Bonds of Blood [Lords of the Expanse] (Siren Publishing Classic) Read Online Free Page B

proceed, my lord will lose his position completely,” Fernando whispered to her. “I know that makes no sense to you,” he said gently. “Because of the circumstances of his birth, we the chancellors were less than kind in our ways of getting his agreement to be the husband for whatever woman was chosen by the Syndicate. What is even worse is that, because of who we spoke to in regards to encouraging him to step forth, there were conditions placed on him.” It was low and underhanded and the more he spoke, the worse Fernando felt.
    “We know that you will see it as coercion, but on our world it is not. It is simply the way things are done,” he told her softly. “But if you nullify the agreement, my lord will lose his rank as an officer and his station. He will become even less than what your people refer to as a beggar. He will lose his name, his royal title, and his military commission. I don’t want you to alter your mind if you truly believe that you cannot be content with him, but I couldn’t let you leave without at least telling you what he will never admit to.” Bowing slightly, he stepped back and, though he wanted to say more, knew he’d said enough to die in the most painful of ways.
    She looked at the man standing at the bank of windows and frowned. “Is this truth?” When the little man nodded, she swallowed and said, “I want to speak with him, completely alone. Alone with no one else in the room, no listening devices, just he and I.”
    “You will have time.” The Chancellor said finally after what looked like an internal debate shining in his eyes. He moved from her side and made a subtle gesture that had the others out the door until it was just Andries and Xandra.

Chapter Four
     
    Moving to his side, Xandra spoke softly. “I have asked them to leave us completely alone, Andries. I wish to speak with you openly and candidly. Will you please have a seat with me so I can, so we can talk?”
    Turning, he nodded. He was stunned that she was still there but made sure his face and eyes didn’t give away his surprise. Moving to the long table, he pulled out two chairs and held one for her until she sat. Once she was in her seat he took the other, resting his hands on the arms of the chair. “What is it you wish to talk about my lady?” He asked, his tone clearly indicating that he’d believed they had said all that needed to be said between them.
    Taking the seat that he had offered her, Xandra wrung her hands for several moments, seemingly lost in thought, before speaking. “You are a good man, Andries,” she said simply before, “I can’t lie to you and tell you that I was overjoyed at the prospect of wedding you. Not because of your race but because my father assured me the two of you were the best of friends.” She slowly touched the backs of her hands and the underside of each palm. “He is a horribly cruel man.” Her eyes turned up to look at him. “When I realized you weren’t like him, I began to think that possibly I could hide from him, hide behind you.” She reached out and touched the hand that was fisted on the table. “But I can’t do that to you. You don’t deserve to be brought into something where my father would do anything to give me pain, but you also don’t deserve to lose all that you have because of me changing my mind.”
    She didn’t know how to explain to him why she wanted to speak with him alone. “No one would believe me if I were to tell them of the atrocities my father has visited upon myself and my peoples, so I have kept silent. I wanted to speak with you alone because I want to give you the chance to decide. You and only you. Do you want to wed me, keep me with you even though there is the more than real possibility that my father will still try to attack you if only out of spite and his own malicious reasons? Do you want to wed me and send me back home”—she swallowed hard at the thought of what would happen with that—“or do you wish to