“Before we left for your brother’s village in Thailand, you showed me the way on the giant map in your office. And you have all of Han’s campsites marked. When I saw how close I would be to his camp in Myanmar, I knew I had to try it. Once I was close, I caught his vampire scent, and it led me straight to his camp.”
Rajiv shook his head. “I hate to think what could have happened to you if Russell hadn’t been there.”
Jia made a sour face. “I don’t need his help.”
“We do need his help. He can find Han faster than any of us.”
Jia shrugged and ate some soup. Her sense of smell was excellent. She’d find Han by herself.
Rajiv watched her, frowning. “How am I going to keep you out of trouble?”
A knock sounded at the door, then a maidservant slipped inside. “I brought the gifts, Your Eminence.”
“Set them down by Lady Jia, please.” Rajiv motioned to the floor.
Jia smoothed her hand over the two bolts of beautifully embroidered silk, one red and one gold. “Who sent these?” She fingered the ornately carved wooden box that sat on top of the bolts of fabric. When she lifted the lid and peered inside, she gasped at the sight of an antique gold and jade hair ornament. It was worth a small fortune. “Why was this sent here?”
The maidservant smiled. “They are lovely betrothal gifts, don’t you think?”
“Wh-what?”
“Your betrothed must be very wealthy,” she added.
“My what?” Jia slammed the box shut.
“You may leave us now,” Rajiv told the maidservant. As she hurried out the door, he gave Jia a sheepish look. “I can explain—”
“Is this how you plan to keep me out of trouble?” Jia demanded, her voice rising. “Am I a problem you can solve by marrying me off?”
Rajiv winced. “I would never make you do anything you didn’t want to—”
“Oh, that’s big of you!” She jumped to her feet. “How dare you!”
“Sit down and let me explain.” When she remained standing, he scowled at her. “Sit!”
She sat with a huff, glaring at him.
“I was as shocked as you are when the packages arrived,” Rajiv began. “I had no idea Grandfather had arranged your betrothal. He died so suddenly, he never had a chance to tell me—”
“He never told me!” Jia clenched her hands into fists. “Why would he do this and not tell me?”
“He may have thought you were too young at the time.” Rajiv sighed. “I looked through the correspondence this afternoon, and apparently, Grandfather made the arrangements eleven years ago.”
“I was only ten!”
“Exactly. But since you had lost your parents, I’m sure he considered it his responsibility to provide a good future for you. You grew up here in the palace, so no doubt he wanted to make sure you maintained the lifestyle to which you are accustomed. Now that you’re twenty-one, it looks like your betrothed is moving forward with—”
“Who is he?” She motioned to the presents. “Who sent these?”
“The Grand Tiger of South Korea. You’re engaged to his oldest son and heir.”
Jia gasped. South Korea was so far away. It was a different culture, a different language. She didn’t know anyone there. “How could Grandfather do this to me?”
“It’s not uncommon,” Rajiv assured her. “If you recall, Grandfather married two of his daughters to distant were-tiger princes. One of our aunts is now the queen in Sri Lanka; the other, the queen of Cambodia. It makes for good public relations—”
“I am not a political tool!” Jia rose to her feet and paced across the room.
“I don’t expect you to be.” Rajiv turned to face her. “But look at it this way. You want to marry someday, don’t you?”
“I could live hundreds of years. What’s the hurry?” She paused in front of the window and gazed out at the stars.
“You could marry a villager and live in a shack. Or marry a prince and live in a palace. Which sounds better to you?”
The vision of a cave with an underground stream flitted through her mind. Could a were-tiger prince be anywhere as handsome as Russell? What was she thinking? The heartless worm was a vampire. With a shake of her head, she paced away from the window.
“What’s the harm in meeting this prince?” Rajiv continued. “You might like him.”
“I might hate him.”
“He might hate you.”
She snorted and affected an injured look. “How could anyone hate me?”
Rajiv’s mouth twitched. “Well, let me count the ways.” He ticked off his fingers. “You’re disobedient.”
“I obey if the order makes sense.”
“Argumentative—”
“I am not!”
“Childish—”
She stomped a foot.
He grinned.
She blushed and looked away. “If I’m such a terrible catch, you should warn off the prince.”
“He’ll be able to judge for himself whether he’s interested in you.”
Jia turned back to her cousin. “What do you mean?”
Rajiv rose to his feet. “He’s coming here in two weeks.”
She stiffened with a gasp.
Rajiv motioned to her food. “You should eat before it gets cold. We’ll talk again in the morning.”