Song: Run (Back to My Arms) by Pink

FYI: This chapter is rated M. 17+ due to language, dialogue, and sexual encounters.

Chapter 21:

Jophrey lay in the water, his head resting against the lip of the wooden bathtub. He marveled at the sight of his woman, hair bunched messily atop her head, tendrils clinging to the delicate arch of her neck. She lifted a dainty foot from the water, toes wiggling as she hummed a little song to herself. Jophrey could see Porcia in full detail from his position down below and the sight was glorious.

Shifting his body slightly to the side so that he could get a better look, Prince Jophrey couldn't help the lupine grin that manifested itself onto his beautiful features. Droplets of water clung to Porcia's pale, ivory skin, making her shimmer in the candlelit room. The tiny, glistening gem seemed to beckon to him; he leaned forward and skillfully lapped at Porcia's lower stomach, stirring liquid fire in the young woman's southern regions.

She gasped and clutched his head closer to her body, laughing at his expression. "Interesting reaction…" he spoke, the sound coming out muffled due to the fact that his lips were being suffocated by her beautiful, wet skin.

Releasing her hold on him, she fell to her knees in the water. He lifted his arms up onto the tub's frame, biting his lip as she crawled closer to him. "Did I please you?" she said, referring to their raucous round of lovemaking they'd participated in just a few minutes ago.

"You always please me." Came his genuine response. She grabbed the soapy sponge floating in the water and handed it him. Jophrey squeezed it in his hands, the soap trickling slowly down his wrist.

"Wash me?" she questioned, turning so that her back was facing him. Leaning forward, Jophrey sensuously lathered his Lady's skin in lazy circular motions.

"That feels nice." Porcia giggled. Blushing as she felt his cock press up against her bottom, she spoke, "That feels nice too."

Grasping her hips, pulling her closer to him, he nibbled softly on her neck. "Mmm," came his seductive answer. Moaning, laying her head back onto his shoulder as he thrust upwards against her bare flesh. "You set my heart on fire."

She turned her head so that she could kiss his mouth, she lifted an arm to wrap around his head. He fondled her breasts while slipping his clever tongue between her soft pink lips.

"Jophrey," she managed to choke out between his passionate kisses. "Are you…nervous?"

Pulling away, the prince raised an eyebrow at her question. "Nervous…to become king?"

"Yes, of course. The coronation is just a few days away."

"I suppose any prince would be slightly nervous." Jophrey replied, shrugging his shoulders. Porcia nestled next to him, splaying her palm across his muscled chest—feeling his breathing, his heartbeat.

"You're going to be a great king." Burying her face in his golden locks, "I couldn't imagine a better choice for a leader."

Jophrey placed a soft kiss on her mop of strawberry blonde curls. "I've been thinking," he said, musing. "What is a king without his queen?"

Instantly he felt Porcia's breath catch in her throat, and her heart beat speed. "I'm sure you'll find that special someone," she whispered, rubbing his chest. "Someone who will cater to your every need and love you more than life itself."

"Who does that sound like?" Jophrey questioned with a roguish smirk.

"I do not know…" she replied, though she already knew the answer.

"Think of it this way, Porcia, if you refuse to believe it yourself. What am I without you?" Her mouth was agape, green eyes as wide as the moon, ears unbelieving of the words that floated from his perfect lips.

"So, on that account…will you marry me, and become the Queen of Bernami?"

She answered him with luscious kisses sprinkled all over his face. "A thousand times yes!"

Jophrey lay in the tub, smiling to himself as he felt her pink lips touch upon his skin. Porcia was from Belgras, a small city in the Kingdom of Adou, and was the rich daughter of the Lord Ludovico. Ludovico was the owner of many war ships and thousands of men. An alliance with Ludovico of Adou would grant him access to an immediate army.

"But what of Prue? Shall she never become Queen of Bernami?" Porcia questioned, straddling his waist.

"Prue shall never be Queen as long as my brother and I are alive. As well as our children," Jophrey said. Porcia blushed at the last sentence he spoke. "In fact, my Lady, I plan to barter her off to Duir, thus creating an alliance with the marriage of my sister and King Leofrick."

"Ah, I see. Duir has an endless supply of fleet, and soldiers equipped for war over the sea." Porcia replied. Jophrey stepped out of the tub, wandering to a small box by the towels. He tossed the small golden box to Porcia, who opened it greedily.

"Enjoy your present," Jophrey said, wrapping a white towel around his middle.

Still in awe, she wiggled her fingers, inspecting the giant emerald engagement ring sitting there.

…

Arallis noticed that he was sleeping, and didn't wish to awaken him. But the letter on his end table was calling her name. Seraphine had told her that it was from her brother and it had made Lukas angry. Honestly, she missed Jophrey and wanted to know what he'd sent her.

She tried to tell herself that taking the letter would be like taking candy from a baby. Careful not to disturb Lukas, she tiptoed around his bed. Frowning, she quickly waved her hand over his face.

No reaction.

She smiled again, reaching towards the letter. Opening the piece of crumbled parchment, she read Jophrey's words.

Princess Arallis,

My love, I have anxiously been awaiting your letters. Not a day goes by where I don't think of you and miss our little talks. You are my waking thought, and I see your smile in the rising sun. It's not the same here in Bernami without you. I truly wish you were here, by my side.

I am to be king in a few days and it would be my one wish if you could come back to Stone Gate, or if I could come to you in Tamar. I wish to see you and kiss your sweet lips before the coronation day and my wedding day. I am to marry the Lady Porcia of Belgras-

Arallis gasped as she felt the smooth blade of a dagger kissing her back. Quickly, she dropped the letter before anyone could see what she was reading. Hands raised, she turned around to face her prince. Surprised at her appearance, Lukas quickly stuffed the dagger back into his hilt.

Sitting down on the bed he rubbed his eyes, bleary from sleep. "Didn't anyone ever tell you not to sneak up on a man when he's asleep? I could have hurt you, darlin'."

Arallis tilted her head at the sound of him calling her "darlin'". It was something that she wasn't used to hearing from anyone's mouth, let alone his. His usually more proper name for her was "my love", or "milady" or even just calling by her name.

"Apologies, my Prince. I overheard that you were upset about something, and I came to see if I could console you." Searching for excuses, "I turned around just before you woke up."

"What kind of consolation?" He asked, cocking an eyebrow.

"Gods, I didn't mean it that way." Arallis quickly covered up. Shaking his head, chuckling to himself, he rubbed his temples.

"Of course you didn't." He said, clenching his fists, gritting his teeth in anger.

"What do you mean?" she asked him, puzzled.

"Never mind."

"Lukas, please. Do not push me away." Sitting down on the bed next to him, she looked him straight in the eye. Burying his head in his hands, he tried to control his anger.

"What do you want?" she asked genuinely.

"I want you." His words caught her off guard, leaving her mouth slack, and her eyes wide open. Before she could protest, he pulled her onto his lap so that she was straddling him. Losing all balance for a few seconds, Arallis's face crashed into his chest, forcing her to smell his scent.

Gods, he smells divine.

Faint traces of cigar smoke, chocolate, and fresh mint filled her nostrils. She inhaled deeper, taking in all of the spice that floated off of his skin. Her brain fizzed out for a moment and her body became a pool of heat.

"I want you to love me," he said, his voice like sandpaper, still groggy from slumber.

"I do love you," she murmured in response, twitching when she felt a wandering hand inching up her skirts until it reached her soft thigh. "But what I'm more concerned about is why you were so upset."

His hand rubbed up and down her milky thigh, his chocolate eyes gazing languorously into hers.

Damn distracting man.

She clenched her thighs together when she felt a searing heat emanating from her core. But she only ended up clenching against Lukas's thighs, causing him to thrust upwards against her arousal. "It is not important," he retorted, crashing his mouth down upon hers.

Moaning, she tangled her fingers into his mop of black curls. He growled with feral desire and thrust against her once more, his hands squeezing the soft flesh beneath his fingers. Resting his head on her shoulder, he nuzzled his nose into the column between her shoulder blades. "Are you wearing a new fragrance? You smell…enchanting," he said.

Gasping, clutching him closer to her body…thinking that what he was smelling on her was no perfume. She pulled him closer as he thrust slowly against her core at a steady pace. Arallis whimpered as she threw her hips down onto his evident arousal. He molded his lips to hers, sliding his tongue across her bottom lip. She heard him groan into the kiss, his eyes tracking her movements, becoming darker and darker by the second.

Suddenly, he broke the kiss sharply and turned his head to the side in shame. Arallis looked down at him with half lidded eyes, surprised from his reaction.

"Gods, what am I doing?" Gently, he lifted her off of him and feeling rather ashamed, cradled his head in his hands. She raised her eyebrows, head lying limp against his pillow. Her chest heaved as she panted from the recent contact.

Rubbing his temples, he shook his head in anger. She reached for him, her fingers grazing his naked shoulder. He shied away as if her touch was poison. "No…I—I cannot do this, Arallis."

"What's the matter?"

"I'm sorry." Came his quick reply before he dashed to his balcony windows, opening them for a fresh breath of air. She could hear his frantic breath coming in pants from where she sat on his bed. Deciding it would be best if she left, she bid him farewell and slunk out of the room.

She never did find out what he was so upset about.

…

"I wonder if she got my letter. She hasn't responded, and I sent the damn thing three days ago." The blonde prince paced back and forth, his hands folded behind his back.

"You truly miss her that much?" Prue asked, toying with her golden necklace.

"Everyday…" he murmured. "If anything happened to her, I think I'd die."

"I know. You've told me that before. It's the same every time I ask you." Prue smugly replied.

"You wouldn't understand."

"I wouldn't, and I don't. I don't fuck my brother."

Anger bubbling inside of him, he lurched at her with his hand held high. Gasping in shock, she held up her hands to protect her. Stopping before he could touch her, Jophrey held his hand in midair, lingering before her face.

"I should really strike you for that comment." Jophrey growled.

Pride swelling in Prue's chest, she lowered her hands and glared. "Do it. Do it, strike me like the trash I am. I know you will. You don't have a heart, anyways. Do you even love Porcia?"

Jophrey's face instantly became a ripe colored red in anger. He backed away, gritting his teeth. "Lucky for me, I won't be having to put up with your antics for much longer."

"What do you mean?" Prue asked, fright bubbling in her stomach.

"Leofrick of Duir will soon have a wife." Jophrey replied smugly, sauntering forward.

"Tripe from a whore's mouth," Prue replied, thinking that he was only fooling around. She leaned back in her seat, sipping her blood red wine.

"Tripe? You know me well, sis. I don't tripe."

"You'd barter me like a golden calf? Like a slave?" Prue was shaking; the wine in her crystal chalice lapped at the lip of the glass.

"You said it yourself, my sweet. You're trash." Jophrey looked at the gleaming blade of his new dagger that Porcia had purchased him from her home in Belgras. It was a post-marital gift, as she had called it. Flicking his thumb over one of the shining jewels that lay embedded into the handle of the dagger, he looked up at Prue with a gleam in his eye.

His younger sister looked completely and utterly broken, lips quivering, eyes wet with fresh tears, hands shaking from the ice of the situation. For a split second he felt sorry for her and wished that he could go to comfort her. But he stopped.

"I should feel sorry for you, shouldn't I? I should tell you that you don't have to marry Leofrick and that you can choose your own prince to betroth yourself to. But again, you said it yourself, I don't have a heart. And people who do not have a heart most certainly do not have a speck of kindness in their bodies. So, with that, I bid you farewell, my lovely sister." Jophrey turned away from his pitiful little sister, wanting to cut his tongue out for all of the nasty things he'd said to her, but wanting revenge on her foul words just the same.

"Oh, you're terrible." He heard her sob.

"You should really watch what you say. It can always come back and bite you in your pretty little ass." Jophrey called from halfway down the hallway.

…

If it wasn't such a sin to hate, then I would hate my sister.

…

"You're a friend to me," Seraphine said to Arallis. "I feel like I can tell you every single secret I harbor in my thoughts. This castle has so many and I know each one of them."

"I figured you would." Arallis nervously replied and toyed with her fingers in anxiety. Seraphine had showed her some secret tunnels and ways to get around the castle if ever the need arose. She had also showed Arallis her father's pet alligators Bulgare and Voire. Just when she thought she'd had enough, Seraphine led her to the abandoned library where they were now. Dust blanketed booked lay lonely in their cobweb infested bookshelves. Old letters lie upon the floor, and spiders and mice crawled around their home. Arallis was about to speak when Seraphine called her over.

"Come here, princess. Let me tell you my secret. I've never told anyone this. But I feel like we have a strong connection. And after you marry my brother, we'll be closer than ever." Seraphine grabbed Arallis's delicate arm, pulling her closer. Peering at the princess through her black cloak, she put her lips close to the other girl's ear.

"I'm a witch." To Arallis it was one of those moments where one had an assumption of someone else but didn't actually think it could be possible. "Or a sorceress, sibyl, enchantress…whatever you prefer." Seraphine said, smiling at the frighten princess. "I prefer sorceress. It makes me sound more humane…instead of the common term witch. I'm not evil, you know."

Arallis just nodded her head in agreement. "S-So what do you do, cast spells on people? Hexes?"

Seraphine rolled her eyes in annoyance. "I said I'm not evil. I can cast spells, but I can also see into the future and make potions."

"Potions," Arallis mused aloud. A thought rung up in her mind. She no longer had protection from Leo. "Do you happen to have poisons?"

"Quite. Why…did you have someone in mind?" A devious smirk spread across her dark, Teresian features.

"N-No."

"Don't be afraid. I've poisoned plenty of people for my father." Seraphine pulled a grapefruit out of her cloak pocket and held it out in front of her. "Looks like a regular grapefruit, doesn't it?"

"Yes."

"Watch this." Seraphine pulled out her dagger from the unknown folds of her cloak and carefully sliced the fruit into two halves. She then tossed the halves to a mice hole, watching as the inspecting mice took a nibble out of the sour fruit.

"My Gods!" Arallis shrieked, clutching onto Seraphine as the mice shriveled up from the inside out. Acid bubbled from their frothing mouths, burning them alive. The older princess forced herself to look away, tears bubbling at her eyes.

"Oh relax, there's plenty more mice to be found inside of Tamar." Seraphine spoke sweetly in attempt to calm her. But all her comment made Arallis feel was pity for the sweet little mice that had innocently wandered into the castle for a bit of comfort.

A moment of silence went by before Seraphine asked Arallis a question that would completely turn her feelings about the younger girl. "Do you want me to be your assassin? I could protect you from all of the dangerous people out there."

Arallis didn't know exactly what to say. There was a witch standing in front of her, asking to protect her and be her assassin. Honestly, she knew Seraphine was dangerous and wanted nothing to do with her. The possibility of Seraphine poisoning her with an acid grapefruit or with a simple glass of wine were dauntingly high inside of her small mind. But this was an opportunity that she couldn't resist. No one could beat a witch. And technically, she couldn't refuse the princess of Teres.

"I would love that," Arallis finally decided. Seraphine gave a pretty smile, her brown eyes twinkling with contentment.

"I would love that too. But for right now, I've got to go. Someone's coming, and they can't find us down here. Just down that passage there, and knock three times on the dead end. It'll lead you right to your room." Seraphine pointed to a bookshelf, watching as it slowly slid away, revealing the passage. Arallis left the younger princess's side to inspect it. Torches lined the stone tunnel, lighting up the way.

"Aren't you co—" Turning around, realizing that she was talking to an empty room. Jaw lying limp, eyes searching for her companion; Arallis heard voices coming down the tunnel.

"I haven't seen the princess for two hours."

"She wasn't in her room."

"I honestly don't think she'd be down here."

"She could have wandered and gotten lost."

"Aye, it would be in our best interest to check."

Slipping into the tunnel, Arallis watched the bookcase soundlessly slide back into place. Frantically, now trapped in the dark, cold, tunnel she darted through the passage way until she reached the dead end. Pounding her fists on the stone three times, she waited for it to open.

Panicking when it didn't open right away, Arallis opened her mouth to cry out for help. But slowly, her room was revealed when the stone wall slid away. Just as the girl reached her room, more knocks sounded on her door. "Princess Arallis?" the thick accent called. It was Lukas.

She went to the door and quickly opened it. The dark prince's eyes roamed over her new green sari and her naked skin decorated with green jewels and emeralds. Pulling his resistant eyes away from her body, he looked to her face. "Where have you been? I've been looking for you for an hour now."

"I've been sleeping. I fell asleep." Arallis nervously replied.

"The knights looked in your room and didn't see you." Lukas commented, cocking a curious brow.

"I suppose they didn't look very hard then…" she gave a small laugh to break the awkward situation.

Lukas shook his head and went to her leather lounge chair. "Look, Arallis. I have come to apologize about earlier. I should not have let it continue as it had."

"Why? If it weren't for you, I wouldn't have stopped."

Lukas blinked, swallowing the lump in his throat. His erection strained against his pants. Arallis noticed it and smirked. She licked her lips and batted her lashes. "I-It is a custom and Teres to wait until marriage."

"You're a virgin?"

"So are you," Lukas countered, slightly embarrassed.

"I know you want me." Arallis advanced a step in his direction.

He chuckled, shaking his head. "There is no doubt in my mind that I want you, Arallis. My sexual desire for you is almost unbearable…and my love, I have lusted after plenty of women, though not being able to touch them. So many times I have come close, but had to bite my tongue and pull away. It was so frustrating at how many nights I lay in bed with my hand around my cock, fantasizing about women…especially you."

Arallis's eyes widened at his bluntness. "I…I want you too."

"But I cannot have you…not yet."

"Don't you feel deprived?" she wondered aloud.

"Of course I do. But that will all change once we marry. Teresian men are known to have an unusually high libido. Suppose it's because of the deprivation." He said.

"Mmm. I cannot wait for our wedding night."

"You have no idea."

…

"Princess?" Hoping it was Lukas again, she answered the door to her suite. But it was Seraphine. She couldn't help but feel slightly disappointed.

"What is it?" she asked.

"There's someone here to meet you. If you would," Seraphine motioned to the door, wanting Arallis to follow her. Curious, she followed.

She saw him standing in the main hall, gazing at the magnificent castle that was Tamar. "Gods, is it really…?"

At the sound of her voice, he looked up to the balcony where she and Seraphine stood. A magnificent, dimpled grin spread like butter over his face and he held out his arms, inviting her into them. Still in shock, she broke away from Seraphine and darted down the staircase. They met halfway; he lifted her into the air as her arms wound tightly around his neck. Tears threatened to fall from her eyes as he kissed her cheek, whispering her name.

From above, Lukas watched beside Seraphine. "Who invited him here?"

"Daddy."

"He'd never, Sera. Tell me the truth."

"Daddy," she repeated, rolling her eyes. Truth was, she had persuaded her father to let Jophrey come and visit. But technically, she was telling the truth.

"Jophrey, I've missed you so!" she cried, burying her nose in his hair, which hung in loose waves by his jaw. Running her finger through the cleft in his chin, she smiled. "I have missed that face."

Catching her hand in his, pressing his lips to the soft skin, "And I have missed those hands."

…

After dinner with the king, Jophrey walked Arallis back up to her room. She stood before the mirror unlacing her dress as Jophrey shut the door behind them.

"So, how are you holding up?" he asked, smirking.

"What's that supposed to mean?" she replied, releasing the sari from its attachment. He took hold of the green silk, feeling the texture between his fingers.

"Without me of course," he replied, planting a quick kiss on her nose.

"Oh, it's been horrid," she mock-pouted.

He chuckled in response. Arallis unpinned her hair, letting the tight curls cascade down her back in a golden waterfall. "Your dress is very revealing. Mother and Prue would have never approved." Her brother commented.

"I'm not in Bernami anymore." Arallis replied. She handed him a piece of green silk and he pulled, spinning her, unwrapping her. The silk slowly disappeared from her body as he pulled more and more of it into his hands.

Jophrey stared at the green silk in his hands, then up at Arallis's naked form. She panted, her breasts heaving on her chest. "You look but don't touch." She remarked as Jophrey's face began to get red.

"I hold self-restraint."

"Not that I mind," Arallis stumbled over to the wardrobe, allowing him a good look of her backside. She picked up her nightdress and slipped it over her body.

"How's Lukas?" Jophrey asked, lying himself on her bed to rest his weary self.

"Fine. But he won't touch me."

"He won't touch you? What's that all about?"

"It's some Teresian voodoo to touch a woman before the consummation night." Arallis shook her head, still disbelieving. "He knows he wants me, and he knows I want him, so honestly I can't see a reason for him not to lie with me before the wedding."

"You're young, Arallis. You don't need to be sleeping with every man you lay eyes on." Jophrey felt her fingers crawling up his heated flesh. He grasped her hand in his and massaged her fingers.

Pulling her hand away, "I slept with you, didn't I?"

"At least I'm not a virgin," he remarked, his eyes sparkling with mirth. "Love, you deserve an experienced man in your bed."

"Oh, hush. Enough about me. I heard that you proposed to the Lady Porcia. I give you my blessing."

"I'm glad. I wouldn't dare marry until my little sister gave me her blessings." He smiled as she leaned over him in her practically transparent nightie. Looking away before the fire burning in his abdomen could spread lower, he spoke "You know you're everything to me."

"And I you," Arallis smiled, laying her head on his chest and inhaling his strong masculine scent of pine, mint, and cigar smoke. "My king."

Jophrey treasured the sound of the word on her lips. "No, I am not yet king. But I'm still your prince in shining armor."

"Regardless of your title, you will always be mine…right?"

Kissing a mop of golden curls, he answered with the nod of his head. "Like I've said, countless times before, if our family still wed brother to sister there'd be no guessing who I'd pick."

"If only it wasn't such a sin." Arallis sighed, burying her face in the crook of her older brother's neck. "If only…it wasn't such a sin…to love…"

"Do you love Lukas?"

"Do you love Porcia?"

"Not as much as I love you. Never as much as I love you." They both said in unison. Arallis rolled over onto the pillows laughing.

He rolled on top of her, sliding his hand up her silky nightdress. Shivering, Arallis struggled to find the strength to push his hand away. "No, Jophrey. There are plenty of whores in Tamar for you." She giggled.

Little did the siblings know, a maid listened wide eyed on the other side of the door with her eyes as wide as melons. Everything she'd heard about those two, every single conspiracy, rumor and innuendo were completely true. She had to tell Lukas, she had to tell him that marrying a Bernamian princess was a bad idea. As she gathered her laundry, the door flung open and Jophrey stood at the door with a malicious grin on his face.

The maid gasped loudly and dropped her wicker basket of laundry, spilling the freshly washed clothing all over the golden floor. "Ho sento, ho sento, ho sento! Les meves disculpes…" the small woman mumbled. Jophrey glanced back at Arallis to ensure their safety.

"Deixa ajudar, senyora. No era la meva intencio espantar." Jophrey spun out his words like he'd been speaking Teresian his whole entire life.

"No, jo no puc…" The maid replied softly, rushing to pick up the laundry. Jophrey dropped to his knees and helped her pick up the laundry. He gave the maid his most beautiful smile, watching her glow until his heated stare.

"I will teach you not to eavesdrop, maid." Jophrey said. "And the consequences when the wrong person hears the wrong thing…"

The maid looked up at Jophrey confusedly, not understanding a word he said. Once all of the clothes were in the basket, the maid walked down the hallway.

Jophrey rubbed his new dagger sitting, waiting on his hilt. Unleashing it, he gazed down upon it with his glimmering, wicked eyes. He winked at Arallis before rushing down the hallway to catch up with the maid. Startled, Arallis rushed to her doorway, peering down the corridor. Jophrey shoved his dagger back into the hilt when he reached her, beginning to work his charm on the young woman.

Backing her up against the wall, forcing her to drop the laundry, kissing the maid's neck, leading her into the empty bedroom, locking the door behind him…

Arallis gulped. The result would not be good…for the maid.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

Translations:

Ho sento, ho sento, ho sento! Les meves disculpes- Sorry, sorry, sorry! My apologies.

Deixa ajudar, senyora. No era la meva intencio espantar- Let me help you, madam. It was not my intention to frighten you.

No jo no puc- No, I cannot.

Questions:

This was a long chapter…try and give me as much feedback as you can!

Kisses,

Scarlett

Review

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