instead?’
‘It was all arranged, my love, long ago, when my father was still well. My family has given a pledge, and I must honour it.’
‘You could still marry her sister.’
‘I will ask, if that pleases you, if I might have the choice. I doubt that Queen Shezira would agree.’
‘You like her, don’t you?’
Jehal’s face didn’t flicker for a second. ‘I hardly know her, my love. She is a doll. All dressed up to look as pleasing as she can, but still a doll.’ Still, I would have to admit to being interested.
‘And you can’t wait to unwrap her, can you?’ For a moment Jehal was quite sure that Zafir was about to sit up and pout and become unbearably tedious. Instead she pulled him closer. ‘I’m afraid I’m going to have to spoil your wedding night. If you have to fuck your doll then so be it, but you’ll be thinking of me while you do it.’
Jehal growled contentedly. For a moment, though, he hesitated. ‘I should go. Lord Meteroa will already be waiting for me with whatever news there is from the eyrie.’
‘Which do you want more? Me or Queen Shezira’s white dragon?’
‘You, my love. Always you.’
‘Then let him wait.’
‘He’s not stupid. He’ll find out about us if we’re not very careful.’
‘But he’s your man, is he not?’
‘Yes.’ Said with only the slightest hesitation.
‘Then let him wait.’
Jehal let him wait, and then wait some more. The secret passage out of this particular solar led him right through the palace and back to his own bedchamber. Still he ran, and by the time he reached his own room he was out of breath.
He burst through the doors into his private anteroom. ‘Lord Meteroa! I was resting. I do apologise for keeping you waiting. You should have knocked.’ He couldn’t help glancing at the floor to see whether Lord Meteroa had worn a groove in it with his pacing back and forth.
Meteroa wrinkled his nose. He didn’t bother to bow. ‘Resting? You stink of a woman, Your Highness. Should I wonder who you’ve got in there?’
‘See for yourself if you wish.’
Meteroa met his gaze. There was something unnerving about the eyrie-master’s eyes. They were somewhere between blue and grey, watery and incredibly pale, and the man never seemed to blink. It was like locking stares with a snake. ‘Ah. In one of the solars were you? Which have you got up there? A princess or a queen?’
Jehal pursed his lips. ‘Perhaps I had both at once.’ He picked up a plum and tossed it through the air. ‘Try something sweet to take that sharpness off your tongue.’
Meteroa caught it and tossed it back. ‘Thank you, Your Highness, but I had my fill some time ago.’
‘Tell me, uncle, since you’re so insightful this morning, how is it that, when their lover’s thoughts begin to stray, even a blind woman can see through the most finely crafted lies as though they were glass?’
The eyrie-master gave a harsh bark of bitter laughter. ‘ You are asking me? ’
‘I learned from a master.’
Meteroa’s face became unreadable, the way it always did when he was remembering things from a long time ago. ‘That’s women,’ he said. ‘Shower them with pretty words and they’ll be insensible to almost anything. Why’s that? Because all their capacity to think is occupied with watching every movement of your eyes and listening to every nuance of your voice, searching for the infidelity that they secretly know must be there. Treat them like dogs and they’ll fawn at your feet. Throw them a bone now and then and they’ll show you far more gratitude.’
Jehal grinned. ‘Your advice is as uncompromising as ever. Now tell me about the alchemists. Are they done yet? No!’ Jehal clasped his hands together. ‘But first tell me about my white dragon. Is she as beautiful as she should be? Is she perfect?’
‘So far, Your Highness, she is invisible.’
‘She’s what?’
‘There is no white dragon, Your Highness.’
‘ What? ’
Meteroa raised
‘It was all arranged, my love, long ago, when my father was still well. My family has given a pledge, and I must honour it.’
‘You could still marry her sister.’
‘I will ask, if that pleases you, if I might have the choice. I doubt that Queen Shezira would agree.’
‘You like her, don’t you?’
Jehal’s face didn’t flicker for a second. ‘I hardly know her, my love. She is a doll. All dressed up to look as pleasing as she can, but still a doll.’ Still, I would have to admit to being interested.
‘And you can’t wait to unwrap her, can you?’ For a moment Jehal was quite sure that Zafir was about to sit up and pout and become unbearably tedious. Instead she pulled him closer. ‘I’m afraid I’m going to have to spoil your wedding night. If you have to fuck your doll then so be it, but you’ll be thinking of me while you do it.’
Jehal growled contentedly. For a moment, though, he hesitated. ‘I should go. Lord Meteroa will already be waiting for me with whatever news there is from the eyrie.’
‘Which do you want more? Me or Queen Shezira’s white dragon?’
‘You, my love. Always you.’
‘Then let him wait.’
‘He’s not stupid. He’ll find out about us if we’re not very careful.’
‘But he’s your man, is he not?’
‘Yes.’ Said with only the slightest hesitation.
‘Then let him wait.’
Jehal let him wait, and then wait some more. The secret passage out of this particular solar led him right through the palace and back to his own bedchamber. Still he ran, and by the time he reached his own room he was out of breath.
He burst through the doors into his private anteroom. ‘Lord Meteroa! I was resting. I do apologise for keeping you waiting. You should have knocked.’ He couldn’t help glancing at the floor to see whether Lord Meteroa had worn a groove in it with his pacing back and forth.
Meteroa wrinkled his nose. He didn’t bother to bow. ‘Resting? You stink of a woman, Your Highness. Should I wonder who you’ve got in there?’
‘See for yourself if you wish.’
Meteroa met his gaze. There was something unnerving about the eyrie-master’s eyes. They were somewhere between blue and grey, watery and incredibly pale, and the man never seemed to blink. It was like locking stares with a snake. ‘Ah. In one of the solars were you? Which have you got up there? A princess or a queen?’
Jehal pursed his lips. ‘Perhaps I had both at once.’ He picked up a plum and tossed it through the air. ‘Try something sweet to take that sharpness off your tongue.’
Meteroa caught it and tossed it back. ‘Thank you, Your Highness, but I had my fill some time ago.’
‘Tell me, uncle, since you’re so insightful this morning, how is it that, when their lover’s thoughts begin to stray, even a blind woman can see through the most finely crafted lies as though they were glass?’
The eyrie-master gave a harsh bark of bitter laughter. ‘ You are asking me? ’
‘I learned from a master.’
Meteroa’s face became unreadable, the way it always did when he was remembering things from a long time ago. ‘That’s women,’ he said. ‘Shower them with pretty words and they’ll be insensible to almost anything. Why’s that? Because all their capacity to think is occupied with watching every movement of your eyes and listening to every nuance of your voice, searching for the infidelity that they secretly know must be there. Treat them like dogs and they’ll fawn at your feet. Throw them a bone now and then and they’ll show you far more gratitude.’
Jehal grinned. ‘Your advice is as uncompromising as ever. Now tell me about the alchemists. Are they done yet? No!’ Jehal clasped his hands together. ‘But first tell me about my white dragon. Is she as beautiful as she should be? Is she perfect?’
‘So far, Your Highness, she is invisible.’
‘She’s what?’
‘There is no white dragon, Your Highness.’
‘ What? ’
Meteroa raised
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