Chapter 38 Her Venture

I'm back! I'm very sorry for the long delay; I got busy at school and then spent the first half of our winter break getting ready for Christmas and sleeping. I promise I won't take so long to update this story in the future. I wish you all a Happy New Year and hope you enjoy this chapter. Warning for sexual situations.

Adeladja kept brushing her hair. It already undulated in even waves, but she kept at it, finding some comfort in the ritual. Prussia was going to come back and he wouldn't be content with cuddling on the bed with her. Her hand shook as she continued to pull the brush through her hair. Her voice had told her to take control when Prussia returned. That might be all well and good if he were in a good mood, receptive to such an approach. But then she thought of him, smirking and drinking with the male personifications and her anxiety rose. Boże, she prayed, don't let him get so drunk that he can't do what he wants. Because then he would fail, grow angry and blame her, punish her, and it would be Zopot, but worse. Or if you must let him get drunk, she continued, let him pass out before he does any damage.

The maid drowsing by the bedroom door startled and pressed her ear against it. "Someone is coming, Fraulein," she whispered. "I am sure it is Herr Bielschmidt." She stood up and arranged her skirts. "Are there any—preparations—I need to do for you, Fraulein?"

Adeladja thought a little. "Pull that chair over here, across from mine," she said.
The maid pulled over a slipper chair and curtseyed. "Very good, Berta. When he knocks, let him in and then you may go."

The maid barely nodded when they heard Prussia's brisk rap on the door. She opened it for him, and Prussia sauntered in. Adeladja studied him; he wasn't swaying too much or seemed to have trouble focusing on her in the oil lamps' light. Berta the maid departed, closing the door behind her.

"Don't you look pretty, Liebling," Prussia murmured as he strolled over to her. He stood behind Adeladja, resting his hands on her shoulders. "Like a fancy little cake." He mouthed at her neck. Adeladja noted that his breath didn't smell exceptionally strong of alcohol. Maybe he wouldn't sabotage himself and she wouldn't have to worry about punishment. But maybe he'd be friskier than she'd like.

"Danke, Gilbert," she murmured. She found it hard to speak as his lips increased their pressure on her neck. At one spot, she gasped. "Kesesese," he whickered as his hands traveled downward to squeeze her breasts. Adeladja stiffened. Breathe, the voice urged. Breathe, collect your thoughts and take control.

"So did you or Russia win the drinking contest?" She asked, craning her neck back to look at him. She noted his closed eyes as he kissed his way up to her ear and to her cheek.

"Russland, of course. I decided I'd let him win because I have a better consolation prize than whatever he hoped for," he muttered.

Adeladja raised a hand and stroked his cheek as he peppered her face with kisses. "Ja, you do," she whispered. He broke off his kisses, opened his eyes and stared at her. She smiled at him. "You made a wise choice, Gilbert," she replied.

"Of course I did," he laughed and he kissed her on the lips, overwhelming her into opening her mouth. She felt as if she were caught in an undertow, and her heart raced. Oh come on, the voice sighed. You of both entities in this room know what to do in that situation! Adeladja breathed deeply and relaxed, even responded to his lips and tongue. She could feel her confidence return as she eased out of her panic.

Prussia's lips traveled from her mouth to her throat again. She managed to say, "Schatz, make yourself comfortable. Have a seat over there." She gestured to the chair next to hers.

"Why should I do that?" He growled as he nipped at her neck.

"Because then I can sit in your lap and we can kiss and play more comfortably then," she replied.

"Why don't we just cut to the chase and head to your bed?"

Adeladja paused and thought a little. "Ja, go to my bed, Gilbert, and I shall join you." She watched him pull off his formal uniform tunic and shirt and toss them over the chair back. Then he eased off his boots, stripped down to his drawers and sprawled on her bed, watching her. She stood up and inhaled, steadying herself. She would stay calm and in control. She slowly walked over to the bed and stood before him, playing with the robe's ribbons at her throat.

"Come on, get over here." Prussia patted the bed. Adeladja forced herself to smile as she undid the ribbons and let the chiffon robe slide down to the floor. Only gathered ruffles of sheer silk protected her body from his gaze.

"Don't you like to look at me?" She tried to sound as teasing as she imagined a lover might.

"That's why we'll keep the lamps on, Mädchen." Prussia's eyes traveled over her body,resting on certain areas until she wanted to cover herself. But she forced herself to stand still and stare back. "Now get on the bed before I make you do it."

Adeladja saw her opening. She tensed her leg muscles and shifted her weight. "If you say so, Gilbert," she replied as she gathered her nightgown's skirt. She sprang onto the bed and straddled him, pleased at his little grunt as she rested down upon his hips. When she looked down at his surprised expression, she allowed herself a little smile. To her relief, she could see approval shining in his garnet eyes as he began to caress her waist, breast and hips through the light cloth. She even laughed a little.

"What's gotten into you, minx?"

"Gratitude," she replied as she leaned forward to kiss him. She could feel him growing harder and stirring under her. In between kisses and nips at his neck, ears and shoulders, she murmured, "You promised me an interview with Russia about my brother and you kept your word. I'm thanking you."

"Kesesesese," Prussia smirked as he returned her kiss. "Imagine what I'll get if I give you the harp!"

"Give me the harp and you won't have to imagine it," Adeladja replied. Bȯze, she thought as he grabbed her hips, what am I going to do then? What am I doing now? She let him guide her motions as she shook her hair and brushed it over his face and chest. Maybe, as long as he didn't look too closely at her, if she didn't pay too much attention to what was happening between her legs, she could trick him.

"Take off your gown," he murmured and she took advantage of pulling the waves of ruffled silk over her head to hide her face. She could feel him growing hotter and and harder under his cotton drawers and the old panic and dread rose in her mind. I can't do it, I can't play the wanton, she realized. How much easier it was to lie still and tolerate him, to let the creaking mattress and impact of his body into hers do the work of motion and noise! Ale nie ma, she had made her plan and she needed to follow it through.1

As she cast the gown onto the floor, Adeladja forced herself to look down upon Prussia. He studied her, smirking as his hands traveled her body. She felt her skin turn to gooseflesh, whether from the cool air or his touch, she didn't know. He twisted his fingers in her hair and pulled her back down to kiss him. She heard his breathing begin to race, felt his skin warm under her fingertips, and she began to scrape her teeth along his neck and nip harder at his ear lobes. He seemed to like it, and she began to realize that she did too. When she bit into his shoulder, he groaned approvingly and she felt all the months of her resentment and anger put to good use.

"Du Füchslein," he hissed, and he wrapped his arms around her. Adeladja realized he was trying to pull her down onto the bed to roll onto her. That isn't the plan, her voice reminded her, as she braced her arms on either side of his head and gripped her thighs against her hips. Prussia glared at her. "What is it? What are you up to?" He narrowed his eyes.

"You've had a long night," Adeladja murmured as sweetly as she could. She stroked his cheek and his chest, tweaking his nipple slightly. "Wouldn't you like to do something different?" She drew herself up so he could see her breasts.

He still seemed suspicious, she thought. But then he shrugged. "Ja, why not admire the view?" She began to unbutton his drawers and stroke him as he began to move under her. The worst part was coming up, she realized, when she had to act like the pain and struggle of his entering her was pleasurable. Maybe if she distracted him with shaking her hair over her face, or hovering her breasts over his open mouth, he wouldn't notice her grimaces. Then do it, the voice urged, just get him in there and it will get better.

And so she did. She went back to kissing his neck and chest as she fumbled with her fingers to guide him into herself. She was only slightly wet, she realized, and she felt as if she were trying to drive a wooden baton into herself, but she gritted her teeth and bore down. When she heard him sigh under her, and felt herself filled with a burning, raw pain, she thought, he's in. She began to move her hips as he guided her, and the pain diminished. Adeladja glanced down through her loose curls and saw him open-mouthed, eyes half-closed. Hmmmph, she though grimly as she began to move faster, all that worry and he probably wasn't paying attention anyway.

But then his eyes flashed open and she saw the ruby light flicker and she realized he was looking at her,. He looked caught, and she felt a flicker of heat rise inside her body and a smile cross her face. The friction between them started to feel better now, she realized, but this wasn't about her body's pleasure; it was about looking down and seeing smirking Prussia pant and gaze up at her as if she were some marvelous creature from a myth.

He gripped her hips and thrust more fiercely. Adeladja kept up, still focused on his eyes, noting the increasing excitement in them. When she began to gasp from their exertions, she noticed how pleased he looked. She played to her audience, groaning more loudly, pinching his nipples and leaning over to bite at his chin and throat. She enjoyed hearing him hiss at her teeth's on his skin; finally, a use for the bitterness that had built up in her. Let him think it's passion, she managed to think as they moved faster, just not the one he thought.

Finally, he was done with a shout. Adeladja watched Prussia breathe deeply with closed eyes. She felt tired; the whole night's events and this exertion weighed on her. Her first instinct was to clamber off and wash herself, but he hung on to her hips. Adeladja studied him; his eyes were a warm burgundy, which was reassuring. And when he coaxed her to rest her head upon his damp chest, she decided to play along.

"Mein Gott, that was a nice change," he finally said. Adeladja looked up at him and smiled.

"Ja, it was, wasn't it?" She murmured. She nestled against his chest. It wasn't really that bad, she thought. Maybe she could do this more often, especially if she could reinforce to him that it came when he had been kind to her. She started to feel cold and pulled the covers over t hem. Prussia sighed with approval and held her closer.

"So what shall you do tomorrow?" she asked. She could hear his breath begin to slow.

"Nothing fancy. Just meetings," he murmured. "No dances or dinners."

Adeladja shrugged. She thought of her next step while waiting for him to speak. For a second, she was sure he had drifted off to sleep, but he finally asked, "And you, what will you do?"

"I shall be bored," she sighed. "I'm tired of needlework and books. I wish I could I could see Friedrich II's compositions and start transcribing them." She pulled back to study Prussia's face in the gaslight. Fortunately, he was awake, and at his favorite king's name, he had opened his eyes. He seemed sleepy, but intrigued.

Adeladja kissed his jaw more tenderly than she had done a few minutes ago. "If I could start doing that, then the sooner I can play them for you when I get the harp. A head start, ja?" She ended with a soft kiss on his lips and pulled back to smile at him.

He didn't say anything and she couldn't read his expression. Maybe it was a bad time to ask, now that he was satisfied. Maybe he was calculating what her request would cost her. Finally he gently placed his hand on the back of her head and pulled it back to his chest. She felt his lips press against her hair.

"Tomorrow we shall breakfast together," he whispered. "Then I shall take you to the palace library and direct the librarian to show you Friedrich's compositions and get you started on them. You will have a new task, pet. And you will get your harp." Adeladja kissed his chest and murmured, "Viele Dank, Gilbert." He grunted and that seemed to end the matter.

Adeladja listened to his breathing slow down, deepen and turn into light snores. She sighed and allowed her body to relax. The night had not ended badly after all, she thought. But sleep eluded her, despite her exertions. She reached over to turn off the gas lamp and studied Prussia in the dark. He looked pale and at rest, like a marble statue of a sleeping young man. It could be worse, she reminded herself. She thought of fat, whiskered Mecklenburg-Schwerin and shuddered. And she had had fun tonight, even if she still felt sore and tender between her legs. That's because your fun comes from a different place, the voice chimed in. She remembered the pleasure she had felt while watching Prussia and realized it was not what one feels while pleasing their lover; it had been uglier and more selfish. Like a whore fooling her customer, she thought, and she cringed.

I felt a little rusty writing this chapter since I've been away so long. So do you think Prussia is as fooled as Danzig thinks he was? What do you think of her realization at the end? I hope to hear your ideas about this in reviews (yes, I beg shamelessly for reviews; they allow me to talk to you and share ideas). I hope you all had nice holidays and haven't given up on this story. I plan to get back to regular postings in 2014!

1 Polish: But no