call to you, don’t they?”
Vida’s voice intruded upon Nelina’s thoughts. She blinked
rapidly and found herself staring at the colorful tapestry that hung above the
bed. It showed the king’s three Guardians exactly as she’d always thought of
them—as threatening figures dressed in black standing just behind their king,
one hand clasped on the hilt of the curved blade each of them carried.
That had been the way she’d imagined them before she’d known
Kirel walked among them. As threatening, domineering, arrogant creatures who
made her shiver with hatred and fear. Now the heat that curled in her stomach
and spread outward couldn’t be explained by either emotion.
Her pussy pulsed with renewed arousal each time her gaze
lingered just a little too long on the men’s broad shoulders, the firm chests,
the lean hips. Most arresting of all were their eyes. It was the only part of
them left uncovered by the skella . Their gazes glowed with an inner fire
that looked almost supernatural, sending a wave of longing through her limbs.
She cleared her throat and pried her gaze away from the
tapestries. “Not at all.” To prove it, she glanced around the room, struggling
to find something else to focus on.
In a heartbeat, she found it.
The servants had brought in a looking glass. Tall as a man
and wide as half the longest wall in the room, it stood at the edge of the bed,
clearly mirroring the velvet-draped surface in its limpid pool. On a nearby
table sat a number of instruments of pleasure. Her gaze wandered over the
silver bowl filled with glistening liquid and the two phallus-shaped glass
objects that rested on the table. After a moment’s pause, she jerked her head
away from the too-tempting sight.
Vida sat on the edge of the bed, set the staff down on the
mattress and patted the space beside her. The woman’s reflection shimmered in
the full-length mirror.
Despite the apprehension that knotted her stomach, Nelina
sat beside her. The need for comfort was stronger than her fear. She didn’t
pull away when Vida clasped her hands.
“I wish I could say I understand.” Vida’s fingers felt cool
against her skin. She tightened her grip. “But I really don’t.”
“Understand what?” Nelina asked, perplexed.
“Why you won’t allow yourself to enjoy this. Kirel and his
men will take good care of you. The Trials can be immensely pleasurable for a
queen who grants herself permission to really feel what the Tradition is
offering her. And the king’s Guardians… Every one of them aches for love just
as much as you do.”
Nelina yanked her hand away, suddenly uncomfortable. “I
don’t ache.” The lie fell easily enough off her tongue, but her heart clenched
inside her chest, as though an unseen force had reached in to squeeze it.
“Is it the Trials then? Are they worrying you? Because they
shouldn’t, you know. The men will be gentle with you, and they’ll show you
bliss unlike any you’ve ever imagined.”
“Would you like to switch places with me?” Nelina asked,
only half joking. She eyed the white body-hugging dress the woman wore and her
matching veil. “Give me your clothes and I can be out of here before anyone
notices anything’s amiss. Blow out all the lamps in the room and when they come
for me, you’ve only to pretend. That way we’ll both get what we want.”
Vida’s melancholy smile caused Nelina to look away. “You
don’t know anything about what I want.” Although she was tossing Nelina’s words
back at her, there wasn’t a hint of venom in Vida’s voice. There was sorrow
though, and so much despair that it seemed to turn the aura of magic that hung
around her a deep gray color. “The Tradition didn’t choose me. It chose you .”
The door opened abruptly, saving Nelina from having to
answer. She glanced up and her heart kicked into a frantic rhythm. One by one
the Guardians filed into the room, Kirel leading the way. Their presence
suddenly made the spacious chamber
Vida’s voice intruded upon Nelina’s thoughts. She blinked
rapidly and found herself staring at the colorful tapestry that hung above the
bed. It showed the king’s three Guardians exactly as she’d always thought of
them—as threatening figures dressed in black standing just behind their king,
one hand clasped on the hilt of the curved blade each of them carried.
That had been the way she’d imagined them before she’d known
Kirel walked among them. As threatening, domineering, arrogant creatures who
made her shiver with hatred and fear. Now the heat that curled in her stomach
and spread outward couldn’t be explained by either emotion.
Her pussy pulsed with renewed arousal each time her gaze
lingered just a little too long on the men’s broad shoulders, the firm chests,
the lean hips. Most arresting of all were their eyes. It was the only part of
them left uncovered by the skella . Their gazes glowed with an inner fire
that looked almost supernatural, sending a wave of longing through her limbs.
She cleared her throat and pried her gaze away from the
tapestries. “Not at all.” To prove it, she glanced around the room, struggling
to find something else to focus on.
In a heartbeat, she found it.
The servants had brought in a looking glass. Tall as a man
and wide as half the longest wall in the room, it stood at the edge of the bed,
clearly mirroring the velvet-draped surface in its limpid pool. On a nearby
table sat a number of instruments of pleasure. Her gaze wandered over the
silver bowl filled with glistening liquid and the two phallus-shaped glass
objects that rested on the table. After a moment’s pause, she jerked her head
away from the too-tempting sight.
Vida sat on the edge of the bed, set the staff down on the
mattress and patted the space beside her. The woman’s reflection shimmered in
the full-length mirror.
Despite the apprehension that knotted her stomach, Nelina
sat beside her. The need for comfort was stronger than her fear. She didn’t
pull away when Vida clasped her hands.
“I wish I could say I understand.” Vida’s fingers felt cool
against her skin. She tightened her grip. “But I really don’t.”
“Understand what?” Nelina asked, perplexed.
“Why you won’t allow yourself to enjoy this. Kirel and his
men will take good care of you. The Trials can be immensely pleasurable for a
queen who grants herself permission to really feel what the Tradition is
offering her. And the king’s Guardians… Every one of them aches for love just
as much as you do.”
Nelina yanked her hand away, suddenly uncomfortable. “I
don’t ache.” The lie fell easily enough off her tongue, but her heart clenched
inside her chest, as though an unseen force had reached in to squeeze it.
“Is it the Trials then? Are they worrying you? Because they
shouldn’t, you know. The men will be gentle with you, and they’ll show you
bliss unlike any you’ve ever imagined.”
“Would you like to switch places with me?” Nelina asked,
only half joking. She eyed the white body-hugging dress the woman wore and her
matching veil. “Give me your clothes and I can be out of here before anyone
notices anything’s amiss. Blow out all the lamps in the room and when they come
for me, you’ve only to pretend. That way we’ll both get what we want.”
Vida’s melancholy smile caused Nelina to look away. “You
don’t know anything about what I want.” Although she was tossing Nelina’s words
back at her, there wasn’t a hint of venom in Vida’s voice. There was sorrow
though, and so much despair that it seemed to turn the aura of magic that hung
around her a deep gray color. “The Tradition didn’t choose me. It chose you .”
The door opened abruptly, saving Nelina from having to
answer. She glanced up and her heart kicked into a frantic rhythm. One by one
the Guardians filed into the room, Kirel leading the way. Their presence
suddenly made the spacious chamber
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