Reality struck Frederick in an instant, leaving him stunned by his own actions as he pulled away from Selene, as if his very body were aflame. The king's gaze remained fixated on Selene's swollen, reddened lips. He swallowed heavily, and if it weren't for the faint knocks on the door, he might have stayed there all night, watching her sleep. The king exited the room after hearing one of the guards' calls, who had approached to inform him that the inn had been checked and secured. Frederick felt his cheeks flush in embarrassment, fearing discovery of his indiscretion. "She's my betrothed," he reminded himself mentally, trying to calm down and feel less ashamed of his actions. He hurriedly made his way to his own room, paying no heed to its small size. Meanwhile, Selene lay still on the bed, her fingers caressing her lips. What had happened? What had led her to remain motionless, prolonging Frederick's kiss? The truth was, she didn't know, and no matter how hard she tried to find a log
Marcus smiled. "I assure you it will be an honor for me to unsheathe my sword and lay it at your feet," he said as a compliment. Frederick's face transformed at such words. He clenched his fists, controlling the anger that coursed through him, especially when he saw the smile Selene bestowed upon the newcomer. "I believe you are forgetting that Lady Selene is my betrothed, my future wife, and your future queen," he declared. Marcus vehemently shook his head and slightly inclined it toward the king. "Of course, I could never forget, Your Majesty. It's the reason I'm honored to kneel at your feet," he insisted gallantly, but his response didn't soothe Frederick. The Marquess of Borja cleared his throat, noticing the discomfort on the king's face and the tension in the air. "Please, Your Majesty, forgive my nephew. He's young and a bit reckless," he said, while Marcus smiled at Selene. "You should go freshen up a bit, and then join us for dinner," he suggested to the young man. "Wit
Frederick stormed into his chamber as if chased by demons. His heart pounded erratically within his chest, even to the point of discomfort. He had to recline on his bed and await the calming of his breath, along with the wild beats of his heart. "What the devil is happening with Selene?" He pondered to himself. How was it that she could drive him to act irrationally and less than gentlemanly? He was the king; he had to maintain composure, and he was in love with Lady Regina. How could he forget those feelings? How was it possible for Selene to hold such power over him? He shook his head vigorously to dispel those thoughts. Placing a hand over his chest, he closed his eyes. It was a mistake, for doing so only drew him into recent events, and the discomfort within his trousers made him feel even worse about Selene and Lady Regina. He prided himself on always having control. Now was the moment to exert that self-control and behave as was proper. However, saying it was one thing; doing
The way he inquired about the young lady caught the Marquess's attention, but he said nothing as he noticed a certain tension between the royal couple that he couldn't decipher. "I'm sorry, Your Majesty. I haven't seen Lady Selene since I delivered her breakfast tray to her chamber," the maid replied. "She must still be there because I haven't seen her come downstairs. But for your peace of mind, I can ask the other maids." Frederick nodded slightly in gratitude. "Perhaps Lady Selene felt curious about the garden and peeked out to see the exotic species we've brought from abroad," the Marquess spoke without concern. "If she has been unwell, this might do her good." "Mmm..." "It's best to let her rest; the journey must be quite exhausting for a lady like her, Your Majesty," the Marquess said with a slight smile. Frederick nodded, not entirely convinced, but he accepted the Marquess's invitation to eat without Selene at the table, mainly because not doing so would be disrespectful t
The king declared with a stern and commanding tone, his desire to end this awkward situation as quickly as possible evident. The feeling of annoyance that overwhelmed the king was much more than anger from seeing Selene with the young man in such a friendly, if not more intimate, attitude. Frederick's first impulse was to find the entrance to the cabin and separate Selene from Marcus, but before he could even move, he heard the notes coming from the piano under Selene's fingers. They were not perfect notes, he thought it might be a Mozart melody, but he couldn't be certain because it didn't sound right, but there was something that kept him still and focused, watching Selene slide her fingers clumsily across the keys. Marcus moved a little closer to the edge of the bench, giving Selene more space to play and, unintentionally, providing some relief to the king's agitated heart. Selene's occasional facial expressions when she made a mistake drew a few tightly pressed smiles from Frede
The couple was so engrossed in their argument that they didn't notice the moment when Marcus had passed by and headed towards the castle. He had overheard some of their conversation, but didn't understand much or, if he did, he pretended he hadn't heard anything. He couldn't intervene, and he also didn't want to cause Selene more trouble.The young man entered the castle, greeted his uncle, who was sitting in front of the fireplace, reading a book."Where were you all day, boy?" the Marquess asked calmly. "Don't tell me you were playing your father's old piano," he commented, and Marcus nodded."I apologize for disappearing," he said, but his uncle waved it off. "You know I don't have a problem with that, well, I do," he said, causing tension in his nephew. "My problem is that I didn't hear you play. But now that I remember, you owe us a musical piece," he reminded Marcus, who nodded and swallowed hard, unsure if the king would be in a pleasant mood to hear him after what had happened
Fredrick's face turned crimson, and his hands couldn't help but find their way to his noble parts, yet he remained standing tall, like a king."Allow me to offer you some advice, Your Majesty," Selene said, completely ignoring the pain she had inflicted on Frederick. "Don't start something you're not willing to finish."Frederick didn't respond. He couldn't! And Selene took the opportunity to escape and seek refuge in the safety of her chamber, aware that if the king wanted to barge in, she couldn't stop him. Nevertheless, she hoped that Frederick would act like a gentleman after their heated encounter.The night was ridiculously short. There was no other way to describe it from Selene's perspective. She had wished for more time to rest, as she hadn't been able to sleep, and just when she was about to close her eyes, dawn surprised her."Are you all right, my Lady?" her maid asked as she helped her adjust her corset."I had a rough night," she confessed. There was no point in pretendi
Hearing the man's words, Selene pushed Frederick off her body, for the embarrassment of being seen in that situation with the king was overwhelming. Her cheeks turned red, and her gaze went straight to the door she had left open, but she felt reassured to see it closed.Frederick looked at Selene, noticed the way her chest was rising and falling without a beat, his own heart was the same and the desire was still burning inside him, he had no desire to stop.“Your Majesty," she whispered in a breathless whisper.“I swear to you that all I want at this moment is to finish what I have started," he growled, without catching his breath.Selene's body shuddered at his statement, especially the reaction she had had to the king's advances, she felt strange, her intimacy was moist, and it felt strangely good.“Your Majesty, shall I ask the Viscount to wait? “the servant insisted.Frederick grunted and for the first time in his life he had the impulse to send the servant and the Viscount to the