She shook her head.
“Did they cut out your tongue too?” I pressed.
When she nodded, I grimaced with sadness. I understood why they had done it, but that didn’t make it right. She left just as quickly as she had come, and I pushed myself off the bed to go inspect what she had brought. There were several drumsticks of meat, platters of cheese and sausages, along with a number of sliced and steamed vegetables.
I heard her lock the door and I prepared myself a plate. I ate my fill of the delicious spread and when I was finished, I shuffled over to the reading nook. I inspected the books once more and pulled one down to read. It was a book of the city’s history and I was curious if it was written by those who lived here.
I settled down in the cushioned reading chair and spent several hours learning about the time since the Great War. There were a number of passages that caught my interest, including the suggestion of a secret set of passages within the castle as well as many other small details I hadn’t considered before as to the composition of the king’s advisors and the way the city was organized into certain districts by class.
I read by the light of the sun and when it finally started to set, the servant returned and stoked the fire in the fireplace. She lit several lanterns around the room. I didn’t say anything other than to politely thank her. I knew that she couldn’t answer. I wouldn’t learn anything from her.
When I grew tired, I climbed into bed and fell asleep.
For several days, I simply rested, read, and passed the time watching the city through my window. Most nights, I relaxed with a hot bath. At first, it felt like heaven. The soreness between my legs and across my backside faded until there was nothing left and for some reason, that saddened me. Then after about a week, I began to feel restless.
I was back in my reading nook when I heard the sound of the door unlocking once more. Assuming it was the female servant who had been attending me, I didn’t look up until a man cleared his throat nearby.
It was Magnar.
“Ariana,” he murmured. His gaze was dark and hard to read. I wasn’t quite sure what he wanted, and I stiffened in response.
“King Magnar,” I replied respectfully. I didn’t make any motions to move. Instead, I just stilled and waited for him to give any indication of why he was here.
“I wanted to see how you were doing. Are you enjoying your time here? Is there anything I can get you?” he asked gruffly.
His presence was unexpected and if I really thought about it, completely unnecessary. If I had needed anything, I could have asked my servant.
I took a deep breath as I tried to figure out the real reason why the king was here in my chambers. His scent surrounded me. He smelled of smoke, citrus, and sweat and I found it so enticing that I breathed it in once more.
“I enjoyed painting once,” I answered carefully.
The tension between us was thick.
His jawline tensed and I pressed my thighs together, uncomfortably aware that just his presence had caused my body to pulse with a warm desire. My pussy clenched and I came to the reluctant conclusion that I was wet. Not once had I felt the urge to slide my fingers in between my legs since I’d been in this room, but simply him standing in front of me right now made me want to.
“I’ll bring you an easel and paints. I’ll make sure you have everything you need,” he answered. I wondered if he could sense my arousal. I did everything I could to hide it, but when his nostrils flared just the slightest bit, I knew that I couldn’t.
He would know I was wet for him.
“Thank you, Magnar,” I answered dutifully. He took a single step closer and I didn’t move a muscle. His fingers clenched into fists for a moment, but then he visibly relaxed. I didn’t let down my guard.
“It is my pleasure, Ariana. I’ll bring you some supplies tomorrow,” he said curtly before he turned around and walked out of the room. He locked the door behind him.
I was caught off guard by his visit and my core pulsed greedily with desire. Locked safe inside and all alone, I lifted my dress and hesitantly explored my inner thighs. I wasn’t just a little wet. I was soaked and my clit throbbed with need. When I lightly grazed my finger over top of my pulsing bud, I jolted as a rush of electric desire caught me off guard. I chewed my lip and turned my gaze nervously to the door. There was no indication that he was coming back. The servant typically didn’t come check on me for at least another hour.
I had the room to myself and I nervously licked my lips.
I wanted to feel what he’d made me feel again, that moment of bliss that had left my body languid and sated.
With a bit more boldness, I pressed the flats of my fingers more firmly against my clit just like he had done. I slid them up and down as my core began to simmer with an urgent sense of arousal. It was so intense that it caught me by surprise. My pussy clenched as my fingers worked my clit even more fervently. The more I touched myself, the braver I became until I felt the once familiar sensation of pleasure coursing through my veins.
My thighs began to tremble and even though I bit my lip, I couldn’t help it as soft cries of need escaped my throat. My nipples pebbled tightly, and my other hand slipped beneath my dress to toy with them, squeezing and pinching them lightly enough to send myself into a frenzy. My fingers danced along my clit, circling faster and faster as I approached the edge of bliss.
My back arched against the soft chair and I moaned, pressing harder until I was close enough that I could taste it.
My thoughts flashed to the memory of his fingers between my thighs, of his palm branding my bare backside and my needy pussy and then of those same fingers pressing deep into my flesh and my orgasm burst over me.
White-hot ecstasy rippled through me and gripped me so tightly that it ached. I keened, but my fingers didn’t slow. Every muscle in my body tensed hard and I could feel my inner walls gripping greedily at empty air. I ground my hips into my fingers and cried out even louder as tendrils of scalding pleasure coursed up and down my limbs. My toes curled and I pinched my nipples even more firmly as I dragged out every moment of my orgasm that I could.