Chapter 11
Stanton dropped his bags, and gripped the portcullis. He lifted the worn metal with ease and using his flight powers, he secured it back into place, and they both walked in. The interior floor was made of stone, and looked like a place where several warriors would train for battle. Stanton dropped his bags again, but he couldn't seem to help himself this time.
Serena watched as he began to walk slowly around the interior, his face going every which-way, his eyes dark with wonder and memory. She left him alone as his hand reached out, and traced a strange mark on the gray wall. He gave her a besotted smile, and gestured her forward. With a returning smile, she dropped her bags too, and came to him. He inclined his head toward the etching in the wall. The carvings said, "Jacques, Stanton and Rachel, future rulers."
She tilted her head in confusion, and Stanton understood. "We were little. My brother was probably going along with us because we were young, but my sister and I thought that all of us would rule Europe together. Although later on we got to know better. We were disappointed, but realized there was no other way." Still smiling, he turned to the castle doors, and he took a deep breath, then turned back to her.
She nodded, went back to her bags, and waited for him. It was the moment of truth. If the castle was in ruins, there would be serious problems with trying to figure out where to stay. Stanton unbolted the giant wooden doors, and pushed them open. They stepped inside. Her jaw dropped at the place revealed to her. Everything was unusually perfect. No dust, no tearing. It looked like a castle museum.
"St-Stanton? Why is everything so...new?" She asked as she stepped forward.
"This place must have been discovered a while back. And people probably wanted to clean it up, but leave the artifacts in place. It's just like I remember it." There was a winding staircase on the right, plus one door behind the throne. To the left, there were two doors, and another winding staircase.
For his sake, Serena took a leap. "Can you show me where you slept?" Stanton turned to her with wide-eyed shock, then nodded. He dropped his bags, and went up the staircase, and she watched him from behind. He was probably going through some heavy shock, and she wasn't about to abandon him. She jogged up the stairs to him, and followed. They found a split in the stairs, and he took a right. One staircase lead to the other, until one went in a circle, up, up, up.
He opened a tiny door, and had to duck to get inside, where she fit right through. There was a large hall, one door on the left, four on the right. Stanton put a shaky hand on the fourth door, which showed...ANOTHER STAIRCASE???
"How did you get to meals on time?" Serena shouted incredulously.
Laughing, Stanton said, "We woke up very early. Plus our servants had everything ready for us by the time we woke up." He went up the staircase, and she followed, until they finally reached a round tower room with three little beds. A very used candle rested in a holder, and a tiny, dusty stain-glass window lay at the side of the room.
"This is the nursery. Our father promised us our own rooms when we reached eleven. Even while I looked forward to growing up, I still loved this room. We usually got up earlier than we were supposed to just to watch the sunrise. And since this is the tallest tower in the entire castle, the view is always fantastic. Of course," Stanton turned to her with a sly smile. "The sunset was always nice too."
Taking the hint, she smiled, but frowned when she resized the window. "You can't fit throu—" Stanton faded into shadow, pushed open the windows, and ended up grinning at her on the other end. "Ah." She wiggled through the window, and he gallantly held out his hand for balance. When she finally straightened, her breath caught in her throat.
The sun shined on the sea and plains in front of her, golden light reflecting off everything it touched. It all felt like magic. "Stanton, it's incredible." He took her hand, but as she turned to smile at him, she found tears that remained stubbornly in his eyes.
His eyes spoke volumes. He was very brave, wanting to visit the place he was crossed-over, and the place of his childhood. She wrapped her free arm around his waist, and leaned closer to comfort him.
"Serena, thank you for coming with me." Stanton told her, staring at the sunset with a mix of anguish and cherish.
She squeezed tighter, and whispered warmly, "Anytime."
Serena opened the oven, pulled out the lasagna, and inhaled the spicy-sweet scent, steam rising into her face. It was 7:30, and she just had to finish the second course.
She and Stanton had laid everything out into two separate rooms; his parents, and Jacques'. Stanton, always the consummate gentleman, requested she take his parents room, although she didn't really require the elaborate luxury that the room had. There was an extremely large four-poster bed inside, with two night stands, a chest, two wardrobes, and one vanity. It was a definite now that the castle was at one point a museum.
Once they finished unpacking, they looked for the nearest country, which happened to be Great Britain, to find some sustenance. That was alright with her, considering she hadn't actually eaten anything since 2:30. But after they got back, she insisted on making dinner. But he wasn't getting off easy. He was finding a table from God knew where in the castle that they could eat on, and since she already washed the dishes, he was going to set the table, and they would wash the dishes together afterwards.
She decided to go light this first night, so the first course was crispy green Caesar salad, the second course hot lasagna, and finally, Chocolate French silk pie. She bought the pie at a very cool bakery in London. As she gave the salad one last toss, she felt warm hands around her aproned waist. On a moan, he kissed her sweaty nape. She sighed, and smiled against him. "Table's ready."
She grinned. "Just in time." And with that, she took both salad dishes, and turned to him with a self-satisfied grin. He gently lifted the lasagna with kitchen towels, and he lead her to the table set conveniently in a room outside the main hall.
The meal wasn't much, yet strangely it managed to fill their stomachs, and their time. He was smiling, effortlessly using charm and wit to make her giggle and laugh. Stanton was so wonderful, so easy to love and care for. How could someone so sweet be evil? Just last Thursday she found out he recruited a teenager. Or attempted to. Tianna saved the initiate, but she was very angry with Stanton. Serena should be the angry one. But she wasn't. Somehow, she found that it was something he couldn't help doing.
Finally, he slipped into the kitchen again, and when he came back, he was holding the steamy chocolate pie. He reached for a knife, and instead of cutting out two pieces, he cut one big one, and set it on a dessert plate. Not that she minded sharing a piece.
She took her spoon, but he apparently had ideas of his own. He took her spoon, scooped up some chocolate shavings, some thick meringue, and finally the tall layer of warm chocolate. She watched, spellbound as he slowly took the morsel to his lips, opened his lush mouth, and slid the treat inside. He closed his eyes and mouth as the spoon slowly slid from his lips. Little by little. Finally, as the rich chocolate dissolved in his mouth, he savored it with a moan of pleasure. All in all, the image was very erotic.
Her eyes widened at him, amazed at how easily he had managed to seduce her. His eyes opened, glittering with stark male hunger he didn't try to hide. He dipped the spoon again, and she readied herself for more seductive eye candy. Instead, he pushed the spoon toward her mouth, and the vision of the savory way he had taken his bite flashed through her mind. The experience seemed so sensual to him. She wanted to feel it too.
She opened her mouth only slightly, but wide enough to push the spoon inside. She closed her mouth over the spoon, and for a second all she tasted was metal, warm from Stanton's mouth. She moved her tongue, and encountered the sweet, delicious warmth of chocolate. She closed her eyes as the spoon slipped from her lips, her mouth dissolving the sugary, marshmallow-like meringue, and her teeth bit into the tiny shavings of milky chocolate, all of it filling her mouth with rich, creamy delight. She was unable to suppress her moan of pleasure.
When she opened her eyes again, his eyes were filled with even greater desire. A shot of awareness zapped through the air and into their bodies; both of them trapped in the chocolaty aphrodisiac. He continued to hand-feed her, though no words were spoken.
At one point, unable to take anymore of his tempting, she took the spoon from him. She waited for his assent, and he gave it to her. Trying to use the same slowness he used, she dipped the spoon. Then, looking at him with sparked determination, she slid the pie into the wet recesses of his mouth.
His moan vibrated along the utensil as she pulled it back, making her nerve endings tingle with anticipation. Serena looked down at the pie. The last bite. Licking her lips, she took the bite, and swallowed it down quickly, knowing where things would go if they kept it up.
And that was just where Stanton wanted to go. She accidentally left a drop of meringue on her lips, and he leapt to her, licking it away with his tongue, and pushed inside. Not wanting to resist any longer, she clasped her arms around his neck, settled herself in his lap, and kissed him back, starved for whatever he could give, and easily pulled open his shirt so she could caress his broad chest.
She was only fifteen. She had her whole future ahead of her, so many things to consider. She wanted respect, not resentment. SHE DIDN'T HAVE PROTECTION!!!
She eagerly grasped behind his neck with one hand, and took his with the other as she kissed him with surprising, yet hungry fierceness. Serena had no idea what came over her, but she closed his restrained hand over her right breast. He accepted her invitation eagerly, his warm hand massaging the pliant mound.
On a groan, he whispered to her, "You're so tempting," and went back to kissing her. His hand slipped to her cleavage, and taking his signal, she unbuttoned her top, and just after she got pass her bra, his hand pushed down on the right cup of Lycra and lace.
His hand, now hot and powerful closed over her breast, then he thumbed her nipple, and tugged, creating a pulling sensation somewhere else deep inside her. She moaned, and arched against him, pleading for more.
'Not yet.'
Her mouth wrenched away from his, her breath heavy. His chest heaved as he sucked in air. "Did-di-did you...?" Stanton stuttered, still trying to catch his breath.
Licking her lips, she asked in an equally breathless voice, "Did I what?"
He bit his lower lip, then asked, "Did you hear it too?" Her eyes widened. The voice that had pulled her back wasn't hers. But it was too light to be male.
"Yes." she stated with a jerky nod. "Who was it?"
Stanton looked around the room, as if he was searching the shadows. "I don't know. You better go to bed before things get out of hand on the first night."
Serena nodded, realizing his hand was still on her breast. She scrambled off his lap and to her feet, her hands frantically rearranging her clothes as he buttoned up his shirt.
Shy, embarrassed, she turned from him, and his finger caught her face under her chin. "Don't be embarrassed. Everyone feels lust." They both knew it was more than that, but she accepted it with a nod. Before she could walk to the kitchen to wash the dishes, he took her hand, led her to the main hall, then up the right staircase.
"What about the dishes?" She asked in a tiny voice.
"They can wait. I don't want to take chances." Nodding, Serena followed him up the steps, and to the door of her room. He gave her a light kiss before leaving. Just like that? Not even a good night? Just a kiss? Ignoring the need for affection, she slipped inside. She managed to use a pitcher of water to wash her face and brush her teeth, then slipped beneath the warm covers on the huge bed. The full moon glazed on her body, reminding her of who she was. 'Tu es dea, filia lunae.'
She was who she was. And Dark goddess or not, she was still a goddess who should have nothing to do with Stanton the Prince of Night. Was that all she could think about lately? Maybe someone was manipulating her. Like Toby had done to Vanessa.
No. Stanton had changed, and when he had become the Prince of Night, he had hidden his love for her so it could be spared. There was no way Stanton would ever willingly harm her. Not with everything that they had shared. No; she loved Stanton. And no one would change her mind this time.
Just as she was on the verge of sleep ten minutes later, a creek in the door made her open her eyes. The unmistakable shape of a male body framed in her doorway. She rose, clutching the sheet to her chest. He didn't say anything, merely lifted the covers, and crawled into bed next to her, and cuddled her to his side, comforting and loving. And in jeans. Finding his affectionate embrace too much to resist, she snuggled to his side.
"Good night Serena." He said, his soothing voice full of sleep.
"Good night Stanton." She closed her eyes, absorbing his warmth. But they opened lazily so she could gaze into his. And with their gazes locked, their bodies meshed, they discovered their most intimate moment yet.
Stanton dropped his bags, and gripped the portcullis. He lifted the worn metal with ease and using his flight powers, he secured it back into place, and they both walked in. The interior floor was made of stone, and looked like a place where several warriors would train for battle. Stanton dropped his bags again, but he couldn't seem to help himself this time.
Serena watched as he began to walk slowly around the interior, his face going every which-way, his eyes dark with wonder and memory. She left him alone as his hand reached out, and traced a strange mark on the gray wall. He gave her a besotted smile, and gestured her forward. With a returning smile, she dropped her bags too, and came to him. He inclined his head toward the etching in the wall. The carvings said, "Jacques, Stanton and Rachel, future rulers."
She tilted her head in confusion, and Stanton understood. "We were little. My brother was probably going along with us because we were young, but my sister and I thought that all of us would rule Europe together. Although later on we got to know better. We were disappointed, but realized there was no other way." Still smiling, he turned to the castle doors, and he took a deep breath, then turned back to her.
She nodded, went back to her bags, and waited for him. It was the moment of truth. If the castle was in ruins, there would be serious problems with trying to figure out where to stay. Stanton unbolted the giant wooden doors, and pushed them open. They stepped inside. Her jaw dropped at the place revealed to her. Everything was unusually perfect. No dust, no tearing. It looked like a castle museum.
"St-Stanton? Why is everything so...new?" She asked as she stepped forward.
"This place must have been discovered a while back. And people probably wanted to clean it up, but leave the artifacts in place. It's just like I remember it." There was a winding staircase on the right, plus one door behind the throne. To the left, there were two doors, and another winding staircase.
For his sake, Serena took a leap. "Can you show me where you slept?" Stanton turned to her with wide-eyed shock, then nodded. He dropped his bags, and went up the staircase, and she watched him from behind. He was probably going through some heavy shock, and she wasn't about to abandon him. She jogged up the stairs to him, and followed. They found a split in the stairs, and he took a right. One staircase lead to the other, until one went in a circle, up, up, up.
He opened a tiny door, and had to duck to get inside, where she fit right through. There was a large hall, one door on the left, four on the right. Stanton put a shaky hand on the fourth door, which showed...ANOTHER STAIRCASE???
"How did you get to meals on time?" Serena shouted incredulously.
Laughing, Stanton said, "We woke up very early. Plus our servants had everything ready for us by the time we woke up." He went up the staircase, and she followed, until they finally reached a round tower room with three little beds. A very used candle rested in a holder, and a tiny, dusty stain-glass window lay at the side of the room.
"This is the nursery. Our father promised us our own rooms when we reached eleven. Even while I looked forward to growing up, I still loved this room. We usually got up earlier than we were supposed to just to watch the sunrise. And since this is the tallest tower in the entire castle, the view is always fantastic. Of course," Stanton turned to her with a sly smile. "The sunset was always nice too."
Taking the hint, she smiled, but frowned when she resized the window. "You can't fit throu—" Stanton faded into shadow, pushed open the windows, and ended up grinning at her on the other end. "Ah." She wiggled through the window, and he gallantly held out his hand for balance. When she finally straightened, her breath caught in her throat.
The sun shined on the sea and plains in front of her, golden light reflecting off everything it touched. It all felt like magic. "Stanton, it's incredible." He took her hand, but as she turned to smile at him, she found tears that remained stubbornly in his eyes.
His eyes spoke volumes. He was very brave, wanting to visit the place he was crossed-over, and the place of his childhood. She wrapped her free arm around his waist, and leaned closer to comfort him.
"Serena, thank you for coming with me." Stanton told her, staring at the sunset with a mix of anguish and cherish.
She squeezed tighter, and whispered warmly, "Anytime."
Serena opened the oven, pulled out the lasagna, and inhaled the spicy-sweet scent, steam rising into her face. It was 7:30, and she just had to finish the second course.
She and Stanton had laid everything out into two separate rooms; his parents, and Jacques'. Stanton, always the consummate gentleman, requested she take his parents room, although she didn't really require the elaborate luxury that the room had. There was an extremely large four-poster bed inside, with two night stands, a chest, two wardrobes, and one vanity. It was a definite now that the castle was at one point a museum.
Once they finished unpacking, they looked for the nearest country, which happened to be Great Britain, to find some sustenance. That was alright with her, considering she hadn't actually eaten anything since 2:30. But after they got back, she insisted on making dinner. But he wasn't getting off easy. He was finding a table from God knew where in the castle that they could eat on, and since she already washed the dishes, he was going to set the table, and they would wash the dishes together afterwards.
She decided to go light this first night, so the first course was crispy green Caesar salad, the second course hot lasagna, and finally, Chocolate French silk pie. She bought the pie at a very cool bakery in London. As she gave the salad one last toss, she felt warm hands around her aproned waist. On a moan, he kissed her sweaty nape. She sighed, and smiled against him. "Table's ready."
She grinned. "Just in time." And with that, she took both salad dishes, and turned to him with a self-satisfied grin. He gently lifted the lasagna with kitchen towels, and he lead her to the table set conveniently in a room outside the main hall.
The meal wasn't much, yet strangely it managed to fill their stomachs, and their time. He was smiling, effortlessly using charm and wit to make her giggle and laugh. Stanton was so wonderful, so easy to love and care for. How could someone so sweet be evil? Just last Thursday she found out he recruited a teenager. Or attempted to. Tianna saved the initiate, but she was very angry with Stanton. Serena should be the angry one. But she wasn't. Somehow, she found that it was something he couldn't help doing.
Finally, he slipped into the kitchen again, and when he came back, he was holding the steamy chocolate pie. He reached for a knife, and instead of cutting out two pieces, he cut one big one, and set it on a dessert plate. Not that she minded sharing a piece.
She took her spoon, but he apparently had ideas of his own. He took her spoon, scooped up some chocolate shavings, some thick meringue, and finally the tall layer of warm chocolate. She watched, spellbound as he slowly took the morsel to his lips, opened his lush mouth, and slid the treat inside. He closed his eyes and mouth as the spoon slowly slid from his lips. Little by little. Finally, as the rich chocolate dissolved in his mouth, he savored it with a moan of pleasure. All in all, the image was very erotic.
Her eyes widened at him, amazed at how easily he had managed to seduce her. His eyes opened, glittering with stark male hunger he didn't try to hide. He dipped the spoon again, and she readied herself for more seductive eye candy. Instead, he pushed the spoon toward her mouth, and the vision of the savory way he had taken his bite flashed through her mind. The experience seemed so sensual to him. She wanted to feel it too.
She opened her mouth only slightly, but wide enough to push the spoon inside. She closed her mouth over the spoon, and for a second all she tasted was metal, warm from Stanton's mouth. She moved her tongue, and encountered the sweet, delicious warmth of chocolate. She closed her eyes as the spoon slipped from her lips, her mouth dissolving the sugary, marshmallow-like meringue, and her teeth bit into the tiny shavings of milky chocolate, all of it filling her mouth with rich, creamy delight. She was unable to suppress her moan of pleasure.
When she opened her eyes again, his eyes were filled with even greater desire. A shot of awareness zapped through the air and into their bodies; both of them trapped in the chocolaty aphrodisiac. He continued to hand-feed her, though no words were spoken.
At one point, unable to take anymore of his tempting, she took the spoon from him. She waited for his assent, and he gave it to her. Trying to use the same slowness he used, she dipped the spoon. Then, looking at him with sparked determination, she slid the pie into the wet recesses of his mouth.
His moan vibrated along the utensil as she pulled it back, making her nerve endings tingle with anticipation. Serena looked down at the pie. The last bite. Licking her lips, she took the bite, and swallowed it down quickly, knowing where things would go if they kept it up.
And that was just where Stanton wanted to go. She accidentally left a drop of meringue on her lips, and he leapt to her, licking it away with his tongue, and pushed inside. Not wanting to resist any longer, she clasped her arms around his neck, settled herself in his lap, and kissed him back, starved for whatever he could give, and easily pulled open his shirt so she could caress his broad chest.
She was only fifteen. She had her whole future ahead of her, so many things to consider. She wanted respect, not resentment. SHE DIDN'T HAVE PROTECTION!!!
She eagerly grasped behind his neck with one hand, and took his with the other as she kissed him with surprising, yet hungry fierceness. Serena had no idea what came over her, but she closed his restrained hand over her right breast. He accepted her invitation eagerly, his warm hand massaging the pliant mound.
On a groan, he whispered to her, "You're so tempting," and went back to kissing her. His hand slipped to her cleavage, and taking his signal, she unbuttoned her top, and just after she got pass her bra, his hand pushed down on the right cup of Lycra and lace.
His hand, now hot and powerful closed over her breast, then he thumbed her nipple, and tugged, creating a pulling sensation somewhere else deep inside her. She moaned, and arched against him, pleading for more.
'Not yet.'
Her mouth wrenched away from his, her breath heavy. His chest heaved as he sucked in air. "Did-di-did you...?" Stanton stuttered, still trying to catch his breath.
Licking her lips, she asked in an equally breathless voice, "Did I what?"
He bit his lower lip, then asked, "Did you hear it too?" Her eyes widened. The voice that had pulled her back wasn't hers. But it was too light to be male.
"Yes." she stated with a jerky nod. "Who was it?"
Stanton looked around the room, as if he was searching the shadows. "I don't know. You better go to bed before things get out of hand on the first night."
Serena nodded, realizing his hand was still on her breast. She scrambled off his lap and to her feet, her hands frantically rearranging her clothes as he buttoned up his shirt.
Shy, embarrassed, she turned from him, and his finger caught her face under her chin. "Don't be embarrassed. Everyone feels lust." They both knew it was more than that, but she accepted it with a nod. Before she could walk to the kitchen to wash the dishes, he took her hand, led her to the main hall, then up the right staircase.
"What about the dishes?" She asked in a tiny voice.
"They can wait. I don't want to take chances." Nodding, Serena followed him up the steps, and to the door of her room. He gave her a light kiss before leaving. Just like that? Not even a good night? Just a kiss? Ignoring the need for affection, she slipped inside. She managed to use a pitcher of water to wash her face and brush her teeth, then slipped beneath the warm covers on the huge bed. The full moon glazed on her body, reminding her of who she was. 'Tu es dea, filia lunae.'
She was who she was. And Dark goddess or not, she was still a goddess who should have nothing to do with Stanton the Prince of Night. Was that all she could think about lately? Maybe someone was manipulating her. Like Toby had done to Vanessa.
No. Stanton had changed, and when he had become the Prince of Night, he had hidden his love for her so it could be spared. There was no way Stanton would ever willingly harm her. Not with everything that they had shared. No; she loved Stanton. And no one would change her mind this time.
Just as she was on the verge of sleep ten minutes later, a creek in the door made her open her eyes. The unmistakable shape of a male body framed in her doorway. She rose, clutching the sheet to her chest. He didn't say anything, merely lifted the covers, and crawled into bed next to her, and cuddled her to his side, comforting and loving. And in jeans. Finding his affectionate embrace too much to resist, she snuggled to his side.
"Good night Serena." He said, his soothing voice full of sleep.
"Good night Stanton." She closed her eyes, absorbing his warmth. But they opened lazily so she could gaze into his. And with their gazes locked, their bodies meshed, they discovered their most intimate moment yet.