'Your majesty! What an honour to have your company at such a late hour,' she smiled into the mirror. The maid was finishing braiding her hair for the night. 'Leave us, Jehanne,' she said to the servant. Jehanne quickly left the room not daring to look at the visitor.
Antoine stood in the doorway, leaning on the doorframe. He tilted his head to the right and watched the lady smiling to her reflection in the mirror. She always made a performance for him. He was wondering why exactly she became his obsession. She was pretty and smart but there were many ladies in court that had those attributes. She made him laugh, but he had a court jester for that. She entertained him with her singing, but he had a lot of music from court troubadours. Still there was something. Something that bothered him. La belle Rouhet. She seemed to elude him. He was the king after all. He was used to own anything in sight. And although she was his, somehow she was not at the same time. Such a difference to the other important woman in his life. He was always sure of Jeanne. She was devoted to him without a doubt. These doubts always appeared when it came to Catherine. As far as he knew, because he could never be certain with her, only he was allowed to use this name, her second name, his pet name for her as her proper first one was Louise.
There was still a rage in him. It subsided slightly after his visit to the queen but somehow the anger boiled in him. And the thought of Catherine being not entirely his made him excited and furious at the same time.
'This castle of yours, my lord, is very draughty. I'm only wearing my night gown and the chill is making my skin all pimply. Would you not close the door, my lord, and get inside?' She kept looking at her reflection with a slight smile on her lips.
'There is a way to make you warm again,' Antoine replied. He gently closed the door and slowly walked to her. And now he got annoyed with himself. I should be the one telling people what to do, he thought. But he could not resist. He gently put his hands on her arms. He looked at her reflection in the mirror. Their eyes met. Her smile slowly grew. She put down a brush she was playing with and reached with her hand to his crotch. The bulge in his leather trousers got slightly bigger with her touch. 'Catherine' he whispered and closed his eyes. She smiled mischievously and asked, 'Missed me?'
Suddenly his anger was gone as with the touch of a magic wand. He felt calm and safe for some reason. He felt like he came home. 'I did miss you.'
'Then what took you so long to come back to me?'
'I was with the queen.' Catherine's hand quickly returned to her bosom. The smile disappeared.
'Don't stop' pleaded Antoine, slightly annoyed again.
Catherine got up from her stool and walked quickly to the window. 'My lord, I think my head starts to ache.'
Antoine's jaw tightened, 'I do not find this remark friendly, my lady. You are not endearing yourself to me now.' He turned his back on her and walked to the table. He poured himself some wine and was slowly drinking it. His anger now was rising very quickly but he tried to compose himself. One fight with a woman a night is enough. And he did not want to fight with Catherine. Her night gown was made of a very see-through material and he was admiring her many interesting curves earlier. He wanted to rip it off her. But now she was in one of her moods which made him lustful and dejected at the same time. It was so much easier with Jeanne.
He waited for her reply. It did not come. He finally turned back and leaned leisurely on the table. He tried to compose himself, not to show his anger. 'Catherine?'
She finally turned to face him. He could not help himself. His eyes started wandering all over her body. She smiled a half smile noticing his gaze.
'My lord?'
He inhaled deeply, 'How long are you planning to play this game tonight?'
She smiled with her lips only and remained by the window. Their eyes finally locked. It was her little game, he thought. I can't let her win. Not today. At least not today. He really tried not to get annoyed now. "I'm tired Catherine.' Well, both of them can play then.
She tilted her head to the left and considered him for a while. Then she smiled broadly and started to walk slowly toward him. Finally, he thought, I won. I bloody won.
When she reached him, she placed her hand on his arm and stroked it lovingly. 'My lord, we must find you a remedy then,' her voice was all sweetness now. Antoine pulled her to him by her waist. His fingers nearly dug into her flesh. She turned her head towards the door. 'Jehanne' she cried. The door opened almost immediately. 'Prepare the bath for His Majesty. Quickly!' Jehanne bowed her head and rushed out of the room.
Antoine started to kiss Catherine's neck. He loved her skin. His lips wandered to her jaw in search of her lips. 'My lord, we must prepare you for your bath,' she said without turning her head. He smiled and cupped her face in his hand, gently turning it to face him. 'I am the king, remember? I never take my own clothes by myself.' He kissed her hard on the lips. He wanted to do this since the moment he opened the door. She opened her lips and his tongue went in searchingly as if trying to possess this impossible woman. She returned the kiss. She started to undo his shirt, her hands progressed from his chest unhurriedly to his shoulders and finally pulled his shirt off. He lowered his hands to her hips and started to grab her nightgown, she stopped his hands, 'Not yet' she whispered into his ear. Now she started to kiss his neck, and slowly went downwards, placing soft kisses on his chest and later on his belly. He moaned quietly and dug his both hands into her hair, totally destroying now the loose braid made by Jehanne.
Catherine expertly got rid of his trousers and shoes, leaving him naked, and returned to find his hungry lips. The door opened and in came Jehanne with the other maid, bringing a bathtub, hot and cold water. Catherine and Antoine did not pay any attention to them, they were so much into each other that they were lost to the world. The maids were busy with their preparations, not daring to raise their eyes to the kissing pair. They put sheets into the bath and poured water from both jugs. Jehanne reached into the pocket of her robe and sprinkled the water with some rose petals. Finally Jehanne said, 'Your Majesty, you bath is ready.'
Antoine's hands were wandering all over Catherine's body, he wasn't happy that she did not let him to take the gown off. He was ready to go further. She pulled back and barked to the maids, 'Out'. They curtseyed and left the room.
Catherine took his hand and led him to the bath. He stepped in, sat down and looked expectantly at Catherine, 'You are not going to join me?'
'If that is your wish,' she smiled but did not move. Antoine grabbed her arm and pulled her down into his arms and inevitably the bath. She fell into him, 'I didn't take off my gown' she said laughing.
'Well, I wanted to help you, you stubborn woman,' he laughed. Her back was on his chest as she reclined on him. The gown clung to her body. He cupped her breasts, she turned her head to kiss him. He reached with his right hand for her gown and started to roll it on her hip to take it off. She sat down straight and helped him. 'Please be gentle with it. It was very expensive,' she said jokingly.
'I can buy you thousands of these. Just say a word.'
They finally managed to get rid of the gown. When she dropped it on the floor, Catherine moved to the other side of bath and sat down facing Antoine. She smiled broadly at his surprised face. 'And what do you think you're doing? I didn't bring you here to be so far away from me?'
She raised her foot and put it slowly into his crotch area. She started playfully to massage his cock. He threw his head backwards and closed his eyes. 'And was the queen happy when you left her, my lord?' He winced and opened his eyes. 'Why would you be interested in that?' he asked the ceiling. He started to get aroused and bringing up the memory of his encounter with the queen did not fit into the picture. He liked to have his life compartmentalised.
'I just wanted to know what was so important that it kept you from me.' With that she started to withdrew her foot, he caught her leg, sat up and looked at her with almost menacing frown. 'The business of running the kingdom is mine alone,' he said slowly in a low voice. She laughed, throwing her head back. 'There is no one to deny you this right, your majesty.' She freed her leg and she put her foot on his chest. He started to place loving kisses on her calf, and then her knee. Before he could reach her thigh, she put her leg into the water and moved towards him. Her arms embraced his neck and she pulled herself into him. 'Although the Spanish in the south are getting bolder than they sh…'
'No politics now!' he interrupted her and kissed her hard and deep to shut her up. She infuriated him at times but he desired her more now that he thought possible. His hands went to her buttocks to pull her more in. And inevitably he rose to the occasion. As she felt that, she guided him into her. Their moves were unhurried, languorous interspersed with long, deep kisses and intense gazes into each other's eyes. As her pleasure was rising, she arched her back and threw her head back. He hungrily kissed her breasts, his tongue circling the nipples. He reached down to intensify her pleasure. She moaned loudly.
There was a quick knock on the door and in went Jehanne with her eyes down, 'Your Majesty, Her majesty the Queen is asking for you as one of the children is feverish.'
In between the kisses, he asked sharply, 'Which one?'
'Prince Louis, Your Majesty.'
'This one I can spare. GET OUT!' he yelled. Jehanne quickly left the room.
Strangely this interruption, excited them even more and they intensified their exercises. 'The water is getting cold,' she gasped. They started to get up, they split up but they were still kissing. When out of bath, he lifted her up and carried her to the bed. They fell heavily on it. Catherine mounted him. Nothing had mattered now for him. He was not in control but he was in her and that was enough. For now.
