Page 8 of Rogue Royal
“Have a good evening, Your Highness.”
Douglas smiled and stepped towards the wooden door for the changing rooms. Once he was inside, he veered to the right towards the Monitors’ rooms. The changing rooms themselves were gender-neutral, but the Monitors had their own room, unlocked using their fingerprint due to their royal status.
He entered the room, aiming for his locker, his shoulders loosening further when his leathers came into view. He had no idea what it was about the leather, but he always felt more real when he wore them. More so than the suits and uniforms he had to wear for royal events.
He sat in a comfortable leather armchair as he removed his shoes, allowing the routine of getting ready to centre him more than anything else. Once he secured the final strap across his chest, he shut his locker. Stopping in front of a full-length mirror, he checked his appearance. His several days’ worth of stubble gave him a harder edge, which was exacerbated by the supple black leather vest and trousers encasing his body. Straps held the vest closed and wrapped around his thighs in decoration. He completed the outfit with lightweight leather boots.
Satisfied he looked the part, he exited through reception to the double doors and into the main club. The first room is what Douglas called the “conversation room.” It was the hub where people could sit, have a chat and a drink before or after their play. He wandered towards the bar to grab a bottle of water to take with him. The bartender had been with them for many years and knew everything about everything and everyone relating to the club, though he would never break confidentiality unless necessary.
“Good evening, Oliver. Water, please. How is your evening so far?” Douglas rested his folded arms on the counter.
“Very good, thank you, sir.”
Oliver’s tanned skin and muscular physique were highlighted when he wore the bartending uniform: a white waistcoat with nothing underneath, accompanied by black suit trousers and white cuffs attached to nothing else. He also wore a black studded collar, which advertised his “taken” status to every member.
“I’m glad to hear it. Anything I need to know about?” Douglas made a point of asking staff members for their take on the happenings at the club; he found it helped them relax around him, which meant they were more likely to approach him with problems. It also helped since he didn’t have eyes in the back of his head.
“No, sir. All’s quiet.”
“Good.” He lifted the bottle Oliver had passed him in a toast. “Have a good evening. Give my best to Griffin.”
“You may find my husband in there.” Oliver indicated the play area with his head. “I gave him free rein tonight.” The twinkle in his eye showed his hunger for his husband. Douglas knew their relationship was open to anything except intercourse with anyone other than each other. Neither minded if the other had any kind of play, as long as someone other than their spouse did not penetrate them. Toys were fine, according to both of them.
“I’ll keep an eye out.”
Douglas uncapped his water and sipped the chilled liquid as he approached the heavy wooden entrance to the play area. Some members deemed it the play zone, but Douglas had trouble calling it that when it reminded him of a kid’s soft play area. He had no clue why he could differentiate between playareaand kids, but he could, and he would not complain about the distinction in his head.
He rested his finger on the scanner and pushed the door open when it clicked. The low playing music and gentle hum of lowered conversation was the first thing to reach his ears, then the moans and groans accompanied by slaps and smacks of skin on skin and implements hitting skin. His mouth curled. He didn’t need to witness the scenes to imagine the expression of pure bliss on the recipients’ faces.
Douglas glanced around the area, trying to see any of his cousins. A server passed, and he caught their attention. “Could you tell me where to find the Dungeon Monitors, please?”
“Mistress Lottie is in the pet play area, Master Christian is in the bondage area, Master Patrick is in the medical area, and Masters Alice and Henry are taking the floor, sir.”
“Thank you.”
The server, wearing a similar outfit to what Oliver had been wearing, except shorts instead of trousers, continued on their way, and Douglas watched as they exited the area back to the main room. The only drink available in the play area was water, but the servers meant the members could stay within the play area without having to fetch their own drinks.
Douglas wandered around, the light dimmer in this area than in the main room. He saw several couples in the throes of scenes with members surrounding them. This primary area was for those who enjoy being watched and watching. He found Henry standing with his back to the wall, arms crossed and what Douglas called his serious face—the thin, stern line of their mouth brooked no argument.
“Evening, Master Henry.” He climbed the two steps to stand beside him.
“Master Douglas.”
“I’m assuming I have the sensation area tonight?” His gaze surveyed the room from his higher perspective.
Henry quirked a smile. “You got it. You snooze, you lose.”
Douglas snorted. “You know I don’t mind.”
“Exactly, which is why you ended up with it. I don’t understand why there isn’t one area you’re more interested in over another. Obviously, it’s not a problem; I’m just curious.”
“I want to be a Jack of all trades.” Douglas grinned.
“You already are. Does nothing take your fancy?” Henry tilted his head at him.
Douglas shrugged. “I like them all. Why limit myself?”
Henry’s mouth turned down for a second, and he raised an eyebrow. “True.”
