The War Lord's Prize

Chapter Twenty Seven

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"Um," I began as he held my hand and we walked out of the water. My chest was exposed, and I kept using my free arm to cover my breasts.

He noticed and took off his wet shirt, handing it to me. I was touched by the gesture and held his shirt in front of me as we made our way to the house.

"My... My name is..."

"You're shivering," he observed. "You need to get inside."

Once indoors, he instructed me to change clothes and meet him in the kitchen. I hurried to the room and rummaged through my bag until I found one of the three decent dresses Mistress Elena had given me. The rest were either sheer or very revealing. Even my undergarments were inappropriate.

It seemed Mistress Elena believed all I would be doing was engaging in the acts that happened between a male and a female, which she had described to me in great detail, with King Lucien. I shook my head, a smile creeping onto my face as I thought about King Lucien. He was not what I had expected. He was kind, considerate, sweet, and beautiful both inside and out. He treated me like a person, not just a prize or a pet, even though technically that's what I was. Being with him gave me a sense of freedom, despite knowing he owned me.

He had allowed me to spend the day reading in the library, brought me food, and in the lake, he had only focused on my pleasure. It had been magical. The way he kissed me, held me... I buried my face in the dress I was supposed to have worn minutes ago.

Startled, I quickly repacked my bag, removed my wet clothes, and began putting on the dress.

I had kept King Lucien waiting. I shoved my arms into the sleeves of the dress. I was no fool; I would be obedient to him no matter what. He was kind, yes, but I would never take for granted his kindness.

As I struggled to pull up the zipper at the back of the dress, I realized something. None of the rules he had given me were exactly what I had been taught a master needed.

He had told me not to have pitiful thoughts about him or his sister in the presence of his sister because she could read my mind, and from my own understanding, she wouldn't like it. He wanted me to call him by his name when we were alone, speak freely with him, and look directly at him when speaking. I had been taught that I only needed to fulfill the Master's desires. Were these truly his desires?

As I made my way back to the kitchen, giving up on my unzipped dress, that thought lingered on my mind. King Lucien made me happy, and I wanted to make him happy too.

"Are you alright?" he asked as I entered the kitchen.

I nodded and replied, "Yes."

He tilted his head, studying me as I stood on the opposite side of the kitchen table. His body still glistened with water, his wet hair a perfect mess on his head, and under the warm light, he looked unreal.

"Are you reading my mind?" I asked, and he smiled, shaking his head. "I haven't since the last time. I won't invade the privacy of your mind. But you're a terrible liar."

Once again, he showed me his kindness.

I looked down and fiddled with my fingers. "I was just thinking."

"About what?"

I looked back at him, and he dropped the pot he was holding onto the table.

My eyes lit up. "Are you planning to cook?"

He grimaced. "I wouldn't dare. I haven't even lit a stove in centuries."

His words amused me, and I giggled. "I can teach you."

A flicker of emotion passed quickly across his eyes, almost unnoticed. It seemed like loss or sorrow.

"As a vampire, do you consume anything other than blood?" I asked, quickly clarifying, "I don't know much about how vampires work."

He smiled again, but it was a sad smile. "The biggest misconception about us is that we only consume blood. That's not true. We just need blood to keep our..." He trailed off before finishing, "bodies functioning."

"So without blood, you could die?" I panicked for a moment before realizing that originals could never die.

"Regular vampires can die," he replied. "Originals just become weak, extremely weak depending on how long we've gone without drinking. But both regular and original vampires can lose control to their bloodthirst, and that always ends in disaster. Originals, however, have more control."

I absorbed the new information before asking, "So, what's your favorite meal?"

His eyes lit up at the question. "No one has asked me that since I was a child."

I was glad I had asked. "Well?" I urged.

"I wouldn't call it a meal."

"What is it?" I asked, growing impatient.

He laughed. "I love cake, especially chocolate cake."

I clapped my hands together. "Then we should bake one."

"I don't know how to bake."

"I'll teach you."

"What if I burn down the house?"

I looked around the cozy, old-fashioned kitchen that I admired. It would be a shame to see it burned down.

I looked back at him, and saw he was standing next to me. I shrieked and smiled. "Then we'll do it outside, by the lake."

His smile made me happy. He despised being a king, and he had been one for a long time. His humanity had been stripped away. I still wondered how young he had been when it happened. Baking with him made me realize that we could do so much more together. We could do things that used to make him happy.

My smile widened.

"You look like you're planning something," he remarked.

Boldly, I moved closer to him and reached out to touch his hair. "Not yet. I just have an idea," I confessed.

His arms wrapped around my waist. "Will you tell me about this idea?"

I shook my head, laughing. "Not until I start planning."

"Hmm," he murmured.

"I have three things I'd like to ask you," I told him, throwing my hands around his neck.

He nodded. "What are they?"

My heart raced, but I needed to know. "Can I kiss you?"

He didn't hide his surprise.

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