by Layla Pierce
Table of Contents
All The Queen's Men
CHAPTER ONE
CHAPTER TWO
CHAPTER THREE
CHAPTER FOUR
CHAPTER FIVE
CHAPTER SIX
CHAPTER SEVEN
All The Queen's Men
by Layla Pierce
Copyright © 2017 Layla Pierce
No part of this work may be reproduced without expressed permission from the author.
CHAPTER ONE
Winter Comes Early
The body next to me is cold, and I shiver missing the faded memory of skin to skin contact and the warmth it provides. Old stone walls have always made the castle chilly, but winter has come early, and the servants are working hard to finish the preparations for the harsh weather that has already settled in.
My husband groans and tugs the covers closer to him leaving half of me exposed to the frigid air.
I sigh, I'd rather be alone and cold with the blanket than having him beside me and freezing without covers. "Leo, go to him tonight. He'll be colder in the stables than either of us up here."
The mattress depresses and I know he's rolled over to look at me, but I keep my back turned. Some days it’s hard to face the man I married. "If I leave too often people will talk."
I clench my hands and finally turn to face him, doing my best to mask my frustration at the topic. "I'm sure they already talk, but what does it matter? You're their King, you don't have to answer to anyone except me."
"But you never make me answer for it."
I offer him a soft smile and reach out to touch his cheek. He flinches, and I instinctively pull back. His tone is rough, “I told you never to touch me.”
I clench my jaw, reminding myself of the change that has come over Leo in the past two years. Even more distant than usual, spending more and more time away. It stings, but I know the score. "We don't love each other, Leo. You can't even stand to be touched by me.” I do pity him. Something that I never thought I’d feel for any man, but I do. Pity is the only way to describe it. My poor miserable husband married a woman when he only desires men. I feel bad for that, but then I also know that he chose power over love. He courted me, through my dying father. He pursued it and now acts as if I’ve thrust this upon him as an inconvenience. “You don't have to answer for that. We didn't marry for love. We married for power. Go to Richard and stay warm tonight."
"What about you?"
"I'll be fine." Muttering more to myself, “You’re not much help to keep me warm.”
Leo makes a quiet little gagging noise that he frequently graces me with to show his disgust. "Take a lover." He wrinkles his nose as he says it but I’m less concerned with his distaste for me and more concerned with what he just said.
I blink at his bluntness. "Excuse me?"
For the first time in years I see him smile and his eyes twinkle. "You heard me. We need an heir. You need an heir, and we both know you'll never get one from me."
I can't help but laugh at that, it's not a happy laugh but one tinged with sadness. We tried several times unsuccessful for the first year of our marriage but Leo would continuously go limp and be unable to continue. It had been heartbreaking in the beginning for me, but I've settled into the idea that I will be the last of my line.
As if reading my mind he clears his throat. "You are the one who needs a successor, your bloodline must continue, not mine. Only a female can take the throne. Who helps you conceive isn't important, what's important is that you have a child, preferably a daughter to keep the legacy alive."
He is right, but I can't imagine going out and finding a man to welcome into my bed. The only men close to me are my guards. My cheeks burn at the thought of something so scandalous as trying to seduce one of the warriors who keep me safe. Running over them in my head my heart races, I wouldn't even be able to choose, they are all exquisite specimens of male virility.
Leo is already out of bed before I can even cool the heat in my cheeks. He gathers up some extra blankets and slips into his clothes. I don't say anything more to him as he leaves through the hidden passage in our room.
My husband is gone, my bed is cold and empty, and I step out bed shivering as the cold air passes straight through my nightgown and bores deep inside me. I hurry to stoke the small fire in my room when my head guard, Graham, steps inside.
I quickly grab something to cover myself, and he dutifully adverts his eyes as I snag a nearby shawl and wrap it as modestly as possible around myself. His voice is strained when he speaks, "The king has left you again, my queen?"
Graham has always been charming and handsome, and before I married Leo, we would spend hours talking in the darkness. More happened in the dark, even though it was forbidden. Those late nights always ended with lingering touches, nothing salacious. More like innocent exploration between teenagers. But even now when his fingers brush my arm the contact lasts longer than is acceptable and during the day when our eyes meet heat still courses through my body.
Acting on such impulses is beneath my station. And now I can't help but look at Graham with that same longing I'd buried long ago. Leo is right, I need someone to keep the cold away. Three years in a loveless and sexless marriage has settled a frigidness into my soul that no amount of blankets and fires can melt away.
He's looking at me, waiting for a response and I can't bring myself to make a move on him. He is my guard, my protector. Then it dawns on me, I scrunch my nose up and eye him wearily, "How did you know he was gone?"
His mouth turns up with a sly smile, and I feel that familiar heat pool between my legs. "I am the captain of your guard, it's my job to know who comes and goes from your bedroom."
"You've been spying on me?" My tone is icy. My pride stings at the thought of the servants knowing what it is that my husband does down in the stables. It isn't the details that he's with a man that they will talk about, it's the fact that their queen can't keep her king in her own bed, It's a painful humiliation. I check that thought, the servants already know, I know that for a fact. They gossip, it's normal. I realize the embarrassment comes from Graham knowing. He knows I can't satisfy Leo.
"I am not spying on you, my queen. I am keeping you safe. Cole and Aiden are posted outside the secret entrance and informed me that the king has taken his leave."
I fold my arms over my chest and stalk back to the bed. He is following close behind me, I can feel the heat radiating off of him. As I climb into my bed Graham pulls the covers up and helps tuck me in. "It's cold tonight, Sophie. You're still recovering from your illness, you need to stay warm."
My head snaps up and we lock eyes. Part of me wants to scold him for calling me by my name. But a much bigger piece of me is pleased to hear someone say it. For the duration of my marriage I have been addressed only by Queen Sophia. To hear someone say my name is like hearing the sweetest song, but to have Graham say it sends another wave of heat to my core.
His face goes pale and he stands up. "I apologize, my queen. I shouldn't have--"
I reach out and lightly touch the back of his hand, letting my fingers rest there. "Don't apologize." I don't know what else to say to him so. Instead, I point at the pile of blankets. "Just bring me some more covers, please."
He shakes his head. "Your husband should be here keeping you warm, not playing down in the stables."
"You don't have to keep rubbing in my shame, Captain. I'm well aware that my marriage is a failure, but I will not keep a man in my bed who would rather be somewhere else."
He doesn't move to get the blankets. Instead he leans
in close to me, our faces almost nose to nose with each other. "Then keep a man in your bed who would rather die than leave you alone."
My breath hitches and I lick my lips. What I wouldn't give for a man like that. "I am not like my husband, I don't play around even with a broken marriage, as nice as the thought might be."
“This isn’t a broken marriage, it’s a non-existent marriage.” Graham leans closer but he turns his head before our lips meet, letting his stubbled cheek graze mine. His lips find my ear and he whispers, "I would keep you warm, no strings attached, nothing more than body heat." The warmth of his breath chases a chill down my spine and in my attempt to stamp down that growing desire my mind and body betray me by releasing a soft moan.
He stands up and begins shedding his armor, my eyes go wide. "What do you think you're doing?"
He barely acknowledges my protest as he continues to undress. "I can feel the cold coming off of you. Forgive me, my queen, but whether you like it or not I am not letting you freeze to death because you are too proud to ask for help."
Pride boils up inside me and I fold my arms over my chest. "A queen does not ask for help, she demands obedience, now put your clothes on this--"
The last of his garments come off and I lose my train of thought. Good god, he is hung, he is built like a marble statue as if his body is made for sex. Not only is he large, but he is also rock hard. His thick cock jutting out in front of him like a dowsing rod, pointing right in my direction. I snap my mouth shut and blink. What am I supposed to say? My mind is blank. Suddenly I'm not a queen, I'm a horny teenager aching to be ravaged. Under the covers I squeeze my thighs together trying my best to stop the aching heat. I will not stoop to being an adulterer. I am not like my husband, but damn, the man before me makes it a hard conviction to stick to. My mind echoes Leo's last words. He did suggest I take a lover... But still.
Graham’s grin says it all. He knows I see him. He looks like he knows exactly what I'm thinking and on cue he moves to the bed. "This isn't about sex, I'm not trying to force you into anything you don't want, but I will lay in this bed tonight, I will hold you, and you will stay warm."
As he slides in next to me I find myself scooting over to make just enough room for him and the warmth that rolls off of his naked body instantly starts to drive the frigidness from the surface of my skin. It's almost a pleasant feeling until the chill moves into my bones. I hurt deep inside from the temperature and Graham slips his arms around me, pulling me closer. My chest presses against his making me shiver from the closeness of him.
The door opens and I practically squeak as I try to hide under the covers. Graham lets out a soft chuckle and pulls the covers tighter over me. "What is it, Stephen?"
His second in command is at the door. Another guard I've had by my side for far too many years to count. When he doesn't speak I feel a rush of embarrassment at what he must think is going on, but Graham moves and I peak out of the blanket to see he's pressing his finger to his mouth and then motions Stephen inside. As soon as the door shuts Stephen clears his throat, "What, um, what's going on?"
"Our queen is cold," there was a pause and when Stephen nods as if something silent has passed between them I watch in pure shock as another one of my guards immediately starts to disrobe.
I stammer, "What? What are you two-- No."
Both of them ignore me. It’s an unfamiliar feeling to be dismissed in my own castle. When Stephen fully undresses his body nearly matches Graham and all I can think is that I've done this world a disservice by keeping these exceptional men at my side day and night. He slips into bed on the other side of me and I melt from the heat they radiate. Warmth flows over me like sunlight on a hot summers day.
I shiver as the last of the cold is leeched from my bones and suddenly my eyes are too tired to stay awake, but my body is well aware of the two men naked in my bed. Both hard, both rubbing their hands over the curves of my body. My body aches, my core is molten lava and I try to curl my fingers into tight fists to resist the urge to touch both of them. Their actions are merely to keep all of us warm tonight, but if given a chance I would welcome both of them.
Just as my willpower breaks I start to uncurl my hands. Graham runs his hand down my arm and intertwines his fingers with mine. "Just sleep, my queen." His head nestles against the crock of my neck. Stephen's arms wrap around my waist pressing his cock against my ass and Graham's thigh slips between mine. The tip of his cock presses against my sex and I suck in a breath as he whispers against my neck. "Just sleep. I promise nothing will happen."
I moan and bite my lip. Sleep is the last thing I want but for now it is for the best. The sudden change in weather has worn me out physically and my husband's love affair with the stable master has exhausted me emotionally. "You expect me to sleep like this?"
He nods. "You've slept with me before."
"We were teenagers, and we were both dressed." I point out.
I look at him and see the smile spread across his lips. "We did a bit more than sleep."
Stephen coughs. "Excuse me?"
I shake my head. "We didn't do much of anything, it was all very innocent."
Graham treads the pad of his thumb over my lower lip and I tremble. "I remember what your lips taste like, my queen."
I lick my lips right then. I remember too, but I don't dare say it. Graham's mouth teased me for hours, he explored parts of me no man since has. I feel his hand tangle in my nightdress and his cock throbs against me. "Memory lane isn't going to help me sleep, Captain," I whisper.
He nods and shifts himself so that he's not pressed against my sex. Unfortunately, his thick cock is now pressed against my thigh and I try to ignore the thoughts going through my head at this moment. Stephen has grown silent and his grip loosens. It appears they are just as exhausted as I am. I take a deep breath and relax as best as I can. The three of us fall into a rhythmic breathing and within minutes my eyes close. For the first time in since my marriage I sleep hard and peacefully. It is bliss.
CHAPTER TWO
Permission Granted
By the time I wake my bed is empty. There is no proof that two men spent the night in my bed except for the twin depressions in the mattress on either side of me. I fling the covers off and anticipate the rush of cold air, but the weather has turned once again and instead of blasting cold I feel the old tendrils of summer with a warm breeze slipping pass the heavy pelts over the windows. As I make my way to draw them back my handmaiden scurries into the room. "M'lady. Don't bother yourself with that."
She flings the pelts open letting a cascade of sunlight into my room. As grateful as I am it dawns on me that the curtains should have been opened long before the sun was high in the sky along with all the other work I require of Moira first thing in the morning. "Are you running late in your duties today, Moira?"
She wrinkles her brow and wraps her hands in her apron. "I don't know what you mean, my queen."
I point to the windows. "Those should have been open hours ago and you should have woken me up for the day."
Moira shakes her head. "I've been working since dawn, like usual."
I frown and am not sure if I completely believe her. Although she's been my handmaid for many years and I've never known her to slack in her work or tell a lie. "Then why am I just getting my curtains open now?"
"My queen. I was simply following orders."
My eyes narrow and my mind instantly goes to Leo. From time to time my husband tries to wrangle some bit of power away from me. Making sure I sleep in would be one way of trying to convince the Lords and Ladies that I may not be suitable for ruling the kingdom. I've heard the rumors that Leo has been working hard to try to overthrow the decree of my land that says only a female of my bloodline can rule. "Whose orders?"
Moira squirms under my gaze and finally whispers, "The king, m'lady."
I grind my teeth in frustration. "You know you are always to wake me--"
"M'lady." She interrupts me and I see something set
tle in her features that I've never seen in any of my servants before. She twists her hands in front of her and I swear I spot tears forming in her eyes as she blinks them back. "King Leo was very," she pauses as if trying to find the right words and I am brimming with worry for my staff.
I place a hand on her shoulder and give it a light squeeze. "It's okay, whatever is going on, I'll get to the bottom of it."
"He was in a right mood this morning." She seems to have found a bit of bravery and confides. "He said you were sick and if I woke you my children would lose their rations for two days. We can't go without for that long, not in winter."
I blink again and practically stumble back. My staff would obey under those circumstances. I had been very ill over summer and Leo had to take some extra duties, but I've been better for weeks now and I hadn't realized that'd he'd grown so brazen in his power grab. "I didn't know you were on rations. There's no reason, we have plenty of food in the stores."
Moira looked down. And I lifted her chin. My heart breaks for her, we've grown together, she knows more of my secrets than anyone. Moira is my confidant and my source of gossip. "Why didn't anyone tell me? I could have made this better immediately."
She shuffles her feet. "We were so afraid that you might get sick again. Some of the staff in the castle think Leo cursed you."
I arch a brow and try not to laugh at their superstitious nature. "Why in the world would they think that?"
"You got sick right after you and Leo had a big fight over the taxes that the king wanted to raise."
I nod. How could I forget that fight, it was brutal. We both said things that cut deep and in the end Graham and my guards protected me when my husband snapped and lunged at me. I smile at the memory. My guards had put him on the ground in a matter of seconds. I highly doubted Leo would ever try to raise a hand to me again. "Do you have any idea why my husband wanted me to sleep in today?"
She shakes her head. "As far as I know he's been lounging in the dining hall but his man-servant said King Leo had a meeting this afternoon with the Duke of the East."