Nights with a King

Titled

Chapter 3: Titled

Brown eyes flashed before me. Hands reached out and grabbed me. I didn't want this. I struggled against my holds.

"No!" I screamed. "No! Let me go!"

I gasped, sitting up.

"Good morning, Beautiful," a voice said, beside me.

I jerked back. Martin casually laid on his side, watching me. He forever had an amused look on his face.

"Did you sleep well?" he asked, yawning.

I swallowed. "Yes, thank you for asking, your Majesty," I said, curtly.

Martin touched my hand and I yanked it back.

"What game are you playing?" Martin asked.

"What game are you playing?!" I demanded.

"See," he pointed out. "You try to keep a formal distance but you're so easily triggered into defiance."

I simply clutched the blanket around myself.

"I'm going to see more than this," he teased, touching my collarbone.

To my humiliation, I blushed. The troubles of having fair skin!

"You would like that, wouldn't you?" Martin asked, smirking.

I shook my head.

"Why don't you trust me," Martin asked, sitting up and scooting closer to me.

My instinct was to scoot back.

"I could be your everything. I could give you pleasure, fortune, status," Martin told me. "I think I like you," he decided. "Just let me..."

"No!" I exclaimed as Martin tried to kiss me. "I'm begging you!"

"Begging me?" Martin asked. This amused him. I could tell that much. "Fine then," he said. "Help me get dressed," he ordered, getting out of bed. He clapped his hands and the servant girls walked in, head down with trays of towels, clothes and basins of water.

"Everyone leave," Martin ordered. "Courtesan Guo will assist me."

"Yes, your Majesty," they all chorused, bowing.

"Well?" Martin asked.

I picked up a cup and held it out to him.

"Is this how you serve the king?" he asked.

I bit back a curse and dipped down, presenting him the cup in a respectable manner. Martin took it from me and swished the water around in his mouth. I then presented him with a larger cup for him to spit. Then it was a handkerchief to wipe his mouth. It wasn't that hard. I simply went down the line. I wet him a towel to wash his face and then helped him get dressed.

"Annabelle," he said as I was buttoning his jacket.

"My Lord?" I asked, stepping back and kneeling.

"Annabelle," he said again.

I slowly inhaled through my nose. "Yes...?" I asked in the calmest tone I could muster.

"Do you have a nickname?" he asked.

"No,"

"That's a shame," he said, rubbing his chin. "An-Na-Belle," he said to himself. "What about Anna?" he suggested.

"What?"

"Don't 'what' me,"

"Please say it again, your Majesty," I said through gritted teeth.