FIFTEEN
Queen Farah
Tonight's gathering was far more intimate than the other events. Today there weren't several pairs of eyes watching the queen or her court hovering around. The only audience the queen and her suitors would have were the few guards who'd been posted around the room. An extra safety precaution, though the queen didn't need it when she had her staff.
The long dining table had been swapped out for a smaller rounder one with four chairs. A white tablecloth had been dropped across it, set with tall red candles and a vase overflowing with roses. Lanterns had been blown out with the exception of the chandelier that hung over the red curtains that had yet to be drawn.
A show was going to start. Nothing too exciting, in Farah's opinion, but a play that had traveled throughout Pasia and had rapidly gained popularity. Farah had matched her dress to the color of the shadows in the room. Black silk caught the light of the few flickering flames; it hugged her chest but fell away from her body at her waist. A single slit revealed a strip of her thigh when she walked to one of the waiting seats.
There was a tremor in her hands that could be blamed on the news she'd received yesterday evening. There was more activity at the wall. Fae. She was certain. The guards had brought back a warlock, locked him away in her dungeon to be dealt with later. It was rumored that he'd been a part of the pair that Queen Sienna had been looking for. Farah didn't much care about that; her sister was dead. However, she had the sneaking suspicion that the Fae and this couple were somehow connected. The warlock would be tortured, beat in the cruelest of ways so that Farah could get any and all information out of him. She was excited for that, but not as excited as she was for tonight.
With the new movement from the Fae Farah knew she was running out of time. She needed Reed's strength. Tonight she planned on asking him to stay even after she gave the crown away. She'd lure him away. Drink his blood. Gain his strength. It was almost too much to have to sit here through the show.
"Queen Farah, your suitors have arrived, shall I let them in?" The voice came from over her shoulder. Light trailed in from the door that had been cracked open, the servant’s shadow visible within it.
Farah pulled out the seat meant for her, setting her staff in the holder that had been fashioned on the arm. "Please do."
She let the slip open up to reveal the flesh of her thigh as she sat down and leaned back. Farah stared at the red curtains, waiting as footsteps approached and the same voice announced the men’s arrival.
"Mr. Copeland. Mr. Logan. and Mr. Tuffin. Please be seated at the table and enjoy the show."
The queen tried to keep her expression neutral as she heard their hurried steps to her side. There was only room for two men to sit next to her, though she thought she knew who would end up next to her. She had to force the edges of her lips to keep from lifting as she was surprised to find both Mr. Logan and Mr. Tuffin plopping down into the seat. Reed took his time pulling the chair out farthest from the queen and lowering into it, though he smiled down the table at her.
His bruises had healed even further leaving him with only the subtle yellowing of skin and the faintest of scabs. Normally Farah marveled at his strength but tonight it was his smile that left her feeling almost speechless. It was the kind of smile that suggested he had something up his sleeve, that perhaps he knew something the queen did not.
Farah cocked her head at him, studying the way he turned his seat so he had an equal view of the stage and the queen. She prided herself on knowing most everything happening within the walls of her castle but Reed had an exciting bolt of energy pouring into her veins. She was ready. Ready for whatever that smile meant.
"Lovely to see you again," Zacharias said, dipping his chin as he spoke. His black and white attire was quite the contrast to the Burgundy dress clothes Reed wore. Even the man on her other side, who was he again? Mr. Tuffin? He was in neutral tones of brown and cream.
"We have a lovely show tonight," Farah responded, the words she didn't say still hanging in the air. Before someone is crowned king.
"I'm very excited to be here." Mr. Tuffin smiled more shyly. Farah's returned grin was more tense and polite than genuine. She looked him over trying to remember him from the other parties but she'd met so many men within that time, and clearly he hadn't stood out. The poor man was simply here so it looked like she was giving them a fair chance. He wasn't ever going to be king. Not here. Maybe he'd have better luck if he traveled to see Ambrose next.
Thinking of her sister with a husband or even a partner of any sort felt odd to Farah. Ambrose had never really been boy crazy—infant Ambrose didn't really take an interest in much else other than make-believe games she was always playing, the stories she was writing, or the paintings she somehow created just by using ingredients she'd found in their own backyard.
Ambrose never made time for relationships. Not in the way Sienna or Idalia had. Sienna was always eyeing that boy she always followed around. Hollis, was it? Farah wondered what had become of him as the curtains on stage were pulled back. Performers with brightly colored face paint stepped onto the stage. Their costumes were just as vivid and outlandish.
The four of them gave the performers a small applause as they launched into the little play. Farah tried to laugh when the men laughed to appear as if she was paying attention but she kept getting sucked into her own mind. Her teeth scraped over the raw skin of her nail bed as she tore through the nail. She hadn't realized that she'd even been biting it.
That's how she spent the first half of the performance. Wincing when she'd chewed a nail too far and thinking of the possibilities of her strength after she took what Reed had. The excitement of being stronger than she had ever been before outweighed the small bit of remorse she felt killing him. She supposed he was a good man…the kind of man that broke up a strangers fight when the opponent was getting dominated.
Zacharias leaned over a couple of times to whisper to the queen about how brilliant the play was. She barely responded. At one point his hand had slipped under the table to rub against Farah's knee when she'd tapped her foot against the floor one too many times she supposed.
"Is the play making you anxious?" Zacharaias asked in a whisper, genuine concern shining in his eyes. Even though he spoke quietly, any conversation he made drew the attention of Reed and Mr. Tuffin.
"Oh, no. The play is fine. Perhaps I just need a drink." She picked Zacharias’ hand up off her leg.
"Wine?" Zacharias slid her glass to her.
"Water might do me better." Farah gave a little cough. It was mostly fake.
"Then I shall get you a glass of water." Zacharaias was already trying to stand.
"No!" Farah shouted, causing the actors in the play to pause before they pushed forward. Reed arched a brow as the queen stood and waved Zacharaias back into his seat. "I would like to do it myself. You're my guests, not my servants. Moving will be good for me."
She knew the servants had placed a small cart at the back of the room. It had extra bottles of wine and a pitcher of fresh water. There was the scrape of another chair as she made her way to the cart. Sighing heavily, she hoped it wasn't Zacharaias come to follow her anyway.
She reached for the pitcher but stopped as someone else's hand found its way to the handle first. Her attention snapped up to the large frame taking up the space next to her. Reed smiled again.
"Please allow me." He grabbed a glass, filled it, and offered it to Farah.
Slowly, she took the glass from him. Keeping hold of her staff in her other hand. "Is this safe to drink?"
"Do you think I'm that good at sleight of hand that I could poison you?" His smile fell.
"I think a queen can never be too cautious." She stared down at the water. It certainly didn't look as if it had been poisoned.
Reed stepped closer, washing his warm scent over her. His silver eyes sparkled like two brilliant stars in the night sky as he lowered himself to the queen's glass of water. The drink was still well in her hand as he gently nudged the cup so that a splash of liquid slipped over his lips.
Farah had considered for a brief moment spilling the entering drink down him. It would be so easy, but she'd been enchanted by the way he held her gaze and when he finished the drink, his tongue chased over his bottom lip. She found her fingers itching to play with one of the locks of hair that rested against her cheeks. Blinking, she shoved those feelings somewhere deep inside of her and locked them away.
"Safe to drink. It's regular water." Reed shrugged.
Zacharias and Mr. Tuffin were stealing glances at them then. Farah could bet that Zacharias was kicking himself for not joining the queen. She took a sip from the glass, unable to look away.
"I was wondering if I could steal you away for a little while." Reed pointed toward the door. "Guards can come and everything. I just thought it would be nice to actually get to talk to you."
Farah squinted at him. "You want to talk to me?"
"Yes?" He laughed a little. "If I want to marry you, I thought it would be a good idea for us to get to know each other. I know you don't have much time to think on it, but I figured it would help with your decision anyway. What do you say?"
The queen set her glass down gently on the cart. She didn't want to necessarily get to know him but…if she could get her plan started. If she could somehow get him here and into her bed then she would be well on her way to an heir. Hopefully. If not, maybe she could fake a pregnancy. Honestly, she hadn't thought of that yet but that would be a brilliant backup plan. Maybe that should be her first plan.
"A walk sounds lovely." The queen set a hand on his arm, giving him her famous dazzling smile.
Gently he moved her hand from his upper arm to the crook of his elbow and escorted her from the room. The halls were quiet tonight with less staff needed for such a small event. Two guards followed Farah and Reed at a polite distance, silent except for the sound of their armor softly brushing against itself.
"Go ahead." Farah let her staff click against the floor as she moved; she hoped it served as a reminder of what she could do if she had to. "Tell me all about yourself."
"Sure. Any particular questions you want answered?" While Reed was guiding them down the halls, Farah would nod yes or no before they hit a junction keeping him away from places he didn't need to be.
"Family?" Would he have anyone to mourn him?
"I had a brother who died a few years back due to an illness. My mother left when I was a child and my father died when I was sixteen."
"Good." There wouldn't be anyone asking about him then. At least no one who would be persistent.
"Good?" Reed practically choked on the word.
Heat rushed to the queen's cheeks. "Sorry. My mind is elsewhere. I'll try to be more present. What I should have said—what would have been more appropriate—is, I'm sorry for your loss."
"I get the feeling that your mind is a dark place to be," Reed said under his breath.
"As dark and twisted as that alley you found me in." She admitted, nodding before they turned down a different hallway.
"I'm concerned and intrigued at the same time."
"I'd expect nothing else from you. Can you tell me how you got so strong? The truthful answer."
"I'm not hiding anything, my Queen. I just have good genes and I work as a lumberjack so I'm used to lifting heavy things."
"A lumberjack who wanted to be a part of the queens’ guard?"
"I hear it pays much better, but I was rejected from the position."
"So, you think being king is the next best option."
"It is my more hopeful option." The small space between them seemed to shrink.
"You're hopeful?" Farah laughed.
"Am I not more handsome than the other suitors? Am I not stronger? Am I not the better option?"
"I thought you were supposed to be telling me more about yourself not carrying on about how you think you'd fill the role of king best."
"Are you not choosing based on who would make a good king first? I suppose my role as king would be more important than my role as husband. But I'll go ahead and give you a run through of everything you need to know about me." He took a deep breath then launched himself into his answer. "I think whiskey is better than wine. Red is my favorite color. I think having friends is overrated but that being loyal to a few breeds loyalty from many who will never put you in the position of needing that loyalty. I would rather stay in than go out unless it's been a hard week and I need a drink. I want three kids. All boys. And I think our children would be beautiful." He took another little breath. "I think you're beautiful."
Farah gave him a sad smile. "Everyone does."
"No." He shook his head and Farah pointed them down a different hall. "You're not just physically beautiful. There's something more to you I just don't know yet. I can see how cunning you are. I want to learn more about that. I believe your mind is beautiful."
Her mind was beautiful? Gods, he was laying it on thick. Was he trying to win her over with some sort of poetry? Still, her heart skipped a beat in her chest.
"There is one thing else I would like to know." The queen let her voice drop into that sultry rasp that tended to make people weak.
"What's that?" His throat bobbed as he swallowed.
"Are you a virgin?"
Both his brows shot up his forehead and he straightened out of surprise. "Do I look like a virgin?"
"What does a virgin look like?"
"Not like me." Reed placed his hand over the queen's.
"How many partners have you had?" Now Farah was leaning in too.
"Are you curious about my expertise?"
They'd stopped walking. His breath was fanning over her cheeks, his full lips parted. Something about the way he'd asked the question made something curl inside of her. Like smoke, the feeling expanded in whisps inside her stomach and tendrils sunk lower between her thighs.
"If I am to be satisfied for the rest of my life, it's a valid question." She barely heard herself say the words out loud. She knew this was a part of her plan, this was a way to ensure she had an heir but there was no doubt that she didn't want it for her own lustful reasons too.
"I would be happy to show my queen just what talents I wield but perhaps doing so in front of the guards is not the most ingenious of ideas."
Farah slipped her hands away from him. Her dress spun around her legs, flashing skin as the skirt fanned around her. "Leave." She barked at the guards. Then they were gone, scurrying away from the promise of violence that laced the command. When she turned back to look at Reed he already had his hand on the knob of the nearest door. "What are you doing?" Farah gasped.
"Is this your bedroom?" he practically sang, the door cracking open as Farah stepped forward.
"I figured you were leading me somewhere and then with the turn the conversation took..." He trailed off as he stepped into the doorframe, Farah not far behind him as if she could have made herself less predictable. Reed gave the simple room one quick sweep, his eyes landing on the bed for a moment before he turned back to the queen.
The sparkling silver in his gaze had darkened to a moody gray. Reed smirked, the cocky confidence of someone finding out how right they'd been. Farah froze under that hungry gaze as it swept up her body then down. The guards were long gone now, leaving the two of them framed in the doorway. Reed turned, his body taking up so much space that Farah had to make herself small to avoid being crushed.
Wood and stone pressed against her shoulder blades. The queen gave a shy, playful grin that made Reed's smirk twist into something wicked and wild. He would have her here and now. His body lined up with hers, trapping her between him and the doorframe. Heat seared into her everywhere they lined up, forcing a small breath out over her lips.
"Just the other day you didn't even want a kiss, but today you want to know what it would be like to have me in your bed." A hand skimmed up the queen's side until it settled just under her chest, waiting for permission to continue. "You play with my emotions, my Queen."
She tipped her head to him in a silent dare, proof that she wasn't backing away from this. She needed this as much as she was realizing she wanted this. Farah didn't often find many men attractive, but Reed had always been different.
"That had been too public ," she whispered letting her lips brush against his. "I prefer my romances to happen behind closed doors."
Reed's next breath was shaky, his fingers skimming just a little higher. "Shall I close this door then?"
His skin was warm where the queen wrapped her hand around his wrist, stepping into the room and pulling him in to follow. Farah took her time to prop her staff up against the wall then turned in one swift movement as the door clicked shut. Dark brown strands of her slicked back ponytail swayed behind her as she spun and was met by the feral crashing of teeth, a desperate kiss.
Reed didn't kiss Farah like this was the first time. Reed kissed her like it would be their last. Every tease of his lips was a plea to remember this very moment, it was the promise that he would never forget. An ache pulsed in Farah's chest as her heart broke a little. Because he didn't know that this would be their last and he wouldn't have enough time to forget.
All she could do was give him this small moment before she took. Her heart broke a little bit more as she acknowledged the darkness that lived inside of her now, the poison of power she hadn't been meant for that made her so selfish. As much as the idea of Reed, of loving him, of marrying him sounded like some sort of sweet dream, it wasn't enough. She didn't want that more than she wanted his power. She didn't want that more than she wanted to be alone.
His teeth scraped over her bottom lip as she melted into his chest. Her fingers explored the shape of him through his clothes as she traced up over his pectorals and wound her fingers into his locks to pull him closer, to choke out what little space remained. The vibration of his hum coursed through her. His fingertips teased over her breast, finding her peaked nipple through the thin fabric.
The press of his hips against her stomach sent a bolt of awareness through her. The sheer thickness of him, of his cock that pressed against the buttons of his pants, stole away all the air in her lungs. Reed was a large man, with wide shoulders, and excessive muscles. It shouldn't have surprised the queen that what he had in his pants was an equivalent size, but it did.
It made the want in her turn to wild flames that overtook her. It fed the frenzy of desire that had started and had now taken off with no control. Farah slipped her hands from his hair, letting them lower down his body. She ripped at the buttons, never once breaking from his lips.
Without the fabric to bind him, his cock sprung free. Reed trembled, sucking in a sharp breath, as the queen wrapped both hands around his length. She broke the kiss to look down, to take in with her eyes what she'd suspected just by the feel of him. He was utterly impressive. It was exciting but also terrifying for Farah to behold. She was no stranger to sex but she had to worry that the size of him might be more painful than enjoyable for her. He was a challenge she was determined to win.
She lowered to her knees, the fabric of her dress gathering around her on the floor. Reed froze.
"Shouldn't I be the one offering you such things?" His voice was thick and raspy.
"We can take turns." Farah purred before she swiped her tongue over the glistening bead that had formed at the tip.
Reed's head fell back as he groaned. The noise only provoked the queen to continue. Farah slipped her lips around him, swirling her tongue around and over him again and again as she took him in as deeply as she could. She pulled back only long enough for her hands to swipe across her spit and drag it down his shaft.She sucked him into her mouth once more. His hips pressed forward until her whole body heaved as he hit her gag reflex. The sound of her heaving only made Reed's body tighten further. Farah wanted more of him, from him. She wanted to make him wild. The queen sucked him until she was sweating, until she was certain he was near the edge.
Pulling away, a long trail of saliva strung between them. She wiped a hand across her swollen lips and looked up at him. His pupils had dilated, his chest heaving with heavy breaths.
"Fuck," Reed groaned.
Farah stood slowly and turned, offering her back to Reed. "Undo my dress."
He wasted no time, his fingers skimming over the bindings of her dress, undoing them with a speed she didn't know he could possess. In only seconds her bare skin was exposed to the air and a welcomed chill fought the flush of her skin.
With the dress loosened, Reed grabbed it and yanked it down her body. His eyes trailed over her as he lowered to her feet and undid the buckles of her heels. Farah stepped out of the shoes and the dress leaving her in only thin black panties. He pursed his lips together with a hum that sounded like he was preparing himself for a full five course meal.
His calloused hands scratched up the length of the queen's legs, snagging against the fabric before he peeled it away. "Fuuccckkk." Reed groaned again, drawing out the word as he squeezed his eyes shut. "Gods, I want to bury myself in you. You're utterly stunning."
Farah bent, sweeping her hand across his cheek and down his jaw. "Go ahead."
The queen gasped as Reed stood, scooping her up over his shoulder. His hands ran up her thighs to her ass, cupping her before he lowered her to the bed. He looked her over as she was laid out before him then nudged her legs wide, his hands caressing her thighs.
He ran a finger over her first, between the folds of her that had already begun to dampen. Farah took a deep breath as that finger traced over her. He drew lines across her, over her thighs, around the edges of her slits, through the small patch of curling dark hair, each time getting closer and closer.
The queen’s want was becoming evident now as she glistened below him. Reed hummed again. "I’ve wondered what you would taste like since the moment I saw you." He sucked his bottom lip into his mouth before he met her gaze and lowered his face to her sex.
Farah watched him until his tongue swiped across her and the first kindling of pleasure began. Her eyes fluttered closed as his tongue explored her, until he found the bundle of nerves that made her hips twitch against his face. He circled that spot, making everything inside of her tighten.
Every bit of her coiled as the feeling raced toward euphoria. Just as the queen had done, as she was reaching the edge she so badly wanted to fall over, Reed pulled away, kissing her thighs. Farah opened her eyes and Reed slipped a finger in, plunging it in and out before he added another.
"You're ready for me." It was both a statement and a question. With his other hand, Reed was stroking himself. He watched his own hand as it slid in and out of her, as he drew his fingers up to her clit and circled it several more times. "I want to fill every inch of you."
Farah practically wheezed out her next breath. She needed him to fill her. She was almost certain she would beg for it if he wasn't offering right now. Her chin dipped in a shallow nod.
Reed smiled, backing off the bed to pull his shirt over his head and to let his pants fall to the ground. There was the thud as his boots were kicked against the bed frame. Farah ate up his naked body. She tried to memorize every line and muscle he had.
A shiver chased over her skin as he knelt on the bed between her legs. He lowered himself over her, teasing the tip of his cock against her. He gritted his teeth.
"Gods. You're going to feel so good," he said through his clenched teeth.
"Fuck me," Farah whispered. "Don't hold back."
Reed was shaking against her as he eased the tip of him in. Farah tipped her head back, enjoying the way he had only begun to fill her. She tried not to think too hard about how he'd barely entered her and she already felt herself stretching around him.
She drew her hands down his back, clawing his skin until she reached his ass and she grabbed him as he pressed his hips forward. She gasped as she took him all in. It was pain and it was pleasure as he rocked in and out of her.
Reed kissed across her shoulders, over her collarbone, and up her neck. His lips grazed along her jaw until his mouth found her ear and he was whispering to her. "Good girl. Can you take it all?"
Oh, gods. That wasn't everything?
Farah wrapped her legs around him. Her hands found his face, pulling his lips to her as she nodded her head. "Please."
"A favor for the queen." He murmured against her lips before he slid the rest of the way in.
Farah forced herself still even as she ached, even as she wanted to flinch away at the sudden strike of pain as if he'd finally reached the end of her. Then his hips were rolling against her. His pelvis pressed against her throbbing clit with each pump of his cock.
The buildup that had been there earlier was still there. She was already on edge. A moan escaped her drawing the beast from Reed as his movements became wilder. There wasn't a rhythm as they bucked against each other. There was only the need to chase the feeling, to feel one another.
"Look at you being so good for me. Taking all of me." He growled into her throat, his teeth scraping against the tendon. "Do you want to come?"
Farah was already so close. She was gasping for air, chasing that feeling, becoming undone in front of him. She nodded.
"Say it." He slowed against her, pulling himself away slightly. Her hands found his hips and she tried to heave him back on her but he held firm. "Say it," he repeated.
"Yes."
"Yes, what Farah?"
The way he said her name was like it was a delicacy. It didn't come with a title. She wasn't the queen. She was just Farah . It had been so long since she had felt like herself. That she almost came undone just by that very question.
"Yes, I want to come. Please."
"Good girl." He said against her lips, kissing her fiercely.
He didn't ease back in this time, and he wasn't gentle; he wasn't anything but the wicked force of untamed desire as he slammed back into her. Farah cried out, startled at the way she loved the mixture of pain and pleasure.
Then he did exactly as the queen had asked. He fucked her.
Reed was a mess of sweat and panting breaths as his hips met hers repeatedly with the wet slap of skin on skin. When he filled her, his pelvis rocked up over her, putting just the right amount of pressure on her clit.
Farah clenched around his cock, tightening as the thrill of the gratification exploded. Her climax was intense, drawing a moan and several shaky breaths.
"Say my name," Reed commanded as he rode out the wave of her orgasm.
"Fuck." Farah hissed. "Reed. Gods. Reed." The queen didn't care that she sounded weak for once. She didn't care about anything as the feeling diminished and Reed chased after it again.
"Are you on any elixirs to prevent birth?" he asked, breathlessly.
Farah nodded though it was a lie. "I want you to release yourself inside of me."
"Thank gods," Reed cried out before he was driving himself inside of her.
Farah lifted her hips to him, rocking against him as another wave of bliss crashed over her. This time when she tightened around his cock, Reed began to cry out with her. He stiffened as he buried himself inside of her as deep as he could go. Farah squirmed at the intensity.
She was coming down from the high now. Reed had found his release and gods willing had given her an heir though she might need more from him. His hips pumped in a slow rhythm as their naked bodies stuck to one another. Finally, he pulled away, rolling to his back next to her.
He turned grinning, his eyes back to the metallic color they'd been. "Have I passed the test?"
Farah leaned forward, pressing her mouth against his. If only he knew what she had in store for him. Carefully she stood from the bed, feeling the evidence of their sex dripping down her thighs. She ignored the feeling even as Reed's gaze locked on her legs and her sex.
"I think you passed several tests." The excitement in her voice was clear. Her plan was coming together and she knew exactly how she'd be able to ensure an heir even if Reed wouldn't be around to fuck like he had today.
Her steps were a whisper across the floor as she grabbed her staff and returned to the bed. Reed was propped up on his elbows, his attention now fixed on the one object most everyone feared. There was a clear vase on the queen’s nightstand that normally had flowers in it. Today it was empty. This morning she'd tossed the flowers and dumped the water out of it leaving it for a moment like this.
Farah picked the vase up and pointed at him. "Stay where you are."
Reed's brows pinched together. "What are you doing?"
"I'm not done with you yet." She tilted her head. With one wave of her staff, Reed's arms and legs were spread, held by invisible bindings to the bed. He struggled to move, his eyes widening. "Don't worry, this part will feel good. Until it doesn't."
The mattress dipped under her as she propped the vase between his legs. Carefully, picking up his length and setting it on the vase’s lip.
"I don't get it," Reed stuttered.
He didn't need to get it. Farah just needed more from him so that even when he was gone, she could fill herself with his seed. She could use her magic to help guide it up within her, to preserve the one thing she couldn't give herself.
She waved the staff again. "Come."
Reed's body tensed, his hips quivering as his cock immediately hardened and semen shot into the vase. His mouth opened as he moaned. "You can do that?" he gasped.
"I'm going to empty you," Farah confirmed.
Reed inhaled once before the queen was waving the staff again and he was pouring himself into the vase.
The queen kept at this, not caring that two suitors were waiting in her dining hall. She lounged across the bed bringing Reed to climax again and again and again until nothing was coming from him, until he was begging her to stop, until his entire body was nothing but a trembling mess of exhaustion.