suddenly. She could feel the people from one side looking her over, inspecting her. On the other side, the Prince's hot gaze seemed to burn into her skin.
She felt tingly all over and the light coating of honey between her legs was sticky... She glanced at the Prince. He was smiling as if he'd just been given a great prize. She was sure he knew about everything they had done to her. Everyone in the room most likely did. She wanted to crawl under the table and hide.
"You know nothing of what is to come?"
Jillian shook her head 'no', a little more violently than she meant to. The pearls clinked against the collar. She looked up, her eyes wide with mounting panic. The Prince was frowning at her. Sephina looked alarmed.
"Hush now, it will all be alright, I promise you. Drink your wine."
She let out a breathy laugh, feeling slightly hysterical. She sipped the wine, distracted by the bitter taste as she got closer to the bottom of the glass.
"What is that?"
"It's an aphrodisiac."
Jillian stared at the woman. The whole world had gone mad.
"It's a drug?"
"It's harmless. And you are expected to drink and eat everything they put in front of you so try and hide your reactions."
"I hate this. I hate all these rules."
She was whispering, a calm look pinned to her face. Sephina nodded approvingly.
"That's it, you are learning. Trust me, many of the rules are for your own protection."
"From what?"
"If there was not a rule about seating us separately, you would find yourself laying on that table being eaten instead of the meal."
Jillian shot her a horrified glance.
"Not literally. Oh, I'm not helping at all am I? It's just hard not to notice how he's looking at you."
Jillian slid her eyes to the Prince again. He was brooding, his eyes hard on her face. His father said something to him and he turned away momentarily.
"That's how he always looks at me. He hates me. He's just doing this to humiliate me."
Sephina raised her eyebrows at that.
"Is that what you think? I would say he hates waiting for something he wants rather badly. He's been waiting for some time from what I understand."
Jillian lifted her chin.
"Yes, he's been waiting to shame me."
"Hmmm... I wouldn't be too sure."
They ate the rest of their salads in silence, each being served another glass of wine, this one more bitter than the last. The whole room was gorging themselves on meats and pies but they just sat there with nothing in front of them. Finally they were each served a small plate of berries. Jillian watched as Sephina picked up a berry and delicately slid it between her lips.
"Use your fingers."
She did her best to imitate the other woman, certain this was part of some ritual she had to follow. She was trying to do her best, knowing how vital her compliance was. She slipped a berry between her lips and bit down, the tart flavor exploding in her mouth.
She ate each berry as Sephina did, one at a time. She looked up and the Prince was staring at her mouth, transfixed. She stopped abruptly. Sephina shook her head lightly.
"Finish them. The meal is almost over."
Jillian ate the last few berries resentfully, turning to the side so she didn't have to see the Prince watching her. It made her feel very strange, warm and jumpy at the same time.
Finally things seemed to be wrapping up. The Prince stood abruptly and two guard were quickly at her side.
"Good luck my dear. You'll be fine."
Jillian gave the woman a last searching look then stood up, staring straight ahead. She ignored the knowing glances being cast her way. She followed the guards back the way they came, taking the main staircase this time. They were going somewhere else. Maybe he'd changed his mind- maybe-
A door opened onto a huge bedroom. His room. She knew it instantly. The room was extravagantly luxurious and so masculine. A fire was burning in the enormous hearth, pillows strewn before it. There were two bottles of wine on the table
She felt tingly all over and the light coating of honey between her legs was sticky... She glanced at the Prince. He was smiling as if he'd just been given a great prize. She was sure he knew about everything they had done to her. Everyone in the room most likely did. She wanted to crawl under the table and hide.
"You know nothing of what is to come?"
Jillian shook her head 'no', a little more violently than she meant to. The pearls clinked against the collar. She looked up, her eyes wide with mounting panic. The Prince was frowning at her. Sephina looked alarmed.
"Hush now, it will all be alright, I promise you. Drink your wine."
She let out a breathy laugh, feeling slightly hysterical. She sipped the wine, distracted by the bitter taste as she got closer to the bottom of the glass.
"What is that?"
"It's an aphrodisiac."
Jillian stared at the woman. The whole world had gone mad.
"It's a drug?"
"It's harmless. And you are expected to drink and eat everything they put in front of you so try and hide your reactions."
"I hate this. I hate all these rules."
She was whispering, a calm look pinned to her face. Sephina nodded approvingly.
"That's it, you are learning. Trust me, many of the rules are for your own protection."
"From what?"
"If there was not a rule about seating us separately, you would find yourself laying on that table being eaten instead of the meal."
Jillian shot her a horrified glance.
"Not literally. Oh, I'm not helping at all am I? It's just hard not to notice how he's looking at you."
Jillian slid her eyes to the Prince again. He was brooding, his eyes hard on her face. His father said something to him and he turned away momentarily.
"That's how he always looks at me. He hates me. He's just doing this to humiliate me."
Sephina raised her eyebrows at that.
"Is that what you think? I would say he hates waiting for something he wants rather badly. He's been waiting for some time from what I understand."
Jillian lifted her chin.
"Yes, he's been waiting to shame me."
"Hmmm... I wouldn't be too sure."
They ate the rest of their salads in silence, each being served another glass of wine, this one more bitter than the last. The whole room was gorging themselves on meats and pies but they just sat there with nothing in front of them. Finally they were each served a small plate of berries. Jillian watched as Sephina picked up a berry and delicately slid it between her lips.
"Use your fingers."
She did her best to imitate the other woman, certain this was part of some ritual she had to follow. She was trying to do her best, knowing how vital her compliance was. She slipped a berry between her lips and bit down, the tart flavor exploding in her mouth.
She ate each berry as Sephina did, one at a time. She looked up and the Prince was staring at her mouth, transfixed. She stopped abruptly. Sephina shook her head lightly.
"Finish them. The meal is almost over."
Jillian ate the last few berries resentfully, turning to the side so she didn't have to see the Prince watching her. It made her feel very strange, warm and jumpy at the same time.
Finally things seemed to be wrapping up. The Prince stood abruptly and two guard were quickly at her side.
"Good luck my dear. You'll be fine."
Jillian gave the woman a last searching look then stood up, staring straight ahead. She ignored the knowing glances being cast her way. She followed the guards back the way they came, taking the main staircase this time. They were going somewhere else. Maybe he'd changed his mind- maybe-
A door opened onto a huge bedroom. His room. She knew it instantly. The room was extravagantly luxurious and so masculine. A fire was burning in the enormous hearth, pillows strewn before it. There were two bottles of wine on the table
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