Page 5 of Tall, Royal Hater
It was my first time ever visiting Esmeralda in Jahandar, so I couldn’t help looking around in utter awe. Since leaving university nearly three years ago, she’d visited me twice in my home state of Raven to escape her bad relationship with the king. But since things had started improving between the two siblings nine months ago after the Peace Celebrations in Touma, that escape wasn’t necessary anymore.
“Come on, dude. Open them up. Let me see what you packed,” I said, closing Esmeralda’s bedroom door behind me when we eventually made it there. Unfortunately, the two puppies weren’t allowed in the palace bedrooms after a previous accident, so we’d left them one floor down with one of the butlers.
“Dammit, I thought you would have forgotten,” she grumbled as she sauntered into the huge space. There wasn’t the slightest sign of holiday-packing mess like I had left in my room in Raven.
The big, white bed with a tall, elaborately carved headboard sitting between the two curtain-clad windows along the opposite wall was neatly made and wasn’t draped with clothes. Neither was there a single shoe scattered across the circular, patterned rug that covered the majority of the marble tiles. The only evidence she’d packed for our holiday were two black suitcases of different sizes lying on the floor next to the white door that showed glimpses of an ensuite.
“Of course I didn’t forget. I’ve been waiting to see all evening,” I said, heading over to the chaise to grab the two sand-gold cushions. “Don’t be shy. Show me.”
Esmeralda sighed, but she sashayed over to the suitcases with me on her tail. We both sat down on a cushion each, me pulling at my black long-sleeve top and Esmeralda at her pink T-shirt as we got comfortable. It might have been mid-November, but unlike Raven, Jahandar’s weather wasn’t yet cold enough for too many thick layers of clothing.
My best friend shifted awkwardly on the other side of the suitcases. I stared back, grinning.
Esmeralda and I were polar opposites when it came to looks.
She was couldn’t-reach-the-top-shelf short, D-cup boobs, greyish-brown eyes that complemented her warm skin tone and wavy, chocolate-brown hair, and an air of softness and elegance that came with being a crown princess.
While I loudly told fragile-egoed boys I was five-foot-ten just to intimidate them when I was actually five-foot-nine and a bit. I only had one pair of jeans that fit my hips and arse. And I was a combo of deep blue eyes, light skin, and straight, blonde hair, with all the mischief that came along with youngest child syndrome.
But as much as we differed in appearance, we made up for it in our matching sense of humour, love for romance books, and enjoyment in teasing each other to show our affection.
“Well?” I encouraged with a wiggle of my brows.
The colour on her golden cheeks heightened. “I bought…toys…”
A loud laugh fell from my gaping mouth. “Oh, now I definitely want to see.”
With an amused roll of her eyes, Esmeralda picked up the two items of clothing lying atop the bigger suitcase and unzipped it. Out came a forest green puffer coat first that lay over everythingelse. It unfolded itself in Esmeralda’s hands, revealing its true size.
“Bloody Neves. Did TRG buy that for you?” The coat looked two sizes too big even for me.
“No.” She tried to fold it down next to her, but it refused to comply and complained with a hiss of air, so she gave up with a huff. “But he warned me—I mean before I told him I wasn’t coming—that if I turned up without a proper coat, I’d be in trouble. So, I bought the biggest, puffiest one I could find.”
TRG, short for “Tall, Royal, and Grumpy”—once upon a time known as Orange—was Crown Prince Kai of Touma, Esmeralda’scrush of nearly seven years turned long-distance boyfriend.
“And you bought sex toys that he could ‘trouble’you with just in case he still wasn’t happy with your coat?” I said, a suggestive lilt to my voice.
Her knowing grin was slow but big. “No. I bought those because I wanted to give him a thirtieth birthday to remember.”
I laughed and shook my head. But when Esmeralda took out a few jumpers and trousers, my jaw came undone. “Dude. Did you buy everything in the shop?”
“No.” She pouted at the array of packaged sex toys. “Just the essentials.”
“Essentials?”
Butt plug. Bullet vibrator. A butterfly clit sucking vibrator. Dildo. Another smaller vibrating dildo. A vibrating cock ring. Handcuffs. Blindfolds. And of course, lube.
With every packaged item Esmeralda took out, my laughter came harder and louder. Until I was lying on the carpet, clutching my stomach and unable to breathe.
“I felt guilty about the whole surprise thing, so I uh…I might have gotten a bit overexcited with my purchases,” Esmeralda said, failing to tame an embarrassed smile.
“A bit?” I choked out as my laughter settled and pushed myself into an upright position. “Are you even planning to leave his bedroom during the ten days we’re there?”
“Twelve days for me. And yes, of course I plan to leave his room. But I wouldn’t mind spending three days locked up with him.”
“Dude, you’re gonna need more than three days for this many toys.” Raising a brow, I tilted my head. “You still sure you want me to third-wheel along with you to Touma?”
“Yes,” she said instantly, dropping the toys in her hands back into the suitcase. “I want you there. We’ve never been on holiday together. And Kai invited you. You have to come.”
