Hung Royals

03/01/1821

Wilhelm was late to breakfast the next morning. I stood listening to Simon and Casper's musings about how they intended to spend their day. I tried my hardest not to stare as Simon ripped an orange in half and sunk his perfect teeth into its soft flesh, juice meandering down his sculpted chin. Eventually, Wilhelm joined us. His eyes were bloodshot and his hair was a mess. He sat down at the table and passed his hands over his face. I stepped forwards and filled his goblet with water, which he drained in a single hit. My nostrils flared with the effort of holding my laughter in.

"Ah, nice of you to join us, dear boy. I sent a footman up to wake you but he said you were already out of bed" Casper pried.

"I went for a turn about the grounds to clear my head" Wilhelm's voice was thick with the remnants of cigar smoke. Casper smiled down into his breakfast and Simon raised an eyebrow in Wilhelm's direction. I looked away from him quickly, knowing that the eyebrow's next destination would be me.

As I began clearing the table, Wilhelm's finger reached out to tap his napkin, underneath which I found a square of parchment. When I unfolded it later in a broom cupboard, I found the following note:

My dearest Evelyn,

Meet me in the library at midday.

I want you.

Wilhelm x

~~~

I was bent over one of the window seats in the library, Wilhelm's fingers weaved into the back of my hair. I clasped the curtains between my sweaty palms as he thrust into me from behind, his erection stimulating my insides. I breathed heavily, trying to keep from groaning my pleasure out loud.

He bent his lips to my ear and whispered "tell me I'm yours" in a shaky voice.

"You're mine, your majesty." I told him, as he moved his hands to my shoulders for leverage and thrust into me harder.

Somewhere in the shadows of the library I heard something fall. My head snapped around and I saw the flash of a white shirt disappearing around the side of a bookshelf. My heart stopped in my chest. Wilhelm froze momentarily before pulling out of me and hurriedly doing up the ties of his trousers. I let my skirts fall over my legs, my heart pounding. He turned to the intruder, his face like thunder and I hid behind him, feeling his shoulders shake with rage below my hands.

"Come out" he ordered.

I gasped as Simon, caught red-handed, caramel skin blushing gorgeously in shame, slunk out from behind the shelf.

"How long have you been standing there?"

"I- I- I'm sorry, your majest-"

Wilhelm slammed his palm down on the desk that stood before us and bellowed "how long?" I had never seen this side of him before, this untamed animalistic rage. Something about it excited me but also left me with the sense that I hardly knew him at all.

"Just a- a moment, I swear!" Simon pleaded.

"If you breathe a word of this to anyone, I'll have you hanged for treason." Wilhelm threatened sincerely between gritted teeth.

The fear in Simon's eyes intensified and he nodded "I promise I won't say anything."

"Get out of my sight" Wilhelm spat at him. Simon surged towards the door and scrabbled for the handle but before he flung it open and ran out, he turned to us once more...

"Forgive me, your majesty but... You two look good together."

He left us standing there open-mouthed in shock. As soon as the heavy library door had clicked shut again, Wilhelm let out a long breath and collapsed onto the window seat. I sat beside him and took his shaking hands in my own, realising for the first time that underneath that all-consuming anger, he had been just as terrified as I was.

"Do you think we can trust him?" he asked me, looking up at me with fearful eyes.

"... I don't think we have a choice."

~~~

The atmosphere at dinner that evening was so thick you could have sliced it open with a knife. I kept my eyes fixed firmly on the floor, afraid to look at either Wilhelm or Simon out of fear that the intensity of the moment would give away the events of that day to Prince Casper. Simon and Wilhelm stared stoically down into their plates, hardly speaking. Casper appeared not to notice, chatting animatedly about art and philosophy. Eventually he stopped, placed his cutlery down on either side of his plate, interlaced his fingers in front of him and fixed Wilhelm with an inquisitive stare.

"I would like a moment alone with my guests" he stated assertively, and the staff began to traipse out of the hall. I went to follow but Casper's finger shot out towards me, freezing me to the spot.

"Not you, Evelyn" he said in a stern but kind voice, his eyes still fixed on Wilhelm. "You stay".

Fear knotted my stomach, but I obeyed, my hands clasped so tightly behind my back that my short fingernails dug into my flesh.

Casper was silent for a long time.

"Something is beginning to suggest to me that you did not bring dear Evelyn here merely to wait your table." He stated quietly.

A concoction of nauseous anger and fear billowed up like fire inside my stomach and before I had come to my senses, I had vomited the words "you told him?" in Simon's direction. My hands flew to my mouth, and I wished immediately that I could take them back.

Casper broke the ensuing silence with a laugh. "I assure you; my godson has informed me of nothing... but I am no fool... and I've had my fair share of dazzling servants, believe me."

Wilhelm stared down into his dinner, looking like he wanted it to swallow him. His cheeks blazed scarlet in the candlelight.

"Wilhelm" Casper said gently "I'm not mad." He took a deep breath. "I'm not your parents... I just wish you'd told me sooner so that your lovely partner might have spent more time in the comfort she deserves under my roof."

Three dumbstruck pairs of eyes swivelled up to rest on Casper's smiling face.

"Tomorrow I'll have Felix make you up a room in the guest wing by Wilhelm's" he said to me kindly.

"Th-thank you, your highness" I stammered, too relieved to argue. He winked at me, picked up his cutlery and took an enthusiastic bite of beef, as though the last 10 minutes had not happened.