crown of sorrow

@ dezz

Amarille frowned as he spoke, worry and fear creeping into her. If Rainier knew, he could use the information in all sorts of ways, whether it was simply telling the Parliament who the monster is, or staying silent in exchange for favors or lands. "If he knew, wouldn't he have told on you already..?" She asked softly, hoping perhaps that because no one had come to take him away or kill him that meant that no one knew. "If he knew and wanted to blame you, he would have told the guards already, and they would have tried to come take you.. But they haven't.."

She clung to him, burying her face in the crook of his neck as her arms wrapped around his torso tightly. "I won't let them take you from me.. I'm going to be the Queen, they can't do anything once I'm Queen.." she murmured into his shirt, tears welling in her eyes at the thought of losing him. "We just have to marry before anyone finds out.. If they find out after, we can say we're working on a cure, and that there's nothing to fear." She murmured, swallowing hard as she looked up at him slowly.

"Do.. Do you even want to stay?" She asked softly. It would make sense if he didn't, if he'd rather leave and go back to his own kingdom or somewhere else now that Rainier and she knew the truth. "I can prepare a carriage for you.. No one would suspect you for leaving.."

---

Rainier chuckled, giving a little shrug as she pointed out that he acted prickly. "Oh no, I've been caught." He grinned teasingly, watching as she moved to sit next to him while he finished his tea. "I'm secretly a cuddly kitten, you've blown my cover." He laughed at the thought. It was true that he hadn't felt the need to act and pretend around Isolde recently, but he still had to hide his true intentions from her, and that required a good deal of acting.

"It's to be expected, after an attack such as the one last night." Rainier explained when she mentioned how quiet the castle was. "The guards have likely locked down the castle while they deal with the damages and the casualties, and of course look for whoever it was." He wasn't going to reveal that he knew the monster's identity, at least not yet. Caspian was far more useful to him alive and free than dead or locked in a cell.

Caspian's mind was racing with thoughts, worries about what Rainier might be up to, but the moment Amarille mentioned calling him a carriage, he snapped back to reality. "I'm not going anywhere." He pulled his brows together, bringing his hands to rest on her shoulders. "I'm staying right here."

The prince was anxious and worried about how this all might play out. He didn't expect for Rainier to run straight to the court this morning with his knowledge, because Caspian was sure that the adviser had a much more diabolical scheme up his sleeve. It would be easier to just return to his kingdom, lie to his father and tell them the princess refused his proposal. He could return to being the black sheep of his family, a curse over his own kingdom, but he didn't want to. His hands dropped from her shoulders and wrapped around her waist, holding the princess close to his chest.

"But he does know, Amarille. We need to watch him." Caspian tilted his head down, trying to keep Amarille's gaze. He didn't like bringing the topic back up, especially after Amarille had tried to assure him that Rainier could be trusted. He couldn't be. "Please trust me. Rainier is not a good man." Caspian knew how it sounded, calling a court member untrustworthy, whom she had known her whole life, right after he went on a murder spree. It looked like deflection, but just the thought of Rainier was enough to have Caspian sick to his stomach.

---

Isolde let her eyes roam over Rainier, before bringing them back to meet his once he spoke about the attack. "How could that have even happened?" The princess was whispering, not sure if she wanted to talk about it or not. Part of her wanted to pretend everything was normal, but she couldn't. In one night, a monster had attacked the castle and she found out Rainier was a sorcerer. Before last night, the only magic she believed in was the witch who lived outside of the kingdom walls, and even then, she was skeptical.

"How could a monster have just come and gone so easily?" Isolde had left her own tea still sitting on the tray, growing colder by the minute, but she didn't care. It had all been an act of kindness towards Rainier, a thank you for making sure she was protected through out the night. "What if it's still lurking around?" The only people who had seen the beast were all dead, except for a few, she assumed, but no one had seen it actually leave, had they?

@ katahdin

@ dezz

Amarille's shoulders relaxed as he held them and told her that she wasn't going anywhere, giving a little nod as she rested her forehead against his. She hated seeing him like this, and she wished she knew what to do to get him to cheer up, although she knew he had a good reason to be so upset. She frowned though when he spoke about not being able to trust Rainier, her arms tightening a little around him. She'd known Rainier her entire life, she could never imagine him doing something to harm her family... But she trusted Caspian, and if he didn't believe that they could trust the advisor, then they wouldn't.

"I trust you, Caspian.. We'll be careful, I promise. We'll find a cure, and then we'll live a long happy life." She promised softly, tilting her head up a bit to press a few small kisses to his lips, hoping to ease his nerves. "You should try to sleep, my love. You're exhausted, and there's only so much good worrying will do if you don't rest." She spoke softly, snuggling into his arms as she yawned tiredly, tugging the blankets around them securely. "I won't leave, I promise. And I won't let anyone in, either. It'll just be us."

---

Rainier frowned as Isolde spoke, hearing the fear in her voice despite her trying to hide it. With a sigh he set his tea down, reaching out to take her hand in his and squeeze it comfortingly. "You're safe, princess. As is your sister. There's nothing to worry about." He promised. Of course, it was a lie, as if he could get his plan to work, Amarille would be very much in danger, but Isolde didn't need to know about that.

"It's not lurking around, there's nothing to worry about.. at least not until the next full moon." He squeezed her hands. "I think that the beast was a werewolf. A monster that only appears at full moons, but appears as a normal man the rest of the time." He explained. If the princess came to the conclusion that the prince was the monster in question, he'd try to tell her otherwise, but he doubted that she'd come to that conclusion, as she hadn't heard the same rumors he had.

Caspian was ready to put the conversation to rest, the worry of it weighing heavy over his head. He rolled on his side slowly, grunting under his breath from how sore his body was. Caspian held his arms around Amarille like a fortress keeping her pinned against him. A small part of him still worried that she would soon start to believe that he was just a monster and she would be gone by the time he woke.

"Promise, promise?" Caspian whispered, finding it harder and harder to fight to keep his eyes open. Eventually, he couldn't, his heavy lids ultimately closing over his bloodshot eyes. The young prince hadn't been able to stay awake long enough to hear an answer, finding content in the knowledge that she had already promised once. His head fell heavy against the pillow, gentle snores confirming that he had found his way into sleep's embrace.

However, it was short-lived. Barely over an hour later, Caspian shot up in bed, sweat glistening over his trembling body as he yelled out in terror. His hands pressed against the sheets, holding him up as his eyes darted around the room, before falling to his side where Amarille lay. She's still here... Caspian was able to breathe again, realizing it had only been a horrible, horrible nightmare. Already, he couldn't remember much of his dream, only bits and pieces. Rainier had convinced the whole court he was just a grueling monster, transformed by the sight of the moon and Amarille had been by his side as they called for his execution. Still with shaky breath, the prince forced himself to lie back down, wiping a hand over his forehead. He didn't want to talk about it, so before Amarille could even ask, he whispered, his voice low and broken, "I dreamt that you were gone."

---

"First I learn that you're a fancy magician," just another tease from the princess, "and now you tell me there's a cursed man sneaking around the castle who becomes a monster under the full moon? What's next, can my sister fly?" Isolde had never believed in many fantasies unless she saw them first. She could believe Rainier controlled magic because she had seen it and she believed in the witch who lived outside of the kingdom walls because she had visited her cottage, but to believe in curses and beasts? It was hard for her to wrap her mind around.

She squeezed Rainier's hand back, her soft skin gliding over his, a touch she enjoyed. She rolled on her side, propping herself up on her elbow and allowing her leg to lay over his, scooting closer towards the adviser. "I'm beginning to believe I might be safer when I sneak out." Her blue eyes flicked up to his, watching his expression. "You made it hard putting guards outside my window, but it still wasn't impossible. Are you going to use your magic to try and stop me next time?"

The princess enjoyed giving Rainier a hard time, but she was beginning to actually enjoy his company. Maybe a little too much. Maybe it was more than just enjoying his company, perhaps the princess was beginning to actually like him. She didn't like thinking about that, about how sometimes she felt butterflies when he touched her, sometimes when he just looked at her.

@ dezz

Amarille snuggled into his arms as he shifted to lay on his side, pressing a small kiss to his lips as his eyes finally shut. "Promise promise." She whispered, her own eyes soon closing, drifting off to sleep to the sound of his snores.

When he woke suddenly an hour or so later from his nightmare she woke with a start at the sound of his yelp, lifting her head from the pillow to look around sleepily, relaxing a bit when she saw that he wasn't hurt. She frowned deeply when he spoke about his dream, shifting closer until she was practically laying on top of him, one leg hooked over his waist while her arms wrapped around him securely, her face tucked into the crook of his neck. "I will never, ever leave you, Caspian. You're going to be my husband, my king. I'll be at your side always, no matter what." She murmured into his skin, lifting her head up to look at him, gently pushing his hair from his face.

"What can I do to prove that to you? To show you that I mean every word." She frowned a little as her fingers gently brushed over his cheeks, wishing she knew what to do to help reassure him that everything would be alright.

---

Rainier chuckled as she teased him once more, shaking his head as he looked down at her. "No, your sister cannot fly.. As far as I know." He grinned. "But the other things are true. I just don't know who the beast is." He definitely knew who it was, but if he told her she'd go run off and tell Amarille or the rest of the court before he was ready, and it would ruin his plan.

He watched as she shifted to lay on her side, squeezing her hand again as she draped her leg across his, his eyes briefly wandering to her breasts, which he could easily see from this angle, and he had to stifle a small groan at the sight, his cock twitching in his pants at the ideas that filled his mind. He could so easily pin her down and have his way with her, use his magic to make her do whatever he wanted, but he knew he shouldn't, that it wouldn't be as enjoyable as when she gave herself to him willingly.

"Of course I'm going to use my magic to stop you." He grinned teasingly, tucking a strand of her hair out of her eyes. "Can't have you running off and getting into trouble when I'm not there to protect you."

Caspian tried to steady his breathing, tried to do his best to calm himself down. Amarille's words were enough to pacify him in that moment, reassuring him that, at least for now, she was here with him. He wouldn't just blink and open his eyes to find she had disappeared. "I don't think you can prove it." He whispered, letting his arms loosely wrap around her. "I don't think I will be able to fully calm down until I know we have some sort of a solution."

He hated saying it, but it was the truth. He was a monster and he couldn't, wouldn't, blame Amarille if she left or ratted him out. With every second, his thoughts were racing, blaming himself for coming here, blaming his family for pushing his curse on this kingdom. They had spent their whole lives trying to keep the truth from him, covering his tracks and hiding his secret so well that he was still clueless to it, but now he had to face it. There was no more running away from it, he knew that.

Caspian brought a hand up to his face, gently resting it over hers as she brushed her fingers over his skin. "I believe you," he finally whispered, not wanting to cause her any grief. "My princess, soon my queen." Tilting his head down, he pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead.

---

Oddly enough, Rainier's answer didn't upset Isolde. She wasn't entirely sure how worried of his abilities she should be, or how difficult it would be to find a way around his magic if he did use it against her. That, and she was far to comfortable lying in her bed against him to cause an argument. She wanted to rest here for as long as she could next to him. The princess shivered against his touch as he brushed the strand of hair away from her face, "well, that sounds like a fun challenge."

Isolde couldn't help but smile, or laugh just a little bit. She was sure if he was as handy with magic as she suspected, it would be rather difficult to find a way around it, but she would try. And she was sure he knew that. Isolde couldn't just sit inside of her room, inside of the castle, like a bird in a cage. Nothing appealed to her when it came to the royal life she lived, except for the comforts of it. She wasn't so sure it would be difficult to let go of, though, if she ever had the chance to. Although, she was becoming rather fond of him.

She brought a hand up to his shirt, straightening out some of the wrinkles and smoothing it out. It was just an excuse to touch him. "I've managed to get my own self out of trouble for years, you know?" She teased him, almost pressing her body completely against him now.

@ katahdin

@ dezz

Amarille frowned as he admitted that she wasn't anything she could do to prove that she meant it when she said she'd never leave him, feeling rather defeated. She felt so helpless, being unable to help the man she loved, and she wondered if he'd leave her when he realized how worthless she really was. She felt a little better when he rested his hand over hers against his cheek and kissed her forehead, although she knew he was likely just saying that he believed her to make her feel better.

Shaking her head she snuggled closer, pressing a small kiss to his lips as she brushed her fingers over his cheek and through his hair, her other hand resting against his chest as he held her against him. "Let's talk about something else.. Like what we'll do when we're married." She offered him a small smile, hoping that a change in topic would help cheer him up. "What do you think we'll do once we're finally married?"

---

Rainier shifted slightly, both to better look down at her as they talked and to try to keep her from noticing his cock straining against his pants. It wasn't like he was fully hard, but it was definitely visible if you looked, and he didn't want to make her uncomfortable. She was gorgeous, and her body against his felt amazing, and he couldn't help it.

He laughed a little as her hands moved over his chest, catching one of them in his to keep her hand pressed against his chest as he grinned down at her. "I'm happy to challenge you any day, princess." He teased, smirking a little as she talked about getting herself out of trouble on her own. "I distinctly remember your sister begging your father not to punish you for getting caught somewhere you weren't supposed to be on more than one occasion. I'm not sure how she'll be able to help you out of this, though."

Caspian was more than relieved to change the subject, especially to something much more pleasant. "Our marriage," he smiled, a light gleaming behind his eyes, "well, I know the first thing I want to do after our wedding, is consummate it." A smile broke across his face and he couldn't help but laugh, lightheartedly as he thought about it. Once they were married, he expected he would spend that whole first night of being husband and wife doing nothing but ravishing her body, kissing over every inch of her skin, making her feel liked the most loved woman on the planet...

He ran his fingers through her hair, twirling a few strands around his fingers as he let the worries he held slip from his mind, replacing them with hopeful wants and wishes. "After that, and only after that," he laughed, "I suspect I'd like to grant your sister freedom to come and go as she pleased, maybe allow that farmhand she has her eye on to be welcome inside the castle. And then, I'd like to take you to see my kingdom, my home, where I grew up. I'd love for you to meet my family." The thought of that seemed to bring a sadness over him again, but the prince was quick to dispel it. He knew he would probably only be welcome back to his homeland once they were married, once his family knew for sure that he was no longer their problem.

---

When Rainier caught her hand in his, she couldn't help how her eyes widened slightly, unable to ignore the sudden desire that was overwhelming her. "Are you going to punish me if I find a way around your magic?" Isolde couldn't help but giggle, her eyes trained on his mouth, watching as he spoke. She wanted to kiss him, wanted him to kiss her... something. Her heart was beating rather heavy in her chest, a voice in the back of her mind wondering why she even wanted to escape the castle if he was making her feel this way. For Merek? Why, when she was feeling such a heavy want for him, much different than one she felt when she thought about the farm boy.

She knew it was just infatuation speaking, knowing deep down exactly why she liked to escape. This castle could be overwhelming, suffocating... The princess ran her tongue along her bottom lip, before her eyes flicked up to meet his, staring deep into his dark eyes before she pushed herself up and pressed her lips against his. She had acted on it without even thinking about it, without mulling over the consequences. She felt like he was sending her positive signals, his hand tightening around her own, but what if this wasn't what he had wanted?

@ katahdin

@ dezz

Amarille returned his smile as he seemed to perk up at the change of subject, although she was soon blushing brightly as he confessed to wanting to consummate the marriage first and foremost, the memories of the hours they spent yesterday in the gardens filling her mind and only causing her to blush brighter. Warmth began to pool between her legs, and she quickly shifted to press her thighs together in an attempt to ignore it, tucking her face into his chest to try to hide her embarrassment. She glanced up at him through her eyelashes as he twirled her hair around his fingers, smiling a little as he began to speak about what else he'd like to do once he was King.

"That'd be nice, seeing your home.." she murmured, letting her fingers gently trace little patterns over his chest. She enjoyed the thought of traveling with him, but her mind kept wandering back to his desire for their first night together as husband and wife, her blush just a permanent part of her at that point. "I want to hear more about our first night together, though.."

---

"Only if you deserve a punishment." Rainier smirked, squeezing her hand as he teased her. He could see her debating something inside that pretty little head of hers, and he was finding it very hard to resist the urge to lean down and kiss her. However, before he could really say anything else she leaned up and was pressing her lips to his, much to his surprise.

The kiss was more than he expected, especially the flood of emotions that came along with it for him, and he gently returned her kiss, squeezing her hand again before moving his hand to rest lightly on her waist, tugging her closer as he pressed another kiss to her lips. He wasn't holding onto her hard or anything, she could easily get up or pull away if she wanted to, but he hoped that she wouldn't, as he was enjoying this far more than he'd expected.

"Oh, you do?" Caspian purred, shivering as her fingers ran along his chest, his smile turning into more of a smirk. He glanced down, noticing how she pressed her legs tightly together, wondering if she was growing excited from just the thought of it. Leaning his head down, his lips almost pressing against her ear, he whispered, "I'd be surprised if I was able to remain patient through out the reception."

He could only imagine how handsy the couple would be, barely making it into their room before they were tearing each other's clothes off. Caspian pushed himself up on one arm, rolling over until he was hovering above Amarille, letting his hand slide down her side, down to hold her at her hip. The robe he wore was loosening at the waist, the knot holding it closed coming undone. "I assure you it will be a night you won't forget, I'll make you feel things you've only dreamed of..." His voice was low and sultry, watching as her face blushed a bright pink. His eyes ran down her body, eagerly awaiting the night when he would get to see her completely undressed, lying atop their bed sheets, ready for him. It was something he didn't want to wait for, but he knew it would be worth it.

---

Isolde was relieved when she felt his hands grip at her waist, taking it as confirmation that she wasn't overstepping any boundaries. She let her hands search for a place to hang on to him, finding any possible way to cling to him. She could feel a heat between her thighs, which in turn only caused her nerves to grow. Rainier pulled her closer and she couldn't help but gasp, feeling his cock press against her thigh. Isolde had been taken off guard, but not wanting that to cause him to push her away, she held onto his side, deepening their kiss.

Even after all the teasing they had been doing over the past couple of days, the princess had never suspected that either of them would actually act on any of their urges. Rainier was her adviser after all, an older man who was meant to help guide her and make her wise decisions, not someone she was meant to have a romantic relationship with... And yet, here they were, tangled up in each other's embrace. Pulling away slightly, their lips still close enough to brush against each other, Isolde glanced up at him through her eyelashes, "Is this okay? Are... Are you okay with this?" She had felt like she had pushed herself on him, making all of the first moves. She didn't want to force him into anything.

@ katahdin

@ dezz

Amarille shivered at his purr and smirk, biting her lip to stifle a small whimper as he whispered into her ear just how eager he was to have her as his. To be honest she felt the same, and could very much see them going straight to their room once they had been pronounced man and wife so that they could finally consummate the marriage. But she didn't want to wait however long for that day, she wanted him now.

She squeaked a little in surprised when he rolled them over so that he was hovering above her, blushing brightly as she ran her hand down his chest until they were at the knot that held his robe closed, biting her lip as she gazed up at him innocently before she started to tug it loose. Her nightgown had started to skip from her shoulders, and the thin material didn't leave much to the imagination, especially the way the fabric clung to her perky breasts. She shifted a bit underneath him so that she could spread her legs underneath him, tugging on his robe to pull him closer as he spoke. "And.. And what if I don't want to wait to feel those things until our wedding night?" She asked nervously, almost feeling like she couldn't breathe.

---

Rainier could feel how warm her body was, and could only guess how turned on she was, but had to resist the urge to let his hands wander over her body, not wanting to overstep and get himself in trouble. He couldn't help but smirk a little when she gasped against his lips though as his cock pressed against her leg, groaning softly as she deepened the kiss and shifted against him.

He looked at her when she pulled away, giving a little nod as he rested his forehead against hers. "This is more than ok.." he admitted softly. He'd completely forgotten about his plan to seduce her for the crown. Now he only cared about her, pleasing her and making her happy. He leaned forward to press his lips to hers again, squeezing her hip a bit as he tugged her closer, unable to get enough of her.

Caspian's breath caught in his throat, feeling his cheeks burn when she spoke. "Amarille..." His body tensed as she pulled the knot completely loose, the sides of his robe falling open to reveal himself to her again. His cock was already standing erect, more than ready for the beautiful woman that laid underneath of him. His eyes roamed her body, the way the thin material of her nightgown clung to every curve. "Are you sure...?" He was convinced that this wasn't a good idea, that if they were caught or worse, if she fell pregnant before their wedding... But on the other hand, his primal urges were fighting against all reason. He couldn't wait for her to answer.

He brought a hand up to her shoulder to pull her dress down farther, biting his lip as the fabric fell below her chest, revealing soft, supple breasts. His cock throbbed, it was almost painful how turned on he was, how much he wanted her. Caspian kissed down her neck, over her collarbone until his lips met her breast and his tongue explored further down until he was circling her nipple, his teeth gently nipping at her. "Only if you are sure," he breathed, his free hand pushing between her legs, two fingers sliding down her slit, feeling just how wet she was for him.

---

Isolde threw her leg over his hip, letting him pull her body as close as possible to his. Under her robe, she wore nothing and being so intertwined with a man for the first time had her heart beating rapidly against her chest. Isolde kissed him back, with such intense passion it must've been obvious how much she wanted him. She had never felt something like this for any man before, and while it confused her, and slightly worried her, she decided it was best to just go with it.

Their noses bumped together as they kissed, her face reddening from embarrassment. The princess had always talked a big game, always teased him and acted like she was a grown woman, ready for a man, ready for love, but now that it was happening... She was nervous. Her robe slipped open and she could feel his hands on her skin, his thumbs massaging into her hips. No matter how nervous she felt, she couldn't deny that all of this felt absolutely blissful.

@ katahdin

@ dezz

Amarille blushed brightly as he was left exposed to her, quickly sliding out of her nightgown when he tugged it down over her breasts, wanting to be bare before him. She gasped softly as he began to kiss down her neck and collarbone, her fingers tangling in his hair as his lips found her breasts, fighting back a moan as his tongue swirled around her perky nipples. She eagerly spread her legs for him when she felt his hand move to her slick, moaning as he teased her.

"I'm sure.." she breathed as she nodded quickly, pulling him up for a deep kiss. "We'll move the wedding up, a month from now.. I'd marry you today if I thought that the Parliament would let us." She murmured against his lips, reaching her hand down to wrap around his hard cock, stroking him slowly. "I know this is a bad idea... We don't have to, if you don't want to.." she didn't want him to feel pressured into this, but she loved him, and knew that this was something that she wanted. She'd never regret this.

---

Rainier groaned softly as she hiked her leg up over his hip, his hard cock pressing between her legs from where it strained against his pants. He wanted nothing more than to touch her, to pleasure her all day and night long, but he knew he could get in serious trouble if they were caught, and he didn't want to take advantage of her innocence, especially considering how nervous she seemed.

Pressing another kiss to her lips he pulled back a bit after a moment, taking her in as he caught his breath, licking his lips. He definitely wanted her, but he wouldn't do anything she didn't want. "Maybe it's best we stop.." he observed, pressing a brief kiss to her lips. "I don't want to take advantage of you, princess.."

Caspian moaned when her hand wrapped around his girth, gasping against her skin. She was so warm and inviting, his lips trailing over her breast as he tilted his head back up to look at her. "Oh, I want too," he whispered, his fingers massaging against her clit, feeling his heart beating against his chest. He had wanted nothing more than to take her on many occasions, but there were rules and traditions in place that were meant to be followed... But who would know?

He slipped a finger inside of her, watching her tense up underneath of him. "Is it safe though...?" His voice was still hushed, the question leaving his lips and within seconds he was pressing soft kisses along her shoulders again. He pushed his finger in and out, feeling how her body reacted to him, the way she tightened up. He wondered if he could refrain himself if they decided not to, his cock throbbing. "How long do we have?" Lunch had to be soon, knowing they missed breakfast hours before.

---

Isolde blinked a few times, her hands reaching out to try and hold him, to stop him as he pulled back. Swallowing around a lump in her throat, she couldn't help the sinking feeling she felt, wanting more from him. "You're not taking advantage of me. I can make my own decisions," she whispered, a bright pink blush appearing across her face as she looked anywhere but at him.

"But, I guess it is almost lunch..." She looked out her window, seeing the burning sun rising high in the sky. The princess wouldn't be surprised if any moment now the clock towers chimed through out the kingdom. She remembered how frantically the cooks had been running around, trying to prepare a larger lunch knowing most of the castle inhabitants and had been too terrified to come down for breakfast.

@ katahdin

@ dezz

Amarille moaned softly as his fingers massaged her clit, biting her lip in an attempt to keep quiet. The castle as still likely mostly deserted after last night, but the last thing she wanted was a passing maid to hear them. Her hand stroked him slowly, only encouraged by his gasps and little kisses as she did her best to please him too.

Her body tensed up instinctively when he slid his finger inside of her, gasping soflty. "C-Caspian.." she breathed, her free hand gripping his arm tightly as he began to move his finger in an out of her. She was incredibly tight, which was to be expected since she was a virgin, but despite her initial discomfort she relaxed as he continued to pleasure her, a little moan escaping her lips. She whined when he asked if it was safe, if they had time, knowing that they likely didn't have enough time to fully enjoy themselves. "No.. We don't really have time.." she breathed, pressing a deep kiss to his lips when he lifted his head to look at her. "But I really don't want you to stop." She murmured against his lips.

---

Rainier kept his hold on her hips, resting his forehead against hers as he caught his breath. He chuckled a little at her blush, pressing a light kiss to her lips. "I'm more than aware that you can make your own decisions." He murmured, nodding in agreement as she pointed out that it was almost lunch.

"You must be hungry, princess, since you didn't eat this morning." He pressed one last kiss to her lips before releasing her, sliding out of bed and standing with a sigh. "I ought to get back to my room and change. I'll see you at lunch?"

Caspian smiled slightly, pressing another gentle, yet quick kiss to her forehead. He pulled his hand away from between her thighs, letting it roam up her body, caressing her soft, warm skin before he had to pull away. "Later. If you're still so sure you're ready to give yourself to me, you'll still be ready after lunch."

It was an excruciating thought, refusing the princess, but he knew when lunch commenced and they didn't show, someone would come looking for them. A maid would probably be on her way to help the princess dress shortly before noon anyways. "Besides, I should probably slip back to my room and change before someone catches me in just your silk robe, running through the halls."

The idea was hilarious, even if he knew the trouble it would cause. He sat up on the bed, taking her hand in his, kissing it softly. He didn't want to leave her there, all worked up like she was and neither did he want to refuse the pleasure to himself. But there was always later.

"I will be back soon, to escort you to lunch." Another soft kiss to her lips and before she could protest, the prince had pulled the robe back around his torso tightly and slipped from the room.

---

Isolde was only consoled by the continuing kisses Rainier was gifting her. She wanted to refuse, demand he stayed because she was a princess and if she willed it, he had to listen, right? She watched him move off of the bed, her hand reaching out for him before she dropped it to her sheets. He was right, they didn't have any time left.

"I will see you at lunch." She nodded, still reveling in the way his lips had felt against hers. The princess had never kissed before, it was... wonderful. The way it caused her heart to skip a beat and her stomach to tie up in knots. She loved it and wanted more and she could only hope there would be time for it later.

Once Rainier dismissed himself, Isolde forced herself to rise from the bed and dressed in a royal blue gown with the back cut out. She tossed her hair up in a quick messy braid and was even quicker to leave her room, heading for her sisters. It had been quite some time since she had since Amarille and with all the commotion last night, wanted to make sure she was okay.

@ katahdin

@ dezz

Amarille whine as he pulled his hand from between her thighs, reaching her hands up to grab at his robe, attempting to pull him back as he pulled away. She frowned up at him as he spoke, pouting as she moved to sit up when he said that he had to leave. "I don't care about lunch, or the stupid rules.. I only care about you, Caspian.." she murmured with a little frown, happily accepting the brief kiss to her lips before he pulled his robe around himself and left her alone.

She flopped onto the matress with a sigh, staring at the ceiling for s long while before deciding to take a quick bath to clean herself up, dressing in a pretty pink gown, spending the time to carefully braid her hair as she tried to distract herself from the frustration she was feeling at being left by Caspian. She knew he must be feeling the same, which was her only comfort, that they would both have to suffer thought this lunch together. Luckily it would give them the chance to ask for their wedding date to be moved up, so that way they would hopefully not have to wait an eternity to finally be together.

She looked up when she heard the knock at her door, assuming that it was Caspian returning to escort her to lunch. She was pleasantly surprised to see her sister however, smiling as she stepped aside to let her into the room. "Come in, nothing's the matter, is it?"

"No, no, nothing's wrong." Isolde smiled, unable to contain the glow that was radiating off of her face. Even if she had been perturbed by Rainier leaving her all alone, especially after getting all worked up, the younger princess was still reeling from her first kiss. She tucked a loose wavy strand of hair behind her ear, her long braid falling over her shoulder. "Just after all of the commotion last night, I wanted to come and make sure you were okay myself."

Isolde wasn't about to tell her sister about her kids, or the private time she had spent with her adviser. She didn't know about her sister and Caspian finding him untrustworthy now, but she was sure her sister wouldn't be thrilled to hear she was falling for a member of the court.

"Ready for lunch? We can walk together, go find Caspian on our way down?" Isolde assumed her sister had been holed up in her room all alone until now, so Isolde was sure she wanted to see her prince.

@ katahdin

@ dezz

Amarille nodded in understanding as Isolde spoke, smoothing her hands over her dress anxiously to calm her nerves. She couldn't keep Caspian's secret from her sister, they told each other everything, but she was terrified her sister would tell the court members who the monster was out of fear. Once she was sure the door was shut and no one was out in the hall she turned back to her sister, shaking her head when she asked if they should go find Caspian. "He just left to get changed and then he's meeting me back here, so we ought to wait." She said, pacing back and forth for a moment before stopping to take her sister's hands, giving them a squeeze.

"You can't tell anyone about this, Isolde. Promise me." She said, waiting to hear her promise before speaking again, squeezing her hands anxiously. "The monster from last night, the werewolf.. it's Caspian. He's been cursed, and never knew because his family kept it from him, and we have to find a way to cure him before the next full moon. We have to move the wedding up too, so that we can be married before the Parliament gets suspicious and sends him away or worse." She explained quickly, tears welling in her eyes at the thought of losing him or not being able to help cure him. "Please don't tell anyone. They'll kill him, and I can't lose him.."

Isolde cocked her head, a little confused when her sister forced a promise from her, squeezing her hands tightly. Isolde felt her stomach tie up in knots, but once the secret was out, she just raised an eyebrow and parted her lips, trying to find words.

"So, it's Caspian, hmm?" She wondered briefly in Rainier was suspicious of the prince, but it was just a fleeting thought. "Your secret is safe with me, sister. ...and, I may know someone can help!" It was hard to keep the smile off of her face, getting giddy at just the thought of forcing her sister to sneak out of the castle with her.

Pulling her hands away and placing her them on her hips, as if she had the best idea in the world. "I know a witch. She lives right outside of the kingdom gates, on the edge of the wood. Ive never asked her for a potion or a spell, but it's clear she is familiar with that territory... I've told you about her before, the woman who reads my fortune?" Isolde honestly held the witch in high regard, and as a friend, and she was sure that the witch could do something to help the prince.

@ katahdin