by Sadie Dane
She dragged her fingernails down his chest, over his stomach, and swirled them around his inner thigh. His muscles rippled and twitched beneath her touch. Gia remembered the potential that had latched onto him in the tent. She pinched his nipple, hard.
By the way he was trying to pull her off, she guessed he was about to climax. Gia refused to move and gloried in the way the first jet of cum hit the back of her throat. He grunted and shuddered. His hands pulled at her hair, an instinctual movement. She swiped her tongue against the bottom of his penis, swallowing every drop that shot into her mouth.
His penis was still erect when she let it fall from between her lips. The man, however, looked utterly spent. He pulled Gia up by her shoulders and settled her into the crook in front of him.
"Now I just need another nap," he murmured.
Gia heard her birds singing in their cages sitting in the shadows of her balcony. The midday sun shone, flooding the archway and room with golden light. She was warm, content and could've lain there all day. That was the problem.
"I have to get ready," she'd meant to whisper her words, still they sounded too harsh.
Corbin nodded, thoughtfully. "Okay." He got up, but then noticed his clothes in a wet pile.
"I'm sorry," Gia said. Lifting his shirt, drops of water fell from it and splattered on the stone floor.
He wordlessly took the shirt from her and slid it over his head. It clung to his body in a way that was not unattractive. "Lucky for me it is a hot day."
He exited her room in a much less dramatic way than he had entered. She felt it all the same, the quiet emptiness. Even her birds had grown silent. This was what she had been trying to avoid. Gia ground her teeth.
She was the hora of the great kingdom of Atvia. She was not a lovesick potential. She was strength and power. She was a knight! Gia plopped down on her chair and lined her eyes with kohl. This was her armor. These were her weapons. She would do well to remember.
#
When Gia entered the dining hall a hush fell over the once noisy crowd. Perhaps she had overdone it a bit. But it had become important for her to look her absolute best. She had her hair up halfway, the remaining bits falling in cascading ringlets down her back. She wore a sheer slip skirt, half-top and her favorite pearl veil that covered all of her face except her dark-lined eyes.
Most of the people in the dining hall had last seen her bent over the table in the Discipline Plaza. She met each and every stare, relishing that they were always the first to look away. Gia lifted her chin and walked around the large room. The feast was set-up in traditional Atvian style. Everyone sat on pillows on the floor behind squat tables that were already covered with bottles of wine, beer, and spirits. The king sat at the top center of the circle, on his left side was an empty cushion. This was the hora's position, right between the king and the potentials. On his left, sat the knights and generals. Corbin was in the seat of honor directly to the right of the king with the High General Cordveen on his other side.
Prince Corbin’s expression confused her. He looked almost angry. His nostrils flared and his eyes never left her as she made her way to her spot. She slid her gaze away quickly.
"You are radiant, Hora," the king beamed. He extended his hand for her to kiss. She did with a respectful curtsy. "Are you sure you don't need two cushions?" he joked. He had no qualms about casually teasing her about her earlier punishment. Usually, Gia loved that about him, how easily he could forgive and make light. Now, it just reminded her of what had happened after and she was at once happy she wore the veil.
"No, I am a bit tougher than that," Gia replied, settling into her position.
"The cane, perhaps, next time?" the king quipped.
"What were you saying about Atvia's exports?" Corbin asked loudly, almost rudely. Gia let herself look at him for longer than a second. She’d prepared herself against her own reaction to looking at the prince at length.
"Atvia is a passionate kingdom whether that passion is in bed or on the battle field. Atvian men and women live with fire flowing through our veins. Whether we kill or fuck, it is done in a way that is pure, organic art." The doors opened and the king's wives stood in two lines, each holding a tray piled with Atvian delicacies. "My wives," the king boomed, "come, sustain us."
Gia smiled at all the familiar faces. Many of them had been trained by her. They returned her smile, but in that smug way. The change from potential to bride, it was a line Gia would never cross, would never experience, and they knew it.
It didn't make her angry. It used to make her sad. As a fledgling hora she'd longed for the king to make her his bride, to welcome her wholly into his life. But as wise as he was, he gave her the one thing she needed more, a guardian and father, and she loved him for it.
No one in the hall waited on ceremony to enjoy the food set before them. The space erupted with the sounds of eating, drinking, laughing, and talking. Gia settled on her pillow. The king placed a comforting hand on her arm and squeezed once as if sensing she needed a little extra soothing.
"I hope you enjoyed your time here," the king said offhandedly to Corbin. Gia noticed his use of the past tense, as if Corbin was already on his way out of the kingdom. Her heart constricted at the thought.
“My enjoyment is second to completing what I came here to do—inform you of the unfortunate events that led your High General to proclaiming your newest fiancé as unsuitable. Princess Lotte, her father, the King of Ceravique: They are all victims in this situation.”
"Indeed, the High General informed me that she was quite beautiful, before the accident, that is."
"She is still quite lovely," Corbin said. There was no mistaking the belligerent edge in his voice.
Gia tensed. Why was he acting that way?
"To the right eye," the king replied just as coldly.
No, no, no. This was not something she could deal with.
"To any eye attached to a brai… "
"You must try the persimmons. They only grow this sweet in Atvian soil." Gia leaned around the king and shoved the moist fruit into Corbin's mouth.
The king regarded her for a long time. He was upset. She, the one person that knew him better than even perhaps his wives, knew he was greatly displeased by the man chewing on fruit. Normally she would've sat back with amusement, looking forward to how the king would surely show the rude foreigner what it meant to be a guest in Atvia. But not this foreigner who, even though he was acting a bit like an ass now, could be gentle and loving and put her needs before his own.
The king did not reply. He gave her a look that told Gia he was only acting out of his love for her. Those around them who sensed the tension sat back, laughing again, uncomfortably at first. Everyone had returned back to the jovial mood of the feast. Except for Prince Corbin, whose anger Gia could practically taste. He stared, transfixed, at where the king had his arm draped over Gia's shoulder, his fingertip nearly grazing the swell of her breast.
"I somehow doubt her imperfection would’ve been an issue." Corbin made a point to look at the king’s many wives. "Would you have even noticed if you’d gotten one more?" This time there was no missing the challenge in the foreign prince's voice.
The king moved like a snake, his hand whipping to his waist to grab his dagger. Gia immediately threw herself across the king's chest, knowing she had mere seconds to save Corbin's life. Everyone froze around them, waiting for some signal as to what they should do.
Gia uttered only one word. "Please."
"Little one, this cannot be ignored," the king said kindly but firmly and at a volume meant only for her ears.
"He doesn't understand," Gia replied. As if to illustrate her point Corbin yanked her by the arm, up and off of the king and wrapped a protective arm around her, locking her to his side.
"Release my hora," the king ordered. This time even a stranger would know his anger. Gia heard men preparing for a fight.
She touched Corbin's face before whispering in his ear. "If you keep this up you will get
yourself killed and me punished. Is that what you want?"
He didn't relax his hold. The tension in the room thickened until Gia felt like her sight was clouded by it.
"Corbin," Gia continued in the whisper only he could hear. "Think. You are a rational man, what do you expect will happen next?"
Corbin made a sound that was as much of a growl as Gia thought a man could make. He dropped his arm. She half expected the guards to surge forward. She wheeled towards them, crouching in a defensive position.
"Everyone, please clear the hall," the king's order was not loud. It almost sounded conversational. Nonetheless, the hall cleared instantly. Escorted back to their rooms by the guards, the potentials, most of whom looked back on Gia with worried expressions, were the first to leave. A few men, including the high general, lingered in the entrances, but with their backs to the three of them that remained in the dining hall.
The king sat back down on his cushion as if he was visibly trying to diffuse some of the tension. "Sit," he ordered.
Gia folded her legs under her body and pulled Corbin down with her. The king looked down at his hands. Gia was afraid of what he was thinking, what he was about to say.
"If you ever do something like that again, I will punish you severely, my child."
Gia elbowed Corbin hard in the chest to keep him from speaking.
"Yes, my King."
When he spoke again his words were quieter, almost wistful. "Were you going to fight them, Gia? Your own men? The same men who have protected you since you were a little child? Would you have hurt them for this foreigner?"
"I don't know," she answered honestly.
"Like I would've let her," Corbin said with disdain.
The king leveled the prince with a stare that was pure loathing. It made Gia want to throw up. How could the most important man in her world hate her prince so much? "You continue to speak on subjects you know nothing about. My hora could fillet you before you had a chance to discover which end of the sword you fight with."
Despite everything, Gia still felt a sense of pride at the king's words. That pride was quickly crushed by anxiety.
"Then show me what it is I find myself continually missing in regards to your kingdom," Corbin said calmly.
The king scoffed. "As if I care what you think of my kingdom."
"I didn't insinuate that you did. However, you must know much of what the world knows of Atvia is rumor. Scandalous details blown out of proportion because there is no one around who knows the real truth." He sounded reserved, logical. Gia wondered if this Corbin was more or less real than the wild man she'd also come to know. "Educate me. Allow me to be a foreign representative for Atvia. An unofficial diplomat who can dispel all of the rumors circling your great nation, or strengthen them, if you think it would be more beneficial."
Gia held her breath. Whether Corbin knew it or not he was speaking a language that the king understood. He was prideful of his country and took every chance he could to strengthen it.
"For two months," the king said. "And then you leave, no matter what your opinion is."
Gia held back her sigh of relief. She could tell the king had more to say.
"I want it clear that I still do not like you. Nor do I like how close you sit to my hora. When you leave, it will be alone, Prince."
Chapter Three
Corbin waited outside of Gia's room. He'd sent two messengers earlier that morning, one to his father in Ceravique and the other to his sister who was the queen in Harrington, explaining that he would be away for longer than they'd expected.
Gia had tersely told him, the day before in the dining hall, to meet her outside of her room. She had been angry with him. That, at least, had been obvious. He didn't blame her. Corbin had acted like a barbarian asshole at that feast.
He despised the way Gia groveled to the king. He thought he understood their relationship, but that knowledge didn't make their behavior toward each other easier to handle. It irked him the way the king would touch her, not only because he did it so casually, but as if she was his to touch, to do with what he wanted.
Gia wasn't one of his fucking brides and the king had no reason to touch her, at all.
Corbin took a deep breath. He was doing it again, letting his emotions cloud his better judgment. The rational half of him had surfaced just in time the day before when he'd concocted the plan to stay in Atvia longer. Corbin didn't give two shits about Atvia or its image. But if being a representative meant being alive and around Gia a little longer, then he would do it happily.
He was rethinking that decision when Gia came out of her room scowling at him.
"Listen to me carefully. I'm not sure what your agenda is here. I'm glad you didn't get killed, but that is where my happiness ends right now. My life is amazing. It was amazing before you came into it. I love my position and if you are going to join me in training today you will do so in such a way that I will forget you are even there. Do you understand? Do not be a distraction towards me, or my potentials. We all have much more important things to do."
She spoke as if both she and the potentials were all huddled in a dark room searching for a cure to the plague, instead of learning how to give the best head.
Corbin kept his opinions to himself. He loved the fire in her eyes. It made him want to dominate. Not to extinguish that fire, but to join forces with it, to make her stronger.
"Do you understand?" she repeated slowly.
"Absolutely," Corbin said. Gia turned from him with so much attitude he couldn't help but lean forward and pop her once on the behind. She squealed but did not turn back to him. He smirked as she rubbed the spot once before taking him into the training room.
The potentials were lined up in the wide, open room like they were ready for muster. They stood straight with their hands clasped at their fronts. Corbin slunk back to lean against the wall, but it was no use. They stared at him curiously. He noticed one smaller than the rest, blond hair, blue eyes, angelic was the word. She looked at him openly, brazenly.
"Attention," Gia ordered in a soft tone that still contained power. However, many of the potentials were still concerned with him. She sighed an irritated noise. "Fine, just to get it out of the way. This is Prince Corbin, he has been allowed by the king to observe daily happenings in Atvia for two months. He will be a staple here in the training room and you will see him around the palace. However," Gia turned to him and smirked, "he is a foreigner and does not have the same rights as an Atvian soldier. So no one get any ideas, am I clear?"
Corbin couldn't be sure but he thought he had just witnessed the ultimate cock block. Like he cared. His cock wanted only one person in that room. But, if it made her feel vindicated than he would play along.
"Moving on, let us revisit our discussion regarding the concept of mindfulness. We are in service of..."
"The king," the potentials replied in unison.
"We must at all times, in everything we do, make sure our actions benefit..."
"The kingdom," they replied again, like a creepy choir.
Corbin sat down as Gia continued with her speech. It was something they had heard before, that was obvious by their rote responses.
Corbin let his mind wander. As they were prone to do these past days his thoughts fell on Gia. Who had she been before being sold? He assumed she was born a slave, or perhaps the daughter of servants. Her pale skin put her in a kingdom somewhere in the west. Perhaps during the wars? It was the only scenario that made sense of her being purchased at such a young age.
When her tone changed, Corbin immediately noticed. She was seated among the potentials in a circle, her words soft and lulling. The small blond one sat closest to her as if afraid of missing a single word. "When we submit and serve we are not showing our king weakness, rather we are showing him the purest form of love. Today, we will practice a similar submission, but with each other." Suddenly, Corbin was very attentive.
Gia got up and walked to a small side room, she reappea
red with a deep bowl. Corbin saw warm, frothy water inside. She knelt at the feet of the petite blond potential. By the time she'd twisted the rag the girl seemed to realize what Gia had planned and covered her hands with her own. "Hora, please, let me." She tried to take the rag from her.
"No, potential. You cannot look at this as something demeaning or low. I am choosing to do this, without force or motive. As you will do when it comes time for you to submit to your husband." She proceeded to wash the young woman's feet. When she was finished she dried them and applied a cream that smelled strongly of lavender. Corbin watched, his eyes bursting out of his head, his mouth wide open.
There was something incredibly erotic about a group of young, beautiful women servicing each other in way that was not overtly sexual. Gia needn't have worried about ordering Corbin to stay out of sight. In that room, it was as if he didn't exist and he feared if he even breathed too loudly he would break the spell.
When they had finished, each potential was excused to her room. Gia turned to Corbin. He almost thought she'd forgotten he was there. She faced him now and exhaled, long and slow, regarding him with a wary expression.
"That. Was. Beautiful," Corbin said, getting to his feet. He had an overwhelming desire to hold her. But she stepped back just as she was in arm's reach. "You were so kind, supportive..."
Gia dismissed his compliments with a delicate snort. "What were you expecting? Whips and chains? Candle wax and tortured screams? That isn't what it means to be a bride of the king, Corbin."
He loved the way she said his name with a melodic mixture of Atvian accent and something that sounded a little more close to home. He loved it so much he couldn't confess to her that whips and screaming were exactly what he had been expecting.
#
Gia's staccato footsteps echoed down the hallway. There was no way she would be able to go through another training session with Corbin in the room.
She'd felt like it had been obvious to everyone where her mind truly was and her job was too important not to give it her all. At least one of the potentials was almost ready for graduation.
