But I thought he liked me, whispered a sad little voice in her head. I thought there was something between us.
Well, you thought wrong, Selena told herself firmly. So just suck it up and deal with it, Selena. You’ve got more to worry about right now than hurt feelings because a sexy Kindred warrior decided you were too much trouble to keep bothering with.
Indeed, they appeared to be reaching the end of the long hallway they were in. The guard turned the corner and Selena followed him. Up ahead, was a vast archway—a structure so big it seemed more like something you’d see outside rather than indoors. It looked as big as the pictures of the Arc de Triomphe Selena had seen.
The guard looked poised to lead her right in, but Selena caught up to him. Tucking her violin case under one arm, she grabbed him by his black and gold sleeve.
“Hey, wait a minute,” she hissed at him. “Is that where we’re going?”
He turned his head and gave her a contemptuous look.
“That is the entrance to His Highness’s receiving chamber, little bimbap,” he said in an insolent voice, much different from the professional tone he’d used earlier, around Valen and the Major Domo. “So yes, that’s where we’re going.”
Selena didn’t like the way he was talking to her at all. Also, she remembered that the Ma’shorkan kidnapper who had tried to take her at the spaceport had called her the same thing—bimbap. She didn’t know what it meant, but it didn’t seem to be complementary or respectful.
“I just wanted to make sure,” she said, with cool dignity. “Is there any advice you can give me for meeting the Emperor, since you know the palace so well?” she added, thinking he might be easier to deal with if she complimented him.
The guard puffed out his chest.
“Yes—watch out for Empress the Third,” he told her. “She doesn’t like other females—especially unclaimed Dependent ones,” he added.
They had come to the entrance of the huge arch now and Selena was able to see into a vast room. The floor was made of black marble and there seemed to be mirrors on every wall, all hung in elaborate golden frames. At the end of the hall she could see a lot of people milling around, waving wide fans made of long, feathery, black plumes tipped in white. It was impossible to see what was behind the army of fans—presumably the Emperor himself was back there somewhere. Selena supposed she was going to find out.
“Well? What are you waiting for, bimbap?” the guard asked rudely. “Go on in and make your bows to His Majesty. Oh, and leave your luggage here—it’s rude to appear before the Emperor with anything but empty hands.”
Feeling awkward, Selena put her carry-all cube and violin case down carefully at the side of the huge arc and stepped onto the black marble floor, which was so highly polished she could see her reflection in it. Lifting her chin, she made her way across the floor, thanking her lucky stars that she was wearing flat slippers with her heavy gold dress, rather than high heels. The floor was definitely slippery and she might have fallen if she’d worn anything with heels.
It wasn’t until she got to the mass of people with fans that someone acknowledged her. One of the front servants stopped waving his black and white plumes for a moment and frowned at her.
“And who might you be?” he demanded.
“Oh, uh, Selena Bates. I’m here for my scheduled meeting with the Emperor,” Selena said quickly.
“Selena Bates, is it?” The servant put down his fan and picked up a piece of stiff parchment paper, much like the one Selena’s itinerary had been printed on. He scanned it quickly and then nodded. “All right. But keep it brief. His Majesty is being sucked by Empress the Third and he dislikes being disturbed before he spurts.”
“Uh…” Selena wasn’t sure what to say to that, but just then a bored-sounding male voice called out,
“What is it now, servant? Who has come to see us?”
“Forgive the intrusion, your Majesty—it’s just one of the musicians for the royal gala, here, hoping to meet with your royal approval.”
“Ah yes. Fine, well—drop the fans and let us see them,” the voice commanded.
“But your Majesty, you haven’t spurted yet!” The servant sounded shocked.
“Nor will we, if Empress the Third doesn’t improve her technique,” the Emperor’s voice sounded petulant as well as bored now. “Drop the fans, we say—we are in dire need of some entertainment!”
The forest of white-tipped black fans was suddenly pulled back all at once, revealing a rather decadent scene to Selena’s eyes.
The Emperor—a large, portly Ma’shorkan with blue and green camouflage skin and tousled orange hair—was half-reclining on a golden throne. On two other, slightly smaller gold thrones on either side of him, were two Ma’shorkan women. One looked considerably older than the Emperor and the other one looked about his age, which Selena estimated was around forty, if Ma’shorkans aged like humans did. All three of them had the strange “double face” thing she had noticed at the spaceport, with an extra nose and mouth on their foreheads.