hide the sudden distaste that was threatening to erupt from the pit of his stomach. He couldn't do it. Instead he closed his eyes and petted his chest.
When he opened his eyes, the young woman was staring at him. She looked like she was trying to hold her breath, but when she simply couldn't hold it any longer, she burst out laughing.
“What?”
“You don't—you—you don't know how to take a shot.”
“So? Isn't that normal?”
“Fuck, no.” She took the bottle tipped it up to her mouth, gulping huge mouthfuls of whiskey then let it drop. It didn't seem to faze her at all. It looked like she was drinking water.
“How did you do that?”
“I've just been drinking longer than you have.”
“I guess you have,” he laughed and poured himself another shot. This time, he let it go down and tried harder to ignore the burn, but he still squinted his eyes a little bit.
They both started laughing and before long, were sitting down with shots in one hand and fine smoke weed in the other.
“I would've thought you'd be a bit more experienced.” She seemed intrigued.
“I don't do it much. It's never been my thing.”
She shrugged, “Makes sense.”
“You know,” he was getting a little cocky. Maybe it was the drink, maybe it was the confidence that had been building inside of him for months. “You're pretty courageous, sitting there, laughing at a prince. Don't you think that's a little dangerous?”
“I don't care. See,” she pointed her finger at him, “when I'm at home I act however I want to, and I'll bet that's one luxury you don't have.”
“You live here?”
“I do. My name is Dhana.” She winked and leaned back so her long black hair moved behind her shoulder.
“Well,” he extended his hand, “Dhana, it's wonderful to meet you. Are you Mr. Varossi's daughter.”
“I am.”
“Then why didn't you come up and meet us with your parents?”
“I like it better at the bar.”
He poured out two shots. “I will definitely toast to that.” They clinked their glasses together.
The room began to move around just enough for the prince to sway with it. The girl was already slurring her words, moving with the flow of things just like he was. She was an intriguing figure, a woman of means who didn't seem ambitious in the least. She just didn't care. She was along for the ride and let the world move around her. She also had that rough demeanor of a woman who shirked of social constraints. She sat with her legs open, her back hunched, even though she was magnificently beautiful.
“I didn't even know we were coming tonight. My father told me just a few hours ago. What this party is for?”
She poured him another shot, and they drank. “It's my parent's 60 th wedding anniversary.”
“Oh, that's wonderful.”
“No it's not. My father hasn't shared my mother's bed in almost forty years and has regular shipments from the Orchids. My mother's constantly drunk and hysterical. She only visits the house when there's a bar, and is fucking everyone that will put it in her.”
“That's disgusting.” Antoni slid into stool.
She laughed and grabbed his hand, pulling him off the stool. “Come on.”
Dhana led him out onto the veranda, where they took a private table near the railing so they could watch the way the crystal reflected on the water. It was a sublime aurora that cast its light up the beach and onto Dhana's face, which did seem to glow, as she sighed and ran her fingers through her hair.
“My life has nothing to do with my parents. I've got a ship, and I'm training to be an expeditioner.”
“Have you been to the far reaches?” Antoni leaned closer. He'd only heard little bits about the planets from Rafael, but he'd never visited them and Rafael never really went far outside of Kaldean territory.
“Haven't you?”
“No. I've never had any reason to. I handle all of my affairs either in the palace or within the borders of the Empire.”
“You have no idea what it's like,” she
When he opened his eyes, the young woman was staring at him. She looked like she was trying to hold her breath, but when she simply couldn't hold it any longer, she burst out laughing.
“What?”
“You don't—you—you don't know how to take a shot.”
“So? Isn't that normal?”
“Fuck, no.” She took the bottle tipped it up to her mouth, gulping huge mouthfuls of whiskey then let it drop. It didn't seem to faze her at all. It looked like she was drinking water.
“How did you do that?”
“I've just been drinking longer than you have.”
“I guess you have,” he laughed and poured himself another shot. This time, he let it go down and tried harder to ignore the burn, but he still squinted his eyes a little bit.
They both started laughing and before long, were sitting down with shots in one hand and fine smoke weed in the other.
“I would've thought you'd be a bit more experienced.” She seemed intrigued.
“I don't do it much. It's never been my thing.”
She shrugged, “Makes sense.”
“You know,” he was getting a little cocky. Maybe it was the drink, maybe it was the confidence that had been building inside of him for months. “You're pretty courageous, sitting there, laughing at a prince. Don't you think that's a little dangerous?”
“I don't care. See,” she pointed her finger at him, “when I'm at home I act however I want to, and I'll bet that's one luxury you don't have.”
“You live here?”
“I do. My name is Dhana.” She winked and leaned back so her long black hair moved behind her shoulder.
“Well,” he extended his hand, “Dhana, it's wonderful to meet you. Are you Mr. Varossi's daughter.”
“I am.”
“Then why didn't you come up and meet us with your parents?”
“I like it better at the bar.”
He poured out two shots. “I will definitely toast to that.” They clinked their glasses together.
The room began to move around just enough for the prince to sway with it. The girl was already slurring her words, moving with the flow of things just like he was. She was an intriguing figure, a woman of means who didn't seem ambitious in the least. She just didn't care. She was along for the ride and let the world move around her. She also had that rough demeanor of a woman who shirked of social constraints. She sat with her legs open, her back hunched, even though she was magnificently beautiful.
“I didn't even know we were coming tonight. My father told me just a few hours ago. What this party is for?”
She poured him another shot, and they drank. “It's my parent's 60 th wedding anniversary.”
“Oh, that's wonderful.”
“No it's not. My father hasn't shared my mother's bed in almost forty years and has regular shipments from the Orchids. My mother's constantly drunk and hysterical. She only visits the house when there's a bar, and is fucking everyone that will put it in her.”
“That's disgusting.” Antoni slid into stool.
She laughed and grabbed his hand, pulling him off the stool. “Come on.”
Dhana led him out onto the veranda, where they took a private table near the railing so they could watch the way the crystal reflected on the water. It was a sublime aurora that cast its light up the beach and onto Dhana's face, which did seem to glow, as she sighed and ran her fingers through her hair.
“My life has nothing to do with my parents. I've got a ship, and I'm training to be an expeditioner.”
“Have you been to the far reaches?” Antoni leaned closer. He'd only heard little bits about the planets from Rafael, but he'd never visited them and Rafael never really went far outside of Kaldean territory.
“Haven't you?”
“No. I've never had any reason to. I handle all of my affairs either in the palace or within the borders of the Empire.”
“You have no idea what it's like,” she
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