Fay was searching around for prince charming, or in her case, any Elite that could sweep her off her feet, by the flying gargoyles on top of the fountain pouring silver water. There was also Charlotte who was dancing with her husband.
“Marcus, look at me.” She turned his face towards her.
His hands were on her waist, his feet made the right move, he even swooped her up at times, but his mind was elsewhere. His eyes were burdened with a fear she could not understand and his touch was not the same anymore.
“I am,” he lied. He looked at her eyes not into them.
“What is the matter? Love… you can tell me anything. You know that.”
“There is nothing to be told.”
“It’s been two weeks for you acting all strange. I don’t know what to do anymore.”
“Charlotte,” Marcus faked a smile that was meant to shut her up. “I love you, but I am not in the mood to talk today. It’s the crowning of the king for goodness’s sakes! And we are invited! What else is there to speak of?”
“Less of what’s around us and a lot more about us.”
“Like what?” He was beginning to get angry.
“It’s been two weeks and you haven’t touched me since. I had to force myself on you yesterday. You are my husband and when I feel the need to be near someone it should be you, not a couple of little twin girls.”
“You’ve been going to Marilyn and Flore?!” He chuckled.
“This is not funny. I’m dead serious.”
“You insist on ruining this evening, Char.” He finally dropped her hand and stepped back. “We are living in the royal palace and you are still not satisfied.”
Marcus was beginning to walk away, but Charlotte followed him quickly.
“You think this is what would make me happy? Living in the royal palace?! You speak as if you don’t know me at all!”
“What else do you want?!” He turned to her outrageously.
“You!” She breathed fast. “I want my husband back…”
Fay was craving a cigarette. Or at least that was what she made Marilyn and Flore believe as she stared around. It was insane! She thought she was about to be jumped at by a dancer on the trapezes, but they were graceful and careful enough to miss.
“Do you think one of them is going to fall off?” Marilyn asked as she leaned against the dessert table.
She was chewing on something sweet and salty at the same time, yet had a taste of shrimps inside. She was surprised at first to see that much sea food in the buffet when they were extremely rare and expensive. After World War III, the sea was devastatingly polluted and marine creatures were dying by the thousands each day. When King Edward won the war in 2130, there were huge projects concerning reservation of nature. Among them was decreasing the consumption of sea food, and was still effective until that day. The number of sea creatures was rising, and the waters were turning blue and sometimes translucent again.
“I bet on the one in the yellow tights. His hands seem a bit loose.” Fay laughed and observed the man. If she could make him fall only by staring, it would be amazing.
“You guys are evil.” Flore shook her head snickering.
“Okay, let’s watch this lad over there, desperate to make this countess dance with him.” Fay started by eyeing the two with a mischievous smile.
“What for?” Marilyn asked.
“Can you see their body language, girls?”
They both nodded.
“Well… we can make up conversations that could be so away from reality but hilarious at the same time… Since this party sucks and no count or lord seems to be interested in inviting a circus girl to a dance.”
Marilyn burst out laughing.
“You will find someone tonight, Fay. I’m sure of it. Now, let’s play,” Flore said in the politest manner so as not to hurt Fay’s feeling and tell her that only by staring at the invitees she was scaring them off. Fay naturally had that look in her eyes that said I hate people. Don’t talk to me.
“Okay… please Ursula look at the muscles I’ve been building,” Flore began.
The man touched his own arm and squinted.
“Oh, please,” Fay continued with a squeaky voice. “Can you use the muscle in your brain for once? Am I drinking piss or apple juice?”
“It’s my love that warmed your cup, m’lady.” Marilyn cut in.
“Oh for fuck’s sakes, Dick,” Fay said and let the girls laugh for an entire minute. It was strange how the name Dick made them laugh every time. “Be a man once and dance like you’re not about to pee on me.”
“What is the meaning of this?! I shave my legs and ass for you… and you refuse to grant me a dance?” Marilyn spoke.
“No matter how much you shave that arse of yours, I will never let my hand touch it. You’re a disgrace for masculinity.”
“A disgrace for masculinity?” That time, it was the voice of a man.
Fay turned around. He had short curly hair, brown eyes that reflected that entire ballroom with its madness, lips full enough to kiss tenderly…
“And you are?” Fay cleared her throat and finally stood up like a lady, not a hunchback.
“A man wondering what you were doing earlier. I mean it was extremely funny. I was listening behind you, but you seemed too caught up to notice.” He tried to hide his smile, but it finally showed his entire set of pearly teeth when Fay smiled as well.
“What do you want?” she said through a chuckle.
“A dance?”
“Are you asking? Be a man and take me to the dancefloor.”
“I am a gentleman. If the lady seeks my companionship on that horrible dancefloor, I shall grant it instantly.” He slightly bowed and extended his hand.
Fay placed her hand in his graciously, and they walked to the dancefloor. He wrapped his arms around her and for a moment she felt that he was going to sensually move with her to the music but instead, they ended up laughing and jumping around. Whenever the guards turned up to check if everything was going well, they would fake their seriousness.
Finally, Fay was drunk on the music and stepped on her own toes. The man caught her in his arms.
As she stared dreamily into his brown eyes, she approached and whispered in his ear, “You don’t mind telling me your name. Do you?”
The man looked at her and removed a lock of hair that fell on her forehead.
“It’s Keith, my lady.”
Chapter 25
The feeling of the alcohol swimming back into his bloodstream morphed the festivities into a warzone. There was something about loud music Mathew was not fond of. He hated to be the loner in a party. His mind went back and forth between the dancers and his dead fellow soldiers raiding his brain. He drank more, hoping that the horrible memories would fade. With every sore burn in his throat, the memory became clearer.
Among all the drunken Elites, walked a slender woman. She was as beautiful as the golden light bathing the room. She was graciously ambling towards him, passing the plinth, until she was two feet away.
“Naomi?” His heart skipped a beat and almost knocked him to the floor. The sound of the music receded, and all he was seeing was a beautiful young girl. She was not Naomi, but the resemblance struck him.
The girl giggled shyly and took a seat next to him.
“Old girlfriend?” she said sweetly.
As if suddenly the alcohol was not blurring his vision anymore, he lowly laughed and looked down.
“More like dead fiancé.”
“Oh.” She looked down as well. “Well, that’s not good. I wanted to ask you for a dance, but since I remind you of her…”
“Oh, no… no. I’m sorry, I’ve had too much to drink. I was a little confused.”
“You seem sober to me,” she said cheerfully. “I didn’t catch your name.”
“It’s Mathew… Matt for short.”
“Ah, alright. I like it.”
She seemed too coy to ask him for a dance again, so he placed his dri
nk back on the table and stood up. The earth was somehow wobbly under his feet, but he managed to hold still. He was surely dizzy yet sober enough to keep a conversation alive.
“I’ll be extremely pleased if you join me for a dance.” He held her hand gently, and she looked up at him with a bright smile.
“I would love to.”
“You didn’t tell me your name,” he asked her as she wrapped her arms around his shoulders.
She did look like Naomi, only a bit younger.
“Océane. Princess Océane.”
The music did not stop. The lavishing party was going to last until five in the morning. Riley was bored out of her mind. All of her mates were having a good laugh and already found someone to spend time with, and she was there with no one to talk to. Several Elites tried to ask her for a dance, but she just refused under the pretence of not feeling well, even though all she wanted was for someone to take her mind off of the chaos.
The door of the terrace finally opened. She walked outside the gigantic glass doors to breathe in the frosty night breeze. The full moon was brightly shining and illuminating the dark parts of Civilus.
The woman was unbelievable. Her husband was the duke of the South East region of Noteram and she was making it clear that she wanted to spend one night with the king. With his new title, almost every royal, married or not, desired him. Jonathan sighed and slightly pushed Lady Guipaw away.
“My king! Where are you leaving? My favourite song had just started.” She held his hand tightly.
“I believe my legs are sore, my lady. You are an incredible dancer and I am not as strong as you are,” he apologized, slightly bowed, and turned around to walk.
It had only been an hour for him there. As soon as the ceremony was over, he headed to his office out of an emergency request. North Caligo launched a rebellion by refusing to pay the taxes placed by the Royal Kingdom. The royal army, responsible for protecting that region, were called after a small quarrel rose between some of the inhabitants and the tax collectors. That quarrel turned into a dangerous bloody fight, and now all of the village was fighting the guards.
No one was speaking of this and no one was supposed to. Jonathan ordered the guards to arrest anyone who opposed the kingdom’s orders and to throw them in the dungeons underground.
At that moment, all he needed was to calm down, enjoy his first night as the king, and let his eyes search for the one woman on his mind.
“It’s a beautiful night, but I thought you were in the mood for a dance.” The king’s voice made her jump.
Riley turned around and cleared her throat.
“I prefer nature over humans,” she honestly told him and turned to watch the moon again.
Jonathan leaned on the edge of the balcony next to her. The birds were sleeping next to their basin in the garden. The owls were hiding their sensible ears. The trees were swaying and preparing to be rid of their clothes. But nothing overcame the beauty of the girl before him.
“Do you prefer it over my company?”
“Never, my king.”
“You look radiant tonight,” he finally said after a moment of silence.
“Don’t I always?”
“Oh, and very down-to-earth.”
Riley laughed. “I am only stating the truth.”
“And the truth it is.”
Riley looked down as she felt the king staring at her. He was silent, and the heat was rising all the way up to her cheeks.
“So…” He looked back at the moon. “Would you like to dance with me?”
“Would it be punishable by death if I refuse, my king?”
“It would be now.” His smirk sent her into a rage of emotions. The king was susceptible to mind control and her trickster powers, and she was going to use it against him. If only he would stop making her heart jump, her palms sweaty, and her stomach churn every time he looked at her that way.
“Oh really?”
“What is the reason for your refusal? Are you willing to dance with someone else?” His smile faded and a line appeared between his brows.
“I would refuse a dance with the king for another lad?” Riley laughed. “Of course not. I just don’t like the would you dance thing. If you’d swept me off my feet and took me by surprise without asking, I would have probably gone with it.”
“You would’ve liked me to do so without your permission?” Jonathan asked her amused.
“Some things do not need to be asked for.” She approached him slowly and put a finger under his chin. “You look into my eyes,”—she stared into his with great admiration—“you hold my hand,”—she held his ever so gently that both their hearts were screaming to unite—“you put the other around my waist,” —he did as she said—“and you sway with me under the moonlight… away from all the ruckus, in a world of our own.”
Her voice eventually turned into a whisper as the music melted away, replaced by the harmony of the night and the beat of their hearts. Jonathan was standing steadily, but his efforts were doubling so as not to fall down from all the electricity in his body.
Their eyelids, heavy with longing, shut down. The king’s body was brushing against Riley’s. Everything was blurry except for themselves. The owls were singing for them. The moon was illuminating their faces. The birds awoke to the hymns of their arising passion.
As the king’s lips touched hers, he whispered against them.
“I want you.”
The sounds of the bombs were fading with the sweet hums Jonathan was gusting softly against her ear, but soon turned into impatient breaths at the click of the elevator. The air was thick with zeal. Riley’s body was beginning to boil with need and cravings, and Jonathan’s was already proving to be desirous of the woman who had stolen his breath away.
His eyes were scanning her dress from the bare chest she never was ashamed to reveal and tight lace fabric that hugged her curves, divulging more details than a see-through dress. She did not oppose to the way he was drinking her in. Instead, she turned and boldly met his gaze. Making sure she let him know how aware she was of his lust for her, she let her eyes wander over his now loose chemise and unbuttoned trousers.
The elevator dinged open. As if a huge weight had been lifted from both, he waited for his lover to sneak out from the lift before he followed her. Riley was aware of the king’s bedroom. She could not care less about the memories there or the particular location. All she wanted was to finally touch Jonathan and for them to turn into one entity.
Jonathan pushed his hand against the scanner as it checked his handprint and the door clicked open. The two guards by the door did not look at them, let alone blink. Without a question, Riley marched inside and finally turned around when he closed the only thing that could protect them from being exposed.
There was a momentary pause. The moon glistened outside the bedroom window. His face was glowing, and for a moment, Riley recalled the first night they had met under the moonlight, the first time they argued about poetry, the first time she felt her heart leap for a stranger, the first time she felt her heart leap at all. There was every reason in the world to prevent her from falling for that man, but as much as she had struggled to hate him and build unbreakable walls to block it, Jonathan crept into her veins, became a part of her blood at first and soon turned into a drug she could not be rid of. She did not know if it were his eyes, or the way he made her feel when he eyed her in a room full of women more beautiful than she was. He was a different person when he was with her, even for little instances. As selfish as that felt, she wanted to keep that person to herself, dive inside that broken soul and share her wrecked one as well. Perhaps they would be able to mend each other, or just relish in both their brokenness.
“Riley—” he began, but she cut him off shortly.
“No words. As promised,” she reminded him.
He nodded in understanding. In a wave of relief and adrenaline rush, Jonathan walked towards her. He stopped only inches away from her. There was a great de
al of things he wanted to do to her, but he did not know what was stopping him. It did not stop him when he had done it to his mistresses; however, with Riley, he wanted to cherish the moment. He wanted to feel the ecstasy slowly.
In the room outside the king’s chamber, the sound of the telly was announcing the news of North Caligo’s rebellion.
‘The people are all gathered in the small square of the village of North Caligo. After confirming that the minister Charles Arnold had agreed to assist in rebuilding his town, their chief leader claims that no help whatsoever was offered.”
Riley frowned for a bit, frustrated because of her great need for him to touch her but his failing to do so. She slowly lifted her hand and entangled her fingers in his. Jonathan pressed hard on it. Her eyes immediately drifted shut as his hot breaths sent goosebumps over the crook of her neck. There was a long lingering torturous moment as he only planted soft kisses over her shoulders, her bare chest, her chin... He stopped at her lips.
“Jonathan, please,” she began, but he immediately closed her lips with his thumb.
“There are many bullets fired from old and new guns that are most difficult to find and really expensive to purchase. And the wonder would be at how they have obtained the weapons to start such a rebellion and, at the same time, are unable to build their own homes.”
Red Circus Page 20