Page 79 of A Crown of Lies

“Because it’s my private sanctuary,” Rowan said, coming back to where Ieduin sat.

Ieduin hesitated. “Really? I’ve been intruding all this time?”

“Not intruding. You’re welcome here. The castle staff was instructed before your arrival that you should have access to all the best amenities of the castle. There is no room in my castle that’s off limits to either of you.” Rowan stopped behind Ieduin and started rubbing his shoulders.

Rixxis hadn’t known that. She was too polite to go snooping around the palace. Most of the time.

She turned away, searching for something, anything, to stare at besides the two of them. Standing there with them, knowing what was about to happen, was awkward. Maybe this was a bad idea. It wasn’t proper to watch two other people be intimate, was it? Maybe she should go.

“Rixxis…” Rowan left Ieduin’s side and came over to her, taking her hand. “You weren’t thinking of leaving, were you?”

She glanced at the door they’d come through. “I could just wait inside with Hamlet.”

The little pig had followed them down, but Rowan had promptly put him back inside to keep him from interrupting them. Apparently, Hamlet loved swimming and baths.

“You’re welcome to do that if you wish,” Rowan said, sounding disappointed. “But I would like it better if you stayed. It’s so rare I get to teach a beginner. I think you’d regret it, too. The curiosity would nag at you.”

She sighed. He was right, and she knew it. “It’s just so terribly… awkward.”

“It doesn’t have to be.”

Ieduin stood and pulled his tunic over his head. “If it helps, look at it this way, Rixxis. You’ve already seen me naked plenty of times, and I’m way more interesting to look at than Rowan.”

Rowan’s lip curled. “Who says?”

“I says,” Ieduin said. “You don’t have a cock piercing. Besides, you two are getting married eventually, right?” He winked at her. “Think of this as getting to sample the goods before you buy.”

“I’m not sure that helps,” she said with a frown.

Rowan took her hand and placed it on his chest. “I’m just a man, Rixxis, made of the same skin, the same bone, as any other. The same blood flows through my veins as yours. Feel that? The beating of my heart? One day, it will cease, and when it does, when the last breath leaves my lungs and I travel into whatever waits in the next, I want to do it knowing I lived unapologetically unafraid. What we are doing here tonight isn’t about pain and pleasure. It’s about being alive. About stripping away the false pretenses we put on for other people and being who we are without fear or restriction. This is us, at our most honest. But the truth can terrify, too. Stay only if you’re sure you’re ready for it.”

She focused on where her hand rested over his heart. Even such a simple touch would have been a scandal in Qet. But she wasn’t in Qet anymore, and she would never have to return. She’d agreed to be this man’s wife. As far as marriages went, she could certainly do worse.

Besides, what was there to be afraid of? Ieduin and Rowan clearly cared about each other, and he wouldn’t hurt her. The worst possible way the night could end was with her alone and full of regret. That could only happen if she left.

She swallowed and met his eyes. “The world could do with a little more honesty these days.”

“Will you stay?” Rowan’s eyebrows lifted expectantly.

She nodded to the steaming bath beyond. “As long as I get to soak in that? Absolutely.”

Rowan sprouted a wide grin and kissed her cheek. “You’re welcome to join us at any point. Right Ieduin?”

“Hell yeah,” Ieduin said.

She blushed at how excited he sounded to have her there, but why wouldn’t he be? Maybe there was nothing at all embarrassing about any of this. They were just three people who cared about each other, enjoying each other’s company on an otherwise uneventful, lonely night.

Rixxis took a deep breath. “When does it start?”

“We’ve already started,” Rowan said, coming to stand behind Ieduin. He tipped Ieduin’s chin up with a finger, smiling down at him. “We started in the dining room, didn’t we?”

Ieduin’s cheeks reddened.

Rowan released him, unlacing Ieduin’s pants. “Let’s go over tonight’s rules, shall we? Rules, Rixxis, are the cornerstone of all interactions. They help him know what to expect, help me know how to fulfil his needs, and keep everyone safe. There are, of course, a few universal rules.”

“Like what?” she asked.

“Stops and safe words, for one.” Rowan pushed Ieduin’s pants down past his hips. Ieduin was already half hard, but Rowan didn’t seem to notice or care as he helped Ieduin out of his clothes. “Anyone can use them at any time without fear of retaliation. If you ever play with anyone else, you’ll have to learn theirs, but I like to use a color system.”

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