Chapter Twelve

 

 

“So, I'm your concubine?” I asked Drostan as we walked to dinner the next night.

Drostan had been true to his word and had left me alone for the entire day. It had been blissful. I spent an hour in the bath, and then the rest of my time reading fairy books and drinking fairy wine.

“What?” He frowned in confusion.

“The Sylph told me that I'm your concubine, and that's not the first time I've heard it said. You said it to your guards once,” I reminded him. “So, is that what I am?”

“It sounds better than 'sex slave.'” Drostan shrugged. “Yes, Riley, that's the term for a woman in your position, and it's a respectable one.”

So, Andras had been telling me the truth; which lent credence to the rest of his words.

“My position or the term?” I teased Drostan back.

Drostan smiled, his eyes lightening with the camaraderie of the moment. “Both are respectable, though I'm looking forward to putting you in more scandalous positions later tonight.”

“Are all fairies perverts?” I asked conversationally.

“Yes,” he said immediately and without rancor. “But we prefer to call it hedonism.”

“Ah, another polite term.”

“Yes.” He chuckled. “Just so. I—” He stopped midsentence as we entered the dining hall.

Drostan's gaze was fixed on the far end of the room, where the high table was perched on a dais. I followed his gaze and saw the Seelie man that I had only seen once before—in Drostan's bedroom. It was the man with the green hair and eyes; Sir Conall. I frowned at the tension that radiated between the two men; looking back and forth from Drostan to Conall. Conall sat casually at the high table—as if he'd always done so—and Drostan did not look pleased about it.

“What's wrong?” I whispered; casting my glance around us at the fascinated fairies who were also watching the exchange.

“Nothing,” Drostan said crisply. “Come along.”

He escorted me to the high table angrily.

“Come along, come along,” I muttered under my breath.

“Conall,” Drostan said with even more sharpness than he'd used with me.

“King Drostan,” Conall drawled and gave a half-hearted bow without standing.

Drostan helped me into a seat to the right of his throne; Conall was already seated to the left. Drostan eyed Conall as he sat.

“What are you doing here, Conall?” Drostan asked tightly.

“I have come on business for Queen Tana,” Conall said. “She has sent a missive for you.”

“The Queen of Seelie sends knights to carry her messages now?” Drostan lifted an amused brow. “Or have you been demoted?”

“I volunteered.” Conall's stare drifted to me. “I wanted to see how things were going with your new concubine.”

“She is lovely; thank you for asking.” Drostan turned away from Conall to pour me a glass of wine.

“Thank you,” I murmured.

Drostan snapped his fingers at a server, and the woman came over to fill our plates for us. As soon as there was food on our plates, the rest of the room began to dine. That was how it always went; the court waited for the King to be served before they began to eat.

“Indeed, she is very lovely,” Conall said softly.

Drostan looked at Conall sharply. “Where is the missive, Sir Conall?”

“In my guest chambers,” Conall said. “I thought we could dine first. Royal messages are best received in private.”

Drostan stretched his neck, and it made an angry cracking. I frowned; trying not to react to the exchange. But I couldn't help wondering why Drostan was allowing a knight speak to him like that.

“There's a queen?” I asked to relieve some of the tension.

“There are two kingdoms in Tirne,” Drostan said gently. “I am King of Unseelie and Tana is Queen of Seelie. Conall is a knight of Seelie.”

“Right; I remember him saying that,” I said slowly as I processed it. “The same kingdom as the Sylphs.”

“What do you know of Sylphs?” Conall narrowed his eyes at me.

“I had to stop the Goblins from attacking them yesterday,” Drostan growled at Conall. “In retribution for the Sylph attack on Garimend.”

“Garimend?” I asked.

“The Goblin village,” Conall said as he kept his eyes on Drostan.

“One of the sylphs took Riley as a hostage until I calmed the Goblins.” Drostan narrowed his eyes at Conall.

“And you allowed it?” Conall asked in horror.

“You would have preferred war?” Drostan snarled.

“This message is very important, King Drostan,” Conall said as he got to his feet abruptly. “I think you were right to want to receive it first. If you would follow me to my guest chambers, I'd be happy to present it to you.”

Conall widened his eyes at Drostan meaningfully.

“Very well,” Drostan said crisply. Then he turned to me. “I'll just be a moment, Riley.”

“Okay,” I whispered.

“You'll be fine.” Drostan kissed my cheek, stood, gave Conall a grim look, and led him out of the hall.

I fidgeted nervously as the entire court watched the men leave and then turned to look at me. I grabbed my wine and took a deep swallow as a group of women got up from their dining table and approached me.

“Fuck,” I muttered. “What now?”

They sidled over and posed in front of me; one of them leaning her elbows on the high table to get a better look at me. I glanced at the group; four women total, and all of them stunning. The one on her elbows flicked raven hair over her shoulder as she rolled her eyes.

“I told you,” she said to the others. “She's nothing special.”

“She's got pretty hair,” one of the other women said.

I tried to ignore them; they were obviously baiting me.

“Maybe she's good at sucking cock,” another woman suggested.

“Shut up, Finella!” A little man—no bigger than my hand—fell from the ceiling and landed on the table between the women and me. He pointed angrily at the woman's face. “You're jealous. All of you are. You want to be sucking Drostan's cock yourselves, but he's chosen a human over you, and that just burns your airy assholes, doesn't it?”

The women gasped, turned about, and fled.

“Yeah; that's right, run away! I can hear your loose pussies flapping as you move; it's no wonder that the King doesn't want you,” he called after them. Then he turned and looked me over. “I'd fuck you. You know; if you were my size.”

“Thanks?” I chuckled.

“You're welcome.” He prowled over to my plate and checked out the fare. “You mind if I... ?”

“Help yourself.” I waved a hand at the food. “You just saved me from a nasty altercation. Have whatever you want.”

“Thanks, sweet-lips,” he drawled. “I'm Hugo.” He bowed, and his strawberry-blond curls fell forward over his face. Then he straightened and smiled brightly; soft brown eyes glittering with mischief. “Don't worry about those bitches. As you just saw for yourself; it only takes a little courage to put them in their place.”

He unsheathed a sword and sliced a piece of potato into manageable chunks. After wiping his blade on my napkin, he sheathed it, picked up a potato chunk, and started to munch on it happily. Hugo wandered over to a butter dish and climbed onto the crystal lid. He thumped his heels on the lid as he ate and watched me.

“I'm a little out of my depth here,” I admitted.

“No shit,” he huffed. “I'll help you; I ain't got nuthin' better to do.”

“Thanks?”

“Do you always thank someone in the form of a question?” He teased me.

“Only when I'm not sure if they deserve my thanks,” I shot back.

“Oh ho!” He chortled. “We'll get along just fine. Now; your first lesson; do not let them see your fear. Fairies are like sharks; they can smell blood in the water. Bleed, and you become prey. Become prey, and you get eaten. You understand?”

“Got it.”

“Good.” He nodded. “Lesson number two; Know your role. You're a concubine now. I know that can be hard for humans to accept, but you seem to be adjusting to it faster than most. That's also good, because the ones who resist, don't last long.” He waved a hand toward the humans along the walls; being used randomly by the court. “Those are the lucky ones. The ones in the corridors or out in the courtyard—strung up for anyone to abuse—are on their way out. One more rebellion and they will be executed.”

“There are humans in the courtyard?” My eyes went wide.

“You don't want to see that,” Hugo warned me. “Just know that you have it the best out of all of them. Your new job is to make the King happy. Succeed at it, and you'll be happy too.”

“It's not like I have a choice,” I grumbled.

“You have plenty of choices,” he corrected me. “You could be bitchy, difficult, and unpleasant, or you could do as that idiot Finella suggested and suck His Majesty's cock like it's never been sucked before.”

“Charming.” I rolled my eyes.

“Hey, bitch; you'd best listen to me if you want to live through this,” Hugo snapped. “I can show you the courtyard if you don't believe me.”

My eyes widened, and I nodded.

“That's better,” he toned it down. “I really am trying to help you. This isn't your world, in case you haven't noticed. Your entire existence depends on King Drostan's favor. I suggest you keep within his good graces in any way that you can. I mean, don't go all pansy on him; show him a little backbone—he likes that. But don't be difficult either; you understand? Choose your battles—that's lesson number three; Know when to fight and when to fuck. If he wants you on your knees, and you don't want to do it; make a minor protest but give in, girl. You can make him feel your ire later, in more subtle ways. That's the trick of a courtesan.”

“A courtesan,” I murmured. “Isn't that a whore?”

“Girl, what the fuck do you think you are?”

I swallowed past the lump in my throat as chills raced over my body. He was right; I had bartered myself for my sister's life. Drostan had never minced words; he said I'd be a sex slave and that made me a whore. It just hadn't sunk in yet.

“Hey, now!” Hugo jumped off the butter dish and strode over to me. “Don't be a fucking pussy! I've been watching you, and I thought I saw something strong in you; that's why I came to your defense. So what if you're a whore? We're all whores, girl! Everyone fucks to get something; be it money, safety, love, or even just get off. It doesn't make you less of a woman or less important than any other person here. Except where King Drostan is concerned,” he amended. “Drostan is definitely more important than the rest of us. But still; you shouldn't feel ashamed to be his concubine. In fact; you should be proud. Look at those bitches!” He waved his hand around the hall at all of the venomous looks I was receiving. “They all wish they were you. Any of them would give up their status in this court just to be Drostan's plaything. But you; you're his concubine, and that holds more weight than you know. Our king chose you to be his sexual partner; only you. In our society, that's nearly unheard of.”

“What?” I whispered. “But he made it seem like this happened all the time.”

“Humans being taken to Tirne to be slaves; sure.” Hugo nodded. “Being taken to be a king's personal slave—his only slave—not so much.”

“His only slave?”

“You don't see any other girls sucking him off, do you?” Hugo huffed. “King Drostan used to have droves of concubines. Then a few months ago, he sent them all away. The whole damn court had been wondering why he did it when suddenly, he strides in with you. No explanation, no introduction; just you walking around by his side and eating from his hand. That's when we realized that he was clearing his stables to bring in a prize filly.”

“But Drostan said that he wanted me because I wouldn't be able to refuse him,” I sputtered. “He made it seem like I would be...”

“What?” Hugo lifted his little brows. “Like you would be a sex slave? You are, honey. But a king can make any woman of his court into his concubine. He didn't have to go to Earth to find a sex slave, and he sure as shit didn't need to choose you in particular. You're more special than you know.”

“Well, fuck me,” I whispered.

“Yeah; I think that was the point.”

A commotion at the end of the hall kept me from responding. It was three women and one man. The women were leading the man into the room on a chain that was attached to a collar around his neck. He was naked, human, and glassy-eyed. He was also incredibly sexy; buff, blond, and oh so beautiful. The court cheered when they saw him, and the fairy women waved grandly to the crowd as they pulled him forward.

“Oh, here we go,” Hugo huffed. “The fucking festivities are about to begin. Pay attention, Riley; this is what usually happens to humans in the Unseelie Court.”

“Yeah; I've already seen the show,” I muttered.

“You haven't seen this one,” Hugo said grimly.

With Hugo's words, a shiver went down my spine, but I continued to watch avidly as the women led the man into the center of the room. They stopped right before the high table. I had the best view in the hall.

The women started rubbing the man all over; stroking him into arousal. He moaned in delight and kissed the women when they offered him their lips. The court cheered them on, and soon the foursome was completely naked and writhing on the floor. One woman was spread over the man's face; grinding her pussy against his eager mouth. Another woman rode his cock, and the last one sucked his balls.

I swallowed past a dryness in my throat.

The woman riding the human man began to shift. Scales burst along her skin, claws extended from her fingers, and a tail sprouted from her back. The woman licking his balls moved away with a grin. It was to make room for the pointed tip of the snake-woman's tail, which angled down—between the man's legs—and slid into his ass. He cried out in ecstasy as the snake-woman fucked him in two ways at once.

The fairies of the court were on their feet; clapping and calling out suggestions to the women. The snake-woman came with an undulating motion and a low scream. Shortly afterward, the woman riding the man's face moaned out her pleasure. As the face-rider climbed off, the last woman laid back and spread her legs. The man fell on her savagely; thrusting into her like he was possessed. The other two women closed in around the copulating couple and rubbed themselves against the man. Then they invited the members of the court to join them.

A tall, thin, fairy man went forward; removing his hard member from his pants as he walked. One woman spread the human man's ass cheeks as the other rubbed her hand over her pussy and then over the fairy man's cock. Both women watched avidly as the fairy male slid his lubricated cock up the man's ass. The human man kept pumping into his partner as the fairy man took up a solid position; letting the human drive himself back on his cock every time he pulled out of the woman.

As both men came, the snake-woman slunk forward and bit the human's neck. The fairy man pulled out and tucked himself into his pants before he resumed his seat—beside a woman who kissed his cheek as if he'd done an amusing trick. But the human man began to scream as his skin blackened. The other women pulled away, but the snake-fairy latched on tighter and rubbed herself against the man as he cried. She shouted out in pleasure as the human finally went still.

“Fuck you, Andra!” One of the other women growled. “You always kill them too soon! We weren't finished with him yet.”

“Sorry,” the snake-woman said in a tone that belied her statement. “I can't control myself when I'm aroused; you know that.”

“That's some stink snake shit!”

The women argued their way out of the hall; scooping up their clothing angrily as they went. The human's corpse was left behind; but not alone. A pack of shaggy, black dogs—the size of Shetland ponies—came snarling around the tables and began to tear apart the body.

I turned away with a shudder.

“Don't look,” Drostan whispered as he pulled me to my feet. He angled me into the curve of his chest and held my head there. “I'm sorry; I didn't know what they were planning. Come with me, Aja; I'll take you back to the royal suites, and we can have dinner brought there.”

All I could do was nod.

“You're coddling her, King Drostan,” Conall said sternly.

“She's mine to coddle, Sir Conall,” Drostan snapped before he led me away.