The Prince's Brides (boyxboy)

9

*Dirk's POV*

Ugh! Where the hell am I?

Damn. Lager had never hit me so hard before. That asswipe must have drugged me. I hope it was a nice snarky surprise when he lifted my skirt to find something...else inside.

I sat up, to my disappointment...or relief, fully clothed. And yet, still lain out on a very nice soft bed. Maybe the softest I'd ever slept on.

"Good morning, My Lady. I've brought clothes for you." A well mannered servant woman came into the room, letting down a pile of clothes on the table, along with some fruit. "Will you be needing help changing?"

I shook my head.

"Is there anything else you'll be needing, My Lady, before His Lord gets here?"

"I am no lady," I shook my head at her. His Lord? Who the hell went around referred to like that? Kidnappers apparently. Rich ones, seeing as I woke up from a very drunken state in a very opulent strange room.

"Course not, Mistress," she turned away, remaking the bed sheets, shaking her head at me.

"Ye, need help dressing," she asked as she stood.

"I should think I can manage on my own." I had managed to get into the blasted things myself. From the raise of her eyebrow as she looked me up and down, I guess perhaps I had bungled some aspect of dress. But, honestly, could you think of anything less sensible than a lady's dress. So many layers and strange contraptions, and not a single piece of it designed for comfort. And don't even get me started on the ridiculous excuse for shoes!

Well, at least I could blame my particular state of misdress on the liquor of last night. Or was it unladylike to do so? Not that it mattered all that much. I only needed to impersonate a woman long enough to get out of this gods blasted city.

"Very well, best wait to dress a moment anyway," the aging old cod commented back to me. " 'is Lordship will be in in just a moment."

Oh, right, impersonating a woman. There was that whole modesty thing to worry about. And the whole, deception, disguise, and escape thing, couldn't forget that part.

Just after the woman left, there was a knock on my door, and the man from last night glided into the room. This time he was bedecked enough that it was obvious that he was a blue blood of high standing. The likes of which who would have had no business being on those particular kinds of streets last night, let alone brawling it out besides a common man. I panicked for a moment, wondering if I was going to be sent back to the dungeons for a more permanent stay. Perhaps offering a man a nice bed for the night and a good meal was all a prelude to their torture, a contrast to hold against what was to come.

"I trust you slept well," you could hear the hint of laughter in the asshat's voice, his eyes raking merrily over my sleep tousled hair and clothes, and my like as not still half lidded eyes.

"Aye," I grunted back at him with a pitiful effort at some sort of bow or curtsy, that would have taken me out at the knees had I not been caught by the elbow.

"I have to apologize for abducting you from your life, but you'll just have to come to forgive me for that. You see, you are the first woman to have ever caught my fancy, and I must admit to being quite enamored of you."

I guess that meant he'd been gentleman enough not to check my skirt.

"As such, I have a...request for you."

I swallowed nervously and nodded.

"I should very much like it if you were to join the competition for my hand. A man ran away last night, you'd saving his life and sparing his family from an investigation in treason. Not that I would expect you to care about the life and family of a stranger, but I would be sure to make it up to you if you were to join."

Holy shit! Were they going to investigate my family! I shuddered, heart fluttering at the thought of what they might have done to my little ones to persuade me to turn myself in.

I flinched back from him as he reached a hand out to touch me. He drew his hand back slowly.

"I would appreciate it if you'd agree. But make no mistake, you don't exactly have a choice in the matter." With that he turned and stormed out of the room.

Leaving me to gasp in shock at how I could have possibly landed myself in such a convoluted situation as to be forced to impersonate myself, but as a woman. Gods, could my life get any more confusing?

Don't answer that.