VALORIA WILDEROSE
I tense up and choke on a biscuit. I don't want her to misunderstand the details of our relationship, if it can even be called that.
"W-We're not that close. He only needed me because he was investigating my father."
The words taste like a lie even as I say them. There was more to it than that, but she doesn't need to know.
"It's okay, don't be scared." She offers me a napkin. I take it with a bow.
My hands tremble slightly, but I force them to still. The last thing I need is for her to see how nervous I am.
"I'm not going to strangle you just because you spent a week alone with him. I like our arrangement, you see. He has as many women as he wants, and I get to explore and conquer the world one pack at a time and expand our empire and influence. My part is the fun part."
She says it so casually, like conquering nations is a hobby rather than a bloodbath. I don't know whether to be impressed or horrified. Perhaps both.
