“How so?”
“Well,” she leaned closer. “My parents tried to marry me off to a Bavarian Duke… let’s just say he was only seventy but looked about a hundred.”
“How horrifying,” I replied with a grin playing on my face. She had a sense of humor. A very important quality in a partner. “We wouldn’t want you to end up with some old man, would we?”
“No, not at all,” she replied, winking at me. “I would much prefer a younger, handsome prince… Someone like you, Prince Olivier.”
Her fingers brushed the buttons of my jacket embossed with the herald of the royal family, and I gave her a strained smile.
Doubts started to fill my head as I stared down into Freya’s cool blue eyes. Only a few months ago, I was sure I’d found what I’d been looking for. Amber, beautiful, sexy Amber who charmed me with her innocence, and with those eyes that spoke of something else troubling her, a mystery I was eager to uncover. To reveal every layer of my toy, peel back everything until I had her in the palm of my hand, trembling and vulnerable, yet eager to be exposed.
Was I really ready for this? Would I be able to pretend this game was what I wanted, when the truth was I wanted nobody but Amber?
Once again, my eyes combed through the crowd, trying to find her. It didn’t escape Freya, and I could feel her eyes on me, but I didn’t care. I needed Amber, sooner rather than later.
And there she was – a glimpse of her creamy, exposed thigh, a flash of that fiery hair she’d worn sleek on the first day. Amber had arrived, and suddenly, I didn’t have any patience left. I needed to speak to her then and there.
“Would you excuse me, lovely Freya?” I asked, and the platinum-haired beauty’s face fell, but rose for another second when I touched her slender, porcelain pale arm. “There’s someone I must see. But it has been lovely to chat. I hope to see you again soon.”
“And you, my Prince,” she muttered, curtsying and pouting just a little as I took my leave.
It pleased me. I couldn’t lie to myself – having the attention of thirteen women for the next few months would be like a dream come true for my younger self. But since my heart knew what it wanted – and that was only one of those thirteen women – I knew I was getting myself in for a world of trouble.
I followed the flash of red hair to its source and found Amber standing in a corner all by herself. When she saw me, her eyes lit up instantly, and she smiled wide. I let my eyes wander over her sensual body, loving the way that dress looked on her and exposed every curve she had to offer. It was suggestive, perhaps too much so for a royal event, but I couldn’t blame her for wearing it, especially when it made my cock as hard as it did, straining against the fabric of my pants.
“Looking absolutely incredible tonight, Amber Jonathan,” I told her with a grin, taking another step closer.
She curtsied for me, a shy little smile playing on her lips as her gaze connected with mine. There was hope in those gorgeous eyes. Hope I didn’t want to deny but knew I would have to, at least a few times during the duration of the selection.
“Thank you, Prince,” she replied, her voice a little shaky. “I’m so happy to see you again.”
“Likewise,” I replied, glancing at the people around us.
Everyone was staring, probably anticipating something would happen between us, watching for that frisson of exhilaration to flow between us when our skin connected. These people were vultures, eager to see Amber fail After all, my mother had made damn sure to let everybody know Amber was just a commoner, a girl I’d chosen personally to be part of the selection process, and one she most definitely did not approve of.
But I saw it as a challenge for Amber. My mother was a difficult woman to handle, but she wasn’t going anywhere. If Amber wanted to become my bride, she’d have to learn how to live with the Queen.
“There’s no privacy here,” I muttered to Amber, leaning in closer under the pretense of grabbing another champagne flute from the table next to her and using the opportunity to touch the small of her back. “I want you all to myself. Where no one can see.”
“You didn’t seem to feel that way last time,” she retorted, and I glanced at her to catch a self-satisfied little smirk on her face. “You wanted everyone to see me.”
I remembered the last time we’d been together. How I’d pushed her, made her best friend watch her getting used. How she fucking loved it, responding with such eagerness I thought she would come from a single flick of my fingers against her hardened, rosy pink nipple.
“Everyone’s seen enough already,” I winked at her, gesturing to her revealing dress. “Quite the outfit choice for a royal event, don’t you think, chérie?”
At the mention of the nickname I’d used for her before she flushed, but I could tell it was with pleasure.
“I had a minor misfortune with one of the other girls,” she admitted.
“Sabotage has already started?” I raised my brows, taking a sip of the golden bubbly. “I can’t say I’m surprised. Those girls must see you as a strong competitor to already be picking on you.”
“I suppose,” she shrugged. “But really, Prince Olivier, I-”
“There you are!”
A voice I knew very well interrupted us, and Amber and I both glanced in the direction of it. My mother approached us with a wide smile on her face, her attention focused solely on me. It was as if Amber didn’t exist.
However I felt about my mother, I was well aware I couldn’t openly defy her, especially at a social function. She ruled not only over the country, but over me as well, and oftentimes I despised her control over my life. But this was one aspect of my life she wouldn’t be able to control forever – after all, my father told me to pick a bride that would suit me, not the Queen. And goddamn, was I grateful for it.
“My son,” the Queen went on. “I’ve been looking all over for you. There’s someone I’d like you to meet. Will you please come with me?”
“We were actually in the middle of something,” I replied, motioning to Amber who was cowering in the corner. “Mother, this is Amber Jonathan, the woman I-”
“Oh, Olivier,” mother waved her hand dismissively without giving Amber the time of day. “I’m sure there will be plenty of time for introductions to the… others… at a later time.”
Now, she finally glanced at Amber, giving her a severe once-over. I could tell right away she didn’t approve, but I didn’t really give a damn. Amber was the one who was going to stay here until the very end, and I didn’t give a flying fuck what my mother thought of her. Still, I had some obligations to follow, and I knew if she requested my presence, I could do little do dissuade her.
“Come now, Olivier,” she called out, reaching out for me. “I want to introduce you to somebody very special.”
I shot Amber a glance, but knowing I didn’t have a choice, I fell into step behind my mother, following her to the other end of the room. Displeasure bubbled under my skin. Being a prince had its benefits, but once I was king, I wouldn’t stand for my mother’s whims.
The Queen took my arm in hers, greeting people as we made our way through the room. She was the picture of nobility and grace, just as beautiful as she had been when my father met her. Yet still, she managed to hiss at me, “I really don’t know what she’s doing here, that girl. It’s so obvious she doesn’t belong.”