The Enchantress

by R. L. Weeks

  “Hey,” he turned and stroked my hair. “You look sad.”

  His gaze was pained and then I realised, my pain was his. “I am.”

  He understood. “Still, a moment with you is better than a lifetime with anyone else.”

  My lips curved into a smile. “We could run away together?”

  The words escaped my lips before I could stop them. I inwardly scolded myself. He couldn’t run away. He was going to be a king.

  “You know I can’t.” He was being pulled between his destiny and his desires. I could see it, the struggle in his heart.

  “It’s okay,” I lulled. “You will be a wonderful king. No matter what happens, I will always love you.”

  His eyes lit up. “I love you too.”

  “Sex with you is amazing,” I said as I gazed into his eyes and let myself just be in the moment before I had to go and put on a façade.

  “I have to ask, what is your darkest fantasy?”

  I bit my lip. I had always wanted to try one thing but worried he would judge me. I leant over and whispered into his ear.

  “Wow,” he gasped. “Let’s do it, tonight.”

  My body flushed with heat. “Please.”

  ❦ ❦ ❦

  I couldn’t believe what I was doing, but I was hot thinking about it. I had been all day.

  “Sweetheart, do you trust me?”

  I nodded.

  He placed the blindfold around my eyes, tying it at the back. I felt him the rope against my bare skin as he caressed it up and down my stomach before tying my hands with it on my front.

  It was nerve-wracking, but exhilarating at the same time. I was completely at his mercy and there was nothing I could do about it.

  He leant down and pressed his lips against my thigh. I thrust my hips up and he pushed me down. “Don’t move.”

  I bit my lip. I wanted him to tell me what to do. I could focus on nothing but the coolness of the blade of the dagger against my leg as I looked at the blackness of the blindfold.

  His hot breath hit my clit as he brought his lips down on me. I tried to stop myself from thrusting into his mouth, but I twitched despite my efforts.

  “I thought I had told you not to move,” he scolded and pushed my legs down with force.

  Heat spread through me as his tongue pressed against me, darting in and out of me. “You taste so good!”

  He stopped and slid the knife up my stomach, never breaking my skin. The point of the blade dug in, sending waves of pleasure through my body, right to the tip of my toes.

  I rocked my body back and forth as he pressed the flat side of the blade against me. “Stay still,” he ordered, “or I’ll cut you.”

  I loved every second. I had wanted this for the longest time since one of the ladies back in Milborn had told me about it. I loved him holding me down, his lips going wherever they pleased, forcing me to do whatever he wanted, and the dagger just made it even hotter. He rubbed his tip over my lips, forcing them open. I took all eight inches in my mouth and felt him hit the back of my throat. He fucked my face and I moaned as I tasted him.

  “Fuck, Cee!” He pushed back harder and pulled out.

  I came as his hot cum hit my breasts, he moaned in ecstasy and dropped onto the bed.

  “I wish this could last forever,” he admitted as he removed my blindfold and kissed me on the forehead. “But I need to marry soon before my father dies.”

  With that, he got up and left, leaving me feeling more alone than ever.

  SEVEN

  Anne, Alistair, and I went out to play Archery.

  I watched with the other ladies as the men played, and drank my coffee – a wonderful drink I had discovered while in Beau.

  Anne left the group and walked over to the men. What the hell was she doing?

  She walked up to Alistair and took the bow from him with a smug look.

  “Careful love,” Alistair said with a grin.

  Anne winked and reached back to grab an arrow from his quiver.

  I watched with fascination as she pulled the string back past her ear and line it up the target. She released it with a grace I could never have pulled off.

  It hit the target in the centre and I felt myself flush red.

  Alistair grinned from ear to ear and playfully poked her side as he took the bow back. She turned to him and their lips were inches apart before she stepped back with a cheeky grin and skipped away.

  Call me the worst friend in the world, but at that moment, I wished she would just get in her carriage and leave Beau for good!

  “Cee,” Anne called.

  I forced a smile and tried to hide my annoyance. “That was amazing.”

  “Thanks.” She flicked back her chocolate brown locks and flashed me a pearly white grin. I could have slapped her across the face.

  I looked behind her. “Well, you seem to have captured everyone’s attention.”

  She furrowed her brows. “I wasn’t trying to get their attention.”

  I scoffed but quickly turned it into a cough. “I know.” She was such a liar. “Shall we go to dinner?”

  She shook her head and glanced backwards. “Alastair wants to show me around the castle.”

  Ouch. “Have a nice time,” I said quickly and turned around so she wouldn’t see my tears. She couldn’t see my tears.

  ❦ ❦ ❦

  Rumours swept through the court. Alastair had proposed to someone. I knew it had to come sooner or later, but it didn’t stop me from almost doubling over. In my hands, the rose he had picked was still perfect, as if it had never been picked. Each petal was bright red and felt like silk. It brought me comfort.

  I walked up to his room numbly. I had to find out who. I rounded the corner to his door and all at once, my heart felt as if it exploded in my chest. An emptiness settled in my stomach and a rage fired in my heart.

  As Alistair gazed into the eyes of my best friend, I felt the betrayal course through me.

  I was like a puppet whose strings had been cut. I was limp and soulless.

  He ran his finger down her arm like he had done to me. He cupped her cheek like he had done to me the first time we kissed. The memory was enough to tear me apart.

  I gripped the rose hard, letting the thorns pierce my skin just so I could feel something, anything to distract me from what I was seeing. Yet, as much as my heart begged me to look away, I was fixated on them.

  They were beautiful together, which just made me angry. She fitted with him perfectly and I was nothing but a discarded fling.

  I watched them kiss in slow motion. To anyone else, they looked like two beautiful swans, kissing, happy in their engagement – yet I saw the truth. They were poisonous snakes, preying on whoever they fancied, leaving trails of venom in their destruction.

  It took everything for me to turn away. Each step I took felt heavier until finally, I reached the ballroom. I looked up at the throne, the king, but I didn’t bow. He seemed to notice me for the first time his gaze trickled down to my hands, which I realised were covered in blood.

  I dropped the rose on the floor and averted my gaze from his. Everyone was looking at me, and I felt humiliated. They couldn’t know, yet I felt as if they all did, and everyone was pitying me.

  I couldn’t take it – I ran.

  The cold air hit my face, drying my tears, and is if on cue, rain descended from the pink skyline.

  EIGHT

  The days fell into months until it was just one long dream that I couldn’t escape.

  There she was, flipping her hair back, laughing with a wide smile that was enough to captivate anyone, and there was me, standing at the back of the room. Nobody noticing me, they were all entranced by Anne and I was the forgotten one.

  I watched the amulet dangle from around his neck and I felt its power call to me. With it, I could have everything.

  The duke walked over to me with a smarmy look on his face. “Come to my room, now.”

  I nodded but felt the rage build in me. I had l
ost Alastair, my best friend, and my chance at getting out of my marriage with the duke. I was a fool to think I ever had a chance, I reminded myself.

  I followed the duke through the ballroom. I looked up at the swirls of gold and blue coating the ceiling and walls and sighed. Who knew such a wonderful building could hold some of the ugliest souls.

  I reached his room and looked down at my hands. I was shaking, but I didn’t want to show him that I feared him. “What do you want me to do?”

  He ran his long fingers through his white hair and grinned. “The question you should ask is what I’m going to do. You have been a pain in my arse since you arrived and an ungrateful brat, for that, I will never again try to please you.” He bent me over. “You liked watching my ass get pounded, I wonder how you’ll like it happening to you.”

  Oh fuck.

  He pulled my skirt up and pushed me over the side of the bed. I tried to breathe as he pressed my face into the pillow and caressed my curves.

  “I’m going to fuck you hard, Felicity, in your untouched arse.” He grabbed my cheeks and spread them apart. I expected pain, but it didn’t come. Instead, I felt his hot breath and tongue swirling. I hated my body as it betrayed me once more. Warmth spread up my legs and over to my vagina. My clit swelled and as he swirled more, I became wetter.

  He pulled away and I groaned. I felt the tip of his hard length push against my hole and then pressed in.

  I hated every second, but my body responded with waves of pleasure as he pounded faster. His fingers snaked up my back and grabbed a fistful of my hair, pulling my head back. His other hand wrapped around my front, his fingers moving down to my clit.

  He smirked. “Tell me you want me or I’ll stop.”

  He knew I wanted it, he could feel my thrusts against him. He slowed down and I panicked. “Don’t stop,” I begged.

  I heard him laugh and he pulled my hair harder. I gripped onto the pillow, my nails digging in, as I felt his cock pulsate inside of me. Low groans left his mouth as he panted and I could feel it building, even stronger than last time.

  He let go of my hair and cupped my breasts, rolling my nipples in-between his fingers and it was too much.

  My legs shook as I came over his length and then I felt him release into me. He pulled away, breathless, and walked over to the window. “You’re a good fuck, I guess.”

  I felt humiliated. “So, this, is it?”

  He laughed. “You have got so much more than you deserve.” He looked down at me. “I’ll be good to you if you’re good to me.”

  I nodded. “What do you want me to do?”

  “Do this one thing and I will make sure you live comfortably for the rest of our marriage.”

  “What is it?”

  “I need you to help me kill the prince.”

  My jaw dropped and I stepped back. “No.” I turned, I had to warm Alastair. I may hate that he is with Anne, but my heart is still his.

  The duke grabbed my arm and pushed me over to the window. My hair dangled down and I looked to the side. He was going to kill me. He bared his teeth. “Say one word to anyone-”

  I couldn’t quite remember exactly how it happened, but somehow a strength in me pushed back and I broke free. Now, I was watching the duke fall down the side of the tower like a mannequin. He landed with a skull-crunching thud and crimson sprayed the pavement.

  ❦ ❦ ❦

  I watched the hands on the grandfather clock tick away every mundane moment with torturous patience. “I’m bored,” I complained.

  “Then do something,” Anne replied. I could tell she was becoming impatient with me.

  “Like what?” I slumped down into the chair opposite.

  Anne stood up and rolled her eyes. “Practice the piano or something.”

  “That’s all I seem to do these days. When will I get to return to the castle,” I asked.

  “When your name is cleared. You know this.”

  “I am innocent.”

  Anne scoffed but didn’t say anything more. She was obviously annoyed that she had to stay in this small house with me.

  Surely, they would find me not guilty?

  “Well, what do you expect me to do then,” I asked, my voice thick with the sarcasm that I had picked up on since being in Beau.

  “Try not killing anyone else to start with,” Anne replied, expressionless.

  “Don’t act like you’re whiter than white.”

  “No!” She shouted. I jumped back. “You are the one who changed. You’re the one who let your petty jealousy ruin everything!”

  My eyes stung with tears. “That’s not fair. He told me he loved me.”

  She laughed. “Oh, grow up Cee. Love doesn’t matter when it comes royalty. You were engaged to the duke! He couldn’t touch you, the duke was a powerful man and had you married him, he would have given you a good name. You would have been powerful.”

  I couldn’t help but smirk. “I have his heart.”

  Her lips curved into a smirk and her eyes widened. “Oh no, Cee. See, you may have Alastair’s heart, for now, but I have something worth so much more.” She rubbed her stomach and grinned.

  My jaw dropped. “You are with child,” I asked with disbelief. My world crashed around me as she nodded.

  “How-” I stopped mid-question – of course I knew how. I knew they would eventually, but a childish part of me was out of sight, out of mind.

  We were interrupted by a knock at the door. Anne walked over it and I heard distant murmuring. She walked back in, followed by Alastair.

  Alastair didn’t look at me, instead, he looked at the floor as he opened his mouth to speak. “You have been found not guilty on the charges. The King requests for you to return to the castle.”

  I stood up and held my head up high, even though I wanted to cry. “Congratulations,” I said as I walked past Alastair. “You’ll make a great father.”

  NINE

  Today was the day.

  I passed Alastair in the corridor and he avoided me completely. We had spoken a couple of times since he married Anne, but that was it.

  The king had thought them a good fit, or so I was told, but it didn’t matter now because the king was dead and Alastair was their new king – with an heir.

  I prayed that it would be a girl. Her child shouldn’t be the heir of the kingdom. It should have been me. Alastair and I loved each other.

  I was snubbed by my family and couldn’t return home. It turns out that when you kill your fiancé, ever when proven not guilty, people tend to give you a wide berth.

  I had no family, no proposals, and no friends. I was only allowed to stay because of the king’s favour. Which meant one thing - he still cared for me.

  I couldn’t tell what was real and what wasn’t anymore. All I know is that night I had snuck into the king’s room and saw the little boy in the bassinette, my heart sunk.

  Hiding in my room meant that I hadn’t heard the news of a son, and seeing him in front of me reminded me of everything I could have had – everything they took from me.

  Anne and Alastair were sleeping and I don’t know what possessed me to do it, but I took his amulet. It probably wouldn’t work for me, but I had to try. I felt its power call to me and although I had heard the stories, I had never felt more powerful.

  I reached out through the amulet and saw the night riders. They were searching for the amulet, always searching, and amid sleep, they could see me – standing in the castle.

  “Wake up, Cee.”

  I fluttered my eyes open and sat up. I was covered with sweat and I felt something cold and hard in my hand.

  “Cee,” Anne said again. I looked up. All the colour was drained from her face and her eyes were wide with panic. “The amulet, it’s gone.”

  I glanced down at my bed sheets and felt the hard rock in my hand.

  “Where’s Alistair.”

  She teared up. “Cee, he’s gone to battle.” She turned toward the door. “I must get our child.”

>   My stomach knotted and bile rose in my throat.

  ❦ ❦ ❦

  The sound of a thousand hooves broke the silence as we all watched the army ride toward us from my window.

  The silhouettes were bathed in an orange glow from the sunset, making them look as if they were riding through flames.

  The soldiers stood in perfect formation in front of the castle.

  I grabbed my travelling cloak and ran down the corridor. They had come for me. The riders.

  As if out of one my dreams, my nightmares, I heard the armies clash together. The kingdom was filled with screaming, panicked families running, and soon – flames.

  My heart hurt – I had brought them here and now everyone else would pay the price for my mistake. I had to find Alastair and return the amulet to him.

  I didn’t want it anymore.

  Heat seared through the castle as I headed for the nursery. Anne would know where Alastair was.

  On reaching the nursery, a lump formed in my throat. It was ablaze. Black smoked pillared up to the ceiling. I heard crying and ran in.

  Smoke filled Anne’s lungs as she ran across the nursery to grab Juan from the basionette. His tiny hands were reaching out from the billowing smoke, grasping for someone to protect him.

  I couldn’t move. All I could do was watch as her baby boy was ripped from existence by the flames.

  This was my fault, all mine. I couldn’t breathe from crying and soon, Anne was gone too. The heat was searing but the amulet protected me.

  Alastair was gone, Anne was dead, and little Juan would cry no more. A family torn from this world because of my jealousy.

  ❦ ❦ ❦

  The amulet gave me more power than I sensed it would have given anyone before me. It was as if she was with me, the queen from the story Alastair had told me.

  The knight riders must have sensed her with me, because they turned and rode away, leaving me amidst the destruction. Then I realised – it wasn’t me. I had destroyed the cursed bloodline, Alastair and his son.