I didn’t like timid, shy little girls who cowered under the weight of my gaze.
No, my taste was for fiery women who fought back, wanting me to push them past every limit. My taste was for girls like Amber. But at the same time, I couldn’t let her become too cocky, thinking she was at the top of the food chain. There were still plenty of other girls in the game, and I was ready to play.
I did my best to avoid the Queen on my way out of the ballroom, but the woman had eyes everywhere. Just as I was about to leave the banquet hall, she cornered me in the hallway, her long nails digging into my skin.
“Olivier!” she hissed, and I turned around to face her, mentally preparing myself for the argument I knew was looming. “Don’t you walk away from me.”
“What is it, mother?” I asked, feeling tired. “I don’t have time to argue right now.”
“Then change your decision,” she whined. “Just send one of the other girls home. That awful Amber. Send her home!”
I laughed out loud, saying, “There’s no way that’s happening, mother.”
Her mouth set in a thin line and she stared at me with such anger in her eyes it was a wonder I didn’t catch on fire from the power of her rage.
“You don’t need girls like her here,” she said dismissively, waving her hand in the air. “She’s a nuisance, and she’s getting in the way. There are so many lovely girls who are worthy of your attention. What’s so special about this Amber girl, anyway?”
I bit back the retort I was going to use, instead grinning at my mother.
“Are you done, my Queen? I’d like to go to bed.”
She huffed and puffed, but when I didn’t relent, her expression turned pleading.
“Please, at least consider keeping Stephanie,” she begged me. “She’s such a good match for you, my dear son. She would make a beautiful queen.”
“Mother, she doesn’t have the hint of a personality,” I groaned, rubbing the bridge of my nose. “She barely said two words to me. I can’t marry someone I don’t have a connection with.”
“Of course,” she hurried to say. “But she’s just a little bit shy. I’m sure she’ll come to if you just keep her around a little bit longer. Please, Olivier. I’m asking you not only as your mother, but as your Queen, too.”
“Well, you don’t get to make this decision for me,” I replied icily. “After all, I’ll be marrying the girl I choose and spending the rest of my life with her. So please, don’t make this any more difficult than it already is, mother.”
She glared at me and I could tell I’d pissed her off even more, but I didn’t have the energy to argue anymore. I just wanted to go to bed, though her rude remarks about anger made me eager to defy her further.
“Olivier.”
Just as I was about to leave, her hand wrapped around my forearm again. I turned to face her and I could tell she was desperate from the pleading look in her eyes.
“You can’t embarrass me by marrying some… commoner,” she managed to get out.
“She’s not a commoner,” I hissed. “She’s the woman I want. And if I hadn’t made a promise to father, I would have asked her to marry me a long time go.”
“But you should keep your options open,” she insisted in a hurry. “There are so many good-looking prospects here, Olivier. You should at least give some of these girls a chance!”
I sighed, and she struck while the iron was hot, delivering the words she knew would make all the difference as she touched her hand to my cheek, a gentle smile softening her harsh face.
“It’s what your father would have wanted,” she whispered.
I fought the urge to roll my eyes. She knew exactly where to strike to make it hurt the most, but I wasn’t going to let her have the pleasure of hurting me. Instead, my mouth set in a thin line and I walked away from her while she shouted my name. I didn’t want to deal with her anymore, and my resolve to pick Amber as the final girl only got stronger and stronger.
I couldn’t sleep.
My rest was restless, interrupted by countless thoughts, one prevalent need in the center of everything I did, demanding I listen to what it had to say.
Find Amber. Take Amber. Fuck Amber. Need Amber. Take her now.
After hours of tossing and turning, I deemed the voice impossible to ignore. I needed her. I needed my feisty redheaded beauty to whimper my name as she came. Only then would I be allowed to sleep.
I walked out of my room, past the guards who were half-asleep in the middle of the night. Both of them stood up straighter as I made my way past them, and I grinned at them both, slipping them some money.
“This stays between us,” I muttered, and they were eager to nod. It wasn’t even about the money. Luxuria was very traditional, and I knew a lot of people there already saw me as a ruler as opposed to my mother. Soon enough, I would become their King, but in their eyes, I already ruled them as my royal subjects.
I walked down the hallway, past sleeping guards who pretended not to see me. I entered the girls’ quarter, the scent of baby powder and vanilla following me as I found Amber’s room. I hesitated with my hand on the handle, knowing full well my mother would chastise me for what I was doing. But it had the opposite effect – instead of letting her be, it only made me more eager to have her.
Forbidden fruit always tasted the sweetest, after all.
I walked into the room quietly, closing the door behind me and standing above Amber’s bed.
She was asleep.
Her sweet, petite body was curled up in a ball in her bed, and I stared down at her sleeping form feeling my cock twitch with how much I wanted her.
I’d walked into her room unnoticed, and Amber was still blissfully unaware of my presence. I didn’t want her waking up though. It would be so much more fun to touch her while she was sleeping. Being the prince of the castle meant I could go anywhere without it getting back to my mother. The servants feared me, especially the women, perhaps even more so than the Queen. And I’d set my sights on Amber. After the Queen had cornered me, I decided not to deny myself any longer. If I wanted Amber, Amber I would get.
My fingers were eager to touch her, stroke that pale skin and feel the softness of her tits beneath my fingertips. I loomed over the bed, knowing a single touch of my hands could cause her to wake up.
“Fucking stunning,” I muttered to myself.
She stirred in her sleep in response to my words, but didn’t wake up. I needed to touch her. It had been so long since her body had submitted to mine completely, and I was eager for more.
She was wearing nothing but a dark pink chemise adorned with lace. There were no undergarments under her clothes, the outline of her body visible under the luxurious fabric. Her nipples peaked under the sating, and her pussy was outlined perfectly by the form-fitting material.
I leaned down against her body, letting my fingers wander over her exquisite face. I touched her forehead, the dimples in her cheeks, her strong jaw and the fullness of her lips. She was heartbreakingly beautiful and I had to have her.
“My sweet chérie,” I whispered. “You’re going to be all mine soon enough.”
I let my hands wander lower, over the hollow in her throat and her slender neck, touching the sweet spots I knew would make her gasp were she awake. She was still wearing the collar, of course. I knew full well she wouldn’t be able to take it off unless she got eliminated from the selection process.