by C. J. Pinard
All the boys were quiet now, except Zackary, who chuckled and said, “And I can’t wait to hear about all the poor men in the village who had to deal with every single female being on theirs at the same time, after so many years of not!”
The kings laughed.
The girls… were not amused.
Chapter 24
Four weeks had gone by since the other three kings had left the West Haven and gone back to their respective castles. Realizing Mariselle was right, plans were in the works to rebuild Castle Rothhaven now that the curse had been lifted, and the first of the pregnancy announcements had begun to sprout up from the village. After Zackary had addressed the people of the West Haven, cheering and rejoicing had ensued, and the village had thrown a huge, three-day party to celebrate. Obviously, a lot of couples had gone home to do their own private celebrating.
Unfortunately for Mariselle, her monthly had shown up a week ago, which left her feeling confused and upset. She hadn’t visited Zackary’s bed at all during that time, as she wanted to try to clear her head and her heart. Mariselle knew she had decisions to make. Even though she was reassured by Zackary that no matter what, she was welcome to stay in his home for as long as she wanted. He even offered to marry her and make her queen. And as much as Mariselle wanted marriage, she didn’t feel it was right to choose between the kings. Before they’d left, Alexander, Griffin, and Mathias had all begged her to come back to their havens to stay with them. And if it weren’t for Shawna and Serina, and the other castle staff she’d befriended, she had considered going to stay with Mathias to get to know him the way she’d grown to know and love Griffin, Zackary, and Alexander. But, in the end, she chose to stay at the West Haven for the time being.
“Why are you so blue, miss?” Shawna asked as she rearranged Mariselle’s many gowns hanging in her wardrobe.
Mariselle lay on her back on the bed, staring at the ceiling. She blew out an exasperated breath. “I don’t know, Shawna. I am not sure where I’m to go from here. Part of me wants to go back to the farm and live with Father and his new lady. Might make things simpler. Maybe I’d find a nice villager to marry and settle down with.”
Shawna gasped and set down the dress she’d been holding. She came to sit on the bed and brushed a red curl from Mariselle’s forehead. “Oh no, Mari. You mustn’t do that.”
Mariselle’s brow furrowed. “Why not? It’s where I belong.”
Shawna shook her head and grinned down at her. “No, you belong in a castle. You should be queen. You helped break the ten-year hex Angelique put on Syracuse. You deserve a crown, and royal offspring. Lots of them.”
Mariselle put her hand on her belly and laughed sardonically. “But it is obvious I will never bear a child. Not a Rothhaven, anyway. I’ve tried with all four them, for gods’ sake!”
Shawna patted her hand. “I think things are different now. I still believe in you and your magically fertile womb.” She winked at her and got up from the bed to continue her task.
A knock came at the door.
“Come in,” Mariselle called weakly.
Serina entered with a big smile on her face. “Good afternoon, milady.”
“Hi. Why are you smiling like a big goof?” Mariselle asked, intrigued.
She bit her lip and her light-brown eyes went wide in her flawless, pale face. “Sergeant Elio has asked to court me.”
Mariselle sat up and gasped.
Shawna hung up the gown and rushed over to her. “Oh, sweetie. That’s wonderful. He’s so fetching and brave! Did you say yes? Please say you said yes!”
Serina nodded and beamed. “I did. I did. How could I say no? He’s the most handsome of the king’s royal guards.”
Mariselle nodded. “He is pretty dashing. I think you two will look just marvelous together.”
The girls hugged each other, like only women did, and began chatting about what Serina would wear to king Zackary’s bash he was throwing at the end of the week in honor of the curse ending. All the castle staff was invited.
Mariselle was half-disappointed and half-thrilled to see that Griffin was the only other brother who was able to make it to Zackary’s party. Dressed in a deep, rich purple gown with gold accents on the dress and in her hair, she slowly strolled behind him and, up on tiptoe, put her hands around his head and covered his eyes. “Guess who?”
Griffin turned around and smiled down at her. Mariselle thought he looked absolutely dashing in his black tunic and gold pants. His crown was gleaming brightly on his head from all the candlelight in the room, and his beard had been trimmed short.
He picked her up and swung her around. “Oh, how I’ve missed you.”
She put her hand gently on his cheek and batted her eyelashes at him. “I’ve missed you more, Griff.”
Griffin left his arms around her waist and stared down at her, his stomach swirling with nerves and lust at the mere sight of her. He had so many things he wanted to say to her, but had figured they would not matter. He didn’t think she would want him anymore, now that the curse had been broken and she could have her pick of any lad in the land.
“Well, don’t just stand there staring at me, handsome. Aren’t you going to ask me to dance?”
Griffin shook his head at his foolish thoughts, and grinned. He put his hand out to her and dipped his head. “May I have the pleasure of this dance?”
She nodded and smiled demurely at him. “Most certainly, Your Majesty.”
The two waltzed amongst a large crowd of royals, lords, ladies, and servants. And while they both wished their bodies could be closer, touching, their dance was formal for the sake of etiquette and manners. Still, the way he gazed in Mariselle’s playful green eyes, and the way Mariselle stared up into his hungry silvery-blue ones was nothing but formal.
Griffin had to resist the urge to adjust his straining cock underneath his tunic and continue dancing. It was so hard, he knew he had to be leaking into his undershorts.
When the dance was over, Lord Francis stood on a small stage and lightly tapped his spoon against a crystal goblet. “Thank you all for coming to King Zackary’s celebration. Now we shall let the king speak. Then… we shall eat cake!”
A few claps and cheers erupted, and then Zackary stood next to Francis to make a speech about the curse ending. It wasn’t long after when the servants brought out a ridiculously large cake adorned with mounds of frosting and roses decorating the top.
As the crowd moved in to see the cake and score themselves a piece, Griffin looked down at Mariselle.
She smiled up at him. “Thank you for the dance.”
His face serious, he squeezed her hand, and then lifted it to his lips to plant a kiss on her knuckles. “The pleasure was all mine, beautiful Miss Mariselle Langer.”
She swallowed hard at the desire she could see storming in his eyes. She was sure hers matched his.
“Would you like to retire to my chambers for the evening?” he asked, confident and hopeful.
She drew her bottom lip between her teeth and simply nodded.
Smiling in triumph, Griffin glanced around the ballroom to see everyone preoccupied with the festivities, and quickly led Mariselle out the side door and up to his bedchamber.
“I can’t remember your cock being so thick and beautiful before,” Mariselle murmured before she ran her tongue from the base to the tip. Then, taking the entire thing into her mouth, she hummed her pleasure at feeling the head hit the back of her throat.
“Fuck,” Griffin hissed, bunching the bedclothes between this fists in order to keep from shooting his load into her mouth.
Mariselle felt the pre-cum ooze out from his cock and smiled around it as she worked her hand and mouth smoothly and slowly up and down his shaft.
Not able to take it any longer, Griffin sat up, and his dick popped out.
She pouted. “What?”
“Come here,” he whispered, pulling her up and then flipping her over on her stomach.
She giggled, but did not
resist. When he grabbed her hips and yanked her onto her knees, she groaned. “Yes, my king. Take me.”
He looked down and lined himself up to her wet slit and slammed it home. She squealed in pleasure. He began to work himself in and out.
Wondering what it would feel like, Mariselle reached down between her legs and began to rub herself. The feeling of her swollen bud combined with the thick, hard, cock slamming in and out of her was more than she could take. As her breaths sped up, she closed her eyes and arched her head back. Just then, she felt Griffin land a light smack on her arse and grab the back of her head, wrapping her long, red tresses around his hand.
The sensation of having her hair pulled, combined with what she was doing to herself, and the perfect angle of his cock hitting her sweet spot was enough to push her over the edge. She cried out as her hot, wet walls clamped around him.
Griffin was panting so hard he thought he might pass out. Watching her sweet pink folds milking him as she massaged herself was his undoing. Once he felt her squeezing around him and screaming her release, he was done, stilling inside her, his cock jerking out his seed deep inside of her. He could barely breathe by the time he collapsed on top of her, spent and sated, as they both sighed in happiness.
Mariselle fell asleep in his arms, and only lasted a couple of hours before she awoke in the dark of night to seduce him once again. She lost count of how many times he fucked her throughout the night.
Griffin had stayed three days at the West Haven castle, much to the dismay of Zackary. Mariselle had spent the whole time in the oldest Rothhaven’s chambers.
Zackary knew he had no stake to claim on the beautiful redhead, still, it didn’t stop the ugly green monster from rearing its head. He tried to quell his feelings of envy over his older brother getting to enjoy Mariselle for the weekend, but it didn’t work very well.
Still, when Griffin’s carriage arrived to deliver him back to the East Haven, Zackary was more than happy to see him off. Until he saw Mariselle heading out the castle door dressed in a beautiful green gown with her hair up in fancy braids. Two staff were carrying a trunk of her belongings.
Zackary frowned. “What do you think you’re doing?”
Mariselle stopped in front of Zackary and put her hand on his face. “I’m sorry, but it’s time for me to go.”
Zackary cut a glance at Griffin, then back to Mariselle. “So you spend a couple days with him and now you’re going with him?”
Her eyes softened. “Yes, but that’s only part of it. I obviously am not going to be having children, and I want to spend some time with Griff before I go back to the farm with my father. I hope you understand.”
Zackary’s jaw bunched. “I already told you, you’re not—”
Griffin exited the carriage and put his hand on his younger brother’s arm. “Brother, it’s what she wants. She’s certainly done enough for us. Let’s respect her wishes.”
He shook his head. “I won’t stand for it.”
“You will,” Griffin said, “and you’ll have to live with it. As will I.”
Mariselle smiled up at Zackary and planted a long, soft kiss on his lips.
He wrapped his arms around her waist and squeezed her tight in a hug after she broke the kiss. He ran his finger down her cheek and stared into her green orbs. “I’m going to miss you.”
Fighting emotion, Mariselle nodded and said, “And I will miss you more.” She turned, and, with the help of the carriage driver, she and her skirts eventually loaded inside and the driver closed the door.
Griffin put his hand on Zackary’s shoulder and said quietly, “I’ll do my best to talk her out of it, brother.”
Zackary turned around and went into the castle without another word.
Chapter 25
“It’s quite a long ride, did you bring enough to keep you occupied?” Griffin asked, staring at Mariselle. She was so beautiful, he wished he could spend the days in the carriage pleasuring her.
She nodded. “Yes, I’m sure I’ll make do with these.” She pointed to the floor of the carriage where two large books were stacked.
He looked down at them, then back to her. “Why did you not bring one of your handmaidens along?”
“Because they belong at the West Haven. Shawna just got reunited with her husband after being separated for years. And Serina has just begun to court Elio.”
Griffin bit back a grin. “So love conquers all, huh?”
She stared into his eyes, her expression somber. “There’s nothing more important than love. It can make you feel like you’re floating on a cloud, or it can make you feel as if your chest is being burned with a thousand branders. And once you find it, you shouldn’t let it go. I’m not going to take that from Shawna or Serina. They deserve happiness.”
He tilted his head to the side. “And you don’t?”
She lifted a delicate, pale shoulder and looked out at the passing landscape of the countryside. “I suppose not.”
“Am I not enough? Was Zackary or Alexander, or even Mathias not good enough for you?” he asked, feeling that burn in his chest Mariselle had just described so dramatically.
She slowly slid her gaze to his hopeful face, and felt her eyes start to get misty, but swallowed down the emotion. “You just don’t get it, do you, Griff? None of you get it.”
“Help me—help us—to understand, Mariselle.”
She shook her head in mild frustration. “I don’t want one of you, or two of you, or even three of you. I want all of you. And since that obviously isn’t going to happen, I’d rather just be alone. I don’t want to have to choose.”
Griffin should have been surprised by this, but he wasn’t. He’d never seen a woman love more than one person so deeply, but he knew that she loved him just as much as she loved his brothers. His heart softened at her revelation, and he wanted nothing more than to give her what she wanted. But, could he share her? Could he stand the thought of her beautiful, perfect body underneath one of his brothers? Well, it wasn’t like he hadn’t had to before. Just as Zackary had had to respect their privacy for the past few days while he got to enjoy her.
He gazed at her profile as she again stared out the window. “Why even come back to the East Haven with me, then? Why don’t I just tell the driver to take you back to the village and drop you off at your father’s farm?”
She sighed. “I thought about that, but I would rather stay there with you for a few more weeks. I need to think of something to tell my father as to why I’d returned. He’s going to be none too happy with me, nor any of you, for not marrying me and giving me a child. I have thought so much about what I will say, but I keep coming up empty. I just need an adjustment period before I go back.” She turned to look at him. “You understand that?”
“Yes, love, I do.” He leaned forward and grabbed her hand. It was cold, and he rubbed it between his. “But please say you’ll at least stay in my chambers.” He lifted her hand to his lips and kissed the top of her hand.
She hadn’t decided if she was going to do that, yet. She knew it would be harder to leave if she kept sleeping in the king’s bed, but she also wanted to get as much time with him as she could before going home and forging a new and completely different life for herself. After regarding him for a few long seconds, she said, “I definitely want to spend time with you.”
With that, he smiled. “I love you, Mariselle.”
“I love you more, Griff.” She smiled sadly at him and went to look out the window again.
The days-long carriage ride had been tiring, but Griffin, Mariselle, and the attendants had all been relieved to reach the East Haven castle. As soon as the king was inside, Lord Edgar was waiting for him.
He took his cape from the king and asked, “How was your trip, sire?”
Griffin cut a glance at Mariselle and said, “It went very well, as you can see.”
Edgar grinned. “Looks like it went very well, indeed.”
“Mariselle will need her own bedchamber to stor
e her things in. Please find her a suitable room,” Griffin said to Catherine, his most faithful and longest employed chambermaid.
She bowed to the king. “Of course, Your Majesty.” Then she looked at Mariselle. “You are so lovely. You remind me of my daughter.” Catherine smiled sadly at the memory of her Serafina, who had left months prior to go to Baristara with the former queen.
“Thank you,” Mariselle said.
Mariselle had only been to the East Haven castle briefly before she’d left to go to stay with Alexander, and hadn’t even been inside before she’d been whisked off. She noted that it was set up almost identical to Zackary’s and Alexander’s, and had no doubt Mathias’s, too.
“I know just the room for you,” Catherine said. She instructed the two servants who had Mariselle’s trunk to follow them.
Griffin watched the group ascend the stairs and looked at Edgar. “Has there been anything going on since I’ve been gone?”
Edgar retrieved something from the breast pocket of his tunic and handed it to Griffin. “This arrived for you, sire.”
Griffin carefully broke the wax seal bearing the crest of King Roland of Baristara. He unfolded the message and read it to himself:
Dearest Griffin,
Attached you will find an annulment document signed by my father, King Roland, and also by Bishop Mullaney, the high priest of St. Mary’s cathedral. I regret leaving Syracuse while you were away, and should not have been so hasty in my decision. Even though we both did not have much of a choice in becoming betrothed, I want to apologize for the way I treated you during our brief period of matrimony. Things I did not understand about myself are clear to me now, and though I do not bemoan coming back to Baristara, I do regret the manner in which I did it. Please forgive me. I wish nothing but happiness and true love for you in the future.
Best,
Georgina
He looked at the annulment document behind the letter and could see the church’s and the king’s official seals on it.