Chapter 8 #3
Cahir furrowed his brows. “Mordred isn’t the one in charge down there?”
“No… apparently he isn’t,” Seda replied as she bit her lower lip. “How will I get back into Joro with these stones anyway? And how will I even find the Stone of Love? I can’t just sit around here and wear pretty dresses, Cahir. I need to find these stones so I can help the people of Joro.”
Cahir sat there for a long moment before sighing. “We’ll find it. We can research together tomorrow. I went to the library earlier looking for you, but Meir said that you left.”
Seda nodded, not wanting to talk about Meir.
“I need to get going, but I’ll see you tonight.
We’ll find them. Also, don’t worry about the guards at the door.
They’re just there for protection—mainly for my peace of mind rather than yours.
I know you can handle yourself now. I’m so proud of you.
” He rose to hug Seda but hesitated, choosing to walk to the door instead.
He looked back at her and gave her a small smile before leaving the room and closing the door behind him.
Seda lay back on the bed and thought about the events of the day. Breakfast was a surprise. She reflected on how kind it was of Cahir to bring honey cakes and coffee, as if it were another apology, a way to remind them of how they first became friends.
Could she really trust him, though? Probably not. Not trusting Cahir was definitely the best plan. She just needed to tread carefully and play this part effectively.
She needed his help to get the Stone of Peace. That must have been what the Wisps meant by sending her here, saying she needed his help. He at least knew where one was.
She reflected on Luelle and how much she had enjoyed her company earlier.
She was genuinely fun to be around, and her rebellious spirit felt like a breath of fresh air after meeting people in Joro.
She also thought about Neoma walking out of Tahti’s cabin, claiming she wanted a love potion from her, and how Neoma had come to her door not long ago.
She really didn’t like or trust that woman. Something felt off. Why did Neoma want to be friends with her? And finally, she considered Cahir willingly offering to help retrieve the Stone of Peace alongside her, something clearly important to him and his kingdom.
She sighed and looked up through the ceiling at the orbs and the sky. She sat there for a long time, deciphering shapes from the passing clouds, when someone knocked again at her door.
Please, gods, don’t be Neoma, she thought.
“Come in,” Seda called out with a groan. The door opened, and Suza walked in, her hair an even greasier mess than it had been this morning.
Seda pursed her lips. She should have included her in her prayer.
“I’m here to get you ready for dinner,” Suza said curtly as she walked over to the closet and threw open the doors. She stepped inside, ruffled some things around, and walked out with a silky green dress.
“Does this one tie really tight, too?” Seda asked.
“No, but I can find one that does if you want.” She waited for Seda to respond, and when Seda shook her head, she walked over to her.
“Now, I know you said you don’t want me to dress you physically, so I’m going to turn around and wait for you to put this on.
” Suza turned around, preventing her from arguing in response.
Seda ground her teeth together as she glared at the woman’s greasy head.
As Seda undressed and pulled the gown over herself, she continued to glare daggers at her, hoping her eyes could fry that messy hair further.
She thought she saw a flicker of something, like she had something stuck in her hair, but she looked away, no longer wanting to focus on the mean Fae before her.
When she was done, the woman turned around, and her eyes flashed when she saw her in the gown. “Let’s do your hair. Hopefully, you didn’t tangle it all up again.”
She sat down on the vanity stool, and Suza worked on her hair.
She was gentler this time, or maybe it was because Seda’s hair wasn’t such a disaster as before.
She styled her hair to cascade down her back, placed an emerald hairpin in her hair, and stepped back, admiring her work.
“If anyone deserves to be a queen, it should be someone as beautiful as you, even if you are a human-thing.”
Seda was about to respond curtly, saying she had no interest in being a stupid queen, when Suza made her get up and walk to the door. “What about my shoes?”
Suza ran to the closet, grabbed some matching, silky green flats, and handed them to Seda.
She slipped them on and followed the woman into the hall.
The guards did a double-take when she walked out, and the guard with the beard cleared his throat and nudged the other in the arm.
Both of them straightened up and stared ahead.
Seda followed Suza through the halls and paused at a full-length mirror. Her dress was stunning, unlike anything she had ever worn before. It reached her ankles, with a slit running up her left thigh. The neckline was low and hugged the curves of her body she usually kept hidden.
This dress was too much to wear to dinner tonight. She grasped the fabric between her fingers, the green silk feeling too thin, unable to shield her from what lay ahead.
She inwardly groaned and continued following her lady’s maid, letting the distance grow between them as they walked, not wanting to enter the dining room looking like this.
Suza silently pulled open the dining room door and waited for Seda to approach.
The laughter and chatter in the room fell silent as everyone turned to Seda.
She glanced around at the people in the candlelit room and awkwardly waved.
Her gaze drifted to Cahir and noticed his parted lips frozen in wordless astonishment.
She knew this dress was too much.
Luelle reached across the table and lifted his chin for him, and he quickly cleared his throat. “Seda, please sit here again.” He gestured to the seat next to him on the right.
She briefly considered walking to the other side of the table to spite him, a form of defiance against his command, but decided against it and walked to the chair he suggested.
She sat down and fiddled with the silk of her dress, her ears burning with embarrassment as everyone silently watched her take her seat, their faces bathed in the candlelight’s glow.
“What are we having tonight, Sire?” Praxis broke the silence. He kept gazing at Seda, then back at Cahir. She tried to shift lower in her seat, attempting to hide herself as much as possible under the table.
“I know what King Ael wants,” Luelle joked, and Praxis laughed in agreement. Luelle wiggled her eyebrows suggestively between Seda and Cahir.
“Show some respect!” Meir scolded Luelle with an angry, red face that resembled a tomato, and his thick eyebrows furrowed in frustration.
Luelle exaggeratedly mimicked his expression, silently moving her lips and furrowing her brows, while Seda fought back a smile at her brazenness.
“Duck and roasted potatoes and some other things,” Cahir replied to Praxis, ignoring the argument and not denying the insinuations.
“Seda, would you like to go for a walk tomorrow morning?” Neoma asked politely. Her dress was low-cut, nearly revealing her breasts. Seda felt a bit more comfortable with her own outfit after noticing hers.
Seda saw Praxis’s eyes lingering on Neoma and let out a sigh of relief that his attention wasn’t solely on her.
“How did your potion work for you, Neoma?” Luelle asked as she took a sip of wine, her blood-red lipstick leaving a mark on the crystal.
“Umm…” Neoma started.
“What potion?” Meir interrupted, sharply looking at Neoma.
“Oh, we saw Neoma leaving the witch earlier today. Did you have a nice conversation with her?” Luelle took another sip of her wine and exhaled loudly. “Something about... What was it again?”
“Just a beauty tincture,” Neoma replied quickly, readjusting her top. Praxis noticed the movement and watched her breasts rise and fall.
Luelle rolled her eyes and took a deep drink. She roughly set the glass back on the table, the crystal clinking loudly against the wood and spilling scarlet liquid.
“Is there something you want to say, Luelle?” Cahir asked.
“No, Sire. Nothing.” She smiled sweetly between him and Neoma. “Nothing at all.” She let out a deep sigh and rolled her eyes once more.
The doors opened, and servants entered carrying trays of food. Roast duck and potatoes, garlic green beans, fresh buns, and other delicious dishes that Seda couldn’t name.
Her mouth watered.
Cahir placed his hand on Seda’s exposed knee again and gently brushed his thumb back and forth. She wanted to pull away, but that effort was futile last time. Her cheeks burned with irritation as she casually reached over to fill her plate with food.
She took a bite of the warm, buttery bread and licked her lips. It was so soft and lightly sweetened, perfect. She slightly lifted herself from her seat to reach the potatoes, and as she did, his hand shifted higher on her thigh.
Seda glared at him, but a warm heat spread low through her. She sighed to herself and went back to her plate. She didn’t move his hand away when she sat back down. Instead, she placed her palm over his and encouraged him to keep rubbing his thumb back and forth.
Fine, she thought. She could play this game, too.
She heard a faint growl coming from him, too soft for anyone else to notice, and she smiled. She was feeling gleefully spiteful.
She took a bite of the roasted duck and purposely moaned as she chewed. His hand subtly tightened on her thigh.
“This is delicious,” she said as she looked at him with hooded eyes and slowly licked her lips. He watched her mouth with a starved expression. “You look hungry. Do you want to try the duck?”
“You mean does he want to fuck—” A hiccup. “You?” Luelle slurred, inebriated from the wine. She held up her glass in the air, and a servant walked over and poured more for her.
“Unacceptable!” Meir shouted at Luelle. “You will show respect for your king, or you can leave this room!”
“Meir, I can handle this, thank you,” Cahir interjected. “Luelle, that was impolite. You may leave now.” He smiled at her and inclined his head toward the door.
Luelle gave him a little wink, stood up while holding her glass, and grabbed two more fresh buns from the table before leaving the room and slamming the door behind her.
“Is she always this crude?” Neoma pouted as Luelle exited through the doors. Seda caught her staring at Cahir’s arm placement on her lap and smiled to herself while hiding her smirk through a sip of wine.
“That’s her middle name, after all,” Praxis joked. Cahir chuckled in response.
“Is it really?” Neoma asked, her face clearly forced into a look of shock.
“No, it’s Crina. But I like Crude more. Fits better,” Praxis said, and both he and Cahir laughed again.
Cahir’s hand slid under the split in her dress, caressing the soft inner part of her thigh. Goosebumps spread across her legs as Cahir gently rubbed them, causing a slow ache to spread through her core.
“Seda, will you be in the library tomorrow?” Meir asked her sweetly, as if he were a father figure in her life, wanting to help. She noted that the tomato-red in his face had faded.
Cahir slowly moved his fingers higher, gently tracing the hemline of her underwear, and Seda struggled not to whimper.
“Um…” She couldn’t focus as Cahir’s warm fingers were so close to her sensitive skin, choking out a strained, “Yes.”
“Perfect! Perhaps I can meet you there tomorrow, and we can explore some history, as you had wanted to do today. Maybe after your walk with Neoma?” Meir said excitedly.
Cahir’s hand was dangerously close to slipping under her underwear, and she had to hold back a groan from escaping her lips.
“Yes, sounds nice,” she said, masking a soft moan, and picked up her glass of wine again to focus on. The warm liquid pooled in her stomach, and her vision started to blur.
“Seda won’t be able to meet you tomorrow at the library. We’re working on something together,” Cahir said.
“Oh?” Meir asked, raising an eyebrow. “Is there something I can help with?”
“No, but if that changes, I’ll let you know. Thank you, Meir, for always being so… helpful.” Cahir’s face was set in a perfect mask of neutrality as his fingers lightly explored the edge of the thin fabric, getting dangerously closer with each stroke.
She shifted in her seat and slightly parted her legs, granting him access.
She had never done anything like this before in her life, and the thought excited her.
She was being reckless, but she didn’t want to stop.
Her body was throbbing, and she felt desire, something she had never really felt before, at least not in this capacity.
She had never allowed herself to feel things like this, and that ache deep within was all-consuming.
Cahir’s hand froze, and he didn’t accept the invitation. He remained close, but didn’t move his fingers where she now wanted them.
Seda felt a slight drop in her heart and looked over at Neoma, who was staring at them with wide-eyed curiosity. Others didn’t see what was happening, but it was clear something was going on if they paid attention, and Neoma was paying attention.
The doors burst open, and four guards rushed inside. They bowed quickly and stood up, looking at Cahir. One guard said, “Sire, there are guests who have just arrived. They’re requesting an audience immediately.”