Page 34 of Wingless Crow: Part 1

A tall woman stood to the right of the throne. In the changing lighting of the room, her dark-green skin shimmered with blue and purple. Her violet hair was styled in spirals and spikes that fanned out like a halo around her head. The creamy, flowing dress she was wearing exposed her left shoulder and breast. The skin just above her areola was painted with a flowery rosette with the ornate letters P and T in the middle.

A man with dove-gray wings was hugging her from behind, kissing her neck. She stroked the man’s arm and nodded to the king approvingly. She then turned her head to the man behind her to catch one of his kisses on her lips.

Most people around us acted just as affectionate with each other as these two. Many did even more, crossing the line of what would be considered an appropriate public behavior. A woman on the top stair to the left of the throne straddled a man’s lap. She giggled as he slipped a hand under her skirt. Another couple reclined just a step below them. The man caressed the woman’s bare breast as she played with his long, red hair.

Moans reached me from above, where couples fluttered between the rafters. Men and women chased each other, stealing kisses and more.

The king ran his hand down my arm, then moved it under my left breast. I held still, willing my body to relax. He lifted my breast, weighing it in his hand.

“Fascinating.” He traced a line of the golden design through the scarf over my chest.

I dug my feet in, forcing them not to shuffle away. Voron’s inspection should’ve prepared me for things getting physical between the king and me. But with Voron, it had been easier somehow. He’d warned me in advance what to expect from that inspection. He’d said he wouldn’t touch me, and he’d stayed true to his words.

With the king, I had no idea what to expect. Was I supposed to accept this? I saw no way to refuse him. They said I had to impress him, only I didn’t know what he found impressive. This felt like an interview for a job, when I didn’t know exactly what the job was.

What was I supposed to be? The king’s girlfriend? His mistress? What did he mean by calling me his “present?”

Did it give him the right to take me to his room tonight? What if he went ahead and made love to me right here, in front of his guests? It didn’t seem that far-fetched, considering that some couples around us appeared to be there already, moaning and gyrating against each other.

I had no memories, no frame of reference that would work here, and no personal experience to go by. All I had were my feelings. And they betrayed me. The king was gorgeous, surprisingly easy-going, and fun. His fascination with me should be flattering. But something unsettling pulsed in my chest.

Maybe it was just my nerves getting the best of me.

The royal hand traveled up, gently brushing over my nipple. He stroked my bottom lip with his thumb.

“You have such kissable lips, sweet thing.” He pinched my chin between his thumb and his finger, bringing me closer.

His warm mouth landed on mine in a light caress. The kiss was barely a peck, just a taste, as he eased me closer to him. My eyelids dropping closed, I inhaled a lungful of his scent. He smelled fresh and warm with a hint of pine, like sunshine in a forest.

My eyes remained closed even after he’d pulled back, which made him laugh.

“How are you so cute?” he mused. “Do I blind you? You can open your eyes, sweetie.”

Hooking an arm around my middle, he pulled me into his lap.

“You’re staying right here, with me, tonight,” he announced. “I don’t want you to leave my side.”

I folded my hands on top of my thighs, awkwardly pressing my shoulder into his chest.

He laughed again.

“You’re too stiff. Go ahead, hug me.” He took my arm closest to him and draped it around his neck. “I allow it.”

I carefully moved his shimmering locks aside, afraid I’d pull at them, then twined my arm over his shoulder and around his neck. Despite his permission, I remained rigid, afraid to lean into him too much or unwittingly get too close for his comfort.

All the while, I furtively studied the most powerful man in the kingdom.

The butterfly wings on his robe were real. When I touched one, my finger came back dusted with a delicate shimmer.

Up close, I realized, the tall spikes on his head weren’t a part of his golden crown. King Tiane sported a full rack of antlers growing directly from his head. They gave him a truly majestic look, making the circlet of golden thorns gracing his head rather unnecessary. Painted with silver and adorned with beads and gemstones, his antlers looked like a crown on their own.

A servant with sleek black wings approached the dais, carrying a tray in his hands. He flew up to the throne.

“The first course of the evening meal, Your Majesty.” He extended the arm with the tray toward the king. “Doe cheese soufflé.”

There was a single plate on the tray, with a small, pale blob whipped into an aesthetically pleasant shape of a wave on it. A tiny silver spoon with an ornate handle laid next to it.

“Lovely.” The king grabbed the plate with one hand. Since his other arm remained wrapped around my waist, he handed the plate to me to hold.

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