His mother was incensed, of course. More worryingly, she’d taken to disappearing for hours without informing Samir of what she was doing—and what she was planning.
It made Samir anxious. He was genuinely starting to get worried that his mother was plotting Warrehn’s death. She’d even stopped asking about his progress on the seduction front, which wasn’t encouraging at all.
Not that Samir was all that eager to report on his progress—or lack thereof.
It wasn’t that Samir was prudish. Nor was he a virgin. Since he didn’t have a bondmate and his sex drive was fully functional, he’d had sex. Sometimes. Very rarely—when he had time to discreetly visit certain high-profile establishments on pleasure planets. So yes, he liked sex just fine, his weird sexual preferences notwithstanding.
Anyway. He liked sex just fine. The problem was, he’d never set out to seduce someone, especially for such a cold, pragmatic reason. It made him uncomfortable, like he was the villain of some over-the-top GlobalNet drama.
The thought made Samir chuckle. By most people’s standards, he and his mother were the villains. If he followed through with the seduction plan, he would be. But he had no choice. His mother would simply finish what she’d started years ago if Samir did nothing: she clearly couldn’t be reasonable about King Emyr’s son.
He needed to act, and fast. He didn’t trust his mother not to do something rash soon, since Warrehn’s coronation was fast approaching.
Finally, Samir had gotten lucky: Warrehn seemed to be alone that evening. None of his hangers-on were present, and the palace AI informed Samir that the crown prince was in his office alone, having asked not to be disturbed.
It was his chance.
Taking a deep breath, Samir was about to enter Warrehn’s office when the sound of Warrehn’s voice through a crack in the door stopped him.
“—it’s driving me crazy, Rohan.” Warrehn’s low voice was tight with frustration. “They’re all two-faced snakes who smile at me as they think about how to use me. But I have to pretend not to notice a thing and play their inane games.”
“That’s politics for you, War,” another voice said, likely through a communicator, since Warrehn was supposedly alone. “You’ll have to get used to it.”
“I know,” Warrehn said, but he sounded utterly fed up.
There was some silence.
“How are things with the family?”
Warrehn let out a rough-sounding laugh. “You mean the viper and her spawn? They’re still here. Which obviously doesn’t help. I hate that I can’t relax even in my own home. It doesn’t feel like my own home sometimes with the servants being so loyal to the perfect Prince Samir and his perfect mother, even the droids. I heard a robot maid yesterday bemoaning the unfairness of me taking away ‘Prince Samir’s throne.’ I feel like a fucking usurper.” Warrehn laughed again. It lacked any mirth.
“He and his mother are very popular, War,” Rohan said. “I warned you about it. You need to be careful about how you deal with them. I’ve been monitoring your grand clan’s social media when I have time, and people don’t seem convinced that you’re the rightful king, regardless of your bloodline. With the way things are, Dalatteya could have you assassinated and people wouldn’t mind even if the foul play is obvious.”
Warrehn sighed. “What are you suggesting I do?”
“Considering your distaste for politics and lying, your options are limited,” Rohan said. “You could marry a popular noble from your clan. You could actually try to smile once in a while.”
“Fuck off.”
“I’m serious, War. Your blood isn’t enough. People must actually like you to want you on the throne. You shouldn’t make things easier for Dalatteya and her son by being an antisocial prick no one likes.”
“I don’t give a fuck about being liked,” Warrehn said flatly. “What I want is to get them out of my house without backlash. They’re plotting something, I’m sure of it. I’m surprised they haven’t attempted to poison me yet, though maybe they know that I have a robot scanning all my food.”
Samir’s eyebrows flew up. Really? Talk about paranoia. Then again, it was probably justified, given his mother’s plans.
“They’re likely biding their time,” Rohan said. “I agree that they are unlikely to give up without a fight. Why don’t you read their thoughts to find out what they’re planning? You’re one of the most powerful telepaths on the planet. It should be easy for you.”
Samir tensed up and waited for Warrehn’s answer with bated breath.
“I tried,” Warrehn said, a hint of frustration entering his voice. “But the mental traps in her mind don’t let me go deeper beyond her surface thoughts. They must have become more aggressive and vigilant since you nearly sprang one. Whoever placed them had a hell of a skill. Some of her memories have clearly been tampered with and some are false to fool the intruder, but I can’t retrieve the originals without springing the traps.”