by Ivy Clyde
King Drustan left me with a lot to think about, especially about being in love with three men all at the same time.
25
Moira
I woke up to the sounds of rustling fabric near me. Opening my eyes to the ceiling of the strange room, I turned my head. A short figure was hanging a luxurious white linen shirt on a tall hanger and was making sure the material didn’t crease as she brushed a small hand over it.
“Gilly?”
The figure hung a pair of tan leather pants on a lower peg and turned around to face me. “My Lady,” she said with a low bow. “Merry morning.” Her face was still hooded but she wasn’t trembling like a leaf in the wind anymore. Her voice sounded strong too.
“What are you doing?” I asked, staring at the clothes she’d chosen to hang up.
“I am preparing your clothes for the day,” she said, walking close to the edge of the bed.
“You want me strutting around the palace in leather pants?” Personally, I was surprised by her choice of attire but doubted whether it would amuse the palace maids even more. They’d already laughed at me back at the queen’s throne room.
Gilly looked up at me, giving me a glimpse of an orange-colored paste that was smeared all over her face. “His Highness, Prince Cade, asked me to get you dressed and take you to the practice arena in his quarters.”
I climbed off the bed immediately. “When did he tell you?”
“About an hour ago.”
“Why didn’t you wake me up sooner?” I asked, rushing off toward the bathroom that was almost as big as the room itself.
“I have everything ready right here, My Lady,” said Gilly, running after me.
“What?” I said, coming to a halt.
She pointed to the long, rectangular table by the bed. There was a large copper basin there, a stack of fluffy towels, and several small tubs spread around the arrangement.
“This way, My Lady,” said Gilly, taking hold of my hand. She took me toward the basin and helped me sit on a stool before it. She dipped a cloth into the scented water and then wrung it out. With gentle motions, she began wiping my face. It was both a little funny and soothing. She rolled up the sleeves of my nightgown and dabbed at my arms and hands.
“This feels nice,” I said after a while.
“Thank you, My Lady,” said Gilly in a steady voice.
“Is the medicine having an effect on your injuries?” I asked.
“Yes, My Lady. I feel much better now and feel them healing. However, it will be weeks before I see any improvement. Iron is absolutely lethal to us brownies.”
“Why would she hurt you with it then?” I said despite knowing how cruel Deirdre was.
Gilly stayed quiet and continued to wipe my arms.
“You don’t want to call her any names?” I asked.
“We’re not allowed to speak badly of our past masters or divulge their secrets,” said Gilly. “We are bound to the rules of our kind.”
“That is so unfair.”
She shrugged a shoulder and picked up a small tub. She started applying a sweet-smelling cream on my face.
“I’m really enjoying this but I need to use the bathroom,” I said, getting to my feet. “Mind if I came back in a few minutes?”
“Of course, not.” She stepped back and stood with her hands folded in front of her.
“Right.” I hurried into the bathroom to relieve my bursting bladder.
While I did my business, I wondered what kind of training Cade had in mind. He’d told me he would be teaching me to control my magic but didn’t think he would be so quick about it. The queen was up to something but no one voiced out their opinions on what exactly she wanted. Even the king was heartbroken over the things she’d done. From what he said, she was even threatening Leon’s mother.
After I was done, I went back to sit on the stool where Gilly continued to dab my face with the creams and ointments. She even handed me a bowl of sliced fruits when I told her I wasn’t too hungry yet. I ate while she brushed my hair and twisted the long gold strands into a thick braid.
“Is there a mirror here?” I asked when she was done with my hair.
“One moment, please.” Gilly ran into a far corner of the room and came back pushing a tall, gilded mirror on small wheels. She placed it before me.
I stared at my reflection and felt my jaw drop. Gilly had done a fantastic job of applying flawless makeup on my face while brightening my natural features. She didn’t do any dramatic effects but made me look pretty in a natural no-makeup kind of way.
“Do you like it, My Lady?” she asked in a small voice.
I turned to look at her. “Like it? I love it!”
Gilly’s lips curved up in a smile. A sliver of pity flashed through me at the sight of her messed up face. I really wished I could see her smiling properly.
“Do you know where the training grounds are?” I asked her.
“Yes. I know the way.”
“Good. Now, turn around. I need to get dressed.”
“I will help, My Lady.”
I put up a hand. “You’re not seeing me naked.”
“But…”
“Please, Gilly. I’ll ask for help if I need it, okay? For now, turn around.”
Gilly obeyed at once.
Releasing a pent up breath, I walked toward the clothes stand where everything was hanging. There was no bra but a sports-bra kind of object made up of a tight, stretchy material. I wore that and pushed my boobs in the cups. To my surprise, they held my ‘girls’ quite snugly. Without wasting time, I pulled on the shirt and the leather pants.
“All right, I am done,” I called out.
Standing before the mirror, I admired my attire. After wearing loose t-shirts and baggy jeans most of my life, it was a surprise to see how good I looked in trousers that draped along my long, slim legs snuggly. The shirt was white and loose but the sleeves were long and fitting. The costume also came with knee-high boots. It was perfect for physical training.
“I’m ready to go,” I told Gilly after spending five minutes in front of the mirror, admiring the way I looked. “Take me to the training ground or wherever.”
“Yes, Miss.”
She opened the door to the room for me and motioned at me to walk out.
I followed Gilly through a network of corridors until we reached an open door. This one led out to a narrow pathway hedged on both sides by tall brick walls. After a few minutes of walk, the trail opened up to an orchard of apple trees. For a moment, I was busy staring at the plump red apples weighing the branches down. Gilly accommodated me by taking hold of my hand and guiding me along until we reached a tall dome-shaped building that reminded me of Belenus Court’s library.
“The prince is waiting inside,” said Gilly.
“I’ll call you when I’m done,” I told her. “I doubt I’ll be able to find my way back to my room by myself.” I pointed at the strange rune tattooed on my wrist. “This works if I press, right?”
“Yes, My Lady. I will come to you in the blink of an eye.”
After having seen Lady Chantal’s brownie maid teleport, I knew she was being quite literal.
“All right, then. I’ll see you later.” I gave a small wave and hurried inside the strange-looking building.
A vast open space was revealed to me when I pushed the door open.
“I’ve been waiting for you,” said a familiar voice. It took a moment for me to spot Cade.
Dressed in an attire similar to mine, he sauntered toward me with a grin on his luscious lips.
“You took your time,” he said, wrapping his arms around my waist and bringing me against him. The buttons of his shirt were half opened, revealing the planes of his muscular chest.
“I’m sorry. Gilly didn’t wake me up.” I stared up into his beautiful lavender-hued eyes, letting my gaze drop to his luscious lips. He seemed to notice it because he leaned down to capture my lips in a kiss.
My hands went up to clutch his thic
k, muscular shoulders as we deepened the kiss. My eyes closed as my tongue swirled over his. My skin heated up and a deep throb emanated deep within my core. I was hesitant to believe Drustan but the way my heart thrummed in my chest, I knew my feelings for Cade were deeper than simple lust.
“Sweet,” whispered Cade with a smile as he looked down at me.
I grinned back, feeling my cheeks warm with pleasure and happiness. To stop from throwing myself at him for another kiss, I looked around at the vast empty floor space. “What sort of a place is this?” I asked.
“This is where we train for magical combats,” said Cade. “The walls are made of special dragonstone which won’t implode or catch fire even if it is repeatedly heated. It’s the perfect place to let loose your powers.”
“Are you sure I am ready for this?”
“You finished off three trained solar faes in one go,” he said in a low, grim tone. “You’re more than ready. You just need someone to show you how to channel your magic.” He stepped away from me and frowned. “Can you stop doing that?”
“Doing what?”
“Looking so damn delicious,” he growled in a deep voice. “Makes me want to tear off those leather pants and eat every inch of you.”
I chuckled but a deep blush stained my cheeks. He seemed to be satisfied with that because he increased the distance between us and started giving me instructions.
“Show me what you can consciously do with your magic,” he said.
“Okay…” I raised my right hand and channeled my magic to my hand while visualizing a ball of fire. A small golden sphere materialized on my palm.
Cade moved closer to me. The glow from the sphere lit up his features. With a cautious look in his eyes, he touched the shimmering orb. A small chuckle escaped him when he looked at me. “It’s not even hot.”
I shrugged. “It wasn’t supposed to be. This is the first lesson I learned on my own on manifesting.”
His grin widened as he ruffled my hair. “Proud, aren’t you?”
I ducked away and frowned.
“Hey, come here,” he said, lunging at me. His arms easily caught me and brought me against him.
“I am not training if you make fun of me,” I said with a pout.
He laughed in my face. “You’re so cute and funny. I can’t help it.” Before I could protest, he leaned down and took my bottom lips between his teeth. He gently pulled on the soft flesh, making me moan out. It didn’t hurt but made me want to kiss him again. Soft chuckles escaped him again as he straightened.
“Stop!” I said, torn between anger and laughter.
“All right, then,” he said more seriously. “Use the same principle you used to manifest that ball of light. Close your eyes and imagine it growing hotter.”
“Okay…” With my palm outstretched before me, I did as he said. A new orb of light flickered on my hand. I imagined it getting warm, like the heat you experience when touching a light bulb.
“Keep your eyes closed,” said Cade’s voice. “Hold the orb alive. Imagine it getting even hotter, hot enough to melt iron.”
“How do I know when it’s hot enough?”
Cade’s soft chuckles sounded close, his warm breath feathering against my neck but I kept my eyes closed. “This time, imagine the sphere of light melting a stick of iron. Tell your magic what you want from it.”
I did as he said, imagining the blade Deirdre used against me and Gilly as the object I wanted to melt. The magic in my veins rushed toward my palm, gently heating it up.
A minute seemed to pass but I didn’t open my eyes.
A shocked gasp suddenly sounded. I opened my eyes and found Cade standing before me but his lavender-hued eyes were fixed on the glowing orb on my hand. He held a wooden-handled knife in his hand with its blade thrust into the ball of fire. Before our eyes, the steel blade was melting away in a puddle of glowing red lava-like liquid. To my astonishment, the melting metal didn’t leave a mark on my skin. It felt more like drops of water trailing down my hand.
“I can’t believe I am doing it,” I whispered.
“Same here,” he said in a deep voice. His eyes reflected the white-hot orb. “You’re some kind of a prodigy,” he said. “It took me and my brothers twelve years of concentrated effort to do what you’re doing. We had to strengthen our magical cores and then learn to visualize strongly enough to be able to do this.”
I drowned the glowing orb and looked up at Cade. “This isn’t really new to me. I’ve been meditating and visualizing as part of my martial arts training. My instructor taught me to visualize the moves in my head as part of my practice. I just never thought it would help me with magic too.”
“You know how to fight?” he asked.
“Yes, but only with my hands and feet. They’re kind of useless when your opponent uses mental attacks and throws balls of searing hot flames at you.”
Cade shook his head. “You’re quite something. I just need enough time to teach you how to put those abilities together so you’ll be able to fight the strongest foes. Hell! You’d be able to take down Rowan too.”
A chuckle escaped me. “Was that a compliment?”
“Yeah! He’s the strongest among us.” Leaning down, he whispered conspiratorially, “Don’t tell him I said that though. His overlarge head will inflate even more. I doubt his neck would be able to bear the weight.”
I laughed and playfully punched his arm.
We were both still chuckling when someone cleared their throat loudly. We both turned around to see a tall woman with an exceptionally grim expression staring at us. She looked close to my age but the disapproving frown on her face made her seem much older. Her cold black eyes took me in from head to foot.
“Lady Moira,” she said in a frigid voice. “Please come with me.”
Cade’s hand closed on my wrist, stopping me from taking a step away. “What is this about?” he asked in a tight voice.
“Lady Moira needs to go through the assessment-of-the-bride ceremony today,” said the woman. “I must take her to start with the ritual right away.”
“It has only been a day since she arrived at the palace,” said Cade. “What’s the hurry?”
The woman bowed her head before him. “I am following Her Majesty’s commands, Your Highness.”
Cade’s face blanched at once. His hold on my wrist loosened. “You should go, Moira,” he said in a dead sort of voice. His eyes looked regretful as he stepped away from me.
“This way, My Lady,” said the strange woman. “Please follow me.”
I gave a nod, knowing I didn’t have a choice at the moment. Both Lady Chantal and Demitria had warned me about this ceremony yesterday. Taking a deep breath, I followed the queen’s maid, wondering if I had the mental strength to go through with a ritual where strangers would have the right to touch my body.
26
Moira
There were at least a dozen maids waiting outside the training arena. They formed two lines and stood still with apathetic looks on their faces.
“I am Madam Fiona,” said the stranger at my side. “I am responsible for the health and well-being of all the women who enter the royal harem for the first time. Come follow me and we’ll determine whether you are physically fit to be part of the harem.”
Harem…The word seemed to click something in my mind. I had three possible mates to choose from. If they chose me back, I would have a harem of my own. While the thought of having Leon, Cade, and Rowan on my team sent a thrill of excitement through me, my momentary happiness was dampened by the knowledge of what was about to come.
Madam Fiona walked ahead of me, her back ramrod straight. The other maids followed behind me in a similar fashion. Their stony expressions unnerved me.
I was led through a different set of doors in the main palace complex. We walked down a deserted corridor. After ten minutes, I realized the shallow slope of the floor underneath my feet. I was slowly being led further underground. Becoming more aware, I noticed th
ere were windows here. Overhead lamps illuminated our way forward until we reached a vast cavernous space.
Everything in the Sun Palace brimmed with light and extravagance but this place was dark and cold. The walls of the cave-like chamber were roughly carved out of black stone. Other than a few floating orbs of light, the corners stayed hidden in shadows.
“Disrobe her,” instructed Fiona.
Two maids stepped up to me. Reaching out, they started unbuttoning my shirt and trousers.
“Stop!” I said at once. “Show me a place to change and I’ll do it on my own.”
Fiona turned around to face me. Her face looked awfully sallow under the dim lights. “Let them do their job,” she said in a curt tone.
“But…”
“You need to stand still and let them do what needs to be done,” said Fiona. “Don’t interrupt their work.” She gestured toward the maids who’d stopped. I clamped my lips shut as they started unbuttoning my clothes again.
My body shivered from the cold as the clothes fell away from my body. They didn’t even let me keep my underwear. I was stripped naked. While no one stared closely, my cheeks heated up from the humiliation. The only thing I was grateful for was that the burn wounds had healed by last night.
“Come this way,” said one of the maids.
I walked barefoot over rough ground, feeling the chill of the stones creeping into my skin. Four maids accompanied me to a roughly hewn bathtub carved out of the same black stone as the underground chamber. The water reflected the dull surroundings and looked dark as well.
“Step in,” said the maid before me.
I obeyed her command more readily. At least, the water would hide some of my nakedness.
My whole body trembled when my foot touched the water’s surface. It was icy cold. I looked around at the stern faces around me. None of them looked like they cared about my discomfort. My teeth sank into my bottom lip as I climbed inside the tub of freezing water.
I wanted to use the magic Cade just taught me to warm up the water but decided against it. Since this was all part of some ancient ritual, I decided to suck it up. However, my humiliation wasn’t complete yet. The women around me took up washcloths and began wiping my arms, legs, and armpits. I nearly lost my head when one of them swiped the wet cloth inside my pussy lips while another moved it over my buttcrack.
