A Dove's Tale

Chapter 7

I was hoping Prince Nokto wouldn't be in his room when I arrived, but he dashed that hope to the ground when he answered my reluctant knock at his door.

"I'm so glad you came," he said, smiling seductively and drawing me in with a light touch on my arm.

He wore black nail polish on his thumb, middle finger, and ring finger. It was odd, and a small part of me wanted to ask about it, but a much larger part wanted to get in and out as soon as possible. Unfortunately, a single glance at his room was enough to tell me that wasn't happening. The bed looked as though it had been through a tornado, clothes were all over the floor, and, overall, the scene was one of complete disaster.

"Sorry for the mess," Prince Nokto said, his breath hot on the back of my neck. "I had an...eventful night."

I stepped away from him quickly, refusing to look at him. "It's alright, your highness. I came prepared." I set the stack of bedding on the red and white cushioned sofa at the foot of the bed, trying to think of a way to get rid of him. "This may take me a while, and I believe Prince Chevalier wants to see you in his office, but I'm sure I can have everything tidy by lunchtime."

It was probably a safe fib. Prince Nokto was part of Prince Chevalier's faction, and it seemed likely that Prince Chevalier had work for him to do.

"You're not trying to get rid of me, are you?" he asked, feigning injury.

Darn it.

"I've heard so much about you from my older brothers, and I thought we could take this time to get to know each other better," he continued, leaning against the wall next to me as I got to work stripping the bed.

"There really isn't much to know, Prince Nokto," I replied casually, as if I weren't fully aware of the hidden implication behind his words and desperately trying to come up with some way to escape this situation. "I'm just a maid."

Laundry. I had to take the dirty bedding to the laundry, and that, plus the dirty clothes strewn about, meant I would have to take a few trips. Like now. Now would be the perfect time for one of those trips. I carried the bundle of dirty red and white bedding to the door, but just as my free hand touched the doorknob, Prince Nokto's hand landed on the door to hold it firmly shut.

"You don't give yourself enough credit," he breathed from behind me, his other hand taking my shoulder and turning me to face him. "I think there's much more hidden beneath the surface."

His crimson eyes captured mine, smoldering and intense, and he traced a finger along my cheek and down to my chin. I had to admit he was good at what he did. It was difficult to ignore the way his light touch confused my feelings. But I thought of Prince Chevalier's fingers on my chin, and the anger rose all over again.

I was sick of these princes touching me.

"Prince Nokto, while I find your attention flattering, I really have a lot of work to do," I said, dropping the bedding and pushing his hand away. If he wouldn't let me leave, I could at least get back to work, so I stepped around him and started making the bed.

"Such a shy little dove," he said, chuckling with amusement. "Perhaps you're new to the world of romance?"

I hated how easily I blushed.

"Ah, so that's it. No wonder you turned my older brothers down. You need someone with a gentle touch to help you open up."

And he needed someone with a firm slap to shut him up. But I did not want to get fired today, so I turned from the freshly made bed to find something else to do away from him. He had other plans, of course, and he stepped directly in front of me.