Game of Temptation

by Anda J. Santoso

  "Fiend…" she said less confidently than before.

  He stepped back staring at her. Staring at her as she bit her lips together, he formed a thought. The elder did say that humans talked more in bed. And yes, it was easy to seduce her, but of course, he would make sure she was a willing party. Besides, she was quite attractive for a human. Exotically so.

  "Alright, I will let you have a taste of Imreal," Arun said. "But in exchange, you would have to remain a prisoner here. Your escort would have to deliver it back to your country his own."

  Alethi's eyes went wide. "And how long do I have to stay for?"

  "Until I get what I want."

  "You cannot! My father…he would want to know that I am safe and well."

  Arun nodded. "And know, he shall. He may visit you at the edge of our border if he wants to know your state."

  "But what of the succession?"

  "Then you will return when he dies." Arun crossed his arms beneath his chest watching the rise and fall of her chest. "This is the only way I will agree to letting you take a part of Imreal."

  Alethi hung her head. "I…I accept your terms."

  Chapter Two

  Alethi couldn't keep herself from shaking as she watched the elf prince retreat. Carnal pleasures had touched her mind before, but she never entertained them. Her encounter with Prince Arun had not only made her entertain the thought, but it had gripped her and pulled her into its iron grip. While her mind refused to give in willingly, her body ached to be taken. Remembering it all filled her with so much embarrassment.

  She had felt so heady when she woke up noticing everything around her without even being fully awake. The roots that held her did not exactly dig into her skin, but she could feel every ridge and grain of it as much as she could feel every stitch of her clothing. Her eyes were clear enough to see every minute detail of cave – from the tiniest bug that settled on the far end of the wall to the different shades of green the moss gave off. The cave smelled of ground and wood and moss, but they assailed her senses so much so that she could distinctly count how many smells went into the odor of the ground alone.

  The sudden awareness of everything around her made it difficult to focus on anything, hounding at her consciousness and fought for her attention, leaving her confused and disoriented. She was still far from recovering when he came and it was all she could do not to dissolve into the mindless sensations her senses sunk her into.

  Every detail on his face and his body registered in her mind, magnifying every hair's breadth of beauty rendering it impossible to deny the physical perfection of the elves. But what really maddened her was his scent. It was easily comparable to a perfume sprayed directly in her face. She couldn't identify what it was but she knew that it was his scent and it sent her lust spiraling out of control.

  Even as he left, his scent lingered and Alethi thanked the gods that she was wearing a skirt or the wetness between her legs might have been visible. She had wished he hadn't spoken so close. His breath and his low husky voice completed a seduction she did not want affecting her.

  Fighting to gain control of herself was an effort enough, but to keep herself level-headed in the negotiation was impossible. All could think about was submitting to him and letting him do things to her that would make her father furious. She cursed his purposeful derailing that made her agree to his demands. It had made her unable to negotiate effectively. Her father would have scolded her for such a botch.

  Even before her other senses were aware of Prince Arun's coming, she breathed him in, and try as she might, she could not rein in the strangled cry that escaped her lips. Only when she was taken by the arms as the roots released her did she notice that there were two others in the room. They did not have the overpowering essence that the prince had and she wondered why.

  Only briefly.

  The touch of his fingers on her cheek was feather light, but it was as if her whole face felt the thrill of his touch – down to her spine and even further below. She grit her teeth and resolved to face him once more with a mask of resolve and strength.

  "Princess," he addressed her with a grin, "I trust you can walk? Or do you need to be held?"

  His words made her realize that only the elves beside her were holding her up. Her knees were undeniably weak, but she would not submit to these vile creatures who were playing with her.

  She steeled herself and addressed her captors. "I can walk. Thank you," she said as icy cold as she can, only partially succeeding. Damn the elf and his delectable perfection!

  "Just tell us if you need help, princess," the one to her right chuckled. "We know how weak humans are against lust. Unlike you, we do need a compelling reason to fuck."

  The word made the heat in her go up to her face and her ears. How could they treat something like that so casually? It was as if the act meant nothing to them. At the same time, she couldn't help but imagine Prince Arun standing over her – naked. She mentally shook herself and focused on what she had to.

  "Are you going to take me to Imreal or are you here to sully your honor and only torment me?"

  The nameless elf's face darkened, but she heard the melodious laughter of the prince. In her mind, she could see how his face brightened, but she did not dare look at him fearing what tricks her mind would play on her.

  "You amuse me, princess. Truly," Arun said. "I expected as much rebellion from you. And as a reward, I have also released your consort. We will take him with us."

  Embarrassment and self-loathing replaced everything else she felt as she followed the prince out from her hold. Both she and Orrin had been taken and not once had she thought about him. The man had been probably worried for her with a passion and she had not even thought of him. She remembered how he panicked and showered her with attention with only little scrapes she received from riding her horse too hard. He was even more worried about her than her father who laughed and was only glad she was fine.

  The thought made her angry enough that the prince's assault on her became even more muted than when she stepped out of the cave. She suspected the place had heightened every sense as she stepped out and only Arun's strong scent lingered in her senses. It was not as strong, and evidently more manageable. But it was still there.

  "Alethi!" Orrin tried to rush forward, but was held back by bounds made of roots. The elf who held him was not huge, but he stood there, unmoved.

  "I am well, Orrin." She focused on Orrin, trying to block out any effect the prince had on her. It helped a little to gather her wits, and for the moment, any little help is something she will exploit with all her might. "After we obtain the essence from Imreal, go to my father. I have…diplomatic obligations to be finished here."

  Orrin's eyes narrowed. "Forgive me, princess, I cannot leave you. Your father has carged me with your well-being. It is my first duty."

  "No, Orrin. Your first duty is to ensure that your king lives. He will not die if you bring him the essence of Imreal and news that I am well. If you do not do this, I will have no choice but to charge you with treason. I will return, Orrin. Alive and well. This I promise in the name of my father."

  Orrin tensed and for a while, he said nothing. Then he bowed, stiffly. "I will await your return."

  With the steel in her, Alethi turned to the Prince, only to have the steel shatter as if it were frozen and hammered by a blacksmith. She could not speak as he looked at her. Something about his look beckoned her inner desires, making her recall the intimate moments when she was held to the wall of the cave, helpless under his manipulations. She gathered herself and took a deep breath replacing it with thoughts of her father, her mother and Orrin.

  "Are we waiting for anything else?" she asked as haughtily as she could.

  "I was, but perhaps, I would see it over the course of our…as you call it, diplomatic dealings." A smile spread across his face as he led them toward Imreal.

  Alethi looked everywhere but him. Behind her, Orrin was worry personified. He walked like a man about t
o lose his child to a rabid lion and there was nothing he could do about it. Watching him had become too painful and she resolved to look at her surroundings. Anything to distract her from his lingering scent.

  The further into Rehanathi they went, the larger the trees became until they seem to dwarf the very towers of the castle. Every branch was a walkway a five-column army could march across. Plants she had never seen before reflected her skin with iridescent leaves while others moved about her as if curious about the intruder walking in their home.

  As the curtain of leaves parted, Imreal stood before her, more regal and beautiful than anything she had ever seen. The structure was built on precious stones, light shining from within. Gold and silver threads snaked swiftly across its surface. Flora of different colors framed the massive structure and clear, crystalline water flowed around it from nowhere she could see.

  A dagger in front of her face cut short her appreciation. Her eyes traced it to the arm that held it and up to Arun's face. "Where?" was all she could say without betraying the sudden tightness she felt in her throat.

  "The golden bowl sitting on top of the water. That's where you place a drop of elfin blood."

  Alethi took the dagger without touching the prince's skin, afraid of what the contact might do to her. It annoyed her to be tentative and unsure around him, but she had no choice if she wanted to retain the respect of everyone there.

  "Alethi!"

  Alethi turned to see Orrin with a sudden sense of urgency. "Yes?"

  "Take the vial in my boot. It has the king's blood. You do not have to shed yours," he said.

  "You brought my father's blood?" Alethi asked curious. "Why? There is no need. My father's blood flows in me. The Imreal will know elfin blood no matter how small the trace. It is but a small wound."

  Orrin's face suddenly etched with horror, his skin tinged slightly green. "Are you ill, Orrin?" she asked.

  "By the gods…forgive me, my princess."

  Alethi's mind spun and she felt herself stop breathing until she remembered and forced herself to inhale. He could not mean to say…

  "Your," Orrin swallowed and looked at her with obvious struggle, "father…he had been barren. He needed an heir to keep the country from a power struggle. Your mother knew and…she did what she had to."

  Alethi's mouth was open, not knowing how to feel. "Does…" she paused, unsure of her position, "the king know?" As soon as he shook his head she could not keep the croak from her voice as she asked, "Who?"

  Orrin's bowed head was all the response she needed and a million thoughts and none flooded her head. What happened was honorable betrayal and she, herself was at the crossroads. The man she had called her father was not truly her father and the man whom she had trusted with her life had betrayed both of them. Only now didshe understand why her mother always told her why she could trust Orrin with her life. Why Orrin would never betray her.

  "Well then I guess we best be killing them."

  The nameless elf's words woke her and she set her mind on tackling the problem of survival. She loved Orrin and her father both, but that is a problem best dealt with some other time. It was a welcome problem. At least, it was a problem she could put her mind around on.

  "You propose a violation of the treaty and start a war both races have so long ago tried to avert?"

  "You are not a part of the treaty, human."

  "It is not her fault! I was the one who deceived all of you. I deserve death," Orrin said, quick to defend her.

  "Silence!" Alethi's voice was not loud but it cut the nameless elf's retort before it could come. "The treaty has specifically stated that the Royal Line would be extended immunity. Whether or not I am of the same blood as my father, it cannot be contested that I am still part of the Royal Line as her daughter and the next queen of Dosalam until he has given the word to disown me. As there is no word, elf. You will uphold the treaty or leave the legacy as the one who has begun the bloodshed of the races."

  A single applause turned everyone to Prince Arun who seemed to be enjoying himself. "Indeed," he said, stopping, "It is as the princess said. She is heir to the throne and a member of the Royal Line. Such a proposition is a dishonor to our race, Liushan."

  The nameless elf, now named Liushan, had the grace to blush and bowed with his palms to his breast. "Forgive me, your grace. I spoke out of line."

  "Accepted," Alethi acknowledged him and marked him for a dangerous man.

  "One does have to wonder where you get your sense of calm and strength, after everything has been revealed. I know not of any other human who would have taken it as well as you did. It is as if you, yourself have elfin blood."

  Alethi refused to think about her origins and lifted her chin to stand as regal as she could. Her only defense was to get out alive and to get the Imreal to her father. "We still have our accord, Prince Arun. You let Orrin take the essence of Imreal to my stepmother and we talk."

  "Of course," Arun bowed his head slightly, but his eyes continued to hold hers. In them were mischievous lights that were not there before. "Would you like to see if, perhaps, your consort is mistaken?"

  Alethi's grip on the dagger loosened as she felt the slight pain from holding it too tight. She nodded and took the vial from Orrin's boot.

  Her heart pounded as she made her way to the golden bowl, praying to the gods that she truly was her father's daughter. That it was all a mistake. She kept her hands in front of her to hide the fact that she was trembling with fear, confusion and anxiety. She did not even feel the cut as her blood dripped on the bowl. She waited. But there was nothing. The bowl yielded nothing.

  She wanted to cry – more in frustration than anything else. As she poured her father's blood, dread washed over her. What would happen when they meet again?

  The bowl pulsed with russet light, mimicking the color of blood as it disappeared into the bowl. Soon the bowl was filled with inflamed liquid which she put in a vial in her own pouch. She felt numb as she gave Orrin the essence of Imreal and sent him away. She would not cry. Not now. She would cry when she was alone in her room.

  "Shall we go to my room, princess?"

  Alethi spun; the question adding more confusion to her thoughts. "Your room?"

  "Did I not tell you?" the corner of his mouth twitched into a wicked grin. "You will be sharing a room with me. For diplomatic reasons."

  Chapter Three

  Arun has already lived hundreds of years, but it was the first time since his age was in double figures that he was feeling rather excited. Princess Alethi was human. Purely human. Without a shred of blood that gave elves near-immortality, calm and control. Even so, he knew the princess would not be broken easily. Had she been elfin, he worried that nothing he did would yield anything. It had been a gamble before the revelation, but now, he was quite sure he would win even without using the Ollan to break her.

  She would speak in his bed – scream, if she needed to – but he would have the information he needed. War could be averted if she yielded enough secrets, or at the least, the damages could be minimized. All he knew was Dosalam was planning to take what magic they can from Rehanathi and expand. He would not let that happen. He would not let the greed of humans win.

  To his side, Alethi walked as if she were the queen and he, her guest. Nothing in her exotically alluring features betrayed what she felt. Save her hands. They were balled into fists, her knuckles white and her fingers red from how tightly she held them together. Her mind and her heart were obviously still in turmoil. He could exploit that. The treaty only did say bodily harm. But he would not do such a thing.

  Arun was an elf. The better being. The only torture he would inflict on anyone was torture they like. And he did not know of anyone who did not like a good fuck. It was only pure luck that her arrival had been timed with his mating year. He would break her façade and prove her to be as wanton as her predecessors.

  He shuddered in his mind at the thought of humans going after sex for the sheer pleasure of it
, not for the sake of progeny. The woman at her side could have fucked many men before him and suddenly, his plan in getting information from her became depressing. There would be no joy in bedding a promiscuous woman, but if she held onto her fiery denial, it could be worth it.

  He swept aside the vines that were the curtain into his chamber and unstrung his bow before relieving himself of the rest of his arms. He turned around and saw Alethi, her composure showing hints of uncertainty. Her eyes darted taking in the plain walls, the jewel-encrusted furniture and the casement where he placed his panoply. She suddenly flushed as her eyes settled on the bed that could barely fit two and quickly turned her head away.

  A chuckle had involuntarily risen from his throat before he could stop it. She was only feigning innocence, perhaps to make him feel guilty about his plans for her. But he would not be swayed. Libertine or no, he would make her talk the only way he knew.

  "How many days has it been since you have taken a bath?" he asked. She did not smell awful, but she did have the smell of sweat. And of faint arousal. They were not entirely unwelcome odors, but it was the only question he could think of to break the silence between them.

  "Three," she said quietly, not looking at him.

  "I see. You can take a bath in the lake to the east. I hope you do not mind company. Everyone takes their baths there."

  Her head whipped to him, her eyes bulging. "Everyone? All the time?"

  "Afraid, princess? Why? Is it because seeing a naked elf will arouse you?" he asked, checking one of his daggers. It would easily tear through the fabric of her dress. He immediately spoke before her open mouth could form words. "As for your question, yes, everyone, but rarely anyone goes there at the height of the night."

  "For propriety's sake, do I not get a room?" she demanded showing cracks in her demeanor widen into crevices.

  From where he stood, Arun could see the tell-tale signs of a woman about to cry – face flushed, eyes, watery, voice tight, rapid breathing. In truth, he could only imagine what he was going through. He, himself was a legitimate son and the father he knew was not on the verge of death. The man he respected had never betrayed him or his trust. He knew he would not be able to bear all that on top of the fate of his country resting on his hands.