"I must thank the gracious queen for taking me in as a show of faith the the great Khans of the East," Neculai said graciously. Everyone seemed to be pleased and even some applauded this statement. What tale had he woven together while she was occupied with work?
Still, Aurora just played along with Neculai's story and didn't say much so she didn't contradict him. However, his narrative seemed to be based around the Khans sending him as a peace offering to Romania, and though it was hasty, Aurora accepted him with open arms so that there would be no fighting from the East. Now if only Aurora could guarantee that, perhaps the narrative wouldn't be so bad. Aurora had no idea if they would be able to maintain peace with the Mongols though, and so she was somewhat concerned, but she couldn't contradict him in front of the royal court. Therefore, she ate her dinner quietly and retired back to her room as soon as she was able.
When she got to her room, she wasn't all that surprised to see Neculai already waiting for her.
"I sent Dracule down to have a look at the irrigation and the dams, and he found a few issues with the methods the peasants have been using. My suggestion is to have an aristocrat form a guild for farmers, and to require farmers to sign into the guild and receive lessons on proper damming techniques and irrigation models. The solution will probably take at least a month to come to fruition, but Romania was not built in a day," Neculai said.
Though Aurora was surprised, and slightly annoyed at how Neculai seemed to have the answer to everything, she couldn't argue with his wisdom there. It seemed like a smart way to tackle the situation, and so she just nodded.
"I'll have that arranged tomorrow," she replied, and paused before she went on. "You know, Neculai, you're awfully anxious to help for someone who was as angry at being called upon as you were."
"I can be persuaded to do quite a lot for a lovely lady such as yourself," Neculai replied, and smiled as he saw the blush spread across Aurora's cheeks. "You may be interested to know that I also managed to see the Khans today. In exchange for showing them a few parlor tricks, they agreed to leave Romania alone. They went on and on about it being a country of witches. The nerve! Them confusing vampires for witches."
"You spoke with the Mongols? But, how?" Aurora asked. The Mongol's were at least fifty miles away from Romania, so the fact that Neculai had actually went to them and ironed their issues out was incredible. She almost couldn't believe it.
"Never doubt my powers, my dear," Neculai said darkly, a grin spreading across his pale lips. Regardless of this, Aurora was exhausted, and she would simply have to oversee all the works that were in progress in the coming days. Having Neculai around to help her was undoubtedly an amazing advantage. She could enjoy the favors that he could give her thanks to his experience and rather extraordinary powers, but she had to find some way to pull her own weight. If nothing else, it was a matter of pride that she oversaw the affairs of her own country, and not just allow Neculai to take over everything. Helpful or not, she was the queen and despite his past claims on the throne, it was not his for the taking.
So, Aurora just tried to play it off as if it weren't the extravagant favor that it was. After all, she was still very wary of Neculai--and rightfully so. He was a powerful person, and even if she did appreciate him, she would attempt to maintain an air of aloofness. Now, if she could maintain that was yet to be seen, but she hoped.
"I see. Well, I do appreciate your help," Aurora replied quietly, and went over to her wardrobe to get out a sleeping gown. It was a thick, double lined cotton gown that, while it wasn't her favorite, at least was modest. So, she took it into her bathroom, which as of late had become her changing room, and slipped out of her ornamented day dress into the gown, returned the extravagant piece of clothing to its place in the wardrobe, then got into bed. Whether it was the fact that she lost a bit of blood yesterday, or she had worked hard today to get a bunch of things squared away, or a combination of both, she didn't know. What she did know is something had made her just want to lie down for a little while and relax.
"Perhaps you might want to show me that appreciation?" Neculai asked in a deep, sultry voice that made the blush on Aurora's cheeks grow a little darker, the implications of what Neculai meant being quite obvious to her. She hesitated slightly, looking into his deep crimson eyes. He was a fascinating specimen to be sure. Though his appearance was a bit strange, she did think that he was beautiful at the same time.
"What do you mean by showing my appreciation?" she asked, hesitating to agree, even though she knew full well what Neculai meant.
"Why, I'm a king. I need my queen, don't I?" he asked with a chuckle.
Aurora was speechless at that, but she didn't stop him. Part of her found this wise old vampire incredibly attractive, even though they had only just met. Who would know, though? Besides, she could do what she bloody well wanted! She was the queen after all, so she didn't need to be shy like some aristocrat's daughter, who was saving her virginity as a bargaining ship in an arranged marriage.
"I suppose you have a point, there," Aurora conceded, looking into Neculai's eyes with lust.
After that, Neculai didn't hesitate to join Aurora on the bed, his long fingers tracing along her fine frame through the cotton gown.
"Neculai, before you do anything," Aurora began, wanting to square away a few things before they got started. "When you were at dinner, how did you change your eyes, and your skin color?"
"I have a spell for that, m'dear. You didn't think that I could have ruled for 100 years without having a method to camouflage myself, did you?" Neculai asked, chuckling a bit. "Unfortunately, I was still found out. I gave a good run for my money, though."
"And why do you know the answer to all of my problems so effortlessly, like they're the simplest things in the world?" Aurora asked. She just didn't understand why Neculai seemed so amazing at ruling a country. She almost wanted to give him the crown so he could rule the damn country, if he was so good at it.
"I've been around for a while my dear, and I've seen enough to know how to solve the basic ills of the country that I called mine for so many years. I lot has changed in the hundreds of years I've been asleep, but some things really never change," he replied softly as his elegant fingers still caressed her clothed form. Though she couldn't feel how cold his skin was through the fabric, she still shivered. "I'll be here for as long as you need me, to help guide you as a ruler. You won't have to worry your pretty little head about that."
"Are you just pitying me because I'm a woman?" Aurora asked, glaring at him.
"I'm not pitying you at all. Everyone needs a mentor to do something as difficult as run an entire country by yourself, and I will be yours," he replied softly, and gave Aurora a kiss. She was so surprised by this that she wasn't entirely sure of how to react, but she just let herself relax, and her arms snake around his neck, holding him close to her. Though he was cold, that coldness was not all that unpleasant. Her burning desire for him was mediated by his cold flesh, a glorious feeling indeed.
When he broke his lips away from her, she just looked at him, her eyes glazed over by lust. "That was amazing," she replied.
"It's only the beginning," he replied in the same deep and sultry voice he addressed her in earlier. Though just moments ago, she was annoyed by the pretentiousness of the assumption he had made, that she would be interested in him. Now she just found his deep voice incredibly alluring.
"Then please, show me what comes next," Aurora cooed, making Neculai just grin as he proceeded to slip off her gown and reveal her body underneath. She was soft and supple, like a lovely flower. Yet the delicacy of her body was contrasted against her arching up towards him, as if begging him to do something to pleasure her.
Neculai didn't hesitate to respond to her request, gently running his long fingers down her soft body, exploring her gentle curves and fine structure a bit, and appreciating the beauty. Once he satisfied himself with that, he began to delicately play with her breasts, massaging them as she moaned
out in pleasure. She was a responsive one, that was for sure. He loved it, and loved her eagerness.
When he took away his hands, she looked at him like he had just stolen something from her, and she arched her smooth body towards him again. "Please," she said softly.
"Don't worry, dear. I won't leave you hanging," he said with a chuckle, and his fingers started to explore her nether region, making her feel pleasure that she previously didn't even dream of. She moaned out, trying not to be too loud, but as he increased pressure on her clitoris and continued to massage it, keeping the volume down was not the easiest thing that she had ever done. Still, she just closed her eyes and enjoyed herself as a wash of pleasure came over her.
She closed her eyes as he continued to pleasure her with his expert hands, though she was surprised when she felt a finger slip in and begin to thrust in and out, loosening her up for what was to come.
"Oh, Neculai," she moaned out, raising her hips so as to encourage him to continue. "Give me more," she urged. He just chuckled, amused that Aurora was so eager to continue when just moments before she'd been hesitant, but he wouldn't let his new queen go unsatisfied.
While he tried to loosen her, he used his other hand to massage her breasts until he thought that she was ready. She was a hot and sweaty mess by the time he'd prepared her for the main course, and he just gave her a kiss and gently nipped along her jawline, making her shiver.
"Are you ready to receive your new king?" Neculai asked as he ran his long, elegant fingers along her torso, stopping to tweak her hard nipples.
Aurora closed her eyes at that and moaned out, arching her body into his every touch as she moaned. She was an ambitious virgin, that was for certain. "Yes, I'm ready," she replied, taking his hand for a moment and holding it, just to feel closer to him. She was falling into bed with him a bit too fast for her taste, as she always imagined herself being properly courted, and never copulating until marriage. All that had fallen away nearly effortlessly thanks to Neculai, but she at least wanted to know that he cared for her as more than just a beautiful woman that he was bedding. She was relieved when Neculai held her hand back and gave her another kiss.
"If you’re not ready, we don't have to keep going," he said softly, holding her hand tighter.
"No! No, I'm ready!" Aurora insisted. "I'm just a bit . . ." she trailed off, biting her lip and looking away from Neculai with a blush.
"Nervous? My dear, there's nothing to be nervous about. Just relax and let me show you how much fun there is to be had," Neculai said, and then gently pulled his hand away from Aurora's, then ran his fingers along the insides of Aurora's thighs, making her shiver once again.
"Okay," Aurora agreed, looking at Neculai with total trust in her blue eyes. He almost felt bad for bedding such a pure and innocent girl, but that was also why he couldn't possibly resist.
Neculai carefully lined up his cock with her entrance and pushed it inside, centimeter by centimeter, though he had to stop almost immediately to let Aurora adjust to the feeling. She gasped sharply and reached out her hand, gently resting it on his chest, silently asking him to wait.
Though Neculai was quite worked up in the fun of the moment, he stopped without a second's hesitation and just leaned forward, giving Aurora kisses on her cheeks, forehead, nose, and then a tongued up kiss on her lips. Her tension quickly went away, and Neculai felt the taut body below him relax. So, he slowly began to thrust--shallow at first, though Aurora began to respond with loud moans.
"Oh, that's so good," Aurora moaned out as he got deeper inside, and she didn't last long. As he kept thrusting, he began to rub her clit. Though it was quite a juggling act, he pulled it off with effortless finesse. Clearly this wasn't his first time, though Aurora couldn't be bothered to worry about that as she just enjoyed herself. Not long into the pleasure, she let out a final moan, and then all went white for a moment as she experienced her first orgasm.
Neculai continued thrusting until he finished inside of her, then he laid down and pulled her into his arms, giving her a kiss on the cheek. "That was rather fun. We'll have to do this more often," he said, chuckling a bit as he held her to his chest. She just mumbled something in the affirmative through her sleepiness, yawned, and fell off into a deep and dormant sleep.
When morning rolled around, she got out of bed and got her dress on, then walked out into the hall. She smiled when she saw Dracule, dusting the pictures in the corridor and waved to him.
"You know, I never pictured you to be a necrophiliac, Madam," he said with a sly smile, and Aurora could just feel the blood rushing to her cheeks.
"Oh, shut up! Do you want someone to hear you!" she shouted, probably loud enough for anyone in the entire hall to hear. Still, Neculai slept soundly, tucked away under the covers, warmer than he had been in hundreds upon hundreds of years.
Chapter Four
Aurora worked out, with Neculai's guidance, a way to get the royal council to accept a union between them. He seemed always to know what the best solution to her problems were, to an almost frustrating degree. She had to get an answer as to how he managed.
"Neculai! Stop right there, mister. You're being held for a royal interrogation!" Aurora said one morning as Neculai was leaving to go down to breakfast. He whined and looked over at his wife, pouting that he was being held up. Of course, he had no interest in actually eating the food, but being held for a royal interrogation didn't sound like a very enjoyable experience.
"What exactly was your reign like, all that time ago? How did you have the experience for everything?" she asked, sitting down on their plush bed and waiting for an answer.
"Well, my queen," Neculai answered, walking over to the bed and putting an arm around her. "I ruled after Vlad the Impaler. Vlad's son was actually my best friend, and the man that your Dracule is descended from. During my time, the Mongols were threatening Romania because of the Dracule line taunting them--which is a big reason as to why they had to give up the throne. In addition to that, the country was suffering from drought and other plights. During that time, I managed to see the country through all of it. Perhaps not as expediently as I helped you, but I had two hundred years to think about where I made my mistakes--and where I triumphed," Neculai replied.
Aurora was surprised to hear about this, because she wasn't aware of much during Neculai's reign, due to the fact that he had been erased from the country's history by the scribes. She hadn't even realized that the Mongols were a problem during that time.
"That's amazing," Aurora said, resting her head on her husband's shoulder. She always did love how open he was. "Is that all you thought about while you were trapped in your prison?" she asked, looking into his deep crimson eyes.
"No. I also thought about how lovely it would be to have a wife with such delicious blood as yours," he said, and just laughed at the indignant look that she shot him. "No, my queen. My thoughts were perpetually about the regrets that I had during my time as king. When you're trapped away from anything positive, that's all that you can dwell on."
Aurora just held Neculai close. "I guess being trapped beneath the rock and never seeing the sun would do that to you," she commented, rather thoughtlessly. Neculai just laughed again upon hearing that.
"I don't believe I minded being away from the sun too much," he said. "But you're right about something. Not having any light in your life is a depressing thing indeed. Luckily, I don't have to worry about that, now that I have you," he said, and gave her another kiss. "Now, how about I grab some breakfast before going downstairs?" he asked, grinning. Aurora just blushed and giggled at that, but she couldn't refuse her king, now could she?
THE END
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The Bear Minimum: Chapter 1
Candy Voss wasn't the kind of girl you could ignore. Her stylish blond hair never had a strand out of place, her manicured nails and red lips were always perfectly applied. She was aloof but she was nice underneath the cold exterior. No one really got a chance to know her that well, her father made sure of that.
She came from money. Old money. Her father was a politician and had more money than she knew what to do with, although she didn't spend as much as people thought she did. She'd driven the same car since he got it for her birthday when she turned eighteen. At twenty-four, her father wanted her to marry the son of one of his biggest contributors - a political match that would look good for her father. Being a daddy's girl, she was willing to go along with it to make her father happy. She didn't have many boyfriends, having security guards and the threat of no privacy pretty much scared off most men her own age.
The ones interested in her were people in her father's circle, who were used to this lifestyle. The thing is, she wanted peace and quiet and a less stressful life, but when you're the daughter of a famous politician, you didn't get a lot of choices.
Only meeting Denver Fredrickson a few times, she was willing to marry the man's son. She'd only met him once at the last party her father threw and he'd been charming and handsome, and his family was in the billionaire range. She'd never want for anything, but she had some reservations about the whole thing. Something about Daniel Fredrickson had set off her warning bells, but she couldn't quite place it. When she'd told her father, he'd accused her of just having cold feet and he'd pressured her until she'd given in.
AFRICAN AMERICAN URBAN FICTION: BWWM ROMANCE: Billionaire Baby Daddy (Billionaire Secret Baby Pregnancy Romance) (Multicultural & Interracial Romance Short Stories) Page 47