30. Reina

Chapter thirty

Reina

I 've never felt so full and complete in my life. Jasper's body cages mine against the tree and I know I've never felt so safe, either. His tentacle slides out of my mouth, wiping away saliva as he pulls back.

He kisses me and groans. "That wasn't quite what you were looking for when you told me to take your honor, was it?"

I can't help but chuckle. My muscles contract around his tentacle still inside me as I do, and he makes another deep trill in his chest.

"Fuck, Reina, you have no idea how good you feel." He nuzzles under my ear and his tentacle pulses, flexing the suckers against my overly sensitive skin.

"I have some idea," I say, gripping the back of his neck. He pulls back and looks down at me, his opal magic glowing vibrantly in his eyes. "You feel amazing too, and no, this wasn't what I had in mind, but it was…extraordinary."

He smirks lazily. "Extraordinary. Your highest compliment of me yet."

He leans in and plants a slow, languid kiss on my bruised lips. I soften into him and slide my other hand along his shaft. He shivers, his tentacles tightening on me everywhere.

"Extraordinary," he mumbles against my lips.

"Just imagine what actually taking my honor will be like," I tease.

"I did." He leans his forehead against mine and sighs. "It's why I couldn't last."

Just the thought of being with me pushed him over the edge…

"Was that your first orgasm with someone?" I ask.

He opens his eyes, his smile growing. "Is that jealousy again, or are you trying to get back at me?"

I squeeze him and he murmurs a curse before kissing me again. The slow way he moves against me makes this feel like a home I've never had.

Our lips part and he gives me a sly smile. "Yes. It's my first with someone else."

"Good." I pull him down and hug him close.

I might be his fool, too.

His grip tightens and he sighs out my name over and over. The sound feels like love wrapping around our bodies and binding us together.

If this is what our union will be like, my mother doesn't stand a chance.

No one does.

We walk through the day with Anthony and Gizelle, and I learn as much Illyan as I can. My ability to speak the language is rudimentary, but I comprehend much more.

When we make camp for the evening, Jasper helps me train. First with my magic, and then with strengthening my muscles.

At the end of the night, when my body is drained and soaked with sweat, he kisses me softly and caresses my sensitive body. He brings me to orgasm at least once, but only with his hands or mouth. He says he wants my heart, but he won't take the first step to proving it's his and no one else's.

Does he worry about what's to come? Will the false king know if I've been compromised?

That must be why he's waiting…

We'll kill his king, and then I'll know all his secrets.

I realize I've let myself fall under his spell, but is it really so bad? What if we could love one another? What if we could bring a peace like no other to Gaien, one for his people and mine? That would be worth it, being his fool.

If Lumi could see me now…

The towering green trees of the forest give way to swaying fields of fruiting trees. The sight has me stopping in my tracks as I admire the orderly rows of flowering branches filled with red, orange, yellow, and pink. The air is warm and sweet, with a tinge of the salty breeze off the sea.

Beyond the orchards is a city to rival the Upper Kingdom. The buildings are tall and proud, constructed from light stone and colorfully painted wood. The city climbs up the edge of a cliff, and at the very top is a small castle of white and blue. It blends into the sky as if it were made of clouds itself.

Jasper tucks me under his arm and kisses me just above the ear. "What do you think, sunshine?"

"I've never seen anything like it," I whisper. "It's beautiful."

"Not as beautiful as you," he says.

I groan and give him a playful shove. "You're getting sappy."

He pulls me back roughly, his hands cupping my behind as he presses us together. "You love it," he rumbles against the tip of my ear, and fire spreads down my stomach to my lower belly.

Yes, I do.

I love the thought of being more than just a weapon, a tool. I love being loved and wanted, needed beyond my use.

I love being the center of his world.

I suck his earlobe between my teeth and nibble it. He whispers a curse and grows hard against my belly. "Even if I did, I'll never admit it," I whisper.

"You never have to. I'll keep being the sappiest fool of them all whether you like it or not, because I know you do."

I chuckle, kissing his scruffy jaw.

"Come on, you two, or we're leaving you behind," Anthony calls back at us from down the hill.

Jasper groans as he pulls away. "I'll have you all to myself soon enough."

"Let's hurry so that soon can be now sooner," I say, threading my fingers through his as we make our way to the city.

Getting through the gate to Hammon is much easier than I expected. There's no paperwork to be checked like when coming into the Upper Kingdom of Fynren, and no guards harassing us less-than-stellar-looking travelers. It's a wide-open gate, inviting trade and travelers alike.

The city is chaotic, but peaceful—at least for now. I know the monsters lurk in the dark, and the full sun is preventing anyone from doing anything too shady. Still, Jasper holds me close, and I appreciate it. I don't want to get lost.

He asks for directions in Illyan, and I catch a few of the words, like "where," "trade," and "reasonable price," which is a single word in the Illyan vocabulary. They're merchants by trade and lifestyle, and their language reflects it.

Everything is vibrantly colored, from their clothes and the canvas coverings of the merchant stalls to the doors leading into the inns and brothels. Jasper stops at a nice-looking building with a bright green door and Illyan script above it. I can't read anything, but I assume it's some kind of merchant trader.

The interior has light sandy walls and golden magus lights. Every surface seems to be covered in mismatched finery—men's suits, women's ballgowns, shoes, tiaras, capes, cloaks, and even travel clothing. It all has a "slightly worn" feel to it, but that doesn't take away from any of its niceness.

A woman emerges from the short stairs at the back of the room. She's in purple and green robes with her braided hair twisted in a large pile on top of her head. A few of the dark strands dangle down her neck and shoulders, tinkling as her runic beads clack together. She approaches Jasper with a grin and a typical Illyan greeting. Jasper gives the woman a shallow bow and I follow, tightly clutching his hand.

Jasper reaches into one of his many pockets and produces earrings that are definitely mine. I glare at him for only the briefest of seconds, but the merchant catches the look. She grins, and then asks something directed at me.

Jasper changes to Common Fynish. "She doesn't speak Illyan."

"Ah," the merchant woman says with a wide grin. "These are yours?"

"Yes, they are," I say, glaring at Jasper again.

She leans in and slides a thick glass over her left eye. She turns her head side to side as she inspects the earrings in Jasper's palm.

"Yes, very fine. You are important," she says, looking at me.

" Was important. Now I'm just this bum's wife," I say, nudging Jasper.

"Hey," he grouses, but the merchant laughs from her belly.

"Gave it all up for love. Wonderful. I can give you ten gold, or twenty in store credit," she says.

"We'll take the credit. We need to look good for an event," he says.

The merchant's eyes sparkle. "I have many wonderful things. Please, come in."

She shouts in Illyan toward the back and there's a loud pang and an "Ah!"

"I am Avina. Please, sit here," the merchant says, leading us to a sitting room with low couches and a wide coral table. "Spiced tea is coming. I will find you some things. Just a moment."

She bustles away, disappearing between the racks of goods and stacks of random housewares.

I lean closer to Jasper. "She doesn't know who I am, does she?"

He shakes his head. "I'm not sure. Is your likeness well-known?"

"I'm not sure."

Jasper's left hand falls to the butt of his pistol and the other lands on my thigh. "Everything will be fine."

Avina returns with three dresses, one hanging from each arm and another with the hanger looped around her neck. The first is a tight gown of deep navy with shimmery trim, the second is a soft pink and much too fluffy, and the third is a white so fine it shines like an opal. It's cut low on the chest, with tight-fitting sleeves and waist before expanding out at the hips. Gold threads weave in interlacing, spiral patterns along the bottom of the dress and flow up one side like a wave.

"That one," I say, pointing to the third. It reminds me of Jasper's magic.

"A good pick. This was a wedding gown for a young woman of a wealthy family here," Avina says.

A wedding gown…

What better way to distract Vansen?

"I like the blue one," Jasper says, his hand tightening on my leg.

"Which will be better for the event, my love?" I ask.

His eyes go wide, and his mouth falls open in a soft gasp. He stutters, then blinks and looks back at the dresses. "Well, the white one is beautiful. Just perhaps too beautiful."

"Nonsense!" Avina says with a wave of her hand. She drops the used wedding dress in my lap. "Go try it on. I think the hips are too loose."

She points me toward a curtain behind the couch and I take the dress with me. I slip out of my travel dress and look at myself in the full-length mirror with awe.

My body has changed so much. There's muscle definition on my stomach, arms, and legs. I'm fuller, like I'm finally becoming a woman. And of course, there are sucker-shaped bruises across my thighs, stomach, and chest.

I step into the dress and pull it up to my shoulders, then tuck my arms into the sleeves. It's constricting, but the princess in me remembers how to wear uncomfortable clothes. I work the bodice strings on the sides until it's cinched up on me tightly.

Avina was right—it's too loose on my hips, but that's fine. I still look like a princess.

A bride-queen.

I push back the privacy curtain and emerge into the sitting area. Jasper coughs, covering his mouth to keep in the sip of tea he just took. He sets the cup down and clears his throat.

"No one will see anything else but you," he says.

Avina claps excitedly. "Yes. This is the one. It's six gold."

Jasper groans something, but then nods to the merchant. "Have the matching suit?"

Avina smiles. "I most certainly do."

"And what about someone to help us get to the eclipse ball," I ask.

Jasper's head snaps toward me and he looks about three shades of fury, but we haven't secured our travel yet and it needs to be done. Avina seems like someone who knows people.

"You mean to court the king of La Sina?" She says the name of the island like a curse.

"I mean to catch the king's eye," I say.

Her eyebrow comes up to a sharp point, and then she looks at Jasper where his hand is still resting on his pistol. She says something in Illyan I don't catch a word of. Jasper glances at me, then back at Avina and nods.

She takes a deep breath. "The dress will be three gold, then, and there's shoes to go with it."