บท 16: You're done

What a busy day today, everyone is running somewhere, doing something. No other way than the king of another country should arrive, everything was already too perfect around. Servants in their formal clothes, girls in starched aprons with expressed concern on their faces.

Mrs. Rose, by the way, I never found, this woman is surprisingly elusive when she is really needed. Jenin, too, seemed to have fallen through the ground. I had no desire to stay locked up, so I went to the kitchen. Surely there are a lot of goodies there now, I'll take one, no one will notice.

Previously, I could come to the cook at any time of the day or night and, as if by magic, he would get a cake for me, delicious and fragrant. The memories caused me to salivate. There was not enough sweetness in the blood.

The kitchen, as expected, was chaotic and it was very hot. Huge vats bubbled, emitted steam and smelled so deliciously appetizing. My tummy rumbled, welcoming the variety of edible smells. The cook, a middle-aged man, wiped his hands on his apron and looked at me appraisingly.

- Are you hungry, girl? – how clever, probably often saves maids dying of hunger.

- Just a little. Lunch slipped by somehow unnoticed. - I smiled weakly, embarrassed.

- Here you go. - he handed me a handful of berries and a small bun, generously sprinkled with sugar. – I know you like that, just come for sweets. Fortunately, today there are too many products. - he grinned and continued slicing vegetables, adding them to the boiling vat.

- Thank you. – I accepted the generous gift with a bow and immediately took a bite of the fragrant bun. Oh, what a pleasant texture it dissolved in the mouth, a solid pleasure. I broke into a smile and decided to talk a little cook.

- Mr. Cook, do you happen to know who is expected today? – I was just curious.

- Mr. Cook? - he laughed heartily. - Please, Mr. Porter, it's better. Lady Giselle, Princess of Adaman, is arriving today. They say that she is an extremely ambitious and demanding girl, so this morning the whole castle is on its ears. Even the night servants are all at work.

- She has already visited our castle several times before, but only today the king ordered to arrange a whole feast in her honor. - he shrugged, indicating his ignorance of the purpose of her arrival.

- I see. It must be something really important. Well, I'll go. Thank you so much for saving my stomach. - I smiled brightly.

- Absolutely not at all.

***

There was no desire to loiter around the castle, and I was thinking of going to the library, after all, I was uncomfortable in the royal bedroom.

It turns out that in a crowd of scurrying servants, it's so easy to get lost. How good that I decided not to wear an apron, the nondescript brown dress was not so striking. I quietly slipped inside and made sure that no one was there. Although, honestly, I thought the same last time. My brain immediately started coming up with excuses in case I was caught.

Last time it was too dark, and I couldn't see the high pointed ceiling, which was painted with unusual paintings. Most of them had images of the same woman. It was as if they were creating a consistent story and everything ended with an indomitable fire that consumed her without a trace. An interesting concept, why did the artist choose such a sad motif for his work?

This time I carefully looked through the shelves and noticed that most of the books are textbooks on magic, magical creatures and artifacts. In general, everything that is somehow connected with magic. There was also one shelf, completely reserved for classical literature and several for scientific literature.

Science did not arouse any interest, magic was beyond my control, but magical creatures attracted me very much. I've already heard about werewolves and witches, I've even met the latter more than once in Riliya, but that's all.

Information was scarce, it was rumored that werewolves were created by human intervention, but then they could be called magical creatures with a stretch or not? Interest was awakening in me with a frenzied force. Surprisingly, my hands almost didn't hurt anymore and I enthusiastically took up reading the book.

It told about dragons, demons, elves, fairies, pixies, sirens, trolls and other magical creatures. God, how many are there? Do they all exist or once existed? A slight shiver ran down my spine, I would not like to meet any of them.

I was about to close the book when I saw an image of a creepy man with an ugly evil face, bloody eyes and teeth-blades that were clearly longer than a normal person.

"Vampires are creatures of the night, living off the blood of their victims," read the postscript below.

I immediately remembered Raphael's scarlet eyes and I felt uneasy, as if there was not enough air in this huge room. I waved away this thought, what nonsense. He is definitely not ugly, even rather handsome as a God, and he does not have long protruding fangs. And he didn't suck the blood out of me, even though I've already poured it out twice in front of him.

- Yeah, it definitely can't be. - I muttered to myself.

- Can't be what?

I screamed with fright. Who is sneaking up so unnoticed!

The King stood before me in all his glory. He looked from me to the open book and grinned, pulling it out of my hands.

- What an interesting read, Princess. And I thought you'd be reading romance novels. – he said, flipping through the pages with the creatures.

- Are there any here? - I retorted in response.

- Oh, what's not here, honey. – my heart skipped a beat at such a nickname. – There are even more interesting things than simple romance novels. Do you want to watch it together? - his eyes sparkled with mischief.

What kind of books are there that made him so animated?

- I'm sure I don't need it. - the impudent answer burst out of me.

- Well, don't give up so soon, Princess. Believe me, there are very interesting things described there. I'm sure you'd like it. – after all, my gut does not let me down, I did not have a desire to look at these books of his.

Raphael continued to look at me searchingly with mischievous sparkles in his eyes, and I seemed to melt slowly under his gaze.

He bit his lower lip slightly, exposing his snow–white teeth. And I immediately noticed that there were no fangs. It became somehow calmer.

- Now tell me, naughty little girl, what the hell are you doing here? - his tone changed abruptly, as if all the words he uttered were covered with a layer of frosty frost.

- I-I... just... - why did all the excuses that I had previously come up with in my head not concern Raphael? Did I think that I wouldn't step on the rake twice with him? And anyway, I promised myself not to be his errand girl. I'm the princess of Riliya and I don't have to answer to him.

- I decided to pass the time by reading books, since you didn't forbid me to do it last time. - Lifting my chin up, I boldly met his gaze.

- I didn't let you leave my room! - He hissed angrily.

- But you didn't forbid it either! - I retorted.

He irritably combed back the bangs hanging from his forehead, and pressed his lips into a thin line. There was an awkward silence. Is he angry or something? I got the answer right away.

- Well, that's it, you're done. - With a jerk, he lifted me up and threw me over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes, loudly slapping my ass with his powerful hand.

- Let me go now! – I tried to break out of his death grip.

Raphael completely ignored me.

- I'm uncomfortable, put me on the floor! - The answer was an even tighter grip as he hoisted me up on his shoulder.

I just had time to gasp, as we disappeared from the library in an instant and were back in his bedroom. What kind of magic is this? I've never seen anything like this before.

But there was no time to think about it, the next second he threw me on the bed and began to undress unequivocally. The king deftly undid the cufflinks, then straightened the buttons and threw his shirt on the floor, and I saw his naked athletic torso. Exactly the same, deliciously smooth, as I saw it on the first day.

I swallowed nervously and began to crawl further to the head of the bed, but I felt his hot fingers wrap around my ankle and did not give me any hope of retreat.

- Where are you going, Princess? – he asked and pulled me to him.

I looked extremely defiant: my hair was in disarray, my clothes were rumpled and pulled up.

He climbed onto the bed and loomed over me, rudely grabbing me by the bare knee. Stupid maid's dress, it bared me too easily. Shame.

I had to resist his obscene behavior, but my body was against it and seemed to want more when his hand slid further, lifting the hem of the dress higher. It was as if fire was being poured over the body, the heart was pounding like mad, and the breath was lost irrevocably.

- What are you doing, Your Majesty? You can't do that... - I tried to control my clouded mind.

- Who said that? – that probing grin of his again.

And then his hot mouth pressed against the inside of my thigh, tearing a moan from the scarlet lips.

- You know, Princess, you're such a liar. But I even like it. - without raising his head he whispered, and then licked the skin of my thigh.