Courting Kel Read Online Free PDF Page B

Kel’s hand over his left arm
and led her out.
    Kel looked around. When her guards had brought her here—was
it only yesterday?—she’d been too frightened to notice her surroundings. Today,
though far from calm, she took stock. She would need her wits when she escaped.
Knowing the shortest route to the outside world would aid in that effort.
    “Your home is very grand, Aren. How many rooms in all?”
    He glanced down at her. “Forty bedrooms. As for the total…”
he shrugged, “I have no idea.”
    Their footsteps echoed along the wide marble corridors that
seemed to stretch for miles. Or perhaps the mirrored walls gave that illusion.
They made Kel a little dizzy, reflecting endless space and two solitary figures
strolling through the halls.
    “F-forty bedrooms. Why so many?”
    “Curious Kel, a new name for you,” he mumbled.
    “Aren, please tell me. You must know I have no idea where in
several galaxies I am. Even if I did know, I have no way of telling anyone
else.”
    “True.” A considering look, a sigh that lifted his wide
shoulders. Finally he said, “Our libraries have no records that tell us the
dates, but our historians believe eons ago Ondrican’s population was nearly
equal. As many women as men, give or take a few percentage points.”
    “Amazonia once had equal numbers. What happened here to
change things?”
    “We inbred almost to the point of extinction. Women died
giving birth to ill-formed children. Normal babies were sterile.”
    “B-but…from the few people I saw when Tage’s guards brought
me here, you are all quite healthy.” She wanted to comfort him, ease his
obvious sadness. But she also wanted him to finish the story and poked his
ribs.
    “As I said, the problem arose eons ago. After—and no one
knows how long ago exactly—some geneticists recommended we scour our galaxy for
new blood. The nobility, the most inbred of all Ondrican classes, fought the
idea for so long our entire population nearly died out. But at last even they
saw the need to bring outsiders here.”
    “Forty bedrooms,” Kel reminded him, as they turned left.
Another endless corridor but she could see sunlight filtering in through a
fan-shaped transom at the end.
    “Storr, the present king’s great-great—I forget how many
greats—grandfather sent out invitations to several hundred princesses. Forty
accepted. Knowing princesses enjoy privacy, he had this palace built with forty
bedrooms.”
    Two things struck Kel simultaneously, so confusing she
didn’t know which to ask first. “How is it you live in this palace, Aren?”
popped out first.
    “That will become clear in the next few hours,” he said, his
tone forbidding further questions of that kind.
    Her temper rising, Kel snapped, “It would have cost Storr
less to let his nobles house the princesses.”
    “Much less. But Storr wanted only his bloodline pure.
For his nobles he imported men and women of lesser stature.”
    Kel gasped. “You mean he kept a harem? Only he… mated with
the princesses?”
    “That was the idea. The princesses, however, soon grew bored
with isolation. They began to wander the halls. Encountering handsome, virile
members of Storr’s staff, of his elite guard… I believe you can imagine the
rest.” He flashed a grin, waggling his bushy brows in a lascivious yet teasing
way.
    Recalling what she and Aren had done most of the night,
feeling a blush steal over her entire body, she could imagine all too well.
    “Is that why there are no servants here now?”
    “No. The men are at the king’s palace awaiting the brides.
Cover your hair, Flame.” They had arrived at the doors leading to the outside.
    Another order! Shooting him at rebellious look—which
he ignored—she settled her hood over her hair. “You have such strange customs,
Aren. My gown is so sheer a blind man could see through it, yet you don’t want
anyone to see my hair.”
    “Among your many assets, your hair marks you as unique.”
    “Tak. I