Arabella
My level of arousal is higher than it ought to be, especially during this precarious situation I find myself in.
Being in Grayer’s arms is pure, unhinged sin.
I can feel all his muscles as he carries me, like I weigh nothing, which is laughable.
I also can’t help but notice the heated look in his golden eyes every time he looks at me. Even in my current drab attire.
It’s really confusing, especially as he always corrects me to call him husband.
I chalk it up to him just being temporarily amused by me; I have heard the rumours of Grayer.
He has had many bed partners and has never settled down.
Maybe when I turned him down at the ball, I was the first?
So now I am just a fun, interesting challenge for him.
I would be lying to myself if I hadn’t thought about jumping his bones. For science.
We make way for a set of opulent stairs.
“You can put me down now, Prince Grayer. I think you have made your point that you can carry me.”
“Nonsense, my love. I enjoy having you in my arms.”
He takes the stairs two at a time. Who the heck is this man?!
We reach a long hallway with ornate doors. A long red velvet rug lies along the long hallway. Red and gold seem to be the decor motif of the castle. Definitely not leading to a dungeon.
“You will be in this room, made for a duchess, if I say so myself! It’s dusty, and we need to clear out some of our crap.
But once we get the maids in, it will be perfect for you.
” He sets me down, but keeps his hand at the small of my back.
The room is stunning. A large four-poster bed sits in the middle, with its own little sitting room with a fireplace off to the side.
It’s larger than the first floor of our townhouse; it’s really too much.
Cream and gold touch every element in the room; it is fit for a princess. Definitely not a thief or servant.
“No, I can clean it.”
“Nonsense! I have no clue what your stepmother had you doing, but you won’t be doing that here,” Koi adds as he walks in. The space feels heated with the two half-brothers. Their facial features look quite similar now that I am closer to them together.
“Help with the kitchen, yes, that I can do.”
“Nah. You will just be in here.” Grayer draws little circles on my back, and it sends delicious tickles through my whole body. I should tell him to stop, yet I don’t. All his touches seem to calm me amidst all the anxiety brewing since they knocked on the townhouse door.
“So, I am a prisoner?”
“Well, it’s not like we can trust you, darling.
” Archer walks in. The man seems to wear a permanent scowl.
He is grabbing a few items that look to be cases of something.
“You will not leave this room unless we ask you to. Your stepmother may want to see you, so we will have to get you a kitchen staff uniform for dinners and whatnot. But you may not leave this room.”
I let out a large exhale. This will be interesting.
“Arabelly! We could be in the dungeon. This is much better! Dungeons do not suit us!” I giggle at Kip; mice definitely roam dungeons. But I will not let my furry friend know that.
“You’re giggling at me?! You dare?!” It seems I have made Mr. Icicle much more displeased, shit.
“Yes, you are right. My apologies, my prince.”
Archer holds my stare for a few moments before storming out of the door. Past Sylas, who seems to have been leaning on the door the whole time.
“Come on, Grayer, Koi, we need to leave the duchess to get used to her quarters,” he tells the other princes while maintaining eye contact with me. Why must all their stares be so heated and intense?
Koi nods to me as he leaves, looking like he wanted to say something else before I feel a kiss placed on my cheek by Grayer. “I will sneak into your room later, Duchess”, he whispers in my ear. They both leave in haste. Prince Sylas gives me one more darkened look before closing the door.
I blow out a sigh of relief until I hear the damning sound of a key turning. I go to the door and try the handle. Locked.
A few tears fall down my face. Not sure what I was expecting.
Kip and Bert scurry out of my bag. “They weren’t lying; the place is dustyyyy.”
So I do what I do best—clean.
Of course, cleaning supplies are nowhere to be found in the room. So I take out an old shirt from my suitcase to use as a makeshift duster. Kip and Bert scout out the rest of the room whilst I dust its opulent surfaces.
“We found a drawer of linens over here, Arabelly!”
“Good work, boys,” I say, heading over to the dresser and taking out fresh linens to change the bed. It had looked rumpled, and knowing the Prince’s history, there is a good chance a previous lover stayed in here. I temper down the misplaced jealousy.
I am not their lover; I have no right to be jealous.
“What did you say, Arabelly?”
“Oh, nothing, sorry, just thinking out loud, Kip.”
After a few hours, we have the room fully dusted and inventoried.
Kip and Bert found a few clothing items I could borrow (again, probably from a former lover, but I will not think too much about that), a few cupboard safe snacks (to which they opened one immediately, granola is now all over the clean bed), and a few romance novels.
I am particularly excited about the romance novels, especially since the bathroom has a tub.
I have only experienced a bathtub once, and that was when Bernice and the Quadias had been away for a rare evening away.
There doesn’t seem to be any toiletries or bubbling soap, but that’s okay.
Maybe I can ask one of the princes… probably Grayer.
Though I wonder what kind of favours he would ask in return.
I shiver with excitement at the thought.
Something about the princes has me all bothered. More than I have ever been in the past. Gossip would spread around the town about how exceptional all the princes are in bed. Perhaps that is why I have this odd heated reaction to them. Nothing more.
Each time I have had sex in the past, it has always been so disappointing. Not worth the effort. The only time I have ever climaxed was by myself, so I decided not to bother with the opposite sex. It’s not like I have been looking for a husband, and if I can please myself, why even bother?
Until the damned princes. But I am not a young, horny teenager anymore.
With all the adrenaline, cleaning, and emotions of the day, I am shocked at how exhausted I truly feel, and it’s just midday.
So I opt for a quick shower, with hot water!
Magical luxuries must be throughout the castle.
My shed had a little pump shower, though it ran cold water from the outdoor hose.
The magically warmed water was inside the townhouse, of course, so I never had the opportunity for such luxury.
Lacking elemental water magic, I had to pump the line by hand to get any pressure. So it was never worth it.
“Perhaps this prison won’t be so bad.”
I put on my sleep shorts and shirt and crawled into the king-size bed. I let out a moan as I fell to the pillow, not bothering with getting under the sheets.
“Not a terrible prison at all.” I murmur into blissful nothingness.