their meal. They enjoyed a glass of wine while they waited for service.

  “Has Lilly been a pain?” she asked.

  “Not at all. Granted, it hasn’t been one full day yet, but she doesn’t ask for a thing. She just gets up and fetches it. I tried to tell her I’ll help but she insists on doing things herself. She’s spent a lot of time meditating. I think she’s trying to accelerate her healing.”

  “Maybe so. I wish I could tell Nivvy and Shareis about her.”

  “You made a deal,” he said.

  She sighed. “I know.”

  Their food arrived, and while they ate, she noticed he stared at her longer than usual.

  She took her napkin and wiped the corners of her mouth. “Do I have something on me?”

  “No, why?”

  “You’ve been staring at me a lot. Makes me think I have something big and green in my teeth.”

  He chuckled. “Oh, not at all. You’re beautiful, and I love staring at you. I usually wait until you don’t notice me, but I suppose I’ve not been as patient tonight.”

  “It’s the purple dress,” she said. “Anyway, I know I’m not a beautiful woman. I’m a plain, freckled, curly mess.”

  “I love your freckles, and your curly hair. And you are far from plain.” He flashed a mischievous grin. “Now, as for the mess part…”

  “Hey now!” she exclaimed.

  “Just agreeing with you, dear.”

  She smiled. “There’s something about the way you call me dear that pleases me completely.”

  “I heard Niv call Shareis that yesterday. It brought that same smile to my face. They’re so lucky, you know?”

  “How?”

  “They get to spend the rest of their lives together—waking up each day next to their beloved,” Aiden said. “Can you imagine anything better than that?”

  “It would be wonderful.”

  “Why wait, then?” he asked.

  “You want to sleep together?”

  “No, I mean… well, yes.” His face reddened. “I meant to ask, why don’t we get married? We can do it here, in the woods, like Niv and Shareis.”

  Her heart skipped a beat. “Married? Now?”

  “Why not?”

  Her palms grew sweaty, and her mind raced as she processed his sudden proposal. “But… we…”

  “We’ve spent a lot of time together, Frasie,” he said. “We’ve been through hell and back already, both with Vorea and then with Kytis. It’s our time, Frasie. What do you say?”

  She couldn’t force the words from her dry mouth. She swallowed, then tried to speak.

  “What’s wrong?”

  “I…” She stood. “I’m not ready.” She couldn’t believe the words that came from her mouth.

  Aiden said nothing, but the look on his face crushed her. He clearly struggled to maintain an even countenance, but disappointment cracked through his stoic façade. She betrayed him with Kytis and caused him tremendous pain. She couldn’t stand to disappoint him once more.

  “I’m sorry.”

  He sat back in his chair and dropped his head.

  What was she thinking? She had no good reason to turn down his offer, and yet her rejection came out before she had time to think. She owed him an explanation but didn’t understand it herself. She turned to apologize once more, but her heart ached with the pain on his face.

  She couldn’t deal with this. Not now. She turned and left the tavern, wiping away tears as she walked home.

  Chapter 11

  “We can’t do this anymore.”

  Olivia ran her hand down his stomach.

  His muscles twitched with her touch. “I mean it.”

  She kissed his chest. “I know.”

  “Then why do you…”

  She gripped him. “What?”

  He sighed. “You are impossible.”

  “If only. Maybe I’d get more done.” She slowly stroked him. “But it’s just too fun to do this, you know?”

  He tried to reply but managed only a whimper. After a moment, he stopped her. “No, I can’t. Not again. Besides, I can’t stay here all day.”

  She gave him an incredulous look. “You mean with your busy prime minister’s schedule you can’t hide a longer rendezvous with me?”

  “You mean indiscretion?”

  She rolled her eyes. “Your wife might call it that, but I wouldn’t. We’re two perfectly reasonable adults in search of a scrap of pleasure. So, let’s go with rendezvous.”

  The prime minister shook his head. “I’ve got to go. And you should make yourself scarce.”

  She laid back on the bed, stretched her arms wide, and arched her back. “I cannot take any more of your seductive prose. Take me again, my sweet.”

  He eyed the back door to his suite.

  She covered herself. “Yes, yes, I know. I’ll use the same door as the help.”

  He buttoned his pants. “We both know the risks.”

  She sat up in bed and stretched, proudly displaying her breasts. She kept an eye on him and frowned when he gave them only a passing glance.

  “I must be losing it.”

  He walked to the side of the bed and gave her a kiss. “No, you’ll never lose it. I’m just in a hurry.”

  “Mind if I take a bath before I leave?”

  He combed his hair. “If you must.”

  “When will we do this again, Mark?”

  “I can’t tomorrow. Morning after next?”

  She threw the covers back and ran her hands along her shins. “I suppose I can wait that long.”

  “Goodbye, Olivia.”

  She laid in bed a few more minutes, then went to the bathroom and filled the tub with hot water. She adored the heated water and indoor plumbing in the prime minister’s private office. These luxuries may fill the streets of Steelcove with smoke from coal-burning boilers, but it was worth it.

  After her bath, she dressed and started out the back door. She stopped before she could fully turn the handle.

  I’m not the help.

  She walked to the main entrance to his suite that led to his office. She hesitated a moment, expecting to have to explain her presence to some unsuspecting clerk. Instead, his office was empty.

  She sat in his luxurious leather chair, leaned back, interlaced her fingers, and cradled her head in her hands. The most powerful man in Steelcove occupied this chair during the day, and her bed on carefully arranged mornings and afternoon “meetings”. She grinned as she contemplated her power.

  Something in the chair pinged. For fear of falling backward, she sat upright and braced her arms on the desk. She sat motionless, expecting the mechanical components of the seat to give way from her shenanigans, but they didn’t. She breathed a sigh of relief, and her heartrate returned to normal.

  In the mess of folders on Mark’s desk, the word Selandis caught her eye. The full title of the file sent a chill through her.

  The Invasion of Selandis

  She looked around the room, then, with trembling hands, opened the folder. She swallowed hard, and her eyes raced across the page as she absorbed the printed horror before her.

  From: Department of Strategic Development and Defense

  To: The Honorable Prime Minister and his Cabinet

  Subject: Plans pertaining to your emergency directive to procure available res
ources for continued industrial expansion

  It is well known coal, iron, and other important metals are relatively scarce on our lands, yet we consume them as if there is no limit to their supply. This cannot continue.

  Our expansion is raising the standard of living for all our residents of both Steelcove and the rest of Asaria. As such, we owe it to them to continue this growth without delay or setback.

  Our only viable option is to secure new sources in the continent of Selandis. Undercover operatives have found reluctance to sell the land necessary for such mining, and government officials are still led by the superstitions of spiritual leaders who consider the land sacred. We expect to make little to no headway in developing the continent via peaceful means.

  These savages are ignoring the wealth beneath their feet, denying it to those who need it. In response, we propose proceeding, with all due haste, in launching the planned full-scale invasion of the Selandis. With our superior technological strength, an invasion should cost little blood and treasure, yet yield tremendous opportunity for our citizens.

  We have determined the southwestern coast of the Selandis continent most vulnerable to attack. Its shores are rocky, yet the zone is undeveloped and only half an hour away from an area known as the Jeweled Woods, a forest rich in lumber and precious metals. We can then use the Jeweled Woods as a staging area for further operations on the continent.

  Our fleet is now ready. We implore you to act before their governments catch wind of our plans.

  The door opened. She nearly jumped out of the chair. She closed the folder, but there was no time to hide it.

  “What are you doing?”

  Chapter 12

  Frasie had to find Nivvy.

  She banged on her front door, but no one answered. Cherin had repeatedly told her she was like family, so she surely wouldn’t mind the interruption.

  She couldn’t find Nivvy, so she lit a lamp and carried it throughout the house in search of her friend. Frasie proceeded to her room, but she wasn’t there. Instead, on her bed, lay a book titled, “On the Reproduction of Proctors”. Her eyes grew wide as she thumbed through the myriad of star charts, lunar tables, and illustrations depicting graces, symbols, and sexual positions.

  She snapped the book closed. “Wow.”

  She placed the book on the nightstand and left the house. She peeked in the barn but saw no one, so she proceeded to Nivvy’s favorite spot in the woods. As she drew near the clearing, she saw a faint light. Finally.

  “Nivvy, I need your help. I…”

  She looked down and noticed Nivvy and Shareis bundled under quilts near the stump.

  “Frasie!” Nivvy exclaimed.

  “Oh, sorry. I… wait… Are you two trying to make a baby?”

  Nivvy’s face turned red. “What?”

  She pointed toward the house. “I came looking for you, but you weren’t there. Cherin and Ren are gone, too. Where are they?”

  “They’re staying a few days with friends. They decided we needed some privacy. I told them they didn’t have to leave.”

  That explained Cherin and Ren, but she had to know if she would soon be an aunt. “Alright. Well, on your bed, there was this book about reproduction. And since you two are naked under those quilts, I figure—”

  “We’re just spending some time together.” Nivvy sat upright. Her friend looked at Shareis, who nodded. “But since you saw the book, you might as well know. We do plan on conceiving a child.”

  She smiled. “That’s great news!”

  Nivvy frowned. “What’s wrong?”

  “I… Nothing. I am sorry for disturbing you.”

  Nivvy and Shareis exchanged glances, then motioned for her to approach.

  “Are you sure?”

  “It’s alright Frasie,” Shareis said.

  “How do you know something’s wrong?”

  “What I just said would have normally made you jump and squeal, and instead you smiled,” Nivvy replied.

  She sighed. “Good point. But… I don’t want to bother you two. Especially when you’re all naked.”

  They both stood and put back on their clothes.

  “It’s fine,” Nivvy said. “We weren’t doing anything, anyway. Just talking.” She patted her hand on an empty spot on the quilt. “Come sit down with us.”

  She sat next to them and hung her head. “I’ve screwed up everything.”

  “What happened?” Nivvy asked.

  “Aiden proposed to me.”

  Their faces lit with excitement. “That’s wonderful!” Nivvy said.

  “Maybe. If I had accepted.”

  “You… said no?”

  She sighed. “I said I wasn’t ready.”

  “Is that true?” Shareis finally asked.

  She struggled to answer. “I don’t know.”

  Nivvy put her arm around her shoulder. “Not being ready to marry is not the same as never marrying. Not now doesn’t mean no.”

  “I told him I was afraid to disappoint him.”

  “How?” Shareis asked.

  “Look at what happened with Kytis. He manipulated me and turned me against Aiden.”

  “He manipulated you with magic,” Nivvy said.

  “It wasn’t that simple,” she said. “I saw the warning signs and I ignored them. Kytis knew how to flatter me. I was the ugly tomboy—”

  Nivvy held up her hand. “Stop right there, Frasie. You are not an ugly tomboy.” Her friend ran her fingers through her curls. “You are a beautiful woman. Trust me, I’m attracted to women. I know of what I speak.”

  “I agree,” Shareis said. “You are gorgeous.”

  “You two are just telling me that. I own a mirror. Freckles cover my face, and my boyish figure doesn’t turn any heads.”

  “You are unique, Frasie,” Nivvy said. “And that is what makes you so attractive. Do the plain white dots in the starry sky catch your attention, or the brilliant moon and colorful planets? You, Frasie, are a colorful planet.”

  “Wow,” she said. She stood and looked through an open spot in the canopy. “I wonder which one.” She paused a moment in wonder. “My freckles are like stars in the sky.”

  “It is clear Aiden loves you,” Shareis said. “I don’t see that changing.”

  She looked down. “And I love him.” She flopped back down on the quilt and buried her head in her hands. “I’m such a fool.”

  “You need to talk to him,” Nivvy said. “Explain why you have your doubts.”

  Her finger traced the outline of one of the stars on the quilt. “You’re right. I wish I thought things through more before acting on impulse. I should have just had a conversation with him. Instead I ran away like an impetuous child.”

  “Go see him,” Nivvy said.

  “I’ll wait until tomorrow. I want to talk about this baby thing.”

  “Baby thing?” Shareis asked.

  “Yea, you two are going to have a baby. I have a lot of questions, you know? Do you mind?”

  “What do you want to know?” Shareis asked.

  “Who’s going to carry the child?”

  “I will,” Nivvy replied.

  She alternated her pointer finger between them. “So, how is that going to happen if you don’t have a… uh...”

  Nivvy chuckled. “You don’t need an uh to become pregnant. A precisely-timed magical ritual will take care of that.”

  “That’s amazing. Can humans do that?”

  “Not quite. Proctor magic is involved.”

  “Good,” she replied. “I don’t want Aiden impregnating me without my say-so.”

  Shareis gave her an incredulous look. “Would you really tell him no?”

  “About having a baby? Oh… well, yes, probably. I mean, how is something the size of a watermelon supposed to fit through that?”

  “Our bodies will accommodate it,” Nivvy said. “Haven’t you seen a human give birth?”

  She scrunched her nose. “No. I saw a cow give birth once and that was enough for m
e.”

  “I don’t know what it’s like to be pregnant… yet.” Nivvy grinned at Shareis. “But I do know it’s a lot of fun to try.”

  “I’m not so sure it’s worth it,” she said. “Boys are a lot of trouble.”

  Nivvy chuckled. “That’s one problem we don’t have to deal with.”

  “So, when is this baby coming?” she asked.

  “Well… We have to conceive it, first,” Nivvy replied.

  “Oh… and, I interrupted that, didn’t I?”

  “Not at all,” Shareis said. “We will try in four days.”

  “The full moon!” she exclaimed. “How exciting.”

  “I’m surprised you keep track of it,” Shareis said.

  “Full moons are not only for sorceresses like Nivvy. Hunters rely on them too. I am planning a hunt then. Maybe I’ll be luckier than last time.”

  “Last time?” Nivvy asked.

  “Yeah, I almost had a deer, but...” She stopped herself. “I mean, I thought about having a deer.” They gave her a strange look. She decided she better go before she accidentally said something she shouldn’t. “Thank you for the advice. I’ll talk to Aiden tomorrow. Maybe he’ll forgive me.”

  Nivvy gave her a hug. “You two will be fine. I know it.”

  She squeezed Shareis. “Thank you too, Shareis. You’re the best Proctor I know.”

  “Aren’t I the only Proctor you know?” Shareis asked.

  Twice in as many minutes. I’ve got to get out of here.

  “Goodnight, you two. Happy practicing!”

  Chapter 13

  A tall blond glared at Olivia. “You’re not supposed to be in here.”

  Olivia stood, shoved her nervous energy aside, and walked confidently to her. “I am authorized to be wherever I wish. Who are you?”

  Morgan peered around her. “I’m Morgan. Are you going through the prime minister’s files?”

  She returned to the desk and neatly stacked the papers. “No, just tiding up for Mark. He’s a mess, you know?”

  Morgan slowly approached. “Did you read any of those?”

  “Of course not.”

  “Good. They’re classified.”

  “How do you know?” She pointed at her. “Wait… Do you even have clearance to be here?”

  Morgan chuckled. “I don’t have to answer to you, Skilla.”