Royally Trained

by Diana Ames

  “Don’t you go into that whorehouse, Mellissandra. You are my daughter, and I know you are not a whore,” she said.

  Mellissandra wished she could find the strength her mother was showing at this moment.

  “Call me when you get settled, but make sure you call when your father is at work.”

  “Thanks, Mother,” Mellissandra said as she opened the truck door. A hand on her arm stopped her momentarily.

  “I love you, Mellissandra. And I love my grandbaby who’s inside you right now. I will find a way for you to come back home.”

  Mellissandra slammed the rusty truck door until it finally latched and then grabbed her bags from the truck bed. She moved to the side of the road and watched as her mother backed up and turned around. As her mother pulled away, Mellissandra lifted her fingers in a hesitant wave. She watched her mother drive away until she couldn’t see the taillights. Then, Mellissandra turned and began walking the long road into the heart of the next village. She had to find a job and a place to live.

  ***

  Mellissandra was ready to drop. She didn’t know how long or far she’d been walking, but with every step she took, the bag she was carrying felt like another brick was being tossed in. She’d worked almost twelve hours before coming home only to be thrown out in the street. The two-hour drive in the truck had been silent but tense, so no rest had been found there. She knew the lack of sleep along with the emotional upheaval she’d been going through were also playing a part in her fatigue.

  Just when she was thinking about stepping off the road and sleeping in some bushes, Mellissandra saw a light roughly twenty yards in front of her. Squinting her eyes, she tried to figure out if it was the coming dawn, a street lamp, or a building. She was too tired to tell exactly what she was seeing. Putting a little extra oomph in her step, Mellissandra hurried to what she prayed was a motel.

  When she came up to the building, she nearly fell to her knees with relief. It wasn’t a motel, but it was a large building, perhaps a rooming house. She hoped that even if it weren’t a place with rooms for rent, the owner would be kind enough to let her get some rest there.

  Stepping onto the porch, Mellissandra looked for a sign to indicate if it was a boarding house. Seeing nothing, her hopes fell a little flat. Being so tired, she wasn’t giving up without at least ringing the bell. She knew that it had to be at least four in the morning, but she hoped whoever answered the door was either a night owl or a very early riser.

  Mellissandra rang the bell once and stepped back to wait. After a solid five minutes, she rang the bell again…and again…and again. Frustration and exhaustion were beginning to overwhelm her. Directly in front of the door, she plopped down with her bag and began to weep.

  “Do you know what time of the night it is?” an annoyed voice asked her. “People are trying to sleep around here, don’t ya know?”

  Mellissandra looked up to see a woman wrapped in a silk robe, standing in the now open door.

  “Well, aren’t you a sight?” the woman said. “Come in, child. Good God, it’s freezing out here, and you look like you’re about to die on my porch.”

  Thankful to be invited inside, Mellissandra stood up quickly, but she’d forgotten about the morning sickness, and apparently, the baby thought it was morning. The fast motion made her sway on her feet as she threw a hand over her mouth. Running to the banister, she managed to throw up on the flower bushes lining the house.

  “Are you sick, child?” the woman asked, stepping outside. “I can’t have any illness in here now.”

  “I’m not sick,” Mellissandra choked out. “I’m pregnant.”

  “Well, come inside then. This cold air ain’t good for an expecting mother,” the woman said. She grabbed Mellissandra’s bag and took her by the arm, leading her into the large house.

  “Do you have any rooms for rent?” Mellissandra asked. “Even for just one night?”

  The woman gustily laughed. “Honey, don’t you know where you are? All of my rooms are for rent. Although, most only go for an hour or so.”

  Mellissandra went pale at the woman’s words. She knew where she was now. She’d found her way to the whorehouse located just over the border between the villages. She didn’t know how she’d managed to get herself into these situations, but her mind and body had been through enough. Mellissandra fainted.

  ***

  When Mellissandra came to, she was in a soft, fluffy bed. For a moment, she forgot everything that had happened in the last twenty-four hours. She awoke, thinking she was at home, but as she opened her eyes, the sight that greeted her made her want to slam her eyes shut again.

  The first thing she saw was her reflection staring back at her from a large mirror hanging over the bed. Quickly looking away, she was slightly disturbed by the image of her lying in a bed with black sheets on it. The rest of the room was just as bad. The walls were painted black and draped with red curtains. Pictures of naked women of various sizes and shapes adorned the room.

  As she sat up, the events of the past day came rushing back to Mellissandra. She was in the famous whorehouse on the border. She had passed out in the famous whorehouse on the border. She was in bed in the famous whorehouse on the border. Nausea threatened to overtake her, and Mellissandra wasn’t so sure it was morning sickness this time.

  Fighting the urge to vomit, Mellissandra looked over her body. Although her shoes had been removed and the first few buttons of her shirt were undone, she was still fully dressed. She felt relieved that, for the moment anyway, she was unmolested.

  There was a light knock on the door. As a head popped in, Mellissandra shot up from the bed. She was ready to defend herself should the need arise, but it was the woman from last night or this morning or whenever. Mellissandra had no idea how long she’d been out.

  “Oh good,” the woman said. “You’re up. I hope you’re feeling better after some sleep.”

  Mellissandra eyed the woman suspiciously. The woman was wearing a pair of jeans with holes in the knees and a loose T-shirt. Her hair was in a knot on the top of her head, and she wore no makeup. She seemed kind enough, but Mellissandra had been taught all her life that this type of woman was bad. Even though her own father had called her a whore, she found it hard to toss aside nineteen years of upbringing.

  “Yes,” Mellissandra said warily. “Thank you for your kindness and for taking care of me while I was indisposed.” Her speech was formal and stiff.

  “Relax, honey,” the woman said with a laugh. “No one here is going to hurt you. I have plenty of willing women here for any and every kind of desire. There’s no need to bother an unwilling one, especially a pregnant one to boot.” She kindly smiled at Mellissandra. “You must be hungry by now. You’ve been asleep for about ten hours. Follow me, and we’ll get you something to eat.”

  “Actually,” Mellissandra said with a blush, “I really need a toilet. Some soap and water would be pretty nice as well.”

  ***

  Twenty minutes later, Mellissandra felt more put together and better equipped to handle whatever today would throw at her. She stuffed her dirty clothes down the side of her bag and swooped it up into her arms. It felt much lighter now that she’d had some rest.

  Stepping into the hallway, Mellissandra’s jaw dropped at the sight of the man leaning against the wall. He was apparently waiting for her. Her eyes traveled from his mammoth feet up to his tree-trunk legs and then to his barrel chest. Then, her head tipped back until she was almost looking at the ceiling to see his enormous bald head sitting directly on his shoulders with no neck in sight. Eyes wide, she snapped her jaw shut and gulped. If he chose to attack her, there was no way she could defend herself against this giant masquerading as a man.

  “Food is ready,” the man said, his voice a deep, smooth baritone.

  As he began walking, Mellissandra was shocked at how light his footsteps were. She could hardly believe that every footfall didn’t make a loud thump and crash through the floor. He turned to loo
k at her as she just stood there, staring at him.

  He let out a low chuckle. “Well come on, Red,” he said to her. “Even if you’re not hungry, I’d bet the little one in your belly sure is.”

  Shaking herself out of her shocked stupor, Mellissandra jogged to catch up with the man. She kept telling herself she had to get it together. If not for herself, then she had to do it for her child. Step one was getting out of this whorehouse.

  ***

  Gilly stared out of her office window, frustrated and tired of waiting for Anton to realize that he needed her. She had barely seen him in the past month, and even when she had seen him, he was distant. They hadn’t shared one kiss, not a single caress or even a meaningful meeting of eyes. Gilly knew if she wanted to be with Anton again it would have to be before she revealed she was pregnant. Because once she told him that, it was only a matter of time before she wouldn’t be able to show him her naked body.

  She’d convinced Jenalynn not to abort the fetus, not that she had a choice in the matter. As if I would allow that blonde twit to abort my child! Gilly had told Jenalynn that it was murder and not just murder of the unborn baby. She’d explained to Jenalynn that she would likely die as a result of the surgery. Gilly still couldn’t believe just how gullible people really were, but she knew that it was better if Jenalynn agreed to go along with things the way Gilly planned. Too much stress on top of her injuries could put the baby in jeopardy.

  Medical staff had eventually stopped asking questions about the damaged blonde woman. They had fallen into a routine of leaving Jenalynn’s food trays, linens, and medical supplies outside the isolation room door. It was as if they’d forgotten an actual person was in the room. Of course, that suited Gilly just fine.

  Gilly was roused out of her thoughts by Anton’s voice coming from the speaker on her phone. She had been playing her messages, though not really listening to them. She was slightly offended by the fact that Anton had left her a message instead of coming to talk to her personally.

  “…just wanted you to know before the memo went out to all the staff,” Anton’s voice said before a beep ended the message.

  She hit the replay button to listen to the whole message.

  “Hi, Gilly, uh…I was calling to tell you that, uh…Damian and I will be taking a trip to visit some of the villages surrounding the castle. I am going to officially acknowledge Damian as my brother during these visits. I just wanted you to know before the memo went out to all the staff.”

  Gilly hit the button to disconnect from her voicemail. He’s leaving the castle for an extended period of time? He’s going to acknowledge his bastard brother, the same brother who’d pulled him away from me for the last month? With these thoughts, Gilly saw red. She knew Damian was behind this, and she wasn’t about to let him get away with it.

  ***

  “You’re my brother, Anton. You recognize that fact, and I recognize that fact. I couldn’t care less what others know or think about our relationship,” Damian told him. He was completely sober for the first time since he’d kicked Mellissandra out of the castle. “Besides, I own and operate the biggest sex club in the country. I’m a dominant master. Even though I haven’t had a drink today, I’m well on my way to having a serious alcohol problem. Do you really think that makes me princely material?”

  “At least you’re honest about who you are and what you do, Damian. That’s more than can be said for any of the past royals. Hell, that’s more than can be said for me.” Anton wrapped an arm around Damian’s shoulders and urged him toward his apartment. “I’m acknowledging you. You deserve your birthright whether you want it or not, and I deserve to be able to publicly call you brother.”

  “Damn it, Anton,” Damian bit out.

  He hated it when Anton used guilt to get his way. Damian also hated that it worked. Anton had been working so hard to deal with his rage problems that Damian couldn’t say no when it came to anything that would support him in his efforts.

  “I need my brother, Damian,” Anton said quietly.

  “When do we leave?” Damian asked with a heavy sigh.

  “The sooner, the better, brother,” Anton said. “The sooner, the better.”

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  Mellissandra followed the giant for almost five minutes before he opened a swinging door. He showed her into a kitchen that seemed surprisingly normal for a whorehouse. Nothing was gaudy or over the top. It was just a kitchen. A refrigerator, a stove, and a sink ran along one wall while cabinets and counters made their way around the rest of the room. In the center was a table only large enough to seat four.

  “Come in and sit down, honey,” the woman who’d answered the door last night and showed her to the bathing chamber today told her.

  Mellissandra was as shocked by the woman’s appearance than as she was by the seemingly normal kitchen. When she had seen the woman earlier, Mellissandra hadn’t been able to process much of anything. She’d been too wary. But this certainly wasn’t how Mellissandra had expected a whore to look. Nor did she expect an ordinary kitchen in a whorehouse.

  “I’m Walinda,” the woman said, coming over to Mellissandra. Taking her by the arm, the woman led Mellissandra to the tiny table and gently pushed her into a chair. “And you’ve met my husband, Ryan.” Leaning over to Mellissandra, in a fake whisper, she said, “Don’t let his size fool you. He’s got a heart of mush under all those muscles.”

  “I can’t thank you enough for your kindness,” Mellissandra said, getting a grip on herself. She told herself that these people hadn’t hurt her or given her any indication that they would force her to do anything, so she had to stop judging them.

  “Think nothing of it,” Walinda said. “A good deed every now and again is just what the soul needs to keep it from becoming too detached.” With a smile, she put a plate of food in front of Mellissandra. “Now eat, honey, and then you can tell me just how you ended up in this neck of the woods.”

  “I can’t eat this soon after I wake up,” Mellissandra protested, “I’ll just throw it all up.”

  Walinda just waved a hand at her, “I know all the tricks to keeping food in a pregnant belly.”

  “You and that baby need nourishment,” a deep baritone voice chimed. Even the giant was weighing in on the subject of healthy eating.

  Mellissandra decided it was easier to just take a few bites and pray the food stayed down than to argue with these two well-meaning strangers. She picked up the spoon beside her plate and tasted the thick porridge. The food was bland, but it seemed to sit well in her finicky stomach. Suddenly starving, Mellissandra all but inhaled the porridge. When she realized she was behaving like a pig, her cheeks warmed. Two hearty laughs came at the sight of her red face, and wordlessly, Walinda got her another serving of food.

  Mellissandra felt their eyes on her as she plowed her way through her second plate of food, so she forced herself to slow down. She knew they wanted answers, and she figured they were entitled to a few since they did practically save her life. Mellissandra just wasn’t sure how much she wanted to tell them or anyone.

  “Alright, child,” Walinda said when she saw that Mellissandra wasn’t really eating anymore. “I think it’s time for your story, don’t you?” she asked kindly.

  When Mellissandra hesitated, Walinda sighed.

  “How about your name?”

  “Mell…Melanie,” Mellissandra lied. In that instant, she decided that she was going to make a new life, and that started with a new name. “My brother was sick,” Mellissandra said taking a deep breath. “My father was working himself into the ground trying to take care of all of us and Brady’s medical needs. I made a bad choice and ended up pregnant.”

  Mellissandra was not going to explain how she’d applied to be the prince’s life mate, but she did detail her father kicking her out and her mother driving her to the border to drop her off. It was somehow more difficult to talk about Damian’s rejection than it was to talk about her father’s.

  “And
then I just started walking,” Mellissandra told them. “I was so tired, and when I saw the light coming from the house, I wasn’t sure if I was hallucinating.”

  “Seems like fate that you didn’t fix that darn switch, don’t it, Ryan?” Walinda asked wryly. “That light goes on and off when it wants,” she explained to Mellissandra. “Ryan was supposed to fix the switch last weekend, but he never got around to it. If he would have fixed it, the light would have been out.”

  “See, Wally,” Ryan grumbled. “If I would have listened to your nagging, this poor girl would probably be dead in a ditch down the road.”

  “Oh, stuff it, Ryan,” Walinda retorted. “You’ll use anything as an excuse to get out of chores around here. I expect that switch to be fixed before it causes a damn fire. You know those village hypocrites would let us burn to death before dropping their drawers to piss on the flames even though half of them are here every Friday, and the other half are here the rest of the week.”

  With amazement, Mellissandra watched the interaction between the couple. It was obvious that Walinda had no fear of the big man, and he seemed to just smile at her griping. Despite everything Mellissandra had been told along with her instant judgment of them, she realized that these were decent people.

  Turning away from Ryan with a huff, Walinda asked, “What are your plans now, Melanie?”

  “Well, I’m going to walk into the village and hopefully find a place to live and a job. I have some money saved from my waitress job, but I know a kid costs a lot. I want to be the best mother I can be even if I’m learning as I go.”

  Ryan snorted. “Once you start to have a baby belly, the bigoted fools in that village will take one look at you and do nothing but ridicule you.”

  Mellissandra’s head snapped around to look at him. The derision was clear on his massive face. She had never thought she wouldn’t be accepted in another village because she was a young, unwed mother.

  “You’d be better off running until you got out of this old-fashioned country altogether,” Walinda said. “If that prince would get his head out of his ass, maybe things would change. But all he does is hide in his fancy castle, forgettin’ all about us common folk just trying to get by out here.”