Dark Castle (The Dazzling Court Book 1)

by Fawn Bailey

  I leaned over her, pinned her arms above her head and she let out a scared little whimper as I started to drive my cock in her sweet pussy. I knew I was going to come soon, unable to prolong the inevitable moment of coming deep inside her and filling her with my seed.

  My eyes went to hers and I remembered what had happened in the hallway. The rage rumbling beneath my skin was back, threatening to make me roar in anger. I knew Amber saw it too, bubbling right beneath the surface and ready to devour her.

  Her golden eyes widened with fear, but I kept myself in check. Being a prince, I'd learned fast how to keep my emotions under control, and I prided myself on the control I had over my own body and mind.

  While my thoughts screamed for me to be rough, I took her the way she needed it that night – with controlled force, driving my length into her sweet hole again and again until her eyes became glassy and her whispers of my name were like a prayer on her sweet, full lips.

  She was close, and we both knew it, but I had no intention of finishing it yet.

  "Keep your arms above your head," I ordered her, my own hands going to her nipples, tweaking those hard little peaks until she was moaning, begging for more.

  I showed her no mercy. I squeezed those beautiful tits and fucked her hard, torturing her gorgeous body into a shivering, loud orgasm that rang through the dining room.

  She came down from it with her pussy convulsing on my cock.

  "That's right, chérie," I groaned in her ear. "It feels so fucking good to fuck a coming cunt, Amber. And it's only sweeter because it's yours. Are you going to take my load?"

  "Yes," she whispered. "Fuck it into me, Your Highness."

  "You're going to take it all," I told her, feeling myself getting close, my balls throbbing with the need to be emptied. "And I'm going to watch you scoop it up with your little fingers and lick up every drop. Got it?"

  "Yes, Your Highness," she whispered.

  Then, before I could react, her hand went down and wrapped around my length, feeling the spot where I was fucking her and gasping when she felt her own wetness.

  It was enough to drive me over the edge, and I buried myself inside her to the hilt, reveling in her little gasps and moans as another orgasm ripped through her body.

  I knew it was going to happen, and my cock started leaking its creamy cum right into her as she held onto my girth, squeezing, milking it with both her fingers and her cunt.

  She didn't stop too soon.

  My little girl kept going until she was filled up to the brim, until I was the one groaning, almost ready to ask her to stop.

  And when I pulled out, she plugged her hole with her own fingers, her eyes on mine as she brought them to her lips, licking up my juices off her fingertips.

  "Fucking perfection," I groaned as she got off the table, kneeling before me and cleaning my cock for good measure. "I'm going to marry you, chérie."

  "You better," she whispered before filling her mouth with me and licking me clean. I braced my hands on her shoulders and let her have her reward.

  11

  Amber

  “You’d think they’d let us rest on a Sunday,” Safiya whispered in my ear.

  I gave her a small nod before returning my attention to the maid, Fleur, standing in front of us. All the women had been told to gather in the common room where we were to receive instructions for our next royal challenge.

  I was nervous and excited in equal parts, my blood pumping through my veins. I just hoped the Queen wouldn’t be part of this challenge like she had with the last one. The thought of the doctor’s exam still gave me the creeps.

  “The court would like to present you with your next challenge,” Fleur said, beaming with pride. “I will take you with me for the test, one by one.”

  She looked right at me and motioned for me to follow her.

  “Amber, this way, please.”

  A murmur of whispers filled the air as I followed Fleur out of the room.

  I gave the others one last look over my shoulder with my heart pounding harder than ever. I had no idea what lay in store, but given the most recent challenge, I had reason enough to be worried.

  Fleur stopped in the hallway leading away from our wing, waiting for me to catch up. Her gray eyes were bright and sparkling as they met mine, and we smiled at one another. I’d grown fond of her – she was always eager to please those of us who had the common courtesy to treat her nicely.

  “Don’t worry,” she said, winking at me. “I’m sure you can pass this one. Pas de problème!”

  “I’m not so certain,” I smiled in response. “The last challenge was awful.”

  “Well, I don’t think the Queen will be present, if that makes you feel better,” Fleur whispered, glancing down the hallway to make sure nobody overheard. “And to be honest, it’s very obvious you’re the Prince’s favorite.”

  I blushed at her words, remembering mine and Olivier’s night in the dining hall after he’d told everyone else to leave. My fingertips ghosted over my stomach.

  He’d fucked me bare… I could be pregnant already. Now that would be a royal scandal.

  “Thank you,” I managed. “Do you know what the next challenge is?”

  “You’ll see soon enough,” she replied with a kind smile before continuing down the hallway. I was quick to follow, wondering why she was being so mysterious but brimming with excitement. Maybe the horrific challenges were over and now it was time to have some fun.

  We came to a stop in front of large double doors, intricately carved with a scene I instantly recognized.

  “Is this from A Little Princess?” I gasped, my fingers brushing against the beautiful wood. The scene was from the orphanage, with little Sara wearing her signature bow in her hair.

  It was gorgeous – a moment of childhood caught in the most traditional of places. I loved it.

  “It is indeed.”

  I turned around in the direction of the voice, my eyes widening when I came face-to-face with a face I still very much remembered. A face that filled me with curiosity.

  “Bruno!” I said with a wide smile, glancing at Fleur who wore a pretty grin herself. She curtsied before retreating down the hallway. “What are you doing here?”

  “Let’s just say I’m part of the challenge today,” he told me with that dark, brooding smile I was starting to think of as his signature. “And I insisted on seeing you first.”

  I took a long look at him, drinking in his chiseled features, the dark hair peppered with gray, his smoldering eyes.

  He was an incredibly handsome man yet so very different to the Prince. I could hardly believe they were related.

  “Well, in that case, I’m very flattered,” I smiled, and he smiled right back.

  He was wearing a navy-blue pinstriped suit with a shirt casually unbuttoned at the top. I could see a hint of dark hair on his chest, only a smattering, but it made me think of things that forced a blush back on my cheeks. He was as handsome as ever, and I was glad I’d decided to dress up that morning as his eyes turned to me, appreciatively gliding over the outfit I’d chosen.

  “Shall we?” he asked, reaching for the stunning doors.

  I nodded and followed him into one of the most beautiful rooms I’d seen in the castle so far.

  The entire room was made of cherrywood, with a large spiral staircase leading to the upper floor. The walls were adorned with books upon books upon books, tome after tome of stories I’d known and loved as a child. A large sunroof window made the interior of the room sparkle as the morning sun shone in.

  It was a sight for sore eyes, and I gasped at the beauty of it all.

  “This is incredible!” I told Bruno, marveling at some of the volumes on the shelves. “Are they all classics?”

  “Mostly,” he responded, coming up behind me. “Classics and a whole lot of fairytales. All the children’s favorites.”

  “Did you spend a lot of time here as a child?” I asked. I liked this new side of Bruno, the side that
was more talkative and open, ready to speak about more than just the bare necessities.

  “I did,” he replied. “My father brought me here often.”

  “The King?” I asked, realizing I was being rude a moment too late as he glanced sharply at me. “I’m sorry if I’ve been too forward, Bruno.”

  “Not at all,” he replied with a strained smile. “Yes, I spent a lot of time with the King when he was… still around.”

  His pain was obvious from the tone of his voice, and I knew not to pry further. But Bruno surprised me by telling me more himself, without being prompted to.

  “My father and I were close, perhaps closer than he ever was with Olivier. It was a reason of constant quarreling between us,” he admitted. “But I don’t regret my bond with my father.”

  “You shouldn’t,” I said softly. “You should never regret having a bond with your family.”

  He rewarded me with the warmest smile I’d seen from him yet.

  We shifted our attention to the books, my fingers wandering over the beautiful spines.

  “Who picked A Little Princess?” I asked, giving him a conspiratorial look. “I can’t imagine the Queen enjoying something quite so whimsical. She seems quite…”

  “Stuck-up?” Bruno suggested. “A royal pain in the ass?”

  “Stop,” I giggled. “Someone could overhear you.”

  “Oh, I assure you,” he said, a devilish glint in his steel-gray eyes. “We won’t be disturbed here. I made sure of it.”

  There was a hint of darkness to his voice that made me pick and choose my next words.

  “I liked A Little Princess as well,” I admitted. “In fact, it was my favorite as a little girl. My mother used to tell me stories when I was a child. One every night. But this was one I picked up myself, and I lost myself in the story. I have a special bond with that book.”

  “As do I,” Bruno replied, his jaw twitching as it set firmly into place. “It was my mother’s favorite, too.”

  A silence descended on the room, and I wasn’t certain whether he’d go on, but after a moment’s pause, he started speaking again.

  “My mother died when I was very young,” he said. “I don’t have many memories of her. But she read me the story night after night. I know it word for word.”

  “That is a beautiful memory,” I muttered, stopping before a shelf that caught my attention. “There are so many copies of the book here.”

  “The King collected them for my mother,” Bruno said with the hint of a smile. “She got one as a present for every birthday and every Christmas. It was their tradition.”

  “I wonder how the Queen handled it,” I said softly, then turned in Bruno’s direction. “I’m sorry, I don’t mean to be rude… I just wonder what it was like, living here with your mum when the Queen and Olivier were in the same building. Were things tense between you?”

  “They used to be,” Bruno admitted. “But after my mother passed away, something changed. I don’t think the Queen minds me being around so much. She doesn’t make my life more difficult, at least.”

  “And that’s saying a lot for the Queen,” I replied, making him laugh out loud. “You know it’s true!”

  “It is,” he admitted. “She can be a lot to handle. But I am indebted to her, and I am grateful for what she’s given me. I can stay here, take care of royal business, and help where I am most needed.”

  “It doesn’t bother you?” I asked, turning around with my hands placed behind my back. I looked into Bruno’s eyes, imploring him to be honest with me. “You don’t want a different life? You don’t want to be somewhere else?”

  Bruno smirked at me before taking a step forward. His hand touched the books behind me, thoughtfully ghosting over the spines.

  “No, Amber,” he muttered, his eyes finding mine. “I’m right where I want to be.”

  His words sent a quiver of excitement through my body, and I looked down at the floor, blushing fiercely, but unable to fight the smile off my face.

  “I like your dress, by the way,” he added after a moment of silence. “Suits you.”

  I smiled in response.

  I was wearing a black velvet dress with long sleeves and ruching in the front, which exposed my legs, longer in a pair of peeptoe booties from Manolo Blahnik. The dress itself had a line of buttons down the front, pretty silver ones that were almost like brooches. I loved that they didn’t match.

  “Thanks,” I managed to get out before snapping back to reality. “So, about this challenge. What do we have to do?”

  “You haven’t figured it out yet?” he asked, grinning wickedly at me. “You have to win a royal subject’s approval, of course.”

  Did I imagine it, or did a shadow of doubt cross his face for just a second?

  “Well, what do I need to do?” I asked, giggling. “I think I’m doing a pretty stellar job so far, don’t you?”

  “Indeed,” he replied, raising his brows at me. “But let’s stay a little while longer, at least for pretense’s sake. I can’t let you go quite yet.”

  Something about his tone excited me, and I found myself nodding at his words, saying, “I’m not going anywhere. Why don’t you show me around the library? I’d love to see more.”

  “Of course.”

  He took my hand and helped me up the spiral staircase onto the upper floor. There, the ceiling was even taller, and the bookshelves covered every bit of wall available. There was even a ladder so one could reach the upper shelves without trouble.

  “It’s very romantic that the King had those doors made just for your mother,” I said. “She must have meant a lot to him.”

  “She did,” Bruno replied, his voice unwavering and deep.

  “You don’t let yourself slip for a second, do you?”

  He turned his eyes to mine with question marks written all over them, and I looked away, blushing.

  “I’m sorry, I don’t mean to pry, truly. I just… observe things about people.”

  “And what else have you observed about me?” he asked, his eyes darkening as he took a step closer.

  I turned to face the bookshelves, admiring several editions of Little Women while being aware of his presence right behind me. His scent lingered in the air between us, pine needles and wood on the fire. I wanted him to come closer, intensely aware of just what I was thinking.

  Olivier would kill him, I thought to myself as guilt washed over me. This is ridiculous. I’m in love with another man.

  Yet the spark between us was undeniable. It was right there, jumping between us, daring either one of us to make a move. It was hard to fight it, but I knew I’d remain loyal to Olivier until the end.

  I offered Bruno a shy smile before stepping aside, muttering, “No matter.”

  “It does matter,” he growled, his hand wrapping around my arm. I looked up at him, surprised by his sudden show of interest. “Amber, don’t walk away just yet.”

  I looked up into those stormy eyes, saying, “Why the sudden interest in me? You didn’t seem very excited about my presence when you picked me up at the airport.”

  “Well, rumor is,” he replied, smirking. “You’re quite popular with the Prince.”

  “And?” My eyes implored him to go on. “What, are you like little children? You must have your brother’s favorite toy… or else?”

  “Are you really just a toy, Amber?” Bruno said, raising his hand to my face. I flinched, but he merely tucked a stray strand of my hair behind my ear. “Don’t fear me, little girl. I don’t want to hurt you.”

  “But you will?” I asked, raising my chin and looking him in the eyes.

  “I might,” came the answer.

  I pushed past him, realizing just how weak I was when his firm hand on my arm stopped me.

  “Don’t leave just yet,” he growled. “Your test isn’t quite over.”

  I looked up at him, and he leaned in. My body stiffened, and I froze on the spot.

  “Don’t,” I whispered just as his lips almost
touched mine. His breath was cool and mint-fresh against my lips, but I didn’t want his kiss, as tempting as the idea was. “Don’t kiss me.”

  “What makes you think you make the rules?” he asked in a low whisper. “What makes you think I’m going to do as you say, little girl?”

  I shivered beneath his gaze. His fingertips brushed my arm, where they’d tightened moments ago, touching the spots I knew would bruise the next day.

  “Still so innocent,” he growled in my ear. “Still so sweet.”

  I pushed past him this time, and he let me.

  I descended the stairs two at a time, struggling to keep from falling over. My breaths were short and ragged, and I was eager to get away, but Bruno caught up with me before I made it to the doors I’d admired what felt like moments ago.

  He appeared in front of me, tall and towering over my frail body. I’d never felt as vulnerable, and I shivered in fear when he stepped toward me.

  “Why don’t you let it happen, little girl?” he ground out. “Why don’t you let me take what I want?”

  I cried out when he cornered me against the bookshelves. The copies of the stories from my childhood mocked me, watching on as the lumbering man before me smirked at my shivering form.

  “You sure you’re cut out to be a princess?” he grunted. “There’s a lot more to the role than you might think, little girl.”

  “Leave me alone,” I managed, but instead of coming out strong and determined, my voice was small, scared and raw. “I don’t want this.”

  “Sometimes you don’t have a choice.”

  With those ominous words, he crowded my space. He was touching me everywhere, his hands on my skin, my clothes, on my inner thighs where my dress was rucked.

  I raised my eyes to his then, silently begging for him to stop.

  Silver met gold when our gazes connected, and I willed him to stop his cruel assault on me.

  And then, something switched on inside him. The change was barely noticeable, but I saw it. It was as though the monster retreated into the shadows, and the man appeared in the spotlight.

  He was questioning himself. It was a matter of seconds – but enough time for me to get away.