Royal Arrangement

X

Annie

The ballroom is bustling with activity. Daniel and I preform our first dance as a married couple and then slice into the cake before sitting back down for dinner is served. I sit at the head table in Daniel's arms as people approach our table with gifts and sweet words of congratulation. The pile behind us keeps on growing and growing to the point where it's kind of ridiculous. I've been gifted so much jewelry and fancy dresses that I have no idea what to do with myself. Apparently, in Verilian culture, the bride is showered with gifts if she's foreign to welcome her into their country. It's very sweet, but I have to admit that I have no idea what to do with all this stuff.

Michael and his wife Cassandra approach our table next and I feel Daniel stiffen beside me once again. I make a mental note to ask him about their obvious friction when we're out of earshot.

"Brother! Congratulations!" He turns to me next and grins. "Welcome to the family, dear sister. You look absolutely breathtaking. I just know you will grow to become a most welcome addition to this family and country"

I feel blood heat my cheeks at his compliment and bow my head slightly as I smile back at him. "Thank you. That's really sweet."

"Congratulations, Princess Annalise. I look forward to making your acquaintance." Cassandra says in such a meek voice that I almost don't hear it.

I smile but I'm sure it comes out as more of a grimace. "Thank you. I look forward to that as well."

Cassandra nods and looks to her husband. I resist the urge to lean over the table and shake her shoulders. She's so... insipid. I shiver. I may enjoy being submissive in the bedroom with Daniel but I'll be damned if I become a wife with as much personality and free will as a can of spam.

He turns to Daniel again and something flashes in his eyes before he grins. The unspoken exchange only takes a few seconds and it leaves me hopelessly confused. "May I speak to you over there, dear brother?" He asks Daniel whose response is to grit his teeth and tighten his grip on my shoulders.

"No."

Strangely, Michael is completely undeterred by Daniel's cold reply. If anything, he's almost amused by it. He then turns to me. "Then, may I have the next dance, Annie?"

I nod and start to stand before Daniel's arm tightens around my shoulder even further. He keeps me in my seat and shakes his head. "You may not."

I raise a brow. Really? I resist the urge to roll my eyes at his foolish behavior. Why, Daniel's acting like a possessive caveman. What's next? Is he going to throw me over his shoulder and proclaim me Tarzan, you Jane?

"It's fine, really." I say awkwardly.

Daniel shakes his head again, ignoring me completely. "You may not dance with my wife."

Michael smiles and laughs before nodding his head and leading the oh-so-dull Cassandra away on his arm. I turn to Daniel and frown. "What the heck was that about?"

Daniel narrows his eyes as he watches his brother walk away before turning to me and raising a brow. "Huh?"

I flatten my lips and decide it's not worth fighting over right now in front of all these people.

Aline and her mother come up to us next and she practically squeals in excitement before giving me a warm hug before she's ushered away. I miss her already and I make another mental note to call her later and schedule a time to hang out. I miss my best friend.

More nobles and other notable people come up and offer their congratulations and I my jaw nearly drops to the floor when The President of the United States and The First Lady comes up and congratulates me. I nearly choke on my own spit and Daniel chuckles beside me as I stumble around my gratitude when the First Lady hands me a wrapped box filled with famous American candies with a smile and a wink. It's my favorite gift so far.

Throughout the night men and women keep asking Daniel to dance, talk, or to let - I know let, how sexist is that?- them dance with me and every time he turns them down. Sometimes more politely than other times.

A man a little older than me walks up to our table with- you guessed it - another wrapped gift. The first thing I notice is he's strikingly attractive with strong features and sandy blonde hair. His green eyes are friendly and I find myself asking if he's a noble before I can stop myself. Out of everyone I've met, he seems welcoming. Maybe we can become friends?

"My name is Lord William Morburn, Your Highnesses. Congratulations on your loving union." He bows his head and smiles warmly and I instantly like him. He places his gift on the pile and turns to us.

Daniel, on the other hand, stiffens once more and pushes out tense words that can barely be called a greeting. I compensate for it by laughing and smiling at him. "Thank you, Lord William, but please, call me Annie. I have to admit I'm not quite comfortable with all the titles yet. Not sure if I'll ever be."

Lord William nods and his eyes sparkle with humor. "Of course. Then I insist you call me William. And may I say, I find the titles to be quite stuffy?"

I giggle. "I'm glad it isn't just me!"

William opens his mouth but Daniel rudely interrupts him. "Do you need anything from me or my wife, Lord Morburn?"

I frown. He might as well be pissing a circle around me. Why is he acting so damn possessive? William is just a nice guy. I'm not interested in him romantically, I simply think we'll be good friends.

Then a light bulb goes off.

Daniel's jealous.

Oh my gosh, Daniel's jealous of William.

Thankfully, William is unaffected by Daniel's outright show of possession and dominance. He smiles and shakes his head. "No, Your Highness. I'm simply exchanging friendly words with your wife." He turns to me. "Would you care to dance, Annie?"

"No. She wouldn't care for it at all, actually. Have a good evening Lord Morburn." Once again Daniel interrupts me before I can answer. William walks away with a chuckle before I can get the chance to tell him that a dance would be wonderful. I enjoyed our little conversation and I would've liked to get to know him better.

I frown at Daniel. "Why are you acting like this?"

"Like what?" He asks innocently.

So I lay it all out in the open. "Like a damn caveman."

Daniel frowns and takes a sip of his wine. Ah. The old can't talk when I'm drinking technique. Clever. Too bad I'm too damn persistent and unwilling to let this go. His possessive behavior was hot at first but now it's just uncalled for.

"You were so rude to William."

"Oh? It's William now, is it?" Daniel scoffs. "Didn't realize you two were that close."

I can't help it. He's acting like an i***t. I lean closer under the guise of whispering something loving in his ear and paste on a sugary sweet smile. "I don't know what your problem is, Sir, but it's pissing me off."

He follows my lead. "Problem? What problem? There isn't a problem, wifey."

"You're acting like an ass - yes, I said it, don't care - so I'm going to go talk to my family and when I get back you better have your issues sorted out." I lean away and smile at the guests before waving at my parents. They give an enthusiastic wave back.

I go to stand up, but Daniel's eyes darken to the color of dark chocolate and he grabs my thigh under the table. "You can't leave." He practically growls.

"I want to speak to my parents." I soften my earlier tone. "I've been so busy here that I haven't seen them."

The intensity in his eyes fades marginally. "I get that, but you can't leave."

Okay, now I'm pissed.

I school my emotions and lean on to his shoulder. "Why not?" I hiss. "I get that you like to control me but this is ridiculous. I'm my own person and I'm going no matter what you say." I make motion to stand up again but he wraps his arm around my waist.

"Sit. Down." He says through a fake smile. With sugary sweetness he leans down and his words send shivers down my spine. "I won't tolerate disobedience. You're on thin ice here and you forget that tonight's our wedding night, wifey."

His words chill and incite deeper desires that I didn't even know I had but I tamper them down. Daniel's acting like an ass and I'm still angry at him.

"You're forbidding me from seeing my parents?" I whisper incredulously. "How dare you?"

Daniel sighs and tosses his napkin on to the table. "I'll go with you."

"No. I don't want you to come with me." That's the last thing I want. "You're too controlling, Daniel. I don't know what's gotten into you, but I don't like it."

Daniel puts on a fake royal smile and waves to one of the guests. His voice softens. "I'm not allowed to tell you. You'll just have to trust me. Do you trust me?"

I pause for a moment. Over the past week, Daniel has become a good friend to me. We've had some rough patches but I've never trusted a man like I trust Daniel. Sure, he's dominant and he can really be an ass sometimes, but he's also considerate and understanding and playful. I look him in the eyes. "I trust you. I shouldn't but I do."

He smiles. "Then you'll have to trust me on this."

I bite my lip and think it over for a moment and then nod. "You're going to tell me what's going on the second you can." It's not a question or a request, it's a command.

One that Daniel obviously doesn't like.

"Of course, but you're still in hot water later for calling me an ass among other things."

I grin. "I would expect nothing less, hubby."

He frowns and I giggle. I guess he doesn't like that nickname. Daniel leans down again and his hand slowly inches up my thigh. There's a layer of silk and lace separating us, but I can feel the way his hand singes my skin.

"I prefer it when you call me Master."

~~~

Daniel

I'm almost done shoeing the flies away from my wife. The wedding party is winding down and the men are few and far between. My father raises his glass and gives me a prideful nod. It seems I have succeeded in his eyes.

It's another stupid Verilian tradition and I can't help but admit that it's one I didn't know I would come to appreciate until I saw the male guests pawing at my wife.

During the wedding reception, in order to show he is capable of protecting and supporting his woman, the groom is tested. Throughout the reception, men are tasked with asking and trying to manipulate a man's new wife away from him. Any man who succeeds in this task is allowed to plant a kiss on the bride.

I grit my teeth just thinking about it.

It's the groom's duty to keep them away and 'protect' her. It's barbaric and quite frankly, stupid, but I fell into the role a little too quickly. I don't like men lusting after what's mine, and Annie is mine.

I also don't like the thought of anyone kissing her but me. It's a new feeling. I don't get... jealous. I've had a woman one morning and seen her on the arm of another man that same evening and didn't even bat an eye. For some strange reason I'm not ready to get into yet, Annie's different. The thought of another man even looking at her-let alone kissing her-sends me into a jealous rage.

When Lord William made her laugh I snapped. I don't like that sound coming out of her mouth when another man made it happen. I don't like when she doesn't direct her giggles or friendly smiles at anyone besides me.

I'm a possessive bastard and I don't share.

Annie's been giving me the side-eye all afternoon and I can't blame her. I have been acting like a caveman and I can't say it's only because of the stupid tradition. I genuinely don't like other men around her.

A few more guests approach us and give us gifts and then we dance a few times to classic Verilian songs. After this, it's time to head out. I grin to myself. Tonight's our wedding night and I sure as hell got plans for it. Of course, Annie is going to have to be punished for her behavior tonight, I'm nothing if not consistent. I think I have the perfect punishment and if I'm being honest...

It might not be much of a deterrent...

Finally, it's time to retire. Annie and I leave first. We head back down the hall to our chambers with our guards after Annie says a heartfelt goodbye to her family. Her father once again threatens my life with a lighthearted smile and I tell her we'll see them again before we head back into our shared suite.

She's clearly nervous and starts dragging her feet a bit. I once again grin. She can drag her feet all she wants. I grip her under her knees and around her shoulders and lift her into my arms. She once again squeals and I make a mental note to surprise her by lifting her up as much as I can because the noise she makes is just too damn adorable.

"Daniel!" She cries.

I chuckle. "What? I'm simply performing another universal tradition: Carrying my new bride over the threshold."

The guards make motion to follow us but I pause outside the door, still holding my adorably red-faced bride in my arms. I clear my throat. "You might want to head out. You know, wedding night and all that."

It's a direct order but I phrase it more like a joke. There's no way I want anyone to hear the noises Annie will be making; those are for my ears alone.

A very flustered Annie gasps and says something in outrage while the guards sputter their polite responses about giving us privacy. I carry Annie over the threshold and refuse to let go of her even as she begins to struggle in my arms. I make a beeline for the bedroom and set her down on the bed. She lands with a soft bounce, it's a scene I commit to memory.

"Daniel! You're such a brute!" She gasps, crossing her arms over her chest and immediately getting up so she stands before me.

I grin. "I believe it's Master, you're such a brute, and you're not mistaken in your evaluation. I am quite brutish."

She rolls her eyes and mine narrow at the disrespect. "What? I'm already in trouble. Also, you promised you'd tell me what had you acting like an ass." Annie lifts her chin defiantly.

I suppress a groan. I don't want to talk about this right now. Right now, I want to peel my wife out of her sexy as sin wedding dress and spank her ass. What's the rhyme again? Something old, something new, something borrowed, something... blue? I'm going to change that last part to something red.

I don't want to talk.

So I don't.

Instead, I practically pounce on my wife like a hungry animal. I pounce on her like a wolf after his mate. I pull her tightly in my arms and practically rip the dress of her body, exposing her pale breasts to my hungry gaze. Before she can utter a single word of protest, I've already captured her lips in a hungry kiss.

She moans into my mouth as her lips dance with my own. I devour every inch of her and trail my lips down her jaw to the hollow of her throat while she moans and shivers. Her hands fly up and tangle in my hair and neither of us are sure if she's trying to shove me away or pull me closer.

I suck on her neck, eager to claim her. It's primal and stupid but I don't care because I want everyone to know she's mine. I want every man to see the mark on her neck and know that it's me who put it there. I want stupid Lord Morburn and everyone else to know she belongs to me.

I run my hands down her dress, peeling the fabric from her creamy skin until it puddles around her ankles like ocean waves.

She stands before me completely naked while I'm still wearing my expensive suit and I revel in the power dynamic. Annie whimpers and it's a sound that I'll never get tired of hearing. I love the little noises she makes. I love the way she silently begs me to stop or screams out my honorific when she's about to come.

It's my wedding night and as a gift to myself, I'll hear all that and more from her by the time the morning sun rises in the sky.

I reluctantly pull my lips off her neck and place my hands on her shoulders, lightly pushing her away from me so I can look her in the eye.

"As much as I'd love to continue this, we have correction to attend to."

She smiles slyly. "Can't we just forget about that, Master?" Annie purrs.

I stifle a groan. I know she's just trying to get out of it, but f**k, she's so damn sexy. It's natural and unforced and I don't think she even knows how hot she is.

But I steel myself. No distractions. "The sooner we get this over with, the sooner we can get to the good stuff."

She frowns. "Or we can just get to the good stuff now."

She's trying to manipulate me. It won't work. I shake my head. "No. I want you on the bed. Ass up, torso down."

Her eyes widen momentarily and I see a hint of that delicious fear and anticipation I love before she bites down on her lip and does as I ask. She isn't fast, but she's fast enough. Annie takes her time as she steps away from her dress and crawls on to the wide mattress before she rests her cheek on the comforter and sticks her ass up in the air.

I walk up slowly behind her, drawing out her suspense and excitement, and trail my fingertips lightly up her outer thigh and over her naked buttocks. I feel her skin erupt in gooseflesh and she shivers. I chuckle quietly at her reaction.

"Daniel--"

I lift my hand and bring it down with a swift crack against the flesh of her ass and she squeals. "You will call me Sir or Master when you are being disciplined." I infuse my words with command.

"Sir, I--"

I smack her again, this time on the other cheek and admire the two handprints blooming on her ass beside each other. My chest fills with possessive pride as I stare at her marks of ownership. She's mine. These are my marks on her body.

"Not another word. You will accept your punishment like a good girl. I'm not going to tell you again. Now stay here. I'll be right back." I pat her ass and walk over to my special cabinet. Tonight, she's going to experience some of my favorite toys. Through the course of this arrangement, she'll become accustomed to all of my devious goodies. Some she'll learn to love, and some she'll learn to hate, but she'll experience them all nonetheless.

I look over my shoulder and see she's in the same position. I grin and quickly select the items I've been fantasizing about since she called me an ass at the reception and return to her. I place my items on the bed behind her so she can't sneak a peek and smirk when I see her frown of disappointment. She shifts nervously and I place a hand on her lower back to settle her.

She instantly stills and I smooth out her flesh with my palm. "Good girl." I rub small comforting circles as a reward for her obedience. "This is going to be a new experience and it's going to hurt, but I know you can take it."

She whimpers but doesn't say anything else.

I rub one more circle into her back before lifting it from her skin and grabbing the item bag from above her head. I pull out the small bottle of lubricant. "Reach back and spread your cheeks for me, Naughty Little American."

I hear her suck in a quick breath. "What?" Her eyes meet mine and when she sees the bottle of lube they widen almost comically. "No. No. No. Not happening."

I frown. What happened to my good girl? I shake my head. I knew she'd be this way. I place my hand back at the end of her spine to settle her again. "Annie," I warn. "Settle down, little one."

She shakes her head. "No. No way, Daniel. I am not doing... that!"

I narrow my eyes. "If I have to restrain you, I assure you, you will regret it."

Seeing the stern look on my face, she switches gears. "Please, Daniel... I... I haven't..." Her face flames and she bites her lip. "I'm scared."

I lick my lips. Fear. I love her fear. I savor the way her lower lip trembles and her eyes widen like a hedonistic dessert.

But still, I don't want her to be so afraid that she doesn't wish to continue so I rub circles into her back again. The right thing to do in this situation is abandon my idea and tell her it's all going to be alright--that's what a good man would do.

Too bad I'm not a good man.

I should hold her in my arms and give her a passionate and loving wedding night experience while slowly stroking the flames of her desire. I should lavish her with my gentle kisses and stroke her soft skin. It's only the right thing to do.

It's a shame that I've never been known to do the right thing.

"Good. Hold on to that fear. Fear the pain and allow it to sharpen your pleasure." When I finally allow her to find it, but I don't tell her that. Instead, I trail my hand lower until I'm wiggling a finger over her tight pucker. "Spread yourself open for your Master. I'm not going to ask again. I'm giving you lube, do not make me regret my generosity."