Please be aware this excerpt is suitable for mature readers
only and contains graphic passages.
Excerpt from "The Queen's Lady and Her King" from Soulful Sex Volume III
Anslyn turned to find the King had opened the adjoining
door to his own chamber, and had just stepped into the room. She had never seen
him look so before! His dark curls were tousled, his face was flushed, and his
eyes...his eyes burned with a sort of madness. He wore only his leggings and
a linen shirt, untucked, as if he had been preparing to retire for the night
and was suddenly interrupted.
"King Edan!" she gasped. "What's wrong?"
He stared at her, that wild look in his eyes, lips parted and nostrils flaring. Then suddenly he straightened up, swallowed, and blinked once, slowly. Anslyn watched him set his left hand behind his back, and extend his right hand to beckon to her. It was almost a fencing posture. Trembling, she stared at him. He had never appeared so beautiful before, and she was speechless in the face of his strange splendor.
He spoke, almost sternly. "Anslyn, come away from this room."
"My Liege?" she said, in a small voice.
"Come," Edan repeated, his fingers gesturing impatiently. She could not refuse that gesture or that look, and lifted her hand to set in his. He seized it and pulled her with him as he drew back into his own room. Once he had her inside, he closed the door.
Anslyn looked around quickly. The lamps had been extinguished and the chamber was illuminated by the light of a small candelabrum placed upon the mirrored dressing table. By the doubled flames of that low light she could see the great four-poster bed was rumpled, and the King's clothes were tossed carelessly upon a chair. A goblet of wine stood on the table next to the bed.
She turned back to face him.
Edan had released her hand and now began to pace the floor before her. "All my life I have sought to be wise," he said, his voice tight. "In the days of war I kept my head and did the prudent thing. And when the solution to peace presented itself, I chose my wife with my head, not my heart. Over all these long months I have kept emotion at bay, and lived by patience, rationality. I did what I had to do, for Veland, for my subjects."
He paused to sigh, and then told hold of one of the bedposts as if to steady himself. He did not look at Anslyn, but rather stared off into the distance. "I suppose I wanted to be remembered one day as a King of great wisdom." He laughed, a little bitterly. "Or at least as not a fool! Too many kings have brought ruin upon themselves and their kingdoms by a single selfish, foolish choice."
At this he turned to her. "But I haven't the strength to be wise anymore. When Tressa came to me asking to take you with her, the wise choice was plain. But I was too weak to take it. And tonight, when I knew you were on the other side of that door, I knew the wise choice was to lie down, and shut my eyes, and pretend you were not there." He spread his arms, hopelessly. "Yet as you see, I make the fool's choice! For here you are, in the King's bedchamber." He stepped towards her, his chin lowered and his eyes dark. His next words were a hoarse whisper. "And here I am, burning to hold you."
Anslyn leaned to him, shocked and dizzy, and fell into his reaching arms. Her hands went up his back, and through the thin, soft linen she could feel his bones and muscles, the heat of him. Edan's grip came tight around her. He was trembling. His eyes bore down into hers, searching, and then he said, "Anslyn, tell me you love me--nothing else matters to me anymore."
"I love you, dear Prince," she replied.
And at this his countenance cleared. He smiled, and then laughed. "Then in this at least I have not been a fool! I did not lose my heart to one who did not feel in return."
"King Edan, I have been in love with you since I was six," said Anslyn.
His smile grew warmer. "Then you should not have come here to Court."
"I know, I should not."
The King laughed, and Anslyn laughed with him. He went on, "And I should not have kissed you."
"No, my Liege, you should not."
He leaned to her and she closed her eyes and felt his mouth upon hers. The kiss remained soft for but an instant, then pressed till her head tipped back. Their lips parted, and the heat and fervor of Edan's mouth seemed to spill down Anslyn's throat. It was intoxicating. Her whole body seemed to acquiesce instantly. She had been waiting to give herself to him for so long, the mere act of surrender was exquisitely sweet.
And Edan responded by taking command, as if he had been holding back his own aggression just as long. He scooped her up and carried her the few steps to his bed, dropping her gently into the cushioning softness of the down counterpane. He crawled up next to her, gazing fervently into her face as he undid the ties of his shirt and flung it off to the floor. Anslyn let her gaze fall to his chest, the lovely mounds of muscle dusted with dark hair, and to his arms, beautiful curves of flesh gilded by the candlelight. His bare neck was so lovely with the black curls cascading over it. Her fingers reached up to catch at the curls, and her other hand pressed itself to Edan's hard chest. The King closed his eyes when she touched him, and his lips parted. Anslyn liked seeing this: his obvious pleasure. She caressed his cheek and stroked the velvet skin at the side of his waist.
In response to this, Edan lowered himself so his face fell in the bare curve of Anslyn's neck. The sensation made her gasp. Her fingers burrowed into his curls as he kissed her there, his whiskers rough but his mouth so warm and soft. His hand had come to rest at her waist, and she found herself seizing it and pressing it to her breast. The hand spread itself, cupping over the yielding mound, caressing it possessively.
Suddenly Anslyn wanted with all her soul to be naked...most certainly for the pleasure of being touched by Edan, but also that there might be nothing at all between them now that at last the wall of separation had tumbled down. Terrible, wonderful images filled her head: of her bare breasts touching his magnificent chest, of his warm hands cupping her buttocks, stroking them, of his lips kissing her belly and down, his silken curls brushing her thighs.
These thoughts brought madness upon her, and Anslyn sat up, reaching behind her for the ties of her gown. The King was quick to assist, and then they undressed in haste, till their garments lay in a tangle on the floor and both were sitting on the bed, bare from head to toe. Then Edan took his time looking at Anslyn, tracing his fingers over her flesh slowly, exploring. She shivered under his touch. At last he scooped her breast in one hand and bent his head to kiss it, taking the nipple gently, barely suckling. Anslyn moaned and kissed his hair, over and over. She thought she would perish of loving him. The feeling ran thick in her blood and seemed to catch at her heart with its every beat.
She fell back on the pillows and in a moment Edan had covered her body with his.