Page 22 of Royal Captive
“Stop glaring at him and move,” the guard growled into my ear, his lips so close to my skin I shivered.
My legs moved of their own volition as the guard, Alihandro, took control, one hand gripping my upper arm tightly and steering me past the stairs, and this time, toward the east side of the manor. His other hand hovered around my neck, resting around my collarbone. Neither of us spoke until the hallway ended, and a massive set of doors stood in front of us. Taking the hand from my neck, Alihandro shot me a warning glance and made a series of patterned knocks on the door I wouldn’t be able to repeat if my life depended on it.
The door cracked open, then was thrown wide by a woman dressed in a gauzy fabric with tinkling gems around her waist and bare midriff. She was only half-dressed! Had she been in bed? The smell of roses and lavender floated around me as Alihandro tugged me forward. Tones of red, orange, purple, and gold assaulted me. A massive open room ahead of us was overwhelmed with the pillows and low couches everywhere.
“Alihandro! You bad boy! We missed you last night!” The woman put a finger on his lips, her own pushed forward in a pout. Her hand went to skim her hip as she leaned forward, giving him a generous view of her cleavage. Which she didn’tneed to do, since her breasts were already practically tumbling out of her low-cut top.
Alihandro gave her an apologetic grin, absolute sin glinting in his silver eyes. “Sorry, sweetness. Got held up. You know how it is.” He gestured to me and the woman’s sugary smile evaporated.
“This one was requested specifically by Cassus. Can you—”
The woman’s nose went up in the air. “I can’t, actually. Druella is miscarrying, and it’ll be all hands on deck to clean up in time. Stella needs her hem mended, and Aubrey—”
Alihandro held up his hands in surrender. “I get it, I get it.” He paused, shooting her a mischievous grin. “If you want me around more, just say so. You don’t need to make up excuses.”
The woman’s eyes narrowed playfully even as a woman’s scream erupted from deep within the rooms. I flinched.
“Trust me, I’d much rather doll this lamb up for the slaughter than deal with … all of that mess.” She sighed. “We all have our roles. You’ve been here long enough that I’m sure you can handle it. And if she’s not up to his standards, at least I won’t get punished.”
Alihandro grinned. “Always a charmer.”
The woman rolled her eyes at him and disappeared into the depths of the suites. Hopefully she could help that poor woman. Hearing her increasingly louder cries of pain wasn’t doing anything for my nerves.
“Right. We’ll just use Cassus’s private room. I’m sure he won’t mind.”
Sure. Fine. Anything to get away from the screaming.
Alihandro led me toward the back where the other woman had gone, but then veered off right where the woman had gone straight. How big was this suite? The giant room we’d just left led to this hall, where no less than eight doors greeted us!Alihandro picked the second one from the left and opened it, ushering me inside.
A large, open bedroom lay before us, complete with a balcony tied with fluttering silks. It was out of a dream—something no castle in our kingdom had certainly ever seen! Everything was smooth, white stone.
“There’s a bathing chamber on the right, but you won’t have time for that now. This entire wing is Cassus’s private suite. He has hand selected you to be here and not shared in the main parlor.”
He paused as if expecting me to fall to my knees in gratitude. Instead, I stared, and after an awkward moment, he cleared his throat. “Change in there. I’ll fetch you some clothes.”
I frowned and glanced down at what I was wearing. He’d pry Shyllon’s cloak from my cold, dead hands.
A dark eyebrow rose. “These clothes are yours for when you aren’t on duty. Just fold them when you change, and we’ll tuck them away in the cabinet here, see? I won’t even touch them.”
He indicated the large wardrobe behind me, which looked to be made of wood but was a purplish color I’d never seen before.
“Though most of the girls are here full time and not off-duty. You can use it for when you go on the grounds, then. I’m sure you’ll need it again for something.”
Was he trying to convince me, or himself?
He opened the purple-tinted wardrobe and went digging. Gauzy, bright scraps of fabric wisped over his shoulders as he searched.
“Do you really want me to pick? I’ve been told my taste is … lavish.”
Considering I had no idea what the fuck was going on, that was just fine with me. I crossed my arms over my chest, and Alihandro turned his attention back to the clothing.
“Ah, this would go well with your coloring.” He tucked out a deep royal purple dress and held it out to me.
I eyed it warily, noting the long skirt and open midriff. It could be worse, right? I snatched it from his hands and fled to the bathroom.
Alihandro’s voice followed me, even if his footsteps didn’t. “And try to hurry.”
Irritation shot through me as I closed the door, ensuring it locked behind me. “Why?” I shot back.
