Realm of the Chosen: A Reverse Harem Romance

Chapter 15-2

“I know. He told me when he brought the medicine.”

“He did?”

“Yes. He smelled of soot and was coughing quite a bit. I guess he waited until they left and tried to save what he could, along with a few of your guards who were hidden away in the woods, but he said it’s basically all gone now except for the basement.”

Kit swallowed hard, thinking about what had transpired down there. She felt a little foolish for reacting the way she had. Perhaps she should’ve been easier on her friend. Remembering Cassius’s expression when he noticed she didn’t have a stay, she blurted, “He didn’t pleasure me.”

Only the soft sound of the water gently stirring troubled the silence for a long moment until he said, “I didn’t ask.”

“I know.” She turned her head, moving her hips away a bit so she could look at him. “And I know you wouldn’t ask, but I want you to know. Not because... not because it matters so much to you. I mean, I don’t know how it couldn’t. I think it does, despite the fact that you’ve told me dozens of times not to worry about it. But... it bothers me, Cassius. And I’m sorry if I shouldn’t talk to you about it, but I don’t know who else to speak to.”

“Kit!” He pulled her back to him, sat her on his knee to face him at an angle, pausing for a moment to move his slightly-less hard c**k out of the way. “Listen, you can talk to me about anything. Anything at all. While I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t a little uncomfortable hearing you talk about the other men, it’s perfectly all right. Sweetheart, anything in this world that is important to you is important to me, and if you want to tell me what happened with Eli, to unburden yourself and move past it, you know I will listen and do my best to make you feel better about the situation, don’t you?”

She nodded, not sure how he could feel that way but certain that he did. He wasn’t just talking, just saying what he thought she wanted to hear. He meant it.

Kit took a deep breath and reached up to brush back his dark locks, so thankful to have him when she needed him most. “Do you know anything at all about my Proem?” The word almost didn’t come out of her mouth, it was such a sore topic of discussion.

“Of course. The first time we met was at the ball the night before.” He smiled fondly, and she couldn’t help but return the gesture. “I remember dancing with you.”

“I remember that, too. I was terribly nervous about the ceremony. The fact is, they can tell you a million times it’s just a medical procedure, that it’s nothing to get worked up over, but the idea that another person’s body is about to be inside of your own—for any reason—is terrifying. Not to mention every noblewoman in the realm was there to watch.”

“I can only imagine how frightening that must’ve been.”

She nodded, shifted her weight a little, and pressed on. “You may recall that the royal physician is usually the one to perform the ceremony. But in my case, Mikali wasn’t able to do so. And Armant hadn’t joined the staff yet.”

“I remember,” Cassius nodded. “Didn’t they randomly choose a member of your guard?”

“Yes, and concealed his identity.” He nodded, as if he knew that part as well. “It was the best remedy they could come up with, and I suppose it worked. For a few months, I’d look at every single member of my guard suspiciously, wondering if he was the one, if he knew me intimately. But none of them ever gave me the idea that they could’ve been him—none of them acted differently or seemed awkward or self-righteous in my presence. So eventually, that feeling faded, and I imagined my mother had gotten rid of him the way she had so many of the guards I’d grown fond of.”

“Do you think your mother knows who it was, then?”

It was a legitimate question. “I did,” Kid admitted, keeping her voice low, despite the fact that she knew no one was listening in. “I assumed she did, despite the fact that she left it up to Mikali, and even he wasn’t supposed to know, because my mother knows everything. But after what I discovered today, I’m most certain she doesn’t know. She never would’ve allowed it. And if it happened, and she found out later, it would’ve been cause enough for her to make him disappear for good.”

Cassius listened carefully and deduced where she was going well before she got there. “It was Eli?”

A lump formed in her throat, one that simple swallowing could not thwart, and Kit could only nod her head.

“He told you?”

“No,” she managed to croak out. “That was the problem. We’d just had a discussion in which he had divulged information I’d been seeking for years, answered questions I’d asked more times than I can count, and even told me a few things I would’ve never dreamt of asking. But he didn’t tell me that.”

She could see confusion written in the crinkles of his forehead. “So how do you know?”

Kit dropped her eyes to a distant spot in the bathwater. “We were... that is... he was about to... enter me.” She glanced up, relieved that he hadn’t even winced, and then continued. “It all came back to me right then, in a flood. I realized I’d been at peace during my Proem, felt calm and relaxed, because my body knew it was him, even if I didn’t. You see, I’ve always known when he was nearby. I’ve chalked it up to his scent, but I don’t think that’s what it is exactly. It’s more like... a feeling inside of me. Does that make any sense at all?”

“Of course,” Cassius assured her. “As close as the pair of you are, I can understand that.”

She smiled, glad he was following her. “I suppose my mind didn’t want to comprehend it fully, so it tucked that bit of information away, back where it would be safe until I was ready to acknowledge it. And that’s what happened to day.”

“So... I’m confused,” Cassius said, reaching up to brush a strand of hair away from her cheek. “You said he was about to enter you, but you also said he didn’t pleasure you.”

“Right. As soon as I realized it had been him, that he was the one who performed my ceremony, I... started screaming.” His eyes widened, as she thought they might, and she felt a rush of red to her cheeks. It sounded silly saying it aloud. “I pushed him off of me and screamed at him for not telling me the truth.”

Cassius’s head slowly began to bob up and down. “I can see why you’d be upset.”

“You can?”

“Absolutely. After all, you’d just told him you expected him to be honest with you, correct? Although, if your mother forbid the volunteer from saying anything, it does make sense that he would want to follow that order.”

“But that’s just it, Cas. I understand that my mother is the queen.” She dropped her voice even lower and leaned in closer to his ear. “But... shouldn’t his loyalty to me come first? Shouldn’t he be more interested in what I have to say than what my mother dictates?”

“Yes, of course he should,” Cassius agreed, stroking her hair as if trying to sooth her. “And I think he does, sweetheart. Maybe there are other reasons why he didn’t tell you.”

“What other reasons could there possibly be?” Her voice was much louder now as she became agitated all over again.

“Maybe he was embarrassed. Or maybe he didn’t want your first time together to be marred by the fact that it wasn’t exactly your first time together. I don’t know, darling. I can’t say what I would’ve done if I was in his position, but I think you should talk to him about it.”

Kit marveled at his explanation. None of those reasons had occurred to her, not that she’d spent much time considering why Eli hadn’t told her the full truth. Shifting her legs so that she was straddling him, Kit rested her forehead against his, aware of how close their bodies were and thankful for his restraint, for the moment. “I hadn’t considered that.”

“Listen, Kit, I know how much Eli means to you. Neither one of you is going to let this get in the way of the relationship you have together.” His hands moved around her hips, and he pulled her closer, his c**k pressed to her belly. “Take some time if you need to, but talk to him. You won’t feel right about any of it until you do.”

“How do you do it?” she asked, resolved that he was correct in his assessment and returning the focus to him. “How do you treat me like you’re the only one I care about when I’m with you and then send me off to the others without so much as grimace?”

He smiled at her. “Do I have a choice?”

“You do. You could be bitter and possessive.”

“And where would that get me, Kit? Listen, when I’m with you, I’m as happy as I’ve ever been in my whole life. Maybe I’m not with you as much as I’d like to be, but that’s all right, because I know that what we have is real and true. Just because you have something else with other people doesn’t make what we have any less magical than it is.”

Kit’s fingertips began to wander up his expansive chest. She became very aware of the feel of him against her stomach, and when she tipped slightly toward him, the base of his manhood flickered against her most sensitive area. “I can’t ever give you up,” she whispered, closing her eyes and breathing him in.

“Then don’t,” Cassius replied, using his hands to help her hips rock up and down a bit more.

“But... I don’t know how I’ll ever....”

“Kit, I know. But listen, if it means choosing me or choosing the throne, you have to remember, the realm needs you. You’re never going to be queen if you don’t make it through this process.”

Her eyes were wide open now. “What if I’m never queen?”

“No, you have to be queen.” There was a seriousness about him now that superseded the fact that she was longing to feel him inside of her. “There are so many people out there, Kit, people suffering, people who need you. I know you don’t see it yet because you live so much of your life inside these walls....”

“I go out into the provinces,” she argued, though she wasn’t disagreeing with what he was saying, only surprised.

“I know you do, but those types of supervised visits aren’t real, Kit. You don’t know what you don’t know, darling. Your mother....” He stopped, just shy of saying something treasonous, not that Kit would ever tell. “One way or another, sweetheart, you have to take the throne. Whether it’s her way, or some other way. Don’t start to think that maybe you’ll just hang out in the limbo of your Choosing forever.”

His words stirred a fear inside of her that was beyond anything she’d experienced before. Not that she would have to choose as much as the fact that there were citizens of the realm suffering at her mother’s hand that Kit hadn’t been aware of. It made sense, of course. As little as the queen cared for her courtiers, why would she bother with villagers and laborers she’d never met?

“Listen, I don’t want to discourage you, and I certainly don’t want you to rush into anything, sweetheart,” Cassius continued. “But today has been a day of revelation for you. It may as well also be the day you come to realize that this realm is not all that it seems. You can change that, though. We believe in you. We all do, so many more than you even know.” He leaned in and kissed her, gently, as if she were a flower and he was afraid he might crush her petals.

Kit took in his words and decided she’d need to give them more careful consideration. She’d already been attempting to come up with an alternative to the Choosing, one where she still got to be queen but didn’t have to give up her men. Cassius’s words didn’t negate that thought, though they didn’t tell her how to do it either. Still, the stirring was present, and Kit had a feeling it was just an ember, the start of something, the spark that might burn a different sort of house down.

She’d had enough talking for one day. As his lips pulled away from hers, she leaned in, one hand around the back of his head, and pulled him into her. Cassius’s palms gripped her hips as he welcomed her into his mouth, and the feel of his manhood against her, hardening even more, made her groan in anticipation.

Her hips continued to rock back and forth, her outer lips spread against his c**k as his hands slid up to find her breasts. “Kit, you need to let me put on the sheath before I forget how,” he whispered before her lips found his again.

She knew how good he felt with a sheath on, but imagining him inside her, his flesh on hers, sent a tingling sensation up her spine. “What if you didn’t?” she asked, his mouth on her neck.

He pulled his lips away to look her in the eye. “Then I would be committing a crime punishable by death.”

“Who would know?” She knew she was being wicked, but it was so tempting, and she longed to feel him inside of her.

“Kit...”

“Just for a moment, just a little taste.”

“You are going to be the death of me,” Cassius said. With a deep breath, he picked her up around the waist, and tossed her backward into the tub a few feet. The water splashed out all over the edge of the bath and continued to create ripples and waves as Kit stared at him wide eyed in disbelief.

Chuckling, Cassius reached for the sheath he’d laid nearby and put it on before Kit could regain her composure. She was surprised, but certainly not injured. Once he had it on, he said, “I apologize, Princess. But... we wear these for a reason.”

She narrowed her eyes at him and threatened, “Perhaps you no longer need it.”

“Oooh, Kit!” He grabbed ahold of her calves and dragged her back to him, wrapping his arms around her waist as he sat her on his lap. “Don’t be cross. Sometimes you have to be talked out of things.” He kissed her lips, but Kit didn’t move, feigning offense. “It’s for your own good.” He kissed her again, and this time, Kit couldn’t help but become putty in his massive arms. She parted her lips and let him run his tongue across hers, probing deeper and deeper with each kiss until she found herself running short on air.

Spreading her legs, she placed her knees on either side of his hips, and Cassius moved her so that she was rubbing against his manhood again. The sheath did make a difference, but he still felt heavenly, and when he plunged inside of her, Kit cried out in pleasure. The feel of the water lapping against her breasts as they moved back and forth as one was soothing, and Kit closed her eyes, resting her head on his shoulder.

Cassius took his time, slowly exploring her body with his hands, tracing up and down her sides, her back, gripping her bottom to pull her closer still. His tongue wound its way down her neck finding each n****e in turn and spending an equal amount of time turning them to sensitive peaks.

She breathed him in, relishing each soft touch of his rough hands on her hot skin, keeping her eyes closed to heighten her other senses. It didn’t take him long to bring her to the precipice, but once there, she stayed enraptured for what seemed like an eternity. She felt him tense up beneath her and raised her head to meet his lips as his body quaked and he groaned one last time.

Kit’s tongue continued to tangle with his as the dance went on even though the song had ended. The feel of his warm mouth against hers, his body fitted so neatly into every recess of her being was safe, inviting, comforting in a way she couldn’t express. Letting go meant facing reality again, and she wasn’t ready for that.

But the water began to chill, and she knew she had duties to attend to. Eventually, Kit released him, scooting back slightly so that she could look into his green eyes. “Thank you, Cassius. You were exactly what I needed—you are exactly what I need.”

He smiled at her in a way that let her know he would always be there for her and then gently leaned forward and kissed her forehead. “Come on, Princess. Let’s get you out of here before you start sneezing again.”

As much as she would’ve liked to stay there with him forever, Kit complied. She had a lot to think about. She appreciated having Cassius to help her gain clarity, but the decisions that needed to be made were hers and hers alone.