KYLLEN
He stretched on a long, padded bench as two men and two women massaged and kneaded the muscles in his arms and legs.
A group of six servants had already bathed him, then four of them rubbed fragrant oils all over his freshly scrubbed body. He’d never had so many people trying to please him at once, but he could certainly get used to being pampered.
Such was the life of a king.
The best part about it, of course, was that Queen Amira was waiting for him in her bedroom for their wedding night. All this scrubbing and rubbing by an entire army of servants was happening because the court etiquette demanded he please his wife tonight. And for once, he wished to comply with the court etiquette fully and completely, with no reservations.
Kiris, the commander of this “army of pleasure,” touched his shoulder. “You can turn on your back, now, Your Majesty.”
He did as he was told, lying on his back and folding his arms under his head.
One of the female attendants diverted her eyes from his now completely exposed body. But he caught her furtive glance at his crotch.
He smiled to himself. He wasn’t nearly as shy as Amira about nudity. And frankly, he had nothing to be ashamed of. His body was a pleasure to behold. His cock would look even more magnificent had it been up. But for now, it rested flaccid against his thigh.
The female masseuse was pretty. With a light, skillful touch, she worked on his left leg. But he felt no attraction to her or anyone else besides his wife.
Amira had stolen all his affection. She had ruled his mind and body long before they had known anything about their bond. And now that she was his wife, his queen, and his bonded mate, there could never be anyone else. The thought of spending the rest of his life with his little human made him so happy he felt giddy like a little girl.
Amira was just behind the wall that separated her royal chamber from his. As King Consort, he got the rooms reserved for royal spouses. This bedroom had been predominantly occupied by queens throughout Lorsan’s history, which didn’t matter to him in the slightest.
He hadn’t exactly lied to Lord Adriyel when he’d said he didn’t care about being the king. Born and raised to govern, he knew all about the responsibilities that came with such a high position. The mere idea of sitting in daily council meetings, discussing levee construction plans or reviewing thousands of complaints from cranky High Lords and peasants alike, made him want to cry from boredom.
Amira was so much better at that than he could ever force himself to be. She had the patience he never had. He’d watched her during the weeks of preparations for their wedding. He’d seen how cleverly she solved issues or how tactfully she handled the pushy councilors and the capricious courtiers. He had no doubts she was well suited for the crown on her head.
He couldn’t wait to watch her grow into the best ruler Lorsan had ever had. He didn’t doubt she’d do much better than the past king, that vicious brute who Prince Zeldren had grown to be.
Kyllen knew Amira was fond of her predecessor. She had somehow tamed the bastard and made him fond of her in return, so fond that he even passed his crown on to her.
It amazed Kyllen, but it didn’t surprise him. There clearly was no limit to what his woman could accomplish without any tricks or brutality, but simply with kindness, patience, and perseverance.
He was fully prepared to be by her side every step of the way. He’d be her partner and adviser whenever she needed to run her decisions by someone. He’d be her ear on the ground, listening for any trouble among the lords and commoners alike. As King Consort, he could keep a lower profile than the ruling queen, which provided more opportunities to hear and see things that might escape her.
And if all her negotiations failed, he’d lead her armies in battle for her. He’d defend his queen to his last breath, both in peace and war.
As his bonded mate, Amira had centuries to live now, too. And he was looking forward to each and every day spent with her.
“Let’s get you up, Your Majesty.” Kiris offered him an arm for support as Kyllen climbed off the bench in all his well-oiled, naked glory.
The attendants wound a golden, bejeweled snake-clip around each of his senties. His forearms were circled with iridescent spirals, carved from the giant rainbow snail shells.
They then dressed him in a long robe made from a transparent material, light and flowing like feather clouds during the green season.
Kiris gave him a critical once-over and nodded, obviously satisfied with the results of his team’s work.
“Her Majesty awaits,” Kiris declared.
Two of the attendants dramatically flung the doors open between his and his wife’s bedrooms.
Amira rose from the edge of her nest. She closed her long silk robe in grass-green, concealing the thin white nightgown she was wearing underneath.
Her unbound, dark hair streamed in thick waves down her shoulders. Without the veil over her face, he could see every single one of her beloved features. He wished to kiss each of them, too.
With a brief nod to Kiris, he crossed the threshold into her bedroom and shut the doors behind him. “I’ll take it from here.”
His wife gave him a long look, then slowly slid it down his body.
“You look…nice.” A soft, tantalizing blush colored her cheeks. She wetted her lips with her pink, delicate tongue as if about to take a bite of a dessert. If the dessert was him, he was all for being eaten.
He chuckled at her loss of words. Clearly, the sight of him was breathtaking.
“Just nice?” He raised a brow ridge. “I believe Kiris and his people were going for ‘alluring and enchanting’ for my look tonight. They aimed to make me as enticing to you as possible.”
She took a step toward him, then another. Slowly. He knew her hesitation didn’t come from fear. She was taking her time, savoring every moment of this night. He knew it, because he felt the same way, too.
“Well.” She came closer. “They succeeded. I am enticed.”
“Is it the robe?” He tilted his head. Mischief bubbled in his chest, adding to his excitement. “It displays my best features ever so splendidly, doesn’t it?” He adjusted the see-through material on his hips, turning to show her his backside then his front again. “Or is it the oils they’ve bathed me in?” He waved his hands in front of his chest. “They’ve used at least twelve kinds, I think. There’s no way to tell what flavors they all are now.”
She giggled at his antics. Reaching out with a finger, she stroked his nipple through the thin robe. His cock jerked to attention, as if connected by a string to the tip of her little finger.
“No nipple clips, I see?” She pouted with a teasing glint in her dark eyes. “I was kind of hoping they’d put them on you.”
“Nipple clamps? You want those?” He blinked in surprise. His little sweet pea never ceased to amaze him. “I’ll wear them if you will,” he quipped.
She bit her lip, the expression in her eyes heating.
“I’ve been curious how they work. And with you, I wouldn’t mind trying.” She kept circling his nipple through his robe. The light caress ignited sparks of pleasure throughout his body. His cock swelled rock-hard—one touch was all it took with her.