She adamantly shook her head. “This gown is perfect, my lady. Come now, let’s put this on you.”
And then some five minutes later, I stared at myself through the mirror once again. Honestly, I felt very naked in this gown, especially the top half of my body. I mean, my back was completely bare. The dress, made of lace and satin, was of a light pink lily color, and the style? Well, let’s just say that I had never seen it before. There were no sleeves, just a strap of lacey material that delicately embraced the back of the neck, trailed down, and barely covered my breasts, due to the deep V-shaped neckline. The skirt was the only decent thing about this gown. It was long and flowy, the hem brushing against the floor.
Once I’d put on my soft slippers, I noted Ria was practically beaming with pride.
“You’re beautiful, my lady. I can’t wait until Lord Aslan sees you.”
I said, “Ria, do you think we could change the dress?”
Ria shook her head in the negative. “No, my lady. This dress is important.”
I sighed. What was so important about this dress? It wasn’t the fact that I didn’t like it. In fact, I did like it, very much so, because it made me look so angelic and just out of this world. I looked simply stunning. But the concern I had with this dress was that… It had to do with Aslan.
I just knew in my gut that this dress was meant to entice the beast into…cuddling me, and I didn’t want that. If he touched me, he’d put a spell me, and my body would be overwhelmed by those sensations again, and my emotion was going to erupt and pour out like there was no tomorrow. What was I going to do then?
“I think we’re done now,” Ria said, opening the dressing room door, which made my heart race. She turned to me and asked, “My lady?”
I steeled myself and nodded my head. “So be it,” I said, which undoubtedly confused Ria because she raised her brows with a questioning look in her eyes.
“So be it?” she asked, chuckling. “Sounds like you’re going to your death sentence, my lady.”
I pouted my lips. “It feels that way, Ria. My heart won’t stop racing and my whole body is so tense. I’m so nervous, Ria.”
Ria took my shaking hands into hers and said, “It’s going to be all right, my lady. You’re Lord Aslan’s Beauty, so there’s nothing to worry about.”
“But…” I took a deep breath.
“But?” Ria asked.
I shook my head. Honestly, I saw no way out of this. Besides, I wanted to see Aslan and ask him some questions to get clarification, anyway.
“Never mind,” I said. “Let’s go.”
Ria nodded, and it wasn’t long until she led me along a series of corridors and then to the main foyer. There, the guards and maids bowed and curtsied at me respectfully. Of course, I didn’t miss them eyeing me in curiosity, either. I had gotten used to that now and it no longer bothered me. Since I was Lord Aslan’s Beauty, everyone was bound to be curious about me until…
Well, I guess until I was here long enough that I became one of them. Then I wondered if I’d obtain animal ears, like them? Perhaps a pair of cat or dog ears? I wouldn’t mind having cat ears like Ria. They were quite adorable, I must admit.
At the lift—a unique piece of machine technology that’d take us upstairs, which I found fascinating—Ria pushed on a red button that I had never seen before. On the button, it said ninth floor.
I frowned. Was I hallucinating? Surely, this was the first time I had seen floor number nine on this side of the castle? Surely, the castle was only eight stories high?
As the door of the lift dinged open at the clearly stated ninth floor on the screen above us, I said, “I’ve never been up here before, Ria.”
As we came out, I noticed that the foyer here was very quiet. In fact, it looked deserted.
Ria said, “The ninth floor is Lord Aslan’s private quarters, my lady. No one is allowed up here unless there is permission and, of course, clearance from him.” She turned to grin at me. “You can say that this is his private hideaway.”
I nodded in understanding. I said, “But there’s no one here to guard the place, so wouldn’t anyone be able to easily sneak in?”
Ria turned to me and chuckled. “You’re smart, my lady. Of course, considering it is Lord Aslan, there’s no way anyone can just come in here without him noticing. The entire ninth floor area is surrounded by a force field, or a magical barrier erected by him, and only certain individuals can pass through, at his behest, of course. You probably noticed already that there is no ninth-floor button in the lift, nor any ninth-floor when looking at the castle from a distance.”
I nodded. “Yes, I noticed that.”
So, that meant that most people didn’t know the ninth floor existed in this castle, with the exception of a few. Needless to say, I was awed. As to the magical barrier and only allowing a select few to have access to his private quarters, I had no doubt that it was easy for Aslan to master, since he was such a powerful beast, after all.
“And for tonight, you have a passkey to come in here, my lady.” Ria chuckled. “Isn’t it great? It’s an honor, isn’t it?”
I wasn’t sure about it being an honor just because I get access to Aslan’s private chamber for one night, but Ria seemed pleased. Then I wondered if perhaps it was very rare for Aslan to invite anyone to his private space.
When Ria opened the door, my eyes were wide in amazement as I gazed at my new surroundings. To say this was more opulent than the rest of the castle was an understatement. Grand! Grand! And more grandness was all I could think of. There were wall columns, chandeliers made of gold and gemstones, furniture made of mahogany wood with gold trimming as design, and soft furnishings in gold and silver colors. Everything here was just so overwhelmingly rich and lavish. Along the wall, too, were paintings of people I had never seen or met before, not sceneries like the rest of the castle. I didn’t miss the fact that they dressed in very fine clothing, too, and they all had beautiful green eyes, like Aslan. Though I had to be honest that none looked like it was a portrait of Aslan. I didn’t know why I knew this but I just did. None of them felt like it was him.
Ria took me along another series of corridors before we came into a magnificently large chamber, which once again, was very opulent. I gasped in awe at the sight, because this room was similar to mine, though much grander and bigger. It had a glass ceiling and walls as well, which showed off a great view of the starry night sky above. To the other side of the room was a massive bed, not in the heart shape like mine, but the normal rectangular style.
“Is this Aslan’s bedchamber?” I asked.
Ria nodded. “Yes, my lady, and very few people are allowed in here.” She turned and winked at me, which told me that I was one of those very lucky few.
Ria then led me out toward the balcony where I noticed a big pool, again in the rectangular style, was located at one end of the place. There was light shining from within the water, too, which enhanced its glassy and glistening effect. I noticed that the water looked like it was flowing down toward the edge of the cliff and wondered if it was designed to be like a waterfall.
Ria must have noticed my interest in the pool because she said, “Ah, an infinity swimming pool. It does look inviting, doesn’t it?”
I nodded my head, wondering how deep it was. Then again, I couldn’t swim, so even though I wanted to take a dip, I wouldn’t be able to.
“Infinity pool?” I asked.
Ria nodded. “It’s the design, my lady. When you’re in it, it looks and feels like you’re swimming on top of the world because the water is made to look like it’s flowing of a cliff like a waterfall.”
“Right,” I said, nodding my head in understanding.
Finally moving my attention away from the pool, I noticed that along the balcony was the dining area, with an elegant table with two chairs. The table was set perfectly with silverware, lit candles, and a flower arrangement. Near the dining table was a set of sofas and low table, and on top of that table were more li
t candles and another flower arrangement.
With the backdrop of a starry night and cool air, this setting was, indeed, beautiful. Then I wondered if this was normal for Aslan? Or was it just because I was invited to join him?
Speaking of the man, where was he?
I looked around, searching for the beast king, but he was nowhere to be seen. Apart from me, Ria, and the other two maids who were there, there was no one else around.
“Aslan?” I called out. “Where are you?”
God, I was beginning to think that it was a regular occurrence for me to call out his name.
“I’m here, sweetheart.”
I jolted at the sound of his deep voice and hastily turned to look behind me. I saw him standing there so imposing and powerful at the door between his bedchamber and the balcony.
The sight of his presence, I had to admit, took my breath away. Apart from his demonic mask, he simply looked stunning with his dark hair brushed back, his masculine body in those black trousers and jacket.
He strolled toward me, with grace and ease, and the moment he was inches from me, I felt like I was about to faint. Good lord, but I had been holding my breath from the moment I heard his voice.
I breathed out and then in again, my head a little dizzy.
He leaned in close and said softly in amusement, “Relax, Lilly, I’m not going to eat you up tonight.”
I blushed. I gazed up at him and retorted, “You can’t, anyway, because a) you’ve promised me that you won’t hurt or eat me up and b) you’ll have to take off that mask in order to eat me.”
I heard Ria and the maids behind me gasp. Perhaps in shock at the way I was talking to Aslan? Or the fact that I had mentioned something about Aslan eating me up? I didn’t know, but I just knew that I had shocked them with my words.
I shifted my gaze to Ria who was standing slightly to the left behind Aslan and noted her pale complexion. Yes, she was shocked, all right.
I returned my attention to the beastly man before me and said, “So, how was your national conference trip?” I even gave him a grin.
Aslan said, “It was good, though I doubt the problems are over.” He moved his hand and cupped the side of my face, his fingers dug deeply into my hair.
I stared into his beautiful green eyes as I basked in the warmth of his hand against me. Suddenly, I relaxed, and oddly enough, my body wasn’t as tense anymore.
“What?” I asked, since he was still staring at me.
Suddenly, he chuckled, which confused me.
Aslan turned to Ria and said, “You’ve done well, Ria. My beauty looks much healthier.”
Ria grinned in delight at the compliment. She even curtsied low and said, “Thank you, my lord. My Lady Lilly is a delight to serve. She’s a good-natured girl, is smart and beautiful, both on the inside and out. She simply loves our cuisine, so feeding her wasn’t hard, as well as polishing her since she also enjoys bathing.”
I blushed so much that my cheeks felt hot as Ria continued to list all my likes and dislikes to Aslan.
Aslan laughed, and the ring of his voice made my tummy flutter deliciously. I licked my lips as he watched me intently. He moved even closer and made a show of sniffing me out. “You smell divine, darling.”
I stammered and whispered, “I’m not food, Aslan.”
“No, you’re not, sweetheart. You’re more suited as dessert. My personal dessert.”
God, but I felt helpless at the meaning behind his words. Was he merely teasing me or was he serious? I didn’t know since I couldn’t see the expression of his face because of his demonic mask. Then again, his twinkling eyes told me that he was teasing me.
I wanted to know and asked, “Aslan? Are you teasing me?”
He chuckled. “What if I am?”
I sighed a breath of relief. The man had an odd sense of humor, I decided.
“Shall we dine?” he asked.
I nodded. “I am hungry,” I said.
He moved and slowly traced his hand down my bare arm toward my back and came to rest it on the other side of my waist, which of course, made my body shiver again in reaction, in that heated way. He then pulled me against him and whispered, “You look beautiful in that dress, by the way. Do you like it?”
I nodded. “Yes.”
“Then I’m glad I bought it for you.”
I blinked. Aslan bought this dress for me? Then it struck me. Was that why Ria had insisted I wear this dress tonight?
At the table, Aslan pulled the chair out for me. Once I sat down, he then took the one opposite me. One of the maids immediately came forward and poured us water while the other lifted the lid of the trays and started serving us. Tonight’s dinner was roast pork and vegetables, and to me, they simply looked amazing. When I was about to eat, I asked, “Are you eating as well?”
He shook his head. “I’ve had mine.”
I pouted and muttered, “Then what’s the point of inviting me to eat if you already ate?”
Of course, I understood that he would have to take off his mask to eat, and probably didn’t want to do that in front of me. Was his face as grotesque as his mask? I wondered.
Aslan must have heard my mumbling because he chuckled. He said, “I invited you because I’ve missed you and I wanted to see you eat.”
I raised a brow in mockery. “In other words, you want to make sure that I eat right, eh?”
“Spot on.”
I couldn’t find a word to retort to that and decided to begin eating instead.
The food was simply delicious, and by the time I finished, I sighed in satisfaction, pleased. In that time, Aslan simply watched me, which was a little nerve-racking but I did try to ignore him. Once the maid took my plate away, I said, “I don’t want any dessert.”
Aslan said, “Are you sure? You’ll break Norma’s heart if you don’t taste her dessert. I heard she put a lot of effort into it for this special occasion.”
I blushed in mortification. Of course, I didn’t want to hurt Norma’s feelings, especially since she, her sister, Tammy, and I had become close. I turned to the maid and said, “Dessert, please.” Which of course, made Aslan laugh.
“Does the thought of hurting Norma’s feeling make you feel guilty?” he asked.
I nodded my head. “Since she has put so much effort into making it,” I said. “And we’re friends now and I can’t afford to hurt my friend’s feelings.”
“Friends, eh?” he said, leaning forward and patting my head. “I’m glad you’re making friends. I was afraid you’d be lonely.”
I stared at him. There he went again, treating me like I was the offspring he’d never had. But I had to admit that I liked him patting my head. It felt nice, and I blushed.
He must have noticed my embarrassment because he laughed. Then he asked, “Tell me, sweet Lilly, are you enjoying this evening so far? Since I’ve put so much effort into organizing it.”
I smiled. “Did you, now?”
“Hmm.”
I nodded my head. “Yes, I’m enjoying myself.”
“Is that the truth?” he asked.
I nodded my head again. “Yes, it’s the truth.”
“Then I’m glad,” he said. He got up from his seat and headed over to the two maids. He said something to them, which I couldn’t hear, and then the maids curtsied low.
“Yes, my lord,” they said in unison, and a moment later, they started leaving. On their way to the door, one said something to Ria.
Ria, too, curtsied low and said, “Have a good night, my lord, my lady.” And then all three were gone, leaving me alone with Aslan.
My heart raced. Why were they leaving?
I turned to Aslan for answer. I was about to ask when I saw him, with a plate of chocolate cake in hand, heading toward the sofa. There, he put the plate on the low table and gracefully sat down.
“Come here, Lilly,” he commanded softly.
My body tensed as I stayed glued to my seat. I licked my lips and said, “But I want to sit here.�
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He shook his head in the negative. He signaled with his finger again as he ordered gently, “Come here, sweetheart.”
I knew that there was no way out of it. I sighed and got up from my seat. Once I was inches from him, he wrapped his hand around my wrist and gently pulled me to him.
I found myself sitting between his legs, my back intimately against his chest.
Aslan wrapped his arms around my waist and snuggled his masked face against the nape of my neck.
“Fuck! You smell divine,” he said darkly.
My tummy was fluttering again as I felt him embracing me. I asked, “Aslan? What about my dessert?” I chuckled uneasily. “I mean, we don’t want to hurt Norma’s feelings by letting her effort go to waste, right?”
I emphasized the word we to include him so that he’d stop paying so much attention to me.
I heard him sigh, in reluctance, no doubt. He said, “Let’s have your cake, then.”
I nodded in agreement and was about to reach out to retrieve the plate when Aslan leaned over me and took it before I could. I watched, dumbfounded, as he proceeded to scoop a little piece with the fork and said, “Ahh…”
I blinked. What was he doing? Was I a child? For him to want to feed me so?
I turned to look at him, but of course, his green eyes were watching me with amusement and expectation.
I said, “I can eat by myself, you know.”
He obviously wasn’t listening to me and continued, “Ahh…”
I sighed. With my cheeks blushing hot, I reluctantly parted my lips, leaned forward a bit, and gently took the offered forkful of chocolate cake into my mouth. I savored the delicate sweetness and then chewed as Aslan watched me.
“Like it?” he asked.
I nodded, and it wasn’t long before he offered me another forkful and then another and another. By the time I finished the piece that was sliced for me, I had forgotten to feel embarrassed that Aslan was feeding me cake like I was a child.
“I need a drink,” I said, moving out of his embrace. I was surprised that he let me go so easily.
Back at the table, I drank to my heart’s content, since I was feeling rather thirsty, and more so, hot.
The Beast and I: Volume 1 Page 10