Page 46 of Song of the Shadow Prince
“Look it up in a dictionary.” I dusted my dirty hands on my very expensive dress and raised my eyes to the emperor. “Apologies, Your Majesty, but may I be excused to… relieve myself?”
His lips curled in distaste, but the emperor nodded and motioned to one of the servants standing behind my table. “Escort her,” he commanded.
The servant helped me stand and quietly guided me out of the hall with a soft hand on my back and another on my arm. When we exited the room, I turned to the young girl and whispered, “When we return, can you trade my wine for water?”
Startled, the servant gasped, obviously not expecting me to speak to her.
“I asked if you could replace my wine with water,” I repeated. “I’m thirsty, but I don’t want wine.”
“Oh, of course, my lady.” We walked the rest of the way down the hall and into a room in silence. “The chamber pot is inside, my lady. Please let me know when you’re done so I may wash your hands.”
I nodded and entered the washroom. It was small, but there was enough space to move around. I looked down at the porcelain chamber pot and groaned. “Damn, I really want to go home,” I muttered.
I was tired of relieving myself in these things. They were beyond gross. Besides that, it made me incredibly uncomfortable to think of someone else cleaning it out. Like,Ididn’t want to do it, but I didn’t want someone else to do it, either.
“Jesus Christ, my dilemma.”
Just as I started to lift my dress, the door to the washroom burst open. I barely held in my shriek when someone stormed in and shut the door behind them. I dropped the hem of my dress and looked at the newcomer…
Julian, the second prince.
“What the hell are you doing here?” I demanded, crossing my arms over my chest. “I’m about to take a piss. I doubt you want to be a witness.”
Julian snorted and prowled toward me with predatory hunger. “Is that any way to speak to me?”
I stood stock still. Waiting. Preparing.
“I always knew you were spoiled, Arya, but I never thought you were spoiled enough to think you could speak to the emperor like that.” His voice dropped to a whispered purr. “It was…tantalizing.” Julian wrapped an arm around my waist and pulled me toward him.
“The fuck?” I pushed against his chest. Did I read him wrong in the hall? Were his glares not glares at all?
He leaned down and pressed his face in the crook of my neck, inhaling deeply. “Oh, how I’ve missed you.” He pressed a wet kiss on my exposed skin.
I felt gross all over. By reflex, I kneed him between the legs.
He groaned, releasing me immediately and stooping over in pain. “You wench!”
“Wench?” I chuckled. “I guess that’s your way of calling me a bitch. Rude, but I’ll take it.” I shrugged. “What gives you the right to touch me like that? I don’t fuckin’ know you.”
Still hunched over and cupping his crown jewels, he peered up at me in confusion. “What? What do you mean you don’t know me? I think my bed would beg to differ!”
I frowned and then groaned. “Jesus Christ, Arya.” I started to run a hand through my hair before belatedly realizing it was in an up-do. “Fuck.” I spun on my heels and started to pace, trying to put as much distance as I could between us in this very small space. “Look, you heard about my accident. I lost my memories and I don’t remember anything, so… yeah. Please refrain from molesting me without my consent.”
“Without your consent?” he repeated as if the words were foreign to him. He straightened and narrowed his eyes at me. “I don’tneedyour consent, Arya. You’ve already given yourself tome. So when I ask for it, you’ll give me what I want. It’s as simple as that. Unless you truly want to defy a prince?”
I paused to weigh my options. I would never in a million years willingly give myself to this jerkoff. Not even if he was the last man on earth and I needed him to repopulate the world. I’d end the human race or pray to God to make me the next non-virgin, virgin Mary. Either way, this wasn’t happening.
On the other hand, my refusal could potentially break some rules in this time and place, especially if I fought back, which I abso-fuckin-lutely would. So how to get out of this pickle? Was there a way out?
Shit, I really needed to pee. Couldn’t he have waited to reveal his douchey natureafterI emptied my bladder?
I chuckled awkwardly. “Is there any way we can negotiate? For starters, I have no memories, and secondly, I really need to pee, and if I wait much longer, I will soil this dress.”
Prince Julian tilted his head and frowned as if I was speaking in another language. “You are not the same as before…” he murmured. “You’re possibly better.”
I groaned and paced the small space. “Give me a break, dude. Like you mentioned out there, I’m just a lowly human. What the heck do you want with me?”
Prince Julian scoffed. “What else are humans good for but to be our pets?”
