Page 24 of The Promise Born
“You don’t have to do that.” Asante returned to me. “It’s not necessary.”
“Of course I do. If this is going to look legit, I must appear to care about what your mother thinks of me.”
“She will try to find out everything about you. I know she already has people investigating you.”
“I would expect nothing less. You are the prince, after all.”
He laid a hand on my arm, his eyes intense and unwavering as he spoke. “Are you sure you’re okay with this?”
“Of course.” I pulled away from his touch. “I’ll keep my end of the bargain, you keep yours.”
Chapter 9
Wespenttherestof our dinner talking about the queen. It was hard to shift the topic away from her.
“It’s not that I don’t love her. I adore my mother.” Asante finally admitted his true frustration with the queen. “It’s just hard to accept feeling like an afterthought my entire life and now, suddenly, because my brother is no longer here, I’m the priority.”
I didn’t comment on anything he said. I let him vent, and when he was done, he escorted me back to my room.
Despite the frustrations of the evening, something else happened. As we spoke, I noticed a shift in my response to Asante. How my eyes lingered on his lips when he spoke and how my heart fluttered when he smiled. Though I told myself not to allow it, there was a new fondness there. Even more than that.
As I bathed, cleansing the stickiness of the night from my skin, my mind repeated those sweet moments I couldn’t forget. Our hands brushing against each other when we both reached for the bread. When he wiped the wine from my chin with the napkin when I laughed mid-sip and spilled a little. Each of these brief encounters during our time together collided in my mind. Even moments before that night. When he made his promise to me.
I climbed into bed, trying to clear my mind of these thoughts, but couldn’t. And as I tried to force myself to sleep, his face and smile appeared before me. His full lips, powerful jaw, and broad chest. I couldn’t help myself. As I pictured him, wiping my chin with the napkin and licking his lips after tasting my desserts, my hand slipped between my thighs. I squeezed my eyes shut as I continued playing those moments in my mind, holding on to them as my fingers danced across my clit.
In my mind, I pictured Asante, his hand replacing mine as he hung above me. Each stroke of my finger was his own. Replaced once by his tongue and then by something more. I arched my back as I imagined him kissing me and clinched the sheets as I neared the moment of sweet relief.
“Mmm,” I moaned, biting my lip as the breeze from the open window brushed across my chest. “Yes.”
I kept going, allowing myself this release for the first time in too long, with visions of someone I claimed not to want in my mind. And when I finished, sweat once again on my skin, I smiled at the moon outside my window. At least I could walk away with something to inspire me on nights when I needed that release. Asante could be that for me, if nothing else.
Instead of Maryl knocking on my door the next morning, a trio of women greeted me. They had armfuls of fabric and makeup, ready to dress me for tea with the Queen. There would be no kitchen duty for me that morning, no treats to take to Asante. As they ushered me to the vanity to start their work, I pushed away my disappointment. Would I even see him that day? Why did it matter to me?
I considered asking if I could make my own treats for the Queen. That thought went out the window when I realized there was a chance she would recognize them. It wouldn't have been unlikely for her to have visited with the Ice Dragons in her position, and if she had, they would have served her their best dishes, including similar treats to mine.
So instead of asking for additional accommodations, I allowed these three women to take their time prepping me for the meeting. They pinned my hair up into a tight bun. Making ringlets with my locs that framed my face. If it wasn’t for it being so tight that my eyes felt like they were going to pop out of my head, I would have loved the style.
After finishing my hair and makeup, a light airy look with, they made me stand. I filled my lungs with my last breath before two women held me in place. The third then wrapped a light green corset around my waist. The accessory was a torture device that would make it impossible to breathe. How was I supposed to eat in that thing?
Instead of complaining, I endured. It was one tea, one day. I had to do my part. Make the queen like me enough to get her off Asante’s back. If I could do that, then I would have held up my end of the promise.
“You look lovely, dear.” The matron of the group spoke as she secured the final ties of the corset.
“Thank you.” I choked out.
“Just remember, he's her baby, her only baby now, so she's going to be a lot more protective of him,” she continued talking absentmindedly. “Had you come a while ago, before his brother passed, this wouldn't be so hard.”
“Yeah, they weren't banking on him being the one to continue the bloodline,” the young woman with short blonde hair spoke. “But now it’s on him. So, things are going to be a lot tougher for you here.”
“Hard to imagine having to start over now,” the matron continued. “His brother was already set to be wed soon. And she was such a sweet girl.”
“I'll keep that in mind.” It didn’t matter to me who Assante ended up with or if his mother really thought I was worthy of continuing their bloodline. My womb wouldn’t be a part of the equation. I only had to keep up the show for a little while longer. “Is there anything else I should know about her? Anything she likes?”
“Hmm, our queen loves humor, but when it is proper. She likes patience and someone who listens.” The advice sounded more like a warning.
“Right.” I nodded. All I heard was to keep my jokes to myself and don’t rush her. Good enough.
“Don't let these two old ladies get you all upset about this.” The woman I assumed was the youngest spoke. “It's going to be fine. If Asante likes you, I'm sure the Queen will as well. Like they said, she's just overly protective right now, and she wants to make sure he ends up with someone good for him.”
