Table of Contents
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Princess of Draga
the Draga Court series
Emma Dean
Jillian Ashe
PRINCESS OF DRAGA
THE DRAGA COURT SERIES
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.
Copyright © 2017 by Jillian Ashe as Emma Dean
ASIN: B0743MP6YL
This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, locations, organizations, and events portrayed in this novel are either products of the imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
Contents
Books by Emma Dean
Dominance
Houses of Draga
The Draga Galaxy
The Khara Galaxy
The Hai Galaxy
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Do You Like to Be Teased?
Do you like Space Opera Adventure Romance?
About the Author
Books by Emma Dean
The Draga Court Series
Princess of Draga
Crown of Draga
Prequel – Royal Guard of Draga*
*Can be read as a standalone before or after Princess of Draga.
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Dominance
Each Kalan is born with a scent marker that identifies their level of dominance. There is also a range within each level. Two people who are at the same level, such as the black rose, can have a different amount of dominance.
The genetic alterations used these scent markers to reflect ability and position in a pack or society like the Ancient wolves.
*Spicier/muskier means more dominant. Sweeter is more submissive.
From most dominant to least:
Black Rose
Winterflowers
Orange Blossom
Lilac
Jasmine
Houses of Draga
Deytis – Barony
Baron Kace and Baroness Lyria
Heir – Leo
Second-born – Lora
Draga – Royals
King Orion and Queen Adele
Heir – Raena
Second-born – Giselle
Third-born – Adelina
Fourth-born – Asher
Fifth-born – William
Sixth in line to the throne – Ian, Elara’s son
Brother to the King – Prince Solomon
His wife Princess Mara
First-born – Ajax
Second-born
Avvis – Archduchy
Archduchess Indra and Archduke Chet
Heir – Hayden
Second-born – Masha
Indra’s Sister – Lady Tine
Her husband Lord Berter
First-born – Sonya
Second-born – Hewayn
Indra’s brother – Lord Keve
Priea – Marquis
Marquess Delia and Marquis Greyson
Heir – Veri
Second-born – Alock
Third-born – Cindra
Cousins – Adam
Alfonso
Ushanov – Duchy
Duchess Odette and Duke Mikel
Heir – Marcel
Second-born – Rashad
Third-born – Raphael
Pedranus – Count-ship
Countess Joslynn
Scyria – Count-ship
Countess Malaya
Heir – Anatoly
His wife – Elena
Second-born – Peter
Third-born – Sirus
Treon – Marquis
Marquis Peter and Marquess Wendy
Heir – Lucas
Second-born – Grady
Seprilles – Barony
Baron Jarvis and Baron Romeo and Baroness Leslie
Heir – Jayden
Second-born – Rory
The Draga Galaxy
The race of Humans living in the Draga galaxy under the Kala sun is called Kalans. Only the ruling family of each planet holds the name Draga, Avvis, etc.
Planets in the Draga solar system from first to last:
Deytis – Barony
Draga Terra – Capitol; Royal Planet
Avvis – Archduchy
Priea – Marquis
Ushanov – Duchy
Pedranus – Count-ship
Scyria – Count-ship
Treon** – Marquis
Seprilles** – Barony
**Seprilles and Treon have elliptical orbits around the sun. Half of the cycle one planet is on the border of one side of the galaxy, and the other half is on the opposite border. Twice a year they are closest to each other than any other planet.
The Khara Galaxy
Sun – Corinth
The race of Humans living in the Khara galaxy under the Corinth sun is called the Corinthians.
Planets in the Khara solar system from first to last:
Capuli – Panthera House
Prince Milagros and Princess Lilja alive
Arcadius – Neofilis House
Princess Kaita alive
Khara Prime – Capitol, where the current ruling family resides
Royals Dead
Minara – Tigris House
Prince Valdis alive
Lithios – Jaguar House
Princess Svana and Princess Tawney alive
Leva – Leo House
Royals Dead. Prince Nash’s home planet
Kepri – Serval House
Royals Dead
The Hai Galaxy
Sun – Drakesthai
The race of Humans living in the Hai galaxy under the Drakesthai sun is called the Drakesthai. This does not apply to the Humans who remain Unchanged.
Planets in the Hai solar system from first to last:
Anarr – Skye Dragons
Kuan-Yin – Ruled by the Unchanged
Imaldi – Ruled by the Unchanged
Hai Delta – Capitol; Obsidian Dragons
Tainos – Fyre Dragons
Argo – Starr Dragons
Vudu Shaa – Vega Dragons
Chapter One
Nadyah
House of Kismet
Planet Draga Terra
&nb
sp; Nadyah watched Lord Greyson sleep on her massive and luxurious bed. She gently brushed his hair back from his forehead and smiled softly. He was one of her favorite clients, and was always so gentle and sweet to her. Greyson was not as dominant as he liked to pretend but Nadyah found it easy to submit to him – which was what he wanted from her. He was a good lover and never failed to ensure she had just as much pleasure as he. As one of her favorite clients she always made time for him whenever he came to the House of Kismet.
Nadyah was the most highly respected and sought after courtesans on Draga Terra and she had a long list of clients, but who she took on was her choice. Courtesans always chose whom they sold their services to.
It was in her genetic makeup to enjoy her work and Nadyah thrived on the sex. She formed an emotional bond with each of her clients and they all had a small piece of her heart. It couldn’t be helped, it was in her nature. Courtesans were the one sub-race descended from the Ancients – the humans of old – that were neither submissive nor dominant. She was whatever her client needed her to be.
A time-keeper floated above her nightstand, it chimed softly telling her it was midnight. The sun had finally set. Nadyah slid off the dark blue, satin sheets of her bed and padded silently across the plush carpet of her room. She reached for her spidersilk robe as she passed her vanity and wrapped the sheer material around her naked body. A backward glance at Lord Greyson lying on her massive four-poster bed confirmed he was still asleep. The outline of his body through the silk shrouds accentuated his strong shoulders. He was one of the nobility – the Marquise of the planet Priea, and he slept deeply after the hours she’d made him work.
Nadyah slipped into her closet. Beautiful gowns lined the space in various sumptuous fabrics. Shoes and accessories were displayed in a way that caught the eye and allowed her to easily choose combinations to suit her coloring. All of her possessions were gifts from her clients. Her income allowed for such luxuries but it was a point of pride that she wasn’t required to purchase her own accoutrements.
All the way at the back of the massive closet Nadyah slid aside a few garments. Her fingertip pressed into the hidden panel and a small door slid aside noiselessly. Waiting outside the House was the Prince of Thieves. There was still a smidge of purple in the sky and the ocean breeze chilled her. Varan turned to Nadyah and when he met her sapphire gaze her heart clenched and then began to pound in her chest. Those emerald eyes of his glittered playfully.
His broad shoulders always caught her eye without fail and every time she wondered what it would be like to be surrounded by them. Varan’s tanned skin begged to be touched. The roguish smile on his face made her want to slap him even though it tantalized her. Varan was the Prince of Thieves and he had stolen her heart cycles ago. Nadyah held the secret close. He had no idea how she truly felt about him and it would remain that way. She could not afford to put her position in danger.
“Nadyah,” he said softly, taking her hand and dropping a kiss on it. Never once did he stare at her naked form through the sheer spidersilk robe.
She kept her face impassive despite the flutter in her heart and the feel of his lips on her skin. “Greyson is asleep. Be quick, before he wakes.”
Varan grew solemn. He nodded and went to work. His large form grew slinky just like a deadly galina and he slid past her. His arm brushed against her breast and she couldn’t decide if it had been on purpose or an accident.
Regardless the touch left her breathless.
Nadyah watched him work as she leaned against the black velvet wall. There was a reason he was the prince of all the thieves in Stella di Draga – the capitol city of Draga Terra. His fingers were light as they sifted through Lord Greyson’s belongings. The piece of tech in his hand scanned the personal devices for any possible keys and passwords. This small favor to the thief made her uncomfortable, but the stakes were high and he was an excellent source of information.
Varan’s fingers moved to Greyson’s hand and held it gently to be scanned and copied. Nadyah wondered what those light fingers would feel like against her own skin, trailing down her stomach…Warmth spread down her abdomen and set her skin to tingling. She felt her wetness drip onto her thighs and she pressed them together, hoping Varan wouldn’t notice her arousal. Nadyah shook her head. She needed to collect herself because Varan could never be hers.
The Prince of Thieves prowled across the dimly lit room towards her and his eyes flicked down her body and then up again so briefly she wasn’t sure he’d actually done so. “I am finished.” His warm rumble was quieter than the Gentle God of Death.
Nadyah’s nipples tightened against the soft fabric of her robe, obvious to anyone with a set of eyes. Varan didn’t react at all. Nadyah knew he figured it was all part of her job as he brushed by her once more. He couldn’t be more wrong. Varan could see her plain as day and not even a tiny reaction from him. She had wondered if he preferred men for many cycles until she saw him kissing a female in his tavern one night.
Nadyah activated the closet door with a flick of her finger to be safe. It shut behind them silently. “Did you get what you needed?” she asked softly. She couldn’t help herself. Nadyah let her hand reach for his bicep, thick with muscle. She wanted to squeeze but managed to refrain.
The hood over his head cast his face in shadow, but she could still see the emerald of his eyes practically glow in the dark. “I did get everything. Thank you, Mistress Nadyah.” He tucked his scanner in a hidden pocket. “Have you heard? The royal family has sent me an invitation to their ritzy little ball.” His cocky grin did wicked things to her.
Nadyah nearly crossed her arms over her chest, but she decided against it. Let him be teased. “I have not. This is a big step for you.” She gave him a small smile. The royal family didn’t approve of his work as a thief, but they respected him and his position among their people. Varan took care of the citizens of Draga Terra. They were his people too as Varan would say.
“Perhaps I will see you there,” Varan murmured. He tapped her bottom lip gently and then turned to the secret panel in her closet that would lead him outside and towards the ocean.
She placed a delicate hand on her hip and it pulled the sheer fabric tighter across her breasts. Nadyah arched an eyebrow. “My payment, Varan?”
The thief turned back and grinned. Then he prowled towards her. The move was so unexpected she stepped back and he followed until he had her pressed up against the door to her room. Varan planted his hands on either side of her, so close she could smell the spicy scent of winterflowers identifying him as dominant. His legs brushed the outside of hers, effectively trapping her between his well-muscled thighs. She smoldered where he touched her. He made her squirm and her breathing quickened when he leaned in. What in the spider’s name was he doing?
His mouth found hers and he was hungry, voracious.
Her heart pounded harder in her chest and she tried not to moan aloud. He had never kissed her before. It made her want to drag her nails down his back and rip his shirt off so she could show him exactly what skills she possessed. One of his large hands held her face gently and he nibbled on her bottom lip. Liquid fire poured from between her legs in response. She wanted him. She would take him in her closet with a client in the other room, the gods be damned.
His tongue parted her lips and he pressed his large muscled form against her body, allowing her to feel every inch of him. Varan’s hard cock nestled between her thighs and rubbed in exactly the right place. She gasped and something hard, smooth, and round slipped into her mouth.
Varan pulled back with a grin, but it wasn’t the same playful grin it was before. His eyes were too dark and hungry to be playful. “Your payment, milika.” He bowed before he disappeared through the secret door.
Nadyah spit the item into her palm and inspected the perfectly dark sapphire exactly the color of her eyes. Varan had left her burning from the inside out. The sapphire went into her stash and then she opened the door to her bedroom. It was time to
wake Lord Greyson and let him ease her frustrations.
Because despite how much she wanted Varan, he was the only person she could not have sex with.
Mistress Jael – the head of House of Kismet –summoned Nadyah the second Greyson had left sated and with promises of more diamonds.
Nadyah felt nerves coil in the pit of her stomach as she quickly made her way through the opulent House. The thick, blood-red carpets muffled the sound of her slippers and the folds of her spidersilk gown whispered in the early morning silence. The gold embroidery of her dress caught the light of the candles adding to the romantic atmosphere of the House.
Nadyah stopped in front of the double gold-leaf doors that led to Mistress Jael’s study. Mistress Jael was not only the head of one of the most respected and revered courtesan Houses, but she was also the Spider; head of the Spymaster’s Guild and Nadyah was one of her most trusted and skilled spies.
Gently the doors opened as she waved her hand over the pad. The smoky dawn light filled the study. The candles in the Jael’s study were left unlit and the Spymistress was a mere shadow at her desk. “Please sit, darling.” The Spider beckoned towards the velvet chair before the desk. Nadyah sank into the soft fabric without hesitation.