𝙱𝚎𝚗𝚎𝚊𝚝𝚑 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚁𝚘𝚢𝚊𝚕 𝚅𝚎𝚒𝚕

CHAPTER 11

Prince Eris finally collapses next to you, his arm wrapping around your waist and pulling you close. He's panting, his body covered in a sheen of sweat. He looks down at you, a lazy smile on his face.

"Shit," he mutters, his voice roughened from exertion. "I don't think I'll ever get enough of you."

You lay there in the quiet afterglow, your body feeling heavy and sated. You turn your head to look at Prince Eris, a soft smile on your face.

"That was..." you murmur, your voice trailing off as you try to find the right words to describe it.

"Unbelievable," he finishes for you, his thumb tracing small soothing circles on your hip. "Mind blowing. Life altering. Any other words you want to add to that?"

You laugh, rolling your eyes slightly. "You're so cocky." you say, but there's no bite to it. In fact, you can't help but feel a bit smitten with this arrogant prince.

He grins, leaning in to plant a kiss on your forehead. "Can you blame me? I just had the princess of Solaria moaning my name beneath me."

You feel your cheeks flushing at his words, a wave of heat spreading through your body. You bury your head into his chest, feeling embarrassed but also incredibly satisfied. He chuckles, his hand coming up to stroke your hair. "Embarrassed now, are we? After everything we just did?"

You grumble something unintelligible into his chest, feeling both bashful and annoyed at his cockiness.

Prince Eris chuckles, his hand still stroking your hair.

"Oh, don't be like that," he teases. "You know you loved every second of it. Every moan, every touch, every thrust, every bit of pleasure I gave you."

Your cheeks flush even more, your heart fluttering in your chest.

He's right, of course.

You did love every second of it. But you're not going to give him the satisfaction of admitting it out loud.

Prince Eris glances down at you, his expression softening.

"You know, after tonight..." he says, his hand coming up to tuck a strand of hair behind your ear. "I can't wait to have you by my side. Not just in bed, but as my wife."

Your breath catches in your chest, your heart beating faster at his words. You look up at him, a mix of emotions swirling inside you.

"I can't wait for that day to come, but it will take a while...you did just end the engagement with Lady Lucidia" You gaze into his eyes, your hands find his cheek as you caress him with your thumb.

Prince Eris leans into your touch, his eyes never leaving yours.

"I know it will be hard," he says, his voice soft. "But it's you that I want. And my father did give us his blessing, all we need is yours."

You and Prince Eris talk for what feels like hours, the conversation ranging from serious topics to silly banter. Eventually, the fire in the fireplace has died down to glowing embers and you both realize it's getting late.

You reluctantly start to get dressed, the fabric feeling somewhat scratchy against your skin after the events of the night. Prince Eris watches you, his gaze appreciative but tinged with sadness as if he's already missing the feel of your skin against his.

Once you're fully dressed, he stands as well, his hands coming up to smooth out his clothing and hair. He looks impeccable, not a single hair out of place, as if what just happened never occurred.

You glance at Prince Eris, a sense of urgency building in your chest.

"We should get back," you say, your voice hushed. "Before anyone suspects we've been... intimate before our wedding."

Prince Eris nods, his expression serious now. "You're right," he says. "The last thing we need is for rumors to start before our wedding even takes place."

He takes your hand, intertwining his fingers with yours. "Come on," he says, his voice soft. "I'll walk you to your chambers that you're staying at."

You walk quietly through the halls, your footsteps echoing off the stone walls. Despite the late hour, the castle is still alive with activity. Servants and guards scurry about, attending to their duties, and you must resist the urge to hurry past them, not wanting to draw attention to yourselves.

Prince Eris keeps his pace steady, his hand holding your wrist firmly. The workers bow and curtsy as he walks, he nods to the servants and guards as you pass, his demeanor cool and collected, betraying nothing of what just occurred between you two.

Finally, you reach the door to your chambers, and Prince Eris stops, turning to look at you. Despite his earlier nonchalance, there's a hint of unease in his eyes, as if he doesn't want to leave you.

"I wish I could stay the night with you," he says, his voice low. "Hold you in my arms all night." he sighs

You reach up, cupping his cheek in your hand. "I know," you whisper, your heart aching a little. "But it's too risky. You know it's not proper for us to stay together while being unwed... even after what we did..."

Prince Eris leans into your touch, a sigh escaping his lips. "I know," he mutters, his eyes darkening. "But it doesn't make it any less frustrating." Prince Eris leans into your touch, a sigh escaping his lips again. He grabs your hand "What's the point with the rule of not being alone together until marriage? We already did things we weren't supposed to..."

You understand his frustration, feeling it equally yourself. It was easy to forget about the rules when you were wrapped in each other's arms, lost in pleasure. But now the reality of the situation is hitting you hard.

"It's just tradition." you say, trying to reason with him. "Royalty is all about maintaining appearances and preserving traditions. It might seem archaic, but..."

He rolls his eyes, his expression one of irritation. "Archaic is an understatement." he says, his voice laced with disdain. "It's downright ridiculous. We're adults, not children. We know what we're doing, and we shouldn't be restricted like this."

Prince Eris abruptly releases your wrist as a maid walks past, his expression hardening. The moment of vulnerability and frustration vanishes, replaced by practiced composure.

The maid gives you both a respectful curtsy, her eyes flickering over to you before she continues on her way.

The moment the maid is gone, Prince Eris turns to you, his gaze once again soft. "I should go." he says, his voice a murmur. "Before we're seen standing too close."

You nod, feeling a pang of disappointment. You don't want him to leave, but you know he's right. It's too risky for him to stay any longer.

"I know." you say, your voice barely above a whisper. "You'll see me off tomorrow morning? You know I have to go back to Solaria to tell my parents of our engagement."

Prince Eris nods, a slight frown on his face. "Of course I'll see you off." he says. "I'll be there to say goodbye."

He reaches out, hesitating for a moment before gently taking your hand and bringing it to his lips, pressing a soft kiss to the back of your knuckles.

"Goodnight...Genevieve." he murmurs, his breath warm against your skin. "See you in the morning."

Prince Eris reluctantly lets go of your hand and takes a step back, a part of him struggling to pull away.

"Goodnight...Eris." you reply softly, your heart heavy as you watch him turn and walk away. As he disappears down the darkened hallway, you can't help but feel a sense of emptiness, as if a piece of you is being tugged away along with him.

You enter your chambers, the quiet of the room contrasting with the tumultuous emotions swirling inside you.