Lottery king 4, p.2
Lottery King 4, page 2
“One of King Roman’s sisters,” Isla said.
“Oh, which of his sisters was it, Isla?” Poppy asked.
“It was Lady Tansea,” Isla said. “She called both of the last two mornings, and she brought her daughter, Ivis, with her.”
“Oh, I’m glad,” Poppy mused. “I always liked Lady Tansea.”
My mind couldn’t focus on Poppy’s opinion of the former king’s sister. I knew there were immediate benefits of a marriage between myself and the niece of King Roman. He’d been a well-loved monarch, and his death had saddened the entire Eternal Realm. Then they’d had to suffer through the distaste of King Vairn for a decade before I came to the throne.
There were all kinds of diplomatic advantages to a union between myself and a member of King Roman’s bloodline. I wondered what it would be like to marry a dryad, and I pictured Lady Taylee’s bark-like skin and flowering hair. I liked Lady Taylee well enough, and I supposed she was pretty like a park could be pretty.
I didn’t see much room for physical attraction like I had with Poppy, Helena, or Dinah, though, but regardless, I would do my duties. Hell, maybe I’d even be surprised by King Roman’s niece. It wasn’t out of the question, after all, I’d been shocked by almost everything about my new life since I’d been crowned king of all the paranormal world.
I decided to hold my opinions until I met the girl, at least, and I looked at Poppy as she concluded her thoughts on Lady Tansea.
“From what I understand, Ivis is only half-dryad,” Poppy said.
That caught my attention.
“Correct, Queen Poppy.” Cove nodded. “Lady Tansea married a high fae.”
“Hmm,” I hummed with interest, and I wondered what kind of genetic mixture a dryad and high fae would create.
“I think we should invite Lady Tansea and her daughter to come stroll the gardens with you,” Poppy said, and she stroked her fingers through my hair. “What do you think?”
“I think that’s a good idea,” I said.
Poppy’s judgment had been a huge asset to me in my role as king from the first moment I’d met her, and I was grateful to have her as both my advisor and my first wife.
“Cove, will you arrange that, please?” I asked.
“Of course, your majesty,” Cove said.
“What about the other invitations, your majesty?” Rune chuckled, and he picked up the basket of envelopes.
Several cards in various shades of pale gray and cream spilled over the top and dropped to the floor. Rune scowled slightly as he knelt down to cram the invitations back into the basket, and he had to use both arms to keep them from spilling out again.
“Perhaps a soiree would be the ideal solution to this…” Rune smirked as he considered his words. “Problem, shall we say?”
“A soiree?” I asked, and I couldn’t help but laugh at the odd word on my tongue. “That’s like a party, right?”
“Well…” Rune’s face screwed up like he wanted to correct my probably clumsy summation of the elegant affair he was imagining, but he seemed to think better of it. “Yes, pretty much. We can invite far more representatives to our event than you could ever arrange to meet at their own social gatherings. We would also have the upper hand by having the party here, and it would allow all the ladies to scope out their competition.”
“Yeah,” I laughed. “I like that part. Competition is good fun, but it will also help bring out the less pleasant personality traits of these ladies. I won’t have a wife who can’t keep control of herself in stressful situations or one who lacks the good manners a queen consort requires.”
“Quite right,” Rune said with a wink. “It will also be an excellent opportunity to present Queen Dinah to everyone. What is the human saying? Two birds, one stone?”
“True.” I nodded. “You’re right, and she’ll probably be more comfortable with her presentation to society being overshadowed by scores of single women clawing each other’s eyes out to win my affection.”
“Michael!” Poppy laughed and lightly slapped my shoulder in a playful way. “You know most of them have much more dangerous aspects than just fingernails.”
“Yikes, good point,” I chuckled. “Anyway, I still think my point stands. Dinah is curious about our world, but I think she’d rather stay near the spotlight rather than directly in it.”
“I think you’re right, your majesty,” Isla said in a sweet voice. “Queen Dinah is a sweet girl, but this has been an enormous change for her. Best to introduce her slowly if we can manage it.”
“Alright, Rune, you set that up,” I said, and I smiled at Poppy. “Queen Poppy will help you with any of the finer details you might need my input on. I give her free reign on all that stuff.”
“Excellent thinking, my king,” Poppy said, and she smiled at me with pride.
“Shall I invite every representative and member of society who has sent an invitation, your majesty?” Rune asked.
“Um… hmm…” I thought for a moment. “Did any vampires send invitations?”
“Only a few, your majesty,” Rune replied as he stared down at the overflowing basket once more. “Shall I include them or not?”
“What do you think?” I asked Poppy.
I remembered the conversation we’d had with Helena about the fact that the vampires had their turn presenting brides for a king during Vairn’s reign. They’d both assured me I wouldn’t offend anyone by not marrying a vampire bride, and I was more than happy to keep the blood-drinkers from my family dinner table if possible.
“I suspect those were sent just to feel included in the process,” Poppy assured me. “None of the vampires will expect you to choose a vampire bride after King Vairn refused all others. It’s traditional to marry from several species, and King Vairn insulted many by refusing to marry outside his species. It’s a natural consequence of King Vairn’s actions, and no one should fault you for such a decision.”
“Alright, I trust your judgment on that, babe,” I said.
I stretched my arms up over my head, and I looked out the window to see some storm clouds in the distance. It looked like we’d be having some rain later on, and it looked like lunchtime. A quick check on my fourteen thousand dollar diamond-encrusted wrist watch told me I was right. I shook my head at the outrageously expensive timepiece Poppy had given me as a wedding gift, and I looked back to my advisors.
“Is there anything else?” I asked. “Or did we cover it all?”
“That is all I have for you, your majesty,” Cove said.
“I as well,” Rune agreed.
Tristan shrugged his broad shoulders and shook his bald head.
“My report was quite boring, your majesty,” Tristan said.
He was right, all the cyclops had to report was that the gardener, Thistle, had discovered a honey bee nest in an iron bench on one of the paths, and she’d had Isla relocate the nest to one of the beehives at the back edge of the property.
“Boring is good sometimes,” I told the butler, and I stood up. “Great work, everyone. It feels good to know I can trust you all to keep things running so smoothly if ever I need to go out of town. I’ll get to signing all of that as soon as I can, but for now, I need some lunch.”
“At your leisure, your majesty,” Cove said. “Nothing there requires your immediate attention.”
“Thank you,” I said, and I offered my arm to Poppy.
Tristan bent in a stiff bow, and Isla bobbed in a little curtsy before the four of them preceded my wife and me out into the hallway.
“Well done, love,” Poppy murmured as my staff hurried off to whatever business they had. “You did great in there.”
“Thanks,” I said. “I think I’m getting pretty good at this king business.”
“You are,” Poppy agreed. “And I think your decision about a double purpose soiree was the best choice. We do need to formally introduce Dinah into society as your queen consort, and I think you’re exactly right about her preference to not be so directly in the spotlight.”
“How is she doing with the adjustment?” I asked.
Poppy and Helena had both taken it upon themselves to take Dinah under their literal wings and help ease her transition into high society. Dinah especially seemed to mesh well with Poppy’s bright and colorful personality, and I knew the three of them were becoming fast friends.
Which was exactly what I wanted.
My queens needed to like one another, and hopefully they would feel like family before much longer. Poppy and Helena were nearly there already, and I thought about the scorching-hot threesome we’d had the night we’d come back to the mansion. I couldn’t deny that I longed for Dinah to join in the sensual fun, but I knew she wasn’t ready yet.
Dinah had been a virgin until our impromptu wedding night, and I wasn’t surprised at her shocked reaction when Poppy and Helena had alluded to our shared sexual adventures. I would give Dinah all the time she needed, and if she never found a desire to share in the group sex, that would be fine with me. After all, the sex with Dinah was incredible as it was, and I was discovering that there was a fire deep inside the demure woman.
All these seductive thoughts were having a physical effect on me, and I tried to adjust my slacks as subtly as possible as Poppy and I walked down the hall.
“Mmm,” Poppy hummed, and she stared right at my crotch. “What are you thinking about?”
“Lunch.” I grinned devilishly at my first wife.
“And what’s on the menu, baby?” Poppy giggled.
“Later,” I growled softly, and I let my hand trail up to rest on her narrow waist for a moment.
Poppy’s iridescent wings fluttered at the teasing touch of my hand, and her pale cheeks turned pink as heat flooded her face.
“Seriously, though,” I laughed. “I’m starving. Let’s have some lunch.”
“Alright,” Poppy grumbled and pouted playfully. “Do you want me to go find Dinah and Helena so they can join us?”
“Yeah,” I said. “Thank you, babe.”
“We’ll meet you downstairs as soon as I find them,” Poppy said.
Then she kissed me hot and quick, and she was gone before I could change my mind about what I wanted for lunch.
The sight of Poppy’s perfect ass in those little cut-off denim shorts of hers as she hurried away was delicious, and I thoroughly looked forward to peeling them off her later tonight.
“Lunch first,” I said to myself.
I strolled into the open-concept kitchen and living room of my mansion, and I was greeted by a delightful lunch spread that told me Gerald was on top of things as usual.
My gnome chef had prepared a buffet-style lunch that consisted of freshly sliced deli meats, Colby Jack cheese, fruit fresh from our personal gardens, and pretzel rolls that were still warm from the oven. Gerald had also prepared Poppy’s favorite brand of tofurky bacon for her, and a huge pitcher of sweet iced tea glistened with condensation while I smelled a fresh carafe of coffee nearby.
As I picked up a clean plate and began to serve myself, my ladies’ giggling voices reached me from the direction of the main staircase.
“Don’t worry, Dinah,” Helena said. “We’ll be with you the whole time.”
“It’ll be fun!” Poppy added.
“I not so sure,” Dinah responded in a tone that sounded anxious.
“You’ll do great,” Helena assured the black-haired girl as they came around the corner.
Helena was wearing a cream-colored sundress that showed off huge swaths of her tanned skin, and her tawny feathers fluttered lightly like she was trying to fan herself. Her chocolate-brown hair fell in thick waves over her shoulder, and she smiled affectionately at my Filipina wife.
Dinah was dressed very differently from the way she had been when we’d first met in the Philippines. Helena and Poppy had shared pieces of their wardrobes with Dinah until we could curate a full wardrobe for her. She wore one of Helena’s light-tan halter tops paired with a pair of pink cotton shorts from Poppy’s closet. Her long black hair fell like a sheet of inky glass down her back, and her round face was free of makeup.
Both Poppy and Helena wanted to try and encourage Dinah toward a bit of experimenting with makeup, but Dinah seemed a bit hesitant. She’d described it as smashing her face in pretty dirt the first time my fae and harpy lovers had suggested it. The memory brought a smile to my face, and I had to admit that Dinah was pretty spot-on.
“Good afternoon, ladies,” I said in greeting as the three women joined me at the lunch buffet. “You look beautiful, Dinah.”
“Thank you, King Michael,” Dinah said with a shy smile. “You look very good.”
“Hey, handsome,” Helena said, and she leaned over for a kiss.
“You look gorgeous, too, of course,” I murmured to my Grecian beauty.
Helena smiled at me as we assembled our lunch plates, and we sat down at the large dining room table to enjoy our meal together.
“I was just telling Helena and Dinah about the soiree,” Poppy said once we were seated.
“I think it’s a fantastic idea,” Helena said. “And Rune’s right, it will give us a lot more control over the situation to invite them all here rather than trying to go to all those parties.”
“It sounds tired,” Dinah said, and her black eyebrows furrowed like she knew her English wasn’t quite right.
“Tiring,” Helena said helpfully. “And yes, it would be exhausting to try and hit all those social events.”
“Much better to have one big one,” Poppy agreed.
“I’d like to see how all these ladies do in social settings, too,” I said.
“It will be a good test of their social skills,” Helena pointed out. “Not only to see how they behave under scrutiny, but also under the pressure of competition.”
“Yes, exactly,” Poppy agreed.
“Rune said they’ll be competitive anyway,” I said, and I smirked. “Might as well make them sweat.”
“You’re enjoying this, aren’t you?” Helena laughed.
“Maybe a little,” I admitted with a grin. “If it’s part of my duty to marry women from a bunch of different species, I might as well enjoy the process as much as possible, right?”
“Yes,” Poppy said with a bright smile.
“It’s pretty wild,” I chuckled.
“And who knows,” Helena said. “You may find more amazing women like us.”
“That’s right!” Poppy agreed.
“I scared,” Dinah admitted after a moment.
“About what?” I asked, and I reached over to hold her hand.
“This party,” Dinah said. “So many people. It all so new. I not know the right thing to say. I not know how to act. I no dance like a queen before.”
“We can practice all that stuff before we have the party,” I said in a comforting tone. “And mixing your introduction to society with this matchmaking business will keep a lot of the pressure off of you. You’ll be introduced formally at the beginning of the night, and then most of the rest of the night I will be held hostage by my representatives and their female relatives.”
“Michael is right, Dinah,” Helena said in a friendly voice. “The attention will be mostly on him and the ladies being presented as potential brides.”
“Okay,” Dinah breathed and nodded, but she still looked nervous.
“Besides,” I said. “You don’t have to dance if you don’t want to. I’ll have more than enough partners that night.”
“I like to learn,” Dinah said. “I like to learn your kind to dance.”
“Then you will,” I said, and I thought back to her sensual moves around the firepit. It would be interesting to try and lead her in a classic waltz. “But at your own pace, and you won’t have to dance for an audience if you don’t want to. I’m sure you’ll pick up on it fast. You’re already my wife and their queen, and that gives you quite a bit of protection from any scrutiny.”
“What this word mean?” Dinah asked.
“It means only a fool looking for trouble would dare to speak poorly of you,” Helena said. “Being Michael’s wife, and their queen, puts you in a position of power over them all.”
“Oh,” Dinah breathed, and her face brightened as her shoulders relaxed. “This good. Yes?”
“Yes.” I grinned. “You didn’t come to this country as a nobody with nothing. I mean, you had very few things you brought with you, but you have me, you have us, and that’s a fuckton of a lot.”
“I ask you something?” Dinah looked around at all three of us with shy hope in her red-brown eyes.
“Yeah, of course.” I nodded.
“You help me with English?” Dinah asked. “You tell me right way to say?”
“You want us to correct the way you speak?” Helena asked.
“Please.” Dinah nodded emphatically. “I want to learn.”
“I think we can do that,” I said with a gentle smile. “And the more exposed to English you are, the more you’ll pick it up. In no time, English will sound like your first language.”
“That make me big happy,” Dinah said with relief.
“You’d say ‘that makes me very happy,’” I corrected gently. “Very happy.”
“Very happy,” Dinah repeated. “Thank you.”
“We’re happy to help,” Helena said. “You’re part of our family now, and we want you to be happy here with us.”
“Now,” Poppy said as she shifted the conversation. “The real question is what are we going to wear to this party?”
I smiled and leaned back in my seat as Helena and Poppy discussed all kinds of fashion choices they could make for the soiree. About half of the conversation went right over my head as they talked about different fabrics, hemlines, necklines, and ways to do their hair. All I knew was that they would both look gorgeous, and that they’d make sure Dinah looked gorgeous, too. I was excited to see Dinah all dolled up in something modern and elegant, though I did love her really down-to-earth style.
The conversation soon veered from soiree attire to making sure Dinah had a complete wardrobe fit for a queen. Poppy listed off the kinds of items Dinah would need for casual events like shopping, dinners in town, and lounging around the mansion on quiet days. Helena, on the other hand, brought up ensembles for tropical getaways, diplomatic meetings, and weddings between the king and his future brides.
“Oh, which of his sisters was it, Isla?” Poppy asked.
“It was Lady Tansea,” Isla said. “She called both of the last two mornings, and she brought her daughter, Ivis, with her.”
“Oh, I’m glad,” Poppy mused. “I always liked Lady Tansea.”
My mind couldn’t focus on Poppy’s opinion of the former king’s sister. I knew there were immediate benefits of a marriage between myself and the niece of King Roman. He’d been a well-loved monarch, and his death had saddened the entire Eternal Realm. Then they’d had to suffer through the distaste of King Vairn for a decade before I came to the throne.
There were all kinds of diplomatic advantages to a union between myself and a member of King Roman’s bloodline. I wondered what it would be like to marry a dryad, and I pictured Lady Taylee’s bark-like skin and flowering hair. I liked Lady Taylee well enough, and I supposed she was pretty like a park could be pretty.
I didn’t see much room for physical attraction like I had with Poppy, Helena, or Dinah, though, but regardless, I would do my duties. Hell, maybe I’d even be surprised by King Roman’s niece. It wasn’t out of the question, after all, I’d been shocked by almost everything about my new life since I’d been crowned king of all the paranormal world.
I decided to hold my opinions until I met the girl, at least, and I looked at Poppy as she concluded her thoughts on Lady Tansea.
“From what I understand, Ivis is only half-dryad,” Poppy said.
That caught my attention.
“Correct, Queen Poppy.” Cove nodded. “Lady Tansea married a high fae.”
“Hmm,” I hummed with interest, and I wondered what kind of genetic mixture a dryad and high fae would create.
“I think we should invite Lady Tansea and her daughter to come stroll the gardens with you,” Poppy said, and she stroked her fingers through my hair. “What do you think?”
“I think that’s a good idea,” I said.
Poppy’s judgment had been a huge asset to me in my role as king from the first moment I’d met her, and I was grateful to have her as both my advisor and my first wife.
“Cove, will you arrange that, please?” I asked.
“Of course, your majesty,” Cove said.
“What about the other invitations, your majesty?” Rune chuckled, and he picked up the basket of envelopes.
Several cards in various shades of pale gray and cream spilled over the top and dropped to the floor. Rune scowled slightly as he knelt down to cram the invitations back into the basket, and he had to use both arms to keep them from spilling out again.
“Perhaps a soiree would be the ideal solution to this…” Rune smirked as he considered his words. “Problem, shall we say?”
“A soiree?” I asked, and I couldn’t help but laugh at the odd word on my tongue. “That’s like a party, right?”
“Well…” Rune’s face screwed up like he wanted to correct my probably clumsy summation of the elegant affair he was imagining, but he seemed to think better of it. “Yes, pretty much. We can invite far more representatives to our event than you could ever arrange to meet at their own social gatherings. We would also have the upper hand by having the party here, and it would allow all the ladies to scope out their competition.”
“Yeah,” I laughed. “I like that part. Competition is good fun, but it will also help bring out the less pleasant personality traits of these ladies. I won’t have a wife who can’t keep control of herself in stressful situations or one who lacks the good manners a queen consort requires.”
“Quite right,” Rune said with a wink. “It will also be an excellent opportunity to present Queen Dinah to everyone. What is the human saying? Two birds, one stone?”
“True.” I nodded. “You’re right, and she’ll probably be more comfortable with her presentation to society being overshadowed by scores of single women clawing each other’s eyes out to win my affection.”
“Michael!” Poppy laughed and lightly slapped my shoulder in a playful way. “You know most of them have much more dangerous aspects than just fingernails.”
“Yikes, good point,” I chuckled. “Anyway, I still think my point stands. Dinah is curious about our world, but I think she’d rather stay near the spotlight rather than directly in it.”
“I think you’re right, your majesty,” Isla said in a sweet voice. “Queen Dinah is a sweet girl, but this has been an enormous change for her. Best to introduce her slowly if we can manage it.”
“Alright, Rune, you set that up,” I said, and I smiled at Poppy. “Queen Poppy will help you with any of the finer details you might need my input on. I give her free reign on all that stuff.”
“Excellent thinking, my king,” Poppy said, and she smiled at me with pride.
“Shall I invite every representative and member of society who has sent an invitation, your majesty?” Rune asked.
“Um… hmm…” I thought for a moment. “Did any vampires send invitations?”
“Only a few, your majesty,” Rune replied as he stared down at the overflowing basket once more. “Shall I include them or not?”
“What do you think?” I asked Poppy.
I remembered the conversation we’d had with Helena about the fact that the vampires had their turn presenting brides for a king during Vairn’s reign. They’d both assured me I wouldn’t offend anyone by not marrying a vampire bride, and I was more than happy to keep the blood-drinkers from my family dinner table if possible.
“I suspect those were sent just to feel included in the process,” Poppy assured me. “None of the vampires will expect you to choose a vampire bride after King Vairn refused all others. It’s traditional to marry from several species, and King Vairn insulted many by refusing to marry outside his species. It’s a natural consequence of King Vairn’s actions, and no one should fault you for such a decision.”
“Alright, I trust your judgment on that, babe,” I said.
I stretched my arms up over my head, and I looked out the window to see some storm clouds in the distance. It looked like we’d be having some rain later on, and it looked like lunchtime. A quick check on my fourteen thousand dollar diamond-encrusted wrist watch told me I was right. I shook my head at the outrageously expensive timepiece Poppy had given me as a wedding gift, and I looked back to my advisors.
“Is there anything else?” I asked. “Or did we cover it all?”
“That is all I have for you, your majesty,” Cove said.
“I as well,” Rune agreed.
Tristan shrugged his broad shoulders and shook his bald head.
“My report was quite boring, your majesty,” Tristan said.
He was right, all the cyclops had to report was that the gardener, Thistle, had discovered a honey bee nest in an iron bench on one of the paths, and she’d had Isla relocate the nest to one of the beehives at the back edge of the property.
“Boring is good sometimes,” I told the butler, and I stood up. “Great work, everyone. It feels good to know I can trust you all to keep things running so smoothly if ever I need to go out of town. I’ll get to signing all of that as soon as I can, but for now, I need some lunch.”
“At your leisure, your majesty,” Cove said. “Nothing there requires your immediate attention.”
“Thank you,” I said, and I offered my arm to Poppy.
Tristan bent in a stiff bow, and Isla bobbed in a little curtsy before the four of them preceded my wife and me out into the hallway.
“Well done, love,” Poppy murmured as my staff hurried off to whatever business they had. “You did great in there.”
“Thanks,” I said. “I think I’m getting pretty good at this king business.”
“You are,” Poppy agreed. “And I think your decision about a double purpose soiree was the best choice. We do need to formally introduce Dinah into society as your queen consort, and I think you’re exactly right about her preference to not be so directly in the spotlight.”
“How is she doing with the adjustment?” I asked.
Poppy and Helena had both taken it upon themselves to take Dinah under their literal wings and help ease her transition into high society. Dinah especially seemed to mesh well with Poppy’s bright and colorful personality, and I knew the three of them were becoming fast friends.
Which was exactly what I wanted.
My queens needed to like one another, and hopefully they would feel like family before much longer. Poppy and Helena were nearly there already, and I thought about the scorching-hot threesome we’d had the night we’d come back to the mansion. I couldn’t deny that I longed for Dinah to join in the sensual fun, but I knew she wasn’t ready yet.
Dinah had been a virgin until our impromptu wedding night, and I wasn’t surprised at her shocked reaction when Poppy and Helena had alluded to our shared sexual adventures. I would give Dinah all the time she needed, and if she never found a desire to share in the group sex, that would be fine with me. After all, the sex with Dinah was incredible as it was, and I was discovering that there was a fire deep inside the demure woman.
All these seductive thoughts were having a physical effect on me, and I tried to adjust my slacks as subtly as possible as Poppy and I walked down the hall.
“Mmm,” Poppy hummed, and she stared right at my crotch. “What are you thinking about?”
“Lunch.” I grinned devilishly at my first wife.
“And what’s on the menu, baby?” Poppy giggled.
“Later,” I growled softly, and I let my hand trail up to rest on her narrow waist for a moment.
Poppy’s iridescent wings fluttered at the teasing touch of my hand, and her pale cheeks turned pink as heat flooded her face.
“Seriously, though,” I laughed. “I’m starving. Let’s have some lunch.”
“Alright,” Poppy grumbled and pouted playfully. “Do you want me to go find Dinah and Helena so they can join us?”
“Yeah,” I said. “Thank you, babe.”
“We’ll meet you downstairs as soon as I find them,” Poppy said.
Then she kissed me hot and quick, and she was gone before I could change my mind about what I wanted for lunch.
The sight of Poppy’s perfect ass in those little cut-off denim shorts of hers as she hurried away was delicious, and I thoroughly looked forward to peeling them off her later tonight.
“Lunch first,” I said to myself.
I strolled into the open-concept kitchen and living room of my mansion, and I was greeted by a delightful lunch spread that told me Gerald was on top of things as usual.
My gnome chef had prepared a buffet-style lunch that consisted of freshly sliced deli meats, Colby Jack cheese, fruit fresh from our personal gardens, and pretzel rolls that were still warm from the oven. Gerald had also prepared Poppy’s favorite brand of tofurky bacon for her, and a huge pitcher of sweet iced tea glistened with condensation while I smelled a fresh carafe of coffee nearby.
As I picked up a clean plate and began to serve myself, my ladies’ giggling voices reached me from the direction of the main staircase.
“Don’t worry, Dinah,” Helena said. “We’ll be with you the whole time.”
“It’ll be fun!” Poppy added.
“I not so sure,” Dinah responded in a tone that sounded anxious.
“You’ll do great,” Helena assured the black-haired girl as they came around the corner.
Helena was wearing a cream-colored sundress that showed off huge swaths of her tanned skin, and her tawny feathers fluttered lightly like she was trying to fan herself. Her chocolate-brown hair fell in thick waves over her shoulder, and she smiled affectionately at my Filipina wife.
Dinah was dressed very differently from the way she had been when we’d first met in the Philippines. Helena and Poppy had shared pieces of their wardrobes with Dinah until we could curate a full wardrobe for her. She wore one of Helena’s light-tan halter tops paired with a pair of pink cotton shorts from Poppy’s closet. Her long black hair fell like a sheet of inky glass down her back, and her round face was free of makeup.
Both Poppy and Helena wanted to try and encourage Dinah toward a bit of experimenting with makeup, but Dinah seemed a bit hesitant. She’d described it as smashing her face in pretty dirt the first time my fae and harpy lovers had suggested it. The memory brought a smile to my face, and I had to admit that Dinah was pretty spot-on.
“Good afternoon, ladies,” I said in greeting as the three women joined me at the lunch buffet. “You look beautiful, Dinah.”
“Thank you, King Michael,” Dinah said with a shy smile. “You look very good.”
“Hey, handsome,” Helena said, and she leaned over for a kiss.
“You look gorgeous, too, of course,” I murmured to my Grecian beauty.
Helena smiled at me as we assembled our lunch plates, and we sat down at the large dining room table to enjoy our meal together.
“I was just telling Helena and Dinah about the soiree,” Poppy said once we were seated.
“I think it’s a fantastic idea,” Helena said. “And Rune’s right, it will give us a lot more control over the situation to invite them all here rather than trying to go to all those parties.”
“It sounds tired,” Dinah said, and her black eyebrows furrowed like she knew her English wasn’t quite right.
“Tiring,” Helena said helpfully. “And yes, it would be exhausting to try and hit all those social events.”
“Much better to have one big one,” Poppy agreed.
“I’d like to see how all these ladies do in social settings, too,” I said.
“It will be a good test of their social skills,” Helena pointed out. “Not only to see how they behave under scrutiny, but also under the pressure of competition.”
“Yes, exactly,” Poppy agreed.
“Rune said they’ll be competitive anyway,” I said, and I smirked. “Might as well make them sweat.”
“You’re enjoying this, aren’t you?” Helena laughed.
“Maybe a little,” I admitted with a grin. “If it’s part of my duty to marry women from a bunch of different species, I might as well enjoy the process as much as possible, right?”
“Yes,” Poppy said with a bright smile.
“It’s pretty wild,” I chuckled.
“And who knows,” Helena said. “You may find more amazing women like us.”
“That’s right!” Poppy agreed.
“I scared,” Dinah admitted after a moment.
“About what?” I asked, and I reached over to hold her hand.
“This party,” Dinah said. “So many people. It all so new. I not know the right thing to say. I not know how to act. I no dance like a queen before.”
“We can practice all that stuff before we have the party,” I said in a comforting tone. “And mixing your introduction to society with this matchmaking business will keep a lot of the pressure off of you. You’ll be introduced formally at the beginning of the night, and then most of the rest of the night I will be held hostage by my representatives and their female relatives.”
“Michael is right, Dinah,” Helena said in a friendly voice. “The attention will be mostly on him and the ladies being presented as potential brides.”
“Okay,” Dinah breathed and nodded, but she still looked nervous.
“Besides,” I said. “You don’t have to dance if you don’t want to. I’ll have more than enough partners that night.”
“I like to learn,” Dinah said. “I like to learn your kind to dance.”
“Then you will,” I said, and I thought back to her sensual moves around the firepit. It would be interesting to try and lead her in a classic waltz. “But at your own pace, and you won’t have to dance for an audience if you don’t want to. I’m sure you’ll pick up on it fast. You’re already my wife and their queen, and that gives you quite a bit of protection from any scrutiny.”
“What this word mean?” Dinah asked.
“It means only a fool looking for trouble would dare to speak poorly of you,” Helena said. “Being Michael’s wife, and their queen, puts you in a position of power over them all.”
“Oh,” Dinah breathed, and her face brightened as her shoulders relaxed. “This good. Yes?”
“Yes.” I grinned. “You didn’t come to this country as a nobody with nothing. I mean, you had very few things you brought with you, but you have me, you have us, and that’s a fuckton of a lot.”
“I ask you something?” Dinah looked around at all three of us with shy hope in her red-brown eyes.
“Yeah, of course.” I nodded.
“You help me with English?” Dinah asked. “You tell me right way to say?”
“You want us to correct the way you speak?” Helena asked.
“Please.” Dinah nodded emphatically. “I want to learn.”
“I think we can do that,” I said with a gentle smile. “And the more exposed to English you are, the more you’ll pick it up. In no time, English will sound like your first language.”
“That make me big happy,” Dinah said with relief.
“You’d say ‘that makes me very happy,’” I corrected gently. “Very happy.”
“Very happy,” Dinah repeated. “Thank you.”
“We’re happy to help,” Helena said. “You’re part of our family now, and we want you to be happy here with us.”
“Now,” Poppy said as she shifted the conversation. “The real question is what are we going to wear to this party?”
I smiled and leaned back in my seat as Helena and Poppy discussed all kinds of fashion choices they could make for the soiree. About half of the conversation went right over my head as they talked about different fabrics, hemlines, necklines, and ways to do their hair. All I knew was that they would both look gorgeous, and that they’d make sure Dinah looked gorgeous, too. I was excited to see Dinah all dolled up in something modern and elegant, though I did love her really down-to-earth style.
The conversation soon veered from soiree attire to making sure Dinah had a complete wardrobe fit for a queen. Poppy listed off the kinds of items Dinah would need for casual events like shopping, dinners in town, and lounging around the mansion on quiet days. Helena, on the other hand, brought up ensembles for tropical getaways, diplomatic meetings, and weddings between the king and his future brides.
