Page 112 of Of Curses and Courtship

“And what will you do to me, my queen?”

“I will use your cock for my pleasure.” She holds my wrists beneath hers. “The way I know you like me to. Is that right?”

I repress a shudder. “Yes. Heavens, please.”

“How pathetic. You’re already begging for me with such desperation.” She rocks her hips slowly, her face contorting. Her cunt wraps around me. It sends me to another dimension, as if she holds a portal between her legs.

“Please,” I say again, whimpering this time. “You must let me come.”

“Only if you’re very good for me.”

She can barely move, and it doesn’t matter. I can come just like this, with her hips rocking. I push up into her, relishing how her face contorts. She may be out of energy, but I’m only just beginning—even if I’m already on the edge of combusting.

“Emyr!” Her eyes roll back, and she gasps. “Don’t stop.”

“Yes, my queen.” I thrust into her again, harder, chasing sweet release once again.

It’s only the two of us—at her request—and although there is so much more we will do together… I don’t find myself missing a thing. The world is whole when she shakes, her face landing on my chest, and we spend the night as one.

“This is how it is supposed to be, isn’t it?” she whispers once we both come down from the mountain of pleasure.

I run my nails along her back, enjoying the goosebumps that form across her flesh. “Yes. It is.”

She’s the one the prophecy brought—not to bring ruin to our land, but to be the other half of my heart. And so soon, we will break the curse together to create a world far more beautiful. That’s our purpose.

CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

OPHELIA

“Come! It’s this way!” My voice rings with excitement as we scurry into my new bedchamber.

An amethyst door with gold engravings stands between me and the chamber. Even the entrance is pretty—the prettiest thing I’ve ever laid eyes on. It’s as if it were made just for me.

I push the wooden door open and lift my hands, presenting the space to Helena. “Look what they’ve given me! Is it not just wonderful?”

An intricate carpet covers most of the large room, swirling with purple and green floral patterns. The looking glass on the vanity is larger than I’m accustomed to, with all the nicest beauty potions scattered over the small table. Emerald fabric hangs around the large, cushioned bed—and the pillows! There must be a dozen of them.

I don’t dare show Helena just how full the closet is, and all the new gowns I’ve been gifted.

“It sure beats living with the maids.” Helena snickers. “We’re all going to envy you now, y’know.”

“Please, don’t envy me. You’re free to visit whenever you please.”

“And I’ll visit you every day, with tea.”

I sit down on the edge of the bed. It’s softer than the one I am used to, but I keep the thought to myself, not wishing to make Helena more envious than she already is. Envy is an ugly thing; it can eat someone inside and out, but Helena has never seemed particularly angry about my change in status. She asked to see the new bedchamber, even though I was trying to keep it from her, and as she paces the room…

She seems pleased. Impressed, even.

“The art is fantastic,” Helena says. “Do you mind if I steal a piece?”

“Yes.” I giggle. “I mind.”

“And look at the view!” She pushes open the balcony door. “This is where we’ll drink our tea every morning. Don’t you think?”

“I do.” I stand behind Helena. The garden is beautiful, albeit sparse. Soft light shines into the room, and a single pixie floats through the air, twinkling. My stomach plummets at the lovely sight rather than soaring. “I’ll miss sharing a bedchamber with you. If only you could come sleep here, with me.”

She wiggles her eyebrows. “Your prince may not like you extending such an invitation.”