Free Alien Dragon by Sophie Stern Page B

after all.
    I push the thought away and bury it because if there’s one thing I learned on the ship, it’s that few Taneyemms are willing to marry outside of their race. Royalty is an exception. Royals see marrying outside of their planet a sign of wealth and good fortune. Others don’t always have that same opinion. To some, marrying someone from another planet is impossible because the non-Taneyemm partner rarely makes as much money.
    If you want a big family, you need big money.
    May has finished serving her three guys and now it’s time to serve the King. He’s almost finished talking, and as soon as he sets his hands on the table, we move forward. That’s the signal that he’s ready for his meal.
    May places his plate in front of him and I arrange his napkin gently in his lap. I don’t wink at him or meet his face. May moves back to the buffet table, but the King grabs my wrist as I pull away and holds me until I look up at him. His face is hard and unreadable. It scares me a little.
    I try to keep breathing as he watches me, but the murmuring and chatting from the other men fades into the background as the King’s gaze centers on me.
    “Riley,” he says.
    “Your majesty,” I say in response, but he doesn’t smile or relax. I’m not sure what sort of power play he’s trying right now, but I don’t like it. If I was turned on before, I’m certainly not now.
    What does he want from me?
    “Come to my chambers after the meal. May will show you the way.” He releases me, and I don’t look at him as I hurry back over to May. My feet manage to hold me up as I take my place beside her.
    May doesn’t speak, but her body tenses beside mine. I’m guessing this isn’t normal behavior for the King, but who knows what’s normal?
    I’m finding that despite the fact that I spent four years learning the language of the dragons, understanding the way a house servant is supposed to behave, and the proper way to prepare roast chicken, I didn’t learn the most important thing of all.
    How to understand the man I’m serving.
    It’s only been a day, but he’s still a complete mystery to me. The men finish their meal and their business dealings, then they leave. As each man leaves, he bows to Mary and me. They each kiss our foreheads and thank us for the service, as is Taneyemm custom. The King simply glares at us from his seat at the table. When the other men have gone, he stands and leaves.
    “Come on, let’s hurry,” May says. “I have a feeling he’s not going to want to wait for you.” We rush to the table and clear the plates and trays. May wipes down the table while I push the cart of empty plates, cups, and dishes back to the kitchen. One of the other house servants takes the cart and May comes back for me.
    “Let’s go,” she says, and guides me down the hall.
    I don’t speak as she waves through the maze of the castle. How long has she lived here that she can navigate so quickly? We arrive at his room and May straightens my hair and shoves me inside unceremoniously.
    Then I’m alone.
    I look around and realize I’m in a small foyer of sorts. The door from the hall didn’t lead directly into his bedroom. I’m not sure if this is good or bad. I suppose this means he has his own suites.
    There are two suits of armor by the door. They each have a dragon insignia on the front. There’s an archway ahead of me and a small hallway. I guess that’s where I’m supposed to go.
    I’m barefoot, so my steps are noiseless as I move down the hallway. The marble floor has been polished to perfection and I hope my feet aren’t dirty and smudge it up. The hall is silent. Where is he? Should I call out? Maybe I shouldn’t be too loud, not just yet. Instead of shouting, I take this time to look at the dragon portraits on the walls. Some of them look like they were painted on Earth. Others look like they’re scenes from the auction house or from the castle on Taneyemm.
    Perhaps I stare too long because