Naveen

Rina:

I closed my eyes for a moment when he put his hands on my hips. “You know, I never said that I wouldn’t enjoy serving you,” I murmured, lifting my eyes to him again. “But the question is,” I said bringing my hands up to rest splayed out on his chest. “Are you?”

"That's true you didn't." I agreed as I searched her eyes. My eyes fell away for a moment, tracing down her neck and across her arms to her hands on my chest. Slowly I returned my gaze back up to her eyes. "I am...I am enjoying myself a lot more than I would have expected to..."

Rina:

I leaned in close as if to kiss him, but I moved slightly to the side so my lips were near his ear. My chest brushed his and I resisted a shiver. “I’m very glad,” I whispered. I sat back then with a playful, seductive smile and began to pour the water over myself, washing my own hair out.

PArting my lips in anticipation for a kiss, I huffed a laugh as she brought her lips instead to my ear. When her chest brushed mine that huff turned into a soft gasp. Leaning back in my seat I grinned and watched her, laying my arms across the walls of the tub. I didn't have any shame as I openly checked her out. It was like my own personal show.

Rina:

I took longer than I usually did to wash myself purely for his benefit. I made a show of running my hands through my hair and over my body. When I was done, I stood up and stepped out of the tub. I went to grab two fresh towels, dripping as I did so. I wrapped one around myself and held the other one out wide for him when he got out.

I had my full attention on her. I knew she was doing the whole show purely for my benefit. And if her desire was to get me warmed up, she had more than succeeded. I even had to resist the temptation to reach out and grab her while she was climbing out of the tub. And after she'd wrapped herself up in a towel and held one out for me I finally stood and stepped out to stand before her.

Rina:

I wrapped the towel around him and kept my arms loosely around his middle. I look up at him through my lashes. “Is there anything else you would like for me to do this evening?” I asked as innocently as possible. There was no denying what I wanted, but this was his day, and he could decide as he pleased.

"Mmm," I mused softly while settling my hands on her hips. "I can think of several things I'd want...but it's not something I'd ever ask a normal servant to do...or help me with." Pulling her against me I made sure she felt just what I wanted help with towel or no towel.

Rina:

I gasped softly when he pulled me against him. “Well then,” I murmured seductively, “Your wish is mine to fulfill.”


Afterwards I laid horizontally across my bed breathing heavily, thoroughly and blissfully worn out. “Stay here tonight,” I said quietly. I closed my eyes for a moment but they stayed closed as my breathing slowed. In no time at all I had fallen asleep.

Huffing a soft laugh I raised my head from where I was laying on my back. Turning my head I looked at her. "It's still my day...and you tell me what to do?" Shifting onto my side I cupped her face gently, using my thumb to brush a stray hair from her face. Slowly I ran that hand down her back, cupping the curve of her body as I went. Finally though I had to stop admiring and I climbed out of bed. Doing a bit of cleanup and organizing I even went so far as to lock the door so she could sleep as late as she wanted in the morning without any maids coming in to wake her up. With that done I went over to the bed and picked her up gently.

Laying her down under the covers I tucked her in before blowing out the candles and crawling into bed beside her. I only took the time to draw her naked body against mine and planting a soft kiss upon her brow before I drifted off to join her in the land of dreams.

Rina:

There was a point in which I had to accept that Talon was more to me than simply a friend or a lover. I couldn’t decide what he was to me, but I knew I would be reluctant to part with him unless necessary. I would also, under no circumstances, confide my feelings to him.

Under normal conditions I would have been angry at the proposition that the queen set before me. Given my recent revelation I was even more resistant. She wanted me to marry. She said I was too old to be unmarried. She said I should be married before the prince was, which would be in a mere couple months.

I refused. I walked out of her siting room seething after she told me that she had already lined up several suitors and I was expected to meet with each of them individually. I joined Talon where he waited at the entrance to the Queen’s room.

The queens guards and I had been staring each other down the entire time Rina was with the Queen. Neither of us were really all that worried about the other, it was just a part of the game. When the door was thrown open violently I smirked as the two guards both flinched slightly and looked to the door. I turned to Rina while they recovered their face and settled their gazes at me. Rina was glaring at them as I relaxed my posture slightly. "Are we ready to go my lady?"

Rina:

I knew it wasn’t the guard’s fault, but there was no one else to take my anger out on. I turned my gaze to Talon, the fury was still there, but it wasn’t directed at him. “Yes,” I said and started down the hallway, moving quickly to get away from the room. I finally stopped when we were hidden within the garden.

I explained what the queen had told me. I shredded a flower in my hand and paced while I spoke. As Talon knew, marriage was not something I had planned to be in my future.

"Is that a bad thing Rina? Marriage is used for political power all the time. Not only that nothing says you have to pick a suitor among those the queen has you meet. Better to go through with it and reject them all. It will keep the queen happy if nothing else." I folded my arms and watched her pace. Softening my tone I went on, "I know marriage is not something you want. And this isn't a situation to take lightly. I'll try to think of a way to get you out of it alright?"

Rina:

“I could leave,” I said, not thinking my words through before I said them. “I could give up on this whole idea of making a difference here. I haven’t done anything yet. I likely wont be able to. I’m entirely out of my element here. This isn’t who I am,” I said it with increasing hysteria rising in my chest. I could see it in my mind; leaving the castle at night, fetching Dorian and the girls and going back to Brian. I would be back behind the scenes, going on missions, making a difference as I always had. Not here, dressed in expensive gowns, acting fake toward anyone that I met, and constantly watching my back for those who wished me dead.

My expression fell as I watched her go into hysterics. Finally I looked around before going over and grabbing her arms so she faced me. "Rina. Stop. Come back to me." I ordered in a soft tone. "Take a breath. You are getting far too worked up." There was a pained cast to my eyes but otherwise I tried to hide my feelings away. I knew she wasn't thinking straight. But to give up all we'd been working on just because she had to marry someone...it made me wonder just what was the point for her to be here at all.

Rina:

I took in a deep breath then looked to the side. “This is what the prince wants, for me to marry. My title would match that of whoever I married. It would remove the chance of me ever taking the thrown. It would trap me. More than I already am,” I said quietly. I didn’t care about being princess. It was never what I wanted. But if that was taken away, then what little power I did have would go with it.

"Then fight it. Fight it for all it's worth. I have never known you to be someone to run just from something you didn't like. You walked right into the home of the vampires without more than a moments pause." I released her and took a step back. This was on her now, she had to make the choice herself and I couldn't influence it any more than I'd already done.

Rina:

I sighed and put my hands on his wrists where he held my shoulders. He was right. I should go along with it enough to make it seem like I was being agreeable, but that didn’t mean that I had to go through with it.

In the next few days, I met a couple of my suitors. Talon went with me, along with a chaperone. I was dreadfully bored with the first one, and creeped out by the second one who praised my beauty to no end and often settled his gaze on my bosom while we talked.

Being pushed to see these people made me want to be alone with Talon all the more. But he seemed somewhat distant now. I couldn’t tell how he felt about me meeting the suitors. He didn’t say anything about it, despite it being his idea to go along with it. It frustrated me. I was in a state of constant agitation over the whole matter.

I watched her times with the suitors without drawing too much attention to myself. I had two paths I found. Neither one really appealing to me. On one hand if she married she would move on from me. And that sent a feeling of longing through me. I was now placing it what I really felt for her. She was special to me. More than simple friendship.

But the other hand there was also the problem that if she didn't then we might not be able to make any progress for the non-humans. We would have wasted all this time and gained nothing. It was going to drive me mad.

Rina:

I hated meeting the men who wanted to marry me. It was taxing. I didn’t like that Talon had to come along either, but I felt safer with hm near. It felt wrong somehow. Like I was being disloyal to him. I felt like I had to reassure him after each time I met someone new. I made it clear in actions, not words, that I still very much wanted his company.

Tonight, I was meeting with the fifth suitor on the queen’s endless list. He was the least disagreeable so far. I was by no means flirting though. Despite my reserved manor throughout the evening, Sir Bellon made advances on me. The chaperone mysteriously vanished, leaving the three of us, including Talon, in the courtyard.

Sir Bellon put a hand on the small of my back as we walked in the lamp lit courtyard at night. I edged away but he persisted. I glanced back to Talon, as I did from time to time, to note where he was. In that moment my suitor took the liberty of pulling me in to him. My eyes widened in surprise as I felt a hot mouth on my lips. I shoved hard. I tried to knee him too but my thick skirts made that less effective. He tried again, this time gripping my hair tight in one hand as he did so.

I couldn't decide if I liked what Rina was doing or not. While the actions were appreciated and I enjoyed the times we had with just us, I couldn't help but feel that if we actually sat down and talked about it, both of us would be in a better place. But neither of us did. I didn't know how to broach the subject and it seemed neither did she.

Sir Bellon was like all the others I'd witnessed. Ogling her body, talking endlessly about his exploits, and laying on the compliments for her looks. I'm sure in his mind he was oozing with charm. I doubted I was alone in feeling he was nothing more than a greasy pig. But I didn't dare make such thoughts show. When my gaze traveled around the courtyard a brief frown crossed my face. The first real visible reaction I'd given all evening. Where was the chaperone?

I started to turn away to find the man when I did a double take as to what was happening. Fury blazed to life within me. He wasn't the first suitor to pull her in close. Many hoped to woo her with whispered words or a dance without making too many uncouth touches under the watchful eye of the chaperone. But the kiss was too far. Especially when she shoved him back and he went for it again.

Two long strides carried me over to the man and while my fist connected with his face a blade was drawn ringing into the air. My blow was hard enough that the man practically flew. And as he picked himself up off the ground he froze as I brought the tip of the blade up under his chin to force him to look at me. "The evening is done. You. Are done." I growled softly. The lines in my skin glowed white, giving me an unearthly look even as I glared down at him with contempt and scorn.

Rina:

My hair was released when Talon hit the man. I stumbled back and tripped over my skirt. I collected my self in time to see Talon's sword at the throat of Sir Bellon.

I went to him and put my hand on his arm. "We should go," I murmured. If he was seen drawing a sword on a human we would have trouble. I glanced down at the man. His face was bloody and his eyes were cold but he was very still and quiet under the blade. I wouldn't care if Talon did kill him, but I didn't want him to get caught.

I drew the blade away from the mans throat, slipping it back into it's sheath in one smooth motion. "Yes Princess." My gaze never left the man's face. This may have been a mistake I thought, but I didn't regret what happened. I'd do it again and worse to keep Rina safe.

Rina:

I didn’t like him calling me princess but it hardly mattered at the moment. “It would be best for you to stay down,” I said coldly when the man started to get up. He started muttering under his breath, but Talon and I were already walking away. I kept my hand hooked on his arm. The lines in his skin had dimmed now. “Thank you,” I whispered to him.