Ginny

GINNY

A steron is…infuriating. Xnos is…infuriating. If it wasn't for the fact all I have to go back to on the Britannia is either death or mud larking, I think I'd be planning my escape.

I stare at the ornate vaulted ceiling above my bed. A warm wind blows through my bedroom filled with the scent of flowers from the gardens below.

Today is my wedding day, and all I can think about is just how annoying Asteron is.

At night he can't get enough of me—the aching burn in my thighs and stomach confirms this. But during the day? I can count on the fingers of one hand the number of conversations we've had. It's as if I don't exist.

If this is all there is, a husband who won't talk to me and a group of Xnosson females who do nothing BUT talk, I need to find a way out of my contract, or I will have to throw myself out of the tallest tower.

Well, I won't, not really. My gilded cage could be worse. I get plenty of delicious food to eat, and the ladies might be annoying but they're not bad company.

I just wish I could figure out Asteron. He has somehow got under my skin whereas I should be treating this as a transaction, the same way he is.

Get married, pump out a couple of little Asterons, and job done. The alternative…

"Good morning!" The greeting is trilled at me by Mina who is followed by Deina, Athena (of course), and two more female Xnossons who are carrying swathes of fabric along with several boxes. "Who's a lucky female?"

"What do you mean?" I push myself up in bed as another swarm of Xnossons come in carrying tables and platters of food.

Being told I'm lucky is one of my new acquaintances' favorite subjects. Given I'm getting "married" today (they don't know I'm already actually married to Asteron and I'm not going to be the one to tell them), I'd have thought they might give it a rest.

"Your hunky new guards of course," Mina says, fluttering her long eyelashes. "Prime examples of Xnosson bull warriors." She sighs. "One of them has the best…"

"Mina!" Athena laughs at her.

"I was going to say armor," Mina fires back but gives me a wink.

These ladies are hard work, but I'm not sure I could have got through the last few days without them. They've kept my spirits up the more distant Asteron has become.

"We have your dress, ," Deina says with undisguised glee.

All three of them have the look on their faces of…erm…cows who have got the cream. They've been obsessing over the dress for days. Helping the dressmaker do my measurements, helping with the style and color, and complaining about my lack of hooves and behind.

And here I was, always thinking at five seven and with a decent bust and bum I wasn't exactly slim. But apparently not curvy enough for Xnosson trends.

"Are you ready to see it?" Athena asks.

"I guess," I say as I pull back the covers and sit on the edge of the bed, eyeing my breakfast but knowing I won't get to it without a dress reveal first.

Mina steps forward as Deina throws back the covering on the dress which Asteron is going to see for the first time today…a dress I chose this time.

"Well?" Anthea asks. "What do you think?"