[Prince Kael's POV]
Mature Theme
The Festival of Lights had ended, but its embers still glowed faintly in his mind.
He had endured the endless smiles, the hollow compliments, the toasts that dripped more venom than wine.
From the balcony of his private study, Kael watched the servants dismantle the silk banners below. The scent of smoke and wine still clung to the air. A breeze teased the edge of his cloak, carrying the faint laughter of the lingering nobles in the gardens.
He did not trust laughter in this palace.
Too often, it was the sound made before a blade slipped between ribs.
And yet, his thoughts kept circling back to one figure—Lady Serina.
She had been every inch the jewel of the night: poised, radiant, with a smile that hinted at secrets rather than revealing them. Her laughter had drawn eyes like a beacon. She knew her effect.
Kael recognized the type.
A woman like that was either a gift to a kingdom or a dagger in its heart. Possibly both.
She had moved effortlessly between conversations, always drawing close enough to him to be noticed, but never clinging. Subtle. Controlled. Dangerous, perhaps—but not yet an enemy.
The door to his study clicked open.
"M'lord."
A's voice slid into the room like smoke. She stepped inside, her apron discarded, hair unbound from its braid. The faint scent of lavender followed her.
"You should be working," Kael said without turning.
"I was," she replied, walking closer. "But you looked… tense at the festival. Thought I might help."
Her hands rested lightly on his shoulders. Kael allowed the touch for a moment, his gaze still fixed on the fading daylight. "You speak too freely."
"And yet," she murmured, brushing her lips against his ear, "you never stop me."
It was true. A was convenient—beautiful in a practical way, shrewd enough to know when silence was worth more than words.
His mind drifted briefly—Serina's smile, the glint in her eyes when she'd caught him watching her across the hall. There was something there, something he would have to test.
"I can erase those thoughts, make you forget your troubles, and give you a night you'll never forget.' She leaned in, her breath warm on his ear. 'A night of passion, just you and me.'
He reached out, his hands cupping her breasts. They were full, her nipples hard and inviting. He rolled them between his fingers, a soft moan escaping Maid A's lips. She leaned into his touch, her body arching against his. Kael could feel her desire, her need, and it fueled his own.
He leaned in, his mouth capturing one of her nipples. He sucked gently, his tongue flicking against the sensitive flesh. Maid A gasped, her hands gripping his shoulders. Kael could feel her body responding, her hips moving against his. He released her nipple, his mouth moving to her other breast. He repeated the process, his hands moving to her hips, guiding her movements.
Maid A was lost in sensation, her body on fire. She could feel Kael's control, his detachment, and it was intoxicating. She wanted more, needed more. She reached down, her hands moving to his belt. She unbuckled it, her fingers fumbling with the button of his trousers. Kael helped her, his hands moving to hers, guiding her.
His trousers fell away, revealing his hardness. Maid A's eyes widened, her breath catching in her throat. She reached out, her fingers wrapping around him. He was hot, hard, and she could feel the pulse of his desire. She stroked him, her thumb rubbing against the sensitive head, feeling the pulse of his need. Kael groaned, his hips moving against her hand, his breath coming in ragged gasps. She could feel his control, his detachment, and it was intoxicating. She wanted more, needed more.
She released him, her hands moving to her own bodice, unbuttoning it slowly, revealing her creamy skin. Kael watched, his eyes darkening with desire as she exposed herself to him. She slipped out of her dress, letting it fall to the floor, leaving her in nothing but her stockings and heels. Kael's gaze roamed over her body, taking in every curve, every line. He reached out, his hands cupping her breasts, his thumbs brushing against her nipples. Maid A gasped, her body arching into his touch.
He pulled her closer, his mouth capturing hers in a fierce kiss. She could taste his desire, his need, and it fueled her own. His hands moved to her hips, guiding her to straddle him. She could feel the heat of his body, the hardness of his desire pressing against her core. She moved against him, her hips grinding against his, feeling the friction, the pleasure building inside her.
Kael broke the kiss, his mouth moving to her neck, her shoulder, her breast. He sucked gently, his tongue flicking against the sensitive flesh. Maid A gasped, her hands gripping his shoulders. She could feel her body responding, her hips moving against his. She wanted him inside her, filling her, completing her.
She reached down, her hands guiding him to her entrance. She felt the head of his desire pressing against her, stretching her. She lowered herself onto him, inch by inch, feeling him fill her. Kael groaned, his hands gripping her hips, guiding her movements. She moved slowly, her body adjusting to his size, his hardness.
Once she was fully seated, she paused, her body trembling with the effort of holding back. Kael looked up at her, his eyes dark with desire. "Move," he commanded, his voice hoarse with need.
Maid A started to move, her hips rising and falling, her body taking him in, giving him pleasure. Kael's hands gripped her hips, guiding her movements, his body meeting hers with each thrust. The room filled with the sounds of their lovemaking, the wet sounds of their bodies coming together, the gasps and moans of their pleasure.
Maid A could feel her orgasm building, her body tensing, her muscles clenching around him. Kael could feel it too, his body tensing, his hips moving faster, harder. He reached up, his hands gripping her breasts, his thumbs brushing against her nipples. Maid A gasped, her body convulsing, her orgasm crashing over her. She cried out, her body shuddering, her muscles clenching around him.
Kael groaned, his body tensing, his hips moving one last time. He came, his body shuddering, his seed spilling into her. Maid A collapsed onto him, her body spent, her breath coming in ragged gasps. Kael held her, his arms wrapping around her, his body still inside hers.
They stayed like that for a moment, their bodies joined, their breaths slowly returning to normal. Maid A looked up at Kael, her eyes soft, her body sated.
But for now, the warmth of A's body was easier than the cold weight of palace games.
Kael turned, gripping her wrist to pull her closer. Her sharp little smile told him she'd won the moment.
The rest of the night passed without talk of politics.
When A finally slipped from his chambers before dawn, Kael sat on the edge of the bed, gaze hard on the first light spilling into the room.
An affair was easy to manage.
A conspiracy—especially one wearing a noblewoman's smile—was not.