intelligence. “She was not pleased with the
shutters?” he asked finally.
Accepting the mug of ale the servant handed him, Talin took a draught. “She is
not so terrified now. I can not see that she is especially pleased.” It occurred to him that he hadn’t done it to please her. He’d had it done to keep her from taking a fatal leap in order to escape his clutches. That realization didn’t help his feelings a whit.
Silo nodded. “She was fearful of the height,” he said wisely. “Not surprising, for
she is only a man child after all and can not fly as we can. Naturally, she would fear falling.”
Talin stared at the man in surprise for a moment. “You knew this?” he demanded.
Silo gaped at him. “I thought that was why you ordered me to affix shutters and
doors.”
Talin felt heat rise in his face. He averted his gaze to the liquid in his mug. “Aye.
I was only surprised that you had figured it out when you had not had the opportunity to observe her.”
Silo shrugged. “I was not certain. I say only that I am not surprised.”
Talin frowned. “She did not seem particularly pleased when I told her I would
send for her belongings. You seemed to think that would please her,” he growled accusingly.
“I--uh--I only suggested that, perhaps, that would help her to grow accustomed--if
she was surrounded by things familiar to her,” Silo said, uneasy about disputing Talin, but certain that he would otherwise be blamed if it transpired that the princess was not pleased.
“Do not hedge, man!” Talin growled. “The situation is dire! The mating is upon
me and my beast grows harder to quiet daily. How am I to go about gaining her
acceptance?”
THE DEVIL’S CONCUBINE
Jaide Fox
47
Silo gaped at him. “Sire! You can not claim a mate unless she is willing to be
claimed! It is … not done!”
Talin ground his teeth. “I know this, but my beast does not care!” he growled.
“You only think that now,” Silo retorted, greatly daring. “If she does not feel as you do, then she will turn from you when her true mate appears. And you will go mad.”
“I am going mad now,” Talin growled testily, beginning to drum his fingers on
the armrest again.
“This is a very bad situation,” Silo said thoughtfully. “You are wise to keep your
distance from her just now,” he added after a moment. “Allow her time to lose the worst of her fears and then she will be more receptive to the courtship.”
Talin felt his face redden again. It wasn’t wisdom, precisely, that had made him
keep his distance. It was more the fear that he would go too far too fast and bungle the entire courtship. “I have reason to believe she does not find me completely distasteful,”
he muttered.
Silo brightened. “Well, and that is a start!” he said bracingly, but then frowned.
“Of course, she is not one of the people. But I am sure it is a good sign if she does not try to shred your hide when ever you are around her. I am convinced you are on the right track. Certain of it! Once you have brought her belongings, she will be more
comfortable. And she will see you are eager to find favor with her. I will put some
thought into the garden you wish to give her.” He frowned again. “Statuary, you think?
I could not help but notice there were figures of women in the drawing.”
“There were no statues,” Talin said musingly and then brightened suddenly. “Her
ladies! They are devoted to her and vice versa, I am certain. Mayhap it is not the garden she misses at all, but her ladies?”
Silo nodded. “No doubt! She is very alone now and not at all accustomed to
being alone. I will study over this matter of a garden and see what I can come up with,”
he added, hoping the promise would be sufficient to appease Talin, for the moment
anyway.
Talin nodded, flicking a hand at him in a shooing motion. Grateful to have the
interview at an end, Silo scurried away. He was tempted to
shutters?” he asked finally.
Accepting the mug of ale the servant handed him, Talin took a draught. “She is
not so terrified now. I can not see that she is especially pleased.” It occurred to him that he hadn’t done it to please her. He’d had it done to keep her from taking a fatal leap in order to escape his clutches. That realization didn’t help his feelings a whit.
Silo nodded. “She was fearful of the height,” he said wisely. “Not surprising, for
she is only a man child after all and can not fly as we can. Naturally, she would fear falling.”
Talin stared at the man in surprise for a moment. “You knew this?” he demanded.
Silo gaped at him. “I thought that was why you ordered me to affix shutters and
doors.”
Talin felt heat rise in his face. He averted his gaze to the liquid in his mug. “Aye.
I was only surprised that you had figured it out when you had not had the opportunity to observe her.”
Silo shrugged. “I was not certain. I say only that I am not surprised.”
Talin frowned. “She did not seem particularly pleased when I told her I would
send for her belongings. You seemed to think that would please her,” he growled accusingly.
“I--uh--I only suggested that, perhaps, that would help her to grow accustomed--if
she was surrounded by things familiar to her,” Silo said, uneasy about disputing Talin, but certain that he would otherwise be blamed if it transpired that the princess was not pleased.
“Do not hedge, man!” Talin growled. “The situation is dire! The mating is upon
me and my beast grows harder to quiet daily. How am I to go about gaining her
acceptance?”
THE DEVIL’S CONCUBINE
Jaide Fox
47
Silo gaped at him. “Sire! You can not claim a mate unless she is willing to be
claimed! It is … not done!”
Talin ground his teeth. “I know this, but my beast does not care!” he growled.
“You only think that now,” Silo retorted, greatly daring. “If she does not feel as you do, then she will turn from you when her true mate appears. And you will go mad.”
“I am going mad now,” Talin growled testily, beginning to drum his fingers on
the armrest again.
“This is a very bad situation,” Silo said thoughtfully. “You are wise to keep your
distance from her just now,” he added after a moment. “Allow her time to lose the worst of her fears and then she will be more receptive to the courtship.”
Talin felt his face redden again. It wasn’t wisdom, precisely, that had made him
keep his distance. It was more the fear that he would go too far too fast and bungle the entire courtship. “I have reason to believe she does not find me completely distasteful,”
he muttered.
Silo brightened. “Well, and that is a start!” he said bracingly, but then frowned.
“Of course, she is not one of the people. But I am sure it is a good sign if she does not try to shred your hide when ever you are around her. I am convinced you are on the right track. Certain of it! Once you have brought her belongings, she will be more
comfortable. And she will see you are eager to find favor with her. I will put some
thought into the garden you wish to give her.” He frowned again. “Statuary, you think?
I could not help but notice there were figures of women in the drawing.”
“There were no statues,” Talin said musingly and then brightened suddenly. “Her
ladies! They are devoted to her and vice versa, I am certain. Mayhap it is not the garden she misses at all, but her ladies?”
Silo nodded. “No doubt! She is very alone now and not at all accustomed to
being alone. I will study over this matter of a garden and see what I can come up with,”
he added, hoping the promise would be sufficient to appease Talin, for the moment
anyway.
Talin nodded, flicking a hand at him in a shooing motion. Grateful to have the
interview at an end, Silo scurried away. He was tempted to
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