Chapter Ten
“Forgive me for giving you such terrible advice, my lady.”
Eadaoin accompanied me on another stroll through the village. One of the traders in the market said they’d show me the inside of their greenhouse. It wasn’t an exaggeration to say I’d never been more excited.
“Terrible advice? What do you mean?”
Her shoulders slumped. Eadaoin was a mask of misery. “I told you to make our lord jealous. If it wasn’t for me, you wouldn’t have embarrassed yourself by clumsily flirting with Fintan, then getting him thrown out of a window.”
“Clumsily? I wouldn’t say that—”
“He told me everything, my lady. I almost hid my face out of shame for you.”
And to think, I was having such a pleasant morning. “Is he going to be okay?”
“He’ll recover... in several months.”
“Full recovery?” my guilt asked hopefully.
“I didn’t say that.”
I sighed, rubbing the bridge of my nose. “I can’t apologize enough. I should’ve known Alisdair would not take kindly to my giving attention to another man—whether I touched him or not.”
“No, it’s my fault. I didn’t realize you were completely new to the ways of love, sex, and seduction. I mean...” She waved a hand over me. “Look at you. How could so beautiful a woman be so na?ve.”
“You’re cramming a lot of insults into this apology,” I gritted, then sighed.
“But it’s true. I don’t know what I’m doing.
I actually already planned to use this walk to ask you for help.
How do I do this, Eadaoin? How do I get him to open up and allow himself to feel for me, while keeping my own heart out of it? ”
“Is your heart in it?”
“No.” I didn’t hesitate. “It can’t be.”
“All right, I understand,” she said easily, surprising me. “I do have another idea for you. One that will not get anyone else thrown out of a window. Today, you’ll finish lunch early and then I’m taking you somewhere. Somewhere you’ll learn all about the ways of seduction.”
Several hours later, I was standing in an impossible place.
“It’s... It’s hot...” I got out, then my voice failed me.
“Mhh hhh.” Eadaoin peeled off her shawl and coat. “It’s the only room in the castle that is, because it’s right on top of an underground hot spring.”
“Hot spring.” Palm fronds tickled my cheek, the first to welcome me when I stepped through the door.
My gaze darted everywhere at once, trying to take it all in.
Palms, lilies, violets, orchids, birds of paradise, and the stunning, painted faeriken stretched out among them—basking in an eden of summer and flowers. “That explains it.”
I stepped down into a sunken living room and all eyes turned to me.
The room wasn’t unlike my bathroom with its chaises and marble.
The only thing it was missing was the bathing pool.
My bathing chamber also didn’t have a dozen faeriken women who were so gorgeous, their duck, fox, leopard, and bird faces did nothing to diminish it.
“Welcome, my queen.” Eadaoin swept out her hand, beaming. “It is my pleasure to introduce you to the royal companions.”
“Royal companions?” I repeated. “Royal as in—”
“Our lord’s companions,” finished a white fox faeriken.
She was draped across a chaise and basking under the shade of a potted palm tree.
She laughed. “You needn’t make that face.
He hasn’t laid a finger on us since he brought you to the castle.
We’re all quite bored as a result.” She shuddered. “The orgies used to go on for days.”
I hadn’t realized I made a face until I relaxed at her assurance Alisdair wasn’t cheating on me, then scowled again full force at orgies.
“Why have you brought me here?” I snapped at Eadaoin. Emiana’s lips parted, and her true voice came out. “Explain yourself.”
She patted my hand. My lip curled at the servant for daring to touch me. “You said you wanted to learn how to tempt our lord without falling in love with him.” She flicked from companion to companion. “Who else to ask but the experts?”
Understanding dawned, and chased away the ghost of Emiana. “Eadaoin, you’re a genius.”
She grinned, whiskers twitching. “Ladies,” she called, clapping. “Work your magic.”
Eadaoin trumpeted the horn for war, and they descended on me. Six pair of hands led me around the indoor garden to a standing mirror.
“First, we have to get rid of these clothes.” She tore my dress off faster than Alisdair did. “Honestly, Lady Ana, Aeris terrifies me too, but you are allowed to choose your own wardrobe.”
I would’ve responded if my jaw wasn’t firmly clamped in the hand of the fox girl. She wiped off my subtle lip stain, and replaced it with a deep, plumish purple that I never would’ve had the bravery to try even if I was born a princess.
My elegant gown was torn to shreds. In its place, they covered my body with a forest-green gown that was tighter and thinner with a neckline plunging to my belly button.
My nails were painted. My braids were unwound, leaving my hair falling in soft waves around my shoulders, and then, the lesson started.
“No, no, no,” cried Honora, the fox woman. “You have to drop your hip, then roll. Drop, then roll, and twist.” She demonstrated—wining her body in a slow, sultry dance that made me blush to see.
“Um, I don’t think my body was meant to move that way.” No, I knew I wasn’t. Both my and Emiana’s memories confirmed, neither of us knew how to dance. “Is there possibly a beginner’s seduction dance?”
Honora laughed. “You are adorable, Lady Ana. I’m so glad nothing they said about you is true.”
I was afraid to ask what they said.
“Now, don’t overthink.” She grasped my hips. “Loosen up. Move with me.” Honora worked my hips like a puppet while the others conjured instruments and played a tune.
“Alisdair likes this?” I asked, finding my rhythm. I twisted, wined, and twirled, beginning to join in on the laughs and smiles.
“Oh, yes.” Honora shared a grin with the other companions. “He loves it.”
I nodded, steeling myself. “Well then, teach me everything you know.”
THAT NIGHT, I WASTED another head start and waited for Alisdair in our bedroom.
He stalked inside slow and cautiously as usual, searching for a trap, and found me perched on the end of the mattress—draped in a thin, silk robe.
I strained to keep the sultry smile on my face while my teeth chattered. “Good evening, husband. Make yourself comfortable.” I patted the sheets. “Tonight, seduction is—”
“No,” he sliced in. “I’m not enduring another one of your mad episodes. Get on your knees.”
I clenched my teeth tight, penning in a vicious reply. Insults were hardly in line with the romantic atmosphere I was attempting to create. “If you had let me finish, you would’ve heard me say that seduction is my honor tonight. Just sit back and relax, Alisdair, while I tempt you.”
“Is that so?” His brow climbed higher than the corner of his mouth. “You mean to seduce me? Before or after you run screeching from the room?”
You can’t kill him. You can’t kill him. You literally can’t kill him. “Before,” I returned, holding on to my smile. “Now, are you going to lie down, or would you prefer to talk yourself out of a treat?”
“I’ll never deny a treat from you, little bird.” Slowly, he peeled off his clothes and climbed into bed.
My heart thundered as he reclined against the headboard, draping his arm over the pillows. He gestured for me to proceed, and my lips tightened. Only Shadowsoul could make a finger flick sarcastic.
Shaking my head, I refocused on my goal. The only way home is to make this beast give his love and heart to me. I do this for my freedom, so I cannot fail.
I cleared my throat. “Tonight, I tempt and seduce you, my husband, with...” I let my robe fall to the floor. “...a dance.”
The tight, see-through, lace shift dress revealed itself in all its glory, so did a bulge rising from the middle of the bed, and his legs.
I hid a grin. I’d never tell a soul, let alone myself, how much it thrilled me that I had such an effect on a cold and terrible man.
Slowly, I lifted my arms—holding them out to my sides as if ready to receive my lover—and began to dance.
Drop, turn, twist. I wined and gyrated my hips, dancing like a snake under a charm.
Slowly I spun, gifting him a view of every naked inch of me.
If only I had skipped getting men thrown out of windows, and went straight to the companions.
No one could stand strong against this dance.
I fell half in lust with Honora while she taught me.
Eat your shriveled, removed heart out, Alisdair. I bent at the waist, shaking my ass for his benefit. Two can play at the game of love and lust. You’re mine. Your love will be mine—
A noise sounded behind me, snapping me up and twisting me around.
Alisdair clamped hard on his mouth, but he couldn’t keep it in. Dam breaking, Shadowsoul burst out laughing.
Loud, bed-shaking, eye-watering, chest-wracking guffaws split his sides and threw his head back. He howled so hard and loud, he couldn’t breathe.
Humiliation flooded my body and cheeks, lighting my face on fire. “You bastard!” Whipping around, I lit on the nearest weapon, and flung it at his head.
SOFT, TSKING, GROWLY chuckles sounded a continuous chorus—as did my grinding teeth.
Alisdair and I found ourselves in the newly remolded throne room the next morning. I wore a fixed glare, and he sported a large, purpling bruise on his forehead, courtesy of the candelabra.
A line of peasants beheld their cold, evil king with wide eyes. The man before them was bruised, relaxed, and laughing his ass off.
“My lord?” Aeris stood two paces back, as if wary of getting too close. “You’re in a good mood today.”
“I am indeed,” he crowed, shooting me a grin. My balled fist ached to punch it in. “I was treated to a show last night—best I’ve seen in ages. Would you all like to see it too?”
I stiffened as murmurs and yeses went around the room.