Three Kings

by Nikki Jefford

  “Won’t the guards outside wonder what he’s doing in here?” I worried my lip. Was I stalling? This wasn’t exactly my dream wedding, though it was a billion times better than shackling myself to Albedo. Ryo was more to me than a way out. I cared about him. Still, if we were to become mates, I would have liked it to be on our own terms.

  Ryo glanced at the door then back at me. “They don’t know him. They think he’s a footman cleaning up a mess, but that doesn’t buy us much time. He will need to leave soon to avoid suspicion. I can remain as long as you want. Heath swore an oath not to touch you beyond his duties of service. He is permitted to come and go as you command.” Ryo looked at Berlin and nodded. “Let’s get started.”

  Whoa. This was all happening so fast. My head spun and my heart thundered.

  Berlin cleared his throat. “It is my honor this evening to bind Prince Ryo Elmray, third son of the late Sivero Elmray, with this elven female, Melarue Heiris of Pinemist.”

  My heart had pounded up my neck into my throat. Even if I had more questions, I wouldn’t have been able to voice them. My speech had been robbed. I stood frozen in shock. This was really happening. A sick, thrilling wave rose and fell inside my belly. Too many intense emotions warred inside my mind—a feeling of wrongness, a feeling of rightness, a possessive desire to claim Ryo for myself.

  “We will begin with the prince’s promise,” Berlin continued.

  Ryo faced me and took my shaky hands in his firm ones. “Melarue Heiris, tonight I claim you as my one true mate, my first and my only to protect and cherish from now until the end.”

  For several seconds, I forgot to breathe.

  Ryo let go of me with his left hand, turning his palm face up. Berlin handed him the knife, and Ryo cut into his heart line. I leaned forward, watching in fascination as a thick line of blood appeared over Ryo’s skin.

  “If you feel for me as I do for you, give me your hand.”

  Despite the circumstances, he spoke the words with stoic efficiency. It all felt so official, I almost forgot we were imprisoned in Ravensburg, currently barred inside my chamber.

  Ryo held the knife, waiting for me to give him my hand.

  I moistened my lips. “I want to say something.” Ryo’s eyebrows creased. I caught the flicker of unease in his eyes as his left palm filled with blood. “I accept you as my mate, to protect and cherish from now until the end.” It only seemed fair I make the same promise.

  My smile was mirrored on Ryo’s lips. His gaze dipped to my mouth and a hooded look came over him before he snapped out of it with a blink.

  “Please give me your left hand.”

  After I did so, Ryo sliced into my heart line. My palm stung as the blade cut. Wet warmth coated the slash. Ryo handed the knife to Berlin then took my left hand with his and squeezed, clasping them together. Our gazes locked as our blood mixed. Brown eyes submerged into mine. I imagined our irises, brown and green, swirling together like the blood flowing and pumping, sealing the claim over us.

  I couldn’t think of anyone else in that moment. Right now, there was no one in all the worlds besides Ryo and me.

  Berlin spread his arms like an angel’s wings, enveloping us in sacred matrimony. “Prince Ryo Elmray. Princess Melarue Elmray. It is my pleasure to announce that the two of you are officially mated.”

  Did he just say princess?

  Yeah, I sorta forgot about that part.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Melarue

  “My lady?” Gem’s mouth gaped open when she walked into my chamber the next morning and noticed Ryo in bed beside me. He lay on his back, arm covering his eyes.

  “Good morning, Gem,” I called out cheerfully, sitting up in my cream slip. “And it’s princess now.” My grin felt wicked as I showed teeth.

  Lulu gasped. Magnolia clutched her chest. And Heath, the real Heath, tripped and nearly fell to his knees. They all stopped at the edge of the bed and stared. If I didn’t feel so triumphant, I might’ve wanted to blush at their scrutiny.

  Pulled a fast one over Albedo. Ha! Team Ryo and Mel rule.

  They continued to stare at us in shock.

  Show’s over, I was tempted to boast. Mated and consummated. Done and done. Blessings and all. Pulled one over on the tramp team, too. Knowing they were tied up tight and gagged added to last night’s gratification.

  Ryo lowered his arms and glowered at our audience. “Oh, for fuck’s sake, take the morning off,” he grumbled. “I will see to my mate.”

  I thought that word would terrify me. Instead, it sang across my mind and zinged through my entire body. Pledging myself to Ryo had the opposite effect of feeling bound. I felt liberated. I felt free to do all the things I’d imagined before with no more barriers. He was mine.

  Gem’s eyes expanded. “My lady?” she squeaked.

  “Princess Mel,” I stated, lifting my head. Victory was oh so sweet, even though I was still a prisoner. This was what happened when I was trapped for too long. I got surly. “All of you, go,” I said in a commanding voice. “But don’t tell Albedo. I want to deliver the news to his Royal Highness myself at breakfast.” My lips lifted again.

  My servants walked backward, still unable to look away. Gem was the last to go. Before she went, I called her back.

  “Yes, my—Princess Mel?”

  “Please bring me a tincture—the pregnancy preventing kind.”

  “Leave it at the door,” Ryo added.

  Gem bobbed her head and scurried out.

  By the time the door clicked shut, Ryo had flipped around and straddled me. My pulse dashed wildly. Dark hair hung over his forehead and cheeks as he smiled down at me, eyes glinting.

  “Good morning, mate,” he drawled.

  “Same to you,” I said.

  He beamed at me with pleasure.

  I chewed on my lower lip and studied him. “Was last night with me your first time?” I was curious. We hadn’t taken time to really talk after Berlin left us. I’d expected a lot of discussion, but we’d both turned breathless with anticipation as we explored one another beneath the bed sheets for hours before joining. I didn’t think I’d sleep after that, not with my brain going all haywire. Red-horned Mel had been dry humping the space around my head in jubilation, shouting for more one minute, then off snoozing the next.

  Ryo pursed his lips. His eyes grew stormy. “No,” he said. “Cirrus had one of his servants take care of that years ago.”

  I scowled. “Your family seriously sucks.” I narrowed my eyes. “Or maybe you thought that was cool.”

  Inky hair brushed over Ryo’s cheeks, and he shook his head. “I’ve never done it with anyone I care about—until now.”

  I huffed. “Given that we’re officially mates, I’d hope you more than care about me.”

  Ryo pulled away from me, kneeling. I wanted to glower at him but his naked, muscled chest was a total distraction that became more engrossing below the hips. My mate was entirely nude and brandishing the kind of eye candy I wanted to latch onto with grabby fingers and stroke.

  “What do you want me to say, Mel? That I love you? That I need you? That I want you more than I’ve ever wanted anything in all my days?”

  My heart backflipped and expanded in my chest.

  “Yeah,” I said. “All of the above.”

  Ryo growled and dipped forward. “I do need you. I do want you. The depth of my affections might scare you.”

  “Do you see me running?” I demanded. I mean, I was on my back for freak’s sake.

  Ryo’s eyes darkened as he took me in beneath him. He’d helped unfasten my hair that night. Rich waves of loose red hair tickled my bare shoulders.

  Ryo pushed my legs apart, making room for his knees. The silk slip rode up my thighs as he lifted my legs high in the air and held them open by the ankles. Without any guidance, he joined with me, rocking his hips forward in answer to my unspoken desire. My nipples tightened, aching for his touch, but he gripped my ankles, then wrapped them around the back of his
neck, dragging me from the bed to his pulsing groin.

  A look of possession tightened over his jaw and blazed in his eyes. It was hotter than fire. A soft moan escaped my lips. When Ryo pulled out, I mewled in protest until he filled me again and gathered me in his arms, holding me as he rocked.

  Neither of us could contain our sighs of satisfaction. I knew Ryo was holding back. He’d shown me how fast he could perform without flagging last night. He laid me back on the bed, never losing his rhythm.

  Sunlight spilled in through the windows. We’d have to face the music soon, but that didn’t mean we couldn’t put it off just a little longer. Why couldn’t the sun back up a bit and give us more time?

  Ryo’s eyes gleamed with determination as he crashed against my core harder and harder, chipping away at a place deep inside of me, about to shatter. I grabbed hold of his left hand with mine. Our fingers intertwined, and we gripped tightly, our mate scars stinging with threats of reopening and bleeding together again.

  Ryo rasped as though he’d run out of oxygen while his hips thundered without need for air.

  I felt myself crack open and shatter—an acute tightening followed by an electrifying release that made my entire body burst before going slack.

  Ryo delivered his blessings then collapsed on top of me, his black head pillowed between my breasts. He shuddered in my arms several times as aftershocks quaked through his body.

  I stroked his back and kissed the top of his head gently. My eyes fluttered closed. “I don’t suppose there’s time for a nap before breakfast,” I said with a soft chuckle.

  Ryo lifted his head and grimaced. “We’ve probably lingered long enough already.”

  “So, time to get dressed?” I lifted my brows.

  “Do I have to?” Ryo returned.

  “Yep. I don’t want anyone seeing your naked ass besides me.”

  Ryo chuckled before nuzzling the silk between my breasts. He lifted his head again to give me a searing kiss on the lips, swiping his tongue over mine before pulling out of me and climbing out of bed.

  My eyes ran all up and down his body. Oh my sky, I was becoming as randy as Aerith. It was hard not to when Ryo flaunted his royal jewels like a nude statue on display. Better him than me. I’d never been a nudist, and being mated wasn’t changing that. I yanked my slip down as I got out of bed and headed to the bathing room. I gathered my hair and tied it into a knot on top of my head. The servants hadn’t had a chance to bring in pails of warm water. I brought the pitcher beside the sink over to the tub and used the cool water to perform a quick sponge cleanse beneath my slip.

  When I returned to my chamber, Ryo was dressed in the maroon tunic and dark pantaloons he’d worn the night before when he was glamoured as Heath. He held a mug and smiled at me when I came out.

  “Your tincture,” he said, presenting me with the mug.

  I took it and gulped it down even as a bitter taste coated my tongue.

  “Thanks,” I said after I finished downing the concoction.

  I selected a long green dress with a halter top from my wardrobe and pulled it over my head. Ryo came over, helped tie it around my neck, and waited as I brushed the tangles from my hair. I winced. Brushed. And winced again. Gem had a much gentler way with my hair than I did. Once finished, I selected a gold tiara with little rubies from the jewelry stand beside the vanity. Securing the tiara in my hair, I turned and grinned at Ryo.

  “Mel,” he drawled, brown eyes flicking up to the jeweled headdress. “You’re stoking the fire.”

  I lifted my chin, imagining sunlight glinting from the little rubies. “I am the fire,” I reminded Ryo.

  And I felt like gloating.

  My bravado retracted with every step closer to the dining room, and I wasn’t the only one nervous, if Ryo’s tightening grip on my hand was any indication.

  Albedo was on his feet, clapping from the head of the table, the moment we walked in. “Bravo, Ryo, or should I say, congratulations?”

  “You . . . know?” Ryo sounded as stunned as I felt.

  This was not the reaction I was expecting. Actually, I was still expecting payback. Albedo’s eyes gleamed in a way that was unpredictable.

  Dang it. Which one of my servants had run tattling to Albedo? I should have made them all promise to hold their loose tongues.

  “Yes, Ryo, I was informed, and I want you to know there are no hard feelings. I should have thought of it myself. Melarue is family now, as I wished her to be.”

  Footmen entered with bubbling wine—always with the bubbling wine—and handed out flutes. Ryo and I let go of each other as we took the wine.

  Albedo lifted his glass, his voice rising. “A toast to the prince and princess of Ravensburg. What a beautiful pair you make.” He took a sip of bubbling wine then set it on the table.

  Ryo and I stood holding ours, staring back at him dumbfounded.

  “Well? Aren’t you pleased with one another?” The first hint of agitation entered Albedo’s voice.

  Ryo and I shared a glance. My mate took a sip of his bubbling wine, which was enough for Albedo.

  His smile returned. “Excellent,” he said, rubbing his hands together.

  I set my glass down as Albedo moved our way. My fire flamed beneath my skin, ready for anything. Albedo stopped in front of me and stared at the tiara on my head.

  “You look good in a crown,” he said.

  Still lost for words, I merely blinked, eyes bulging a moment later as Albedo hugged me. It was quick and utterly lacking warmth. I took a step back as soon as he released me.

  “Welcome to the family, Sister.” A smug smile sprang to his lips, smothering all my good feelings from earlier.

  Albedo turned to Ryo next, clapping him on the back. “Well done, Brother.” The pleasure in his voice made me go cold. I hadn’t mated Ryo to please the pretend king, nor had I thought much further than the mate part. This Fae-hole was now my freaking brother-in-law. Puke on a pitberry!

  “Sit, drink. Breakfast will be served shortly.” Albedo gave Ryo’s shoulder a final squeeze before returning to his spot at the head of the table.

  I tried not to slump into my chair, keeping my head held high. Albedo could act gleeful all he wanted; we’d still trumped him. My feeling of triumph dwindled the longer he smirked at me from down the table.

  Ryo took the spot beside me, the one closer to Albedo.

  “I am eager to write your sister and share the happy news,” Albedo said. “My little brother and her little sister—what a happy occasion. We will have to celebrate properly, of course. She will be invited to Ravensburg. I do hope that she will release Malon now that we are family.”

  I snorted. “Fat chance.”

  Albedo shrugged. “Later then. Your sister’s presence is the most important for now. We have much to discuss.”

  “Or Ryo and I could deliver the news to her ourselves,” I suggested.

  Albedo pressed a long, slender finger into the cleft of his chin as he looked down the table at me. “Ravensburg is your home now, Princess Melarue. The sooner you accept that, the happier we will all be.”

  “Happy? To be a prisoner?” My fingers curled inside my lap.

  “Your term, not mine,” Albedo answered in a bored tone. “Whether you decide to be the castle’s captive or princess is all up to you. You might as well drink the wine.”

  Arg, not with the wine again. I scowled.

  “You chose my brother as your mate,” Albedo continued, stroking his left palm with the tips of his right fingers. “I suggest you enjoy him and the title he has granted you.”

  Ohh! Steam rose up my neck. I could practically feel it rushing from my ears. This Fae prick just had to go twisting everything up in a way he knew would get me gnashing my teeth.

  The victory of my bold move was being diminished by the reality of what I’d gotten myself into. This wasn’t a temporary arrangement like Aerith standing in as queen of Dahlquist. I’d willingly accepted the Elmray name and title of princess.
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  “I want Ella as my lady-in-waiting,” I blurted out.

  I didn’t have much power, but I’d use whatever I had.

  Albedo studied me with his calculating brown eyes. “Prove that you can be trusted first. Then I will allow Ella to become your servant.”

  “Or you could let the elf out as a show of good faith,” Ryo said.

  Albedo glanced at Ryo before answering. “Not yet.”

  I was too famished to turn my nose up at breakfast when the footmen arrived with delectable mini quiches. Albedo was always saying drink the wine when the real temptation was eating the food.

  “I am still in need of a bride,” Albedo announced.

  Ugh, way to ruin my appetite. I set my fork down and wrinkled my nose.

  “Your celebration ball is an excellent opportunity to invite the eligible ladies of Ravensburg to the castle for my consideration. A Fae queen will go over better with the citizens. This is all for the best.”

  Albedo lifted his wine flute and drank the rest.

  Being a princess didn’t make me any less of a prisoner at Ravensburg. I couldn’t come and go as I pleased. I still wasn’t allowed in the dungeon, armory, or riding stables. Neither was Ryo.

  When we returned to my room, we found servants carrying armfuls of gowns. I rushed over, my heart thudding, wondering what new power play Albedo was making.

  “What’s going on, Gem?”

  She looked at me over a stack of gowns. “You and Prince Ryo are being moved to a shared suite,” she answered, sounding out of breath.

  I looked at Ryo, but his attention was on my entourage bustling out of my room with gowns.

  “Well, let’s see it then,” he said in a clipped tone.

  “Yes. This way,” Gem said.

  We followed her down the hall, around a corner, followed by one more until reaching the double doors leading into a decadent suite with crystal chandeliers overhead, plush rugs, and antique furniture arranged in connecting rooms. The first room we entered looked like a parlor with sofas facing an unlit fireplace. There were separate changing rooms for Ryo and me. Mine had a full-length freestanding oval mirror in addition to a vanity with shelves of tiaras and jewelry. Gem was most excited about the lavish bathing room with an outer door the servants could access to prepare the water without disturbing us until the tub was ready. This tub was nearly double the size of the previous one.