Below, Zachary Johnson reads the original version of this scene from Ring of the Dragon.
In it, Pietas is awaiting the arrival of General Cyken.
The immortal king opted for casual wear instead of his uniform because Pietas and Cyken had been lovers for untold eons.
Pietas refuses to believe it's over.
He's on his own fretting over whether Cyken will like what he sees, and depending on his android bodyguard/servant to fill him in.
Zachary captured the angst and arrogance of Pietas beautifully.
---
Pietas should have left his hair down instead of having it tied back. He reached up, but stopped short. He couldn't lift his arms far enough to remove the elastic tie without aggravating his old injury. Pushing beyond the normal ache left him in pain for days.
He could ask for assistance, but what kind of king was so indecisive he couldn't decide how to wear his hair?
As Cyken was so fond of saying, "Not happening, Pietas." Up it stayed.
Besides, to Cyken, outward appearances meant nothing.
Then why change clothes three times? This was ridiculous. Pietas lived in uniform. He ought to have worn that.
Made this meeting more formal. King and subject.
But no, Pietas had opted for casual. Relaxed and inviting.
"Stand there and don't move. Be patient for once in your life. Stop fussing. You look fine. You will not look in the mirror. You will stop worrying. Hold your head up, keep your shoulders back and ignore the pain. You can do this. You will do this."
The silence dragged on his nerves.
Oh, what was the use? Cyken would still find him lacking.
Where was the man? Why wasn't he here yet?
The entrance opened, but it was only Uurah.
"Where is he?"
The android bowed. "His ship is docking."
Pietas did a slow pivot. "Presentable?"
"On the viewscreen, he appeared to be wearing a suit, my lord. Quite presentable."
Tightening his jaws, Pietas showed him a toothless smile. "Thank you ever so much. Now, how do I look?"
Antonello Brothers: Immortal - Because Romance Lives Forever
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You'll find these characters mentioned in many books in my story universe.
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My characters may be found in multiple books in my story universe. Pietas images Nik Nitsvetov as Pietas cosplay.
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I quite enjoyed the book
I appreciate that, Janet. :)
I love being read to. Great job!
Me too! And Zach has a great voice.
I love this buildup to their meeting, and I really enjoyed the audio, too!
Me too! I plan to share more of this soon. :)
An exciting audio excerpt!
I’ve included your post in the fall/winter Roost Recommendations and updated your catalog on the Sci-Fi Romance page at Readers Roost.
https://bit.ly/ReadersRoost