Chapter 40
Forty
The Court is a queen’s greatest ally.
Only when they don’t realise it. - King Richard
As I stand in the crowded ballroom, talking politics with the Vylian king –something I’ve strove to do for years– all I can think about is, I should’ve fucked her in the bathroom.
Maybe then my brain would focus on something other than the way she feels pressed against my side right now. Maybe then it could stop thinking about how she would feel moving against me. Squeezing me. Riding me. Sucking me. Taking my cum inside every little hole she has.
I want her down on her knees or against the wall or sitting on my lap. Hel, who am I kidding? I don’t want ‘or’. I want ‘and’.
Over.
And over.
And over again.
I can still taste her on my lips. Can still feel her pressing her ass against my face. Can still hear her little moans of pleasure as I licked her until she became a trembling mess.
But despite my urge to turn to her, throw her over my shoulder, and fly her up to my rooms, I keep my attention on King Dravr. “The borders are non-negotiable. The Court will not give you any land they deem as ours. I understand your frustration –”
“Frustration? We’re losing a tenth of our kingdom!” His grey eyes cut like steel, but they bounce harmlessly off the armour I’ve been forced to wear since I was a child.
My fingers rub against Arienna’s side, activating the toy on its lightest setting. She jerks against me, and I stroke my hand down to her hip, then back up again.
She has a fucking tattoo.
Of a cum bucket.
With a cat inside.
Keeping my eyes on the Vylian king, I say, “Which is why I’m offering open borders between us. Your people will not be forced to move. I will appoint them a council that respects your culture, and they will work closely with your nobles to make sure life for them is as they wish it.”
His scowl deepens momentarily before relaxing. “And you’ll give me full access to your markets?”
My fingers slide down to her thigh, to the top of the slit in her dress, and rest on bare skin. “If your merchants have the licenses outlined in the agreement, then yes. That will more than make up for the taxes you’ll lose.” Our kingdom is a lot richer than his is.
I can see the thoughts racing across his chiselled face.
He is decades older than I, nearing two centuries.
His black hair is streaked with grey, and there is a tiredness in his eyes.
He was born into war, as was I, but unlike me, he has already crested his prime.
This treaty will allow him to live his last few years in peace.
He will take the deal.
Pursing his lips, he says, “I will sign tonight.”
I smile, my fingers trailing across Arienna’s thigh. “I am glad to hear it.”
As King Dravr walks away, I lean down to whisper in my wife’s ear. “Is there something wrong, my queen? You’re looking a bit flushed.”
Her gasp makes my cock jump.
“You know why,” Arienna breathes as she leans into me. Her hips gyrate ever so slightly against my thigh, and I can’t help my grin.
My hand slides across her leg. My fingers graze the inner line of it. “Shall I tell everyone you’ve caught a bug and take you to bed?”
She jerks against me, breathing hard. I increase the pace of the toy. “You know,” I murmur against her ear, “you have this annoying habit of making me repeat myself.”
Shivering, she looks up at me. “N-no. I want to stay here with you.”
“Are you sure?” My fingers creep upwards to her bare pussy.
My queen nods jerkily. “It’s nice to finally see what you’re trying to accomplish here.”
“In that case,” I say, removing my hand to grab hers, “may I ask you to dance?”
She stumbles behind me as I pull her towards the centre of the hall. I catch the gaze of the lead musician hanging in one of the golden cages above us – a platform, not a prison. Her golden hair is cut short, and she only has one eye – an injury of war, no doubt.
I nod at her, and she signals her band. Standing in the cages far above us, though not as high as to be in the rafters alongside the security snipers, the six women begin to play. Their metallic tunes pick up rhythm as their guitars and drums thunder throughout the room.
The crowd parts into two sides as people rush to declare their loyalty. King Dravr stands on one side of the rift and I on the other. Our people clamour behind us, their arms swinging in rhythm to the heavy metal.
“What’s happening?” Arienna asks, a tinge of fear in her voice.
“Just stay beside me.”
Fabia appears in the crowd on my left, shoving people aside as she makes her way closer. A grin curves her lips. Dressed in the dark leather uniform of the recruits in my guard, she looks ready to dance.
The drums increase in tempo.
My fingers tighten on Arienna’s. As Jace and Fabia appear beside us, the golden-haired woman starts to sing, her voice gritty and raw. As one, the two sides run towards each other.
Arienna screams as she teeters in her high pumps. Fabia cries out as if she’s going to war. Jace laughs like a madman as he keeps pace beside us.
As the two crowds meet, I collide with King Dravr, knocking him aside. He stumbles into the man who was just about to ram into Arienna. Pivoting around, I turn to face her, and I take the brunt of the next man on my back.
She looks up at me as if I’m crazy.
The world stops moving for just a moment. Despite the crowd jostling around me, it’s just us two. For this breath in time. Our eyes peering into each other, seeing nothing else.
Then her gaze shifts to the left, where Fabia is being slammed back with the others. Laughter erupts all around us, and a large grin slowly spreads across my wife’s face. Launching herself into the mob, she screams with delight.
My heart stops. She’s so little, and she’s surrounded by warriors twice her size.
Lunging forward, I try to grab her arm and pull her back to my side, but she’s jumping and moving and jiving to the beat. And then she’s being lifted and passed around on hands stretched high above the crowd.
Jace shoves me to get me moving. “Relax,” he shouts over the music. “Saragese and Irin are on sniper duty. They’ve got her covered.”
I lift my eyes to the beams above but see only darkness. Forcing myself to relax, I start to move in rhythm to the beat, but my gaze never leaves my wife.
When she’s deposited back beside me, bubbling with energy, I pick her up in my arms and kiss her. My hand slips through the slit in her dress. She tenses as a gasp breathes across my lips.
When I touch the toy, I rub my fingers together, setting it off. Her legs wrap around my waist. Spreading my wings, I take to the air.
Dozens of others do the same around me, dancing above just as fiercely as they did on the ground.
Some of the band members stick an arm through their golden cages, giving people the signal that they are open to be touched.
Their cages are instantly flocked by Razians and Vylians alike, all wanting to grope a tit or stroke a pussy as the band plays.
Flying Arienna to the edge of the crowd, I wish the music wasn’t so loud so I could hear her moans. The way she’s bucking against my hand, I know she’s making them.
Landing at the head of the banquet table, I put her down. I’m about to kiss her again when my head of security lands beside me.
“Incoming,” Jace says a second before Tanya and Petre appear behind us.
Removing my hand from between her thighs, I place it on her hip as I turn us around. “Dragons Petre and Tanya, to what do I owe this displeasure?”
“We’re here to meet our future queen. You’ve hidden her away for far too long.
” Petre’s silver-and-green eyes latch on to Arienna like a spider does a fly.
She reaches up to touch her hair – long black locks set in a tight bun with sharp needles poking out of it.
A subtle threat. One I do not take kindly.
My fingers burn with the need to release the knives strapped to my forearms. But I force myself not to move.
We are in a crowded ballroom with the Vylian king and queen in attendance.
Any sign of discord in our ranks will give them the idea that they can push for more than the terms outlined in our agreement – something Petre wants no more than I do.
Arienna is safe here.
My hand twitches.
Nudging me, Jace pierces me with his gaze.
I force myself to relax, to focus on Arienna’s presence beside me. “She is not queen yet; her attendance is not mandatory,” I say, rubbing my fingers together, increasing the pace of the toy inside her.
“Nor is her absence.” Smiling, she turns to Arienna. “Are you aware, Your Majesty, that once crowned, your power will trump his? You’ll have the entire Razian army at your command. Don’t you think you should be well educated before taking on such responsibility?”
And there it fucking is. They can’t even wait until after the ball to try to see whether or not my queen will have the guts to kill me and take my place. The dumbasses.
My wife doesn’t have a murderous bone in her body. She even loves wasps, the evil fuckers, and they don’t make her feel anywhere near as good as I do.
“I do,” Arienna replies, making my blood run cold. The last thing I want is for her to be alone with them.
“She’ll be trailing me now that our honeymoon period is officially over,” I cut in before Petre can invite her to do the same. It won’t take much for them to convince my queen that I’m the monster she once called me; the gods know I have enough stories to my name.
Tanya’s sneer is blatantly hostile. “She must also learn the role of the Court – something you cannot teach her.”
“And once she learns everything else from me, I will send her over.” By that time, we will be a democracy, and there won’t be any Court.
Tanya growls, “Do you think we’re stupid?”
“Frankly? Yes.”
She takes a step forward before Petre grabs her arm. Jace is already in front of us, his hand on his blade.
“Let’s go, Tanya. He can’t hide her forever.” As they fly back into the crowd, Arienna pulls away from me. A frown mars her lips.
“Am I really going to start trailing you on your duties?” she asks.
Sitting down in a chair, I pull her onto my lap. “Only if you want to.”
“But why?”
I glance down at her, my brows furrowed. “I thought you wanted to learn about your role?”
“I do. I just thought you didn’t want me involved.”
“I don’t,” I say, sliding my hand down her soft thigh. The Court is a dangerous place where anger reigns and grudges are held forever.
I don’t want to watch her lose her innocence. To come to hate the world as I do. As all fairies do.
I want to keep her as she is.
With her heart on her sleeve.
A massive fucking heart too.
Marvellous and perfect.
Turning her chin, I kiss her lips and start touching her underneath the table.