The Reluctant Princess - a Novella

Chapter 12 - The Note

***Warning - Explicit sexual content***

When Elizabeth opened the note one of the scurry maids had handed to her the next evening, she made a conscious effort to keep her composure. What she really wanted to do, however, was laugh out loud.

"What is that?" Lavinia inquired, looking up from her embroidery, while her sister slipped the note between the pages of the book she was reading.

"It's a book about politics. Pretty boring, you would not enjoy it," she replied, with an impish grin.

Lavinia scoffed at this.

"You know what I mean. Is that a note from a secret admirer? I would not be surprised, you looked positively radiant at the ball last night."

"It's a note from Henry," Elizabeth admitted, finally, hoping her nosy sister would not insist on inquiring further. The contents of his note were not suitable for a young woman, let alone one who was about to become a nun.

Lavinia waited a moment, and when no further explanation came, she made a motion with her hands for her sister to continue.

"For god's sake, Lavinia, is nothing sacred? It's just a note, thanking me for being such an excellent escort to Monsieur St Clair yesterday."

Lavinia did not seem convinced but did not pry further.

"The deal went through then?" she inquired instead and returned her attention to her embroidery.

"I think so, yes... But I had nothing to do with it. The king and Henry were quite convincing. You should have seen him," she added, meaning Henry, "He is quite the diplomat when he puts his mind to it."

Henry had come through in the end, and she was pleased. Something told her she would be extra generous when it came time to reward him for a job well done, later. Incidentally, she had not lied about the contents of the note. Henry had in fact thanked her for how she handled herself with the minister, but he had also urged her to come to his chambers at midnight for a much more tangible reward, which she had wisely omitted in her report to her sister.

It was well past ten now and the fact she had to sit and wait for two hours seemed an impossible task. She, however, hid her nervousness well and endured another hour or so of her sister's company before dismissing her so she could prepare for bed.

By the time she dismissed Mildred, after a long, luxuriating bath, it was nearly time and her belly clenched with apprehension. She took a calming breath and made her way to the connecting door. 

It opened into his chambers with a weak squeal of hinges, and she stepped into the dimly lit room, closing the door behind her. Hearing her approach, Henry sat up in bed and watched her.

His chest was bare, and she had to assume the rest of him was also naked under the sheets. When she approached the foot of the bed, she stopped and watched him, chewing nervously on her lip because he was so perfectly beautiful, he made her heart skip several beats.

"Come here," he demanded, his voice low and sultry, watching her with lust in his blue eyes.

She shivered at his self-assured, commanding tone, wondering why it made her slick between her thighs instead of angry, and proceeded to do as he asked, approaching the foot of the bed in her nightgown, suddenly feeling naked under his gaze.

He stared, sitting up straighter and the sheets slipped low around his hips, giving her an eyeful of taut belly and the dark trail that led to his cock, under the covers.

"Come up here so I can thank you properly," he ordered then, patting his thighs.

Despite her trepidation, she slowly climbed onto the bed and settled astride him, her breath uneven.