the thin fabric hugging her full breasts and narrow
waist to perfection. Hair so blonde to be almost white framed a heart-shaped
face. Her skin was the color of alabaster, pale enough for Nelina to make out a
few fine veins beneath the surface. Even her eyes were odd. Jade green flecked
with sparks of amber, they seemed much too wise for a face so young.
“I’m sorry,” the woman said. She leaned on a black staff
finely etched with jagged runes. At its top, an orb hovered in an outstretched
palm, claws wrapping over its smooth pearl surface.
Magic seemed to envelop this mysterious visitor even while
it emanated from her every pore. She wore it as she would a cloak, with comfort
and ease. The sight of that much power and grace stole Nelina’s breath.
“For what?” She’d meant the question to come out firm and
authoritative, but it echoed as a breathless whisper instead.
“For this.” The woman raised her hand and gestured around
her, indicating the room, the castle, maybe even all of Aris. “For bringing you
here.”
“You… You’re…” This time, words failed her entirely.
“Call me Vida.”
As much as the day’s events had exhausted her, a jolt of
adrenaline surged through Nelina’s veins. “Why are you here? Haven’t you
meddled in my life enough?”
As soon as the questions were out of her mouth, she
instantly regretted them. She flinched, expecting a swift magical rebuff—maybe
a bolt of lightning or a gust of air strong enough to lift her off her feet and
slam her against the opposite wall. She received neither.
Instead of being insulted, one of the most powerful women in
all of Aris laughed, the genuine sound imbuing the cold room with an immediate
warmth. “No wonder he loves you.”
Nelina instantly stiffened. The careless remark stung much
more than it should have. She averted her gaze, fighting to ignore the stinging
ache behind her eyelids. “Don’t pretend to know anything about me, because you
don’t. Or about Kirel for that matter.”
Vida lifted a pale eyebrow. “Are you really so sure about
that?”
“If you were truly as good as everyone thinks you are, you’d
know that the Tradition was wrong when it chose me. I can’t mate with your
king. I won’t mate with your king.”
Blonde eyelashes swept down, hiding Vida’s eyes. For a
moment, Nelina thought she’d caught a glimpse of sadness in those ethereal
orbs.
“He’s your king too,” Vida pointed out gently.
“Only because the Tradition says he is. I refuse to bow down
to a man who chooses his mate based on some random universal force.”
There was no mistaking the pain in Vida’s eyes when her head
came up. “You think he has any more choice in this than you do? We’re all
servants in our own way. Some more than others. You, the king, me…even Kirel.
We’re all following a path that’s been laid out for us. One we’re helpless to
change.”
Nelina crossed her arms beneath her breasts. “None of us are
helpless. We have the ability to make choices. We’re not mindless, heartless
drones like other beings in the universe! We’re Arisian!”
“Precisely! The Tradition has protected us for millennia.
Who are we to go against its wishes now?”
Nelina didn’t answer. She strode to one side of the room
where a massive bed took up the majority of the space. The servants had draped
its broad form in rich velvet for the night, clearly believing that plain
sheets weren’t good enough for what was to come.
Just the thought of the training sent a fiery jolt to her
pussy. A drop of cream slid down her inner thigh. She was grateful for the
voluminous skirt that wouldn’t be easily stained from the inside of the heavy
folds. Her clothes had been washed sometime in the night and had been returned
to her, since she refused to wear anything else the servants had provided. The
closet that stood against the far wall groaned under the weight of a dozen
bejeweled gowns but she’d barely glanced at them.
“They
waist to perfection. Hair so blonde to be almost white framed a heart-shaped
face. Her skin was the color of alabaster, pale enough for Nelina to make out a
few fine veins beneath the surface. Even her eyes were odd. Jade green flecked
with sparks of amber, they seemed much too wise for a face so young.
“I’m sorry,” the woman said. She leaned on a black staff
finely etched with jagged runes. At its top, an orb hovered in an outstretched
palm, claws wrapping over its smooth pearl surface.
Magic seemed to envelop this mysterious visitor even while
it emanated from her every pore. She wore it as she would a cloak, with comfort
and ease. The sight of that much power and grace stole Nelina’s breath.
“For what?” She’d meant the question to come out firm and
authoritative, but it echoed as a breathless whisper instead.
“For this.” The woman raised her hand and gestured around
her, indicating the room, the castle, maybe even all of Aris. “For bringing you
here.”
“You… You’re…” This time, words failed her entirely.
“Call me Vida.”
As much as the day’s events had exhausted her, a jolt of
adrenaline surged through Nelina’s veins. “Why are you here? Haven’t you
meddled in my life enough?”
As soon as the questions were out of her mouth, she
instantly regretted them. She flinched, expecting a swift magical rebuff—maybe
a bolt of lightning or a gust of air strong enough to lift her off her feet and
slam her against the opposite wall. She received neither.
Instead of being insulted, one of the most powerful women in
all of Aris laughed, the genuine sound imbuing the cold room with an immediate
warmth. “No wonder he loves you.”
Nelina instantly stiffened. The careless remark stung much
more than it should have. She averted her gaze, fighting to ignore the stinging
ache behind her eyelids. “Don’t pretend to know anything about me, because you
don’t. Or about Kirel for that matter.”
Vida lifted a pale eyebrow. “Are you really so sure about
that?”
“If you were truly as good as everyone thinks you are, you’d
know that the Tradition was wrong when it chose me. I can’t mate with your
king. I won’t mate with your king.”
Blonde eyelashes swept down, hiding Vida’s eyes. For a
moment, Nelina thought she’d caught a glimpse of sadness in those ethereal
orbs.
“He’s your king too,” Vida pointed out gently.
“Only because the Tradition says he is. I refuse to bow down
to a man who chooses his mate based on some random universal force.”
There was no mistaking the pain in Vida’s eyes when her head
came up. “You think he has any more choice in this than you do? We’re all
servants in our own way. Some more than others. You, the king, me…even Kirel.
We’re all following a path that’s been laid out for us. One we’re helpless to
change.”
Nelina crossed her arms beneath her breasts. “None of us are
helpless. We have the ability to make choices. We’re not mindless, heartless
drones like other beings in the universe! We’re Arisian!”
“Precisely! The Tradition has protected us for millennia.
Who are we to go against its wishes now?”
Nelina didn’t answer. She strode to one side of the room
where a massive bed took up the majority of the space. The servants had draped
its broad form in rich velvet for the night, clearly believing that plain
sheets weren’t good enough for what was to come.
Just the thought of the training sent a fiery jolt to her
pussy. A drop of cream slid down her inner thigh. She was grateful for the
voluminous skirt that wouldn’t be easily stained from the inside of the heavy
folds. Her clothes had been washed sometime in the night and had been returned
to her, since she refused to wear anything else the servants had provided. The
closet that stood against the far wall groaned under the weight of a dozen
bejeweled gowns but she’d barely glanced at them.
“They
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