The couple, soaking wet, ran back into the palace, laughing.
"Where have you been?" King Peter demanded.
"Just down at the beach, father. Is something wrong?" Antonio asked.
Petertoddled from foot to foot. "Your cousin is here."
"My cousin Derek?"
"Yes."
Queen Danielle diverted her gaze to Ro. "There are a few more things that must be discussed, I'm afraid. My dear, do you mind if we steal Antonio for some time?"
"I don't mind," Ro said, hoping her disappointment at having Antonio taken from her again wasn't noticeable.
"Much appreciated," Peter smiled. Standing from his chair, he gestured toward the adjoining lounge, which was cut off from the dining room by a pair of massive oak doors. "Antonio, will you please join me?"
Looking confused, but understanding that his parents must have something significant to say that they couldn't in front of Ro, Antonio agreed. "Uh, sure. I'll find you as soon as I'm done, Ro." he waved at her.
Leaving Ro to go back to her room, Antonio followed his parents into the study and shut the door behind him. Leaning against it, he crossed his arms and watched them circle the small room, nervously straightening cushions and books as if to put off a conversation he'd started.
"Alright, Derek is here. I'm worried—"
"As are we, although there's one more thing that worries us more." Danielle sighed. "It's about Rosella."
"What about her?"
Peter blinked, shaking his head. "Well, if you must make me say it, it's her…impropriety."
"Are we discussing her table manners again? She knows exactly what a fork is used for, and she knows how to hold a teacup now." Antonio's eyebrows lowered in slight annoyance.
"If only this conversation were so merciless," Peter sighed. "What I am referring to, Antonio, is her lack of awareness in regards to what is appropriate behavior between a man and a woman, especially two that aren't yet married."
"Antonio, you have to be careful, just disappearing with that girl without telling anyone." Danielle said. "I know you're young and deeply in love-"
"Not just in love, I'm going to marry her, mother." Antonio interrupted.
Peter smiled warmly at this. "But, for all your schemes and deeds, Antonio, this is still the wildest one yet."
"Getting married?"
"Getting married to an island girl." Peter stressed.
"Father, you know all this time she's been the crown Princess of Paladia, a kingdom much twice as large as ours, right? Not that it mattered because I'd have married her even if she was the daughter of a pauper, but I don't understand why you still find it so hard to approve of her."
"It's not that we don't approve…but even if Ro's the crown Princess, she certainly wasn't raised like one." Danielle shook her head. "People will look for any reason to question her capabilities, no matter who she is. She was raised by animals and is far from the image of a proper Princess. Don't you think people would have a hard time accepting her as their queen?"
"Well everyone and their animals would have been dead if Ro didn't risk her life to come back and save us, so they have to get used to it–"
"I'm not telling you to leave the poor girl, no, no!" Danielle insisted, grabbing Antonio's hand. "I adore her, I do, and I'm happy you're happy with her. But there can't be the slightest bit of impropriety. We must have her trained up to learn our customs."
"What does that mean?"
"I'll help her, and. I'll see to it. But you also have to be on the lookout, as the person who'll likely spend the most time with her." Danielle said. "Nothing may be astray, do you understand?"
Antonio nodded. If it would make Ro's life easier, he would do it. "Of course."
Peter sighed. "Now, you must meet with your cousin. He's at the guest quarters."
"Right." Antonio huffed, he wasn't looking too forward to this.
He wanted to get this meeting over with as quickly as possible, and ideally send Derek back from where he came. Antonio took a deep breath before pushing the doors open.
"Hello, cousin!" Derek smiled cheekily, as if he was at all welcome there.
"Derek." Antonio said coolly.
"Now, cousin, you mustn't be so curt. I've heard you have wonderful news."
"Nothing so wonderful that couldn't be appreciated by a card."
"Oh, but these things one must see for oneself, yes?" Derek rose up. "Now, where are you keeping the lovely bride-to-be…the one who turned out to be the crown Princess of Paladia, no less?"
"That's none of your concern. Is there any other reason you're here?"
"Just an old-fashioned visit. Here for the wedding, I suppose. Which room can I take?"
"The one on your ship."
"Cousin, cousin…" Derek asked. "If you won't put me up, I'll have to go into town. And if I go into town, I'll have to find a board…there's this lovely tavern, I hear. A young girl, nearly sixteen, I think she works there. I've heard she's lovely-"
"We'll find you a room. But you're leaving tomorrow." Antonio said.
"Cousin!" Derek interrupted. "the currents won't be good to sail for at least a week. Surely you, a sailor, would know that. Maybe let's use the delay to formally introduce me to the Princess?"
Antonio grabbed his arm and tugged him as far away from everyone as he could. He'd have to take precautions. He'd tell his parents to handle the maids. And he would take care of Ro, until his monstrous cousin could leave.
…
A maid had brought Ro a change of clothes, as she waited impatiently for Antonio. What was taking so long? Who, or what was this threat?
Eventually Antonio walked back into the room. "No one's come to see you, right?"
"Only a maid, she brought me a new dress." Ro said, standing up.
"Good, good." Antonio nodded.
"Antonio, what's going on?" Ro asked, noticing the strong intensity with which Antonio let her away, not talking, moving quickly, his arm protectively around her.
"Derek is always causing trouble."
"Is he that bad?"
"He certainly is. He…he does terrible things to women, Ro. I don't want you around him at all, but I especially don't want you around him if I'm not there."
"Is he going to hurt me?"
I don't know. "No." Antonio said firmly, with a forced smile. "I would never let anything happen to you."
…
After dinner, they sat in the parlor by the dimming firelight, and Antonio held Ro on top of him. They sat in the window seat, which was hardly a seat at all, for it was the size of a queen bed and big enough for them both to lay down quite comfortably. The light danced off her eyes and made her glow golden, she still smelled like saltwater from their excursion before. Their excursion before. It all rushed back to him so easily. Her legs pressed against him, the friction, how her skin was so cool, but inside her was so warm and slick. The feel of her lips on his lips, on his neck.
"You had said something earlier today," he began, whispering in his ear. "about wanting more."
"More?" Ro pushed.
Antonio pulled the strings on the back of her bodice and Ro flushed.
"Oh," she murmured, smiling. "Yes."
"Well there's more that we can do, if you'd like to try."
Ro kissed him, signaling yes, rolling herself on top. "I want to see you – see all of you." She said breathlessly.
"That can be arranged." Antonio said, pulling his shirt over his head. "But only if you do the same."
Antonio pulled Ro up against his chest, pulling her bodice off, and pushing off her skirts in one fell swoop. He undid her corset, and peeled off her socks. She sat naked, perfect, in front of him, and he paused. What had he done to deserve a girl who thought like Ro, talked like her, and looked like her? Surely it was more than any earthly man deserved. But damn if he wouldn't enjoy her.
He leaned forward but she leaned back, smiling playfully. "You first." She said, pulling off his belt, and then his pants.
"Oh," she said, looking down at his erection. "What is that?"
Antonio felt himself flush. He knew there's no way she could've known, but still felt strange giving an anatomy lesson to the girl he was trying to have sex with.
"Uh, it's my penis." He said bashfully. "Do you remember how I put my fingers in you earlier?"
"Yes," Ro sighed.
"I…also put it inside you. This will feel like that, hopefully better."
"Better?"
"That's what I'm going to try to do." Antonio paused for a beat. "But if I do anything, touch you in any way, ever, that doesn't feel good or that you don't want, you have to let me know, okay?"
"Okay."
"I mean it. Just say 'no', or 'stop', or push me, or anything like that and I'll stop right away."
"Okay." Ro sighed, climbing on top of him and kissing him.
Antonio breathed her in deep and felt blood rush so quickly below. Ro moved a little on top of his cock, liking the feeling of it up against her, and wondering what it would feel like when it was in her.
It was so easy for Antonio to lose himself in her; after all, he spent so much time dreaming about doing it. Ever since she had saved him, he had been consumed by her voice, her face, her smell, the small touches she gave him. And now she sat on top of him, heating up and giving small moans to signal when she was happy, and when she was really happy.
Antonio wanted to start slow, pick up where they left off, but with less in the way this time. He rubbed his hands up and down her thighs, squeezing her ass and pushing her down, to give her pressure. She started moving back and forth seemingly instinctually, their lips still locked. Her breasts pressed against him and he brought his hands back to her ass and his mouth to her breasts, sucking and licking. She moaned and leaned her head back, letting him move up to her neck.
He trailed his fingers up her inner thigh.
"Touch me." She said simply, breathlessly.
So he did. He brought his thumb to her clit, rubbing firmly but slowly.
"Inside." She begged, and he slipped his fingers inside her, moving in and out. "I can feel you getting harder." She murmured, sliding up and down his cock. She was so warm and wet, and he wasn't even inside her yet. He moaned, ready to progress this forward.
"Can I touch it?" Ro asked innocently, reaching her hand down.
Antonio leaned back, nodding and slumping, as Ro moved her hand up and down his shaft, running her thumb over the tip that was moist with pre-cum.
"What is this?" she asked, stroking him lightly with her pointer finger. Before he even answered, she stuck her finger in her mouth and sucked it off.
"God," Antonio said roughly, grabbing her face and crashing her into him. "I've never wanted to fuck someone more in my entire life." He muttered, kissing her hard.
"Then why don't you?"
He needed no other encouragement, his desire was already too great to contain. He pushed Ro back and slid her legs open with his knee, looking up, out the window, and into the disapproving eyes of his mother.
"Oh shit!" he yelled, bolting up.
"What is it?" Ro asked.
Antonio sprung for the curtains, but Danielle looked at him angrily and stormed out of the room. She knew this castle as well as he did. They couldn't hide, and she would find them in a mere minute.
"Here, get dressed." He said hurriedly.
"Did I do something wrong?"
"No, no, of course not." Antonio assured her. "But mother saw us."
"What?" Ro screeched, embarrassed.
"I'm sorry, I should've taken us somewhere else, I-"
There were several sharp raps on the door. "Are you decent now?"
Antonio pulled on his breeches, Ro her shift. Antonio marched for the door and slipped outside. His mother grabbed his arm and tugged him into the next room over.
"What on earth do you think you're doing?"
What, did you not know? Antonio wanted to make a snide remark, but figured that wasn't for the best. "I-"
"I know what you were doing, you two!" Danielle snapped. "Antonio, what did we talk about? Just this morning? Impropriety!"
"Mother, I-"
"Antonio, you have to understand. If there is any doubt – any doubt! – of her being a virgin, you two cannot marry! She, she is-"
"Yes of course she is!" Antonio snapped. "She hasn't even been in civilization for more than a week and I am the only man she's ever been around !"
"I know that, but you two haven't-"
"No, that's what you interrupted." Antonio folded his arms.
"There is only one way to determine if a woman is a virgin, and it doesn't leave any initials as to who took the virginity." Danielle said, concerned. "Even if you're the only person to have sex with her, if a nobleman calls for a test, and her hymen is gone, the wedding would be off."
"I wouldn't care who she had slept with, even if it was more people than me!" Antonio insisted. "And I'm the prince! Why would it matter?"
"Because there mustn't be any doubt that any children she bears are yours. She has to be a virgin till the wedding, Antonio. Do you understand? If you want to marry this girl, you can't do this." Danielle insisted.
"This is too much." Antonio held up his hands. "I can't hear this from you, mother."
"Antonio, if anyone else had seen you from that window-"
"You won't tell anyone?"
"Of course not. But you must be careful." Danielle pleaded. "For your sake. For Ro's. For your marriage."
…
The couple walked back towards Ro's room in silence. Antonio was trying to parse out how exactly he was supposed to explain everything, Ro was wondering what had happened in those fifteen minutes Antonio was gone. Antonio kissed Ro goodnight at her door chastely.
"Why don't you come in?" she muttered. "We can finish up what we started."
"No, I can't."
Ro's face fell. "do you not want to?"
"God, of course I do!" Antonio said quickly, wrapping his arms around her waist. "But we can't."
"Why not?" There were almost tears in her voice, and he knew she felt rejected. He had to explain.
Antonio pushed them both inside and Ro excitedly pulled his shirt up.
"No, no. I just have to explain what's going on. I meant it."
"But you said you want to have sex with me."
"I do."
"Well," Ro said, pulling the strings on the front of her bodice.
"Ro, please, will you stop trying to take your clothes off?" Antonio sat them both down on a chaise lounge. The bed was too dangerous. "Do – do you know what virginity is?"
Ro furrowed her brow. "No."
"It means you haven't had sex with anyone else. Right now you haven't, so you're a virgin."
"Is that bad?"
"It's not anything, far as I'm concerned. Good or bad. But not everyone agrees. Sadly, some very important people think being a virgin is very, very good."
"Okay…"
"So, if they think that you've had sex with anyone, including me, then they might not let you marry me."
"What?" Ro said.
"I feel the same way."
Ro paused.
"So you see," Antonio continued, filling the silence. "I want to have sex with you, kiss you, touch you. Alot. I really do. But I can't, because I don't want to risk not being able to marry you."
Ro smiled a little as she looked back up at him. "Isn't there other stuff we can do besides have sex?"
Antonio beamed at this, pulling her on top of him. "Is there anything else you know about?"
"Not really." Ro said. "But I found some interesting books in the library…I had some ideas. And you can always teach me."
Antonio could already feel himself start to harden. "Then, yes, I think we have a solution."