“Dahksahna Circe, linas please,” Diandra requested softly and I looked at her. “He has decided he likes the meaning of honey best but he prefers how you speak when you call him baby. He is, of course, a ‘big guy’ and simply finds it amusing you would point this out. There were several warriors with him when Seerim explained all this and Seerim reports to me that they all found your words amusing but not in a bad way. It isn’t making fun. It’s good that your husband finds you amusing. Laughter is important to any relationship but it’s especially important in a marriage. No?”
I had to admit, she was right.
“What did…?” I hesitated. “What did he think of me calling him sweet?”
She grinned again. “I believe that he preferred you thought of him as a fierce warrior but he took no offense to you calling him sweet and, it would be my guess, he took no offense to this because you called him your Lahn before you did so.”
I felt my eyes grow round. “He remembered that?”
“‘Out there, King Lahn is a fierce warrior but in here, my Lahn… kah Lahn is sweet,’” she recited. “Is this what you said?”
It was and, if memory served, it was word for word.
Holy moly.
“Yes,” I whispered.
“Then,” she said softly, reaching out and touching my knee, “I think my guess would be correct and he took no offense at all, my queen.”
My stomach dipped then it warmed.
Oh man. Here we go again.
“Now!” she exclaimed and my body started. “I have more news.”
I didn’t know if I could take more news but because I was a dork, I still asked, “What news?”
“Well, Seerim has found your Narinda.”
I smiled and clapped my hands in front of me so Ghost lifted her head and blinked at me with tiger cub irritation before she settled again.
“He did?” I asked.
“He did, indeed, my queen. She is the bride of Feetak.”
I leaned into her. “Is she okay?”
Diandra smiled gently. “She is. Feetak is a strong warrior. A dependable one. Seerim respects him. And, he tells me, Feetak is taken with his bride. This is why she has not been out and about and he did not go to the games. He has been spending a great deal of time with her.”
I hoped this was good news.
Diandra went on, proving it was. “There are some warriors who do this. It is after the fact, of course, but it is what in our lands would be considered as wooing. He did not allow her to attend the selection, although he participated as is mandatory, and this is likely because, as you did, she would find it distressing. But Seerim says he was seen at the celebration with her last night. Though he took her back to their cham early before things got, erm… out of hand.”
Yeah, out of hand. She could say that again.
Diandra kept speaking. “But she is well and I know where their cham is so, when you are better and when Seerim says it is appropriate to approach, in other words, when Feetak would consent to it, I will take you to her or ask her to attend you.”
Oh thank God.
“That’d be cool, Diandra, thanks.”
“Cool,” she said on a smile. “You must tell me about your land one day, Dahksahna Circe. We share the same language and yet, we do not.”
I’d bet that would be an interesting conversation.
I grinned at her while changing the subject. “And your other news?”
She pulled in breath then her face lit again and she stated, “The Dax has spoken and we do not ride.”
I blinked.
“What?”
“The Dax has spoken and we do not ride,” she repeated.
“I don’t under –”
She leaned in. “We ride, always. The day after the selection, starting at daybreak, the camp is packed up and the instant it is packed up, be it early morning, afternoon or evening, we ride. But, you are unwell, you had a turn last night, your king is concerned and he has decreed that until he is content with your health, The Horde does not ride.”
God, why was it that every time I convinced myself I did not like this guy he did something to make me like him?
“That was –” I started quietly.
“Sweet of him,” Diandra finished for me on one of her wicked smiles.
“Right,” I whispered, feeling my cheeks flame and not from sunburn.
She reached out a hand and touched my knee and she did this while laughing.
I, on the other hand, sighed.
She’d just leaned back when the cham flaps slapped open and my eyes went to it to see Lahn bending to enter.
And again, here we go.
I braced for him to be rude, bark orders and ignore me.
But he did not do this.
His eyes came right to me and then he did. Right in front of everyone, he carefully turned me (and Ghost, who made a purry mew and looked up at him) toward the side of the bed and then he leaned into me, fists on either side, body bent down at the waist, face super close.
Then he spoke softly.
“Erm…” Diandra whispered, “your king asks how you are.”
He didn’t take his eyes from mine as Diandra translated and I couldn’t take mine from his.
“I’m fine,” I said softly and Diandra translated, speaking one word.
Lahn spoke more and Diandra interpreted, “Did you do as you were told and rest?”
“Uh… yes,” I replied.
“Meena,” Diandra said.
“Good,” Lahn rumbled then said more words.
When he was done, Diandra spoke. “When you take lunch, he wants you to take more medicine. Do you understand?”
I nodded.
“Good,” he repeated on another rumble then spoke more.
He had finished talking and Diandra didn’t translate for a few seconds then she said haltingly and with humor in her voice, “Your king wants to be between your legs tonight, Dahksahna Circe. He commands you get better in order that that can be so.”
My eyes got wide, my cheeks again flamed and I snapped, “Lahn!”
He grinned at me, totally unrepentant.
“I change my mind, you’re not sweet in this cham,” I declared irately, Diandra translated and Lahn’s hand moved swiftly, cupping me at the back of my neck, he squeezed hard as he threw his head back and roared with laughter. “I wasn’t being amusing,” I informed him, Diandra translated and his waning laughter instantly waxed.
Brute!
I was glaring at him when his eyes came to me. He took one look and the smile remained fixed to his face. Then he spoke.