Tales of Enchantment 1: The Question of Royalty

by Kai Andersen

  He leaned his forehead against her. “You’re everything I’ve dreamed of in a woman,” his eyes melted back to the dark blue that was stormy desire, “and I’m still aching for you. I want to bury my cock in you, like this ...”

  He rose and straddled her, pushing her breasts together and making a tunnel of her cleavage. Before she guessed what he was doing, he had plunged his cock into the tight tunnel. His head thrown back, he closed his eyes and gave a sigh of pleasure as he thrust, the bumps and ridges of his cock creating friction against the softness of her breasts.

  Serena went wild with longing. Her pussy became wetter and her belly ached, tightening with tension and want and hunger. She saw his cock pushing in and then withdrawing from between her breasts, and she wanted it in her. Lifting her head a little, she licked at the head of his cock whenever it came near her mouth, managing a few swirls before he withdrew it again.

  “Yes, that’s so good, Serena. This is how I would move in you, sweetheart. I can thrust slowly, like this ...” He slowed his thrusts and pushed in as far as he could, his balls coming up against the under slopes of her breasts, allowing her enough time to lick and suck on his cock. A few drops of pre-cum slid out and disappeared into her mouth. “... and we’d have a leisurely ride.”

  “Or I can do it fast, like this.” His pace increased, his breath growing more labored as he half lifted from her body to facilitate his pumping motion.

  Serena could now hardly taste his cock before it had withdrawn, yet for all the activity that was happening between her breasts, it was the place between her thighs that ached and yearned to be filled. She writhed restlessly on the bed, her movements becoming more frantic as Frederick’s thumbs flicked against her nipples relentlessly. She bucked violently on the bed, almost throwing him off as he came, spurting his seed on her face and throat.

  Tumbling off her, he inserted two fingers into her hot depths, imitating his earlier frantic thrusts. She welcomed him, her vagina walls clinging and her tight channel opening to make way for his invading fingers. She groaned as his fingers withdrew and pushed in. Over and over. Her hips rose to meet him.

  His mouth fastened onto her nipple as he continued the rhythm with his fingers. Serena gasped at the double assault, the fire rampaging out of control. The pressure in her belly tightened and then relaxed as waves of pleasure washed over her, her muscles contracting urgently around his fingers.

  Frederick withdrew his fingers and traced them around her lips. Opening her eyes, she looked at him as she opened her mouth and sucked his fingers dry, tasting her own juices.

  “Sweet ...” Frederick’s eyes darkened as he whispered.

  “Yes.”

  Chapter Thirteen

  Frederick couldn’t sleep. He had left Serena’s bedchamber after another exploration of bodies that had culminated in another orgasm for the two of them. Upon reaching his own small sitting room, he paced the floor until it was time for the sun to be high up in the sky. Only, there was no sun but a dark gray overcast that still brought rain. The wind seemed to howl with lesser force however, and the thunder hadn’t been heard all night.

  He had fallen in love.

  Frederick would have liked it better if such a realization was accompanied by booming thunder since it was storming and all that, but it was not to be. It was a quiet recognition that had crept up on him in the stillness of the night.

  He was fully aware that he desired Serena. Ever since he had met her, he had thought of nothing else but the myriad ways in which he was going to possess her, the different places where he was going to make love to her. Their mutual attraction was so strong that it sizzled in the air whenever they were together. Anybody would have been blind not to see it. He knew for a fact that even self-centered Giselda had known how he felt.

  But it was more than that.

  Perhaps he had the Goddess to thank for leading Serena to the lodge, and more so for her enforced stay. In the past few days, he had grown to admire her knowledge and wit, her cunning and strong sense of self-preservation, her honesty and outspokenness, her compassion and even her kindness toward Giselda, who had been anything but kind to her. She was also full of courage; what young woman would sneak away from her father’s house to brave a strange world in order to escape a marriage she didn’t want? And to arrange it so that there would be a happy solution all around, albeit temporary. Once again, Frederick laughed at her ingenuity.

  The thought of growing old with her excited him. He was sure he would never be bored with her, sure that she would continue to excite him ten, twenty, fifty years from now.

  He wanted to marry her. Hadn’t his father, the king, been after him to marry for some time now? The only problem was, Serena didn’t want to marry him. He frowned, remembering her vehement response.

  He paced some more, trying to recall their exact conversation. She’d said “no” because ...

  He paced back and forth across the room. He stopped as enlightenment filled him. His face cleared.

  She thought that he only desired her body, which was what he was obsessed with at first. He hadn’t yet realized that though he was attracted to her outer covering, it was her inner characteristics that had maintained his interest all this while. And when her outer beauty faded with the passage of time, it would be her inner beauty that ensured he would never regret the choice he made.

  Once he explained how blinded he had been and declared his true feelings for her, she would surely accept him. Wouldn’t she?

  Yes, of course she would. He was offering her everything she said she wanted: a man who loved her and who wanted to make a family with her. And he was sure -- very sure -- that she felt the same way toward him, at least in the physical sense.

  The thought of a green-eyed, fiery-haired little girl running around in the castle made him smile -- a foolish besotted smile, he was certain.

  Buoyed with excitement, he sat down at his writing desk to write a letter to his father, informing him of his impending marriage to a lovely girl. He was sure his father would be overjoyed as well.

  Yes, he’d send a messenger on his fastest horse to the castle as soon as the storm blew over. Then he and Serena would journey after him at a more sedate pace, ready to receive his father and king’s blessings on the union once they arrived.

  “This is a surprise. Hard at work so early in the day?”

  His stepmother had entered without his knowing. He must not have closed the door properly after coming in from Serena’s bedroom. Frederick stood up and bowed. “Good morning, Stepmother.”

  The queen looked at him critically. “There’s something different about you today.” Her eyes drifted down to the desk. “Writing to your father?”

  “Yes.”

  “What news is there so urgent that you couldn’t wait until you see him?” Her nose wrinkled in distaste. “Surely, this infernal rain will be gone soon.”

  “I’m sorry you have to be trapped in here with us. You shouldn’t have come in the first place.”

  “But I had to. Your father has been so worried about you; he wanted me to talk to you and help you make up your mind regarding your marriage.”

  By thrusting Giselda at him. It would be his pleasure to inform the queen that her ploy hadn’t worked.

  “As a matter of fact, I have already chosen my bride.” Even as the words left his mouth, he questioned the wisdom of his intended revelation.

  “Yes?” The queen asked, her eyes eager and expectant.

  “You have to promise me, Stepmother, not to breathe a word of it to anyone. I’ve only just made my decision, and I haven’t even asked my intended this most important question yet.”

  “Of course she’ll say yes.”

  “How would Your Majesty know?” Frederick pretended uncertainty, knowing exactly what she meant and whom she was referring to.

  “I mean, you’re the prince of one of the mightiest and richest kingdoms. Not only that, but you’re young and strong, able to father many healthy babies
. Any sane girl would love to have you for her husband.”

  He made a face. “I don’t think I like being sought after for my wealth and reproductive capacity. But because you thought so highly of me, I’ll take you into my confidence. Stepmother, I’ve decided to ask ...” The queen hung onto his next words with bated breath, though she tried to keep her excitement under a cool dignified exterior. “... Serena to be my bride.”

  “How wonderful!” Her eyes lit up with joy. As the full import of his words sank in, her brow furrowed with dismay. “Serena?”

  He nodded. “Yes.”

  “Why?”

  “Surely you know why.” He deliberately let her think it was just sexual. His love was all too new to be announced yet, especially as he hadn’t yet declared it to the one who deserved to hear it first.

  Her eyes widened with shock. “But -- but you have to marry a real princess.”

  “I’ve decided it doesn’t matter anymore.” If he married the woman he loved, would that not honor his mother’s last wish? He didn’t see why he had to explain to anybody else.

  “But it should!” Desperation was etched on her face. “An oath is very sacred. Once you break it, no one will believe you anymore.” When he just laughed, she continued, rushing through her words, “Frederick, if you’ll just allow me, I know of a test which we can put Serena through to determine if she’s really a princess. If she is, you can marry her with my blessings. If she’s not, I think I owe it to your dead mother to speak on her behalf.”

  My foot, he thought in disgust. Just because she was queen didn’t mean that she was fit to speak on his mother’s behalf. But he knew that if he didn’t give in, she’d never let the matter rest. It would mean that Serena wouldn’t have an easy life after their wedding, if the queen kept on harping about it. So, strictly for Serena’s sake, he decided to go along with her -- for the moment.

  “All right. What’s on your mind?”

  “You must first promise not to speak to either Serena or your father about this before we’ve proven whether Serena’s a real princess or not.”

  How did it come about that she’s giving him conditions? But to maintain the peace in the family after his wedding ...

  “Agreed.”

  “I’ve heard it said that the skin of a real princess is very soft and very sensitive. If we place a small pea beneath her mattress and if Serena’s a real princess, she should be able to feel it and not sleep a wink tonight. Tomorrow morning, we shall judge from her reaction if she was able to pass the test.”

  Frederick scoffed. “That’s just an old wives’ tale. No one can have skin that sensitive.”

  “Not so!” She was quick to refute him. “I’ve heard it said that a thousand years ago, the then King of Lazvinium had thrown a ball for his son, and every eligible princess in the world was invited. The crafty old king had made it a weeklong celebration. Hence, the princesses were obliged to stay for that span of time at the palace.”

  “Let me guess. He placed a pea under each of their beds and the next morning, the princess who hadn’t been able to sleep a wink was chosen to be the prince’s bride.”

  The queen sniffed. “It happened as you said. The king even had his servants place six additional mattresses on top of the original bedding.”

  Frederick whistled. “That must be really sensitive skin, to feel the imprint of a tiny pea beneath all those mattresses.”

  “Unfortunately, all the princesses complained of having something hard underneath their mattresses the next morning.”

  He laughed. “The king must have been in quite a fix.”

  “He was. He didn’t know what to do after that. Then, as the princesses were having a picnic in the garden, a strong gust of wind blew and rattled all the leaves from the trees. The leaves fell on the princesses, and one princess was heavily injured from having the leaves fall on her.”

  “Really?” Frederick was plainly skeptical. “Leaves can do that much injury? Perhaps a branch had hit her as the leaves were falling.”

  “No branch was recorded in Lazvinium’s annals.”

  “And I suppose you’ve read each one of them.”

  “Believe what you will. But the pea test is the one that I propose. I wouldn’t want you to marry a fake princess and break your oath.”

  “As long as we agreed that if Serena passed this test, you would give this union your blessings. And no further tests.”

  “Agreed.”

  “All right. Do what you have to.”

  Chapter Fourteen

  That night, after the entertainment in the music room, Serena traipsed happily to her bedchamber, wondering if Frederick would come to her again tonight. The queen had joined them for dinner, something she hadn’t done for the past few nights, and she seemed full of suppressed excitement. Giselda was the same as usual, doing all she could to draw Frederick’s attention. But Serena wouldn’t let that thought get in the way, not now, when she was looking forward to Frederick’s night-time visit. Rodin was silent. He usually was, preferring to blend in with the background rather than call attention to himself. But then, that was the way with bodyguards. Then she thought no more about it as the image of Frederick came into her mind.

  Last night was ... indescribable. She hadn’t known such pleasure was possible. As she recalled their activities, her pussy pooled hot with her juices. She remembered how she had tasted and how he had tasted, and she shivered, with longing, with desire.

  She wished Frederick would come to her tonight.

  A thought came to her, and she smiled wickedly.

  Maybe she would go to him.

  Serena entered her bedroom and gaped open-mouthed as she stopped short in the doorway. The mattresses on her bed now stood a little above her head. She wondered how she was supposed to climb up when she noticed a ladder standing beside her bed.

  She closed the door and frowned. So this was what the servants were about this afternoon. Presumably, they’d been busy stripping the other beds of their mattresses and placing them on her bed. But she didn’t need any extra mattresses. She hadn’t complained of any hardness or bumps or springs or whatever. So why did they feel they needed to pile her bed more than four feet high with mattresses?

  She inched closer and counted the mattresses. One, two, three, four, five ... eleven, twelve ... eighteen, nineteen, twenty. Twenty! What was she supposed to do with twenty mattresses?

  She supposed she should be grateful the canopy was so high, else she wondered how she would be able to sleep on her bed tonight.

  Frowning, she suddenly remembered something odd.

  The cook’s assistants were in a dither this afternoon because they couldn’t find any peas either in the cupboard or in the stock room. She’d gone to the kitchen to help out, since Frederick seemed to be busy somewhere, and heard one of the assistants whispering that they had to find one or else the queen would have their heads. She hadn’t paid it much attention, assuming that the queen just wanted some pea soup for dinner. When she’d offered to help search in the Supply Room, the Senior Assistant Chef had given her a strange look, thanked her for her offer, and told her to continue rolling the dough.

  At the table that evening, there hadn’t been pea soup for dinner, so she’d assumed that the assistants hadn’t been able to find the peas. She’d hoped that their heads wouldn’t roll however, and said as much to the queen, who’d given her a strange look.

  Now, Serena’s eyes narrowed.

  Legend had it that the skin of a princess was so soft that she would feel the imprint of a tiny pea even under a mound of mattresses.

  Her eyes trailed up the mattresses.

  So, they meant to test her, huh? She hoped maliciously that the queen and Giselda and Frederick would find their beds hard to sleep on tonight.

  Knowing that Frederick wouldn’t come to her tonight, Serena prepared herself for bed. The maid came in a little while later to help her. Her preparations done and the candle extinguished, Serena climbed the ladder, fl
opped onto her twenty-mattress bed and slept.

  * * * * *

  The next day as they were having breakfast, Serena made a show of yawning and stretching her body, as if to drive out all the kinks. She knew such an exercise would also draw Frederick’s eyes to her curves, so she gave it everything she had. She was wearing one of the dresses that Giselda had lent her, and it would really serve him right if her breasts fell out. She hadn’t forgiven him for allowing the little test last night, yet she hoped that he’d ache enough to come to her again tonight.

  She missed him last night, the cur.

  As she had lain on her twenty mattresses, she realized a painful truth. She loved him. Him -- Frederick. Despite the fact that he didn’t love her, despite the fact that he wanted only her body, despite her resolve to love only a man who loved her, she had fallen deeply and irrevocably in love with him.

  How else to explain her fascination with him, her admiration for his knowledge and quick mind, her respect for his obvious regard for his father’s subjects and his strength of character? It might also explain why she wanted to be with him at all hours of the day, be it to talk with him, to laugh with him or even just to see him.

  The queen’s voice startled her out of her thoughts, bringing her back to the present and to the role that she was supposed to be playing. Only, her body really ached and her eyes were gritty from lack of sleep.

  “What’s the matter, Serena?” The queen asked solicitously, a worried frown between her brows as her eyes lingered on the dark circles under Serena’s eyes.

  “Your Majesty, I’m glad you asked. Something’s wrong with my bed,” Serena hoped she looked pitiful and delicate, “I couldn’t sleep last night; it felt as if something was under all those mattresses.”

  The queen paled. “Are you sure, Serena? Could it be because your mattress is a bit thin?”

  So, she’s pretending she hadn’t anything to do with the fact that my bed was five feet high. “Oh, no, Your Majesty. My bed last night was twenty mattresses high.”