I'm back to this story. For how long, I have no idea. I have a dystopia building in my mind. But I'll write about this for now.
Chapter Seven:
Reid woke up when the sun had just begun to rise. He noticed the Queen was watching him.
"That was…" he began to say groggily.
"If you say a mistake, I'll have you beheaded," she said in a slightly serious tone.
"I was going to say incredible," he said. "I have never done anything so, so impulsive. I don't know what came over me. I understand the mountain air is slightly cleaner but studies- "
"Spencer," she said. "Shut up."
She began to kiss him on the neck. He gently moved away.
"Don't you want it?" she said sitting up. She climbed on top of him and massaged his chest.
"I do," he said. "But, but," he stuttered.
"If this is the part where you say, 'we can never do this again' like in some cheesy soap opera, I am not dismissing the idea of having you beheaded."
"Do you threaten all your lovers with decapitation?" he asked with mild amusement.
"I haven't had a lover in twelve years," she said. "I refused to let Alexander touch me once I learned of his affair with Trista."
"It's been seventeen years for me," he said rambled. "Tory, one of my best friends in college, and I made a pact. Our birthdays were in the same month and agreed that if we were both single the month before our twenty-first birthday, we'd lose our virginity to each other."
"How was it?" she asked.
"I had read so many books and still didn't know what I was doing," he said. "It was awkward, and we couldn't look at each other for three days afterwards."
"Where is Tory now?"
"Happily married with a set of triplets and teaching at MIT."
"Well, Spencer Reid, you should know you were spectacular last night."
"Thank you," he said hesitantly. "I should go."
"Okay," she said sliding off him. "I know it is a lot to process."
"I had sex with the Queen of Boderia," he said as he put his clothes back on. "Even for my brain, that is a lot."
"Take your time," she said sweetly. "And don't be a stranger at night."
He walked to the wall he came in from and stopped.
"Why is there a passageway here?"
"It used to be the nursery centuries ago," she said. "We changed the layout, so it is now just across the hall."
"Did you choose that room for me on purpose?"
"What do you think?" she asked.
At that moment, he wanted to jump back in bed with her. But he resisted, and opened the panel and went back to his room.
Reid found himself gasping for breath. He reviewed the signs of a heart attack, panic attack, and stroke. It eventually occurred to him that it was merely adrenaline left over from last night. Never had he done anything so out of character in his life. But he had never met a woman who made him feel the way the Queen did.
He laid on his bed and reviewed what happened. If felt vaguely similar to what happened with Lila where she was in love with him because he was her hero. But the Queen was much more intense. There was something special about what he had with her. He just wasn't sure what to do with it.
After washing up, he spent the morning reading until breakfast. He couldn't focus on what he read, but it was something to do.
…
"You look like you didn't get much sleep," Laurel said when he arrived for breakfast.
"The bed was almost too comfortable," Reid said hoping it sounded like a valid excuse.
"I agree," she said. "I think these beds are made of actual feathers. Like sleeping on a cloud."
Weimer appeared.
"Which is why I'm getting a new mattress the minute I get home."
Erdrich followed.
"I just got a new one. I wonder what one of these costs?"
Laurel laughed.
"More than a year's salary I bet."
Reid silently let out a sigh of relief that the conversation wasn't on him and his sleeping problems.
Dishes were being cleared from the table when Gerome appeared.
"On today's schedule are a trip to the Royal Zoo and a beer tasting at the Brenishan Distillery for those interested."
"Excellent," Weimer said.
"There is one other matter that needs to be addressed," Gerome said. "When you arrive home from your travels today you will find an instruction booklet on Royal protocol for a Boderian ball. The Queen could care less about how you conduct yourselves, but Americans are not common visitors and therefore you will be under a microscope while in attendance. You should review what is in the booklets and prepare to have some semblance of an understanding of Boderian etiquette."
"I hope my dress is fancy enough for the occasion," Laurel said.
"The Queen is having her personal dresser design a dress for you," Gerome said. "Tomorrow you will meet with her to discuss a style."
"My own custom dress from Boderia," she said with a smile. "How fabulous!"
"Tomorrow I will be available answer any questions about the booklet," he said. "Enjoy your day."
"Cheers," Erdrich said.
"So, we better not drink ourselves senseless at the distillery," Weimer said.
"Maybe we can try that at our layover at Shannon on our way home?" Erdrich said.
"I'll drink to that."
"Hey, don't forget about me," Laurel said. "Despite my looks, I'm not a skinny martini girl."
"You in Reid?" Weimer asked.
"I think I'll ask for an escort back to explore the castle library," he said.
"How very you," Laurel said lightly.
Reid shrugged.
"Alcohol tasting does not stimulate the pleasure senses in my body the way it does in others."
"How very you indeed," Laurel said.
…
Reid did his best to remain quiet throughout the trip to the zoo. He knew everything about every animal described and even more in some cases. Relaxing was hard, and he knew his worst tendencies came out when he was nervous.
"You could be a Zoologist if you get bored with your FBI gig," Weimer said.
"I'm sorry," he said. "I babble."
"Don't worry about it," Erdrich said. "Think of us as your team away from home."
"We like you just the way you are," Laurel said.
"But you'll be glad to get rid of me for the beer tasting," he said with a smile.
"How much do you know about beer?" Erdrich asked.
"About as much as I know about animals," Reid said.
Weimer looked like he was deep in thought and then said:
"Everything is better with beer, even babbling."
Everyone laughed, Reid included. They were starting to feel like his team at home.
…
The castle library was positively magical. There were rare editions of every book in world held on the shelves. Reid was mostly left to himself to explore and pull out whatever he liked.
He was reading a book on Boderian architecture when he heard soft footsteps. When he looked up a masked man was steps away. Reid shoved a chair between them and screamed.
"Intruder!" he shouted in Bernian.
He scrambled to his feet and ran. He could hear the masked man following closely behind him. There was a metal spiral staircase that lead to the second level. He reached for the railing and hoisted himself up. The man pulled out a small gun and Reid ducked when he heard a shot.
There was stomping of more feet. He cautiously looked over the edge. The masked man had been shot in the arm. Reid let out a sigh of relief.
"Dr. Reid," one of the guards said. "Are you alright?"
"I'm fine," he said. He realized any fantasies he had were merely indulgences as the threat in Boderia was very real.