The Emerald Prince (5 page)

Elliot sat at the head table next to Blaine. Everyone else sat at smaller round tables, as if the pair were on display. As Elliot chewed his “wedding feast” his eyes fell upon his sister who had chosen to sit alone, in a distant corner. Her protector stood over her while she slipped the occasional bite of food under her veil.

She often criticized Elliot’s disdain for duty, calling him selfish, immature, and undeserving of the crown he refused to wear. Yet, he had sacrificed his love and happiness for the prosperity of the kingdom. The irony of him choosing that moment to act like a prince was not lost on him.

From the corner of his eye, he noticed Blaine smiling at him. The man hadn’t stopped smiling since the ceremony. Elliot couldn’t fathom why Blaine was so happy. Physically, he was no more attractive than his sister, and when it came to temperament, she was unquestionably his superior. Elliot was quick to anger and laughed when it was inappropriate. Being the Crown Prince had made him selfish and spoiled. But Victoria was steady. Dependable. Other than a prudishness she would have undoubtedly shed after marriage, she was the better choice. Love would have grown easily between them. Elliot doubted he’d ever do more than imitate the feelings expected of him. Blaine had made the wrong choice.

Elliot made every effort not to look in Zariya’s direction. The pain was too fresh, too raw, and the sight of her renewed the sting of what he’d lost. But it was harder not to look than to endure the pain of seeing her face. A face he could never again touch. He knew if she had faltered, if her eyes were red with tears, he’d damn his vows, damn the kingdom, and damn his immortal soul and run away with her.

But she wasn’t crying. She was laughing. A nobleman at her table seemed to be telling a very animated story, and she was engrossed in it, just like the others. She must have felt Elliot’s eyes on her, because she turned. Still smiling as brightly as the morning rays, she lifted her goblet to him, a toast to his new life.

Before he knew it, the evening had worn down, and it was time for Elliot and Blaine to make their grand exit. People applauded and threw rose petals as they headed down the hall to a nearby room set up for them to solidify their bond. Two priest and a scribe stood at the foot of the bed to make sure everything was handled properly.

Elliot stood on the far side of the bed, unclasping the hooks of his jacket. He’d fortunately never been the shy type. In his estimation, the hardest part was over. He stood in the center of everything his people held sacred and made a bunch of promises he knew he couldn’t keep. This, on the other hand, was just sex.

As he leaned down to pull off his boots, he caught a glimpse of Blaine in all his glory. He wondered how the sun had kissed his skin so evenly, unless the knight spent a great deal of time on the battlefield with no pants on. But his labors had served him well. Blaine was perfectly sculpted. A body more apt for marble than flesh. Elliot found himself becoming envious.

Once he was undressed, he climbed under the covers, meeting Blaine in the center of the bed. There was a moment of awkwardness. The kind of awkwardness one can only know when expected to make love to a near stranger while under the harsh gaze of other strangers. A privilege usually reserved for nobles and prostitutes.

The thought brought a smile to Elliot’s lips, which must have been invitation enough for Blaine, because he leaned in and kissed him. At first Elliot tensed, not expecting the kiss, but then he remembered why they were there and reciprocated.

The knight’s lips were softer than Elliot would have imagined. And he applied just the right amount of pressure. When Blaine slipped his tongue into Elliot’s mouth, the prince didn’t resist one bit. So far, Blaine had proved himself to be quite adept at kissing, and Elliot was curious how far this skill went. As Blaine’s kisses moved from his mouth to his neck, and his hands kneaded Elliot’s flesh making him groan, he realized the knight’s skill went pretty damn far.

Elliot rolled onto his back as Blaine worked his way down his body, licking a trail across his skin. When the knight took him into his mouth, Elliot clutched the sheets on either side, somehow fearing he would fall. To say the man was skilled was an understatement. Never in Elliot’s life had he been so perfectly handled, not even by….

The image of her face filled his thoughts, making his chest tighten. That last night they’d spent together. Had it only been two days? It seemed like so much longer.

Elliot bit his bottom lip, trying not to moan as Blaine continued to pleasure his body while his mind was in turmoil. To enjoy the touch of this man he barely knew, more than his beloved? A tear rolled down his face, hitting his ear.

Blaine snaked his way back up Elliot’s body, resting his weight on the prince’s chest. When their eyes met, Blaine’s lusty grin faded. “What’s wrong?”

Elliot wiped the wetness from his eyes. “It’s nothing. I’m fine. You can keep going.”

Blaine sat up. “But you’re crying. Did I hurt you?”

The prince shook his head. “I said it was nothing.” He pressed himself against Blaine, trying to kiss him, trying to end the conversation and just get everything over with. More than anything, he just wanted to sleep. A short reprieve from his thoughts.

But Blaine grabbed him by the arms and stopped his advance. “I’m not doing anything until you tell me why you’re crying.”

Elliot searched for a plausible excuse. He was nervous about the priests watching. He was so caught up in the moment it brought him to tears. But in the end, he couldn’t bring himself to utter a lie. So he just sat there in Blaine’s grip. His eyes averted from his questioning stare.

Blaine released him and climbed out of bed. He grabbed his pants and stabbed his legs into the holes.

“Where are you going?”

“To bed.”

“But we haven’t…”

“And we won’t. Not until you tell me what’s bothering you. I don’t know why you think your feelings matter so little that I should ignore your tears and just continue. But I vowed to cherish you, and I’m going to do exactly that.”

“But if we don’t become one, isn’t that breaking a vow too?”

Blaine, now fully dressed, grabbed Elliot’s chin and planted a quick kiss on his lips. “We will be one. When you’re ready. After all, you have your vow to keep, too.”

Elliot watched as Blaine left the room. The two priests and the scribe whispered among themselves with no idea what to do. They turned to Elliot for guidance. The prince pulled the covers over his head and pretended to sleep. There would be hell to pay in the morning once the king found out.

Chapter Nine

Sex was something Elliot never had a problem with, and from what little he’d done with Blaine, he knew the knight was more than capable lover. So why was his wedding night such a dismal failure? The only thing worse than failing to consummate one’s marriage was having to explain that failure to your father and several of his advisors.

Elliot stood before his father in the throne room, practically on trial for something that wasn’t his fault. Yes, he was the one that started crying, but he told Blaine to keep going. The knight was the one that abandoned him. He should have been the one standing in front of the king trying to explain himself.

“Your entire life, I’ve let you do whatever you’ve wanted. I’ve never asked you to do anything for your crown, for your people, except this. Do you understand the consequences here? Entia will not survive if you can’t make this alliance work.”

“Father, I tried. Believe me, I tried. He walked away. What was I supposed to do? Wrestle him to the bed and hold him down?”

“If necessary!”

Elliot’s mouth fell open.

The king brushed his hand across his face. “I don’t mean that. I just mean, we’ve gone through so much. We’ve sacrificed so much. It can’t all be for nothing. Tell me what you need to make this happen.”

I need to forget about what I’ve lost, so I can do what I must.

“Maybe some time away. Some time away from the castle so that I can clear my head.”

“But if you just leave, the Ryndens will be insulted, and we’ll be back where we started.”

“Yes, you’re right. But there must be some diplomatic mission you can send me on. Some excuse we can give for my absence.”

One of the king’s advisors spoke up. “What about the issue with Storm’s Edge? He could go down with the reinforcements. Then it would simply look like he was representing you in the conflict.”

“There is trouble with the Ghas?” This was the exact kind of thing they’d all feared. With Entia already on the verge of civil war, the last thing they needed was to have their borders threatened with a Ghas invasion.

“No, I don’t want him that close to the fighting,” the king said.

“Please, Father, let me go. It will give me the chance to breathe, and at the same time, I can help. We can’t afford a full-fledged attack from the Ghas right now. Not when we aren’t even sure how much of our military is even loyal to us.”

The king gave a reluctant nod.

“Thank you, Father.” Elliot turned and left before his father could think too much on what he was agreeing to. Finally, Elliot would be allowed some modicum of freedom. Heading to a warzone, with the king’s authority to settle disputes, Elliot couldn’t have been more thrilled. He needed to tell Zariya.

When he found her, she was in her chambers looking at bolts of silk with a Fezami dressmaker. Her face lit up at the sight of him.

“Elliot!” She pushed the dressmaker out the way and took the prince’s hands into her own. Part of Elliot was disappointed that she seemed her usual self. Part of him wanted her to feel as wrecked over the entire thing as he did. But maybe she was telling the truth when she said she had no problem becoming his second wife.

“I’ve just come to tell you that I’m leaving for Storm’s Edge in the morning.”

Zariya tilted her head to the side. “Why is that?”

“I’m sure you heard about what happened with Blaine and me. I need some time alone. Time to clear my head.”

Zariya dropped his hands and turned away. “In other words, you’re embarrassed and don’t want to face him again, so you’re running away.”

“No, it’s not that at all. You don’t understand. How can I be with him while I’m thinking about you?”

She turned back around. “Elliot, my love, this is not the end of us, merely a delay. Do your duty as a faithful husband, and everything will work out for the best.”

“Things can’t work out for the best. Not when they are already so messed up.”

Zariya stepped closer to Elliot, cupping his cheeks. “Don’t let fear stand in the way of happiness.”

Elliot had no idea what she was talking about, so he just stared at her questioningly.

“Take Blaine with you to Storm’s Edge.”

“No, I can’t. How could I do that?”

“He’s your husband now. His place is by your side. The two of you need time to get to know one another.”

Elliot shook his head. “No, I need time alone. I don’t want to take him.”

Zariya sighed. “I adore you, Elliot, but you make everything so difficult.”

Chapter Ten

“How could you do this to me?” Lord Rynden paced back and forth, his face red and strained, reminding Blaine of an overripe fruit. He was beyond angry. He looked as if his blood was boiling over to the point where he’d explode, covering the room in little red pieces of Father.

“He didn’t want me. Are you suggesting I rape my husband? My prince?”

“The priests said you were the one that left! That he told you to continue but you refused!”

“Father, he was in tears. I couldn’t just keep going.”

“You think your mother didn’t cry on our wedding night? Of course she cried, it hurt!”

“We hadn’t gotten that far!” Blaine wasn’t even sure who would be getting that far. He thought Elliot was letting him take the lead only to discover the prince was somewhere else. Blaine’s fist clenched at the memory. He wanted more than anything to know what brought Elliot to tears. He couldn’t fix it if he didn’t know what was wrong.

Blaine stood toe to toe with his father. His own frustration began to rise, causing him to meet his father’s ire with his own. Like a fire set to extinguish another, Lord Rynden seemed to sense his son’s building rage and backed off. “I know you weren’t happy about our reasons for doing this. So I agreed to use your plan, even though I don’t think it has the same chance of success.”

“Plan?” Blaine’s anger was replaced with confusion.

“Zariya came to me. She told me about your plan to marry Elliot instead. It’s safer than mine. As long as a Rynden sits on the throne, that’s all that matters to me.”

Blaine plopped down on the couch, scratching his head. “But with Elliot and I married, the crown will pass to Victoria’s first born.”

His father waved him off. “That’s being handled with the slave.”

The slave? Blaine seemed to have no knowledge of
his
plan whatsoever. He was about to ask for more details when there was a knock at the door.

Princess Zariya slipped inside and greeted them with a smile. “I’m glad to see the two of you are no longer yelling at each other. I had to stop the guards from coming in several times.”

“Zariya, will you talk some sense into him?” Lord Rynden said, gesturing at his son.

Princess Zariya hooked her arm around Lord Rynden’s. “You know how the young can be sometimes. It’s best to handle these things with a gentle hand.”

Blaine’s eyes narrowed with suspicion. Those words seemed so strange coming from the princess’s lips. She looked about twenty, several years younger than Blaine. And why was her father letting her get so close to him? For all his faults, he was fiercely loyal to Blaine’s mother. Had another woman taken his arm like that, he would have pushed her away in disgust. But Blaine’s father talked to Princess Zariya as if they were old friends, even though they’d only known each other for two days.

The princess sat down next to Blaine. He cringed without fully understanding why. She took Blaine’s hand in her own. Her touch was so gentle. She looked at him, her big brown eyes shone with kindness. She understood him, wanted him to be happy. She was a dear friend. “Elliot is going to Storm’s Edge. I want you to go with him.”