The Five Realms

Three: The Offer

[Liana]

As I stared at the tranquil face of Penrose, her delicate features bathed in the golden glow of the tavern’s fire, I couldn’t help but feel a growing sense of protectiveness mixed with something more intoxicating—an undeniable desire. She was captivating, a bright spark of life amid the shadowy weight of our expectations and burdens.

The way the light danced in her hair, the soft curve of her lips, and the strength in her stormy eyes were all potent reminders that she was something extraordinary, even amidst giants like us.

It was clear that my friends, the three princes seated around our table, felt something similar. Each of them wore expressions etched with complexity—the primal need to protect her coupled with a lustful hunger that could no longer be denied.

I could see it in the way Kaine's amber eyes softened whenever he looked at her, how Salem’s silver gaze sparked with intrigue, and even the way Caspian’s smirk hinted at something mischief, dangerous and ancient, beneath his calm exterior.

It was as if an unspoken truth bound us all together from the moment we laid eyes on the fragile beauty—the call of true love that spanned across the realms had whispered its sweet promises into our hearts, yet we were all painfully aware of the reality that Penrose was not just a beautiful mortal; she was bound for a king.

King Bron.

The name sent tremors through our very beings. He was known for his insatiable appetites, and I had seen the way his past brides had suffered under the weight of his desires.

If Penrose surrendered, would she become another casualty of that dark hunger?

I refused to let that happen.

She deserved to know her own power—and I knew that each of us had a role to play in guiding her.

As she nestled deeper into Kaine's embrace, the spark of an idea bloomed in my mind, breaking through my concerns and lighting a flame of exhilaration.

“What if,” I whispered to the table, leaning closer as though the very walls might eavesdrop on our plans, "we helped our little Rose learn not just to survive in this world, but to thrive?”

The three princes froze, all of them shifting their focus to me.

I could feel their eyes burning into my skin, a mix of curiosity and uncertainty swimming in their depths.

I was known for my somewhat outlandish ideas —this one I couldn't ignore.

Salem's brow twitched. "What do you mean, Lia?" He probed, his voice low and hesitant, unsure of my scheming.

I grinned innocently, ignoring his immediate frown and explained. “Well, obviously we were tasked with giving her the knowledge she’ll need." My smile turning fiendish. "Nothing states it has to only be about boring topics like ruling....we could teach her about pleasure.”

Caspian’s lips curved into a smirk, a gleam of mischief lighting his red eyes.

“That's a rather… hands-on approach to this all of a sudden, Liana," he noted, his voice teasing and low. "Why do I think there's more to what you're suggesting?”

“He's right - it is quite a big leap, even for you,” Salem added, arching a silver eyebrow.

I watched as Kaine’s serious demeanor softened, an amused glint igniting in his amber gaze, though there was a protective undertone there as well. A hesitation that things could go too far — for all of us, if we weren't careful.

They remained silent, contemplative and brooding, and I found myself raising my hands nonchalantly, trying to ignore the excitement bubbling within me.

They hadn't denied the idea, or even argued against it.

I tried driving the true matter home, the fear we'd all shared when the truth slipped her sweet lips.

I steepled my hands on the table, setting them each with a look they met.

"Being a virgin will get her killed on her wedding night," my heart ached to admit it and I saw the darkness swirl around my friends at the thought —all of us knowing it to be true.

I pressed on. “But she is still a living, breathing woman with desires of her own. If she can embrace them before that night, she may have a chance, some control over her rule and, her life." I leaned back slightly, "Plus, nothing prevents us from showing her the ecstasy of experienced lovers. The King has never cared for an unsullied bride, only that they had something he wanted."

As if instinct drove us, we all glanced at the sleeping woman, still soundly nestled in Kaine's arms. A radiant form I wanted to bathe in the light of.

I pursed my lips, determination setting in like the roots of an ancient tree. "We teach her how to please Bron—a man with similar powers and appetites to each of us—and help her survive, so maybe we'll get to see her again when this is over.”

Kaine shifted his gaze back to Penrose, his hand releasing her only long enough to brush a strand of golden hair off her face, her body shuddering at his warm touch, before she turned further into it. Kaine's expression tightened with uncertainty, but his arms returned around her.

“It may not be wise to blur those lines. She may misconstrue any affections we show.” He said carefully, veiling his true words.

“Or she will embrace it,” I challenged, my voice lowering to a whisper. “After all, in a world that has taught our little Penrose nothing but hard labor, wouldn’t it be liberating for her to explore that freedom?”

Caspian leaned closer, his voice like velvet, becoming one with the hush of the tavern.

“Would she truly want such lessons from us?" He countered, though there was no worry in his voice, just a quiet confidence that was exploring every option and outcome. He leaned back, a challenge in his eyes. "And how do we separate it from our own desires?”

I smirked. Glad one of us can admit it.

“There’s the beauty of it,” I replied, emboldened. “By intertwining our teachings with our desires, she learns to understand herself in ways she never thought possible. We can give her tools that transcend anything King Bron could dare offer. It'd be a hard task to be insatiable with someone as experienced as what we could make her.”

My words hung between us like a charged spell, that sweet tension pulling taut and crystallizing into something undeniably enticing like rock candies.

I felt the air grow thick around us, and I knew they felt it too.

A loud crash from the small kitchen drew our attention for a moment before we glanced back and saw Penrose had stirred awake, her wide eyes blinking open to the warmth of the fire—and to the four sets of eyes fixed upon her.

For a breath, she seemed disoriented, and a soft blush crept across her cheeks as she registered where she was.

“Did I-I fall asleep?” She mumbled, still nestled in Kaine’s strong arms, shifting slightly backwards into his hold more and I noticed the slight shiver that ran through her when his arms instinctively wrapped around her, holding her protectively.

“Yes, actually,” I chimed, as the other princes held their breath, enchanted by the way she looked up at Kaine, her trust so evident and intoxicating. “We were just discussing how we can best prepare you for your role.”

Her gaze flickered toward me, considering. “I’m still unsure how I can manage being a bride, let alone a Queen...and the rumours I have heard of King Bron…” she trailed off, down casting her stormy eyes.

“You can be more than a bride, Penrose,” Caspian said, his voice low and melting like honey. “You have the chance to wield power unlike any other. But to do that, you must first understand your own desires.”

I watched as her cheeks flushed deeper, a tension vibrating between us as the implications of my words began to sink in.

“What do you mean?” She whispered, and I noted how she leaned slightly back when Kaine moved to reach his ale, like she drawn to the heat radiating off Kaine.

“The world of kings can be ruthless,” I continued, my voice dulcet and smooth, “but if you learn to wield the knowledge of seduction and pleasure, just as well as you will wit and intelligence —you might just find your place within it all." I took a daring step. "Maybe we could show you…”

I let my words linger in the air, and for a moment, I sensed her hesitance, the crinkle of uncertainty in her brow. But I knew there was something else beneath it—a flicker of intrigue that ignited a fire in her expressive eyes.

"S-Show me?" She squeaked like a tiny bird, tugging at all of us.

“It's about ensuring your safety, little deer,” Kaine added, his voice just above a whisper, fingers still brushing against her upper arm, sending jolts of warmth through her skin that turned into visible goosebumps. “But, also about discovering how you can feel in control, how you can embrace your own body, your own desires.”

Penrose’s gaze darted between the four of us, the weight of our proposal uncovering layers of yearning that even she couldn’t deny.

The way she leaned against Kaine, the way her body responded to his touch, whispered of an eagerness that tugged at my heart.

“I—” she paused, indecision flickering in her stormy eyes. “I don't know...”

“We wouldn’t dream of forcing you, but it is an offer. Our offer,” Salem added softly, encouragingly as he watched her intently. "We don't want to see you hurt, little one. If we can avoid it, please —use us."

The three of us looked at Salem slightly stunned, while Penrose's expression softened, his words striking a chord in her.

“I'd... I'd like you to teach me...I want to learn,” she finally confessed, her voice a small whisper, yet it rang louder than any declaration.

Kaine’s grip deepened around her, a blush flooding her cheeks as his nose buried into the crook of her neck and her breath caught with obvious excitement.

“Breathe, little deer,” he murmured, his voice reverberating in a husky tease that pitched even my heart into a flurry. "Rest in my arms tonight." She shuddered under his possessive, low voice as his nose dragged the skin of her neck, pausing at the shell of her ear to whisper. "Tomorrow your training begins.”

Her cheeks flushed again as he kissed her temple, but she didn't hesitate to relax into Kaine's arms, easily nestling into him, as if she belonged there.

Kaine's lips twitched with a proud smirk, holding her tightly and he finally looked away from her, seeing us all watching as she fell asleep within seconds.

In that moment, the air crackled around us, the pulse of our desires intertwining, creating an elixir of possibility.

Our journey across the Realms was already meant to be filled with adventure for our small beauty. I hadn't planned on it including us.

At least, not like this.