Page 111 of Fated

Ash’s breath was hot against my ear as he whispered, “I want to see you in this one first,” his hand covering mine as we touched the glass. His other hand slid down my arm, igniting a trail of heat. “I want to see you inonlythis.”

My breath hitched, and my body trembled under the weight of his words.

“I want to kneel before you …” His voice dropped lower, “… while you wear nothing but this crown.” His lips grazed my ear. “I want to taste every inch of you, worship you with my mouth until you are breathless, trembling, and completely mine.”

He kissed the curve of my ear, and a deep shiver coursed through me, taking my breath away.

A knock echoed from outside the closet, startling me and snapping me back to reality.

My face flushed, and I kept my gaze locked on the glass case, letting my hair hide the burning in my cheeks. Ash stepped to my side, holding out his hand with a mischievous grin, clearly enjoying the effect he had on me. I hesitated for a moment before taking his hand, trying to compose myself as we made our way to the door.

When Ash opened it, an older male and young female servant greeted us. The girl gasped at the sight of Ash, her eyes widening in awe before she immediately bowed, dropping her head low. “Your Majesty,” she whispered, her voice trembling with reverence.

The older male servant—his warm smile never faltering—slowly bowed before Ash, but rather than bowing his head entirely, he met Ash’s gaze with affection. “My king.”

“Humphrey.” Ash’s face softened, and he stepped forward to embrace the man. “It’s good to see you, old friend.”

Turning to me, Ash introduced the man.“Areya, this isHumphrey; he’s been with me since I was a child, my most trusted servant as well as my dear friend.”

I returned his smile, already sensing the loyalty between them. “It’s a pleasure, Humphrey.”

“The pleasure is mine, Areya,” Humphrey replied, bowing his head before stepping aside.

Meanwhile, the young female servant remained standing, head bowed, her posture taut with nervous energy.

Ash’s gaze moved to her. “I don’t recognize you as one of Reize’s ladies,” he said.

“That’s correct, Your Majesty,” she began, humbly. “I was not one of Reize’s ladies. My name is Keltra, and I’ve trained my entire life to lead the ladies of the future Queen of Ambrosia.”

“Who sent you?” Ash asked.

“Your mother, Your Majesty.”

Her words caught me off guard, sending a jolt of disbelief through me. Future queen? I blinked, trying to wrap my mind around what she was saying. Nadia had sent Keltra for me? I glanced over at Ash, catching the faint, knowing smile tugging at the corners of his lips.

“Keltra, this is Princess Areya. For now, I need you to attend to her. She will be staying here in my suite, and she will need a full wardrobe for every occasion. Wherever I go, she will go. The empty side of my closet now belongs to her. Tonight, she will need something fitting for her introduction to the kingdom. Can you make that happen on such short notice?”

Keltra didn’t hesitate. She studied me intently, her eyes scanning my figure with an expert’s precision. “I believe, with just a slight alteration, something of Princess Reize’s will fit perfectly if I have permission to pull from her collection, Your Majesty.”

“Take whatever you need. Reize would be fighting to dress Areya herself if she were here.”

Keltra nodded and Ash turned back to Humphrey. “Humphrey, I want to catch you up privately while Areya uses the suite to get ready.”

Humphrey nodded in understanding. “Of course, Sebastian.”

Ash then faced me, his gaze tender. “Will you be all right? Keltra will take care of everything, and if you need anything, I’ll be right across the hall.”

Despite the whirlwind of emotions inside me, I nodded. “I’ll be fine, Ash. You go do what you need to do.”

With a final nod and reassuring squeeze of my hand, Ash left the room with Humphrey, leaving me alone with Keltra.

Her eyes were on me again, but this time, there was a gentleness, a kindness in her expression.

Keltra had a simple but pleasant face, her light brown hair pulled back into a neat, low ponytail. Her slender figure was clothed in the same gray dress and white apron the other female servants wore. She had a calming presence that put me at ease despite the overwhelming situation in which I found myself.

“Tomorrow, I will have you measured for your own wardrobe, but for tonight, I’m going to pull a few pieces from Princess Reize’s collection and be right back. Is there anything you need before I leave, Princess Areya?”

Hearing her call me a princess felt strange, like a title I wasn’t meant to wear. It made me feel like an imposter, and I couldn’t quite shake the discomfort. I cleared my throat and smiled weakly. “Um, if it’s not too much trouble, I could really use some water. And there’s no need to call me princess; Areya is fine. The title is new for me, and I’m honestly not used to it yet.”

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