Nassi nodded, looking more confident. Adara told herself she was right. She had to be right. She couldn’t bear to think of what would happen if she were wrong.
Chapter 3
Dinner with the royal family — the king, the queen and the prince — started off well. The royal men were kind to Adara. Richard asked about her home, about how she’d come to speak the language so well. She told him her mother loved studying languages and had taught her three. Adara enjoyed being fluent in multiple tongues, as it made diplomatic visits such as this one easier. Richard was easy to talk to, had a jovial laugh, and made her feel at ease.
The queen was another story. While polite enough, the queen seemed to dislike Adara.
“And you decided to abandon your carriage because of a little rain?” the queen asked, her voice dripping with incredulity.
Adara smiled. “Yes, Your Majesty,” she replied. “The carriage rooftop collapsed and small ice pellets were falling from the sky. I thought for sure we’d freeze to death if we didn’t find better shelter.”
The queen laughed. “Oh dear,” she said, as if the idea of freezing to death were ludicrous. “You’re just used to the warm climate of your homeland. It’s not so cold really. We get rains like this all the time. I’m sure you wouldn’t have frozen.”
Adara nodded, as it was rude to disagree with her host, but she wanted to throttle the woman, with her graying hair in a bun, thin nose and angular face. She felt sorry that the king and prince had to live with such an unpleasant shrew.
“You did the right thing, Adara,” Richard said. “It was far too cold for you to be out and alone in your carriage.”
The queen cleared her throat and said, “At any rate, I’m sending a messenger to find your party and let them know that you’re here and well taken care of.”
Adara felt the color drain from her face. She couldn’t let the queen do that. She couldn’t let them contact her father’s delegation. She forced a smile back on her face, and turned politely to the queen. “Your Majesty, I would not want your citizens to risk such brutal weather for me,” she said, trying to inject benevolence and humility into her voice. “Please don’t trouble your citizens so unduly on my behalf. In the morning, Nasiha and I will go advise them ourselves.”
The queen smiled, and Adara realized the queen must’ve noticed her initial panic at the suggestion of a messenger being sent. The queen smiled like a shark ready to take its prey. “Don’t be silly, dear,” the queen said. “It’s no trouble. You said the delegation had gone into town. I’ll dispense a messenger to ask around at the local inns until we find your party. There can’t be that many delegations from Bastalia roaming our kingdom,” the queen said, chuckling at the thought. “We wouldn’t want your party to think you’d perished in the weather. I’ll send someone tonight, and they’ll just go the one way. They can rest at an inn, once they’ve delivered the message.”
Adara tried to smile, not to look panicked, but she felt pure terror. She and Nassi would be caught. She would be returned to her father. She tried to concentrate on dinner, on the conversation, but her mind was gone to being dragged home and forced to marry the sultan. Or worse — being dragged home and then stoned to death for leaving in the first place. The prince excused himself at one point during dinner, but returned shortly. Adara pretended to listen, but that’s all it was. Her voice was speaking words, her head nodding, her mouth forcing polite smiles. But her mind was crying. The queen had just sealed her and Nassi’s fate.
No, Adara had sealed their fate when she told them the truth. Nassi had been right. She should have kept her mouth shut. The dinner ended soon enough. The queen ordered Lionel to give Adara a short tour of the castle and then show her to her sleeping quarters.
Chapter 4
Adara slammed her palm against the door. “Lionel,” she called out for the servant who seemed to despise her. “You locked the door. I need you to unlock the door.”
There was no answer. She banged again, her palm red and hurting. That no good cretin. Why would he lock her in? Her right hand hurt so much from the banging, that she took her left hand and smacked the heavy wooden door again. “Please, the door is locked,” she called out.
“Your Ladyship,” she heard through the door. It was Lionel. He still refused to call her Your Highness. He hadn’t believed she was a princess from the moment she showed up at the castle door with Nassi.
“Yes, Lionel,” she called through the thick wooden door. “The door is locked.”
“I know,” he said, his tone annoyed. “The queen demanded we lock you in for the evening. She would not want your father to think we did not guard your virtue while you were in our care. The door will be opened in the morning, m’lady. I believe there’s a chamber pot, a pitcher of ale and some fresh bread in your room.”
Adara wanted to scream. She hated the queen, she hated Lionel and she hated her father. Now she was trapped here. She’d thought she might sneak out during the night with Nassi. She’d gotten her head together as Lionel gave her the tour the queen had ordered. This castle was huge, and the storm seemed to be dying down. She’d planned to grab some provisions and escape with Nassi sometime during the night. They could have still avoided being captured by her father’s men. They’d have had fresh clothes and a head start. Only now, there was no way. She was trapped.
She turned around, leaning her back against the heavy wooden door, and sighed. Nassi had been right. They should’ve just stayed outside, tried to take cover somewhere else, or found no cover and frozen to death. Adara shook her head at the memory of the cold. She remembered the elation at seeing the castle, at thinking it would be her refuge. Now, she was thinking the opposite: that coming here had doomed them.
Lionel hadn’t believed her, and it seems the queen didn’t either. The queen was clearly no dummy and figured Adara would try to leave. She’d probably locked Nassi in, too.
Adara sighed and decided to examine the room. It was lit by candles in wall holders, and looking around it was actually quite large, but it felt small with that towering monstrosity near the rear wall. To the left was a set of windows, out of which Adara could see drizzle, but the sound of howling wind had died down, so it was nothing like what she’d faced earlier. In the corner was a small rounded alcove.
There also was a hearth with a roaring fire. A few logs of wood were set beside it in a metal rack. A little further away was a table with the bread and ale Lionel had mentioned. Adara walked over toward the fire, enjoying its warmth. They definitely didn’t believe her if they expected her to tend to her own fire. But, Adara had learned a thing or two in the last months, and she could tend a fire. She sighed, then turned back to the rear wall and looked at the behemoth. She wondered if the king and queen were mad. Surely, no one else in the kingdom slept in a bed like this. There had to be 20 mattresses piled on top of the frame. They’d given her a ladder! It was insane. She considered climbing the ladder to try to knock one of the mattresses to the floor. At least she could sleep on it without worrying that if she had a nightmare and rolled, she’d fall to her death.
She turned away from the bizarre bed and walked over to the windows, where a trunk sat beneath one. On top of the trunk was a nightgown. She assumed it was for her. It was white and folded, and when she lifted it up, she gasped. It was a sleeveless frock, but rather than being full length to her ankles, it looked like it would barely cover her ass.
“You’ll look lovely in that,” she heard a voice say. She startled and turned around to see Prince Richard.
“Where did you come from?” she asked, her heart racing from the surprise.
“My room,” he said simply, as if that were a decent explanation. He was standing near the towering bed and dressed in trousers and a shirt, but no shoes.
Her heart was still beating fast, even though she was over the initial shock of finding the prince in her room. As his crooked smile lingered on his sensuous lips, she wondered if there were some other reason her heart was b
eating fast. She tried to push that thought from her mind, and asked the prince, “How long have you been here?”
“Long enough,” he said, coming closer to her, stopping when he was close enough that she could feel his fennel scented breath warming her face. He was almost a head taller than her, with broad shoulders and thick muscles pressing against his shirt. He had dark brown curly hair and one dimple on his left cheek that made him look a tad bit mischievous. Despite her shock at finding him here, she felt an urge to move closer to him, almost as if his body was a magnet, drawing her to it. She managed to stand firm, but could not find her voice to speak to him. Instead, she found herself focusing on breathing. He was standing so close that every breath she took was painted with his scent: fennel, cedar and something she couldn’t quite place that teased her senses.
Prince Richard smiled at her, reached out his hand, and slid a hair that had fallen in front of her eyes behind her ear. That small touch, when his hand grazed her ear, felt like it started a flame within her, her heart continuing its accelerated pace and a lump of anticipation building in her fluttering tummy. She was surprised that his touch would do that to her. She’d registered that he was handsome when she’d seen him for the first time, and she’d registered his kindness. But, she’d failed, somehow, to register just how much he oozed sexiness. Earlier, she hadn’t noticed how his blue eyes twinkled in low light.
He was staring at her, his eyes a calm pool inviting her to dive in. She was losing her train of thought, losing what she’d wanted to say. “Long enough for what?” she finally sputtered.
“To know that the door is locked, and we are trapped,” he said, taking his hand and stroking her cheek, his fingertips leaving a trail of ecstasy tingling in their wake. She took a step back, liking the way he made her feel, but knowing she shouldn’t.
She looked down at the gown still in her hands. She wasn’t sure what to do, what to think. She was locked in with a man, with this man. And tomorrow she would be caught and dragged back to her homeland. The queen had sent a messenger to alert her father’s men. Adara and Nassi could not escape overnight, now. This was her last night of freedom. If her father was incredibly angry that she’d left, this could be one of her last nights ever. She wondered if she should give in to this prince who could only have come to her room for one thing.
She smiled coyly and lifted the nightgown for the prince to see. “And was this your idea?”
He nodded. “I thought it might make you feel at home if it you had something that reminded you of warmth.”
She laughed, a genuine laugh, her entire frame jostling. That was crazy. “It’s not warm here.”
He took a step toward her, removing the distance she’d tried to put between them just moments ago. His wonderful scent, which seemed very masculine to her, invaded her airspace again, and then Richard ran his fingers along her arm, leaving a trail of goose bumps that delighted her. “I can keep you warm,” the prince said, his voice deep and seductive.
“And if I’m not that kind of girl?” she asked, raising an eyebrow.
“But I think you are that kind of girl,” he said, sliding his arm around her back and pulling her close to him. The move surprised Adara, but she liked the way his palm felt nestled against her spine, pressing her to him. “I think you are the kind of girl who wants more from life than being in a harem and decided to flee her father and her kingdom so she could have something different, something more. One man who wants her and only her.”
Adara pulled back, her brown eyes narrowing as she stared at his face and tried to piece together how he knew. It was almost as if he had been there when she and Nassi were talking earlier. Looking at the prince, her anger rose as she realized there was only one way he could know. “You spied on us?”
He nodded then got down on one knee. “I did,” he admitted. “And I offer you my heartfelt apology for my rudeness. I overheard you and your girl. You said your father has 18 daughters, you are to be married to a sultan as his sixth wife and you want no part of that. You want one man who wants you and only you. I am one man, princess,” he said, standing again. He stroked her face, looked deep into her eyes and said. “I am one man, and I want you, only you.”
He leaned in, pressing his lips to hers. As if by instinct, her mouth opened and his tongue found its way inside. He tasted like herbs, his tongue roving her mouth, mingling with hers, sending tingles down her spine. His mouth, his hands, everything about him said he wanted her, and despite the fact that he’d spied on her and she should hate a man who spies, she didn’t. With everything else that would happen tomorrow, his one transgression of eavesdropping seemed a minor thing. It was much less pressing than his fingertips, which were slowly tracing down her spine to cradle her ass. Much less pressing than his soft lips on hers, or the firm bulge she felt pressed against her abdomen. Much less pressing than her body that seemed to fit perfectly in his arms, a body that felt relaxed with him, a body that yearned for him to touch every part of it. She only had tonight; the queen had seen to that. If she didn’t know what her fate would be — marriage in the harem or the ultimate punishment for her father’s wrath — how did she want to spend this one night she had left? Did she really want to turn this man away? This man who wanted her and only her.
She pulled free of him, staggering backward, breathless. They stared at each other a moment, neither speaking. Finally, Adara took a step forward. “You want me?” she asked, her voice brimming with her own desire. The prince eyed her lustfully and nodded. “Then have me.”
Chapter 5
The prince lifted Adara into his arms and carried her past the towering bed. Behind it, settled on the floor was a feather mattress large enough for two. Adara wondered briefly if he’d brought it with him, or knocked it off the top. When he lay her down on the cool, soft mattress, she realized she didn’t care.
Adara was nervous as he lay down beside her. Richard leaned over and kissed her deeply, sending a tingle through her entire body, a rush of excitement and nerves.
The prince pulled away from her. “You’re trembling,” he said.
“I’m nervous,” she admitted. “I’ve never done this before.”
He smiled and stroked her cheek gently. “Don’t be nervous,” he said. “You’re brave and daring.” As she looked into his eyes, she could tell he believed every word he said. He leaned in and kissed her again, putting her at ease. She had never been in a position to want a man before but she wanted this one. Everything about him pulled her toward him.
Richard slid his fingers down the outside of her dress, until he reached the hem. He glided his hand up her calf and thigh, the sensation causing a tremor. She leaned forward and kissed him. This time, her lips melted into his, and his tongue invaded her mouth with urgency. The prince grabbed her bottom and pulled her close to him.
Adara felt the heat between her legs and liked it. She wanted him. She wanted this night, this one last night before her world collapsed. One night to be with a man who found her brave and daring. Or, at the very least, a man who had the good sense to lie that he did.
She reached for his shirt and tugged it upward, wanting to see the muscles she could feel rippling beneath it. Richard sat up and grinned, removing his shirt to reveal perfectly sculpted pectorals, with a smattering of dark brown hair across his chest. His flat belly was handsome, and toned. Adara found herself smiling, as she stared down the line from his belly button toward his trouser waist, wondering what it looked like below.
Richard reached for Adara’s dress, and she adjusted her position so he could pull it over her head. She was naked now, and he stared at her, taking her all in. “You’re beautiful,” he whispered, awestruck, then kissed her as she leaned back into the mattress. He kissed down her jawline to her neck, soft plush kisses, that set her skin on fire. Each graze of his lips sent a small quake through her body, awakening new desires in her. She wanted him. She could feel herself moistening, as his kisses traveled down her body. His fingers traced the
side of her rib cage, while his mouth found her breasts, one at a time. First the left, a gentle suckling that caused her body to quiver and her breath to catch in her throat.
A small moan of pleasure escaped her, and he switched breasts, treating the right with as much care as he’d treated the left. Adara luxuriated under the skilled grace of his mouth. With each moment he suckled and fondled her, her anticipation for him entering her grew. She was moist and dripping. Though she’d never had a man, she yearned for this one.
Adara reached for his trousers, tugging them down, her fingers brushing his hairy legs as she slid his pants off. “I want you,” she whispered. He smiled at her, that dimple more seductive every time it appeared. He shook his head, kissed her lips, his breath mingling with hers, and then drew back.
“No. Not yet,” he said in a commanding tone that made her even more turned on. He slid down her torso, until his head was between her legs. She wasn’t sure what he planned to do there, but then she felt his mouth on her, his tongue sliding along in a place she’d never expected. Her insides quaked, as she felt him perform his magic. Her entire body clenched and she moaned, her breaths growing heavier. He slid his tongue along the sides of her opening, then sucked on her clitoris and she gasped in pleasure. “Oh,” she breathed out, as he teased her with his tongue.
She was so wet and ready, she wasn’t sure she could wait any longer. “Please,” she said in a whisper. “I want you.”
He lifted his head from between her thighs and inched his way up her body, stopping when he reached her chin. He kissed her and said, “If you want me, then you shall have me.” She enjoyed hearing her own words tossed back at her, and she grinned as he pushed inside her. He felt massive and hard, filling her completely.
The sensation of him inside her was like a tidal wave of pleasure, a slow build of thick, warm bliss ebbing and flowing within. The motion was unfamiliar to Adara, yet unbelievably pleasant and steady. He kissed her neck while he moved his cock deep in her, and she found it easy to fall into rhythm with him, her hands grabbing his back, pulling him closer to her.
The Princess, the Pea, and the Night of Passion (Passion-Filled Fairy Tales Book 1) Page 2
