The galina grew restless when she stood and the nerves she felt around the beasts her entire life rose up to choke her. Then the whisper from her courtesan, “They only react to fear,” Nadyah reminded her.
Since Adelina had been a true submissive for so long, it had been her biggest challenge. The galinas didn’t like submitting to her, and raising the one she had now from a cub helped only a little. It was a constant struggle to make the galina submit, but she supposed now that she knew how flexible her dominance truly was things would become easier.
Her skirts rustled against the black-wood floor as she took a step forward. Adelina jumped down to the soft grass and the galina balked. She snatched the reins with one hand and yanked down. Startled, the galina obeyed. Adelina looked up into Stefano’s beautiful chocolate eyes, ignoring the great cat completely.
“You honor me,” she said, her words low and husky. Nadyah had taught her much.
Instantly the galina settled, even leaned into Adelina at the tenor of her voice. “But I have plenty of gold. I’d love if you’d keep it as well as my token, and think of me.” Adelina took one of his hands and then uncurled his fingers so she could place the golden galina in his palm. With a tender touch she wrapped those callused fingers around the tiny cat and smiled up at him.
Stefano stared down at her, noting the way his feline responded to her. Adelina could practically see the wheels turn in his head, most likely comparing all he knew of her from the livestream to the female before him. The recorders whirred, hungrily taking in every moment. There was one last thing she could do for the male.
“I’d like to offer you a seat of honor with me and my family tonight during the dinner.” Then she dropped her gaze, stroking the beast between the eyes. Adelina swore she could hear a pleased rumble deep in the galina’s chest.
Stefano turned his mount and snatched her hand, pressing another kiss to Adelina’s knuckles. “You honor me, Princess.” With a shout he spurred the galina on towards the hostlers across the field.
Adelina watched him go. She allowed the recorders to see the small smile on her face before she turned back to the raised platform. The fear she used to have around the beasts was no longer there. It had been almost too easy to shift her dominance up the spectrum until she could bend the galina’s will to her own. Once she knew she could do it, the tangy fear misted, blown away by the summer breeze.
“You are torturing the boy,” her father said with a small smile. “No one should have to be subjected to our way of life, and here you are trying to make a prince out of him.”
Nadyah nodded in approval and then handed her a glass of iced water. Even Joslynn smirked into her iced tea. “He is very beautiful,” Joslynn said.
Adelina sipped as she watched the festivities, the drums beating a wild rhythm in celebration of the Games and the winners. “Anything I can give him to better his life, I will,” she murmured.
They all knew war was on the horizon and the male could easily be drafted to fight and die for them, but it wasn’t just the war. Adelina had spent many hours on the streets of Stella di Draga, among her people – the commoners. Making a living could be difficult, if not impossible. If her favor helped him gain new contracts and jobs when Stefano returned to Priea, then she would gladly give it. It was one of the few things she could do from her position.
The people led a different way of life that Adelina didn’t think any of her family truly understood except perhaps Asher.
Her eyes found Raena with Hayden and Alock, both males readying for the next Game. The Game of Swords should really be one William played, but Asher was just as good. The drums beat louder as Raena flirted with both lords, for all the world looking like a tease as she tried to decide who to give her token of favor to.
Raena tied that glittering gold scarf around Alock’s bicep. Her sister hoped the Priean lord would win, the same male she’d unofficially declared as her fiancé.
A split second of fury passed over Hayden’s face and Adelina could have sworn she saw a smirk from Veri before she turned to tie her own turquoise scarf around Asher’s arm.
The Game of Swords was vicious, brutal, and extremely dangerous. Not many females participated as the skill required going up against males like Asher, Hayden, Alock, Jayden, and Alpha – males who had spent most of their lives training with the plasma blades that could cut through flesh and bone as if they were made of butter – was significant.
Not many females were allowed that training. Some societal norms were difficult to break despite the century and a half of equality. Though as she watched Veri, Adelina supposed the female could make all the males run for the protection of their mothers’ skirts. She tilted her head and watched the way Veri submitted to her brother, held back even – for his sake.
If the female had plans to join the royal family, Adelina would have to make a point to reach out to her. Asher had an undeniable skill at sniffing out liars and the power-hungry nobles, but he was not as good a judge of character as Adelina was. A lifetime of observing had taught her more than any of her dominant siblings.
Veri was dangerous, but Adelina wasn’t sure how yet. Was she dangerous to the royal family, or was she simply another predator among many? Because Adelina had no doubt if one crossed her, Veri would become their worst nightmare – royal or no.
“What do you know about the Daughter of Priea?” Adelina asked, leaning closer to Joslynn so she didn’t have to raise her voice.
She’d done her own research over the cycles, but Veri’s people loved her and they were intensely loyal. Priea was rather secretive with their ways. There was only so much on her shreve about Veri.
Joslynn leaned in and glanced at the lady watching Asher as the fighters were paired off. A few began and the clash of the blades as they collided was loud as lightning crashing to the earth. “She is a huntress,” Joslynn explained. “Since birth she’s been trained to hunt and kill those deadly creatures on Priea. For the longest time she was with Hayden, but the archduchess shut down any possibility of a marriage.”
Adelina nodded, she’d heard as much from her own sources and Varan’s court.
Spectators cheered and screamed when Alock just barely dodged a blade. Adelina’s heart leapt into her throat while in the second ring Asher jumped back, his shirt sliced in two, baring his chest and the gold tattoo on his back of the Draga seal, declaring his rank to the entire galaxy.