I bit my lower lip because the burning was too much and I didn’t want to complain.
As if sensing my pain he paused and then blew on my wound. When his hot breath touching my skin made me shiver and curl my toes.
Good Lord, he was doing things to my body without doing almost nothing.
“Feel better?” He asked.
“Yes,” I whispered, “thank you.”
When he was done he pulled my dress back down over my leg.
“You should change,” he said standing up “Do you want me to call a maid for you?”
“No, I can manage,” I said.
Walking with an aching knee I went into the dressing room and slipped into my nightgown and a robe and then walked back into the chamber.
Only a few candles were lit now. Lucian was laying down on the bed looking up the ceiling. His shiny black hair was spread across the pillow and his golden eyes glowed in the dim light.
When I walked up to the bed he turned his head.
“You should take your robe off. It’s very hot in here at night.” His observation was completely innocent, but it made my heart beat faster, and suddenly it felt really hot in the room.
I opened my robe and let it slide down my arms. His eyes followed my every movement. I then laid down on the bed, facing the other way. Even though he told me he could wait to consummate the wedding, I still felt nervous.
I felt him shift on the bed and stiffened.
“Hazel,” he whispered his voice a soft brush on my back.
“Yes?” I struggled to keep my voice neutral.
“Turn around!” he said with a commanding voice. I found myself turning around to face him.
“I promised to treat you well; you don’t have to be afraid.”
“I am not,” I whispered.
He didn’t say anything for a while. He probably knew I was lying.
“Goodnight,” he finally said.
“Goodnight,” I whispered back feeling more relaxed until I eventually fell asleep.
I woke up and tried to shift in the bed, but then realized that a strong arm around my waist was restricting my movement. Lucian!
My back was pressed against his hard chest and I could feel his hot breath on my neck and some strands of his soft hair on my shoulder. He smelled good. He had a spicy scent, and somehow I found myself melting in his embrace. I liked it, liked the warm and secure feeling it gave.
Suddenly, he slid his arm away and sat upon the bed startling me.
“What is it?” I asked, sitting as well.
He seemed to be listening to something. I looked around and strained my ears, but couldn’t hear anything. Climbing down he put his robe on.
“We have a problem,” he said walking to the door.
I quickly put my robe on and went after him.
Some maids and guards were gathered in the hall arguing about something. They fell silent as soon as they saw us.
“Your Highness,” they said and bowed.
“What is the problem?” Lucian asked.
They had a look of fear in their eyes. One maid, in particular, was trembling with her hands behind her back.
“What do you have there?” Lucian asked.
She was shaking now. Lucian went up to her and took the hidden thing from behind her back. It was a golden hairpin, my hairpin. One of the guards quickly came to the front and fell to his knees in front of Lucian.
“I am sorry, Your Highness, it will never happen again; you can punish me instead” he begged. “Please spare her, she is just a child.”
She did look quite young. The white-faced maid fell to her knees too, shaking as much as before.
“No, please, it was my fault! Don’t punish my brother. He didn’t know” she cried.
I had no idea what Lucian would do to them. For that, I both pitied and feared for them. They might get executed, or if they had luck they would get their hands cut off. I didn’t know which one sounded worse.
Stealing was of course not okay, but I didn’t think anyone should die for it. I hoped Lucian would have mercy on them.
“Since you stole from my wife, I should let her decide the punishment for you,” he said, walking behind me and placing his hands on my shoulders. I froze for a moment unsure of what to do.
“How do you want me to punish them for you?” he asked.
I looked at the young maid sitting on her knees crying and shaking violently. I went up to her.
“Why did you do it?” I asked in a gentle voice.
“I am sorry, Your Highness. I didn’t want to, but my mother is sick and her treatment costs a lot,” she said, crying hysterically.
“Get up!” I ordered them both. They got up to their feet.
“What’s your name?” I asked her.
“Lisa, Your Highness,” she said meekly.
“Lisa, you can have the hairpin but you need to promise me that you will never steal again. There are more honest ways to find money, besides putting your life at risk wouldn’t help your mother in any way.”
Everyone looked at me wide-eyed. They clearly didn’t expect to be left alive. Lisa was in shock, she just stared at me.
“Do you promise me?” I repeated.
“I… I promise you… I promise Your Highness” she said. “Thank you so much… thank you” she began to cry again, but this time tears of relief.
“Thank you, Your Highness” her brother repeated. His eyes were also glistening with unshed tears of gratitude.
“Now everyone can go back to work,” I said relieved that the situation ended well.
They walked away. Lisa was hugging her brother crying and he was scolding her. ”
Never do that again!” I found myself smiling. I wish I had a brother like that. My brothers were spoiled brats.
Turning around to go back I found Lucian standing there, his arms crossed behind his back. He looked at me with what seemed like admiration but I wasn’t sure.
Crossing the distance between us he wrapped his arm around my waist and pulled me into his embrace.
“Let’s get back to bed.”
Married To The Devils Son.
Chapter 6: Chapter 6
His voice, his scent, the warmth of his body, all filled my senses and made me unable to think clearly. Before I knew he was carrying me to our chamber, and then laid me down on the bed. Bed? Wait, no!
He lay down next to me and when I tried to get up, he put an arm around my shoulders and held me down.
“Lay still and let me hold you,” he said, taking his arm away from my shoulders and putting them around my waist instead.
“Why?”
“Because I like holding you and you like it when I do that” he replied.
“And how would you know?” I said, a teasing lilt to my voice.
“What? You don’t like it?” I was afraid that if I said I liked it he would want to take it to the next level, but I didn’t want to lie either.
“It’s… alright,” I said cautiously, a shy smile making its way to my face. He grabbed my chin and made me turn around to face him.
“Is my touch just alright?”
He let go of my chin and traced with his fingers down my neck and up my shoulder, removing my robe from one side. My pulse quickened and my skin tingled where he had touched. He leaned closer.