The Emerald Prince (7 page)

Victoria gulped as she once again pulled open her heavy gold-plated door. He stood in the center of her sitting room unmoving, except for a slight rise and fall of his chest as he breathed. His bronze skin glistened with oil, and his nails had a silver polish on them. He stared at the floor with his hands clasped at his stomach, leaving his erection, which was tied in a bow, fully exposed.

Slavery was illegal in Entia. Centuries before, a great king declared that all people, being part of the divine, had certain rights. Their freedom being one of those. All Ghas slaves had been set free. But most of Fezam considered slavery a natural part of life. And while a Fezami slave was legally free the moment they stepped on Entian soil, a lifetime of training would keep them from exercising that freedom. Some Entian nobles had taken to keeping Fezami slaves for their amusement and entertainment. Another symptom of a corrupt society in need of change.

Victoria couldn’t imagine who knew so little about her to think this was an appropriate gift but she’d be returning him immediately. “Who do you belong to?”

“This one is the property of Princess Victoria Kalsen, Daughter of Reynard the Great, Keeper of…”

She cut him off. The idea she was the ‘owner’ of another human being made bile form in her throat. “I mean who purchased you.”

“Princess Zariya had me shipped from Nysib. She presented me to the king as a gift for you,” the slave said to the ground.

Victoria burned with fury at the sound of Zariya’s name. As if she hadn’t suffered enough. Her reputation would be further sullied by the gift of a sex slave. The princess asked between clenched teeth. “Where is Zariya?”

“This one last saw her in the king’s chambers when he was presented a few hours ago, my Mistress.”

The princess was taken aback by her new title, but she pushed it aside. Once she gave Zariya her slave back, it wouldn’t matter. She couldn’t believe her father had approved this ‘gift.’ That wasn’t like him at all. He had to have known how angry she would be.

She stormed to her father’s door. Usually, the guards would simply allow her to pass when she wished to enter her father or brother’s chambers fearing
her
wrath more than theirs in these things.

But today, one of the guards stepped in front of the door, blocking her path. She stared at him in confusion.

“I don’t believe Your Highness wishes to enter right now.”

“How dare you! Either move out my way or prepare to explain to the entire court why you’ve attacked your better because that’s what it’ll take to stop me.”

The guard looked to his companion who shrugged, then with a sigh, he stepped out of the way. “I tried to warn you.”

Victoria entered her father’s chambers, but he wasn’t in his sitting room. She checked his bedroom, but he wasn’t there either. It wasn’t until she tried his private gardens that she found him, sitting on a marble bench, holding Zariya in his lap, kissing her passionately.

The princess shrieked as though she had seen the most terrifying monster of her life.

Zariya stared down Victoria with the same lack of shame she had when Victoria had caught her in bed with her brother. “If you’ve come to thank me for my gift, there is no need.” She was still sitting on the king’s lap.

“Thank you? You think I wish to thank you? I’ve come to do the opposite. Take him back. I don’t want him.”

Zariya shrugged. “Fine. I’ll have him taken from your room and destroyed immediately.”

“What do you mean, destroyed?”

“It’s customary in Fezam when a gift is refused to destroy it as a symbol of the selflessness in which it was given.”

“He’s not a bolt of cloth! He’s a person! You can’t just murder him because I won’t participate in your twisted game. Father, tell her you won’t allow it! Not in your kingdom.”

The king looked at Zariya, who lovingly stroked his cheek. “Well, if it’s her tradition.”

Victoria felt dizzy. Something was wrong. Her father would sometimes kill people when it was necessary for the safety of the kingdom. But he wouldn’t allow the murder of a helpless man. He wouldn’t make a spectacle of himself with his son’s former lover. Nothing he’d done for weeks made any sense. Victoria needed to leave. To think about things.

“Please, forget what I’ve said. I’ll keep the boy.”

Zariya smiled brightly. “That pleases me more than you’ll ever know.”

Victoria bowed and backed away slowly. Once she was out of sight, she broke into a full run. She dashed down the hall, practically sliding past Marla’s door when she reached it. She pounded on it. Victoria’s habit of barging into people’s rooms was why Marla started locking her door long ago.

“I told you. I’m not dealing with your naked man,” Marla said from the other side of the door.

“This has nothing to do with that. Let me in.”

The door opened, and Victoria entered, panting. Marla’s room was infinitely smaller than Victoria’s. Nothing but a cot, a desk, and some books. Victoria once offered Marla more lavish quarters, but Marla refused, stating she had everything she needed.

“So, what has you so agitated?” Marla asked, sitting down on her bed and patting the spot next to her for Victoria to sit.

“Did you know about my father and Zariya?”

Marla gripped the princess’s arm. “Are you saying they are lovers?”

Victoria was relieved Marla hadn’t known. She didn’t think she could forgive even her dearest friend if she kept something like that from her. “I saw them together with my own eyes. She’s doing something to my father and probably did something to my brother too.”

Marla shook her head. “Are you sure you didn’t simply misunderstand what you saw? I can’t imagine Zariya behaving like that, and what do you mean ‘did something?’”

“I know you aren’t going to believe me, but I think she’s a witch.”

Marla laughed. “Don’t be silly. If she had magic, the priests would sense it. She wouldn’t have gotten anywhere near court.”

“We don’t know if they can sense magic. Everything the priests do is shrouded in mystery. Maybe they can’t sense magic in adults or maybe Fezami magic is different since they are heathens. I’m telling you. Everyone is behaving so oddly. She must be bewitching them. That’s the only explanation.”

“If people could be bewitched, why hasn’t it happened before? Why is there no record of it?”

“How do you know it’s never happened before? Here, anyone with magic is raised to serve the gods and do good works. There is no telling what a Fezami would do if they had magic. I’m not sure what to do.”

“Absolutely nothing. If you tell the king your suspicions, he’ll think the strain over the past few weeks has driven you mad. Go back to your room. Find pants for your slave, and try to get some rest. I’m sure after you’ve slept for a while, this whole witchcraft notion will seem silly to you. Magic comes from the gods. It makes no sense that someone who doesn’t even believe in the gods would have powers.”

Maybe Marla was right. Maybe her father and her brother were just easily swayed by the woman’s charms. Maybe she didn’t know her family as well as she thought she did. Victoria rose to leave. “Thank you. You’re right. Things have been very stressful lately, and I’m making connections that just aren’t there.”

Marla gave her a sympathetic smile. “Rest well, Your Highness.”

Victoria took a deep breath and headed to her room. What was she going to do with beautiful naked man, whose only desire was to give her sexual pleasure?

She sighed. Life was turning out to be more complicated than she ever imagined.

Chapter Fifteen

The days dragged on as the convoy crawled to the Southern border. The pace was intolerable. Had Elliot and Blaine left on horse, they would have arrived days ago.

They once again stopped to make camp, wasting hours of daylight that they could spend traveling, simply because there were so many of them. And because Elliot and Blaine were traveling with them, they had to spend extra time and effort assuring their comfort.

“At this rate, the battle will be over by the time we arrive!” Elliot flung his hand forward in disgust.

Blaine sat in the tent with his boot covered feet resting on the table, trying to hide his bemused expression. “Don’t worry, I’m sure Storm's Edge will be able to hold out until we arrive. It’s very well fortified.”

“If they didn’t need help, they wouldn’t have called for reinforcements.”

“Charles Luir is a competent commander. I’m sure he’ll be able to hold the castle until we arrive.”

“And what if he doesn’t? What about the people on the other side? It’s our duty to go and help. It’s not like the army needs us with them. They know how to follow a road without our guidance. But at the castle, they could use us. Two extra swords. Two extra strategists!”

Blaine walked behind Elliot, wrapping his arms around his waist. “You just want to be in a battle, don’t you?”

Elliot pushed him away. “Stop treating me as if I am a child.” Of course he wanted to be in a battle. He had trained his entire life for such a thing and had never once been truly tested. Blaine took his heroism for granted. It was expected of him, and so it’s what he did. But Elliot had a different burden. Everything was so freely given to him, and he knew in his heart he’d done nothing to earn any of it. But he wanted to. He wanted so badly to be more than a toy prince in a paper crown.

“Forgive me. I didn’t mean to offend you.” Blaine bowed his head in apology, which frustrated Elliot even more. He hated how people would grovel before him. How they would make themselves smaller because they didn’t believe him to be big enough.

I want him to respect
me
, not my title.
“Tell me why you love me.”

Blaine’s brow creased. “Pardon?”

He spoke sweet words as well as any poet, but they were empty, meaningless. “You claim that you love me. And that’s the reason you asked for my hand over my sister’s. Well, what is it about me you love?”
My wealth? My crown?

“Your obstinacy.”

Elliot cocked his head to the side. “You love me because I’m obstinate?”

Blaine nodded. “It’s easy to love you because of light in your eyes, or the taste of your lips. Who wouldn’t love your outspokenness or your wit? But I find I’m most drawn to you when you’re being a pigheaded brat.” The knight closed the distance between them. The heat coming off his body was distracting.

Elliot could barely manage to say, “I don’t think you can call your future sovereign a pigheaded brat.”

Blaine rested his hands on Elliot’s hips, his face lowering towards Elliot’s mouth. “Then let me do what I can to earn your forgiveness.” Their lips met, and Blaine slipped his tongue into Elliot’s mouth. He was so warm. Elliot entwined his fingers in the knight’s dark curls, holding on to him as Blaine kissed a path down his neck, baring his shoulder.

“Do you really mean it? About earning my forgiveness?”

Blaine stopped and met Elliot’s gaze, his dark brown eyes seeming to flicker in the light. “Ask for it, and it’s yours.”

“I want to sneak away from the convoy and head to Storm's Edge on our own.”

The knight released him. Elliot suddenly felt cold in his absence. “Are you insane? If the Ghas have taken the fort by the time we arrived, then we could be walking into a hostage situation, or worse, we could be killed.”

Elliot wasn’t in the mood to fight. He had more pressing concerns than getting to Storm’s Edge. He pulled Blaine into his arms and pressed his concerns firmly against his thigh.

“What are you doing?” Blaine asked as Elliot kissed his neck.

“The same thing you were a minute ago when there was nothing to worry about and the fort would hold. Now that it suits your arguments, the place has already been taken. Clearly this isn’t a disagreement that’s going to be settled with words.” Elliot slipped his hand under Blaine’s shirt, running his fingernails down the knight’s chest.

Blaine groaned in response. “But I told you that I wouldn’t consummate the marriage. Not until you tell me what made you cry on our wedding night.”

“I’m not ready to talk about it. But don’t worry. There are a great many things I can do to you that won’t cause the marriage to be consummated.”

Their eyes met, and Elliot could almost see the fantasies playing in his mind. The knight’s resistance broke, and he began kissing and caressing Elliot with renewed fervor.

The prince closed his eyes, yielding to the pleasure he knew Blaine’s touch would bring. A twinge of guilt ran through him as he thought of Zariya. Not because of his feelings for her, but because how easy it was to forget. Everyday his love for her grew smaller, almost as if it were a dream. Some sort of fog he’d been in.

Nothing about Zariya blazed in his thoughts the way Blaine did. The knight’s smile. His swagger. His unquestionable devotion. Elliot wasn’t ready to say he was in love. But he could see how it would be easy to fall. Was his heart really so inconstant? Could it be changed so easily? It was as if Blaine bewitched him with every kiss, demolishing his defenses.

The room spun as he and Blaine pushed and pulled against each other, tearing clothes, letting the scraps fall where they may. Elliot landed on the furs with Blaine hovering over him. The knight’s skin glowed in the torchlight. He was like the sun.
This is why love belongs to fire. He’ll consume me if I let him.

But Elliot wouldn’t give in so easily. Blaine was the better fighter, the more experienced soldier. He even controlled the fate of their marriage by refusing to consummate it, but Elliot couldn’t just roll over and let Blaine take control of their relationship and the kingdom with it. Every time Blaine recognized Elliot’s authority as the future king, it was a superficial act, bowing in false humility as if placating a child. The knight needed to learn his place.

I’ll show him obstinate.

Chapter Sixteen

Blaine’s eyes went wide with shock as Elliot pushed him onto the furs and climbed on top of him. Blaine didn’t understand the sudden change, but he was certainly fine with it. Elliot grabbed Blaine’s wrists and pinned his hands over his head as they kissed.