so?” he countered.
“Well…no. I am quite content with my place in the order of things. I wish to be married, have children, and run a manor house just as my mother has done. I wish to give my husband everything I have to offer.”
She knew the king understood what she meant by everything.
“And so you shall. And more. He will be a most fortunate man.”
The rest of night’s meal passed with a steady stream of light conversation, thanks to her mother. But Sarea grew quiet and troubled. She didn’t understand the king. He was pursuing her, that much was clear to them all, but yet he was going to all lengths to see to it her reputation remained intact. What was his purpose then, if not to make her one of his many conquests?
Sarea declined to join them in the parlor after dinner and excused herself to go to her room. As she readied for bed, she tried to make sense of the king’s behavior. Was this all an act? A way of lulling her into a false sense of complacency? Was he just whittling away at her defenses slowly?
She didn’t know.
She was in her nightgown, a simple floor length white sura cotton gown with cap sleeves made of lace, when a knock sounded at her door. She had dismissed her maid, so she had to get up and answer the door herself. To her surprise, the king stood in her doorway. She ducked behind the door, using it to hide her undressed state.
“Who told you this was my room?” she asked, flustered.
“Anyone I wanted to,” he said, reminding her of who he was and that all information would always be given to him upon request.
“I see. What can I do for you, my king? I was just about to go to bed.”
“This will not take long.”
He pressed his hand flat against the door and pushed, it sent her back several steps in spite of her trying to lean her weight into the door to block him from coming in. But she may as well have been a flea on a dog for all the strength she had in comparison to him.
She stepped back, crossing her arms over her chest as he stepped into the room and shut the door behind him.
“This is very improper,” she stammered, her entire body flushing with anxiety and discomfort.
“No one will know,” he promised her, reaching out to take her hand and prying it from her grip on herself. He drew her reluctant body close, close enough for her to feel the warmth of him from head to toe.
“I’ll know,” she said in a small voice. “Please, my king, don’t do this to me.”
“Do what? What is it you think I’m going to do?” he asked, reaching to brush a strand of hair from her cheek. She had undone her hair from her virgin’s noose and now it hung down long and loose. Just as long as Garrick had thought it would be.
“I do not wish to be your mistress!” she cried.
“My mistress?” He laughed, the sound a low, rich thing. It flowed over her with honeyed warmth. “All I wish is to get to know you better.”
“By coming into my room in the night?” she challenged.
“I am here for one thing and one thing only.”
“And what is that?” she asked, though she dreaded the answer. What if he demanded she mate with him right then and there? She would be powerless to stop him. Her mother certainly wouldn’t help her. Neither would Dakon. She was helpless against him.
“A good night kiss,” he said. Then he promised her, “That is all. One kiss and I will leave you alone.”
“For good?” she asked.
“For the night,” he said with a chuckle.
“Why are you doing this? Why me? You can see I do not want your attention. Why can’t you let me be?”
“I honestly cannot answer that. I do not know why I am doing this. I do not know why I can’t let you be. It is not in my nature to force myself upon any woman who does not want me, but I find…I find myself too enamored of you to simply walk away. I will not force you to me. I am not that way. But I do ask you to give me a fair chance before shutting me out.”
“I do not aspire to the fame and glory
“Well…no. I am quite content with my place in the order of things. I wish to be married, have children, and run a manor house just as my mother has done. I wish to give my husband everything I have to offer.”
She knew the king understood what she meant by everything.
“And so you shall. And more. He will be a most fortunate man.”
The rest of night’s meal passed with a steady stream of light conversation, thanks to her mother. But Sarea grew quiet and troubled. She didn’t understand the king. He was pursuing her, that much was clear to them all, but yet he was going to all lengths to see to it her reputation remained intact. What was his purpose then, if not to make her one of his many conquests?
Sarea declined to join them in the parlor after dinner and excused herself to go to her room. As she readied for bed, she tried to make sense of the king’s behavior. Was this all an act? A way of lulling her into a false sense of complacency? Was he just whittling away at her defenses slowly?
She didn’t know.
She was in her nightgown, a simple floor length white sura cotton gown with cap sleeves made of lace, when a knock sounded at her door. She had dismissed her maid, so she had to get up and answer the door herself. To her surprise, the king stood in her doorway. She ducked behind the door, using it to hide her undressed state.
“Who told you this was my room?” she asked, flustered.
“Anyone I wanted to,” he said, reminding her of who he was and that all information would always be given to him upon request.
“I see. What can I do for you, my king? I was just about to go to bed.”
“This will not take long.”
He pressed his hand flat against the door and pushed, it sent her back several steps in spite of her trying to lean her weight into the door to block him from coming in. But she may as well have been a flea on a dog for all the strength she had in comparison to him.
She stepped back, crossing her arms over her chest as he stepped into the room and shut the door behind him.
“This is very improper,” she stammered, her entire body flushing with anxiety and discomfort.
“No one will know,” he promised her, reaching out to take her hand and prying it from her grip on herself. He drew her reluctant body close, close enough for her to feel the warmth of him from head to toe.
“I’ll know,” she said in a small voice. “Please, my king, don’t do this to me.”
“Do what? What is it you think I’m going to do?” he asked, reaching to brush a strand of hair from her cheek. She had undone her hair from her virgin’s noose and now it hung down long and loose. Just as long as Garrick had thought it would be.
“I do not wish to be your mistress!” she cried.
“My mistress?” He laughed, the sound a low, rich thing. It flowed over her with honeyed warmth. “All I wish is to get to know you better.”
“By coming into my room in the night?” she challenged.
“I am here for one thing and one thing only.”
“And what is that?” she asked, though she dreaded the answer. What if he demanded she mate with him right then and there? She would be powerless to stop him. Her mother certainly wouldn’t help her. Neither would Dakon. She was helpless against him.
“A good night kiss,” he said. Then he promised her, “That is all. One kiss and I will leave you alone.”
“For good?” she asked.
“For the night,” he said with a chuckle.
“Why are you doing this? Why me? You can see I do not want your attention. Why can’t you let me be?”
“I honestly cannot answer that. I do not know why I am doing this. I do not know why I can’t let you be. It is not in my nature to force myself upon any woman who does not want me, but I find…I find myself too enamored of you to simply walk away. I will not force you to me. I am not that way. But I do ask you to give me a fair chance before shutting me out.”
“I do not aspire to the fame and glory
Similar Books
