"You have some of the richest people in the world here, why didn't you use them to help you? You could have purchased any number of mercenary guilds t... help you. Why didn't you? " asked Aric with some mild annoyance."You answer your own question. Those same rich people were the biggest clients of the slavers. They didn't want to change how everything worked."You can't find a wife? Then you visit the slavers and check their stock and suddenly you have your own personal whore. All you need to do. But...if you want me to do my best, I need incentives.”Her grin grew. Her lips were so kissable. I wondered what flavor of lip gloss she wore today. I hoped it was apricot. I liked that flavor on her lips.We reached our houses, the shade of the giant chestnut tree in my front yard falling over us. The tree's broad, green canopy covered most of my yard and a quarter of Melody's. My house was gray with mauve trim—my mother chose the scheme and Dad painted it—and rose three stories, my room in the. "Andrea and I had a little chat while you were gone," she began. "I told her that if she really was serious about getting back with you, that this would be one way she could show, proving it to you," Maggie said glibly. "I told her that if you were to come back and find her doing this, that you might at least be willing to let her stay, since she was at the very least, showing you that she could handle the new life-style you've grown accustomed to."Andrea had started to rise up from between. .. Okay, tell the guards to detain them until I figure out what to do with them. Oh, tell the guards not to be too gentle with those fools." Thank you, Your Majesty. Now I won't have to run back to the library."There was a little bit of chitchat before I left, but she released me before long. She had thought of another movie that she wanted to see. It was a Shirley Temple movie from the star's very early days. That was one I was going to have to dig for.I walked quickly back to the library so.