Page 66 of Prize for the King
“What? She asked. I want her to know I’ll always answer her questions, even if the answer makes her blush. It looks really nice, by the way. I love the color your cheeks get when you’re embarrassed. I always thought humans were on the homely side, truth be told, but the more I look at you,laruna, the more I like human beauty.”
I shake off the bashful daze at his words, pressing my hands to my hot cheeks. “I don’t understand. You’ve pretty much ignored me all this time. And now you’re… So direct.”
Arvi nods, stopping in front of me, his hands on his hips. His eyes flash a reddish amber in the candlelight, and I’m transfixed again, staring at the hoop in his lip as he speaks fast.
“It’s because of that knife. From the very start, Magnar kept warning us: be kind, be polite, don’t overwhelm her, she’s a princess, she’s fragile, oh, so much bullshit. And Raduna—man, you’re even worse.‘Queen Caliane has a delicate stomach!’”
He rolls his eyes with asnort.
“And I get it. I’m uncouth, wild, people fear me. But you, my queen, are strong. You’re vicious enough to fight for what you want, and what you want is us. So I decided to stop pretending to be better than I am. This is what you get, and you’ll either have me or not.”
He turns to Raduna, who watches Arvi with a pained expression. “And I know why you kept lecturing me. If she balks at having her knights in her bed because of me, she’ll reject you, too. It’s all or none. You thought if you could contain me, she might have us. Well, the cock’s out of the pants. Caliane will decide.”
His speech made, he turns his expectant gaze on me. Raduna says nothing, also watching me with apprehensive curiosity. I rock on the balls of my feet, knowing my blush is even hotter than before.
“Um. Does that expression mean the same thing as ‘the cat’s out of the bag’?” I ask finally.
Arvi grins, cocking his head to the side until his tattooed head glistens in the candlelight. “Which expression,laruna?”
I’m pretty sure he knows. “The one you used.”
“Can you remind me?” His eyes sparkle with mirth, and I sigh, hoping my tongue won’t fall off from shame when I say it out loud.
“C-cock’s out of the pants,” I mumble, certain my face is on fire.
“Oh, that one,” Arvi says with a laugh. “Yes, it means the same thing, only, it’s way dirtier. Magnar said you have trouble with dirty words,laruna.I can teach you if you want. I know them all.”
Gods.Just—gods.
However, I should count my blessings. No one’s going to lock me up for asking questions, and I’ll finally learn everything I’ve been denied for years. My only punishment is the fluttering in my belly and the hot blushes my teachers arouse.
“Does Magnar tell you everything I tell him?” I ask, ignoring Arvi’s offer for now.
He nods at once. “Of course. We are his knights. Weshare everything. If he ends up being the only one to have you on your wedding night, he’ll tell us in detail how it felt. That’s the kind of connection we share.”
For a moment, envy overshadows even my embarrassment. It sounds exquisite to share all the intimate details of one’s life with trustworthy friends. I never had that.
Then I realize, I can have it, too. I’m sort of having it now.
“What’s wrestling the eel?” I ask, my eyes narrowed as I test Arvi’s readiness to tell me everything I ask. It still rankles they haven’t explained it earlier.
His eyes sparkle as he grabs the crotch of his trousers in his palm. “Stroking my cock with my hand until I come.”
I scrunch up my nose, trying to understand the connection. “But—the eel? Why?”
Arvi laughs, and even Raduna cracks a smile. He reclines back on his elbows, far more at ease as he watches our exchange with a pleased smile.
“Because it’s long, thick, and gray, just like an eel. Oh, and slimy once it gets hard enough.”
I stare at him with disbelief. “Slimy?Eww!”
He shrugs, raising his eyebrows in a challenge. “Well, moist? Wet? Oh, I know.Slick.That sounds better, doesn’t it? Both cocks and eels areslick.”
I ponder it a moment, finally nodding. “It’s less disgusting, I concur.”
That’s the moment they crack. Both Arvi and Raduna burst out laughing, and I smile, too, the warm, cozy feeling of belonging glowing in my chest. It floods the rest of me when Arvi pulls me into his arms for a hug, laughing as he holds me. I wrap my arms around his middle, the leather of his vest warm under my fingers.
I am so glad they saved me. My laughter dies down when I thinkof where I would be now if they didn’t, maybe tied up in a carriage, maybe being administered the cream for restoring my virginity.
