Whimsy (13 page)

 
Despite
the lack of clothing, she realized, this might be her last opportunity for
escape. The thought of leaving
Gaedrian
behind tore
at her heart, but she had to be realistic. Now that he’d had her,
Gaedrian
would be ready to move on.
Editha
would see to it. Whimsy knew she couldn’t stay here and watch that happen. It
would hurt too much.

 
She
wasn’t sure she could find her way out of the castle. When Dark had given her a
tour, he had not taken her out of the castle other than to visit the gardens.
Whimsy wasn’t even certain that she could fly one of their aircraft. But she
had to try, for she didn’t feel comfortable resting her future in
Editha’s
hands.

 
She
almost gave up before she reached the door. Her thighs were sore, as was her
woman’s core. Her entire body was a mass of unaccustomed aches. He’d ridden her
hard last night. Whimsy shook her head to dispel the images this thought gave
rise to. No time for reminiscing. Barefoot, she made her way to the door.
Locked.
 It never occurred to her that it would be
locked. She was trapped. She gave the doors an experimental shove. They were as
solid as they appeared.

 
She would
have to trust that
Gaedrian
would save her from too
harsh a punishment. Whimsy hoped she wasn’t being foolish by doing so. He’d
never treated her with anything but kindness. Frustrated, she banged her head
against the door. She would have to stay and wait for another opportunity to
escape.

 
In the
meantime, she needed to bathe to rid herself of the soreness from
Gaedrian’s
loving. Whimsy trailed her fingers in the water
of the bathing pool and found it to be surprisingly warm this morning. Fresh
flowers floated on the surface. She must have been dead to the world for the
servants to have come in and done this without waking her.

 
Whimsy
slipped out of the robe and slowly descended the steps that led into the pool.
At the last minute she thought of her hair. She tugged it upwards and wrapped
it into a bun. 

 
Whimsy
was submerged to her neck when the door opened.
Gaedrian
looked to the bed, scowled at seeing it empty, but upon finding her in the pool
his expression softened. He was dressed in all black, and the color played up
the dark hue of his long curls. He looked the same, but something was
different. She couldn’t quite figure out what it was.

 
Whimsy
held her breath as he neared her. Would he take her again? Her body
pulsed
 
at
the
thought, despite the fact that she was in no shape to accept him so soon.

 
“Please
hurry with your bath. I would introduce you to my people.”

 
Whimsy
stilled. Who was he introducing her to? Was this when she learned her new
duties? “I have nothing to wear.”

 
He waved
that aside.  “Clothing will be provided for you.”

 
She
narrowed her eyes suspiciously. “What are you introducing me as?
Your whore?”

 
He
frowned. “What is a whore?”

 
“You
don’t know?”

 
“Obviously
not or I would not have asked.” He shook his head. “You may inform me
later. We have more pressing matters to attend to. Do not worry about
clothing.”

 
She
scrubbed her arms vigorously. “Why not just give me back my clothes?”

 
 
“They were discarded. They are no longer
fitting for your status. Do you require assistance with your bath?”

 
 
“No.” She ducked farther under the water,
though she didn’t know why she should be shy with him. He’d seen, touched, and
tasted practically every inch of her. When she finished she was hesitant to
exit with him still watching her. Perhaps it was because this was the first
time that he was completely clothed while she was bare. “Turn around. Please,”
she added. He smothered a grin but did so. She dashed out of the water
as swiftly as her aching limbs would allow and tugged on the robe. She did
feel better after soaking in the warm water. Her aches weren’t screaming
for attention quite so loudly. At home, she would have bathed in water left out
in the healing rays of Myrna. None knew how the moon’s rays had the powers to
heal. Scientists had been researching it since the Myrna’s gifts were
discovered, but as yet no answers had been found.

 
Gaedrian
turned back to her once she was covered. He
ran a hand down her cheek. His other hand fumbled with her hasty bun, undoing
it. “So lovely,” he murmured as he leaned in and kissed her neck.

 
Whimsy
moaned, easily falling under his spell once more. She’d missed waking in his
arms. The door opened as
Editha
entered without
knocking. “You wanted to see me.” She stopped upon seeing Whimsy in his
room. Her mouth tightened to a thin line. “I specifically recall ordering
you removed.”

 
“And I
said she could stay.”

 
Editha
spared a momentary glare for Whimsy before turning
back to him. “Son, you requested my presence and I assumed it was in reference
to the volunteers.”

 
“In a
way, it is. You may dismiss them.”

 
Editha
glanced at him and then at Whimsy. Her eyes widened
in horror. “No.”

 
“Yes.”

 
Editha
fainted.

 
“Damn,”
Gaedrian
muttered.

 
His
“people,” it seemed, turned out to be half the kingdom. Whimsy had objected
when servants had rushed in en masse to do her hair and dress her. She hadn’t
been so fussed over since the first time they prepared her to meet
Gaedrian
. Now she was glad they had made such an effort.
They’d piled her mass of curls upon her head and found a violet gown that
suited her voluptuous figure and butterscotch skin.

 
When she
entered the meeting hall filled to the brim with people, she would have turned
back if
Gaedrian
hadn’t been at her side. He held her
hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze.

 
A long
oval table took up most of the room. Men and women of advanced years sat at the
table. At one end was a large empty chair with a much taller back than all the
others. She assumed it to be
Gaedrian’s
. At the other
end sat
Editha
in a matching chair. She appeared
resigned. Men and women of varying ages stood around the room. Whimsy spotted
Chaldor
lounging near the back. His grin stretched from ear
to ear. Dark was not present.

 
Gaedrian
stood beside his chair. He raised her hand to his
lips and kissed her fingers. Everyone grew quiet. “Friends, this has been a
long time in coming. It is with great pleasure, that I introduce you to my
fate,
Gaedriana
.” At his pronouncement, there were
several gasps. Stunned applause followed.

 
She was
confused and then embarrassed as he took her in his arms and kissed her in
front of everyone. On C7, public displays were discouraged and punished by law
if judged to be excessive. He kept the kiss light but her body was still so
aware of his that Whimsy was immediately aroused.

 
People
formed a line and took turns congratulating them. There was little chance for
her to ask
Gaedrian
why they were being
congratulated.
Chaldor
greeted her with an
enthusiastic hug. “I knew you would be the one,” he said.

 
“The one
what?” she whispered.

 
“The one
fate
chose.”

 
She
narrowed her eyes at him. “That clears up absolutely nothing.” She wanted to
stomp her foot in frustration as he was jostled away by more well-wishers
before she could get any further answers.

 
She
turned to
Gaedrian
but he was engaged in conversation
with a couple. Suddenly it struck her that this room was filled with men and
women, and that the latter were not reacting to him. While she continued to
feel the pull of her attraction to him, it was not the clawing aggressive
hunger she’d experienced in the past. It was that difference she had noticed in
him this morning. He had been cured.
But how?

 
Editha
cleared her throat, gaining Whimsy’s attention.

 
“It is my
hope that not only can we come to terms with one another, but that we can
become friends. I want you to know that all I did to you was out of love for my
son. You will understand when you have children one day. It evokes a fierce protectiveness
in a mother.”
Editha
hugged her. Whimsy was too
stunned to respond.

 
When they
were finally seated, Whimsy was given the spot vacated by
Editha
.
Strangers were to her left and her right. Everyone treated her graciously.
 

 
Whimsy’s
mind raced to piece together what was going on. Subsequently, she didn’t speak
much during the dinner. She listened to those around her for clues, adding them
to what she already knew.

 
“
Gaedrian
,” she said softly once the doors to his room
closed behind them, “please tell me that I’m wrong in thinking that all those
people tonight know what we did.”

 
“What we
did?”

 
“Don’t
smile at me that way! You know what I’m talking about.” He removed his shirt.
She refused to be distracted and did not lower her eyes below his neck. “Do
they know?”

 
“Yes.”

 
“And they
were congratulating us about it?” She was incredulous. Could their worlds be
any more different?

 
“Yes.”

 
“Why?”

 
“I
explained
fate
to you. You are my
fate.”

 
“How can
you know that? From what I heard, you had a chain of women come through here.”

 
“But you
are the only one to appease my desire. Until you, I could not find pleasure. I
could not be sated.”

 
“All
those women and I was the only one to…please you?”

 
“Yes,” he
said, his full lips curling once more. He began undoing his pants. “You please
me greatly.”

 
She
swallowed at his tone and his words. “Does this mean I can go home now?”

 
“No,” he
said with a sudden scowl. “This means you belong to me now and forever.”

 
“Oh.” Her
heart thumped with excitement. “And you belong to me?”

 
He
nodded. “Yes.”

 
“No more
women?”

 
“No more
women.” His pants dropped and with them so did her gaze. He was impressively
aroused. She wet her lips. Heat unfurled low in her belly and liquid desire
pooled between her thighs. Her breath came in short little pants. Whimsy was
suddenly as hungry for him as she’d ever been.

 
Without
realizing it, she’d crossed the distance between them.
“
Gaedrian
.”
Her voice was barely above a whisper but
it was full of want.

 
“Dessert,”
he said, taking her in his arms and covering her mouth with his own. His kiss
was deep but slow and gentle. He kissed her neck fervently. She moaned and
arched into the heat of his mouth when he nibbled her hardened nipples through
her gown. He undressed her slowly. She hadn’t been given panties, so once the
dress was gone, she was bare.
Gaedrian
ran his finger
over the back of her moist nether lips and groaned. “I regret my rough
treatment of you last night.” She hissed as his finger slid over her clit with
a teasing light touch. “So wet, so slippery,” he groaned. “My pussy,” he said
and plunged a finger inside without warning. She cried out and gripped his
bulging biceps.

 
He kissed
her again, his tongue taking her mouth in the same rhythm with which his finger
invaded her pussy. Whimsy melted in his arms. She was on the verge of an orgasm
when he stopped kissing her. “I plan to treat my pussy much better tonight,” he
said against her mouth. She could only whimper in response. If he treated her
much better, she’d expire from it.

 
He lifted
her and carried her to the bed, arranging her with her legs wide open. He
mounted her, his cock nestling at her portal. He balanced his weight on his
elbows.
“So beautiful, Dessert.
Beyond description,”
he murmured, his eyes scanning her face, neck and full bosom. He rained soft
kisses over her forehead, nose, cheeks, and lips.
Gaedrian
sucked her lower lip into his mouth and gave it a tiny nip before moving on to
her neck and ears.