Chapter 5
The end of the reception tested Loren’s patience more than anything that had happened throughout the night.
Tasting Ariadne’s blood for the first time had him in a frenzy as it was, and keeping that contained before all the onlookers at the Temple was difficult enough.
All he had wished to do the moment her blood gushed across his tongue before slipping up the hollows of his fangs was bury himself so deep inside her, there could be no telling where he ended and she began.
Yet those desires had been denied by Ariadne in the carriage, making the end of the celebration all he could think about.
Parading his wife around the hall had been agonizing.
Each long-winded congratulatory remark put him on edge when all he wanted was for it to end.
Priority number one remained getting Ariadne to his castle and on her back for him.
Gods, he could focus on nothing else each time she smiled or laughed at a Lord’s jest. It nearly tore him in half when she took a bite of food and hummed in delight—so near a moan of pleasure he almost demanded the celebration end early.
As it was, he managed to wade his way through the early hours of the morning with nary a scowl regarding his bride’s insistence on lingering with people for whom he did not believe she cared.
The Ladies Belina Fletcher and Dierdre Kolson were a pair of such guests.
Lucky for them and their husbands, he did not spy even a flicker of haughty judgment from either Caersan woman in regards to Ariadne.
As their rightful Queen, he would not stand by as they mocked her status.
“We must host a Brutium ball,” Ariadne said, turning from the two to clasp Loren’s hand in hers, the first time she addressed him since coming into contact with the women. “It will be most extravagant.”
The chittering continued, and it took every ounce of self-control not to pull her away to demand her attention remain on him.
They needed to make a show of their union to please the Lords of Valenul and garner their support.
Now that he had made good on his promise of love for Ariadne, they would make good on their promise of fealty.
When at last the final well-wishers departed, Loren breathed a sigh of relief and turned to his wife as she sipped her Algorathian wine. “Come, my pet. It is time for us to depart.”
Ariadne turned wide eyes up to him. Something akin to apprehension shone there, and it flooded his veins with heat. Yes, he quite liked the tinge of fear that stole the flush from her cheeks. She was a blank canvas, then, for him to paint and reinvigorate with action rather than words.
“Another dance?” She glanced at the floor, where a mere handful of couples continued to sway and spin with the music. As she did so, he took the glass of wine in her hand and peeled it from her fingers. Her eyes snapped to where he placed it on a nearby table. “We cannot just…leave.”
Loren’s mouth curled with devilish delight. “Ah, but that is where you are mistaken. I am King, and now, you are Queen. We may do as we wish in our kingdom and that includes departing at whatever time we wish, whether it is announced or not.”
“Should we not say our goodbyes?”
Brushing his thumb across her full lower lip, Loren clucked his tongue. “Do you not wish to return home with me?”
It was enough to bring her a step closer. “Of course not. If you wish to leave, we shall do so immediately.”
At last. At last, he would have her alone.
After not indulging on their way to the hall from the Temple of Keon, Loren would ensure he had at least a taste of what was to come—as much as he hated to think about it, perhaps the half-breed had taught her a few tricks that she could share.
He looked forward to exploring her limits during the daylight hours while they lost themselves in another.
Before she could summon another excuse to linger with their lessers, Loren wrapped an arm around her waist and drew her body tight against his.
She sucked in a sharp breath at the sudden motion and leaned her shoulders and head back to look at him fully.
Lips parted and ready to speak, Loren cut her off with a firm kiss.
Again, she tensed before melding into his hold.
“I wish to leave,” he whispered against her mouth, his fingers brushing down the thick necklace of diamonds around her neck. “Immediately.”
Ariadne nodded at that, pinching her lips together and rolling them into her mouth as though to savor the taste of him. Ah, yes. She had plenty to show him. The sooner they got back to the castle, the better.
“Nikolai.” Loren did not take his attention off his delicious wife, yet spoke to his Sword, knowing his friend would be mere steps away. “Have our carriage prepared.”
Without a word of confirmation, the King’s Sword walked away, snapping his fingers to get the attention of a nearby soldier and whispering in the man’s ear.
Ariadne’s eyes flickered to his lead guard before sweeping back to his face.
For a heartbeat, she appeared almost lost in her own thoughts with a distant look to her.
“Envisioning where we shall begin?” He bent closer again to brush his lips along the shell of her ear, making her shudder. “I have plenty of ideas—starting with you on your knees.”
Another sharp inhale of anticipation. Again, her body tensed. How much of a fight would she put up? It did not matter. He was her King. Her husband. Her lover. She would do as she was told like a good wife.
“Now, come.” He held out his arm, which she took, and they began their exit.
Weaving carefully between the guests, stopping only briefly to give his thanks and inform those who cared of their departure, Loren kept his focus on the door. They were so close. So close to escaping—
“Ari!”
Loren bit back the curse as his wife reeled to a halt and turned back.
Following her line of sight, he found Camilla and Revelie, arm-in-arm, pushing their way through the crowd.
Both appeared giddy and stumbled over their feet.
That Camilla had not yet found a Rusan to bed surprised him.
Perhaps having Revelie to keep her in line had worked.
“We have hardly seen you all night,” Revelie breathed, her words slurring.
“Oh!” Camilla looked up at him with a flushed face and fumbled for her skirt to hold out as she curtsied. “Apologies, Your Majesty.”
To his utter horror, Ariadne pulled away and held her friends’ hands. “Are you two alright?”
Revelie smirked as though keeping a secret before saying, “The wine was very good, my Queen. We may have—”
“Over-indulged?” Camilla cut in, and the two burst into a fit of laughter. She swayed and clasped Ariadne’s arm hard to hold herself upright. “We could not help ourselves. We are just thrilled for you both and did not want to be rude when offered a glass by the Caersans of the Court.”
A disgusting display of two high-born Caersan women with no self-control.
This was not what Loren envisioned when it came to his wife’s closest friends.
Had his heavy hand not done its job with Revelie?
Clearly, he needed to remind them both of what it meant to be a true member of his Court so they would not embarrass him or Ariadne in the future.
“We were just departing,” Loren said, pulling his wife back from them.
Camilla’s lower lip jutted out in a pout. “So soon?”
“But we wanted to speak with Ari,” Revelie simpered and slipped closer to her Queen. “Stay just a little longer. Please.”
Before Ariadne could respond, Loren said, “Your Queen is tired and wishes to return home.”
“Should they not join us?” Ariadne turned to look up at him, her eyes wide and doe-like. “They could help me prepare for the day.”
“The servants—”
“I will fret over them all day if I do not ensure their safe return home.” Ariadne took his hands and slid her body so close to him that every curve tucked perfectly against him.
Were it not for the pleading tone of her voice or the potential repercussions if he declined her request, Loren would have been furious for her interruption.
A Queen though she may be, she will always be beneath her King.
“Please, husband,” she purred, bringing her mouth closer to his. “Let them join us.”
Loren let out a soft hum of appreciation in response to her proximity. He pulled her into him again so she could feel the stiffness of his erection. “Are you certain you do not wish for us to be alone?”
“What is a few more minutes when we have a lifetime?”
A beat of silence before he nodded. “Very well.”
After all, she would be quite exhausted by nightfall.
Ariadne settled into the carriage beside Loren and across from Camilla and Revelie, heart thundering with anticipation of what was to come.
While this part of the plan had worked well, she could not guarantee the rest would be quite so smooth.
In fact, continuing to convince Loren to give her space and time would become more and more difficult.
“In the carriage,” she told Almandine.
The small consciousness startled in her mind as though awoken by her words. After a moment, during which Ariadne was not certain the dragonling had heard her, Almandine replied, “Everyone is ready.”
Good.
The carriage lurched forward and she ventured a glance at Loren.
Though he appeared at ease with the current circumstances of all three Caersan women trundling off into the night with him, tension dripped from him in waves of annoyance.
After denying him any affection after the ceremony, his next opportunity had been stolen as well.
Little did he know that Ariadne had no intention whatsoever of letting him get that close to her.