Chapter 908: Expansion
Khan"s friendly mood continued while he accompanied Princess Montares to one of the arena"s restricted bathrooms. He held back whenever they encountered soldiers or other guests, but those instances didn"t improve Rachel"s situation.
The intimate and emotional moment had unlocked something in Princess Montares" mind. As per habit and political education, she clung to Khan"s elbow in public, walking side by side with him. Yet, that harmless gesture felt different now.
Princess Montares had become aware of something only Monica should have known. The kindness behind Khan"s touch had taken root in her brain, becoming a constant reminder of what he was capable of.
Rachel would usually ignore those troubling thoughts, focusing on her political education. However, clinging to Khan"s arm intensified that reminded, often making her mentally wander in ideas she didn"t dare to voice.
Nevertheless, to Princess Montares" disappointment, the two eventually reached the terrace, rejoining the mandatory social events. She had to snap out of her daze and let Khan go, watching him reunite with the one who owned his heart.
"Is everything okay, Princess Montares?" Princess Virrai asked, alerting Rachel about the representatives" attention on her. They didn"t notice anything odd, but the Princess had still returned from an unusual request.
"Of course," Princess Montares rea.s.sured. "I apologize for taking this long. As you know, our paperwork never ends."
"It"s understandable," Princess Virrai nodded. "I"ll also be swamped after tonight."
"Let us enjoy it, then," Princess Montares said, smiling and regaining her usual composure. Yet, something immediately tried to break it.
"Rachel," Monica called, approaching the group of representatives. "Ron sent a message. Could you accompany me to pick Princess Edna up?"
The whooshing of engines spread through the terrace, giving Princess Montares time to think. Ships descended toward the area, stretching their metal ramps and waiting for the guests to climb them.
"If you"d follow me," Khan announced, claiming the terrace"s attention. "We are heading to the party"s location. Monica, Rachel, I"ll see you there."
Rachel felt deprived of her chance to refuse Monica. She watched the guests hopping on the ships and departing, leaving only one ride for the two women. That situation had become unavoidable, but part of her knew it was better to address it as soon as possible.
Moreover, Princess Montares felt the need to talk with someone, and Monica probably was the only one who could understand her.
The two women exchanged a meaningful look before silently climbing on the remaining ship. They sat in the cargo area rearranged into a quasi-living room, and the Princess eventually mustered the courage to speak up.
"I overplayed my hand in the auction for Mister Parket," Princess Montares explained. "I didn"t have permission to offer an engagement. Khan rea.s.sured me."
The two women were sitting side by side on the same small couch, but Rachel had her head lowered, seemingly ashamed to look at Monica. Meanwhile, Monica dissected the Princess" words and behavior, checking whether something tickled her woman"s senses.
"He is good at that," Monica commented. "Too good for his own good."
"I-," Princess Montares said, hesitating before sighing. "I lost it for a bit. I cried and clung to him until I calmed down."
Monica would lie if she said she didn"t care, but her jealousy wasn"t strictly rational. She trusted Khan completely and knew he would have never let Rachel touch him like that if she had impure intentions. Yet, her mood swings threatened to arrive anyway.
It didn"t help that Rachel"s beauty matched Monica"s. Appearance-wise, they were similar, albeit on opposite ends of the spectrum. Monica had curly black hair, while Rachel"s was blonde and soft. Monica had smooth dark skin, while Rachel"s was porcelain and spotless. Their eyes shared the same color, but Monica"s blue was cold, while Rachel"s was warm.
Still, Rachel surpa.s.sed Monica in some aspects. She was a Princess, a better match for Khan"s current status. She could provide the kind of political support Monica could only dream about. Moreover, Rachel"s character was more suited for a leadership position. Monica had matured a lot, but her crazy sides didn"t disappear. Meanwhile, Rachel was calm, collected, and courteous. She would create fewer problems for Khan and wouldn"t hinder his daily life. "He is surprisingly gentle," Princess Montares commented. "I knew he was protective but believed that applied to his partners. It makes sense with you, but..."
"He is, isn"t he?" Monica sighed. "Him and his d.a.m.ned kindness. You can"t fathom how many problems it has caused."
"I can refuse his help," Princess Montares said, "If that"s what you want."
"I couldn"t stop him even if I tried," Monica scoffed. "Besides, I fell for that stupid side of him. I love it, even if it keeps attracting women from every background and species." Princess Montares peeked at Monica, who had leaned on the couch"s back and crossed her arms. She looked p.i.s.sed, but not at her.
"You"d think one species would be enough," Monica complained, "But no. I have to worry about every alien in the universe, too. Do you know how many women there are? Too many."
Princess Montares would laugh if she weren"t part of that group. However, she didn"t delude herself. She knew Khan belonged to Monica and wanted things to remain that way. She was simply also aware of her feelings.
"I won"t try to take him away from you," Princess Montares promised. "I envy what you have but want to see it flourish, not ruined."
Monica studied Princess Montares" expression. The situation still annoyed her, but Rachel"s words sounded genuine. She looked truly troubled about the matter, and Monica couldn"t really blame her for relying on Khan. Monica knew her Fiancé had a talent for getting himself involved in those matters.
"No sleeping nor bathing together," Monica warned.
"What"s up with that?" Princess Montares questioned. "Did something happen? Khan used the same words."
"Just keep that in mind," Monica said, refusing to elaborate further. "And try to avoid gazing longingly at him. He gets permissive when women do that."
"You must have endured much due to Khan"s popularity," Princess Montares exclaimed.
"I eventually accepted it was part of the package," Monica revealed. "I can"t expect him to be as amazing as he is and not attract that type of attention."
"It must be stressful," Princess Montares commented.
"It was for a time," Monica confirmed, "Mainly when I couldn"t publicly announce that I slept with him every night. We were living together, but I had to stay silent when waiters and whatnot tried to hit on him."
Princess Montares could only imagine what Monica had gone through. Realistically, Khan had become unreachable to the general public only after Monica"s family approved their relationship. That left a big window for potential suitors Monica had to endure silently.
"It sure was complicated," Princess Montares uttered. "It looked complicated from the
outside already."
Monica rolled her eyes but didn"t speak. Truth be told, her relationship had never been more solid. The current situation made those troublesome years worth it.
"Is he truly that playful?" Princess Montares asked, unable to contain her curiosity. "Was he
always like that?"
"Martha told me he used to be worse," Monica revealed. "Martha Weesso. He has a way of annoying you while drawing you closer."
"So," Princess Montares said, rea.s.sured, "It wasn"t only me. I thought I was crazy." Princess Montares realized her mistake when she spotted Monica"s glare. Her moment with Khan had been innocent, but appearances would disagree, especially before his Fiancée.
"Khan thinks we can be proper friends now," Monica announced. "So, can I talk openly?" "Of course," Princess Montares responded. She genuinely felt guilty about the situation, so she wouldn"t refuse Monica over something like that.
"You don"t have any chance with my Khan," Monica declared. "I"m not bragging. His brain works differently. He loves me, so only I exist in his eyes."
Rachel couldn"t follow Monica"s statement but decided to trust her anyway. She knew Khan was unique, but her human mindset prevented her from understanding what Monica meant.
"Also," Monica proudly claimed, "I"ve spent years getting him addicted to me. You can"t
compete."
Princess Montares felt the urge to smile since the conversation seemed to be moving into jokes territory, but Monica"s cold gaze stopped that expression.
"Still, if you decide to try anyway," Monica continued, "I won"t care about your t.i.tle. I"m Prince Khan"s future wife. You touch him, I"ll burn you alive."
The threat didn"t match Monica"s elegant demeanor at all. It had something wild and unrestrained to it, which Rachel would have more easily expected from Khan. Yet, the seriousness in Monica"s gaze spoke for its sincerity.
"I won"t do anything," Princess Montares rea.s.sured. "Though teasing you isn"t out of the
question."
"That"s all you girls can do," Monica snorted. "I"ll still get to sleep in the Global Army"s best man"s arms almost every night."
"Almost?" Princess Montares repeated. "Are there problems?"
"Can we start complaining?" Monica realized. "You have no idea how much I have to tell you."
While Monica and Princess Montares engaged in a lengthy conversation about every suppressed gripe, Khan led the other guests to one of the main city"s squares. The place was relatively new, arranged specifically for that final party, and the most important figures gathered under a gazebo to enjoy refreshments and various shows.
The conversations among the guests were mostly casual. Many compliments about the tournament reached Khan"s ears while jokes and more resounded under the gazebo. The general mood was cheerful and light-hearted, but the Thilku Lords knew how to change it. "The tournament was great," Lord Rsi announced, "Our negotiations keep being extremely beneficial, and I"m receiving positive feedback from your training grounds. Excellent, [Blue Shaman]."
"You honor me, [My Lord]," Khan responded. "The Empire"s happiness is my happiness."
"On that point," Lord Rsi stated. "The Empire has an interesting opportunity. Our domain expands quickly, and many systems are still uncolonized. You could handle that mission since many of our soldiers are here."
The murmurs under the gazebo suddenly fell silent. Everyone focused on the conversation, knowing what it implied. Khan had also understood what Lord Rsi meant but wanted to be
sure due to the topic"s sensitive nature. "What do you mean, [My Lord]?" Khan asked.
"Some nearby planets are available," Lord Rsi explained. "The Empire would be grateful if you occupied them in its name."