Chapter 16 is the first sex scene in the book. Over halfway through before our first LKH sex scene. Typically, in any LKH book, if there’s no sex before the halfway mark, that used to mean we had an actual plot keeping our interest. Every single chapter so far in this book, though, has been just nonstop talking about absolutely nothing. Not a single thing has helped to further whatever plot this book is supposed to have.

I mean, what exactly has gone on so far? What is keeping my interest in this book? We had several chapters of lawyers bickering. Then Taranis threw a fit. Then a doctor threw a fit. Then the Queen threw a fit. Then those goblin jerks threw a fit. Then Andais threw another fit. Nothing has happened.

So now we get sex. I mean, at least this means the chapter is light on dialogue, right?

Anyway, the scene starts off with my favorite “He was too tall, or I was too short, for him to lie down on top of me. It was neither enjoyable for me nor easy to breathe…”  and like… no? Does Frost not have arms? Can he not hold himself up? Does LKH think that men just lay on top of their partner during sex like they’re a pillow smothering the person?

This is honestly starting off to be one of the tamest sex scenes LKH has ever written.

The rhythm of his body changed, grew more urgent, and it was too much. I could not watch his eyes while his body ran through mine. I tried to watch his body moving above mine, but his grip on my hair tightened, forcing my face to look up into his. His face was the face of my beloved, Frost. There was no vision in his eyes to distract me from the beauty of his face, the fierceness in his eyes.
I whispered, “Almost, almost, almost.” Then one last thrust, and almost was now.
I screamed, and only his grip, gone almost cruel in my hair, kept my neck from bowing. He kept our faces staring into each other, tolerated no looking away. We stared at each other as our bodies rode the pleasure. His strength demanded that we share this, the most intimate of moments, with no flinching, no looking away, nothing to save us from the wildness in each other’s eyes.
We fell into that wildness, that near-frantic fierceness. He cried out above me as I screamed my pleasure, then his body collapsed atop mine, and he lifted me in his arms, with his body still sheathed inside me. He had gone, but he was not spent. He proved that as he began to pound me against the wood, the bed shivering with the strength of it, the entire frame of the bed protesting the abuse. 

Yep, pretty tame for a LKH sex scene.

So Merry and Frost both finish only to find Andais watching them from the mirror. She starts off by accusing Merry of, yet again, lying to her about having sex with Rhys. Seriously?

Anyway, Andais decides she wants to give Frost a try, and tells Merry that if Frost isn’t the one to get her pregnant, she’s going to call him back. Frost’s eyes fill with fear at this, and Andais notices. Frost is truly terrified of her, and Merry announces that she’d protect any of her men. This only serves to anger Andais even more. We know that whatever Merry says will just anger Andais.

“I look at you and I see the future of my court and I despair.”
“If love is the future of our court, Aunt Andais, then I am hopeful.”
She looked once more at Frost, as if he was something to eat and she was starving. “I hate you, Meredith, I truly do.”
I fought not to say what I was thinking, but she said, “Your face betrays you. Say what is in your mind, niece. I hate you, Meredith. What does that make you want to say to me?”
“I hate you, too.”

Andais tells Merry that she’s going to “have Mistral tonight” and do to him what she did to Crystall. Then, she ends the call. Frost reminds Merry that he’d rather die then ever return to Andais and starts getting dressed. The chapter ends with Frost leaving the room to go check on Doyle.