Mia was dumbfounded. For a few seconds, her brain froze. Then, she pulled her hands on his arms and he bit her lower lip, sending electricity through her.
“W-wait..”
“Wasn’t it what you wanted?” he asked, licking her neck, just how he wanted. She tasted too sweet!
“What?” She asked and when he bit her ear globe, she moaned.
“Hmmm… you have been tempting me since day one, Mia. And now, you must take responsibility for that.”
“Mmm?” She made, dizzy. “B-but… Lily..”
For a moment, Radna had forgotten all about the other woman. Then, with the mention of Lily’s name, he realized what he was doing. He rested his forehead on Mia’s shoulder, holding her by the waist.
“You are dangerous.” He murmured.
“Me?” She asked in disbelief, breathing hard. “You.. you kissed me!”
His hands closed even more around her skin and he looked her in the eyes.
“You were asking for that! Is it part of your plan to make me stay away from your sister?”
“Have you lost your mind?” She asked. “I would never do it!”
“No?” He asked and his eyes went to her lips. “Mia… “ he looked down at her dress.
“Stop it. Let go of me.” She said, almost begging.
Radna wanted to say something more, but he decided to leave it at that. That woman was… temptation! A seductress! No other human did it to him. No matter how pretty they were, or how sexy they moved and showed themselves at him. Mia was..
‘What is she doing to me?’, he asked himself.
“Ok.” He let go of Mia. She licked her lips and he inhaled deeply.
“Stop it, or I will have you inside one of those rooms, Mia. you’ll be ruined to any other men!”
After that kiss, Mia feared it had already happened. How would she be able to look at her sister now? The man was clearly courting her!
“Your Grace?” She called for him. Radna was adjusting his pants and just then she noticed and blushed. “Oh..”
“After this, what did you expect? I cannot go out in public like that.” He said. “And what is it?”
“Hmm.. I know you are the Devil. But.. if my sister marries you, what is going to happen?”
He turned to her and raised his eyebrows.
“Quite late to ask that, don't you think?”
“Please, answer me.”
“She will be my wife. A duchess And soon, the Queen.”
“So.. she won’t be harmed, right? She will have a good life by your side.” She gulped. “When you proposed the deal, I was so worried she would be suffering again by being poor and an orphan, that I forgot your nature.”
“I won't harm her.” he said and approached Mia. “I’ll just be her husband.”
Mia nodded. He frowned. For some odd reason, he expected Mia to be sad by that. Not because her sister was marrying him, but because he would marry someone that was not herself.
“Let’s get back.” he said. Radna knew he was having dangerous thoughts. He had a mission, a goal, and nothing nor nobody, no matter how luscious that creature was.
“Sure.” She said, looking down at her own dress and seeing if everything was in place.
“Lily told me that she could only marry a man you approved and the contrary works, too. Ah… well, I'll have to make you approve of me, then.”
“Haven’t I let you court her?” Mia asked.
“No, no. I mean, you have to like me.” He smirked. “Like me for me.”
She turned her face to him.
“But that won’t happen.” She smiled “If that is the condition, then I suppose you’ll have to stop right now to pursue my sister.” She was full of hope after saying that and Radna kind of liked it.
“Oh, no…” He approached Mia. “I’ll make you like me. One way or another, my dear.”
“Y-your Grace!”
“Mia.. if you want to keep your chastity, you beer never show yourself in front of me like that again.”
“This is preposterous!” She managed to say and Radna put his index finger on her neck, going down her spine. Her moan made him twitch inside his trousers.
“Preposterous is you seducing me. And if you keep doing it, you’ll achieve your goal. But know that… I will make you submit to me in every way possible, Mia Chapman. So think again!”
Ewald was nervous, because he saw Mia dancing and then, she was gone. And so was the Grand Duke. Lily, on the other hand, didn’t seem distressed at all.
“Miss Chapman, is the Grand Duke courting you?”
“No. he is nice, but he is not courting me. At least, he didn’t make his intentions clear.” She said. “And by the way, I am a minor.”
“If it is your wish and your sister grants permission…” He started to say, but Lily shook her head.
“No. It is not my wish. He is handsome, a Grand Duke, but… My Lord, he is practically double my age!”
“But… age is just a number.” Ewald said. “He seems to like you very much, Miss.”
“Well, I don’t see him like that. He is more my sister’s type.”
Just then Lily knew she had said the wrong thing. The Marquis glanced even more worried at the dance floor.
When he finally saw Mia, his heart pounded, and then, the Grand Duke was right behind her. Mia looked around and spotted them, walking in their direction.
Her face was flushed and her hair was not so perfect anymore. Ewald squinted at that, but said nothing.
“Oh, sister!” Lily said and the Marquis got up, taking Mia's hand and kissing it.
“I was worried. My muse could not be found.” He said and Mia blushed. The man was trying very hard!
“Oh, Marquis…”
“Miss Chapman, here, in front of your sister and the Grand Duke, I would like to make my intentions clear. I want to court you, officially.”
"Who 's there?” Mia asked, feeling a shiver run down her spine. She heard footsteps, but nothing aside from it. She wanted to ask if Olivia or Emma were there, but what if it was the Headmistress? She would know the girls used to help. “Please…”“You owe me!” A deep, strong voice, but unhuman, echoed through the dark walls. “No… Please… Let me out!” she pledged, feeling her heart beating so fast it was becoming the only sound she could discern. She felt something on her feet—they were so cold. She looked down, and vermings were everywhere. Mia couldn’t stop herself from screaming, until hands held her shoulders and she finally looked up. “Mia, Mia!” Big brown eyes were looking at Mia, worried. “Lily?” Mia asked the young woman, feeling her throat really dry. “I-I’m sorry. I just… I had a bad dream.”“Another bad dream. It was like someone was killing you.” Lily sat by the bed and put her hand over Mia’s. “Yes. Another bad dream.” Mia sighed deeply. “I’m sorry I woke you up and st
*FLASHBACK*“Honey, wait here, okay?” the woman with eyes that were exactly like Mia’s said to her, making her sit on the bench, with little Lily by her side. “Take care of your sister. We'll be back pretty soon.”Mia nodded, although she had a very bad feeling inside her childish heart. They were supposed to travel somewhere else, she didn’t know exactly where, since her parents didn’t tell her. But it was okay. She was going to be a bigger girl and take care of her little sister—who was no more than a one year old baby. She waited and waited, and two trains had already departed. Mia was nervous, and everything got worse when little Lily started to cry, out of hunger, no doubt. “Shh, shh…” Mia tried to make the small kid be quiet, but that was not possible. Soon, someone approached them. “Little girl, where are your parents?” the guard asked, frowning. “I… I don’t know. Mommy said she would buy the tickets with daddy,” Mia answered, and the furrow in the man’s brows deepened. “I
“Is everything alright, Miss Chapman?” The handsome man asked, his eyes looking into Mia’s, and her heart was actually most of what she could hear. He approached her further, and as much as she wanted to step back, she could not. Her body was frozen."Miss Chapman, the Grand Duke is talking to you," the butler whispered close to Mia, which made her wake up from her trance-like state.She cleared her throat as politely as she could and smiled kindly at the noble across from her. After a curtsy?, she straightened her dress and looked at the Grand Duke."Your Serene Grace, I’m sorry, I wasn’t expecting your visit," she explained sincerely. The man smiled in a seductive but still respectful way."There's no need to apologize, Miss. In fact, I should be the one to apologize for visiting you without consulting you first.""Please, it's an honor to have you," she said and turned to the butler. "Mr. Gordon, could you please bring us refreshments?""Immediately, Miss." The butler bowed and w
The world was spinning, and, soon, everything became black. Mia could hear murmurs in a distance, and within seconds, she was finally able to understand what was being said. “She needs to rest!” that was Lily talking. “I know, but the Grand Duke is still…”“I don’t give a damn about him!” Lily said between greeted teeth, irritably. “What should I tell him, then?” Mr. Gordon asked, panicking. “I…” Mia tried to speak, but someone’s hand was on her shoulder. “No, Mia! Stay there!” Mia opened her eyes and her vision was still blurred, but she could tell that her little sister was worried. “I have to talk to him,” Mia said, and despite her sister trying to hold her in bed, she sat up. “Sorry, Lily, we cannot leave the Grand Duke waiting now, can we?” Lily made a face and crossed her arms in front of her chest. “He is inconsiderate. He saw you were unwell and yet stayed around. He should have asked someone to come check on you later. That would be the right thing to do!” “Unfortu
For the next few days, Mia seemed to be in distress and Lily was more than worried. “Mia, you have to relax!” She told the older woman one day, when they were in the living room. While Lily was trying to embroider, practicing to be a very accomplished lady - which was not her especiality - Mia was pacing back and forth. “I am relaxed.” Mia answered and gave her sister a smile. “Don’t do this. It is creepy.” Lily asked and raised her eyebrows, looking back at the piece of cloth in her hands. “Just as creepy as that.”Mia approached and took a look. Indeed, the embroidery was not very good. In fact, it was terribly bad. “It is not so b-”“Don’t.” Lily asked. “This is just not for me.” She pushed the ‘masterpiece’ aside.“Lily, every young lady has to…”“I know, I know.” Lily interrupted her sister. “We’ve had this conversation a million times, Mia. But… I can play the piano, I can paint. I can sing. I can even play cards.”“Which is not so good.”“Yeah, I know. But anyway… I know ho
Ball day arrived and Mia was a nervous wreck. At least the Grand Duke didn't continue visiting after handing over the invitation, giving her a few days to breathe easy.“Oh, Mia! It's terrible!" Lily said, walking out of her room with a towel on her head.“What happened, my dear?” Mia asked, looking at the towel. "Lily...""It was an accident!" Lily said and her eyes glistened with the tears she was trying to hold back. For Lily to cry over something related to her appearance meant that whatever had happened, was serious."Let me take a look at that." Mia asked, taking a step forward, but Lily shook her head tearfully and walked away.“I can't go to the Ball looking like this! can't!" She ran into hert room and locked herself in there. Mia took a deep breath.She stopped in front of Lily's door, raised her hand, took another breath, and knocked twice.“Lily, my love, let me see it. Maybe it can be fixed!”"No!" was Lily's rude reply.“Lily Chapman, open that door right now!” Mia comma
Mia walked into the living room feeling completely betrayed by Lily."I do not believe that!" Mia said, huffing in anger.“Dear sister, you look stunning in that dress!” Lily said, smiling and her eyes shining. “I bet you got a lot of compliments.”"Don't even try to divert the subject, young lady!" Mia said, hands on her hips, very annoyed. "You tricked me, Lily!""Me?" Lily said, putting her hand to her chest, with a face of genuine confusion. However, she wasn't really confused.Mia let out a derisive laugh.“You said something horrible had happened to your hair! And that you couldn't leave the house!"“But it did happen.” Lily said, innocently. “You can ask Edwina. She saw the state of my hair.”Mia closed her eyes, took a deep breath at least three times before looking at Lily, her lips pressed together into a thin line. She knew Edwina, Lily’s maid, would say just whatever Lily asked her to. "What's the matter with your hair, Lily dear?"Lily broke into a huge smile.“It didn't
Inside the carriage, Radna was sitting next to Mia.“It’s to balance better!” Lily had said, after all, her dress was much more voluminous and that would make up for Radna's size.Mia said nothing, she wasn't in the mood. Radna took what Lily said in an attempt to please her. And when he saw how she smiled, he thought he was succeeding.Mia's leg brushed against his every now and then, and as the carriage gave a slight jolt, her hand, seeking support, settled right on Radna's thigh, and Radna swallowed hard.In that human body, with human desires and sensations, he had no way of controlling his reactions. Mia's touch was like she was on fire and he wanted nothing more than to get burned.'I must be losing my mind!' he thought, glancing out of the corner of his eye at Mia, who was staring at her hands in her lap. She was clearly nervous.“Sister, the day seems to be excellent for a picnic. Too bad we didn't bring anything to eat…” Lily commented and Mia gave her a sideways look. Lily w
Mia was dumbfounded. For a few seconds, her brain froze. Then, she pulled her hands on his arms and he bit her lower lip, sending electricity through her. “W-wait..” “Wasn’t it what you wanted?” he asked, licking her neck, just how he wanted. She tasted too sweet!“What?” She asked and when he bit her ear globe, she moaned. “Hmmm… you have been tempting me since day one, Mia. And now, you must take responsibility for that.”“Mmm?” She made, dizzy. “B-but… Lily..” For a moment, Radna had forgotten all about the other woman. Then, with the mention of Lily’s name, he realized what he was doing. He rested his forehead on Mia’s shoulder, holding her by the waist. “You are dangerous.” He murmured. “Me?” She asked in disbelief, breathing hard. “You.. you kissed me!” His hands closed even more around her skin and he looked her in the eyes. “You were asking for that! Is it part of your plan to make me stay away from your sister?” “Have you lost your mind?” She asked. “I would never do
“Yes. He is amiable. Nice to talk to. Has a good nature. And he seems to adore my sister. I believe he would make a wonderful husband.”Radna was very much displeased by her answer. How on earth could she see Ewald as a good partner for her sister? He was not handsome enough, smart enough, rich enough. He was a mere Marquis. Radna was a Duke, please! ‘Why are you putting yourself into this? You are to be with Lily, not Mia!’, he scolded himself. “Your Grace?” Lily called for him and he blinked a few times, before looking at Lily. “I’m sorry. I got lost in thoughts.”“I see. Well, Lord Ewald is coming his way with Mia.”Radna looked to the side and saw Mia with her arm on Ewald’s and he pursed his lips. She was glowing, beautiful, resplendent. And Edwald looked like a stone. A tone on Radna’s shoe! “Your Grace!” Ewald, puffing his chest, proud because he had the most beautiful woman inside those walls, attached to his arm. Yes, Lily was beautiful, like an angel, but Mia… ‘She look
The next week, Ewald didn’t take Radna’s words seriously. He visited Mia every single morning and, of course, rumors of a possible engagement were circulating. During breakfast, Randal kept glancing at Radna, who didnt touch his food. “What is bothering you, brother?” Radna ws not listening and Randal had to call him two more times, until one of the servants poked him. He looked around and found his brother, the King, staring at him with an eyebrow lifted. “I’m sorry, what did you say?” Randal put his cuttery on the table and smiled. “Why are you so distracted? Is it because of a woman?” Randal asked. He knew Radna had been visiting the Chapman residence quite often. “Yes.” Radna answered. “One of the Miss Chapmans, perhaps?”“Yes.” “Which one?’ Randal asked and smirked, but Radna just smiled at him and got back to eating. “Oh, come on, brother!”“No.”Randal knew better than anyone not to keep pushing Radna. As much as they were twins, Randal didn’t have different eye-color
Mia gulped and looked behind her shoulder. She saw a pair of distinguished eyes and also, her reflection on them. “Grand… Duke.” She started to say, but he leaned even more, turning her around to face him. “Mia…” He closed his eyes and inhaled her scent, feeling his mouth watering instantly. His lips were very close to her face and Mia didn’t know what to do. “Are you alright?” The coachman asked, patting on the window of the carriage. It brought Radna and Mia back to reality. He cleared his throat, before releasing her and sitting on his seat. Mia said nothing, she just took her seat across from him. “Yes, it is all right, Mr. Dubois.”Mia didn’t look at Radna, she was afraid of looking at him and seeing his judgment. What was she thinking? She was aching for his kiss. She had never kissed before.‘That’s your problem. You are too old for those foolish things now, Mia Chapman’, she told herself, looking out the window. Radna wanted Mia to look at him and, at the same time, he d
Inside the carriage, Radna was sitting next to Mia.“It’s to balance better!” Lily had said, after all, her dress was much more voluminous and that would make up for Radna's size.Mia said nothing, she wasn't in the mood. Radna took what Lily said in an attempt to please her. And when he saw how she smiled, he thought he was succeeding.Mia's leg brushed against his every now and then, and as the carriage gave a slight jolt, her hand, seeking support, settled right on Radna's thigh, and Radna swallowed hard.In that human body, with human desires and sensations, he had no way of controlling his reactions. Mia's touch was like she was on fire and he wanted nothing more than to get burned.'I must be losing my mind!' he thought, glancing out of the corner of his eye at Mia, who was staring at her hands in her lap. She was clearly nervous.“Sister, the day seems to be excellent for a picnic. Too bad we didn't bring anything to eat…” Lily commented and Mia gave her a sideways look. Lily w
Mia walked into the living room feeling completely betrayed by Lily."I do not believe that!" Mia said, huffing in anger.“Dear sister, you look stunning in that dress!” Lily said, smiling and her eyes shining. “I bet you got a lot of compliments.”"Don't even try to divert the subject, young lady!" Mia said, hands on her hips, very annoyed. "You tricked me, Lily!""Me?" Lily said, putting her hand to her chest, with a face of genuine confusion. However, she wasn't really confused.Mia let out a derisive laugh.“You said something horrible had happened to your hair! And that you couldn't leave the house!"“But it did happen.” Lily said, innocently. “You can ask Edwina. She saw the state of my hair.”Mia closed her eyes, took a deep breath at least three times before looking at Lily, her lips pressed together into a thin line. She knew Edwina, Lily’s maid, would say just whatever Lily asked her to. "What's the matter with your hair, Lily dear?"Lily broke into a huge smile.“It didn't
Ball day arrived and Mia was a nervous wreck. At least the Grand Duke didn't continue visiting after handing over the invitation, giving her a few days to breathe easy.“Oh, Mia! It's terrible!" Lily said, walking out of her room with a towel on her head.“What happened, my dear?” Mia asked, looking at the towel. "Lily...""It was an accident!" Lily said and her eyes glistened with the tears she was trying to hold back. For Lily to cry over something related to her appearance meant that whatever had happened, was serious."Let me take a look at that." Mia asked, taking a step forward, but Lily shook her head tearfully and walked away.“I can't go to the Ball looking like this! can't!" She ran into hert room and locked herself in there. Mia took a deep breath.She stopped in front of Lily's door, raised her hand, took another breath, and knocked twice.“Lily, my love, let me see it. Maybe it can be fixed!”"No!" was Lily's rude reply.“Lily Chapman, open that door right now!” Mia comma
For the next few days, Mia seemed to be in distress and Lily was more than worried. “Mia, you have to relax!” She told the older woman one day, when they were in the living room. While Lily was trying to embroider, practicing to be a very accomplished lady - which was not her especiality - Mia was pacing back and forth. “I am relaxed.” Mia answered and gave her sister a smile. “Don’t do this. It is creepy.” Lily asked and raised her eyebrows, looking back at the piece of cloth in her hands. “Just as creepy as that.”Mia approached and took a look. Indeed, the embroidery was not very good. In fact, it was terribly bad. “It is not so b-”“Don’t.” Lily asked. “This is just not for me.” She pushed the ‘masterpiece’ aside.“Lily, every young lady has to…”“I know, I know.” Lily interrupted her sister. “We’ve had this conversation a million times, Mia. But… I can play the piano, I can paint. I can sing. I can even play cards.”“Which is not so good.”“Yeah, I know. But anyway… I know ho
The world was spinning, and, soon, everything became black. Mia could hear murmurs in a distance, and within seconds, she was finally able to understand what was being said. “She needs to rest!” that was Lily talking. “I know, but the Grand Duke is still…”“I don’t give a damn about him!” Lily said between greeted teeth, irritably. “What should I tell him, then?” Mr. Gordon asked, panicking. “I…” Mia tried to speak, but someone’s hand was on her shoulder. “No, Mia! Stay there!” Mia opened her eyes and her vision was still blurred, but she could tell that her little sister was worried. “I have to talk to him,” Mia said, and despite her sister trying to hold her in bed, she sat up. “Sorry, Lily, we cannot leave the Grand Duke waiting now, can we?” Lily made a face and crossed her arms in front of her chest. “He is inconsiderate. He saw you were unwell and yet stayed around. He should have asked someone to come check on you later. That would be the right thing to do!” “Unfortu