Changing Her Stars

Chapter Seven

It was the first official day that she was waking up as Duchess Leira Montero. Not knowing quite what to expect, she opened her eyes to see her husband’s full naked back and behind. She stared at the many scars that marred his muscular back. There was a particularly jagged one that almost ran the full length from his left shoulder down to his right hip. Even healed, it looked like it hurt as she gently felt the raised skin. Growing embarrassed, as she had been staring for quite some time, she quickly turned and faced the other direction.

“Am I so hideous?” he suddenly asked, causing her to yelp in surprise.

“W-why would you ask that?”

“You barely look at me. My scars must repulse you,” he replied.

She felt him move, and then he closed the distance between them, her bare back fully flushed against his chest.

“It really hurts a guy’s feelings, you know, to have a wife barely glance at him and turn away. It’s not right. For instance, I can’t take my eyes off of you,” he continued, nibbling her ear while groping one of her breasts in his hand.

Leira sucked in a breath and closed her eyes tightly. She panicked at the thought of him wanting to do more. She was already sore from the night before.

“Please tell me that you don’t think I’m ugly,” he pleaded, his other hand roaming her body.

She felt him grow harder and press against her ass. Her cheeks burned. This man was a monster, but not in the way that most people typically thought. Not in the way that she had originally thought. She supposed that the papers had been right about one thing at least: he was insatiable.

“If I call you handsome, will you leave me be?”

He tsk-ed in her ear. “I didn’t hear you complaining last night. In fact, I only heard the most alluring, seductive moans leave that mouth of yours. Your body can’t fool me, Leira.”

His fingers found her sensitive area a moment later, and he began to tease her gently, making her grip the bed sheets. She felt herself become wet as he dipped into her and slowly moved his fingers in a small circle. There was a pressure beginning to build up inside of her, one that she was still unfamiliar with, but she knew where it was headed nonetheless.

“Tell me you don’t want this, and I’ll stop,” he whispered.

She gripped the sheet tighter in her fist and sucked in her breath. “T-that’s not fair.”

“How is it not fair, Duchess Montero?”

Even his voice was alluring as his fingers moved deftly. “I–I–I…” she tried, losing her thought process as he pushed his fingers deeper inside of her. He began moving in and out, using his thumb to swirl her c**t as he did so.

A loud knock sent Leira ducking under the covers. The duke could only laugh at her, though it did put an end to his shenanigans.

“Come in,” he said, irritation thick in his tone.

Hilda meekly poked her head inside and then curtsied. “Sorry far interruptin, m’lord, especially on this morn, but His Majesty, Prince Gerville, has just arrived far ya.”

The duke rubbed a hand over his face in annoyance. “Blasted fool showed up a bloody week early! He knows I just got married.”

“Th-the prince?” Leira asked, shocked. “Like of the kingdom? Our kingdom?”

She had barely moved the covers out of the way and was peeking up at him with wide eyes. He hated leaving her in the bed alone, but he knew he had to greet Prince Harlon Gerville. He was a fickle and spoiled prince who was used to getting what he wanted immediately. The duke needed to figure out what exactly he wanted this time.

Leira watched him dress as he answered, “Yes, the prince of our kingdom. He likes to come calling whenever he gets the chance. He thinks he can just waltz in whenever he wants. It’s typical Harlon behavior. It shouldn’t take long, so just relax.”

“Relax?” she almost shrieked. “I can’t relax! I have to get dressed. I have to greet His Highness!”

He paused before pulling his shirt over his head and took in the scene before. His new wife was anxiously sitting in his bed, clutching the sheets to her chest. Her naked shoulders were mostly covered by her tousled brown hair, and the worry in her facial features only made him want to kiss away her nerves. He had to tear his gaze away from her before he changed his mind and climbed back into bed with her. There were many things he planned to do with her over the course of the next week.

“Don’t bother. He doesn’t deserve your formality.”

“I must! I cannot be the Duchess Montero and ignore a member of the royal family! He may be your friend, but he is my prince.”

The duke waved a hand around. “Stay in bed. Eat a decent meal or two or three. You’ll need to recover your stamina for tonight.”

“Tonight?” she questioned, her eyes briefly meeting his green ones.

“Yes,” he replied confidently. “We are newly weds, aren’t we? I had planned to only leave that bed when necessary for the entire week.”

Leira blushed, her entire face turning crimson. He grinned at her, enjoying her embarrassment and the way her face flushed at the thought of being intimate with him again. He was once again tempted to ignore the prince altogether to be with her.

“Doesn’t matter,” she said resolutely. “I need to formally greet him as Duchess Montero.”

He could only give her a smile, a part of him proud of her decision. He then left the room as several maids rushed by him to get her ready. He briefly wondered how Harlon would react if he kept the prince waiting until his new wife was ready. Chuckling to himself, he decided that seeing the look on Harlon’s face would be far superior to any backlash he may receive for pulling the stunt.

The duke was surprised by the fact that he didn’t have to wait as long as he had anticipated. Only a mere 30 minutes later, Leira opened the door, her face shocked to see him leaning against the wall reading a few papers.

“You…waited?” she asked, puzzled.

“I did. I thought that the consequence for interrupting my honeymoon week with my wife would be waiting for me to properly introduce you. You said that he is your prince, so it is only right to honor your decision with a proper introduction.”

She gave him a small nod, not sure whether to be more impressed with the fact that he waited for her or that he listened to her. Her former husband had certainly never done either for her before.

“Oh, and you look absolutely stunning. Must you be this gorgeous in front of him? He’s insufferable around beautiful women, and I’d rather him not slobber over you,” he added.

Leira stood in front of him in an elegant gown of dark blue. The sleeves hugged her arms until about halfway, where it fanned out and draped down her sides. She wore a silver pendant above a square neckline that hinted at her figure underneath. The bodice was a simple pattern with small silver beads woven into the fabric to create basic knot-inspired swirls. From the hips, the skirt then puffed out in an ‘A’ shape and fell to the floor.

“Oh, uh…” she paused, unsure of how to take his nonchalant flattery.

He said those words to her as if he’d said them a hundred times before. As if she was supposed to be used to hearing someone praise her appearance. Leira felt incredibly shy all of a sudden and wanted nothing more than to change her mind about greeting the prince. However, it was now her duty to be Duchess Montero. If she failed this marriage, she shuddered to think about what her father would do.

“This was the plainest one that was offered to me. I’m sorry if it displeases you,” Leira began, her words beginning to tremble.

“No! No!” he said. “No apologies. I just wanted to compliment you and make a joke that seems to have backfired. Simply put, I’m jealous of anyone who gets to look at you.”

Her cheeks reddened on their own accord, and Leira did her best to hide behind her hand, unable to respond.

“Shall we?” he then asked, holding out his arm.

“Of course, m’lord–”

“It’s Rin too you, my dear,” he interrupted, placing a light kiss on the back of her hand. “Now, let’s hurry up and meet the prince so that he may leave us alone. I have many things I want to do to you.”

The duke left the papers on a nearby buffet table in the hallway. The two then proceeded down the stairs, where they heard the prince before they saw him. He was ordering the servants about and loudly complaining about having to wait so long in the foyer.

“Where is that pesky duke, hmm? Is he aware that he’s making his prince wait for him for ages? Who does he think he is?” Prince Harlon grumbled to a maid who hurried out of his sight.

“I’d say he was Duke Montero, beloved of the King, that’s who. Friend of the Prince, and loved by an entire nation,” the duke proclaimed as he and Leira made their way through the grand door.

“Well,” Harlon said, his eyes instantly landing on Leira. “It’s about bloody time you showed up.”