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Chapter Fifteen
A huge screen of some transparent substance covered the view from her balcony toward the city. Power cords snaked across her floor and connected to it.
“What... is that?”
“It’s a portable armored screen, a leftover from before the Quarantine. This balcony is vulnerable to snipers.” Drake pulled out a chair for her and waited. The table was already set for breakfast.
Calli tsked, upset that her view had been in a way restricted yet unable to fault his reasoning. Joins ran down the glasslike substance. They’d fitted it through her doors by folding it.
“I hate that this is needed.” The breeze was blocked even though she could still see outward. It simply wasn’t as beautiful with that between her and her city.
“I understand.”
Wrinkling her nose and regarding it a while longer, she let herself absorb the change. There was nothing she could do, was there?
She sat and eyed the food, knowing she’d have to stick to toast or a pastry and not much else.
Drake sat opposite her, occupying the white metal chair as if he’d landed from above, splat. The mauleon was too large to seem normal in her petite chairs. He loomed. He blocked out the sun beyond. The birds were possibly scared away.
Breathtaking, really, just watching him raise a cup to his lips.
He began to fill her in on what was scheduled for the afternoon, a list of things, a tour of the city and the hospital, since he wanted to see what had enticed her to go there.
“First, we are going to do a royal court appearance.”
“Oh?”
“Yes. Your official announcement as queen-to-be I was told.”
Which should have been planned with her. The rebellions had turned everything upside down. She hadn’t been to court in years. Hadn’t been anywhere official in years, apart from the funeral. She was still processing how she felt about being at royal court as the princess and queen-to-be when he mentioned something new.
“I’m not happy with what you did, Calli.” He set down the cup. “You’re finished eating and you’re well now?”
She nodded, rattled, unsure where this was going.
“You’re going to lie over the table and wait for me to punish you. Understood?”
Startled, she dropped the last fragment of toast to her plate then frowned down at it. He’d not forgotten after all. Understood? Yes, but...
“This is not acceptable. I’m an adult and can see where I went wrong, though I still think you were being too vague. I couldn’t tell if you were truthful.” She dabbed at her mouth with her napkin, looked at Drake and was unnerved by the grimness of his gaze.
“You didn’t trust me. You put yourself in danger. This is not going to hurt you like it might some but know this—it’s for your dishonesty, and how you disappointed me. Our agreement is not simply a verbal one. You are mine and I will punish you when you do wrong. So, answer this. Did you distrust me?”
Her mouth twisted. “Yes, I suppose.”
“You cannot rule alone. You cannot.” He leaned in a little. “We must trust each other, not lie. By going out there alone, you broke one rule. Then you lied.”
She opened her mouth, searching for a good answer.
“You will think on this. I’ll give you a choice. Stand over there facing the corner for an hour, thinking about what you did and why it was wrong. Or be spanked here, on the table.”
“People would see.” She’d said that as if someone peered down their sights at them at this very moment. She’d said it softly too, as if they could hear her.
It was silly but the idea of being spanked here, or made to stand in the corner, stirred mortifying shame.
“No.” He smirked, leaned down, and pressed a button that was connected by a cord to the screen. Instantly the screen darkened, becoming opaque. “There.”
Disturbed by his lecture, she stared at the long black screen then at Drake, at him rising and holding out his hand, and waiting for her to take it.
