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of the Alalakan suite, Ademis stared at Bandalardrac Hardan. A stern look on his face, Char’s womanizing cousin leaned nonchalantly against the balcony railing.
    Ademis straightened. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
    Ban snorted. “Enough people saw you and Meri leave together, and neither of you were in your own rooms last night.”
    Ademis shrugged. “Who’s to say I was with her? There are a lot of willing women in the palace eager to crawl into bed with a man who has a tail.”
    For a moment Ban simply stared at Ademis. Then he burst into laughter. When Ban finally regained control of himself, he said, “And here I thought you didn’t have a sense of humor.”
    Ademis swallowed the curse that rose in his gorge. “Is there anything else, Bandalardrac?”
    Still chuckling, Ban shook his head. “Just don’t forget what I said.” Spinning on his heel, he sauntered away.
    Angry and confusing thoughts rolling around in his head, Ademis strode down the balcony, slid open the door to the Alalakan suite and entered just as Chardadon walked from his bedroom into the sitting room.
    Ademis threw the clothing he carried onto a chair. “Has Bandalardrac had any training as an assassin?”
    Stopping abruptly, Char stared at him then snorted. “Ban’s only talent is fucking. Why?”
    “He just threatened me.”
    Char snorted again. “Don’t worry. You aren’t his type so he won’t be fucking you to death.” Then he frowned. “I’m sure he’s had some training in self-defense. Why did he threaten you?”
    Ademis pursed his lips. Char was his best friend, but the Alalakan ties with the Medirian royal family were generations old. Still, he had made his thoughts about Meri clear to his friend.
    “I spent the night with Meri.”
    Grunting, Char stepped across the room to a table holding covered dishes. “I know. You and she were and are the center of a private discussion among the royal family, the Nissian Patriarch and Aradab Matriarch.”
    As the ball of lead dropped into Ademis’ stomach, he collapsed onto a chair. “What…” He cleared his throat. “What did they have to say?”
    Sipping the hot morning tea favored by the Medirians, Char shook his head. After setting the cup down, he turned to Ademis. “I wasn’t privy to the entire conversation, but we will not be leaving today.”
    Ademis broke out into a cold sweat.
    Char grinned at him. “Cheer up. It’s not like you took a Gattan virgin to bed. The Medirians are more open-minded, and Findal’s not a big stickler for royal protocol. You aren’t going to be arrested because you had sex with the king’s daughter. She’s old enough to make her own decisions.” Then Char frowned. “That is… She wasn’t a virgin, was she?”
    Ademis shook his head.
    Grinning again, Char began to pile breakfast foods onto his plate. “Then you don’t have anything to worry about. Meri’s like another sister to me. She’s not going to complain to her father.” He glanced at his friend. “That is, of course, unless you didn’t satisfy her.”
    “Fuck you,” Ademis snapped as he pushed himself out of the chair and headed for the bath. He needed that shower and then he was going to find Meri and discover what was going on.
    * * * * *
    “He may not agree.”
    “He has no choice,” the Aradab Matriarch stated in a firm voice. “He is the ‘Path to the Dols and Orcs’.”
    “Has anyone bothered to ask Meri?” the Medirian queen interjected. “I want the dols and orcs returned as much as everyone else, but I will not have my daughter forced into marriage.”
    “Nobody is forcing Meri to do anything she doesn’t want to,” the king said as he patted his wife’s hand.
    She arched an eyebrow. “Oh, what would you call it? She doesn’t even know the man. You just finished lecturing your mother about trying to manipulate Meri into a marriage she didn’t want and now you’re talking about doing the same thing.”
    “Your Majesty,” the