“Perhaps you’re right.” Rissa nibbled her lower lip. “If only I could be emotionless, like you,” she said to him.
Though to be honest, he hadn’t been acting like a man with no emotions, she thought as she looked up at the big Kindred. He had seemed really worried about her and he had acted with amazing speed to save her by getting her undressed and into the tub. And even now he had a worried frown on his stern features as he looked down at her and stroked her forehead and cheek with infinite tenderness.
“I don’t think I would want you to have no emotions at all,” James remarked, shaking his head. “Your happy emotions are very pleasant to be around and even when you are sad or upset, as you are now, I find it intriguing to be near you. I only wish you could keep your feelings from triggering your Heat Cycle and putting you in danger.”
“Thank you, James—that’s very sweet of you to say,” Rissa murmured, looking up at him. It occurred to her that she was naked under the cold water and he was very close, kneeling by the edge of the tub and leaning over her protectively. But she had no urge to cover herself—being with him this way, close to him, just seemed right.
“I am not trying to be ‘sweet’,” he protested. “Only practical. We must calm you down in order to cool you down, Princess. Close your eyes and take some deep breaths. Think soothing thoughts, if you can and I will massage your temples.”
Rissa closed her eyes obediently and took some long, deep, even breaths. But the only thing she seemed able to think about was James’ cool hands stroking over her forehead and cheeks and temples, easing her heat and calming the tumult inside her. At last she felt herself relaxing under his gentle touch.
“James,” she murmured. “You are so very good to me. Thank you.”
“I’m here to serve you and protect you in any way I can, Princess,” he rumbled, stroking his big hands soothingly over her shoulders and down her arms. “And…” He seemed to hesitate for a moment. “And I don’t like seeing you upset,” he finished at last. “It…bothers me. Greatly.”
Rissa blinked and opened her eyes to see the big Kindred leaning over her. Was he admitting to having an emotion for her? It was difficult to say but she couldn’t help noticing that he was close. So close she could see the flecks of gold and silver in his metallic blue eyes and smell the clean, fresh, masculine scent he seemed to exude whenever she was near him.
He is close enough to kiss you, whispered a little voice in her head and for a moment—just a moment—Rissa allowed herself to picture how that would be. She focused on his sensual mouth, wondering how it would feel to have his lips pressed to hers…
Suddenly a memory of her time with her good friend, Alyssa, surfaced in her mind. They had been staying up late in Alyssa’s room after her End of Season party and all the chaperones had already gone to sleep. Lady Mildew had been snoring fit to shake the house down when Alyssa had asked Rissa if she wanted to know how babies were made. Rissa had nodded—it was forbidden knowledge, but she couldn’t help being curious.
“Yes,” she had whispered eagerly. “How?”
“It’s like this—the man kisses you and puts his tongue in your mouth and that’s how the baby-making seed slips down your throat and into your belly,” Alyssa had told her, in a hushed whisper. “After that, your Moon Blood stops flowing and your belly starts to swell.”
“And it happens every time a man kisses you?” Rissa had asked, both scandalized and intrigued.
Her friend had nodded solemnly. “Every single time.”
* * *
Rissa suddenly sat up in the bath and put her arms over her breasts.
“I…I think I am better now, James,” she said, breaking eye-contact and looking hastily away from him. “Let us make haste to the Royal Library and see what we can find out.”
He felt her forehead once more and nodded.
“All right, Princess—you seem to be cool enough now. Let’s get you dressed again and we can go.”
As he toweled her off briskly, Rissa tried to forget the forbidden things she’d been thinking about kissing the big Kindred. She must never, ever do such a thing or she would be ruined forever!
20
“Ah, Your Highness! I am so very glad to see you again—I was afraid after that nasty incident you would never darken the doors of the Royal Library again!” Lord Bookish exclaimed, bowing exuberantly over Rissa’s hand.
The Royal Librarian wasn’t really a Lord—the title was an honorary one which went with the job of curating the Royal books. But the plump little man made the most of it, putting on more airs, as Lady Mildew had sourly observed, than a Tenbrian peacock with a double-feathered tail.
Rissa didn’t mind—she had always liked the Royal Librarian, who had gone out of his way after her mother’s death to find her exciting and amusing books—mostly fairytales—to take her mind off her terrible loss.
“Lord Bookish,” she said, smiling at him. “It would take more than one nasty incident to keep me away from you and your beloved books!”
“I am so glad to hear it.” He had been bowing over her hand but now he popped up, beaming at her. “What can I do for you then, Princess? What would you like to read? Are you looking for an adventure novel, a book on deportment? Or perhaps some fairytales to pass the time and take you back to childhood?”
“You’re very kind, my Lord,” Rissa said. “But in fact, I need to do some research into my ancestors. You see, I wish to give a little speech about the Very First Family at the Gala at the end of the month.”
“Oh, do you, now? What a fabulous idea!” Lord Bookish exclaimed enthusiastically. “Let me see now—do come with me and I’m sure we can find something in the archives.”
Rissa followed him into the tall wooden shelves standing in long rows, all of them filled with priceless tomes and carefully preserved historical documents. James stayed close behind her, making her feel a great deal safer than she had expected to ever feel in the Royal Library again.
“Let me see, let me see,” Lord Bookish murmured, as he found the correct shelf and began reading through the titles. “This one might be good—I believe it’s about your ancestor, King Corwin the Magnificent. And here is the diary of King John the Just.”
“Those sound lovely but do you have anything about any of my female ancestors?” Rissa asked hopefully. “I’d like to do my speech from a woman’s, perspective, you see,” she added. “Since I am a woman myself.”
“A female perspective? How singular!” Lord Bookish remarked. “Well, I suppose we might find something.”
“What about that book, there?”
James pointed to a leather-bound volume on a high shelf a little further on. The books on it had a heavy chain strung across them, but the curving script on the spine was still readable, through the links.
“The Diary of Queen Lola the Outspoken,” James read aloud. “That sounds like a book about a female.”
“My goodness, you’re a tall fellow,” Lord Bookish remarked, looking up at the big Kindred. “As it happens, that is a book about a female monarch of Regalia Five, but I’m afraid it’s in the Restricted Section.” Cupping his hand around his mouth, he whispered loudly. “Queen Lola wasn’t called ‘the Outspoken’ for nothing, I’m afraid.”
“But can’t I see it after all?” Rissa pleaded. “Please, Lord Bookish, I am the Crown Princess, after all.”
“Yes, but you are yet unmarried, my dear.” Lord Bookish shook his head firmly. “I am afraid that book would be wholly inappropriate for you. However, do look at this,” he said brightly. “An entire listing of the lineage of the Very First Family going back twenty generations to King Harold the Bold! And since you say you want books on Royal females, here’s one—A Child’s History of Good Queen Hester the Prim.”
Rissa thought that the diary of Queen Lola the Outspoken would have been much more instructive, but she could tell she wasn’t going to change Lord Bookish’s mind. She cast a despairing glance at James, but he gave her a quick no
d of his head and winked. Rissa wondered what the big Kindred was up to, but she decided to play along.
“Well, perhaps those books would be good to start with,” she said, smiling at Lord Bookish. “Can we bring them to the study table so that I may examine them?”
“Of course, Your Highness.” The Royal Librarian bustled about, plucking books off the shelves and piling them up on one arm with practiced ease. Then he made a motion to her. “Would you care to follow me back?”
“Yes, thank you.” Rissa smiled at him as the little man turned and led the way back.
She didn’t miss the fact that James lagged behind, reaching easily up to the tall shelf to slip the diary of Queen Lola out of its place. Before she turned her head, Rissa saw him open the book and extend his scope, scanning rapidly as he flipped through the pages. Could he really read a whole book that fast?
She supposed she would find out.
James frowned as he scanned through the diary of Queen Lola and then picked another book off the restricted shelf. The title was: A Royal Husband’s Guide to Slaking Heat. He scanned through this one too and then plucked a third book about Royal Anatomy from the shelf and scanned that as well.
All of them said the same thing and he was well aware that it was something Princess Ka’rissa was not going to want to hear.
But what could he do but tell her? After all, if this was the only way to control her Heat Cycle, she was going to have to accept it.
But given her extremely strict upbringing, James wasn’t sure if she would or not.
21
“I have to what? Surely you must be joking, James. And if you are, it is not very funny!” Rissa exclaimed, glaring up at the big Kindred. They were back in her bedchamber and she was pacing back and forth, trying to process what the big Kindred had just told her. “It must be a joke!” she exclaimed again.
“I assure you, Princess, I am not joking,” he said blandly. “I am telling you the absolute truth. If you need proof, I can provide it.”
“You have proof that the way to control my Heat Cycle is to…to touch my forbidden area?” Rissa shook her head. “What proof? Did you steal books from the restricted section?”
“Certainly not—I had no need to. I simply copied them.”
“Copied them? How?” Rissa demanded.
“Let me close the curtains and I’ll show you.”
Rissa had no idea why closing the floor to ceiling brocade curtains was necessary—to her mind it just made the bedchamber unbearably gloomy. But maybe James just wanted to be certain they had privacy. And if they were going to discuss what he claimed was the solution to her overheating problem, they certainly needed it!
She helped him shut the tall glass doors that led out to the balcony and draw the curtains closed. This had the effect of casting the entire chamber into semi-darkness.
“Now, why—” Rissa began, but then she stumbled in the gloom and would have fallen if James hadn’t caught her easily by the arm.
“Please have a seat at the table,” he said, motioning her to sit where they had eaten breakfast together. “And focus your attention on the opposite wall.”
He pointed to the large wall beside her bed, which was currently bare. Once a month, the art was changed in her room and while the last picture—a colorful masterpiece by the artist, Sir FrouFrou—had been taken away, a new one had not yet been hung in its place.
Rissa was mystified.
“I do not understand, James. Why do you want me to look bare wall?” she asked.
“Just look,” he replied. And then he extended the scope that covered his right eye and a light began shining out of it onto the wall. After a moment, Rissa saw that the scope was projecting what looked like the page from a book, right onto the wall.
“Ohhh!” she breathed, clasping her hands together under her chin. “I didn’t know you were able to do such things, James! Is this from the Diary of Queen Lola the Outspoken?”
“No, this is from a volume titled, Royal Anatomy—it’s Ways and Means, by a Dr. Anthony Finchfeather—I believe he was the Court physician about a hundred years ago,” James replied. “The language is somewhat archaic and dry, but I think it’s a good place to start. Please read it, Princess—I have looked through the book for relevant passages and this one seems to bear on your situation.”
“All right,” Rissa murmured. She looked at the page projected on the bedchamber wall more closely.
“The Fire Blood becomes stronger with each passing generation,” Dr. Finchfeather had written. “Every Royal must deal with it or perish. For the males, ‘tis simple enough. They are to be encouraged to get with as many ladies as they please. This spreads the bloodline so that inbreeding will not occur and cools the heat that builds up inside them. For it must be said that the Heat Cycle is inextricably linked to the Sex Cycle and one may, in fact, control the other.”
“I…am not certain I understand,” Rissa said, frowning. “He doesn’t seem to speak about female Royals at all.”
“No, most of the book is about male Royals,” James admitted. “But read that last sentence again.” The sentence on the wall was suddenly highlighted in yellow and James read it aloud for her. “…the Heat Cycle is inextricably linked to the Sex Cycle and one may, in fact, control the other.”
“I still don’t see how you got the idea that I must touch my forbidden area just from reading this,” Rissa objected.
“I was afraid it would be hard to convince you.” James sighed deeply and rubbed his temples. It was a very human gesture, Rissa thought—not robotic at all.
“To convince me to do something I have been taught is wrong and reprehensible all my life?” she said indignantly. “Yes, James, I fear it will be very difficult for you indeed!”
“Please turn your attention to the wall again,” he said, frowning. “And read this passage from a book called, A Royal Husband’s Guide to Slaking Heat. It was written by King Randolph the Thoughtful, one of your ancestors.”
“All right.” Crossing her arms over her chest, Rissa focused on the wall again. But she was determined that no matter what she read, she wouldn’t be swayed into committing the heinous act as the big Kindred was advocating.
“A Royal wife from the Very First Family is a delicate creature,” her ancestor had written. “She must be treated gently and her Heat slaked regularly. In this pursuit, pleasure is your best friend—specifically, her pleasure.”
“Pleasure?” Rissa exclaimed, looking up at James, who was standing beside her as he projected the pages he had scanned onto the blank wall. “How would I derive pleasure from touching my forbidden area?”
“Just keep reading, Princess,” he rumbled. “And you’ll see.”
Rissa did read on, but what she read was rather shocking.
“Between the Royal Female’s nether lips resides a precious pearl,” her ancestor had written. “This may be manipulated with fingers or tongue—if you are so inclined as to taste your lady’s sweet juices—to bring her to the pinnacle of pleasure.”
“Oh, my!” Rissa couldn’t help feeling scandalized at this frank discussion of female anatomy and what a male might do to it. But she found she was also just a tiny bit curious. Was there a “pearl” down there, between her nether lips? And what kind of peak was her ancestor talking about? And would a man really want to put his fingers—or even his tongue—down there?
It seemed hard to believe. From the age of ten, Lady Mildew had taught her that the area was dirty and disgusting—that Rissa should never, ever touch herself between her belly button and her mid-thighs. But if the area was so dirty and horrible, why was King Randolph the Thoughtful saying that a Royal husband must touch—or even lick—his wife there?
“Am I shocking you, Princess?”
James’s deep, rumbling voice brought her back to herself and she realized that she had been sitting there, staring at the page he was projecting with an open mouth.
“Oh, um…” Rissa wasn’t sure what to say.
Rissa shook her head.
“I…I am still not convinced.”
James nodded.
“I’m not surprised. Please have a look at this page from Queen Lola the Outspoken’s diary. Incidentally, Queen Lola was the wife of King Randolph, from the last book I showed you,” he added.
The projection on the wall changed and this time the page revealed was handwritten. Luckily, Queen Lola had had very neat handwriting, so it was easy to read.
“I miss my beloved Randolph more than I can say, but the Council of Wisdom has said that I must be married again. They fear I will not be able to control my Heat Cycle without a man’s help. That is what they claim, anyway—in truth, I think what they fear is that I cannot rule without a man’s help.
Ha! The fools—I need no man’s help! I know exactly how to rule and what to do to control my Cycle and I do it every chance I get! Each night, when I am finally in the secret confines of my own bedchamber, I put my hand betwixt my legs and manipulate myself to the pinnacle, just as my darling Randolph used to do for me. The release I find in this way keeps my blood from overheating nicely.
I will give each suitor the Council sends me the requisite month, and then send them all packing. Eventually they shall see that I can rule quite well without a man at my side, for none ever could or ever shall replace my sweet Randolph.”
* * *
“My goodness!” Rissa murmured, as she finished reading this passage. “She was certainly very opinionated!”
“I believe your ancestor, Queen Lola, was what the humans aboard the Mother Ship would call a ‘feminist’,” James remarked. “She seems to have had the same problem you do, Princess. She was being told that she must marry a suitor she didn’t want and she was trying to control her Heat Cycle.”
Burning for Love Page 14