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“Is your room to your liking?” he asks as he leads me down the hall.

“Yes. The bed is incredibly comfortable.”

“Good. How are you adjusting to the lack of electricity?”

“It’s a little strange but not too hard to get used to.”

I follow him into the dining room and stop short at its unexpected beauty. The room is long and lined with the same type of doors as the set in my bedroom, leading to a long terrace. Huge chandeliers hang above the long table, large enough to seat fourteen. There are only two place settings, though.

He pulls out a chair for me and then sits after helping me.

“Is it just us?”

“Yes. Altis and Vynia are visiting their parents. Hyva is,” a smirk lifts his lips, “out with some females.”

“Like a date?”

He blinks at me blankly. “What’s a date?”

“Is he courting them or something?”

“Oh.” Understanding lights his eyes. “No. Just casual mating.”

“Is that common for the Zeahiri?” My cheeks heat at the topic, but I find myself deeply curious.

“Depends on the individual. For Hyva? Absolutely common.”

“And you?”What the hells, Neev?“Sorry. That was improper.”

“Mating is never casual for me.” He says before lifting a glass of deep red liquid to his lips. His tongue traces his bottom lip, gathering a drop left behind. “Try the wine.” He gestures to the full glass in front of me. “It’s strong, though.”

I lift the glass to my lips, the slightly sweet and floral notes hit my nostrils first, and then I feel the wine hit my taste buds. My body sings with joy as I take my first sip. I greedily take another and lock eyes with Raiz. “This is really good.”

“Yes.” He reaches over and takes the glass from me. “Take it slow. The first time I had this, I was passed out on the floor for hours. I’d hate to see what it does to a small human.”

Once again he refers to me as a small human. Before I can say anything in regard to not being small for a human female, Breval comes out with two plates balanced in her hands.

She sets one down in front of each of us. She rambles off what it is, some form of fish I assume and vegetables I’ve never heard of. She waits until he tries a bite and nods before walking off back into the kitchen.

“So you’re Commander Asterean on your ship and Lord Asterean at home?” I ask in between bites.

“Yes.”

“Is the title here passed along your family line?”

“Yes.” He sets his fork down. “My family has called this place home since we left the sea.”

My brows rise. “How long ago was that?”

“Nearly one thousand years.”

“Are there a lot of families like yours?”

“Nine across the planet.”

“And you rule together?”

“The Sovereign rules. The nine houses just manage the citizens and land.” The tone of his voice has shifted from friendly, borderline playful, to serious.