I widened my eyes upon hearing that. The voice was feminine and I didn't recognize it, but for the guard to have bowed, she was someone important.
I lowered my head, clasped my hands in front of my body, and followed the guard's lead.
“I beg your pardon, my lady.” I said, not daring to look up. I heard the sound of footsteps and soon, a red dress appeared in my field of vision. Something hard touched my chin and lifted my face.
A pair of saphira eyes stare back at me. The contrast of the porcelain skin of the pretty-featured female, with her face framed by a cascade of black hair, was striking.
"You know who I am?" She asked with a smug air. No, I didn't know and honestly, I wasn't interested in doing so. I took a deep breath and kept my tongue in my mouth.
“No, my lady.” I answered as politely as I could.
“Well, you better never forget what I'm going to say, you little bitch. I am the King's woman, the one who will give him an heir.” She said it arrogantly, with a smirk on her lips. “You are nothing more than a pastime, a game of his.”
Oh, I couldn't hold back. I cared nothing about her King and whoever was going to be his woman or not, but I was not going to endure being called a ‘little bitch’ and treated as if I was trying to ‘steal’ someone's man.
“If you're his so-called woman, why aren't the queen? And why would he seek out a traitor's daughter to bear his child, and not you?"
Her lips trembled and her eyes sparkled. Anger. It was unmistakable. My face was thrown to the side and the burning in my cheek made it clear what had happened: I had been slapped. But was it worth it? It damn was!
"Next time, I'll skin you, damn you!" She gritted her teeth and walked away from me.
The guard accompanying me looked at my face and motioned for me to follow him. I did and realized that we weren't heading to the hall where my room was, but the doctor's office.
"It is not necessary. It was just a slap.” I tried to speak, but the guard looked at me seriously.
“Your face will swell and the King will not be pleased.” He explained it politely, but I could tell there was something else there. Two options crossed my mind: either the guard was afraid of retaliation since he was responsible for me; or he was trying to protect that bitch.
“He won't mind that. As long as I’m in a position to give him a child, he won’t even mind if I lose a leg!” I said disgustedly. For a moment, I even wished I could lose a limb just to be unwanted, but I apologized to Selene for the blasphemy. I had to be thankful for having everything in place.
The Doctor took care of me very well, put an ointment on my face and gave me pain medicine - which was completely unnecessary. I got slapped, not punched.
As we're heading back to my quarters, again the guard bowed. I took a deep breath, already expecting to see that witch, but the pair of orange eyes staring at me can only belong to one creature. I swallowed hard.
His expression went from surprise to completely cold.
“What the hell happened to your face?” He asked and the eyes that seem to be on fire stray to the guard who was with me. “I asked what happened to her face!”
“I beg your pardon, Your Majesty.” The guard said, still not looking at the King. “Miss Imara…”
King Johannes did not allow the guard to continue talking, as he cursed loudly. He looked at me.
“You, stay right here.” He said sharply and turned to the two guards who were with him. “You come with me.”
I wanted to argue and ask why I should stay there. Where was he going? But when I met the eyes of the guard who accompanied me, he shook his head slightly, indicating that I should remain quiet.
The King walked away, finally turning one of the corners. The last thing I saw was his reddish cloak billowing out behind him and disappearing behind the wall.
“Do not question the King, girl.” The guard said and his tone wasn't as harsh as before. “The King is not a monster. I know why you're here, but just know he's not bad."
He’s not bad, he’s not bad. It even looked like these werewolves had a broken disc instead of a tongue! Yes, I knew he was a good King. At least that's what we were told. But I wasn't exactly living that, was I? On the contrary, I was being treated like dirt, when I never did anything to deserve it. Want something more unfair than having to pay for the sins of the parents? And I couldn't believe my father had betrayed the King!
"Right." That's what I replied to the guard. He was clearly a faithful dog and there was no point in debating him. There are battles and battles in our lives. Getting into trouble simply over a silly argument wasn't worth it. Now, making a fuss about not being a farrower, yes.
I stood there waiting for the return of the dear King. It didn't take long, actually.
"Come with me!" He ordered me sharply. I could see the vein in his neck swollen. He was angry and I didn't want to have a taste of that anger. Worst case scenario, he might want to pick up where we left off the night he should have crossed paths with me. Selene forbid it!
I follow him in silence, until I decide to open my mouth. The 'no' I already have, don't I? I don't know when I'll be able to talk to him again, so I had to take the opportunity to ask about the library.
When I opened my mouth to speak, the King stopped in front of a huge white door with gold.
He looked at me and then opened the door, holding it for me to enter the room. I looked at him one last time before heading inside.
We were in what appeared to be a beautiful room. Oh damn! A bedroom! He… I felt my whole body tense and the blood inside my veins felt like it's made of ice.
The door behind us closed and I smelled that male’s scent filling the room. What the hell… ? Why does he have to smell so good? Soon, he was in front of me, his huge, muscular arms crossed in front of his chest. Even beneath the thick fabric I could see the outline of his muscles. The image of him with his bare torso came back to my mind…No!
"I don't want you to get in trouble with the concubine." It was the first thing he said and I felt my blood start to boil.
"I didn't get into any trouble with her!" I said it through gritted teeth. “She called me a bitch and started talking nonsense!”
"Oh, yes?" he asked and took another step towards me. His presence was intoxicating. “What did she say to you?”
His gaze on me was intense and I'd be lying if I said that male didn't make me feel anything.
'Fertile period!' I reminded myself.
“She said I'm nothing but your past-time. And that is for me not to create expectations, because the only one who will give birth to your children will be her.”
I wasn't the tell-on type, but I wasn't going to take the blame after being offended either.
“And what did you answer her? Because she told me you were insolent.” His tone of voice gave me the impression that he was enjoying himself. But I preferred to believe that I was mistaken. Why was he having fun with that?
“I only said that if she was your so-called woman as she boasted, she would be queen and not concubine. And that if she were so good, Your Majesty would not lie with a traitor's daughter to have a child, rather than with her, your beloved woman of your heart.”
I tried not to sound impudent.
“You are sassy.” He said, but I saw a ghost of a smile on those lips. I wasn't going crazy! The King got even closer to me, to the point where I could practically feel the heat of his skin through our clothes, which was pure madness!
“Can we… Can we return now, please?” I asked, wanting to break the moment. I couldn't even explain what kind of moment it was, but I was feeling something strange in my body and I didn't like it at all! The library was forgotten.
“Before that…” he said and lifted my chin with two fingers.
Looking into those orange eyes was like looking into my own doom, floating in a sea of lava. So hot it warmed me completely from the inside and for a moment I forgot who we were and what he wanted from me.Johannes's lips were soft and warm and delicate when they touched mine. I couldn't help but close my eyes and allow the warmth of him to spread through my body. I couldn't understand what was going on, my mind was confused. His scent permeated my nostrils and intoxicated my mind.A warm hand pulled me by the waist and even through the fabric of the clothes, I felt it burn. The King's other hand cupped my cheek and soon it was tangled in my hair.“Hmmm…” I heard a moan and soon understood that I was the one who reproduced it. What was I doing?I felt something wet pass my lips, wet and hot. I opened my mouth to ask what that was, but I didn't have to as Johannes' tongue darted in and tasted every corner of my mouth. My heart felt like it was going crazy, beating frantically.His mout
Indeed, the news Morgan had for me was wonderful, one that filled my heart with a bit of happiness I had been denied for some time: she got the King to allow me into the library!“Come on, this place is amazing!” She said full of energy, holding my hand as she hurried on. The double doors were huge, at least seven feet high and completely gilded. “The King spares no expense for what gives him pleasure.” She said and I noticed, even from the side, that Morgan's cheeks were flushed.Was she referring to something else? Like, for example, the concubines?As if she could read my thoughts, Morgan turned to me and smiled, but this time, it was more coy and shy.“Casey, when I asked the King to allow a friend into the library, he was silent, as if he was thinking of a way to deny me. But as soon as I mentioned your name, I saw the twinkle in his eyes.” Morgan took both my hands. “Maybe he doesn't go through with the plan to just make you a breeder. But take you as one of us. In fact, if you
I froze right away. That voice belonged to the first concubine, without a shadow of a doubt!For all this time I did not meet with her. I didn't know by what miracle, but she was never in the gardens when I visited with Morgan, and she never appeared in the library. Apparently, my luck ran out.“What are you doing here?” she asked, in a mocking tone that I didn't like at all. But I wouldn't answer, I wouldn't pick a fight. Johannes told me to avoid it and lately he was being a gentleman, our relationship was calmer and maybe I could get rid of that torment of bearing a child for him and then being discarded.Thinking that Zaila's life was also on the line, I had to restrain myself.“Answer me, you insolent girl!” She screamed and walked over to me, thrusting her hand into my hair and pulling it down, causing my face to lift. She was a little taller than me, so I had to look up. The expression on her face was one of superiority and an evil glint flickered in her eyes. "I do not like yo
I looked at her in disbelief. Then I started to laugh.“Oh, Nanna!” I tried to control myself, because the rocking of my body made my back hurt. “That's just male stuff. Him being the first. It has nothing to do with real feelings.”Nanna shrugged. She was very romantic, I had to admit.“Well, I'm not convinced. He takes care of you, girl. The way he looks at you…” Nanna smiled wistfully.I had my suspicions that Nanna did have a fated mate, but for some reason, things didn't work out for the two of them and she ended up alone. Not everyone has the grace to find a second chance mate.I always wanted to ask her about it, but I didn't have the courage. If I, who still hadn't found mine, was already too sad with the possibility of never finding it, imagine if I find it and something went wrong? I believe it would be worse if I had never felt the joy of having my mate.In addition to dinner, Johannes showed up early to read to me. Apparently, nothing passed his scrutiny, as he even knew w
I was in that room again, with the difference that I didn't feel like I was waiting for the King, but for Johannes.We were closer and I felt more comfortable with him. Of course, I didn't forget why he was next to me, why I wasn't either executed or sent to the mines or any other place of hard work. He wanted a son, an heir of Alpha blood.The lights weren't off like the last time, which gave me the opportunity to really look around. The room was magnificently large and beautifully decorated. Much more than the room I was staying in.The curtains that descended from the high ceiling were cream colored with gold embroidery. The top part, the skirt of the curtain, was reddish, with a fringe of gold. The bed was huge, and I already knew that. The bedding was impeccably white, fluffy, with a bedspread intricately threaded with gold, a work of art. Reddish rigs with gold fringes were all over the floor and the whole room smelled like absolutely nothing.However, I knew that Johannes was a
“Is something wrong, my dear?” Nanna asked. I squeezed the letter in my hands."He traveled." I felt Nanna's hand on my shoulder as soon as I spoke. She gave me a light squeeze."Problems?"“He just said there was an emergency and he needed to travel with some Rangers.” I sighed. Johannes and I didn't speak to each other after… After. And I felt very insecure. He must not have liked it. He left me alone, left upset and never came back to look for me. Not even our dinner, which was already part of my routine. Something I looked forward to every day.“Don't be like that, my dear.” She said and stroked my hair like she always did when I was little. "He will come back."“What if he doesn't want to talk to me anymore? I mean… We did that and he left unhappy.”“Honey, don't be like that. He wouldn't have been so patient and friendly if he didn't like you at all. As the King and your owner, he could have forced you, which he didn't.”That was both true and totally confusing. "I don't unders
I walked into the office and took a deep breath. I didn't like going there at all. It was extremely stressful for me. The fact that I had to spread my legs and let an unknown male - no matter how gentle he was - handle me down there was more than humiliating.“Rest assured, Miss Whelan. I will try to be as quick as possible.”It was really a shame that the human pregnancy tests didn't work on us. A pity, really. It would make our life a lot easier. I knew humans did blood tests too, but… It wasn't used in our world, let alone the world of the Royals. They didn't accept using practically anything from humans. Also, we would need a laboratory of our own, since if we let our blood fall on human hands, they would know about us. And humans could be greedy. I felt the discomfort of the touch and closed my eyes.“Relax… Or it will be worse.”Did he think it's easy? What the hell. I held my tongue so I didn't give a proper answer, but deep down I knew he's just doing his job and trying to do
His… his bedchamber? But wait a minute! We were in the room connected to this one, so…“Johannes, wait… But I was…” I looked behind me, as if I could see through the door which was already closed.“Yeah. I asked them to place you in the Queen’s bedchamber.” He said and I saw his Adam's apple go up and down. He was nervous.“But why?” I asked and his orange eyes gleamed at me.“We were producing the heir of the throne. Technically, there is where I should take my Queen to have intimacy for the first time.”“I am not your Queen.” I insisted. It all made no sense.Johannes licked his lips and approached me. He was too tall and I had to look up, while he put a strand of my hair behind my ear.“Would you like to be?” He asked and I froze.Johannes has been very friendly and polite and… passionate, but I didn't know to what extent this is just an act. Yes, I was falling him, but I remembered at that moment how he left the room after our first time, how he disappeared and I didn't buy the ex