Page 68 of A Monarch's Fall

“Mmm-hmm,” I hummed.

Not long enough. Really.

His charming tongue was entirely verbal. He surprisingly lacked the skills one would expect from a man who had taken so many lovers.

“You seem less than pleased to see me. I thought we had fun.” He winked, and perhaps with his pretty face, those broad shoulders, that fantastic suit, others might melt.

“Perhaps you had fun. If you don’t remember, I was left entirely unsatisfied with your… abilities,” I replied.

He brought his hand to his chest.

“Truly, you wound me. I have had no complaints before,” he said.

“It’s customary to protect the feelings of a man, especially when it comes to his ability to please a partner. Men are such sorry creatures, so easily spun into a rage born of their own lacklustre capabilities. I suspect that is why you have been allowed to continue with such an unearned ego,” I told him.

“Are you taunting me?” he asked, smiling like I was simply playing a game with him.

“If I were taunting you, Vlad, you wouldn’t have to ask. You’d know it. I’m simply being honest. You were quite terrible. Such a shame, really, you have a nice body but just don’t quite know how to use it.”

“Are you offering to teach me?” he said, lifting an eyebrow suggestively.

“Sorry, I don’t provide charity,” I replied.

“You are being serious?” he asked, tilting his head like a confused puppy.

“Yes,” I threw my hands in the air. “Are you so dense?”

“There is no need to pile on your insults,” he growled dejectedly, “I merely remember that we had some fun together, and I thought that seeing as we’re both here, we might find some time for extracurricular activities.”

“I could use a boy to follow me around and purchase for me a new wardrobe; the King’s City has some of the best boutiques in the Kingdom, but isn’t your wife here with you?” I asked.

He smiled cunningly.

“I knew we weren’t done,” he said, running a hand confidently through his black hair. “Amelia will not arrive until the day after the opening ceremony; Junior has caught a winter virus, and she refuses to leave him.”

The casual way he spoke of his wife and child was so disgustingly off-putting, the lack of respect. I felt ashamed of myself for sleeping with him two springs ago; in my defence, I was unaware of his marital status until after the deed. Still, the shame, coupled with the bad sex, left me feeling less than friendly. An attractive body did not make up for a terrible character.

“Oh, we’re done, in every way that you care for. But if you’d like to kneel at my feet and yip for treats, I might indulge and allow you to kiss the soles of my shoes,” I told him.

I knew that what I heard during the Summer Ball while browsing the thoughts of my peers, concerning his apparent foot fetish, was indeed true.

“Really?”he questioned internally, and I was shocked at his lack of adequate protection against my gift, especially given the political landscape at this Royal Conference.

“Who have you been speaking with?” he questioned distrustfully aloud, clearly unaware of his thoughts slipping through.

“Don’t worry yourself, Valdy boy; I’m good at keeping a secret,” I told him.

He hummed in thought.

“I suppose your type has to be,” he agreed.

I laughed. Being Coactus was treated with a double-edged blade; some feared that we could read their every thoughtand, as such, openly distrusted us. On the other hand, others felt there was no point in hiding anything and found it rather liberating to speak freely, divulging all their secrets. The latter was far rarer.

“What has brought you to the conference early?” I asked curiously, the conference didn’t start for almost a week.

“I could ask you the same thing,” he replied.

“My grandmother wanted to socialise,” I answered.