Of course, only Callum could have crockery that she instantly loved and therefore forced herself to instantly hate.
“…executed them all,” Maraleena was saying as Sonia pushed down the top of the cafetière, her words catching Sonia’s attention.
“Sorry?” Sonia asked.
Maraleena was zipping up an empty suitcase and setting it aside as she looked at Sonia.
“They should have executed them all,” Maraleena repeated.
“Who?”
“The rebels!” Maraleena exclaimed, not ceasing in her endeavors and heading toward another suitcase then repeatedly pulling out Sonia’s jeans and cords and piling them, folded double, on the couch. “A stroke of brilliance, we all think, King Callum handing down the order to slay them one-by-one until they signed the terms of surrender.”
Sonia sucked in breath and the oxygen burned her frozen lungs.
Slay them one-by-one? Sonia repeated in her brain.
“Nothing less than they deserved,” Maraleena muttered, again oblivious to Sonia’s reaction. “Lots of us feel they shouldn’t have stopped. This has been going on years. Years! And what they want, what they’re fighting for! And killing our males for. It’s revolting. Now, finally, it’s over.”
Sonia decided to get her system working by pouring coffee into it which always helped and therefore, with studious precision in an attempt to stop her hand from shaking, she prepared her mug.
Callum had ordered the executions of men.
One-by-one.
Until they did what he wanted.
It was barbaric.
He was barbaric.
And he was her mate, her husband, now he was her king!
“Anyway, it’s a happy New Year with this business over and you seated in the lap of your king,” Maraleena declared while hanging Sonia’s pants on hangers. She threw another smile at Sonia as if she hadn’t just been crowing at the deaths of multitudes of men. “Everyone’s really excited.”
“I’m glad,” Sonia replied but her voice sounded choked so she sipped her coffee.
It was delicious. But it didn’t help.
“You know,” Sonia started, wishing (desperately) to change the subject in an effort not to go stark, raving mad. “I can do that.”
Maraleena froze while shoving the hangers with her pants on them in the wardrobe.
Slowly, she turned and bowed her head low.
Then, deferentially, she murmured, “Yes, my queen.”
But before her head bowed, Sonia saw a look on her face that was near to tragic.
“What?” Sonia asked before she remembered Callum telling her that Julianna would be offended if Sonia tried to help. So, quickly, she said, “Maraleena, I’m so sorry. I’m human and new to this royal business.” Maraleena’s head came up but her face had lost its cheerfulness as Sonia carried on, “I’m used to doing things for myself.”
“I suspected, as King Callum’s mate, you’d want to take care of him,” Maraleena replied in a dead voice.
Hardly, Sonia thought but did not say out loud.
“It’s not that, it’s just –” Sonia stopped speaking when the hint of a light of hope lit in Maraleena’s eyes.
Sonia made a decision, put the tray aside and got out of bed. She walked to Maraleena, grabbed the surprised woman’s hand and led her to the couch. Seating them both side-by-side, she faced the tall woman.