Page 73 of Prize for the King
I stare at the ceiling, thinking it through. He makes a lot of sense, unfortunately. When the silence stretches, broken only by the splashing of Arvi’s bath, Raduna comes over and sits on the edge of the mattress.
“Do you have a particular situation in mind, my queen? Maybe I can advise you better if I know the details.”
Oh, it’s no use. My curiosity always got the best of me in the past, leading me to all sorts of trouble. I was locked up in the cellar more than once after being discovered with a forbidden book.
I turn to Raduna, pursing my lips into a serious line. “You can refuse. I want to make it clear. It’s not an order. Yes, so… I was wondering if… I could see your… ah, organ.”
Hiseyebrows rise in confusion. “My organ?”
I clench my teeth in embarrassment, knowing instantly I should have saidcock—only, the word wouldn’t go through my throat. I could have said it to Arvi, but Raduna is so genteel in his speech, I’m too ashamed.
“Your breeding organ,” I say, an insane, cackling giggle trying to burst out of my throat while my cheeks flame hot.
Raduna grins, his kind face turning wolfish. “You wish to meet your foe before the battle?”
I nod quickly, hot and embarrassed under his amused gaze.
“You don’t have to!” I remind him, my voice getting squeaky from all the trapped giggles. “I just… I never saw one. I did study diagrams of horse and bull organs, and there was also one of a beaver, gods only know why, but…”
I break off when Raduna laughs, the sound warm and cozy, and utterly relieving. At least he finds it amusing. I guess he’ll tell me no and pretend this conversation never happened, like a gentleman.
So when he stands up and undoes his belt, my eyes grow big with shock, my jaw slack. In a moment of utter panic, I wish to stop him, but my curiosity wins. I watch with bated breath as he unties his underpants—the same ones I wore the previous day—and then, he shoves everything down to his knees.
XXII Knob
I hiccup.
“Is it a terrifying foe, my queen?” he asks, traces of warm laughter in his voice.
But I don’t answer. I’m too busy staring at the cudgel hanging between his legs. I finally see why they called it an eel. It is, indeed, gray—a shade darker than the rest of Raduna. Its base nestles in a thatch of red hair, very much the same color as that of his braids. The length seems heavy, horrifyingly thick, its tip misleadingly blunt.
I have no doubts, though. Itisa weapon.
Raduna steps from foot to foot, and the thing sways with momentum, attesting to its heft.
Curiosity breaks through my stupor. “How much does it weigh?” I ask, fascinated.
The warrior clears his throat while the club seems to twitch, as if having a life of its own. It… fills out, rising, and I release a long, fascinated breath, enraptured by its progress.
“I’ve never weighed it, my queen,” Raduna says, a sort of strain entering his voice. “Forgive me. It wasn’t my intention to demonstrate this.”
“This?”
“An erection. It happens when a man is aroused.”
“It’s sort of getting bigger,” I say, shaking my head incredulously. “Is it a muscle? Do you train it?”
Raduna swallows audibly. “No, my queen. Arousal causes my member to fill with blood and swell.”
“That’s a lot of blood,” I whisper. “Where does it come from?”
“From his brain,” Arvi says, standing in the door of the bathroom with only a towel wrapped around his hips. “Did he show you the knob yet? He has a fine knob.”
“No,” I breathe, intrigued. “What’s a knob?”
Raduna clears his throat and turns sideways, pointing at something, but my eyes are drawn below to the round, gray sack swinging below his erection.
“Testicles!” I gasp, remembering the diagrams. “Do you have two, like other mammals?”
