Page 5 of Stranger's Choice
“Fire and hell. I need to know what the foreigner intends. What he can offer me.” The Emperor drummed his fingers against the table in front of him. His brow furrowed. “You will attend the foreign prince, Oracle.”
Auraelie’s eyes widened. If the Emperor didn’t suspect that the prince was immune, then why would he risk her that way? She dared to question him. Meekly, of course. Auraelie had mastered the appearance of meekness in the last decade. “You want me to be the prince’s personal attendant?”
“Only in public,” the Emperor snapped. “You should be able to manage well enough in such settings, and it will give you ample opportunity to scan his future. You’ll still wear the dark veil and tunic—if he doesn’t know their meaning yet, I’m sure his interpreter will explain.”
“Of course, Your Imperial Majesty. I am Your Will.”
“Dismissed.” The Emperor plucked a slice of mango from the tray on the table. “Lhashiki, I’m in the mood for the Seven Veils tonight.”
“Yes, Your Imperial Majesty.”
Auraelie backed out of the room, standing, but bowing low to the ground. She saw Lhashiki’s clothes fall to the ground before the curtain blocked her view. She straightened and turned around. Crossing to the outer room door, she thanked the stars she wasn’t the one entertaining the Emperor and prayed that he’d never discover her secret and put her in the position of entertaining the foreigner.
