After being forced to attend to some royal business, my schedule had finally cleared up enough so I could be available for a dinner with the women in the competition.

I knew Amber was angry with me, but instead of making me worried, it brought a smirk to my face.

I fucking loved making her jealous.

She seemed so headstrong at times, I couldn’t help but want to shake her confidence a little. Those moments when she doubted herself, when she hated me with all her might… in those moments, she was the most vulnerable she’d ever been for me, and I fucking loved it.

I knew eventually I’d bring more of her submissiveness out to play, but for now, I’d have to be happy with the moments I stole from her by toying with her body, mind and soul.

Dinner was to be a traditional Luxurian affair – with all of us in our best clothing, and with live music. I was enthusiastic. After my father’s death five years ago, we’d never quite gotten back to the energetic, sparkling essence of the castle.

I picked out a Berluti midnight blue velvet tuxedo, pairing it with cognac-colored moccasin penny loafers. My hair was slicked back, the unruly curls tamed into submission, the faint hint of stubble on my jaw. I finished off the look with a splash of tobacco cologne on my wrists and neck.

I knew I looked good, and as I entered the candlelit dining hall, the gasps, giggles and whispers of my girls only served to confirm it.

I walked over to my mother, sitting at the head of the table. She smiled affectionately as I pressed a chaste kiss to her cheek.

We hadn’t had the easiest relationship lately, but I was pleased to see her adapting to me. I wasn’t going to let her rule over my life.

She might be the Queen, but she isn’t the boss of me.

My eyes scanned the gathered crowd and settled on a head of flame-red hair.

I grinned to myself, walking over to the girl with my hand brushing the sleeve of her dark gray dress. But when she turned around to face me, I didn’t recognize her.

Of course. Eva, the other girl with red hair, who looked frighteningly like Amber.

I offered her an apologetic smile, then realized I’d better say something.

“Looking beautiful tonight,” I managed before retreating with a disarming smile.

I saw the girl’s composure slip for a mere second as she let me see a more vulnerable side to her. It was beautiful, and my smile was genuine.

Finally, I located Amber standing at the edge of the room with her friend, Zara. I’d had a good chat with Zara the previous day.

I’d wanted to get to know her better since Amber seemed to be so close to her, but I couldn’t lie to myself – it pleased me immensely to see how jealous Amber had gotten when I’d led her friend away instead of her.

A little bit of jealousy put fire in her, and I fucking loved how riled up she got.

Our eyes met across the room and she parted her lips in a surprised o-shape that was soon replaced by a delighted smile. I winked at her, smirking before returning my attention to my mother.

In a few minutes, we’d all sat down around the large, intricately cut oak table, and the servants started coming out with the first course of our meal.

I’d been forced to sit next to my mother, with Freya taking the seat next to me, and Asya, the Turkish princess, the one opposite me.

I kept glancing at Amber, but she kept her distance, sitting a few seats down from me. I guess it wasn’t fair to the other girls to keep picking her as a favorite… but how the fuck was I supposed to help myself?

That night especially, Amber looked like a fucking vision.

She wore a midi-length dress with thin spaghetti straps, the top of the dress draping across her bust and exposing the top of her décolletage in beautiful cobalt blue silk. The bottom of the dress was down to her knees in a gorgeous fluid fabric that elongated her limbs. She’d paired it with simple thin-strapped black suede sandals, and a white faux fur stole draped over her creamy shoulders. Her hair was down… and now I was staring, and my mother had caught on.

I glanced at her, seeing her displeasure right away.

“Enjoying dinner, Mother?” I asked in a perfectly pleasant voice.

“Very much,” she replied, tight-lipped.

A felt a sliver of remorse, realizing maybe I’d been too harsh on her.

She was controlling, but she did only want the best for me, and I could hardly blame her for that.

Of course, the moment I considered moving on, she piped up with another concern.

“Speak to Asya,” she bit out at me when no one was listening. “She’s the next best thing after Stephanie. A princess, Olivier! That’s exactly what this castle needs.”

She gave me a long look imploring me to do what she said, but my rebellious streak made me want to defy her.

I turned to Freya instead, who seemed delighted at the prospect of my company.

We chatted for a while and I got to know her better, finding out she came from a family of three siblings, all boys. She spoke about her brothers with affection, and I liked how obvious it was that she was perfectly capable of taking care of herself.

I liked an independent woman. It was that much sweeter to watch her submit for me.

“Olivier,” my mother interrupted, and I turned my eyes to her. She gave me another imploring look, glancing between myself and Asya, and I swallowed the reply I really wanted to give her.

I turned my attention to Asya and engaged her in conversation.

She was beautiful, but then again, weren’t they all?

Asya’s features reminded me of a porcelain doll, all big eyes and plump, pouty lips. Her skin looked like china and she smiled so prettily I wanted to capture every moment her lips turned up.

If I was being completely honest with myself, I had to admit I was very much enjoying my time with her.

But I didn’t want to give her false hope. I already knew who would be left standing at the end of the competition.

Once our conversation ended, I gave her a smile and returned to my meal, but my mother wouldn’t have any of it.

She turned to face me again, impatiently touching my hand with her cool fingers laden with expensive rings.

“Olivier,” she reminded me again. “Ask Asya about her country’s history. There’s so much to learn about Turkish culture… Not quite as brutish as I’d imagined!”

She laughed, and Asya returned a nervous smile, though I could tell she was uncomfortable.

And suddenly I’d had enough.

Enough of my mother’s cloying presence, enough of her demands to pick a wife she approved of. It was my path, my journey to take, and I would end up with the woman she’d clearly despised from the beginning, however much she might try to dissuade me from it.

“I need some air,” I growled, pushing my chair back, much to the annoyance of my mother.

“Stay,” she insisted. “They’re almost ready with the next course. I ordered them to serve quail eggs, Olivier – your favorite!”

“I’ll be back shortly,” I ground out without quite meeting her eyes.

I felt her gaze on the back of my neck as I made my way out of the room. She was angry, but I’d deal with that later.

For now, I just needed to get some air. Get away from the presence of my overbearing mother.

My thoughts were everywhere, scattered and leaving me wondering about what my purpose was in this fucking charade of a competition.

It was obvious who I wanted to pick, though my mother seemed hell-bent on preventing it from happening. But we both knew the choice would be mine in the end, no matter how hard she tried to convince me otherwise.

I walked down the dimly lit hallway, not knowing where I was going. I just wandered the halls of the castle until my angry thoughts simmered down to a quiet rage. But at least it was the kind of emotion I knew how to control, and I was grateful that I’d managed to keep a lid on it.

I heard noises coming from ahead of me – whimpers and whispers that were suddenly interrupted by a muffled cry.

All my senses were on high alert as I rounded the corner and came across a situation that made my blood boil.

A woman was standing against the wall, with a male figure looming over her. He had his palm pressed against her mouth, effectively muffling her cries for help. She was struggling against him, but he paid it no mind, his strong hands making sure she couldn’t move an inch.

Rage overwrote any other emotion I was feeling, and then the unthinkable happened. Moonlight coming through the window illuminated the woman’s form and her hair glinted red in the darkness.

Amber!

“Hey!” I shouted, and the male figure froze as I strode closer. “Get your fucking hands off her!”

In a flash, the male figure disentangled himself from the woman. I was too far away to stop him, and before I could run after the guy, Amber collapsed against the wall. I reached her just in time to stop her fall, my arms cradling her body against mine, holding her up.

It took me a second to calm down and realize the woman in my arms wasn’t Amber at all.

It was Eva, the Dutch beauty whom I’d chosen to be part of the competition solely because of her resemblance to my favorite girl.

She was barely conscious, her eyes fluttering open and closed so fast I wasn’t sure whether she could see or hear me at all.

“Eva,” I said gently. “Open your eyes. You’re safe now. I’m going to make sure nobody hurts you anymore. You’re going to be okay.”

I looked after her assailant, knowing I had two choices.

I could run after the bastard, but that meant leaving Eva alone and vulnerable, and I couldn’t imagine what could happen to her in her shaky state.

I held her closer, her scent assaulting my nostrils in a mixture of vanilla and citrus. It was sharp and sweet and completely intoxicating.

Once again, her lashes fluttered open, putting me face-to-face with the most beautiful hazel eyes.

Those eyes that were a mix between brown and green and speckled with flecks that glittered in the darkness. She was exquisite…

And I was getting lost in her beauty when I should have been proving to her how much better I was than the man who’d assaulted her.

But for one second, one sick, twisted second, I understood why they stranger had cornered her.

She was unmistakably beautiful, awakening an urge deep within me that I was desperate to quiet, but failed miserably in doing so.

“Help me,” she whispered, her voice sweet, gentle and heavily accented. “Don’t let him touch me anymore.”

My hands formed fists in the fabric of her dress and I helped her to her feet.

“I won’t,” I promised her. “No one is going to hurt you. Let me help you back to the dining room.”

She looked up into my eyes, and when she did, something passed between us, a promise of something we could have together, an electric current awakening right under my skin.

I was so desperate to have more of it, to pursue this strange electricity tying me to her, but I stopped myself in my tracks, my thoughts going back to Amber.

It could have so easily been her.

As I helped Eva back to the dining room, my thoughts were dominated with images of Amber being hurt like this. Cornered like an animal, forced into submission by a taller, stronger man who could make her do anything he wanted.

Eva and I reached the dining room, and as soon as we walked into it, the quiet murmur of the conversation escalated into loud exclamations, shocked gasps, and questions were fired at us as the women surrounded us.

“What happened?” Freya cried out as she helped Eva to a chair. “What on earth happened?”

And then my mother was there, and I felt the rage returning.

“Leave her alone,” I roared at the Queen, who had already started fussing around Eva. “Just let her fucking breathe, she’s had the scare of her life.”

My mother gave me a surprised look and I was disgusted with myself when I realized she was afraid of me. I didn’t want her fear. I just wanted some respect from the woman who was supposed to want the best for me.

I scanned the crowd of girls, my eyes settling on Amber’s petite form and drinking in her curves. Thank fuck she was safe. I didn’t know what I’d do if something had happened to her.

I shifted my attention back to Eva as Chloe, one of the younger girls, rushed over with a glass of water, offering it to her friend. Eva took long, thirsty gulps of the cool liquid, and I was relieved to find the color returning to her face.

My mother approached me again, firing off questions.

“What happened? Where did you find her? Did she wander off with someone? Did she faint?”

“What happened?” I repeated. “She was fucking assaulted, that’s what happened.”

“Olivier!” My mother gasped, her expression scandalized. “Well, that’s just impossible. Who in their right mind would try to hurt one of the women? No, I refuse to believe that happened.”

“You refuse to believe it?” I stood in front of her, towering over her small but regal form, and she flinched as if I’d struck her. “It happened, right under your nose. I suggest you keep a better eye on your royal subjects around the girls, because I’ll kill anyone who tries to hurt them.”

“Olivier, calm down,” she begged me, but my rage knew no bounds and as we faced off, she seemed to sense my animosity, taking a careful step back. “It was an accident, I’m sure. Nobody would dare to touch the girls, especially with the both of us so close by.”

“I saw it with my own eyes,” I got out through gritted teeth, fully aware that we now had the attention of every woman in the room, even Eva, who was still struggling to catch her breath. “I saw a man covering her mouth and feeling her up.”

The Queen chuckled nervously, waving her hand in the air. “Nonsense, Olivier. Now please don’t cause a panic. I’m sure this is all just a misunderstanding.”

All I felt was anger. A red mist descended over my vision and I seethed at my mother.

“Believe what you want,” I growled at her. “Your attempts to cover up the truth won’t hide what really happened.”

I walked over to the girl, pressing my fingers to her wrist and feeling her pulse. Her eyes found mine, and I felt it again – that current between us, the thought that we could have something special, if only I hadn’t fallen for a woman that looked so much like her.

“Are you feeling alright?” I asked her, my voice rough with barely held-back anger. “Is there anything I can do?”

“N-No,” she stuttered. “I just want to get back to my room.”

“Of course,” I said, removing my hand from hers. Her pulse was starting to slow down to a normal rate. “Eva, did you see who attacked you?”

She shook her head and I cursed inwardly. “No. It was a man… someone taller, with dark hair. But he was hidden in the shadows… I couldn’t make out his face.”

“Do you think you’d recognize him if you saw him again?” I asked gently, and she raised those pretty eyes to mine.

“Maybe,” she whispered.

I nodded, getting up and shooting Freya a look. The ice blonde was still standing next to Eva, her eyes filled with a compassion I wouldn’t have credited her with.

“Can you get Eva back to her room?” I asked, and she responded with a quick nod. “Make sure she’s settled in and okay.”

“Of course, Your Highness,” she said, curtsying and helping Eva to her feet. The other girls watched in a trance while the two girls walked out of the room.

I turned back to my mother, “Let’s cut this dinner short. I’m going to try and find the bastard who did this.”

Even though I knew there wasn’t much hope of recognizing the man whom I’d only seen in the shadows, I wanted to get to the bottom of it all. I would find the sick bastard who’d tried to hurt Eva if it was the last thing I did.

“Olivier, don’t be silly,” my mother laughed. “We have to carry on with dinner. We’re only on the second course.”

“Are you serious?” I raised my eyebrows at her. “We can’t keep eating after what happened. I think everyone’s too shaken up, and I need to get to the bottom of this.”

“Oh, it’s nothing,” she waved her hand dismissively. “Just a spoiled girl making a big deal about something slightly unfortunate.”

I glared at her, fighting the urge to drive my fist through the wall.

“Mother,” I said icily. “The dinner is over.”

She pouted and opened her mouth to speak again but I’d had enough.

“Everyone out.”

My voice came out in the lowest of growls, and my mother had the good sense to take a step back at the sound of pure fury flowing from my mouth.

“Olivier, please…” she laughed nervously, looking around at the women gathered around us.

“Out. Fucking. NOW!”

My voice was booming in the now deathly quiet room, and a second later, sounds of shuffling and terrified whispers filled the room.

One by one, the girls left the dining hall, with my mother one of the first disappearing while muttering something to herself.

With only a few girls left, my gaze fixed on Amber. Her hair was let down, long and silky as opposed to Eva’s bouncy curls.

Only a few moments ago, I thought it was her who was in trouble. And what was stopping someone from hurting her?

Just like all the other girls, she was easy fucking prey.

She walked up hurriedly, her eyes never meeting mine as she attempted to walk out of the room. Her friend Zara rushed out a second before her, but when Amber tried to walk out, I stepped in her way, making her brush against me.

“No,” I growled, making her stop in her tracks, her body shivering as she stood her ground.

She didn’t say a word, blinking fast as she stared at the floor and my palm came to rest on her elbow.

“No,” I said again. “Not you. You’re fucking staying.”