Dark Castle (The Dazzling Court Book 1) Page 6

  Maybe this whole selection process was a mistake, I thought, panicking. Maybe I shouldn’t have come at all. I obviously don’t belong here.

  With only two girls left, my nails dug into my palms again.

  Zara was surely going home. There was no way Olivier would pick her over his mother’s favorite.

  But when I glanced at the Queen, I noticed how nervous she seemed, biting her lower lip and glancing between Stephanie and her son.

  “Zara.”

  The word rang out in the room, followed by the gasps and whispers of the people there as my friend triumphantly stepped forward.

  She accepted Olivier’s stone gracefully and came to stand next to me with bright eyes and a big grin on her face. I squeezed her hand, and we both looked at the scene unfolding before our eyes.

  Big, fat tears were sliding down Stephanie’s face as Olivier said his goodbyes. He said something we couldn’t hear, and she nodded, hiccupping as the tears came even harder.

  The Queen’s mouth was set in a thin line, and she rushed to Stephanie, pushing her son out of her way as she leaned down to say something to the girl.

  But it was over. Olivier had made his decision, and he’d sent the girl his mother liked most home.

  He turned around to face the rest of us, looking right at me. I couldn’t help the smile on my face, and my expression was mirrored in his.

  Twelve girls left to beat…

  6

  Olivier

  After the elimination ceremony, I was more than ready to go to bed.

  I didn’t have the energy to deal with my mother, knowing she would dispute my decision about sending Stephanie home.

  But what else was there for me to do? If I hadn’t sent Stephanie home, I’d risk upsetting Amber. But more importantly than that, I needed to stay true to myself, and I knew Stephanie was never meant for me.

  I didn’t like timid, shy little girls who cowered under the weight of my gaze.

  No, my taste was for fiery women who fought back, wanting me to push them past every limit.

  My taste was for girls like Amber. But at the same time, I couldn’t let her become too cocky, thinking she was at the top of the food chain. There were still plenty of other girls in the game, and I was ready to play.

  I did my best to avoid the Queen on my way out of the ballroom, but the woman had eyes everywhere. Just as I was about to leave the banquet hall, she cornered me in the hallway, her long nails digging into my skin.

  “Olivier!” she hissed, and I turned around to face her, mentally preparing myself for the argument I knew was looming. “Don’t you walk away from me.”

  “What is it, Mother?” I asked, feeling tired. “I don’t have time to argue right now.”

  “Then change your decision,” she whined. “Just send one of the other girls home. That awful Amber. Send her home!”

  I laughed out loud, “There’s no way that’s happening, Mother.”

  Her mouth set in a thin line and she stared at me with such anger in her eyes it was a wonder I didn’t catch on fire from the power of her rage.

  “You don’t need girls like her here,” she said dismissively, waving her hand in the air. “She’s a nuisance, and she’s getting in the way. There are so many lovely girls who are worthy of your attention. What’s so special about this Amber girl, anyway?”

  I bit back the retort I was going to use, instead grinning at my mother.

  “Are you done, my Queen? I’d like to go to bed.”

  She huffed and puffed, but when I didn’t relent, her expression turned pleading.

  “Please, at least consider keeping Stephanie,” she begged me. “She’s such a good match for you, my dear son. She would make a beautiful queen.”

  “Mother, she doesn’t have the hint of a personality,” I groaned, rubbing the bridge of my nose. “She barely said two words to me. I can’t marry someone I don’t have a connection with.”

  “Of course,” she hurried to say. “But she’s just a little bit shy. I’m sure she’ll come to if you just keep her around a little bit longer. Please, Olivier. I’m asking you not only as your mother, but as your Queen, too.”

  “Well, you don’t get to make this decision for me,” I replied icily. “After all, I’ll be marrying the girl I choose and spending the rest of my life with her. So please, don’t make this any more difficult than it already is, Mother.”

  She glared at me and I could tell I’d pissed her off even more, but I didn’t have the energy to argue anymore. I just wanted to go to bed, though her rude remarks about Amber made me eager to defy her further.

  “Olivier.”

  Just as I was about to leave, her hand wrapped around my forearm again. I turned to face her, and I could tell she was desperate from the pleading look in her eyes.

  “You can’t embarrass me by marrying some… commoner,” she managed to get out.

  “She’s not a commoner,” I hissed. “She’s the woman I want. And if I hadn’t made a promise to Father, I would have asked her to marry me a long time go.”

  “But you should keep your options open,” she insisted in a hurry. “There are so many good-looking prospects here, Olivier. You should at least give some of these girls a chance!”

  I sighed, and she struck while the iron was hot, delivering the words she knew would make all the difference as she touched her hand to my cheek, a gentle smile softening her harsh face.

  “It’s what your father would have wanted,” she whispered.

  I fought the urge to roll my eyes.

  She knew exactly where to strike to make it hurt the most, but I wasn’t going to let her have the pleasure of hurting me.

  Instead, my mouth set in a thin line and I walked away from her while she shouted my name.

  I didn’t want to deal with her anymore, and my resolve to pick Amber as the final girl only got stronger and stronger.

  I couldn’t sleep.

  I was restless, constant thoughts of my flame-haired beauty making me groan in my bed.

  Find Amber.

  Take Amber.

  Fuck Amber.

  Need Amber.

  Take her now.

  After hours of tossing and turning, I deemed the voice impossible to ignore. I needed her. I needed my feisty redheaded to whimper my name as she came. Only then would I be allowed to sleep.

  I walked out of my room, past the guards who were half-asleep in the middle of the night. Both stood up straighter as I made my way past them, and I grinned at them, slipping them some money.

  “This stays between us,” I muttered, and they were eager to nod.

  It wasn’t even about the money. Luxuria was very traditional, and I knew a lot of people there already saw me as a ruler as opposed to my mother. Soon enough, I would become their King, but in their eyes, I already ruled them as my royal subjects.

  I walked down the hallway, past sleeping guards who pretended not to see me. I entered the girls’ quarters, the scent of baby powder and vanilla following me as I found Amber’s room.

  I hesitated with my hand on the door handle, knowing full well my mother would chastise me for what I was doing. But it had the opposite effect – instead of letting her be, it only made me more determined.

  Forbidden fruit always tasted the sweetest, after all.

  I walked into the room quietly, closing the door behind me and standing above Amber’s bed.

  She was asleep.

  Her sweet, petite body was curled up in a ball, and I stared down at her sleeping form feeling my cock twitch with how much I wanted her.

  I’d walked into her room unnoticed, and Amber was still blissfully unaware of my presence. I didn’t want her waking up though.

  It would be so much more fun to touch her while she was sleeping.

  Being the prince of the castle meant I could go anywhere without it getting back to my mother. The servants feared me, especially the women, perhaps even more so than the Queen. And I’d set my sights on Amber. After the
Queen had cornered me, I decided not to deny myself any longer. If I wanted Amber, Amber I would get.

  My fingers were eager to touch her, to stroke that pale skin and feel the softness of her tits beneath my fingertips. I loomed over the bed, knowing a single touch of my hands could cause her to wake up.

  “Fucking stunning,” I whispered to myself.

  She stirred in her sleep in response to my words, but didn’t wake up. I needed to touch her. It had been so long since her body had submitted to mine completely, and I was eager for more.

  She was wearing nothing but a dark pink chemise adorned with lace. There were no undergarments under her clothes, the outline of her body visible under the luxurious fabric. Her nipples peaked under the satin, and her pussy was outlined perfectly by the form-fitting material.

  I leaned down against her body, letting my fingers wander over her exquisite face. I touched her forehead, the dimples in her cheeks, her strong jaw and the fullness of her lips. She was heartbreakingly beautiful, and I had to have her.

  “My sweet chérie,” I whispered. “You’re going to be all mine soon enough.”

  I let my hands wander lower, over the hollow in her throat and her slender neck, touching the sweet spots I knew would make her gasp were she awake. She was still wearing the collar, of course. I knew full well she wouldn’t be able to take it off unless she got eliminated from the selection process.

  I went lower and lower, tugging on the duvet covering her sinful body and uncovering inch after inch of pale, creamy skin.

  I pulled her nightgown up, and my cock hardened at the sight of her vulnerable, petite body. I was moments away from reaching into my pants and stroking my overly eager dick.

  Was what I was doing wrong?

  Was I a sick fuck for touching her when she couldn’t give me her consent?

  I didn’t give a damn. I wanted her, and nothing or no one would be able to stop me from having my sweet princess.

  My hands wandered lower, over her smooth navel and her cute little bellybutton and then up to her tits. Her nipples were as rosy pink as I remembered, and I wanted to feel them in my mouth, wrap my lips around them and suck them into hard peaks of pleasure.

  But I managed to stop myself, knowing that I’d wake her if I touched her with my tongue. I’d heard her moan for me before, and I knew how much pleasure she got from having her nipples tortured. I’d have to wait a little bit longer, make sure she kept quiet while I took from her body what mine so desperately wanted.

  I kept pulling on the duvet until I exposed her ass, the sweet globes of her behind enticing me to reach into my pants and withdraw my throbbing cock. I wanted her. God, how I wanted her. All those other girls could never compare to the sweetness of my innocent Amber, my chérie.

  “Olivier.”

  The name escaped her lips while she was still sleeping, and I smiled to myself, knowing I was on her mind even when she was dreaming.

  “I hope you’re having sweet thoughts, chérie,” I groaned. “I hope you’re dreaming of me plunging my cock in every hole it can fit into, and then making the ones that are too small fit me like a fucking glove.”

  She stirred again, a small smile playing on her lips as she kept on sleeping. I wanted her, and I realized I no longer wanted to stop myself.

  Let her wake up. Let her see what I was doing to her unconscious body. I fucking wanted it to turn her on.

  “Amber,” I whispered, wanting her to open her eyes. “Come to your Prince.”

  She stirred again, whimpering in her slumber and making my cock jump to attention with the sweet moans escaping her lips.

  I pinched her nipple between two fingers, watching her eyes flutter. Slowly, she opened those big beautiful eyes and stared at me, her pupils dilating as she realized what I was doing.

  “Olivier,” she whispered, her eyes flicking from mine to my cock and back again.

  “Don’t make a sound,” I warned her. “Don’t you fucking dare, chérie. Just let me play with you. Be a good girl for your Prince, and I’ll reward you the way you deserve.”

  She nodded, a smile tugging on the corners of her lips as she sank back into her pillows.

  I was tempted to climb into bed with her, but it was bad enough that I’d walked into her room, knowing I’d find her alone and vulnerable. If anyone found me in such a compromising position, we’d both be in fucking trouble.

  “I’m going to make you come,” I told her in a low growl, and she shivered as I pinched her nipples harder. “You’re going to be a good girl and keep your eyes on me, and you won’t make a fucking sound. Is that clear, chérie?”

  “Yes,” she whispered.

  “Yes, what?” I demanded, and her eyes glittered with mischief as she opened her mouth to answer.

  “Yes, Your Highness.”

  Her words made my cock twitch with the need to have her, and I let my hands roam lower, until they found the smooth expanse of her inner thighs, touching the creamy skin there, wandering over her tenderness with rough fingertips eager to be plunged into the wetness of her cunt.

  “Sweet little toy,” I muttered to myself as I opened her pussy with my fingers. “You’re getting so wet for me, aren’t you? You’re ready for your prince to have you.”

  “Yes,” she whispered, the sound barely audible, like a single exhale. “I need you, Olivier. Touch me… Take me. Take whatever you want.”

  She reached a hand for my cock, but I slapped it away. One touch and I wouldn’t be able to resist fucking her sweet cunt.

  “Whatever I want?” I repeated. “You’ll let me have anything, chérie, won’t you? You’ll let me take whatever I need from your body and ask for fucking nothing in return.”

  She nodded eagerly and gasped when I plunged two fingers into her tight, warm little cunt. I felt her clenching down on me, and my cock got impossibly hard. I wanted to be inside her so fucking badly, but we couldn’t risk it. If word got out about what we were doing, it wouldn’t end well. I might even manage to get Amber kicked out of the competition, which would be the worst possible outcome.

  But still, I couldn’t lie to myself. Having her sweet body submit to mine like this, so fucking willingly, was making me want her more than anything else in the world. And what I wanted, I always got.

  I knew without a doubt Amber was the one I’d end up with after the selection process. I knew it the moment we announced the selection, from the moment she’d accepted her invite. Now, the selection was just a tradition I had to follow because of my father. But if I had it my way, she’d already be sitting next to me on the throne.

  Of course, I wasn’t about to let Amber in on my secret. It was just so much sweeter, meaner, to torture her on the way to the endgame.

  After I picked a wife, my mother would step down from the throne and let me rule Luxuria. And Amber would be right there, by my side like the queen she truly was.

  “Does it feel good to be stretched like that?” I asked her, and she moaned again at the sound of my words, eager for more.

  Her body was arching, her eyes finding mine in a desperate plea for more.

  “Does it feel good to submit to the man who rules your body?”

  “Yes,” she whimpered. “Please make me come, Olivier… I need it so badly.”

  I curled my fingers inside her, coaxing moan after moan from her parted lips. She was eager, needy for more, and I was more than willing to give her what she so desperately wanted.

  “You’re going to come on command for me, aren’t you, chérie?” I leaned down to whisper in her ear, and her sweet body shivered at the sound of the words. “You’re going to be such a fucking good girl for me. And you’re going to do exactly as I say.”

  She moaned again, her body twisting under my cruel touch, so eager for more.

  “Ah ah ah,” I reminded her. “You need to ask for permission first, chérie. I’m not just going to let you fucking have it. You have to work for it, my pretty girl.”

  “Please,” she begged.
“I need to come, I need to be yours, I need to have it. Let me…”

  “Let you?” I repeated, a smile tugging on the corners of my lips as my fingers curled even deeper, eliciting moan after moan from her mouth. “Beg some more. Convince me this is what you need.”

  “I need it,” she managed. “I need it, Olivier, I need to be your princess, your chérie, I need to be your slut, please, just let me, fucking let me, I’ll die for it… Die for you…”

  I chuckled, a low grumble in my throat as I kissed her feverish forehead. “Come for me, chérie. I want to see you coming apart at the seams. Fucking do it.”

  I pushed my fingers deep and she whimpered, and then she was coming in a flurry of gasps, moans and whispers of my name. Her pussy clenched around me like a vice, holding me captive deep inside her, feeling the impact of her orgasm on my curled-up fingers. She soaked me, her juices running down my hand all the way to my wrist.

  “Naughty little thing,” I muttered. “Look at you, Amber… You begged for it like a real whore.”

  I withdrew my fingers while she recovered from the force of her orgasm, gasping and starting to giggle as the force hit her head-on, making her cry out in ecstasy.

  She reached for my cock again, but I took a step back, gave it a stroke as she watched, licking her lips at the sight.

  “Will you–”

  I shushed her and put my cock away.

  “Soon enough, my sweet girl,” I told her and she gave a sad little pout that was almost enough to make me come.

  “Thank you,” she said, sliding a hand between her legs.

  “Good fucking girl,” I said, grinning down at her. “Now go back to sleep and don’t tell a fucking soul I was here. I just needed to touch you, chérie. It’s been so long since I felt you.”

  I retreated toward the door, the memory of her dilated eyes on mine haunting me as I closed the door firmly behind myself and started walking down the hallway.

  She was the perfect princess, and the perfect fucking slut.