~2~
Gelda stands stoically in the presence of her father and all of the royal members of her clan in the dining hall of Edinburgh castle as they await their evening meal. Usually they go about meals separately, but as a storm rages on persistently this evening, the short eccentric vampire, Orlondi, had suggested that they have a few guards gather humans and bring them in instead. Gelda doesn't particularly wish to be in their company at the moment as her mind keeps wandering towards pleasing thoughts from the evening before and it wouldn't do any good if anyone—her father—noticed her gaining a blush or the soft smile her lips will definitely form.
It's been a week since Zeldris arrived and Gelda's "stalking behavior" hasn't diminished in the slightest. She'd try to be stealthy about it, but Zeldris was not one to be caught off guard easily, if at all. So after the third time of him showing up behind her with a humorous laugh at her antics, she gave up all forms of secrecy. She wanted to know what he did in the mornings, but it became clear that unless he wanted to be found it was near impossible to happen upon him in the day time. She suspects he goes out and perhaps hunts for food as there is no "human nourishment" anywhere in the castle. It became clear then that the best time to hope for any alone time with Zeldris was during the evening.
She had been wandering the castle one evening a few days after his arrival to the castle desperate to at least speak to him once before she retired to her room when she'd passed by a window giving way to the silvery rays of moonlight. She'd paused for a moment to take in the scenery of the world beyond the castle walls of Edinburgh, giving into the urge to imagine what it would be like to live out there and be free as she always does. However, a new sight had caught her eye and caused her heart to flutter. It was Zeldris, in the plot of land extending behind the castle, doing intricate fighting maneuvers. Even from her distance she could see that no motion was wasted, every twist of his form and swipe of his blade at invisible enemies' throats would be one hundred percent effective. It had been magnificent. And she'd instantly wanted a closer look.
She had wound up in a trance just watching him dance with the deadly precision of a natural born executioner. Never before had she'd seen anyone like him with such skill and expertise in what they do. His dedication is fierce, she'd realized, and some nights he'd work himself into a heavy sweat. The first time she'd been entirely shocked and glued to her spot sitting with her back against the castle wall when he'd sheathed his sword and began to strip out of his longcoat and the thin black material of his shirt beneath it.
That night began the first of many where she would change into the most comfortable dresses she owned so that she could more easily scale the wall surrounding the castle in order to be as close as she dared to Zeldris when he trained. Climbing, or anything to do with manual labor, was not something Gelda was used to, but being a vampire gave her a strategic advantage in achieving her goal. Once over the boundary, she never strayed far from leaning against it, for fear of someone discovering her missing and the need to return as quickly as necessary always sitting in the back of her mind. But even sitting there in the chilly night air, just beyond the border of her kingdom was always elating.
It was only made infinitely better when she got to watch Zeldris, who clearly knew she was there by the subtle stiffening of his body before he'd continue on uninterrupted, allowing her presence. It was such a treat being permitted to get so close to him, even during his times of practice. It made her feel as if he wanted her around just as much as she wanted to be there.
Gelda wanted his attention just as strongly as she wanted to know him on a deeper level. She didn't know when these thoughts of wanting him beyond just his incredible body, just dripping power and sexual appeal in her mind, began to shift, but she doesn't want to fight the change. She wished he would one day stop and see her for what she was. Someone willing to risk everything just for a single moment in blissful passion with him. And possibly more… The risk hung heavily over her head for what she hesitantly let herself dream of and relentlessly pursue, but she hadn't a care. Zeldris meant more than her bleak existence in Edinburgh.
He'd rejected her before, not giving her a straight answer as to whether or not he was interested in her or not. The simple thought that he'd turned her down without so much as a single thought had made him even more desirable in her eyes. Zeldris was different. Like no other she'd encounter before in her short life. She wished to learn more about the mysterious person behind the stern mask he wore. She wanted to know what it felt like to be allowed to gain access to such a side to him. She wanted any and everything he could give, could offer. And she was hell bent on achieving her goal.
She'd be lying if she denied waking up more than once to lewd dreams surrounding the chiseled form of his torso and the toned muscles along his arms all emphasized in a sheen layer of moisture.
Gelda now finds herself sighing dreamily, until she senses the distinct feeling of eyes boring into her form. She stiffens as her face relaxes into an indifferent mask as she turns to her side and notices the ravenette, Ren, staring at her questionably. Gelda merely arches an eyebrow in the vampire's direction which eventually suffices for the time being, much to Gelda's relief. She shifts impatiently in a more modest dress, less gaudy than her usual that requires petticoats and corsets, hoping their meals will arrive soon so less attention can possibly be drawn to her. Of course, her mind points out the fact that it's evening when she normally meets Zeldris…
But with it raining, she wonders if she will be able to see him tonight? She desperately wishes to, especially after their unexpected parting the night before.
Usually after his training was done, Zeldris would offer to help her back over the wall with an amused glint in his eyes knowing it's something she wouldn't be able to resist. And of course she never turned him down as for the shortest of instances she's able to cling to him as he hopped with ease over the expanse of the wall. The first time he walked up to her came to her as a complete surprise. Heat had instantly rushed up her neck and into her cheeks as she'd gazed up into his expression filled with the rush of exertion from his activities. He'd stood there for all of two seconds before offering his hand out to her to which she stared blankly at. After several seconds of stilled silence between them he'd huffed, leant down and pulled her up into his arms as she squealed. Being in his hold then was extraordinary and she promised herself to never pass up the opportunity again.
After clearing the wall, they would reenter the castle and stick to the quiet and hardly used halls as they made their way to her room, where he would, to her disappointment, customarily leave her.
Along the way she had found the nerve to ask him questions. He was usually closed off to all others, exhibiting this wall of frosty malice to ward off any approachers, but that facade seemed to disappear with her. Gelda wondered why he would talk so easily with her, since he had rejected her so completely, but was scared to ask him and risk his annoyance with her. Then he might stop answering her questions, and she was always fascinated with his openness with her and used her inquires to the full extent. She'd ask things like, does he have family? Why did he become a soldier? Does he have anything he enjoys doing? Did he have any lovers and, if he doesn't, would he be interesting in taking one?
He'd outright laughed at that one, telling her a simple "No." as an answer. Even though she'd felt foolish for asking and his answer left her with more questions, she'd discovered that she truly enjoyed the sound of his laughter.
The night before, she had stared keenly as Zeldris sheathed his sword. Gelda awaited the familiar offering of his hand followed by his brusque, "Shall we be on our way?" He stood over her, eyes wild from excitement as his hand extended down. She swallowed back the rapid thudding of her heart as she always did when looking into such a wildly, intense gaze, then slid her dainty hand into the coarseness of his palm. The texture of it never failed to send bolts of thrilling tendrils down her spine.
But when he tugged her to her feet, she was surprised that he began to pull her away from the wall and out into the grassy hills where she'd never once set foot before. Her heart had jumped in her throat in both worry and excitement as her hand unconsciously tightened around his. "Where are you taking me? What if we get spotted?" It was a possibility. Guards were on alert for possible threats approaching from all angles. If they spotted the princess outside the walls and with the visiting demon, she was certain heads would roll.
Zeldris had shrugged carelessly as he'd given her a sidelong look. "I've come out here every day for nearly a week. The guards have stopped paying attention to me." He didn't say more, so she'd decided to trust that he knew what he was doing and wouldn't deliberately drag her into her father's line of fire.
Then something new caught her attention, and she stared at the grass that came up and around her feet with each step, the texture of it as it brushed against the skin of her ankles was ticklish in a way she hadn't felt before. She must have giggled because Zeldris had slowed them to a stop and asked her in a quiet, unreadable tone, "What are you thinking?"
She'd looked up at him with wide eyes, her face flushed with life in a way it hadn't been in ages. "Well, I was only thinking about how nice this grass feels. It's cool and ticklish and the smell it gives off is refreshing." She closed her eyes and breathed with a tiny, happy smile, missing the somber expression that had crossed his face at her speech. "I don't think I've been around it in a very long time." Something caught her attention out of the corner of her eye and she turned in wonder at the massive tree sprouting from the ground but a few yards away. She went to it in pure curiosity and let her hands roam across the bark. 'It's so rough! Not like stone, but harsher. Zeldris' hands are rough, but a soft kind of rough…'
"Gelda."
She'd turned at the command. "Yes, Zeldris?" Gelda sucked in a sharp breath at Zeldris being right in front of her. He had dropped her hand the moment they'd stopped, unfortunately, but being able to talk with him longer than normal allowed her to brush the thought aside. The look in his eyes was intense and told her that whatever was going on in his mind was severe, and exceedingly crucial. She'd found herself unable to look away even as she'd found herself once again caught between her desires and a hard place.
"Why do you come out here every night, Gelda?"
Three times she blinked before her mouth stopped trying to form words from thin air. "Because of you, Zeldris." There was no simpler answer in her mind than that. She felt she would do anything because of him and she'd only known him for such a short time. She knew what she desired from him, but her heart was beginning to get greedy, demanding even more than what she hadn't even received to begin with.
"So you'd do anything to get what you want? Is that how it works for you?" he'd inquired in a gruff tone, never having wavered his stare from hers.
Her eyebrows lowered as her fingers scraped against the bark at her back, her anger churning like a rising inferno beneath her skin. The very thought that he would say such a thing… She had never once had anything she'd wanted. Not once. And for him to insinuate that she was low for wanting the one thing that's every stirred up any sense of good feeling in her body infuriated her like nothing else. "I know what I want."
His eyes had seemed to gain a gleam that made her feel as if he knew she was spewing hot air. "I bet you've never had a man who did much for you, am I right?" he pointed out bluntly as his hand came to rest against the side of her neck.
The shock of his touch clashed with the drop of her stomach at the recollection of her past lovers. His fingers were rough, yet warm and welcoming in her mind, burning like rising flames against her skin as a flush began to arise within her. It was unlike the grimy feel she'd felt before with her past lovers, if they could even be called such. This touch was not seeking instant gratification from her, this touch was not harsh, or uncaring, or cold and calculated. This touch made her feel secure. She'd felt heat rise to her cheeks as her words come through her bared teeth. She wished she could tell him, to lean into his touch, but she was afraid of appearing so vulnerable to him. "None of your business."
His chuckle was anything but humorous in its brief ascent through the cool air around them. "You may not notice, but I observe you as much as you watch me, Gelda. And just this little journey out here has proven one little fact. You lack experience."
She turned her eyes acutely to his as a hiss came to her lips. "That is not true! I have had plenty of lovers!" The irrational thought that he might lose interest in her because he believed her to be too innocent arouse in her mind, festering wildly, before she had beat it back with brutal force. Zeldris was not shallow, so why was she being this defensive?
His eyes had turned harsh like the torturous winds of a blizzard as a bitter smirk curled his lips. "Yeah and I bet they had their fun then rolled over and left you to your own devices, right?"
She gritted her teeth at the flaring of hurt that'd edged up along her neck in a painful crawl. They had used her like she was some hole to be filled with body parts that could be squeezed and pinched from time to time for their pleasure. It always made her feel filthy and worthless how quickly they took her body only to leave her with dirty frustration afterwards. Shame was a weighty thing as it hung above her head at realizing he knew this much about her. She felt worthless, so worthless, unworthy to even be in his presence now with this being known. "Why are you saying this?" she forced around her tightening throat, not understanding the vivid anger that continued to swim like troubling waves in his eyes.
His hand slid up her neck so that his fingers curled into her hair and his thumb rubbed along her cheek soothingly despite the mass of irritation she could feel from him. It was the most his composure had ever slipped and she couldn't understand the reasoning behind it. Whether it was at her, and the choices she had made, or the others and her father and the things they had done, she could not begin to guess. "They've never pleasured you. You've never been taken out. You've never been taken care of…"
Him pointing out her shortcomings caused her cheeks to flush as she spoke out boldly, "So what? Are you trying to say you care?" She had to say it scathingly to disguise the hope that begins to bud in her chest against her will.
Those words had caused everything to clear from his eyes, leaving nothing but cool indifference in place as he smiled at her placatingly. "No."
Her face cringed at the definite answer, but a tiny part of her urged her not to succumb to it and to believe that he was wrong, that he was lying. She'd never seen him so frazzled before, but the moment she'd asked that question, he'd closed off; he was hiding something. Could it be the interest in her she'd been coveting for so long? Gelda did not dare to start to hope, not until she knew for sure what he was thinking. But she realized the more she learned about him, the less she understood.
His free hand moved almost sluggishly in her mind's eye to rest on her waist, warming her deeply and forcing her breath to quicken. "So you want me to take you to bed and show you what a real lover can do?"
Her knees had nearly come from beneath her she was so thrown. Images came unbidden to her mind of his body over hers, his skin bare and slicked with sweat as they move in frantic passion… Her throat had become dry and all she could manage to do was nod under the heat of his gaze.
Her breath came in a slow pull as his palm circled up in the direction of her chest, his fingers just barely skimming the bottom of each swell through the fabric of her dress. Her mind had only just caught the velvety drawl of his voice, just tinged with a hint of teasing to his words when he spoke. "You'll have to do something first, however…"
He grinned wickedly as his hand worked its way sensually down the ribs of her chest where his thumb began to circle against her waist, drawing out a soft mewl from her as her anger with him rapidly melted away. Her mind was turning to mush and his words were beginning to sluggishly penetrate her thoughts. His touch was mesmerizing, drawing her in and keeping her just where he wanted her and she couldn't get enough. Was it finally happening? Was he finally going to give her what she's dreamt of for so long? "What I want… is for you to belong to me."
"Belong to you?" The words had come out barely a whisper her breath having left her in her rising desire.
Zeldris nodded. "When I take you, it will be because it's what I want, not what you want. Because I command it, and you will give yourself to me because you will want me to make you mine." Gelda's mind whirled at what all this could mean. "When you belong to me, the first thing I will do is see how long it takes until you break."
Her eyes blinked against the hungered haze that shrouded her mind as she'd questioned in a sluggish voice, "B-break…?"
He'd hummed deep in his throat sounding positively ravenous, triggering a needy throb to pulse between her legs as she shivered. "Yes… Until you're begging for me to take you. And when I'm satisfied that you are truly ready, that you truly are mine, I'll take you in my hold and love you until you're nothing but a shuddering mess. Then afterwards, you can sink into my arms where I'll hold you tight and piece you back together again… Doesn't that sound appealing, Gelda?"
Her expression had twisted into one of anger as her eyes narrowed to slits. "I told you before, Zeldris, I'd be with you. What more could you possibly want from me?"
But he had only shook his head at her words, stirring her anger further as he sighed. "You don't understand yet, Gelda. In time you'll figure it out I'm sure, but for now..."
She had only stared into his self-satisfied gaze, pleading with him silently to continue, her mind truly a blank to anything but his touch, his smell, his presence… "Mmm…" she moaned dazedly as she leant into his hold and her eyes drifted closed. So when the sudden pressure of firm, warm lips pressed against hers, fire alighted at every nerve ending in her body and she'd all but melted against the unyielding form of Zeldris. She'd felt his hand at her waist smooth behind her to press at the small of her back so every inch of her frame was crushed against his as his lips meshed against hers.
Gelda felt as if she was floating in a wondrous dream from the way his teeth nipped and teased her lips until she was forced to open her mouth to let out a helpless moan. She'd never beentruly kissed before so the moist feeling of his tongue as it eased across the expanse of her lips made her sigh into his mouth as her hands twitched against his chest from the jolts of desire that ran through her. Zeldris chuckled deep in his throat before letting her feel his tongue dance against hers as he'd tasted her thoroughly… She absolutely loved the feel of him doing this to her.
She made a pleading sound in the back of her throat when he'd pressed tightly against her and began to kiss her more passionately, more roughly as her lips swelled and became sensitive to every press of his lips. Heat seared like roaring flames beneath her skin, pumping her blood faster which made the throbbing between her legs unbearable. She'd whimpered in pure desperation as her leg rose up to curl around his waist. Her modest dress had bunched around her hip to make contact so much more pleasurable when her arms had circle to cling around his shoulders, pulling them flush against each other as she tentatively grinded into him.
Zeldris had seemed to still against her as his lips eased into a barely there pressure. Then his fingers curled under her knee at his waist before they slid painstakingly slow towards her thigh. Gelda's entire body quivered in sheer delight as she whispered his name against his mouth. Their lips grazed like bursts of exquisite heat in her mind as she begged him to continue… But instead, he'd removed her leg and taken a step away from her, only keeping his hands on her waist as she'd opened hazy eyes to stare in disbelief.
His breathing was slightly off, but his eyes were completely collected, holding no trace of the overwhelming passion they'd just briefly shared when he smirked. "There's that power of yours again. You're like a little siren, calling out to me."
'My power?' It took a considerable amount of deep breaths to even get close to coherent thinking after such an amazing kiss. But she'd felt it surging inside of her, her ability pouring into Zeldris. She must have unconsciously called upon it the moment she'd wrapped her leg around him. The ache still pulsed inside of her and she couldn't fight the pleading pout that came to her lips as she gazed at him.
"I assure you, Gelda, your call will be answered," he'd told her behind a knowing grin.
"—Zeldris."
Gelda's head snaps up as she's pulled out of her recollections at the name. Her eyes swivel around quickly. "What…?"
"I said are you excited for the bloodfest?" Orlondi repeats with excitement sparkling in his eyes at the prospect of their arriving meal coming any minute now.
Gelda's hopes sink at this, but she maintains a soft smile for the short vampire. "Yes, I am." Discreetly she looks towards her father who sits in the center of the room. His eyes are upon her, stony in their glare. She lowers her head in a demure appearance and prays that the guards come quickly.
She jumps slightly at the loud creaking of the entrance hall doors opening, casting the orange flickers from the torches in the corridor across the shiny marble in the dining hall. Two male guards walk to either side of the entrance to keep the doors open, then a horde of humans begin to amble in like cattle. They're curious as they glance around. They always are as they're given the same story every time they're brought here. That they've won a stay at an ancient castle, all expenses covered for an entire month. It's easy to get humans to fall for such a trick, but when they arrive their instincts begin to tell them something is off.
The guards close the doors with a thunderous bang, eliciting the initial rush of terror down their spines. Gelda's seen it time and time again to the point where witnessing children among the group doesn't even faze her anymore. But tonight she does not wish to view the crazed frenzy that will surely take place here. So setting her sights on two suitable males for her dinner this evening, she draws them out with an ease she wishes she could have with Zeldris and begins to lead them from the room.
The sound of rising screams fades behind her as she and the two tempted men of her chosen meal grow further away.
~.~.~
One already has their hands gripping her breasts lecherously while the other stands behind her attempting to undo the ties keeping her dress to her form as soon as she enters her bedchamber. Gelda's eyes flash furiously. Of course she knew charming her feast would most likely lead to wandering hands, but it's still incredibly irksome to the hungered vampire. So a bit of subduing must be in order.
She uses the sharp heel of her shoe to kick the knee of the one behind her with enough force to shatter it, disabling him so that she can take care of the male crudely assaulting her breasts. She then turns livid blue eyes to the tall shaggy haired male, too far into her spell to grasp the gravity of his fate. She pulls his neck down to her level ignoring the pleased sound he makes when he believes she's about to "take charge".
Her eyes flash again, this time in a feral sense at the scent of blood running just beneath his skin. And her thirst takes over. Something close to ecstasy runs through her like a powerful current when her little fangs bury themselves in his flesh giving her access to warm blood. He struggles against her, pushing and screaming at the pain of his life draining away, until finally he stills and she drops him like useless baggage. Gelda turns with vivid blue eyes ready to pin her other target down. He's on the floor clutching his knee in torture right where she left him. She chuckles lowly, baring tiny fangs at such an easy prospect.
It isn't long before he too is left lifeless on her stone floor. After a moment, she takes a breath to begin calming from the feral rush of feeding. When a knock sounds on her door she knows it's most likely her servants to collect the remains of her meal as they typically do when she chooses to dine in her chambers. Still resting on her knees near her last victim, she calls out for them to enter as the initial rush of adrenaline from her bloodlust begins to taper down.
"Am I interrupting something?"
Clarity forms in her mind as dread weighs heavily in her stomach, sapping all the color from her face. Zeldris stares at the bodies in obvious disgust even as he edges further into her room with a casual stroll. Gelda's hands tremble as they reach up to cover her mouth in her mortification. She never wanted him to see her like this. "I didn't know you were coming. I w-would have stayed down with the others had I known—"
"Gelda."
She sucks in a wobbly breath and holds it before letting it out slowly to try and quiet the hot flush of humiliation that had begun to build within her cheeks and sting at her eyes at being caught in such a feral state. 'How could I be so careless? Now he'll be absolutely disgusted in me.' She berates herself rigidly in her mind a self loathing so hot inside her builds in a way she's never felt before. But then something begins to cut through it decisively. Holding all her focus as she listens to the steady firmness of Zeldris' tone as he stares at her from near her window. The seriousness in his gaze makes her feel more secure and less like the ground is about to crumble from beneath her. "Don't feel embarrassed about your needs, especially when it comes to your survival."
She lets the words sink in for a long moment then begins to pick herself of the ground as she nods. "Okay." 'I should never have worried he would be repulsed of me.' She regards him with a soft expression. She knows he feels a distinct dislike for vampires, but never has he showed displeasure towards her. She simply thought the knowledge of what she'd done to these men would surely change that.
His eyes grow a delighted glint as he smirks. "Moreover, humans are cannon fodder. However they're eliminated really doesn't matter to me."
The tension in her stomach eases greatly at this and she gives a closed eyed smile of pure relief. More thumps sound on her door and this time she's certain it's her maids to pick up the men's bodies. Her eyes spring open in alarm when she realizes Zeldris' presence. His calm demeanor only makes her nerves race faster as she worries over what to do. "Zeldris, they can't—"
"Let them enter," he interrupts her with a determined nod.
She twists to face the door with furrowed brows before facing him once more uncertain. Only he isn't there anymore. She nearly stumbles in surprise, trying to figure out where he went when the knocks come on her door again. Her smile is slightly strained as she gives the order for her two helper maids to enter. They kindly smile at her in greeting, bowing in custom before they each take one male to drag from the room. The brunette pauses, though, to give her a questioning look which causes Gelda's skin to warm in nervousness.
"Would you like us to come back and help you retire for bed?"
"No, that will be all. Thank you." The breath she lets out as soon as the door closes behind them is utterly relieving.
"The damn rain interrupted my schedule for the evening," Zeldris states from behind her, as if he'd been standing there all along.
She spins to face him with her heart palpating in her sudden fluster. "Where did you go? And how did you go so fast?"
She's drawn to the way he seems to fill with pride as he speaks. "Speed and agility are required elements for demons of my class." With how close they're standing she's sure he can feel the thuds in her chest when he reaches to brush a few stray strands of hair behind her ear, sending her mind into a fuzzy sense of bliss and causing his confidence to swell. "I would easily have continued my routine without hindrance, but I knew you would not have shown up tonight and it's much more fun with you around."
Her stomach fills with nervous flutters as she gets lost in the dark depths of his eyes, shivering at the feel of his fingers teasing the skin at the back of her neck. "I'm sure you use that dedication in more ways than one…?"
He chuckles deeply and she shifts closer on instinct. "It's hard to break a habit, but for you I'm willing to make an exception."
She swallows shakily as her heart skips several beats. The power of his gaze renders her completely and utterly weak with emotions that twist and blend in a mix of electrifying tingles that race along her skin and fill her insides like an intoxicating warmth she can't be without. Her hand raises shakily, hoping to reach his shoulder and slide along his neck so she can pull him closer. But his hand catches hers and the pad of his thumb begins to run along the inside of her palm forcing a tiny sound of pleasure in her throat in the otherwise silent room filled with the raps of rain against her window. His eyes never once leave hers as his expression remains calm and level.
"You're cold," he points out in a low quiet tone. His hand at her neck smooths down the length of her arm where goosebumps have formed from her excitement. "I can light a fire, if you wish?" he adds when he finally takes his eyes from her and looks towards the fireplace across from her bed in the center left of her room.
Gelda sucks in a sharp breath and turns to look at it as well, only in annoyance as it took Zeldris' gaze away from her. "I can do it." She just wants it done quickly so that Zeldris won't have to think of her as "cold" any longer. She reaches inside of herself for the ball of pure inferno that travels like a roaring rush down her left arm and bursts forth from her palm in a blaze of oranges and yellows that seem to glow vividly in her eyes as they land upon the stock of wood in her fireplace. Fire catches easily and she lets out a tranquil breath at the ease in which it happens. She's practiced for years and years in the solitude of her room like a routine and seeing this success makes her smile softly.
But then she realizes she's not alone and in her haste she may have just given away a secret that could be her demise. She nearly tenses at the idea until she decides that maybe she can still keep her power hidden if she acts as if it's normal. Gelda turns to face Zeldris with a relaxed expression, a question already spilling from her lips. "If you do not plan on training this evening, what is it you have in mind, Zeldris?"
He stares at her for a long moment, and even with her years of wearing the mask of an unaffected princess, she can't help but begin to squirm under his intimidating eyes. Then he steps towards her and places both of his hands on her shoulders, keeping her in place. Trapping her, in her mind. She tries not to widen her eyes in panic, but it's impossible with the unreadable expression that covers his face and the dead silence of the room only broken by the harsh taps against her window. 'He won't hurt me. He won't hurt me…' she tries to tell herself repeatedly, but she can't be sure which causes her eyes to well with frightened tears that she will not shed. Years of her father's mistreatment has dried up all the sorrow inside of her, so she will not cry over her own foolish mistake.
"I want to ask you some questions, Gelda. Pretending what you did didn't happen isn't going to make it go away. I was informed that you had no such ability to use at your disposal," he tells her in a tone as sharp as ice.
She feels her hands curl into fists at her sides so tightly tremors overtake them. "My power— I don't use it against people! I haven't! I've kept it a secret for as long as I've known about it! You have to believe me, Zeldris. Please," she whispers earnestly, her voice short of breaking with emotion.
His hands on her shoulders squeeze momentarily before he's pulling her to her bed and pressing her to sit. Then he sits beside her with a heavy sigh. "Tell me everything about it," he urges her.
She keeps her eyes down, staring at his hand beside her thigh as she tells him things she promised to never reveal to anyone. "I've always felt the fire near my heart, but it was never easy to channel, so my father assumed I had no power and felt I was weak. Useless. So when I was old enough he bestowed upon me my title. I'm of the thousand temptations. He thought at least with that I would serve a better purpose in his life." Her shoulders sag and her hands begin to tremble slightly in her lap. "When I was a young adult, I guess I still am, I was able to draw upon it for the first time."
"What made it possible?" Zeldris voices quietly and she can feel his gaze burning against the side of her face.
"Fear." She doesn't wish to speak any further on that as with her next breath she pushes onward. "After that, I began to train in secret. I wanted to be able to hone the inferno inside of me for... protection. To be able to defend myself, if necessary. No one else knows about my powers and if they did I would probably be killed as some kind of freak among freaks. Flames are highly dangerous to us. I can never let them know." She inhales deeply and finally turns pleading, watery blue eyes towards the demon who stares at her hard eyes. "You mustn't tell anyone."
"I never had any intentions of telling anyone, Gelda. I just needed all the facts to be sure I wasn't being misled."
She doesn't dare to hope he's telling the truth. But the sound of his voice is simply so sincere… "But you seemed so distrustful of me before."
He gives her a wry smirk. "Would you believe you caught me off guard?"
She blinks in confusion wondering what that has to do with anything and then… she considers. She's never been able to do it before, something she's absolutely strived to achieve just to see the outcome. It's actually not a welcoming scenario. But why is that exactly? She gasps as stares at him with wide eyes, and rising like her sense of relief, a smile of mirth begins to form on her face, dampening his mood further. "You don't like it when things aren't in your control! You are a perfectionist!" She giggles at having gotten an aspect of his personality correct.
A growl of warning is all she receives.
Her world tips backwards rapidly when Zeldris pulls her beneath him in his effort to capture her lips in an act of revenge. He kisses her insatiably, stealing her breath away with the way he devours her mouth slowly, thoroughly, with deep salacious kisses. She's not given the choice of gripping his hair as she so desires to as his hands have collected hers and pressed them beside her head into the mattress beneath them. She can only sink into the burning way her stomach begins to coil as he presses into her with more fervor. His breathing turns harsher with every sensual twist of their heads and his need becomes more apparent with every rejoining of their lips.
Her every moan of passion and sighs of bliss is muffled by his mouth until she feels Zeldris slide deliberately between her legs and grind slowly against the throb that pulses there. She presses her head back, breaking the kiss only for his lips to trail hotly along her jaw as a low moan settles in the back of her throat whilst she arches into him. "Zeldris!"
He moves his mouth to her ear and she shudders at the sound of his rough breaths and husky tone, "You're right. I do like control and I'll make certain you learn that very quickly."
She can't form a response as her body's still wound from the spikes of pleasure Zeldris instilled in her. So she's only partly self-conscious when he begins to slip off her heels and untie the lace keeping her dress in place, leaving her in only her a slip, as he places her under her covers. By then the sharp pulses of desire have worn off so her mind's clearer when she feels his lips against hers one last time and then the loud sound of her chamber door shutting. Warm feelings of wonder assault her as she drifts into slumber.
Zeldris is unpredictable. She can only hope to guess what he could have in mind for her. But what she does know is that they're getting closer and surprisingly that's starting to become more important in her mind than him taking her in bed.