Twenty-One
During the Great Extinction, the Primordial Earth Elemental was slaughtered, and from its ashes sprang the winged warriors of Ragnarok.
We might have been born from war, but we can know peace.
- King Richard
I am fucking suffering.
My wife is sitting beside me as we eat breakfast with my brother.
I took off her belt right before we sat down, and now it’s laying across my thigh, branding me like iron.
Her pussy is naked beneath her dress. A dress that has two high slits up the sides of her skirt.
I could slip my hand through the gap so easily and nestle two fingers inside her as I eat.
“Deirdre has managed to resurrect all but one of the Vylians,” Nicholas says, heavily buttering a roll as he sits across from us.
I keep my eyes on him even though my attention keeps drifting to my queen.
She’s nibbling on a muffin. Her breathing is quick and shallow.
Darting a glance at me, she blushes hard.
Everyone watched me take the belt off her.
Everyone knows it’s now on my lap. Jace is staring at her with hunger in his eyes.
Irin keeps hers wisely on her plate of pancakes, berries, and yogurt.
“Send a message to their family and let them know they have the right to a fist’s share on the bombers.
We’ll cover all travel expenses to and from Vyla,” I say to Nicholas, not giving my queen any outward attention.
But fuck, do I want her on my lap. Or perhaps laid across the table, with trails of cream, honey, syrup, chocolate, and yogurt leading me to all the delicious parts of her. ..
“Do you want me to do that before or after I set up the hall for your press conference?”
“After.” Taking a bite of my breakfast, I try not to think about how it’d taste on my wife.
But that’s the only thing my cock is thinking about as it strains against my trousers.
The feel of the belt beside it is making it thick.
The harsh breaths of Arienna is making it fucking ache.
“The sooner I can educate our people on the vote, the better. Have you sent word to each of the major cities we’ll be visiting? ”
“Yes. They’re all setting up in preparation for your tour. I wrote the announcement pamphlet last night and got it to various printers first thing this morning. You should have a full crowd for your debate with the Court after breakfast.”
I nod as I finish my meal. Leaning back in my chair, I continue to talk to my brother about everything that needs to be done in time for the vote. I trail my fingers over the chastity belt across my thigh. Then nudge it so it brushes up against the hardness of my cock.
Arienna whimpers beside me, and I know she has her eyes on my lap.
“Where are we with the security?” I ask, turning to Jace.
The last thing I need is another bombing, turning the crowd into a mob.
Evangeline dropped a report off late last night to tell me how close we are to another coup.
I’m hoping the announcement of the vote will get them to cool down – why try to kill me now when they can simply vote me off my throne and remove the risk of being killed by my guard?
But I’ve opened up not just our markets to the Vylians but our borders too. So if there’s another attack framing the immigrants, it’ll cause a riot, and mob mentality is fucking stupid.
Jace slips a handful of gosberries into his tunic for later.
“FI-9 is working with the Royal Guard. Both will be present at every stop in your tour.” He looks at Arienna, then back at me, but it isn’t sexually loaded.
He knows Evangeline wants me to use her as bait, and he isn’t happy about it. Nor am I, but my hands are tied.
If I ignore a direct order from the head of FI-9, I’ll be charged with treason. And with Arienna as my wife, she will be forced to carry out my execution or die herself. Then the crown will pass to Nicholas.
Before I can answer his question, Fabia comes in for her turn to eat. My brother surges to his feet.
“I’m going to get started on those errands,” he says.
As he passes her on his way to the door, a flash of pain and self-doubt flickers across her face. She sits down in the chair he just vacated. Jace leans over to bump her shoulder with his.
“Nicholas,” I say, forcing him to stop and turn around at the door. His eyes find mine, but I can see the control it’s taking him not to look at Fabia as she tries to stop Jace from stealing food off her plate.
“You’ve already eaten, asswipe!”
“Hey, you can’t use that language with your superior. It’s important for you to learn to do your job while hungry.”
“You’re going to learn how to do it with one hand if you reach for my snakon again.”
Fighting a smile at my brother’s obvious irritation, I say, “I want you to join us in Valarassi today. It’ll be good for the public to see your support on this.”
He nods. Then very briefly as he turns around, his eyes flicker to Fabia. She looks at him a second too late though, only seeing the door close behind him.
A frown twitches at her lips. Then she shouts in rage as Jace takes that moment to snag another piece of fried snake meat. “Fuck off! There’s a whole bowl of it right there.”
“Ah, but food tastes so much better when it’s stolen.”
Arienna giggles beside me, and I lean over to whisper in her ear. “Are you done eating, my queen?”
She sucks in a breath. Looks down at her empty plate.
Pushing my chair back, I pick up the chastity belt. Fabia makes a gagging noise. Jace whispers something in her ear that makes her choke on her next bite. Then she quickly rises, her plate in hand, and moves away from the table.
“Sit in front of me,” I tell my queen as Jace clears a space for her. He puts our plates further down the table for the staff to collect once we leave.
Arienna looks across the room at Fabia, but although her cheeks are as pink as her hair right now, she dutifully does as I say. Turning away from her friend, she scoots back until only her knees hang over the edge.
“Spread your legs.”
She does so on shallow pants.
“Lift your dress and let me look at you.”
She squirms. Fabia decides to eat the rest of her breakfast outside. As the door closes behind her, my queen bunches her skirt in her fists and slowly drags it up her legs.
“If you were a good girl,” I say as I hold her hooded gaze, “Jace could be down on his knees, between your legs right now, getting your ass ready for my cock.”
Her lips part as she breathes quicker.
“Would you have liked that, Jace?”
“Yes,” he groans.
“Are you disappointed she isn’t a good girl?”
“Yes.”
Reaching forwards, I pick up a tiny sauceboat filled with chocolate. Pouring a thin line up from her knee to her thigh, I say, “If you were a good girl, I could be licking all of this off you.”
She whimpers as I let a couple drops fall onto her pussy. They run down her, and I watch her pretty wet lips clench with need. She shuffles her legs wider.
I set the jug down, then push to my feet and hold out my hand. “Keep your dress up as you hop off the table so Jace can see your ass. If you were a good girl, his tongue could be buried between your cheeks right now as you ride my face.”
“Please,” she says as she peers up at me. When I don’t move, she adds, “I’ll be a good girl. I’ll remember to eat.”
“I know you will. Because that belt will teach you.”
Need twisting her pretty little face, she hops off the table, her dress held up around her waist.
“You’re fucking beautiful,” I say as my eyes dip down to her pussy. “How’s her ass, Jace?”
“Fuck,” he groans. “Did you use a toy for any of these bruises, or was it all your hand?”
“My hand.”
He adjusts his trousers as he stares at my wife, and the urge to have him watch us without being able to join in is making me fucking hard.
“Spread your legs,” I order, my voice rough.
She does so immediately. I lean forwards to lick the chocolate off her pussy. She cries out. Rocks her hips. But I pull away.
Grabbing her right hand, I place it between her legs. “Give Jace a taste of what he could’ve had today if only you were a good girl.”
Whimpering, she pushes two fingers inside herself. I can see her warring with the need to make herself come. Her thighs are soaked with her arousal. Her face is flushed hot. I let her stroke herself a few times, but just as I’m about to stop her, she pulls out herself.
A satisfied smile tugs at my lips as she holds her hand out to Jace. Walking around the table, he doesn’t hesitate to suck her fingers into his mouth. With a groan, he rubs his hand across his hard cock.
“Do you want to be a good girl?” I ask my queen.
“Yes,” she rasps, her eyes on Jace as she shudders from the heat of his mouth.
“Then what do you need to do?” Standing, I fasten the chastity belt around her. Jace slowly slides his lips off her fingers.
Trembling with need, Arienna looks at me. She offers me that same hand, “Ask for food when I’m hungry.”
“Good girl.” Holding her gaze, I suck her wet fingers into my mouth.
Fucking hel. Jace’s cleaned her too well.
I groan in frustration. She mewls with need. And Jace turns away from us, swearing about being a masochist.
The Red Ballroom is packed when I take the stage.
Nicholas has outdone himself, getting it ready on such short notice.
Rows upon rows of chairs stretch across the wooden floor.
The large double doors at the other end are thrown wide open, showing hundreds more people out on the branch.
A rarity, Evangeline’s ants –the agents of FI-9– are in uniform rather than in civilian garb as they guard the door.
Though I do not doubt there are even more of her ants hidden in the crowd.
Echo stands between the stage and the first row of chairs, along with a mix of the Royal Guard and FI-9 agents. Jace, Marrabel, Irin, and Fabia stay along the back wall. They all hold a staff in front of them; swords are sheathed at their hips.