Her Dream Prince

by Nancy Wells

  “Her aunt told me some really abhorrent traits of the girl. I believed her words and misjudged the girl,” Elliot said, looking down.

  He should have known that his friends would never saddle him with a deceiving person. They knew his secret. They were aware of the heartbreak he had endured at the hands of his former wife.

  “Are you that stupid?” Shane asked. “Why would you believe her words? She was selling her own niece, for the love of God.”

  Elliot wanted to bang his head against a wall. He had assumed that the girl was stupid and clumsy, but the truth of the matter was that he had acted more foolishly. He had doubts about that witch’s words in the cottage but he was stupid enough to still believe her.

  “What do I do, now?” Elliot asked.

  “Return home, Elliot,” Russell said. “Staying away from each other is not a good plan.”

  Elliot was sure his house would be in shambles once he returned. The girl had lived in a small cottage; she could never manage a large mansion. If his purpose was not for the betterment of their relationship, he would have never left her so soon.

  Chapter 8

  Everything looked new the moment he stepped foot in the parlor room of his house. The glass panes of his old windows were shining, vases with fresh flowers were placed on every table in the house, the floors and railings were squeaky clean.

  He went to his own room to check on Emily but she was not there. His room was clean as a whistle. No one seemed to have lived in it. She would be in her own room.

  Knocking on the door to her chamber, he stood to the side. There was shuffling of feet and then the door opened. Emily stood in the doorway in a beautiful peach dress. Her hair was fashioned into a stylish bun with an ivory comb. Emily had lost the sickly pale look she woke up with days ago. Her cheeks were rosy while her plump lips seemed to be painted in a pink shade. He was mesmerized by her beauty. He had hired the best seamstress in the town and commissioned a full wardrobe for her. He had also asked the seamstress to design plunging necklines for all the dresses, but now he was regretting that decision. He was not allowed to touch the bosoms that were spilling out from the dress.

  “Your Grace.” Emily curtsied with grace.

  He acknowledged her curtsy with a kiss on the back of her gloved knuckles. He was searching for anger on her features but there was none. Elliot sighed in relief when she did not start screaming at him. Emily was far kinder than he could ever dream of. She was not mentioning their last encounter.

  “You look breathtaking, Emily.”

  Emily was elated at his compliment. After living in poverty all her life, she strived to look beautiful in her new dresses. The maids styled her hair and helped her in changing dresses. For someone who had never been praised for anything in her life, the duke’s compliment meant the world to her. She was not dressing for him though; she wanted to look pretty for her own sake.

  “Thank you, Your Grace.”

  He was so enamored with her looks that he almost missed the fact that his wife opened the door herself. There was not even a single maid present in her room. He had personally chosen the maids for her, so why was she still alone in her room? Young girls enjoy gossip. He had seen her himself by the stream with a group of girls. He was expecting her to be surrounded by her maids.

  “Where are your maids, Emily? Why are you alone in your chambers?”

  Emily did not understand his question. He had instructed her to take the maids with her when she wanted to go outside of his house, but she was not outside at the moment, so why would she keep the maids around? She liked the maids and enjoyed their gossip, but she did not want to waste their time by keeping them around when she did not need their help.

  “I have no inkling of their whereabouts, Your Grace,” she said, obediently like an automaton. “I can look for them if you desire to speak with them.”

  Elliot was getting suspicious. His servants never cleaned his house with such zeal unless someone instructed them. Emily was not aware of her own maids, it was highly unlikely that she would have asked the other servants to do her bidding.

  “No need for that. I came to talk to you. Emily, would you do me the honor of accompanying me to the garden?” Elliot held out his hand to her.

  Emily opened and closed her mouth a number of times but there were no words forming in her mouth. She was expecting him to ask about her answer.

  “The honor would be mine, Your Grace.” She accepted his offer of a hand.

  Emily’s hand was sweating under the gloves. She was trying her best to remain steady. When they approached an open area in the garden, a magnificent white horse was held by a servant at its bridle. Emily was enthralled by the magnificent creature. She had never seen such a beautiful horse in her life. She was wondering if she would be allowed to go near the horse. Emily could not ride a horse, but she would have loved to touch its mane.

  “Do you like her?” Elliot asked her.

  Elliot saw awe and longing on his wife’s face when she saw her gift. She was reluctant to go near the horse but she admired it. Elliot had always been confident in his dealings with others, but Emily’s opinion of the gift meant so much to him that he was holding his breath while waiting for her response.

  “She is magnificent, Your Grace,” she said, fascinated by the horse.

  Emily was not paying attention to anything else as the horse stomped her front hooves. There was pride in the horse. Emily was reluctant to admit that the horse’s pride resembled her master’s. The duke was also a very proud man when he was in public. There was a certain aristocratic grace in him when he dealt with others.

  “She is yours, Emily,” Elliot said. “I bought her for you.”

  Emily understood the enormity of the moment. The gift was a peace offering from him. She could reject his offer and spend her whole life away from him or she could accept it and give their relationship a new chance. Emily had never seen kindness from her aunt. If she became bitter toward him at this moment, there would be no difference between her and her aunt. She would become cruel like her aunt.

  “Thank you,” she said in a stammering voice.

  The servant brought the horse near them and the duke held her hand to the neck of the horse. A thrill went through her body when she touched the horse. To own something so beautiful was beyond her dreams. For the first time in her life, she was granted a wish before she even asked for it. It never crossed her mind to desire a horse. Thinking about small ribbons was one thing, but dreaming about owning an expensive rare breed horse was madness.

  “Would you like to ride her?” he asked.

  Emily was embarrassed to tell him that she had never sat on a horse let alone ridden one. It was a simple thing that all other girls her age must have experienced at some point. Most of the girls had sweethearts who took them for picnics and a ride on a horse in the carnivals. Emily was the only girl in the village who was not interested in boys. She was busy all day with her chores. She never got the time for going to fairs and festivities.

  “I have never ridden on the back of a horse, Your Grace.”

  Elliot had lived life among the high class. All the girls he knew in his youth were skilled in riding. It never crossed his mind that Emily did not have the opportunity for simple joys of life. It was a sad and depressing moment for him.

  “Allow me to show you,” he said. “I will help you learn how to ride a horse.”

  The servant brought the horse to its knees and the duke helped her sit astride the horse. When the horse stood straight, Emily got scared of the height. One wrong move and she would be lying flat on the ground. She could break her neck if she fell from this height. There would be no one to catch her if the horse bucked her off its back.

  Taking the reins from his servant, Elliot walked the horse in the gardens. He looked back at Emily and started to laugh at the display. Emily was lying flat on the horse, clutching its mane in her fists, with her eyes shut tightly.

  “Emily, that is not how you ri
de a horse,” he said, amused. “Sit upright. I will not let go.”

  “Do you promise?” she asked, frightened.

  She looked so vulnerable when she asked for his promise. She looked like a scared child, asking an elder to hold her hand when they crossed a busy street. The urge to protect her from all her monsters was strong for him.

  “I do.”

  Emily sat up straight on the horse. She put her trust in his words. The duke slowly increased the speed of the horse. Emily was getting confident. She was feeling jubilant when she realized she was riding the horse. He was holding the reins and she felt safe. She was laughing in joy.

  All of a sudden, the duke gave her the reins. Emily lost all her confidence when she was left alone to guide the horse. She put her trust in him and he tricked her. The horse was moving very slowly but she was scared nonetheless.

  “Keep going, Emily. You are doing well,” Elliot shouted.

  Elliot felt Emily was confident enough to ride the horse without his aid, but she looked back at him with fright. She kept looking back, screaming in fright for his help. Elliot’s heart stopped working when Emily was about to jump from the horse. She was going to break her neck. He had promised to keep her safe and she was in danger. In a moment of weakness, Elliot repeated the promise he had made her the night she awoke in delirium from her fever.

  “Do not jump, Emily,” he shouted. “I promised to guard you against all evils.”

  His words worked like magic. Elliot watched in wonder as she straightened her back and held the reins firmly in her hands. Elliot was entranced by her beauty as she turned her horse around and her comb fell from her hair. Her hair was waving in the air, which reminded him of the graceful waves of a river. Elliot’s heart was galloping like the hooves of the horse. Emily looked like an enchantress as she came near him astride the horse.

  Emily recalled the events of the night she was sick. She was holding onto her prince while the monsters were lurking in the shadows. He promised to keep her safe and he came through on his promise, but the only problem was it was not a dream. Her faceless prince was getting clearer now. It was her husband who had held her in his embrace when she got frightened. He was the one who was keeping the nightmare at bay. That night, he was talking to someone in the room while she was clinging to him. If he were really a monster like she believed him to be, he would have pushed her to the side for making him embarrassed in front of others. Emily looked at him in a new light. He truly cared about her safety. Like her prince, he would not let her come to harm. She was not afraid to fall from the horse anymore. His faith in her skills gave her the confidence she needed to hold the reins of the horse. She could not disappoint him.

  When she came near him, the servant stopped the horse and her husband helped her down from the horse. Emily smiled sheepishly when her husband held her by her waist. As the heat of his hand seeped through the barrier of her dress, her heart rate increased. She would never forget the magic of those hands when they strummed the cords on her body and her body sang the melody of pleasure. Emily held her hair in her hands to braid it back, but he held her hands and shook his head.

  “Let it be,” he said, hoarsely. “It adds to your beauty.”

  Emily blushed to the roots of her hair when her husband kept looking at her with open affection. The servants were taking notice of their intimate moment. She wanted to hide from their stares. She wanted to take shelter in her husband’s embrace.

  “Your Grace, they are watching me,” Emily said, softly.

  Elliot had lost the sense of time and place. Her words did not register in his head. Nothing mattered to him except this time and the beautiful girl before him. Her rosy lips were beckoning him for a taste, but he needed her permission.

  “Call me, Elliot. I want to hear my name on your lips. Grant me this one simple wish.”

  Elliot was holding her face in his hands, impatiently waiting for her response. He was desperate for her to call his name. If she called his name, it would mean she wanted him too. He did not want to give in to his lust and take advantage of her. When he departed, she had refused to accept his offer. She had refused the olive branch he was offering her.

  “Elliot,” she whispered.

  When Elliot lowered his head, Emily forgot about everyone. The feeling of discomfort was replaced with love. Elliot’s presence surrounded her in a blissful cocoon of safety and love. His presence made all other people vanish from her mind. When he kissed her hard, she reciprocated with the same zeal.

  Elliot became aware of his surroundings when the horse hit him with her rump. Joining their foreheads, both of them were breathing hard.

  “You will never believe me again when I tell you that I am not really a monster because I proved myself wrong the other day. Despite my mistake, I would still make a request for another chance. I know I am not deserving of your forgiveness, and that is why I am not asking for it. All I want is that you give me a chance to prove myself worthy of you. You have no reason to trust me. I asked you to never break my trust and you never did, but I broke your trust. I accused you of infidelity. I suspected your intentions at every turn. I believed the words of others. Emily, I know I am a difficult man to live with. My wife’s betrayal made me cynical. I… right now, I want to unburden my soul to you but I am afraid. I am afraid of getting conned again. I can promise you anything you desire, but I cannot promise you my heart. My heart is already broken. You have to accept me with all my flaws.”

  Emily heard the vulnerability in his words. He was talking about his first wife. The wife who had betrayed him for a servant. Emily understood the reason for his outburst the night she returned from the market. She had spent a whole day with a servant, which made him believe she was having an affair with the servant too. Everyone talked about him as a savage barbarian who killed his own wife, but no one ever mentioned the betrayal of his wife.

  Tears were leaking from her eyes as she looked into his eyes. There was so much hope and desperation in his black eyes. He was waiting for her to either accept him or stomp on his heart and throw it away. So much depended on her words. Her one decision would change the course of her life. If she gave him a chance and he betrayed her again, she would lose her trust in humanity, but on the other hand, a proud man was begging her at the moment. He was pleading with her in the middle of the garden before all these witnesses. It must not be an easy task for him either.

  “You cared for me when I was ill even though you had no reason to trust me. I do not blame you for doubting the integrity of my character. You were deceived by someone you loved. I know what it feels like when a close one deceives you. I… I am sorry for that night too.”

  Emily’s words trailed off when Elliot hugged her suddenly. He held her against his chest for a long time while the activities of the day went undisturbed around them.

  “Forget about that night, Emily. You have nothing to apologize for.” Elliot held her face in his hands and wiped her tears with his thumbs. “We will start over from the beginning. I will forget everything your aunt told me about you and you will forget about my terrible past. Does this sound fair to you?”

  Emily had tears of joy in her eyes when she nodded her head. Elliot kissed her again, without giving her a chance to say anything else.

  The servants who were witnessing the scene were joyous for their young mistress. She had not abused her power when the duke left her in charge. Their master had left specific instructions that the duchess’ words were the law in his absence. He had given her the authority of the whole household, but the young mistress never asked anyone to do her bidding. She cleaned the whole house herself. The servants offered their assistance but she was insistent on doing everything herself because the duke had asked her to look after his house.

  Elliot swept her off her feet and took her into the house. Emily held onto his coat as he ascended the stairs. She did not have to ask his intentions. His lustful gaze was enough of an indication for his purpose of urgency. He was heading
for his room.

  “Are you still scared of me, Emily?” Elliot asked when he entered his room.

  Emily was scared of the discomfort she would experience when he entered her body. Last time, he had hurt her and it did not feel good. She enjoyed his other methods but they never brought him any pleasure. For his sake, she would endure the discomfort at the beginning of their coupling.

  “A little, Your Grace,” she whispered.

  He put her down on his bed with care and closed the drapes in his room. He hung his coat and hat on the rack. Keeping a close eye on her reactions, he took off his neckcloth and then his shirt. She was looking at his body with unguarded adoration. His chest swelled with pride when he realized his state of undress was making her blush. She desired him.

  “Your turn, Emily,” he said, smirking. “Take off your dress.”

  Emily’s eyes widened at his request. He wanted to see her disrobe. She kneeled on the bed and with trembling hands held the hem of her dress in both hands. Lifting the dress over her head, she waited for his next instructions. He was looking at her exposed bosoms in the corset, unabashed. He licked his lips and she blushed to her roots.

  “All of it,” he said, hoarsely. “Remove the petticoats and everything. Show me your body.”

  Elliot wanted to devour her. He had no control over his desire. When a pink hue covered her chest, he was expecting her to decline his request but she surprised him. She removed her petticoats and reached behind for the strings of her corset. She struggled for some time but got them untied in the end. His manhood was getting hard when her breasts were exposed to his view. When she started to remove her drawers, he took off his boots and breeches.

  Elliot came towards the bed with a spring in his step. He was thinking about ravaging his wife in his bed. He had nothing to fear this time. There would be no more concern for the pain of maidenhood. The bed dipped when he put one knee on it. Leaning towards her ear, Elliot nibbled on her earlobe and she moaned.