The Cruel Prince's Wrath

Chapter 17

Prince Moray was a man of his word in that he had refreshed himself and not even touched a drop of alcohol, he was clean shaven once more and his hair was in his usual clean waves as he made his way to Gilda’s chambers to fulfil his husbandly duties. She had already successfully managed to have Zia assigned as her personal handmaid and now it was up to Prince Moray to provide her with a child. He knocked on her door and she called for him to enter. He stepped inside and was relieved to see that Zia was nowhere to be seen. He looked around to see Gilda in her nightdress lighting some candles, her hair was loose trailing down her back in thick, soft waves. He was a little taken back by her beauty, he had not really thought much about it before, but she certainly had a gentle beauty. He quickly closed his mouth realising it was agape. She looked nervous and he began to feel nervous too.

“I… have never laid with a man before, Moray, I would… only ask that you be gentle,” she said looking a little shy as opposed to the confident outspoken woman making propositions in his own chambers. He found it quite endearing.

“You look… beautiful,” he said, and she smiled.

“And you look acceptable,” she replied with a slight grin and he was pleased with her cheekiness relieving any tension. She smiled awkwardly now and began to play with the tassel holding her nightdress around her breasts.

“I do not… find men appealing, Moray, so if I do not enjoy this then please do not hold it against me or yourself,”

“No, we are doing this to conceive a child as you requested, we are married, and I was very hard on you to begin with for something that was not your fault. Our parents forced this upon us, neither of us wanted this,” he replied.

“I knew eventually I would be forced to marry, and I could have done worse,” she said finally untying the knot of her night dress tassel. He also slipped off his shirt and Gilda moved towards the bed letting her night dress fall off her, he removed his trousers and hurried towards her and they both climbed upon the bed.

“Are there rules? Like… against kissing or… caressing?” he asked before they started.

“I… do not want any of those,” she said.

“Alright, only the act of s*x,” he replied, and she nodded as they went to proceed.

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Zia had been dismissed by her new mistress, wife to her lover Prince Moray, she knew the reason and she knew it could not be helped. Zia had some time to herself and she decided to sneak into the prince’s chambers, nobody saw her. She could smell his scent in the room, it was no longer much of a comfort to her and yet still smelled the same as he always did. She had noticed he was sober again; he had also tried to speak with her on more than one occasion, but she was always mid duties and avoided his efforts. Zia did not feel welcome in this kingdom with the humans any longer and she did not feel safe either. She sat at Moray’s desk which was tidy and clean, and she rubbed her stomach where she once carried their baby. She still felt the devastation of that loss, but she knew having a life with Moray, a human prince was simply a dream. She did still love him, but she also felt distant from him not only in the physical sense but also emotional and spiritual sense. She tucked a loose strand of her red hair behind her pointed elven ear and pulled a piece of paper from the desk, then dipped the quill in one of the ink pots and began a letter to Prince Moray. Words she could not speak in person. Once she was done, she stood and left his chambers no longer wanting to remain here. Once she left as she walked along the corridor, she bumped into princess Lorai and began apologising profusely.

“I am so sorry, my lady, I was…” princess Lorai looked down at her and her words were lost in her intense gaze.

“What were you doing in my brother’s rooms?” she asked.

“I was just… I wrote him a letter, saying that… well, we can no longer be, I have known this, and he needs to accept this too,” Zia said and felt tears fall.

“Why are you even still here?” Lorai asked.

“What do you mean?”

“Every human hates the elven, especially after all the losses in that battle, why do you stay? Especially since you do not even stay for my brother, now,”

“I… do not know, I think… I still like to be near him,” Zia said, and princess Lorai pulled something from her robes. It was a dagger. Zia gasped and stepped back.

“Everyone hates the elven now,” Lorai growled and the look in her eyes was pure malice and cruelty. Suddenly the princess slashed her own arm with the blade.

“Princess! What are you-“ she was interrupted when princess Lorai began screaming.

“Guards! Guards! The elf has attacked me!” she cried, and Zia knew no other option but to turn and run.