CHAPTER ELEVEN
Freya
I woke up the following morning, sore and throbbing on parts of my body. I blinked that I dreamed everything the night before, but the pain told me that I hadn’t. It was worth every bit of discomfort today as I played back everything that happened. My mind raced with the possibilities in the future, aware that this odd relationship was not going anywhere for a while. I showered under warm water, washing myself off as the red parts of my skin stung with the contact.
I wasn’t a virgin anymore. Not only that but I was letting two gorgeous men do what they wanted with me. I was a lucky woman. I dried off carefully, dressing for work as I made sure that nothing showed. There was no way that we were going to get caught now, not when everything was getting good. I braided my hair and floated downstairs for coffee as Helen shot me a curious look. I poured a large mug and fixed it to my tastes as she walked over with one of her famous cinnamon rolls wrapped in a napkin.
“Why do you look so happy?” She asked me in a low voice as I shrugged gently.
“I slept great. I’m ready for a new day.” That was a lie. I’d slept fitfully but felt like I’d be riding this wave for days. “The queen wants me to make a gorgeous dress, Helen. I’m excited.”
“Better make something black soon. He’s getting worse, and she’s having trouble sleeping. I can see it in her face.” My eyes widened at her words as she frowned. “Things will be changing around here.”
I murmured something appropriate before I left, my mind racing. That would explain what she was doing in my work room the other morning. It was a way to distract herself. It also worried me, making me wonder if she’d seek out her sons for consolation. Most nights, they were in my room or we were all together in the man cave. The very idea of her walking in on us made me shudder. She was already tense, and I’d lose my job immediately.
I walked into the room, looking around carefully to make sure that I was alone. I sipped my coffee as I imagined taking away Mama’s hope for the future. I was risking everything with my physical addiction to the princes right now. I went to my desk and unwrapped the roll, starved after my crazy night. Biting into it, I vowed to make this all work. I got right to work on the floral dress for the party, finishing off the details that I’d obsessed about. I loved clothing, and it kept me centered during this time of my life. I made money working on my passion that was going to save my family. My designing was a therapy of sorts for me. I was pleased that my new employer seemed to appreciate my designs as well. If I wasn’t now sleeping with her sons, it could give me a great future.
But, I was. I was so wrapped up in those two right now. I had been attracted to them from the start but never expected this. I suppose it was all part of being on my own among life’s temptations. Those two princes were some of the biggest I’d ever have in my life. I knew that all along but even sitting here, my body began to tingle. I blushed as I sewed the skirt to the torso, trying to focus.
I took lunch and went to get my sandwich, taking it outside. I sat down in the trees and looked around, knowing that it was only going to get hotter with time. I nibbled on my food as I thought about the future, unsure of where it was going to take me. I heard someone walking through the thick wall of trees and glanced up to see Violet. She was carrying two glasses of lemonade and plopped beside me on the grass.
“I was wondering if you wanted to go into town on Sunday. I need to do a little shopping and I thought we could grab lunch.” Her smile was genuine, and I grinned back.
“That sounds great. We both spend so much time here that getting away sounds amazing.” She nodded with a laugh, handing me the extra glass. “What time would you like to leave?”
“I was thinking mid-morning. That way we could have some time for everything.” Violet leaned back and looked around. “This is a nice space.”
“It’s my Zen. I need it after hours in that room, even as much as I love designing. I swear I go to bed most nights after I’m finished. This is my outside time.” I told her, laughing.
“You have that courtyard by you, don’t you?” Violet asked as I rolled my eyes.
“I do but I’d have to jump out of the window to get to it. The stairs are down the hall and steep! I just want to rest after work.” I giggled, knowing the real reason that I didn’t go out there. I was wrapped up in the men in my lives. The grounds here were actually beautiful, and I wanted to wander around. My cottage back home had been in a place like this. Maybe that’s why I avoided going outside.
“I’d still go out. It must be beautiful with the sun going down. You have a great view of the horizon.” She smiled dreamily Her room was on the first floor in the back of the castle where a few of the staff lived. I was thankful to have my room on the third floor when I thought about that. I liked my privacy and the fact that I could have alone time with Callin and Braden. “I go out every chance I get.”
“I should. It really is gorgeous.” I smiled wistfully. “It reminds me of where I lived with Mama.”
“How is she doing?” Violet asked, knowing how close we were.
“I’m sending her money so she’s hopeful we’ll have our own place again.” I looked around. “At any rate, she can start over with another store or something to make her feel productive.”
“Do you like it here Better than France?” Violet pressed, and I stared forward thoughtfully.
“I haven’t been here long enough to say that. It is gorgeous though.” I smiled. “I’d have to talk Mama into moving. She loves Paris.”
We chatted a little longer before we had to return to work. I walked up to the third floor and saw that the queen was walking inside of my work space.
“Hi. Can I help you?” I asked her as she turned to look at me.
“I wanted to look at material for my dress.” She smiled but her eyes were sad.
“Is everything okay?” I asked as I led her into the room. The news about the king played through my mind as I watched her wander over to the material shelves.
“I have one more doctor from out-of-town coming to see my husband. He’s supposed to me one of the best and know new procedures. He’s getting worse by the week and I don’t want to lose him.” Her voice was soft as she fingered some deep blue satin.
“Maybe he’ll have good news.” I offered weakly, not sure what to tell her. I was merely an employee and breaking all the rules here.
“It’s not that Braden wouldn’t be a wonderful king. He will. He’s responsible and compassionate and might change the whole feel of everything. I just… I’m not ready to lose him.” I was stunned at her emotional release and leaned against my desk.
“I’m so sorry.” I offered, knowing that it sounded lame.
“I’m just going to try to have hope. These dresses you make are a wonderful distraction for me, Freya. You’re so talented.” She offered me a small smile. “I’m a woman and I love clothes. It’s what gets us through. You owned a boutique from what I remember?”
“I did. My mama and I ran it. I love clothes as well.” I admitted as we both giggled.
“I think I like this for a dress. The blue is pretty, isn’t it?” She murmured as I stepped forward.
“I think it will be a beautiful dress.” I assured her as I watched her drop her head. “Want to roll it out and plan ahead?”
I finished the day playing back the afternoon with the queen. Katherine was a cool as ice woman when it came to business but underneath it all, she was just a woman mourning the loss of her husband. My mom went through the same thing and I realized that wealth and power didn’t change the process. She loved her family the same way that Mama loved me.
The difference is that I was having sex with her precious sons. We’d discussed their past with the other woman and how ugly it got. They didn’t want me to lose my job, and I wanted to keep the peace in their family. It was hard enough losing the main part of your family and starting over.
I walked into my room that night to see Braden lounging in the bed with a bag. The space was filled with the smell of hamburgers, one of my favorite foods from when I was a kid. I smiled and took a seat beside him as he leaned in to kiss my cheek.
“Hi. How’s it going?” I asked him as I reached out to stroke his cheek.
“It’s been a long day. There’s a doctor coming in to take a look at Dad. We’re hoping that he can help him.” Braden looked somber for a moment and I pressed a kiss to his lips.
“I was talking to your mom about it earlier in my work room. She’s sad.” I noted as he shot me a surprised look.
“She’s not like that with anyone other than Helen or some of her close friends. She doesn’t have a lot of people on her side.” Braden said as I nodded. “She’s bonding with you, Freya.”
“She’s doing retail shopping through my designs,” I corrected as he reached for the bag. “I don’t think she likes me as much as clothes. I’m just staff.”
“I’ve always thought that she longed for a daughter. Maybe she’s found that in you.” My eyes widened in horror.
“Even if that was true, she’d be horrified at what I’m doing with both of you.” I reminded him as something passed through his eyes. We ate the food in silence as uncertainty filled my stomach. I didn’t know what to do with this growing development and he dropped our trash into the bag before wadding it up. Braden looked into my face as I smiled weakly, leaning in for a kiss. I closed my eyes as his mouth met mine softly, getting lost in the moment. There was a tap at the door and I pulled away, ready to tell Callin to come in.
“Freya?” It was the queen, and I gasped as I pulled back from Braden. “I know that it’s late, but I found a picture that I wanted to show you.”
“Stay here. Hide. I’ll be back!” I whispered as I stood and fixed my appearance. I walked over and opened the door, slipping into the hallway. “Good evening. What can I help you with?” She looked behind me as I smiled. “I assumed it was something about clothes, so I thought we’d go into my work room. More space.”
“Okay. Sure.” I opened the door and watched as she walked inside, looking elegant and flawless. Her hair was pulled back into a loose bun and I flipped on the light. She was holding a magazine and walked over to the desk. I followed and sat down beside her as I glanced at the door. This could have been so much worse. She showed me a pale-yellow dress that she swore she loved for an upcoming dinner. It was gorgeous, and I eyed the picture carefully. “Could you make that?”
“Yes. It’s pretty.” I smiled and glanced at her. “Don’t you miss shopping?”
“I haven’t wanted to go into town. Everyone is demanding information about the king and I can’t relax. Besides, you do great work. It is much more fun watching you design.” I sensed her sadness and let me stress go. We discussed the dress, and I watched as she left quietly. I was taking in her hunched shoulders and what seemed to be a growing friendship. I was also thinking about her son that was waiting to fuck me in my room across the hall. This was easier when I thought I was so far away from her in this massive castle. I knew from my interview that she didn’t want anything between them and staff based on something in the past.
I stood after a few moments and went back into my room. The bag was gone and there was a note on my pillow. Braden explained that Callin needed him and that he’d see me later. I locked my door and stretched slowly, deciding to watch a movie before I went to bed. I had a thought and wandered across to the large window, looking down. The court yard was gorgeous with trees and flowers, making me smile. I knew that it wouldn’t be a terribly long walk to get there and the sun was just setting. It would be beautiful. I slipped into some leggings and s shirt before putting on a pair of sandals, closing my door before I headed to the back exit. The stairs weren’t as bad as I originally thought, and I stepped down to the grass to look around.
The lawn was extensive and the ground clean and colorful. Someone spent a lot of time on it. I walked across to look at the flowers and trees before turning my head to watch the sun sink down behind the grass. I knew that there would be a view of the town if I walked a bit further. Instead, I just took in the fresh air and the gorgeous view around me. I breathed in the wind and felt refreshed as I closed my eyes. When life got hard, I just needed to go outside. It had always been my way to fix things. I stood to watch the sun settling, snapping a picture for Mama. Due to the excitement in my life, I hadn’t talked to her in a few days. I sent the photo and told her that I loved her before taking a seat on a bench surrounded by flowers.
We had a short chat as I stayed out there. I told her all about the job and nothing about the princes. She’d be upset and worried about me. Mama was only ever with my dad and it was too hard to explain being attracted to two men for me. I’d hide it from everyone in my life just to stay safe.
When it was dark, I started across the lawn. I went up the stairs and back inside, glancing back to see security walking the grounds. This beautiful place was like a fortress, especially with news of the king. I closed the door to the outside and locked it before heading to my room.
I settled in to watch a movie, munching on a bag of popcorn that Helen bought for me at the store. I liked living here and wondered what was in my future. If I lost my job, would I be turned away due to a bad reputation? This position was going to get Mama ahead faster than any job I’d get in Paris. I considered her moving here and we could be together again. Paris was beautiful but now that I was traveling, I knew a lot of other places were as well.
I could even get my mom a job here as an assistant to me with the queen wanting so many clothes. We did it before. I needed to get my life straight before that happened. I fell asleep to the TV and woke up to the alarm chiming in the morning. Dressing, I went for coffee and started my routine all over again. At lunch, Helen told me that the doctor was here now. They were all in the room and she was waiting for news, being that she always got it first. I told her to keep me posted, worried about Callin and Braden as well as their mother. I ate upstairs in my room, staring down toward the courtyard absently as I chewed my sandwich.
This was getting to me more than I ever expected. I couldn’t stop thinking about the brothers and how they were handling any of this. I wanted to see them, to comfort them or celebrate with them. That could be a long while depending on the situation. When I hadn’t heard from anyone, I went downstairs to talk to Helen. She was making an easy dinner of salad, soup, and bread and glanced at me as I walked in.
“Are you hungry?” She asked me as I moved across the room to her.
“I just… wanted to check on the king’s prognosis.” I told her, looking around carefully. My voice was soft but there were a few people in the kitchen with us. I could say that I’d spoken to the queen enough times to feel like I could ask. It was true. I’d never mention the princes.
“I was going to talk to Queen Katherine when I served them dinner. They’re eating in his room tonight, but I might have a moment with her. Want me to come tell you when I know something?” Her eyes looked at me with concern and I smiled.
“No. It’s so far. I’ll check in the morning.” I offered, accepting the soup that she offered me. I took it outside to eat at a bistro table, taking in the sounds of nature around me. I didn’t appreciate it as much as I had last night. I was too worried. I slept fitfully that night, wanting someone to come hold me and tell me what was happening.
This was ridiculous.