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  “Willful and unfortunately, gaining in popularity,” the first voice said. “Someone took a vid of her trying to save Eucilla after the Trials and it’s been spreading like wildfire among the commoners and nobles alike. The people already love her for her courage and if they get behind her en masse…”

  “Don’t worry about that,” the other male said. “I’ve planted a few, shall we say, failsafes in case things don’t go according to plan.”

  “I won’t ask what they are,” the first voice said.

  “Good. I’ll only tell you if you need to know. Now I must get back.”

  “I will see you at the Culling Banquet tomorrow evening. Be ready.”

  “I will. And never fear, my friend—the two of us will rule the galaxy together. Whether the new Goddess-Empress likes it or not.”

  The voices ceased and after a moment, Doloroso was certain they were gone. So there were other players in this game—well and good, he didn’t care. What he had heard only confirmed what he had already known—whoever held the Empress held the key to the entire galaxy.

  Doloroso just had to be certain that he was the male who held that key.

  Chapter Twenty-eight

  Charlotte

  “My Lady, you have a long distance vid-call.”

  Kristoff’s deep voice was cool and aloof. After our hot encounter in the House of Goddess Pleasures the night before, he had become withdrawn and distant in a way that hurt me more than I could say. I knew he was just trying to put some much-needed space between us, especially considering the illicit nature of our feelings for each other, but it felt like a personal rejection. He had refused to sleep in the bed with me last night and I had cried myself to sleep, so miserable I could hardly bear it.

  Deal with it, I told myself dully for what seemed like the thousandth time. You can’t have him and after the way you’ve been moping around, he probably doesn’t even want you anymore, anyway.

  Only I didn’t think that was true. I saw the desire in his eyes, when I turned and caught him watching me. He still wanted me as badly as I wanted him—maybe even more. But we could never be together and all because of a stupid tradition which had turned into a law which had become part of the Majoran religion somehow.

  You rule these people now—or you will once you’re crowned, I reminded myself. You can’t start out by crapping all over their religion. I knew it was true but it still felt like someone was digging my heart out with a dull spoon every time I thought of spending my life with someone other than the man I had fallen in love with.

  Well, maybe it wouldn’t be so bad. Everyone kept telling me that once I gave my blood to the prospective candidates at the Culling Ceremony I would feel incredibly drawn to one of them and desire no one else. Of course, I had also been told that the effects of giving my blood to Kristoff would fade and that hadn’t happened, so how could I believe—

  “My Lady, did you hear me?” Kristoff asked, breaking into my morbid line of thought.

  My Lady. All day long he had been calling me that—not once had he called me by name as he had last night when he was tasting me and bringing me to the peak again and again. His way of addressing me had seemed charming at first but now I was getting sick of it. I just wanted to hear him call me “Charlotte” but I had a feeling he never would again.

  I looked up at him dully. “I’m sorry, what did you say?” I was bone-weary from staying up late crying the night before, and from all the religious rituals and purifications I’d been going through all day to get me ready to be crowned and enthroned, after I chose my Consort.

  “I said you have a call,” Kristoff repeated. “I had it routed to the private conference area in the back of the Royal Apartments. If you’d like to follow me?” He indicated the narrow hallway which ran the length of the Royal Residence and raised his eyebrows at me.

  “Fine,” I said. “But can you at least tell me who it is? I don’t really feel ready to start making rulings or doing trade negotiations or whatever it is I’m supposed to be doing as the Empress. I need to consult with some experts first—someone who can bring me up to speed on what the last Empress was doing.”

  Kristoff’s icy gaze softened a little.

  “You won’t have to worry about trade negotiations or royal duties to take this call, my Lady,” he said. “In fact, I think you’ll be most happy when you see who’s calling.”

  The only thing that would have made me happy at that moment was being in his arms and knowing I could stay there. But I couldn’t say that aloud—it would only make things harder. Instead I lifted my chin and tried to look as cool and collected as he was.

  “All right, thank you. I suppose I have time to take a call before the banquet tonight.”

  The Culling Banquet—which I was not looking forward to—was supposed to be a lengthy and important affair which took place right before the Culling Ceremony itself. I was going to be dressed in a ridiculously heavy getup which consisted of a rich brocade dress of forest green worked all over with golden embroidery which Kristoff had ordered specially made for me. I was sure it would look spectacular—he had impeccable taste, after all—but I didn’t feel like getting dressed up and presiding over a table-full of snobby Royals who would be scrutinizing my every move and word. In fact, I really didn’t—

  My thoughts cut off abruptly when Kristoff led me into a small room with a wide viewscreen covering one entire wall and I saw the two familiar faces glowing on its lighted surface.

  “Zoe?” I asked, my eyes widening in disbelief. “Leah? What…how… I don’t even know how to start! Why are you calling me and why didn’t you call me before?”

  “Charlotte!” they both squealed and I thought Zoe looked so excited she might just crawl through the viewscreen.

  “We’re so sorry we couldn’t call earlier,” she said, her red curls practically crackling with excitement. “But the distance between Femme One and Eloim is crazy long—it messes with communications.”

  “So how are you calling me now?” I asked, blankly. “Did you boost the signal or something somehow?”

  “No, we’re actually on our way to see your coronation,” Leah said, looking as excited as Zoe. “We weren’t sure if we could all go first because of Sadie’s crown…”

  “The Star of Compassion isn’t supposed to be parted from me or Eloim—my new home planet—for at least a year,” Zoe put in, touching a glowing pink jewel which she wore at her forehead. “But I talked to her and she agreed to make an exception and come off planet with me.”

  “Wait—you talk to your jewelry now?” I said, frowning.

  “Only because it has a sentient creature that lives inside it,” Zoe said a touch defensively. “Anyway, even after my Star agreed to come with me to see you, we still weren’t sure we could go because of Grav.”

  “That’s my new guy.” Leah was beaming. “He’s had some, uh, problems in the past but your friend, Kristoff, issued a pardon for him. So the four of us—me and Grav and Zoe and her guy, Sarden—are all on the way to see your coronation ceremony.”

  “Uh…a pardon?” I looked at Kristoff who nodded and gave me a small smile. “I thought you would agree with the ruling, my Lady. Gravex N’gol was instrumental in saving and protecting your friend’s life, as well as in apprehending Count Doloroso, the Assimilated criminal who was trying to abduct her for nefarious purposes.”

  “Oh, well in that case…”

  “Here, you have to meet him,” Zoe exclaimed. “Him and Sarden both. Wait just a second!”

  There was a brief pause and then the viewscreen was suddenly filled with four faces instead of two—only two of the faces were male and extremely alien.

  “This is my sweetie, Sarden.” Zoe was snuggling up with a seven-foot tall alien who had dark red skin, golden eyes, and horns like the devil. “He’s the one who dragged me through the bathroom mirror at my old work in the first place. Well, with a little help from the Commercians, of course.”

  “The Commercians?�€