The Five Princes

Wednesday Part One

[For Mature Audience]

"Good morning, sunshine," Zeph purred in my ears, nibbling on my earlobe. I smiled, rolling over, my body somewhat sore from last night and early this morning. But it was worth it. I ran my hands through his hair rolling down to the tips of his shoulders.

"Good morning," I smiled. He pecked me on the lips. "How do you know its morning?" The planetarium doesn't let in sunlight so it looks like nighttime to me.

"The clock just chimed eight." His lips brushed my neck, caressing it soothingly and causing me to moan. He took that as a signal to get more into it, licking and sucking on the sensitive skin.

"Zeph," I moaned, feeling him roll onto of me. Stars glimmered above us and I wished it were still night so I could give in, but I couldn't. "Zeph!"

"Serene—"

I pushed him off, making him look at me breathlessly. "No, I mean, Zeph stop." Oh, how I wanted to just say screw it and have those sexy lips touch every inch of my skin like they did last night. "It's Wednesday, so tonight is Nature."

He scowled, rolling back onto the pillows. He covered his face with his hands for a moment and I knew that he was angered by me having to bed another man—a man I didn't love. But that was tradition. "Why?" he groaned, removing his hands and looking at me. "Can't you tell them you've chosen your husband so every other guy can f**k off?"

I shook my head. "I wish I could but I have no say until the end." I laid my head on his bare chest, listening to his beating heart like it was a lullaby. "Just know it's you I love, not them, and nothing will ever change that."

That soothed his nerves a bit but it still irked him to the fullest that they'd be able to touch me. He took a deep breath, looking down at me to caress my cheek and hair. He looked up at the stars when he started to speak again. "What's the worse environmental boy can do? Blab about recycling and how plants are living, breathing organisms?"

I smacked him gently in the chest sitting up. "Believe it or not, I would find that interesting. We only have one planet."

He smiled, looking at me endearingly, making my heart melt at the sight. "You really are an amazing woman. Fine, but when you're through with him, I'll be waiting in your chambers."

I nodded. "Of course." I gave him a passionate kiss, soft and delicate, so I wouldn't provoke any s****l urgency. I pulled away when I felt Zeph groan against my lips, trying to deepen it. I couldn't be pulled in no matter how much I wanted to. Oh, these next few days would be hard, but at least I'd have his body to sleep with at night.

We soon got dressed and he walked me to my chambers, giving me a peck on the cheek before heading to his room on the opposite wing. Sighing happily at the enthralling night before, I entered my room, took a shower, and got dressed. Pulling down my white blouse and straightening my jean skirt, a knock sprung on the door. Knowing it was Zeph, I giddily skipped to the door and paused in my tracks with a frown when I opened it.

"What do you want?" I grunted, now depressed.

Avant gave me a (what I think he thought was) handsome grin, his beady eyes obviously wandering about on my body. "Well, good morning to you too," he greeted in a deep, seductive voice that wasn't fooling me a bit. Don't get me wrong, Avant was probably considered handsome with someone in his own age range but all I could see was his flaws. Beady black eyes, pointy nose, the girlish tone when he spoke loud, and the lack of muscles everywhere.

"Again, what do you want?" I put my hair in a ponytail, closing my door behind me. There was no way I wanted to be around this creep longer than I had to.

His face pressed together concerned. "Princess, I think you should stop hanging around that Enigma boy."

I scowled, rolling my eyes. "That Enigma boy isn't any of your concern." I tried to walk past him but his grimy hand clasped around my wrist, preventing me.

He spoke in a hushed tone, ignoring my struggle to escape his grasp. "He is when he's a potential threat to the kingdom and is spending so much time with the princess. Why do you think he's spending so much time with you, hmm?"

"Because he—!" Then I stopped mid-sentence. I couldn't spat out that he loved me and I loved him. He wouldn't understand the term and most likely he'd tell Father he was a bad influence on me.

As his hand loosened around me, I snatched my arm away, glowering at him. "Because you don't know him the way I do! How can you base him solely on the kingdom he was involuntarily born in?! You have no proof that he's a threat to me or the kingdom!"

The corner of his lip pulled sinisterly, giving me goosebumps. "There was a note sent to your father yesterday morning—"

"I know. Zeph didn't write it though. Why would he?"

Avant stepped closer, so close I could smell his cologne which stung my nose. "Has he told you that Enigma, just last year, wanted to plague war on Dominic? I have classified evidence."

I clenched my fist. "I don't believe you."

He continued, moving closer with the same taunting superiority. "There are letters the King has saved and footage of meetings. They threatened to hurt the royal family if they weren't given ultimate governmental power."

I was now pressed against the wall, Avant looming over as I cringed. "You're lying!"

"Oh, am I? Why don't you go ask the Enigma boy? You'll be surprised who the real liar is here." While he said that, I could feel his slimy hands caressing my waist, tracing the lengths from the dip to my hips. I hated his touch on my body. Before I could push him away, he retreated, taking tentative steps back. His eyes never left mine. "You're more gullible than you think. Well, I must be off. I must check the kings' food. Goodbye, Princess."

Getting my anger under control, I pushed myself off the wall and headed downstairs to the dining hall. He was lying. Avant has always been sneaky and manipulative. However, I've known him long enough to recognize holes in his argument. And besides my personal feelings for the accused, I couldn't find any holes.

"Good morning, Serene," Zeph greeted taking a seat beside me at the dining table. I sat beside Hayden who had been showing me a book about organic plants. I know it sounds boring but it actually sparked my interest.

"Morning," I muttered, returning my attention to Hayden. I hate to admit it but I was conflicted with what Avant told me and the Zeph I knew. However, I accepted I knew him, not his family, his kingdom, his home. Once Hayden found a break in his lecture, telling me he'd show me how to make something in the kitchen for lunch before he walked away, I turned to Zeph. "I need to talk to you."

"What about?" If I wasn't so tormented by my thoughts, I'd swoon at the debonair smile he was granting me. He leaned closer, his sweet peppermint breath caressing the side of my neck.

I suppressed the urge to quake in pleasure. "Not here, let's...go to the parlor." Everyone was eating breakfast so there shouldn't me anyone there. A curious expression grazed his features but he nodded, complying.

We got out of our seats and headed to the parlor, closing the doors behind us. The first thing Zeph did was startle me by pressing my body to the wall, his lips seeking out mine. And I accepted them, wrapping my arms around his shoulders, absorbing his sweet minty taste. Then he pulled away.

"You were missing me," he smiled devilishly.

I sighed, remembering why I brought him here. "I was. But I must talk to you about something else."

He took a step back, eyes widening slightly. "Is it about the letter? Did someone confess?"

I shook my head, grasping his hand and pulling him to the couch. Looking deeply into his forest green eyes I could get lost in, I asked, "Last year, did you threaten my father with a motion to plague war if your people didn't gain more control in the government?"

His face flushed and he inched away from me, looking down at the ground. And it was obvious to guess that Avant's words were right which broke my heart. To think that jerk was right. But there must be a good reason why. My mouth opened slightly. Nothing came out and the silence continued, Zeph throwing his head in his palms.

Then he spoke. "This is why I didn't want to tell you," he muttered harshly. When I looked at him, I flinched at the dark glare he was giving me, the greenness plummeting to a black hue. "I knew you'd start suspecting me like the rest—!"

"I'm not suspecting you—"

"Oh, you aren't?" He stood up, looming over me in a way that made frightened shivers crawl down my spine. I didn't like this side of Zeph. "Then please clarify, Princess, what's going through that pretty head of yours? Are you thinking 'I shouldn't have trusted him'? 'I should do like my father says and forget the Enigma boy'? Hmm, how about, 'I should break the Enigma's heart!'"

"ZEPH!" I screamed, anger replacing fear. "I'm not thinking anything of the sort! All I want is to know the truth!" My voice calmed down, seeing the spark of regret in his eyes. "Zeph, I love you and that'll never change." I took a step towards him, confident that he'd calmed down enough for me to brush his cheek. "Whatever happened is in the past, okay? I understand. But I just want to know what happened."

He sighed, the greenness in his eyes brightening, taking my hand and leading me to the couch. He looked straight into my eyes when he spoke. "It was one of my uncles who thought Concord had too much influence on government while we were given the scraps. Behind my father's back, he threatened your father and 'represented' Enigmas, and that we wanted more say in parliament. Despite it being true, we'd never considered war a way of achieving it. Once father realized what he was doing, he immediately put an end to it and apologized to your father. It, unfortunately, also worsened our image here although your father promised to disregard my Uncle's ranting."

I nodded, accepting that as the truth, feeling happy that he wasn't someone two-faced. Because I loved him immensely and I'd hate it if he turned out that way. Maybe even to the point where I'd crumble like mother...

I refused to let my mind trail that far, returning to the conversation at hand. "Zeph, that was your Uncle, not you. I trust you. I just despise when Avant tries to convince me of false accusations."

Zeph took a breath, crossing his arms with his brows dipped. "You know he has to go when you're queen, right?"

I nodded, a smile tugging on the corner of my lip. "That's going to be my first proclamation."

"Good."

Lean down, he captured my lips in his, and I could tell his anger was slowly being used to give me pleasure during the kiss. With a hand twirling through my hair, he pressed harder, and I moan against his mouth, his tongue caressing my bottom lip. He was burning up against me, making me heated by the touch. Before we could further our ventures, he pulled away, massaging my swollen bottom lip with his thumb, the greenness returning brightly in his eyes.

"I want to know everything about you," I whispered, my forehead against his as we caught our breaths.

Gently, he lifted his head to place a kiss on my forehead, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear. "You will, I promise. But for now, just know I'd never do anything to hurt you or the ones you cherish."

-_-_-_-_-_-

Hayden delicately plucked a gardenia out the ground and handed it to me, returning to our stroll around the garden. The sun was beating down on us, matching the intensity of the cool breeze blowing against us. In fathers' word, "It was a day suited for the gods."

"...there are more eco-friendly replacements to almost everything," Hayden continued, clicking his feet against the cobble stone path. Internally, I was begging him to stop speaking, externally smiling at the little things that hardly interest me. Yes, earlier I did say that facts about the environment interest me, but he knew too much, more than I wanted to know. However, this was his day, and if he wanted to spend it talking about organic plants and eco-friendly items his country has made, I'd endure it.

Staring up at the palace, I could see a glimpse of Zeph staring at us through the study, holding a book, pretending to read. But I knew he was being a stalker, making sure I didn't fall for Hayden. That wouldn't happen but a piece of me giggled that he was jealous, wanting to see that cute pout on his face when I accused him of it. Just as I was about to look away, he walked behind the curtains and vanished from view.

Twirling the flower in my fingers, I concentrated on it more than his Hayden's words still being spoken, stroking the silky petals. "Hayden, what's your favorite thing to make in the kitchen?" I asked, needing to get off the subject of the environment. I continued to fiddle with the flower.

He pursed his lips, thinking. "I'd have to say herb salmon with fresh garden salad. I create my own dressing, using vinegar, honey, and a few more ingredients."

For the first time in a long time, his words perked me up. "That sounds tasty. Maybe one day you could make it for me to try."

He kicked a pebble on the ground, a simper touching his lips. "I'll make sure to make it extra tasty for you." Something ambiguous beneath his words made crimson rise to my cheek. For a minute, we walked in silence as I stared at my feet wondering what was behind his words. We were only talking about food but at that moment, when he said that, it made me remember he was still a man. A man destined for me to bed tonight.

A chiming on his watch went off and he paused in his tracks, clicking it off. "I need to water my plant in my room. I'll catch up with you in a minute, okay?" I nodded and he nodded a goodbye, swerving on his feet to walk in the opposite direction. Before he turned past the tree shadowing the entrance, he waved a slight goodbye and I returned it, sighing when he completely disappeared. I continued along the path quietly.

Hayden was a nice guy, and as I friend, I could tolerate him, but I don't know if he'd make due as a husband. If I was getting bored in only three days of meeting him, I surely wouldn't survive within the first year of marriage. Could I really share feelings with him over a one-sided interest such as the environment?

It's only been four days since you've met Zeph and you're telling him you love him, I chided myself. You hardly know what love means! My subconscious, no matter how much I wanted to retaliate, was right. I hardly knew the word, I hardly knew Zeph. However, I couldn't describe what I felt for him that wasn't something I was familiar with, and that word "love," the way he described it, felt like the only match.

Strolling a little further, a noise caused me to still in my tracks, jumping a bit. It was the sound of a moan—a pleasurable, feminine moan. Curiosity getting the better of me, I tiptoed towards the moans growing louder, soon being intertwined with a masculine growl. The path wasn't going towards the voices so I had to step off and venturing into the grass, seeing undistinguishable people in the distance. I crept closer until they were identifiable, ducking down behind a line of hedges.

My breath hitched at the sight, having to cover my mouth to trap the loud gasp wanting to protrude.

Trinity and...Sam?

For a moment I couldn't breathe, watching in amazement. I've never seen Trinity look so...sensual, so...unhinged, so...not innocent. I've never seen this side of her before and by the way I was hiding, I don't think I was ever supposed to.

"Ahhh!" she moaned, plainly sitting on Sam's manhood. Her dark curls shined beneath the sun and her dark complexion mingling against Sam's tan complexion seemed almost magical under its rays. With a quickening heart rate, I watched intensely, half fascinated that this was happening before my very eyes.

Sam held her tightly, kissing her breast as she bounced on his manhood. Should I be watching this? At the moment, if the answer was no, I didn't care. I've watched s*x before, having to watch for s*x education, but this sent the blood in my veins on overdrive. Trinity moaned his name, grinding harder against him until he lied back and let her take control, his hands positioned around her bare waist. Inside, I felt my entire body heat up and my pulsing core wetting below.

A deep growl escaped him and he rolled over to pin Trinity to the ground. To get a better view, I lifted my head an inch higher to witness what was going on. And then the craziest thing happened.

He kissed her on the lips.

Passion and electricity coursed through them vigorously, Trinity noticeably trembling at the touch as she wrapped her arms around his broad shoulders. There was no word to describe how shocked I was, witnessing such a forbidden phenomenon. I thought only Zeph and I knew about kissing. Supposedly, we weren't the only ones.

Their naked bodies molded harder into one another, kissing passionately as he pumped inside her. The sounds of their moans overtook that of nature and even I felt silenced by the moment, especially my racing heart. Only they existed. And I was cutting in on their moment of bliss, their kiss ceasing as they gazed at one another, Sam raking his finger through her hair. They looked...content, maybe even...in love? Did they love each other?

Forcing the thoughts out of my head, I carefully crept away from their sanctuary and tiptoed back along the path. Looking over my shoulder, I could see they were going at it again, Sam pumping within her, making her cry out for more. I walked until I no longer heard their ardent moans.

Marching to the entrance of the garden, I noticed Hayden walking my way with a smile. We clearly couldn't continue to walk through the garden. Eventually, he'd witness it. If he did so, Sam would be disqualified and most likely shamed by his entire kingdom. And Trinity, interfering in the competition, would be sentenced to imprisonment or worse, death. No way would I let them go through such torment.

"Hayden, how about we go back inside?" I suggested, ringing my arm through his, turning him back towards the palace doors. "We can have a snack sitting on the balcony."

He opened his mouth, probably to question me as he looked up at the dazzling sky, then closed it, and nodded. I knew he wanted to stay outdoors and keep walking around but I couldn't let Trinity and Sam's secret get out. He tenderly smiled down at me. "Of course, Princess."