Zarya cocked a curious eyebrow as a wave of nervous trepidation went through her. “What’s that?”
“His lordship gave it to me for you to wear tonight.” Gera presented it to her much the way Darling had given his medal to Drus.
Zarya stared down at her new engagement ring. The center stone was dark blue with the side stones a deep, blood maroon that matched her dress. She’d only ever owned three pieces of jewelry in her entire life. Her mother’s ring that she’d given to Darling, and the two engagement rings Darling had given her.
And since two of them had been violently stolen…
“I don’t really wear jewelry.”
Gera refused to be daunted. “You’ll want this. Trust me.”
When she didn’t move to take the box, Gera opened the lid to show her the most magnificent necklace she’d ever seen in her life. It looked as if it’d been made to match her ring. Red and blue stones were laced together with tiny gold gems to form a collar that held one obscenely large, perfect red teardrop.
Gera handed her the matching earrings, then took the necklace out of its box. She moved behind Zarya so that she could fasten it around Zarya’s neck.
All Zarya could do was gape at something that probably cost more than a small planet. Why had Darling sent it to her?
She covered the stone with her hand—it was so large, she couldn’t even close her fist around it—while Gera worked with the catch. “Is this his mother’s?”
“No, Mistress. Lady Natale has all of her jewelry with her at the Summer Palace. His lordship went down into the vault to select these for you.”
Vault?
Zarya frowned. “I don’t understand.”
“These are part of what his lordship inherited when his father died,” Gera explained. “Every lady of the empire is given her own jewels by her husband. When she passes, she may will them to someone or return them to the vault so that they remain the governor’s property and go to her child who inherits. This set belonged to his lordship’s great-grandmother. They were given to her when she birthed his grandfather. The center teardrop is the largest blodesteen ever cut.”
Those were the rarest of all the precious stones in existence.
Zarya picked it up to stare in awe of the priceless gem that was worth even more than she’d originally thought.
“Her ladyship always wore this set for all state functions, and at all celebrations. She claimed the blue stones were to calm her nerves and the red to inspire her husband to become even greater than he already was. If you’ve been down the north hallway, you’ve no doubt seen her wearing them in her state portrait. They were her most prized possession.”
Gera moved to put the earrings on.
Zarya kindly stopped her. “I can do it. Thank you, Gera.”
Inclining her head, Gera took her leave.
Zarya fastened the earrings, then went straight to Darling’s door. Knocking, she didn’t wait for him to respond before she pushed it open.
She froze instantly.
Holy mother of all shoes…
Darling was absolutely startling in his regal beauty. The navy uniform, trimmed in gold and maroon, made his eyes an even darker shade of blue. His valet had cut his hair so that it no longer fell over the left half of his face. Rather, the much shorter style curled around his collar and formed a perfect frame for his chiseled features. A style that left both of his eyes visible.
And braided into his hair so that it fell from behind his right ear was his harone—the three graduating strands of jewels that designated his status as a royal governor. The longest strand was made of red stone beads with every sixth bead being yellow. At the end hung a larger briolette cut of navy blue. The next strand up was dark blue with every fourth bead being yellow. The briolette on it was maroon. The shortest strand was red beads with every fifth bead blue. Its briolette was yellow.
An aura of lethal, regal authority bled from every part of him. Unlike her, he was completely at ease with his nobility, and he looked every bit the powerful ruler that he was. She’d never found an aristo sexy, but Darling wore that title well. There was no arrogance to him, only a deep self-assurance that was as erotic as the hot look in his eyes as he stared at her.
“You are stunning, my lady.” He all but growled those words.
“And you are exceptional.”
His valet cleared his throat to get Darling’s attention. “Majesty? Is there anything else you require?”
Darling glanced to his left where his valet waited. “You’re dismissed.”
After a slight bow, the man quickly took his leave.
As soon as he was gone, Darling wasted no time closing the distance between them so that he could kiss her.
Zarya breathed him in, wanting to feel him naked against her skin. But she knew better. They couldn’t afford to be late to this meeting.