you’re disapproving.”
He sighed. “I don’t want to see you hurt, and attachment can only lead to that. You know what your fate will be as well as I know mine.”
I still avoided his eyes. “I know, and I don’t want to think about it.”
“Why?” I could feel his eyes on me.
“Because with him I don’t feel like I have to put on a face. I am cherishing it until he decides I’m not worth the effort.” I saw my cloak behind him. I reached for it, but he wouldn’t move.
He cupped my face and tilted my gaze up to meet his. “Enjoy it. Escape reality for a while if it’s what you need. You’ve put on a better face your whole life than I have, but know this won’t go past your coronation. It will come out.” He paused, and I could see how sad he was for me. “Treasure his admiration in your limited number of days.”
I nodded, dropping my head to his shoulder. “We should like this status. It’s an honor to be given this place in life by the universe. But yet we are ungrateful like scabs.”
He wrapped his arms tightly around me. “At least scabs don’t have pressure to put their penis in a vagina they have no interest in for the good of the Akillie name.”
I shuddered. “Don’t ever speak in those terms to me again.”
“Want to hear me say cock and pussy?”
I pulled away from him, winkling my nose. “Jacob.”
When Jacob finally left I checked my messages, finding one from Madden.
M: Is it later yet, do you want to meet me?
I laughed. He must have sent it as soon as he’d woken up.
J: You know I have a full day.
Before I could even turn my screen off he replied.
M: Lunch?
J: Tonight. I have other engagements for the day.
M: Can I keep you all night this time?
It was a loaded question.
J: Maybe.
I wanted this. Even with the reservations from Jacob I had to chase it.
J: If you come to my suite.
A low burning heat formed in my gut, and I knew it was going to be hard to think of anything else until then.
****
After hours of strategy meetings, which I was scolded by the Baron for being late to, I was shoved into a room with three maids to fuss over me. I sat and closed my eyes while my hair was washed and dried. I tried to visualize myself back in his arms. I hadn’t slept so well in years. I, for the most part, had given up on sleeping more than an hour or two. My lips curled into a smile, and I hardly noticed when they started painting my nails and shining my skin. Not a single blemish could show on the giant vid screens while I was part of the opening ceremonies.
My dress was brought in. It was a work of art. Commissioned months ago, it was handmade and hand embroidered. First I was bound by two women into the dress’s corset. The black lace peeked out over the top of the dress, which cut low on my chest, creating a layer of lace covering most of my breasts. The overall illusion was stunning, and I felt it made me look like a different person, which at this moment I was thankful for.
If Madden showed up at the ceremony, there was a good chance he wouldn’t recognize me like this. When I was dressed, I looked in the mirror. The only part of me left was my eyes. I put on a smile before heading out to the carriage. The Baron was already sitting in the coach when I climbed in. He nodded at me, and we took off around the park toward the capital building. The Worlds’ Fair was the kick off to the large science conference among all the prominent worlds under the Akillie’s rule. New graduates from the institute were drafted into their chosen fields, and additionally, research was proposed, planned, and funded at the institute. I would sit in with the Baron on the important meetings, on top of my classes and course work. I was exhausted thinking about it.
I wanted to be anywhere else. I might have even taken a role as a salver across the seven dunes over being pinned into a dress that felt three sizes too small and painted like an expensive doll, which was really all I was. I
He sighed. “I don’t want to see you hurt, and attachment can only lead to that. You know what your fate will be as well as I know mine.”
I still avoided his eyes. “I know, and I don’t want to think about it.”
“Why?” I could feel his eyes on me.
“Because with him I don’t feel like I have to put on a face. I am cherishing it until he decides I’m not worth the effort.” I saw my cloak behind him. I reached for it, but he wouldn’t move.
He cupped my face and tilted my gaze up to meet his. “Enjoy it. Escape reality for a while if it’s what you need. You’ve put on a better face your whole life than I have, but know this won’t go past your coronation. It will come out.” He paused, and I could see how sad he was for me. “Treasure his admiration in your limited number of days.”
I nodded, dropping my head to his shoulder. “We should like this status. It’s an honor to be given this place in life by the universe. But yet we are ungrateful like scabs.”
He wrapped his arms tightly around me. “At least scabs don’t have pressure to put their penis in a vagina they have no interest in for the good of the Akillie name.”
I shuddered. “Don’t ever speak in those terms to me again.”
“Want to hear me say cock and pussy?”
I pulled away from him, winkling my nose. “Jacob.”
When Jacob finally left I checked my messages, finding one from Madden.
M: Is it later yet, do you want to meet me?
I laughed. He must have sent it as soon as he’d woken up.
J: You know I have a full day.
Before I could even turn my screen off he replied.
M: Lunch?
J: Tonight. I have other engagements for the day.
M: Can I keep you all night this time?
It was a loaded question.
J: Maybe.
I wanted this. Even with the reservations from Jacob I had to chase it.
J: If you come to my suite.
A low burning heat formed in my gut, and I knew it was going to be hard to think of anything else until then.
****
After hours of strategy meetings, which I was scolded by the Baron for being late to, I was shoved into a room with three maids to fuss over me. I sat and closed my eyes while my hair was washed and dried. I tried to visualize myself back in his arms. I hadn’t slept so well in years. I, for the most part, had given up on sleeping more than an hour or two. My lips curled into a smile, and I hardly noticed when they started painting my nails and shining my skin. Not a single blemish could show on the giant vid screens while I was part of the opening ceremonies.
My dress was brought in. It was a work of art. Commissioned months ago, it was handmade and hand embroidered. First I was bound by two women into the dress’s corset. The black lace peeked out over the top of the dress, which cut low on my chest, creating a layer of lace covering most of my breasts. The overall illusion was stunning, and I felt it made me look like a different person, which at this moment I was thankful for.
If Madden showed up at the ceremony, there was a good chance he wouldn’t recognize me like this. When I was dressed, I looked in the mirror. The only part of me left was my eyes. I put on a smile before heading out to the carriage. The Baron was already sitting in the coach when I climbed in. He nodded at me, and we took off around the park toward the capital building. The Worlds’ Fair was the kick off to the large science conference among all the prominent worlds under the Akillie’s rule. New graduates from the institute were drafted into their chosen fields, and additionally, research was proposed, planned, and funded at the institute. I would sit in with the Baron on the important meetings, on top of my classes and course work. I was exhausted thinking about it.
I wanted to be anywhere else. I might have even taken a role as a salver across the seven dunes over being pinned into a dress that felt three sizes too small and painted like an expensive doll, which was really all I was. I
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