Everyone was in the study, waiting for Maeve and Ian to join them. There was a heavy silence, as if no one knew what to say. Selena looked at the faces around her and felt a rush of love for each of them. Her family.
She smiled. "You all look so worried. Except you, Johann." She crossed the room and went to him, her smile broadening with each step. "You knew, did you not?"
Johann's grin matched hers. "I knew. So?"
The queen slammed her hands on her meaty hips and gave a breathy harrumph. "So what? No one has secrets in my kingdom."
Selena couldn't help herself. She started to laugh. Memories twirled through her mind and brought a flush to her cheeks. "It was wonderful," she whispered to Johann.
"And were you a ... you know?"
"God damn it," the queen hissed. "Was she a you-know-what?" She marched up to Johann and rapped him on the side of his head with her closed fan.
"It is no secret, Your Highness," Selena answered. "Johann wants to know if I was a virgin."
This time the queen smacked Johann with her open hand. 'That's no question for a man to ask a lady." Then she turned to Selena. "Were you?"
"I was," Selena said with a huge grin. "But I am not anymore. And oh, Your Highness. It was grand."
The queen sighed mistily. "It certainly is... ."
"Selena!" Ian's voice boomed through the ro
om, and
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everyone spun to face him. He stood in the doorway. "What are you talking about?"
She just about melted at the sight of him standing there, so strong, so tall, so loving. She wanted to run to him and throw her arms around him and kiss him. Everywhere. "Sex," she answered.
"Ladies don't discuss such things."
She frowned. "You mean I can do it, but I can't talk about it?"
He looked a little sick. "Oh, no . .."
"Why, that's positively ridiculous. If I can kiss your-"
"Enough!" he shouted. "Everyone out."
The queen bristled. "Not bloody likely, young sir. This is getting good."
For a second, Ian didn't respond, he just stood there, looking like he was going to scream, and then, very softly, he said, "I have a question to ask Selena."
A gasp rose from the crowd.
Selena glanced from one friend's face to another. They were staring at Ian in stunned disbelief, as if they all knew something that she did not. And they were grinning.
"Hurry!" the queen shouted. "A man's decision is a fragile thing."
"Aye," Edith agreed. "He could lose the bloody nerve."
Johann stared at Ian, a slow, hesitant smile on his face. "He won't lose his nerve. He's only just found it."
All at once, the residents surged to their feet and hurried to the door, moving like a great multiheaded centipede, feet shuffling, hands clapping.
The door closed silently behind them.