Chapter 10
2350 Words
I woke up, my head against his chest, my leg wrapped around his. A smile appeared on my face as soon as I opened my eyes. His scent filled my nostrils, and the thin ray of light passing through the shutters illuminated his sleeping face. I ran my mouth over his chiselled jawline, his fine beard tickling my lips. I got up and put on a nightgown. I went to make coffee for him and uncapped a Diet Coke for myself. I rushed to the bathroom, furnished with this eternal smile, and passed under the shower. After brushing my teeth, I put on a dress and a cardigan. Going back down, I wasn’t surprised to find that he was still sleeping, even if he seemed to have fought with the duvet wrapped around him, letting me glimpse his sumptuous buttocks. I couldn’t help kissing him before leaving the suite.
I went to the common room and met Ethan, sitting alone at the end of the table. He had barely finished his breakfast.
“Does that smile on your face have anything to do with a tall, tattooed man?” he said, turning a finger in my direction.
I swallowed. I’d praised Ethan’s silence earlier at dinner, but it had been too short, and I wasn’t ready to have such a conversation with my uncle. Especially not with my uncle. I put two slices of French toast on my plate, grabbed some maple syrup and went to sit next to him. My milky skin was proving ineffective at hiding my blushes, and the embarrassment on my features was visible ten yards away.
“What are you talking about?” I asked, trying not to let it show.
“I’m talking about the fact that last night I had to turn around because I encountered an obstacle on the stairs,” he said, raising his cup of coffee to his lips.
Damn. This time I was scarlet. Ethan smirked. I rested my elbows on the table and scratched my forehead, hoping to hide my face, not knowing what to say.
“Your mother won’t appreciate it,” he said.
“I think I’m old enough to choose my…”
“...lovers?” he finished, raising an eyebrow.
“Ethan, it’s embarrassing.”
He chuckled and ran a hand through his white hair.
“I’ll be silent as a grave,” he finally said.
“And I’ll be grateful to you, dear uncle.”
“Anyway, if I understand correctly, he’s going on a trip soon. Then no need to worry your mother.”
He had always wanted to protect his sister, and this discussion revolved around that. He stood and walked over, kissed my cheek and put his hands on my shoulders. Then he started towards the door and stopped before crossing the threshold. He took a deep breath and turned around.
“If he hurts you, I’ll kill him,” he said, his unfathomable eyes piercing me through and through.
After breakfast, I headed for the library. Empty at this hour. I had plenty of time to browse a few shelves. They were so high and wide that it would have taken me a year to read all the books. I climbed the sliding ladder and came across a novel by Elizabeth Gaskell. Unconditional for this author, I took an edition of North and South when a hand grabbed my ankle.
“I see your panties, princess,” Connor told me.
A teasing smile formed dimples on his cheeks. I smiled back and tried to release my ankle from the vice of his fingers without succeeding.
“No,” he said, his voice as firm as his hand, “the view is so beautiful.”
“Let me down, Connor.”
“Nope.”
“Are you kidding me?”
“Nope.”
I laughed.
“And what do I have to do to get you to let me down?”
“Come with me to Brazil.”
“You’re blackmailing me?” I said, amused but not ready to yield.
“Exactly.”
I watched him, estimated his position, and gave him a defiant look before rushing at lightning speed towards the exit. Not seeing it coming, he couldn’t prevent me from getting out of his embrace. On the other hand, he was quick enough to counter me, blocking his body in front of the door.
“It’s your thing to run away, isn’t it, princess?” he said, crossing his arms.
I blinked twice in response and backed away. He stepped forward and looked at the book in my hand.
“I expected you in bed, and you prefer to read a book?”
“You were sleeping, and I was getting bored.”
“It’s your way of telling me that I should be ready to satisfy you at any time?”
“Well, it’s more of a suggestion.”
He ran his hand through his tousled hair and shook his head. His smile narrowed his eyes.
“So what will you do when I leave in two days? Are you going to read all the books in this library?”
“Maybe.”
“Maybe?”
He approached with mind-blowing speed, but I anticipated it. I shifted quickly enough to avoid him, and I dropped my book.
“Come with me,” he said, his blue eyes catching mine.
“Does the prospect of leaving me here scare you?”
“f**k, yes.”
I pulled back again, but my body stumbled against the chair facing the hearth. He immediately grabbed my waist and held it in an iron vice.
“Come with me, princess,” he repeated in my ear.
“I can’t,” I whispered.
“Of course, you can.”
I laugh. He put his hands on my face and his lips melted on mine. His fingers slid up and down my bare arms in a slow motion that sent an exquisite shiver under my skin. God, I felt so good in that man’s arms! But a little voice in my brain told me to refuse his offer. I barely knew him, and even if our bodies seemed made for each other, I couldn’t decently run away with him, far from my mother and my life. Then he grabbed my ass and lifted me, his mouth glued to mine. I wrapped my legs around his waist and couldn’t think anymore. I tried to free myself from his embrace, and when he shifted a little, I managed to get away and dashed towards the exit.
In the woods of Mortain, I huffed as I stopped. Hands resting on my knees, my breathing slowly returned to its usual pace. The breeze caressed my inflamed cheeks and finally helped clear up my thoughts. How could I follow Connor? My heart, however, seemed excited by the prospect. I had always listened to it until then. So why did I hesitate so much?
I didn’t have time to think further because Connor had grabbed me and tossed me over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. I tried to struggle, but nothing helped. On the contrary, it amused him even more.
“You’re forcing me to use drastic measures, princess.”
“Let me down, Connor!”
“No way, damn it!” he said, slapping my ass.
The burn was intense, but I didn’t have time to feel its full effects before he rushed with me at a bewildering speed and threw me on the bed as soon as we arrived. I bounced on the mattress, my dress raised on the thighs.
“So?” he said in a provocative tone. “What are you going to do now?”
I looked up at him and c****d my head to the side. Then I knelt on the bed, and my hand caught his shirt, pulling him to me. I lay down, and he followed me, his gaze captivated by my mouth. His lips placed kisses on my burning neck. That was when I realized I had no desire to see him leave me.
He lifted his head, sensing my change of attitude. His smile couldn’t have been more seductive than it was right now.
The next day, it was not yet 11 o’clock when Connor and I requested an interview with my mother and the king of the castes. They were waiting for us in the queen’s office, furnished by her on the top level of the west wing. She offered us a cup of coffee, which Connor accepted. I asked for a cup of tea. Carmichael invited us to sit on the couch, and they sat across from us. The king’s suspicious eyes said a lot about his thoughts, and my mother’s enigmatic gaze told me nothing worthwhile. Connor looked at me and gave me a wink before finally declaring what we had come to say.
“I’d like Isabelle to accompany me during my stay in South America.”
We couldn’t be more direct, and the surprise displayed on our hosts’ faces confirmed my concerns. Carmichael hissed between his teeth, and my mother jumped to her feet.
“Out of the question!” she said.
“Have you gone mad, brother!” snapped her husband.
Dazed and amazed by their attitude, I couldn’t believe my ears. I had expected some resistance, but their fit of fury was beyond comprehension. Connor put his hand over mine, my gaze drifting to his firm, tattooed forearm before moving up to him.
“I don’t understand your reaction,” he said evenly. “You have just spent two months in your cabin and haven’t asked permission from anyone, while your responsibilities go far beyond mine.”
My mother and Carmichael exchanged a look and, judging by their stormy expressions, I guessed they were communicating in thought. It was time to end this masquerade; I abruptly put my teacup down on the coffee table and stood up, my hand still in Connor’s.
“I came here out of courtesy. I’m not seeking anyone’s blessing.”
“You hardly know him!” protested my mother.
“That’s true. But I think a few months with him will remedy that.”
“A few months?!” she said, startled.
“Maybe five or six months,” Connor confirmed.
“You forget your responsibilities!” Carmichael said in a deep voice, and his commanding tone sent shivers down my spine.
“Mom, I spent twenty-seven years by your side,” I continued, ignoring my stepfather. “Maybe I can emancipate myself for a while without having to fight for it?”
“You seem to have forgotten that we are your sovereigns and that you are both supposed to obey us!”
“Sorry?!” I said, appalled.
“You heard right,” she replied forcefully.
“And what do you have to reproach him with, exactly?”
“I never trusted Connor, and neither did his brother. It won’t be a surprise to him.”
“It’s not,” confirmed Connor, rising.
He put his hand on the small of my back and lowered his head in my direction. I lifted my eyes to his. His intense gaze pierced me, and then mine went to my mother.
“Using your status as queen to stop me from doing what I want is the last thing I expected from you.”
She took the hit. Carmichael looked angry, but his eyes, suddenly worried, fell on his wife.
“You have responsibilities,” she whispered.
“I don’t think I’ve been approached for anything,” I said, not yet ready to bury the hatchet despite my mother’s pained face. “I have never been part of this community, and as far as I can remember, I’ve always fulfilled your every wish.”
My mother sat down, still shaken by my statements. Seeing her like this hurt me, but I didn’t regret my words. Carmichael calmed down and gave me a kinder look than the one he reserved for his brother.
“Look,” Connor said firmly, “we’re going through South America, starting with Brazil. I have to answer certain questions with castes in person. Isabelle will meet some of them and learn on the job. You’ll agree that this castle isn’t where she would understand how far our responsibilities go.”
He seemed to score a point. My mother and her husband exchanged another look, another silent conversation.
“I would like to speak with my daughter alone.”
“That’s good. I want to do the same with my brother. Let go, Carmichael.”
They left the office, and a heavy silence filled the room. I sat back down and waited for my mother to speak first. I hadn’t yet forgotten her declarations about the obedience I owed her. To me, she had been queen for so little time that it still seemed surreal.
“Do you know who Connor is?”
“No, not really. Perhaps it’s time to give him a chance.”
She got up and paced the room to the window. Her gaze drifted away.
“I’m not willing to risk seeing you go with him.”
She turned in my direction, her deep green eyes imploring me to come to my senses.
“I’m going, mom.”
“I want you to be happy, believe me, my sweet, but not with him, that’s all.”
I stood up, and our exchange ended up filling the atmosphere. After a long silence, I left without a word. As I left, tears welled in my eyes, and my heart seemed to c***k. It wasn’t until I got to the Elizabeth suit, where I found Connor, that I felt like I could breathe again.
“When are we leaving?” I asked.
His smile at that moment warmed my bruised heart. I took refuge in his arms, and when he hugged me close and I felt his heart beating against my ear, all doubt had left me.
“We’ll leave tomorrow.”
- Writer
