Francesca lay on the silk-covered mat, staring at the ceiling. The bed was oddly comfortable for a prison, but she decided that maybe she was afforded nicer quarters due to her ‘position’ as Jin’s future princess. Tapping her toes in frustration—both sexual and mental—she sighed heavily. If Jin wasn’t going to sleep with her, maybe she should have beaten him until his insides spilled out of his body and he no longer had to suffer. Or until he was too weak to protest her advances.
Francesca smiled. That idea had merit.
The room she was kept in was sparse, but relaxing. A pitcher full of water was on a low table. The blue markings on a white background depicted some sort of fruit. At least she assumed it was a fruit by its plump, round shape. There was a matching cup with a wide rim. A decontaminator unit was in the corner, not fancy as it was exposed to the main part of the room. It worked and that’s all that mattered. She’d needed the quick decontamination and it felt good to get clean.
Two guards stood on duty outside her locked door, but she knew she could escape. The men would be easy to subdue. Turning on her side, she didn’t make a move to leave. Why should she? The bed was comfortable and they would most likely feed her in the morning. Funny how some people always felt the need to take care of the enemy. It would make more sense to execute her and save the expense of food and board. Come to think about it, she had stayed in a few places that adopted the ‘don’t waste anything on the prisoner’ mentality, though it had usually been bounty hunters in space.
Sleep wouldn’t come no matter how hard she tried to relax. That was nothing new. Francesca was used to staying awake, plotting and scheming. With her eyes closed, she tried to picture the last time she was happy. Though it had been long ago, it was easy to recall the exact moment.
The sensation of a hand brushing over her hip tingled her flesh. She loved those hands, so strong and confident. They were hands that could touch with kindness and kill with precision. Those hands had struck her in training, held her in passion. The man was older than her, but that didn’t matter. He looked young for his age and she was wise well beyond her years. When they came together it was out of a mutual sorrow. His was the sorrow of having lost everything he held dear and hers was the sorrow of never having anything to hold dear. No one cared about her growing up. She was fed, schooled, even given small measures of dutiful affection, but never loved.
If you have nothing to fear, you have nothing to lose. We are all motivated by our desires. There are all types of seductions… the seduction of an object worth having. The seduction of greed, lust, hate. What seduces you, sweet Francesca? What is it you desire most?
She had tried to live by those words, tried to eliminate all fear from her life. Death no longer frightened her, neither did physical pain. But, tonight had proved to her that she hadn’t succeeded in erasing all emotion. She was scared of Jin, terrified that she could feel passion for him. Him, a Zhang prince, of all people! It was the worst possible choice her body could have made. Why a Zhang prince? Why that line? She’d much rather marry a Liphobian sea slug than feel anything beyond disgust for a Zhang.
Francesca curled on her side, hugging her waist. She missed the sensation of being held as she fell asleep. She had never felt safe as she did when held by those hands and she hadn’t felt safe since losing them. Funny how she missed the little things the most—his hands, the feel of breath against the back of her neck, the silence of meditating in the same room as another person, feeling their energy mingling with her own.
If you have nothing to fear, you have nothing to lose.
She had something to lose back then and she’d lost it. The pain was something she never wanted to risk again. She thought of the prince, tasting him as if he were right there. There was something about him, his eyes, that reminded her of her dead lover. But that was all, just a look. Otherwise they were different and she would not confuse the two in her mind.
Do not be ruled by fear! she ordered herself.
The needs of the body were just a part of being alive, she reasoned. Just like she needed to eat or breathe, so did she need to fulfill lust. There was no shame in it. Taking another to her bed would not tarnish the memories she held.
“Prince Zhang Jin is what I desire,” she whispered, giving a small self-depreciating laugh. Her body was tight with longing for him. She thought walking away would cure her of it, but it didn’t. The longer she stayed away from him, the more her desires grew. At this rate, it would affect her concentration.
Maybe I’m going about this all wrong. Maybe I need to work him out of my system, not practice self-denial. Maybe I need to prove to myself that he’s not worth the thoughts I give him.
“Sounds good to me,” Francesca said, rolling back as she kicked her legs into the air only to land on her feet. All this contemplation was only going to make her sad. She did much better if she had a plan of action. Glancing briefly at the colorful silk tunic and pants that were left for her to wear, she decided to stick with her black clothing.
She ran her fingernail down the side of her pant leg to open a hidden seam. Carefully taking out two discs, she placed one in each palm and cupped them gently.
“Zhùzuî,” she hissed, knowing the guards would hear her. She wanted them to. Let them think she argued with someone in her room. “Zhè bìng bù huài!”
Watching the bottom edge of the door, she saw the light shift as a shadow fell over it. She scuffed her heel across the floor, knowing the guards listened closely.
“I said shut up. It’s not that bad! I have a plan that will…” Francesca hissed, before scuffing her foot again. She crept across the floor, placing her feet so they made no sound.
It wasn’t long before the door was pushed open. The guards never knew what hit them, as she lunged at them only to slap them with the discs—one on the cheek, the other on the naked arm. A wave of nausea washed over her as the mild poison cracked, oozing liquid. She gagged, trying not to throw up as she quickly got over the effects. The guards weren’t so lucky. They collapsed on the floor, unmoving. Francesca swallowed, taking several deep breaths. It had taken many nights of dosing herself with the drug to get to the point that she could tolerate it. It served them right, trying to drug her with the dart as they had.
No harm would come to the men. They’d sleep through the night and wake up confused. In a few days they’d be themselves. The confusion came in handy when she needed her captors to forget what they saw until she could get far away. It was a shame to waste two of the discs on her need to get laid, but she could always buy more on Torgan.
Sighing, she shook her head. “Too easy. You guys really are pathetic excuses for warriors. If you were my guards I’d have you flogged within an inch of your life for letting a little thing like me escape.”
The only answer they gave her was a soft snore.
“Pathetic,” she muttered, shaking her head.
The hallway was lined with giant gold medallions over the dark red walls. Odd blue trees were in pots along the sides, set upon low rectangular tables, and looking very much like a row of miniature circular steps that led to nowhere. Overhead, there were stone arches. The see-through carvings were some of the most intricate she’d ever laid eyes on. Yet all the furniture she’d seen around the palace had simple lines and was made from natural materials like wood and stone. Combined, it had a strong, aesthetically pleasing appeal.
Slipping into the gardens proved to be just as easy. Lintian had no moons but stars sparkled over the dark sky. It left the fragrant gardens dim, even with the torchlights left burning along the paths. The pink flower blooms had closed. She ran her hand over them and, as she touched them, they opened anew. Walking along, the blooming flowers were like a sign, marking that she had passed.
As she moved to go into the royal chambers, two guards stepped in her way from behind two posts. Francesca lifted a brow. “I’m going to have sex with my fiancé. Is that all right with you?”
“Is Prince Jin expecting you?” one of them asked.
“It’s a surprise.” She arched a brow. “Why? Did he find someone else to fill the need? If so, kindly let me pass. I’d like to get a look at the wench.”
“Prince Jin is alone,” the man said sternly in Lintianese, clearly not amused by her accusation.
“Wonderful, then you won’t mind me going to check, will you?” Francesca smiled sweetly, batting her lashes in a way that mocked them.
The men glanced at each other and one nodded. Frowning, one of the guards motioned her to follow and led her inside. Francesca winked at the man left behind. His face remained impassive so she blew him a kiss. He turned away, his lip curling in disgust.
“You guys are just a barrel of laughs, aren’t you?” she asked her chaperone. He didn’t answer. “Nî bù dông ma?”
“I understand you perfectly, as do we all,” the guard said, turning a corner. “The emperor bid us all to upload your language so that we may listen and speak should the need arise.”
Francesca made a face behind his back. Did they all have to be so stoic and proper?
You’d do well to follow their example, her inner voice said. Francesca rolled her eyes at herself.
The guard stopped at Jin’s chamber door. He knocked once before stepping back to let her be seen when the prince opened his door. Under his breath, he added, “However, many will choose not to hear the numerous perversities you seem to enjoy speaking.”
His words were stunted and heavily accented by his birth language, but the reprimand was clear. He was saying she wasn’t a lady.
You got that right, Space Cadet.
“Oh, poor baby, naughty words hurting your sensitive big boy ears?” she teased, giving a pretend pout.
He sniffed, not dignifying her with a response. She couldn’t really blame him because she was acting childish. Somehow, the idea that all the people of Muntong thought of her as a foul-mouthed commoner hurt. Why should she care what the Lintianese thought of her?
I don’t care.
A little voice in her head, one she chose not to listen to often, laughed at her lie.
The door slid open a crack and a sleepy Jin peeked out. The room behind him was dark, lit only by the barest trace of an orange glow as if from a single candle. His chest was naked, but he wore a loose pair of silk pants. Francesca pushed the door all the way open, rushing forward as she joined her lips to his in an instant kiss. Her mouth drowned anything he might have said at her presence, as she smothered his gruff sound of surprise.
Jin stepped back, letting her in. His arm lifted and she heard him sliding the door shut behind her. Somewhere in the back of her mind, she heard the guard leaving them alone.
Francesca moaned, nearly giggling with excitement. The sensation took her by surprise and she tried to pull back. Jin held her tighter, like he knew she was trying to get away from him. He delved his tongue into her mouth, taking over the kiss, exploring and probing. Logic and reason dissolved, until all she could focus on was the feel of his body against hers. The mindlessness only lasted a brief second, but it was a glorious second.
A small part of her held back, as she listened to their surroundings, constantly alert to any danger. Jin ran his hands over her body, urgently seeking the feel of her skin. Francesca was just as eager as he was. She caressed his naked chest, making her way easily in the dim light. The brief flash of his naked torso when he had answered the door without his tunic was emblazoned on her mind—so smooth, tanned, gorgeous. She touched every inch of his upper body, liking the feel of his firm muscles beneath her fingers.
“Wo nén… qin ni… tiào,” he tried to say between thrusts of her tongue, “wu ma...?
“Shut up,” she ordered, not understanding the meaning of his words and beyond trying to translate all of them. All she caught was the word ‘pleasure’. “Zhùzuî! I’ll give you pleasure, lots of pleasure, just shut up and kiss me.”
Jin nodded, not stopping in his desperate pursuit of her length. “Fine.”
Francesca pulled her mouth from his, slowly kissing down his chest to his nipples, causing them to pucker between her lips. A shiver worked over him, as she moved around his body, caressing him with her mouth and hands until she was next to his back. Boldly, she licked his spine, stroking upward with her tongue. Her fingers dipped down into his loose-fitting pants. She squeezed his tight ass, kneading the hard mounds of flesh. Everything about him was so tight and firm.
Francesca stroked the backs of his thighs, only to drag her nails up over his skin as she pulled out from beneath the silk. The coolness of the material contrasted with his fiery heat. Instantly, she thrust her fingers back in, liking how hot his body was. She grazed her fingernails over his hips, continuing to lick his back with short flicks of her tongue. He tasted salty yet sweet. Gripping his hips, she felt him flex as a moan escaped his throat. A fierce heat radiated from his powerful erection but she denied touching it. There was an urgency in both of them, but she refused to hurry as she tormented them both, drawing out the anticipation of the flesh.
Francesca nipped the hard planes of his tight skin. His hands hung at his sides, balled into tight fists. Giving the front of his thighs the same stinging torture with her fingernails that she had given the back, she drew her hands up along his hipbone. The waistband of his pants caught on his erection as she tried to pull them off. Leaning against him, she rubbed her clothed breasts up and down, breathing hard as jolts of pleasure stung her aching nipples.
Francesca had to lift his waistband over his arousal to free him of them. The silk whispered to the floor. Kissing down his back, she kneeled, nipping at his firm ass cheek. She bit the tender flesh along the bottom curve. Jin growled in approval so she did it again, harder.
Suddenly, he turned and his arousal was in her face. Passion hummed all around them and she paused, meeting his gaze in silent understanding. They both knew what this was. It wasn’t love. There could never be love without trust and that was something she would never do. Prince Jin was the enemy, albeit a sexy one, but an enemy nonetheless. Necessity made her accept the engagement, but she would never go through with the marriage.
Jin had to understand this as well. He didn’t trust her either. No, love had nothing to do with what they were about. This was sex. It was passion and lust and carnal instincts needing to be fulfilled.
But it also went beyond that. It was a test, a test of her willpower, her resolve to do what she must. Already Prince Jin filled too many of her thoughts in ways that had nothing to do with her plans for stealing the Jade Phoenix. If she could make love to him and leave him without looking back in anything more than pride at a job well done, she would prove herself a true warrior. Francesca felt no remorse for her actions. It was the actions of Jin’s people that had caused her heart to harden. A flash of memories strengthened her resolve. She would not feel anything tender for him. This was sex. Pure sex.
Yes, she would use and then discard him, like he undoubtedly did to so many others.
Francesca wasn’t shy as she leaned in to kiss the tip of his erection. She rolled his shaft into her mouth and lightly sucked. Clawing his hips as she gave him pleasure, she moved back and forth on his cock. Jin moaned, lifting his hands into her hair. He pulled her forward, thrusting against her mouth.
Oral sex was nice and all, but she wasn’t a selfless person. Francesca wanted more. She wanted her own pleasure. Pulling off, she didn’t dip forward when he tried to thrust between her lips. He groaned in frustration, slipping his hands to her shoulders as he lightly urged her to come forward once more. She refused, closing her mouth as the tip of him pressed tightly for entrance. Jin rocked his hips back and forth, running his shaft along the seam of her mouth.
Francesca wiggled out from under his hold and laughed. Passion ruled his features, but he did not make a move to force her as she reached to pull off her tight, black shirt. The candlelight flickered, caressing his flesh with dim light. She tossed her shirt aside, her breasts bare as she wore nothing but the tight, low-waisted pants and ground shoes. The light glinted off her flesh, giving the barest outline of her erect nipples. Looking down, she touched herself, massaging at her breasts in self-pleasure. His breathing hitched. It was a soft sound, but she heard it easily in the silent chamber.
Francesca boldly met his eyes. Standing, she kicked off her shoes. Jin grabbed her waist, roughly pulling her forward before she could free herself from her pants. Her body crushed into his chest. Her nipples ground hard against him, so sensitive that they shot pleasure all over her body. The sensations centered in her lower stomach, making her wet and ready to accept him.
Who was she kidding? She’d been ready to accept him since he first claimed her in the hall, the arrogant look upon his face. Francesca liked his arrogance, his confidence, his tight-muscled body.
His shaft pushed into her stomach, rubbing along the part of her abdomen that was exposed. Jin slid his hands down the back of her pants, squeezing her ass tight as he lifted her up. She wrapped her legs around his waist as he thrust against her. Her hands found hold in his soft hair, pulling in her urgency to find completion.
Francesca frantically rubbed her hips against him. Maybe all the foreplay had been too much. She was desperate for completion, to feel the tremendous orgasm that built between her thighs. Kissing him hard, she took him in—his breath, his scent, the soft sounds he made. The rubbing felt nice and she did it harder and faster, riding him as he held her up. She cursed her pants for being in the way of their flesh, but didn’t have the presence of mind to stop and take them off. Her head fell back until her curls tickled her spine as she moved.
Jin’s hot mouth found hold on her breast, sucking the globe deep into its scorching, wet depths. He didn’t just lick at her nipple, he devoured a mouthful, sucking and biting and moaning as she rocked. Her body began to tense and she ground her pussy against his shaft until it felt as if they would start a fire from the friction. His fingers clawed into her, hurting in a way that was oh-so-good and right.
Francesca’s body clamped down on itself, her clit stimulated beyond belief. She trembled, the orgasm racking through her as she came against him. Jin grunted, but she didn’t stop riding him. Her movements became jerky as she milked her body of all its pleasure.
Jin gasped, shaking. His hands loosened their hold for a brief second, and then a hot liquid squirted over her stomach as he came, meeting his release.
Francesca’s heart pounded hard in her chest. The candle had blown out, but she didn’t remember it doing so. Jin was breathing heavily, the harsh sound mingling with her own. She was glad it was darker in the room for she didn’t want to see his face in this moment. It was a memory she was best left without.
“Too fast,” he whispered, setting her on the floor. He brushed back her hair from her face. His finger trailed over her cheek in a tender caress.
Francesca didn’t like the intimacy of tenderness. She pulled away. Breathing hard, she paused as she sucked in a lungful of air. Then, pushing her pants off her hips, laughed. “Don’t worry. You can make it up to me in round two.”
“Perhaps we should consider what we are doing,” he said. “There is much to be talked about.”
“What?” Francesca bit back a laugh. “Are you telling me a man like you can’t go another round?”
“It’s not the body that I speak of. It’s the mind. We should talk.”
A wave of utter disbelief washed over her. He had to be the first man in history to have doubts about no commitment, consensual sex. Walking five and a half paces, she reached the bed and crawled on. She didn’t need the light to navigate the room because she had the layout memorized.
Francesca flipped over on her back and lifted her hands over her head. She waited for him to join her. When he didn’t move, she said, “Are you really tired of playing? I bet a strong guy like you can go all night. You’re not scared of a little woman like me, are you? Come on, ài rén. I’ll even let you be on top. I’ll let you be in control. Would you like that? To have the upper hand?”
A long sigh followed by a short laugh was her answer. She knew he was torn between exasperation and lust. Francesca inspired that reaction in men a lot. Love and hate. It was all just emotions and she inspired both in people. Mostly hate though. But, what could she expect? She did steal from most of the people she met.
“Mm, come on. Don’t leave a girl waiting,” she said, bending her knees and letting them fall open a little. The cool air felt nice against her skin, but she didn’t want the cool. She wanted more heat. Her body was greedy for it, starved for attention.
“The astrologers come tomorrow.” Jin paced as he talked. She couldn’t see him, but she could hear his steps. Her ears trained on the sound, listening to him go back and forth. “They will read our future together. It will be a very long day for us both. You should get some sleep.”
“I don’t believe in foretelling the future,” Francesca said, closing her legs and rolling up to sit on the bed. “It can always be changed by sheer will. Besides, sometimes it’s better not to know what lies ahead.”
“Regardless of what you think, it is custom and we must participate.” Jin moved and she heard the faint whisper of material being pulled over his legs. “If you don’t want to draw more notice to yourself, I would advise you to go along with the ceremony.”
“You mean the wedding,” she whispered, not moving.
“Pre-wedding,” he corrected. “It is tradition and we take our traditions very seriously.”
“Well, I’m not Lintianese. What do I care about tradition? Now come here and let me make you forget all about your troubles and traditions.”
“I wonder, bâobèi...” Jin stopped moving as his voice trailed off thoughtfully.
“What’s that?” she said, purposefully coy.
“How many star systems would like to get their hands on you, my master thief? Or perhaps the Federation Military? Human Intelligence Agency? They wouldn’t happen to be looking for you, would they?”
Francesca knew a threat when she heard one. Unfortunately, his was a good one. The Human Intelligence Agency would love to get their hands on her and the Federation Military would gladly fight them for the honor of bringing her in. It didn’t matter which group got to her first. Either way, there wouldn’t be a trial. And, if they didn’t want her, there were at least two dozen empires, kingdoms or planetary governments who would gladly welcome her back… into their prisons.
“You sure do know how to kill the mood, don’t you, Jin? Okay, fine, I give up. Just how much tradition are we talking here?” She resigned herself to meeting the astrologers and participating in the barbaric fortunetelling nonsense.
Jin chuckled at the question. The sound was light, so light she barely heard it. She balled her fist, ready to strike the smugness out of his tone.
“The six etiquettes,” he said. “They date back to ancient times, though they have changed some. First, I claim a bride in public. Second, we consult the astrologers and they read our future together. If they find all is well, we go to the third etiquette. The information from our reading will be used to set a date for the wedding.”
“And if all is not well?”
“Is that hope in your voice?”
Francesca chuckled, refusing to let him know his threat about turning her over to the Federation and HIA had gotten to her.
Not that they could hold me, she assured herself.
Before she could respond, he continued. “If it is found that the joining will bring disaster upon our families, then the marriage will be stopped.”
“Oh, I get it.” Francesca smiled, believing to have figured it out. “You claimed me to avoid someone else and tomorrow the astrologers will declare this wedding unfit.” She laughed as relief washed over her. “Why didn’t you just say you were rigging it? I would’ve gone along with the plan. Don’t worry. Just tell me what to say and I’ll take care of it. Tomorrow you will be a free man. Trust me, I’ll make it so no one in their right mind would put me with you.”
“I’m afraid you’re mistaken,” Jin said, his tone hard. “I’ve made no such plan.”
What? Francesca frowned, the relief leaving her as quickly as it came. “What?”
“I said I haven’t made any plans to overthrow the wedding. The astrologers will give their true reading.”
Was this man insane? Why in the galactic hellfires of Bravon did he want to marry her? Self-punishment? Did she look like the kind of woman who would settle down and be a princess wife? Was he insane?
“Third and fourth etiquettes usually entails our families exchanging gifts.”
“I have no family,” Francesca interrupted. A hard knot formed in her stomach at the reminder.
“None at all?” He sounded surprised. “I am sorry to hear that.”
Francesca didn’t say a word. Her lip curled in bitterness, but she knew he couldn’t see her as he continued to speak with the same tone as before.
“Hmm, as I was saying, the fifth is the wedding day being set and the sixth is the wedding itself.”
“You know, I don’t think you need to explain all this to me.” Francesca tried to keep her voice from sounding too tight, but it was hard. “I doubt we make it past step two. I am clearly not Lintianese royal material. No doubt the astrologers will be persuaded to see that, no matter what I tell them. Any idiot could.”
“They wouldn’t dare lie,” Jin said. “They will read our future and speak only of what they see. The decision has little to do with what you tell them, except information about when you were born. It’s not like an interview where you have to get the questions right. It’s more of a science and an art.”
“Everyone lies, Jin. Are you telling me that every match the astrologers predict as being happy has turned out wonderful? Come on, even you know that’s impossible.” Francesca tried to suppress her disdain, but it was hard. Her body shook for a fight. If he wouldn’t give her passion, she’d gladly take the next best thing. She wanted to punch something, and keep punching it until she couldn’t lift her arm. She wanted to run through the night, slipping undetected until she was off this horrible planet and away from these deranged people.
“There is no divorce, if that is what you ask.”
“That isn’t what I asked,” she said wryly. “Plenty of people stay together in misery.”
“Your outlook on marriage is bleak, bâobèi.”
“That doesn’t answer the question, ài rén.”
“Yes, most of the married couples are happy.”
“Most.” She gave a short, depreciating laugh. “But not all. Good to know the astrologers aren’t perfect. I would hate to have my future decided by an exact science.”
“Astrologers predict the potential for happiness, not the complete future. There are circumstances which make happiness hard for anyone—the loss of a child, serious illnesses, war, death.”
Francesca could tell by his tone that she was in danger of provoking his temper. She quickly changed the subject, not wanting to venture into an argument with him about his people’s marital well being. Undoubtedly that would lead to an hour long lecture on how superior the Zhang Dynasty was compared to the rest of the galaxy. “You’ve never told me why you did it. Why save me? You don’t know me. You don’t owe me anything.”
Francesca moved to stand, her mind forgetting her libido and her desire for a fight as she waited for his answer. She found herself needing to know.
“I did tell you already,” he said.
She tried, but she couldn’t read him. The man was a mystery to her. “Why, Jin?”
“I was compelled.”
Francesca closed her eyes and gave a small laugh. “Compelled. Do you always act so rashly with your future? Can you honestly not see how horrific a match this is? Do you really want to be married to a thief?”
“You rest here. I’ll sleep in the other room. In the morning you can use the decontaminator and I’ll order an appropriate gown brought for you to wear. You cannot keep running about in black as if you wish to do us mischief.”
“Wait,” Francesca insisted. “One more thing.”
“Yes?”
“If you have the technology for a decontaminator, why do you use torches and candlelight?”
“Because it’s pretty.”
The sound of a door sliding open kept her from saying more. From the direction of the sound, she knew he went into one of the other rooms. She fell back, staring into the darkness of the chamber.
Francesca stared at where the candle had been lit. Oddly, she hadn’t noticed the exact moment it had burnt out. She usually took in every detail and to miss even the smallest thing was strange. First she misjudged Jin in the hall and now she missed the candle burning out. What next? The instances might seem small, but they weren’t. She was slipping.
Don’t lose focus, Francesca, she scolded herself. You’re here for a reason.
Turning on her side, she closed her eyes. Sleeping wasn’t what she’d planned on, but why not try? It looked like she was going to have to play the accepting bride if she was to get another chance at the Jade Phoenix.