Daughters of Lyra: Heart of an Emperor by Felicity Heaton Read Free Book Online Page B

I would give you to a man whom
you did not wish to marry?”

    “ I thought
perhaps you might, if they offered the right things in
exchange.”

    “ Never!” He
stepped forwards to touch her face but Regis growled and held her
tighter. Her father smiled and shook his head. “I would have kept
you for my own forever but I knew that you were lonely and desired
to meet someone to call your equal, your love. Having found such a
good match in my Terea, I thought you might wish to look beyond the
sphere of Lyran society for your love. I only invited these suitors
so you might be able to find someone you loved without having to
leave... foolish as it sounds... here.”

    Sophia smiled. She didn’t
think her father was foolish for trying to bring the universe to
her. She only wished that perhaps he had done it in a more tactful
manner such as a ball or something where she wasn’t meeting one
species at a time. It had been the thought of a queue of them
waiting for their time with her that had made her uncomfortable. It
had made her believe that he wanted to give her to the highest
bidder. She hadn’t thought about the fact that he had kept her here
and had continued to refuse her desire to travel while still
granting her the freedom to do as she pleased.

    “ Forgive me?”
he said and looked as though he wanted to put his arms around
her.

    Her smile widened. “Of
course. Although, I never wanted to leave here. I still
don’t.”

    “ You mean
you’ll refuse to leave?” The Count of Aeris stepped forwards, a
frown marring his beautiful features. “Even if the emperor... no...
even if Regis will marry you, you will not leave Lyra
Prime?”

    “ Regis knows
that I will not leave this planet. Lyra Prime is my home. What does
it matter if I remain here even if Regis marries me?”

    “ It will matter
a lot when Varka—”

    “ Van, that’s
enough,” Emperor Varka said and she blushed with shame when she
looked at him. “We will take the Count of Sagres to his
room.”

    “ I’m sorry
about all this,” Sophia said and tried to move but Regis was
holding her too tight. “I think I might have to go too.”

    Her father
nodded.

    Taking Regis’s hand to
show him that she wasn’t going to leave him, she started walking.
He released her and followed, holding her hand so tight that she
could feel her bones creaking. He was strong. He was incredibly
strong. Yet she had brought him to his knees. She followed the
emperor and count up through the palace, back to Regis’s
room.

    “ Emperor
Varka,” she said and the man didn’t respond. She walked a little
quicker to be closer to him. “Emperor Varka?”

    The man turned to look at
her with wide eyes and then smiled. “What is it, little
one?”

    They stopped outside
Regis’s door and she glanced at it and then looked back at the
emperor.

    “ I’m sorry. I
don’t love you. It wouldn’t have worked.”

    He continued to smile. It
held a hint of darkness that unnerved her. Something about it,
about him, spoke of intimate knowledge of violence and death. He
looked like the royal assassins did sometimes when she chanced upon
them in the city.

    “ Give the Count
of Sagres more blood and he will calm down. We must call home to
apprise them of the situation but will not be far away. If he loses
control, we will sense it and come to you. Come, Van.”

    With that, he was walking
along the corridor. She had expected more of a protest or perhaps
disappointment. He didn’t seem at all bothered that Varka’s ties
with Lyra weren’t going to be strengthened through marriage.
Perhaps he was only thinking of the money he could save and the
fact that Lyra wouldn’t be getting Varka Two.

    She opened the dark wooden
door and walked in, leading Regis to his bed. He sat down on it and
she was relieved when she released his hand and he didn’t make a
fuss. She could sense him watching her, studying her every move.
His feelings were still as strong as they had been when