< Serena >
Lesson number one duly noted. Don’t assume or miscalculate anything when it came to this realm’s creatures of the night.
Right when the prince hightailed out of the room, I remained dumbstruck, thinking of how fast the events were happening. He made a deal. I accepted. And now I couldn’t leave this manor despite the looming arrival of the King.
Truth be told I didn’t want to meet him again, but my desire to return to the ‘human realm’—as what they called it—outweighed my dislike of this guy. I only needed to talk to him in a civil manner, keep my presence constant until he learns to respect women.
Or...until Elijah brings me back to my realm.
Never mind the King respecting women. With that ogre-like attitude, I highly doubt he’d change. Ever.
Blinking fast, I gathered back my composure and looked around. Out of all the things that caught my attention inside the enormous bathroom was the pool. It was rectangular in shape. Water was falling from a stone pipeline attached to the wall. The way its liquid shimmered against the sun’s rays past the dome ceiling enticed me to test it. Elijah said so himself the water would feel comforting on my skin. I knew I just had to try it before the King arrives.
So, without hesitation, I undressed and neatly placed my chemise and underwear for later use on a table nearby.
The moment my legs submerged underwater, I was lost. The water was that enchanting and invigorating. The plan was to dip, swim a little and leave the pool, enough that the King wouldn’t find me swimming naked. Surely, with how big this manor was and how numerous the rooms were, I doubt he’d come straight here.
I fucking miscalculated.
Minutes later, I was busily finger-combing my hair when I sensed a presence behind me. As expected, it was the King.
My first instinct was to leap onto the water, hide my whole body from his view and swim as far away from him as possible. When I resurfaced, I was well out of his reach.
Now, judging from the passive look on his face, he didn’t seem surprised of my presence in his manor, but he looked totally pissed off that I was using his pool.
His pool.
And that only meant Prince Elijah placed me in the King’s chamber. He didn’t even inform me of that very important tidbit. Damn him.
I wanted to point out his rude attitude towards me but I was reminded by the prince’s words and our deal. Maybe starting a civil conversation would help make my time with him bearable.
I was wrong.
Not only was his attitude defective, he was perverted too. I mean a man who’s in his right mind wouldn’t want to strip himself naked in front of a woman. Well, not unless that said woman was his lover or the like.
But I wasn’t one. He should have comported himself properly yet he didn’t, choosing to intimidate me with his...royal body and his massive appendage.
I couldn’t deny it. I wanted to see more. I wanted to ogle at the hard planes of his abdomen, the sinews, the cuts, and the well-toned abs. Where most of the kings I knew on Earth had portly bodies and bulbous abdomen, this Phanteon King was checking all the right marks of an Armani model wannabe, and more. So much more.
He certainly didn’t disappoint on the handsome department too. He was a whole package of a truly rightful, perfect king of a kingdom.
If only he didn’t come to be such a prick.
During our conversation, the man continued with his prickly attitude, dared to call Earth garbage—which partly I’m ashamed of—and rudely told me he didn’t want to know my name.
I couldn’t control myself. I didn’t care anymore if he was the king. I just had to make him see how rude he was with me.
In the end, I only fueled his fire more. He actually threatened me, speaking of a side of him that’s worth fearing. He must have been talking about his monstrous side as a werewolf or lycan. It wasn’t hard to decipher. Elijah himself told me they were that kind of creature.
But yeah, I admit it. With the way he looked murderously at me, I was scared. However, at that moment, I learned lesson number two:
I should never, ever show my fear. It would only inflate his already oversized ego.
Thirty minutes after that disastrous meeting happened, I decided to leave the pool. Cautiously, I raced to get my chemise and underwear and headed for the drying room. My plan was to leave the King’s chamber and find another room far, far away as possible. Luckily, I didn’t see him again on my way out.
In my quest to find a room that hit my specifications, I passed by hallways and stairs. The manor was big enough to actually house five football teams, plus their girlfriends or wives, whichever is applicable. It was as grand as I expected it to be. Like the Buckingham Palace but with better and bolder artisan craftsmanship.
I found one that suited to my taste. Not that small and not that big. It had a book nook next to a large living area and a hearth that housed impressive-looking neon red stones.
The bedchamber was separated in a next room that provided ceiling-high windows. I tested the bed and it was as soft as the one I used in the King’s chamber. It had a four poster frame too but with sheer drapes of white instead of thick dark blue. Totally my kind of sleeping set-up if I were to go on a holiday in the Caribbean’s.
I checked the bathroom and it was beautiful. Not as enormous as the King’s with the pool, but I preferred it this way. A glass shower in the corner, a bath tub opposite it, and a countertop with an oval-shaped mirror decorated with delicate lines and curves—basically all the essentials were present and enough to keep my stay in this realm bearable.
There was one thing I’m worried though and it was my clothes. The wardrobe of this chamber didn’t have ready dresses and I doubt the rest of the chambers would have one especially for a female such as myself.
I thought of the prince and a little bit of hope sparked inside me. Most likely he was intelligent enough to bring me clothes next time we meet. The problem with that was I’m clueless when he’d visit me again.
I hope though it would be soon.
After I settled on my chosen room, the next agenda on my list was to find food. Fortunately, I found the dining area and the kitchen after twenty minutes of searching. It was located on the second floor of the manor, right next to a music room and a gym.
Yes, there was actually a gym in this realm and it had a typical set-up like the ones I saw on Earth. A grin formed on my lips as I thought of using this in the duration of my stay here, the perfect way to while my time away.
In the kitchen, I was lucky enough to have found food and not just any food, a serious variety of menu pre-made and stored in a neat refrigerator-like cabinet. I pulled out a plate of waffles and it magically turned hot and steaming right in front of me. I pulled out fresh cut fruits wishing they taste like those on Earth. They did and more. They were savory and rich with color and texture.
It seems like this realm had some magical qualities to their food. I didn’t care. I didn’t complain. As long as my tummy was filled, then I’m good.
Moving on, I spent most of my time touring the manor—its inner walls and the manicured gardens surrounding the building. I figured the King already left and I had the freedom to walk without worrying of bumping into him.
I had the entire place to myself. There were no guards like before and there were no servants also. It was my own piece of sanctum and I was finally enjoying myself since I was transported to this realm.
Until the next morning came...
And I realized I spoke too soon.
With the rising of the sun, the sour face of the King was the first thing I saw when I opened my eyes.
Dear me, I figured that instant I was about to get laid...
To my grave.
< Serena >The cheers of the people around me were deafening. I wanted to cover my ears but I knew I couldn't. Standing tall on a raised platform near the King's throne, I realized I had to comport myself well in front of them as I was now their queen.Me a queen...Their queen...A queen.The word rang in my head over and over again.How did it come to this again? I asked myself.With a muddled head, I recollected everything that went down when I woke up that specific morning two days ago...***"Sleep well?" the King asked, his sharp voice cutting through the beautiful chirping of the birds outside my window.My drowsy state vanished in an instant He was wearing a loose white shirt and partnered it with black trousers and black boots. His dark hair was messy in a sexy w
< Aero >I knew she would accept my offer. It was too good an opportunity to pass. I was so pleased with how well everything was going that a small smile broke from the corner of my lips when I left her chamber.Oddly enough, my beast side was howling with delight. I didn’t understand why it was behaving that way but I assumed it was happy to be in control with my throne once again.The council will have a hell of a time when they find out I’ll marry in two days. They’ll bombard me surely with talks of pups and heirs. I’ll indulge them for now, until the day I’ll kick that woman out of my castle door.I didn’t have the intention to spend the next two days with her. It was unnecessary even if she would become my wife and queen. I stayed inside the castle and did what I usually do as king.Elijah was helping me on the preparations, or to speak frankly, he did all the preparations. I care not a d
< Aero >My jaw tensed at the temper simmering inside me. I had no desire to hold a woman’s hand, but I didn’t have a choice. I had to keep up appearances.The bride, however, lifted her hands up without a second thought and waited for me to hold it.When the high priest cleared his throat, that was when I realized I hadn’t actually moved yet.With a deep breath to settle my developing temper, I accepted her hands, enveloping them with my large palm.“Your Majesty, you may now say your vows,” the old man stated. I gave him an arched brow. What did he say again?“Start with your bride’s name, Your Majesty, and say your vows loudly for all to hear,” he reminded.I had to take another deep breath to control the growing turmoil inside me. Fuck! Why must there be
< Serena >I sat stiffly on my seat whilst looking down on the celebration in front of me. Every guest were laughing and lively and really enjoying the moment. I envied them. This was exactly what I envisioned my wedding reception to be, but unfortunately, I married the wrong man.That aforementioned wrong man sat next to me, on his throne that looked very striking. It was literally an enormous head of an animal—a wolf most likely—with its mouth filled with serrated teeth and opened wide to accommodate my husband's royal butt.Ever since the wedding ceremony ended, he had been sporting a rather unreadable expression on his face. It was not a scowl or a frown. Just a blank face. He would show a smile when needed, but I knew he was just faking it like I was.I clearly remembered everything that went down on that ceremony. I remembered the bright light in the form of chains and how it left a
< Aero >I didn’t wait for tomorrow. I had to know now, so I called for an emergency meeting with all of my council including the high priest that presided my wedding and the royal augur of my father, Sedsah. As one of the best augur in the realms, I needed to seek his thoughts regarding the magical event that happened earlier. I was that desperate.As I sat on my seat impatiently, I stared at them when they entered the conference room. I could see the look of confusion in their eyes and saw the unexpressed question swirling in their heads. Why would I want to be with them when I was just married? I should have been on top of my new wife right now pounding her ass off.I grumbled in my thoughts. Huh. They should know better.Elijah who had been standing next to me remarked inside my head, ‘Look at that. They are quite pissed off with your sudden call for
< Serena >I wasted my time worrying about our sharing of a room when it turned out, my new husband had another plan in mind. In the middle of the celebration, I saw him leave in a hurry and this was after he called a blue-haired man, his second-in-command maybe, and conversed through whispers.I cared less what they were talking about. Anyway, I couldn't hear a word they said because of the noise inside the throne room. A little later after he vanished, men in lavish suits—the royal council—as far as I know, stood up and left the party.I recognized them in a gathering I attended a day earlier with Elijah. That gathering was weird in a way. It was held in the highest mountain in the kingdom, over a stretch of grassy clearing a kilometre away from the castle. There were a lot of attendees. I say tens of thousands probably. The same as in the wedding.I re
< Aero >I didn't know what came over me. I felt a burning desire I had never felt before in my entire life. A burning desire to possess a woman. And not just any woman.Serena.I couldn't get her out of my head despite trying to: her brown, wavy hair, her hazel eyes, her rosy cheeks, her overall bearing and of course, her lips—those pale pink flesh that I had tasted during our wedding.Being a woman, I should be loathing everything about her, but I found myself leaning in another direction.Fuck.I grabbed the chalice on the table filled with my favorite wine straight from Hest, the realm of magical creatures. The grapes in their kingdom were the best, and it was known far and wide. Trying to contain the woman's thoughts from taking over my control, my grip of the chalice tightened and consequently, it dented.&
< Serena >I didn’t need a translator to tell me what the wolf wanted to do. I mean come on, what else would we be doing in the bed other than... It was crazy of me to even think such. That would be beastiality and obviously gross.But of course, the wolf could always turn back into its human form like those ones I saw in Teen Wolf and would have me come face to face with my new husband and his uhm...naked form.Technically, if this was a real wedding, we’d already be exercising our husband and wife rights, but this was far than real. He couldn’t possibly be wanting to do that now when he strongly expressed his dislike on women a day ago.What changed?But as I waited, he didn’t change into his human form. He just snapped at me and continued pointing to his king-sized bed with his snout.Truthfully, I loved how his wolf looked. Sure it still scared me, bu