Rumours were flying around town as the engagement ball began to take place. Some stories were worse than others, some were more graphic, but they all agreed that the bride-to-be was most decidedly not a virgin.

This sort of gossip was so rare that it, of course, spread quickly. Not only through the towns, but up the ranks.

Duke Kensington of Apollonia stood outside the hall where the servants gathered listening, the boys described what they had heard going around town.

"-they say she's some sort of animal-whisperer witch who's put a spell on him."

"Put it on through his cock!" one of the men laughed.

"Johnny at the castle swore he heard them moaning and grinding one night. Said she was loud, real loud."

"That's nothing! Dan saw them!"

"And what she look like?"

"She's got freckles all over her shoulders and thighs. Big breasts, bouncing up and down. White gold hair, she was getting' all sweaty bouncin' up and down on his cock. Didn't even care the window was open."

Duke Kensington, feeling a tightness in his pants that wasn't quite proper, snuck off from the room.

Now, none of this was true. Johnny and Dan were making up stories for attention. The princess, though seldom seen, was beautiful, and rumours of girl flew so easily, pretty girls especially. Who could be sure why?

Duke Kensington locked himself in his room, drawing the blinds and lying down on his bed. The princess, the queen-to-be, was a shipwrecked girl who grew up on an island, far away from civilization. She didn't have an ounce of propriety and she somehow turned out to be the Princess of Paladia, a kingdom twice as large as Apollonia. With the reputation of this girl being a whore spreading to town fast, how long until the wedding would be called off?

Thinking of soft freckles in places most men would never see, a slender girl growing slick with activity, Duke Kensington untied his breeches, taking his cock in his hand. He closed his hand around it tightly, imagining the warmth came from a beautiful girl with blonde hair and blue eyes.

Who knows, if she was this easy, maybe it would be soon.

…

Ro awoke early the next morning, with another impish idea in her head. Her beloved fiancé was likely still sleeping, the sun had only just now risen, and she knew the perfect way to get him started for the day.

She wrapped herself in a robe and headed down the hall to his room. Sure enough, he lay there, shirtless, bathed in the early morning light. And he hadn't heard her come in. She quietly shut – and locked – the door behind her, slipping out of her robe and climbing into bed with him.

She made such little noise that Antonio did not stir even then, but she peeled back the covers and pleasantly discovered he did, in fact, sleep naked. She kissed his chest first, and he stirred then, fluttering open his eyes.

"Mmhm?" he mumbled.

Ro continued kissing down the center of his chest, stopping right at the base of his cock.

Antonio was suddenly quite awake.

"R-Ro, what are you doing here?"

"Wait and see." Ro climbed forward, straddling him naked, and kissed him hard. Antonio grabbed her breasts and moved to roll on top of her, but Ro pushed his shoulder gently.

"No, no." she scolded. "This is your wake up call, not mine."

He had grown hard in the few minutes they kissed, and Ro ran her hand up and down his shaft, enjoying the feeling of him growing larger as she did it. She slid back and placed her mouth on the head of his penis, bobbing her head and swirling her tongue on the tip.

In just a few minutes, he finished. Ro rolled back and wiped her mouth as Antonio sprung forward to kiss her.

"It's your turn now." He promised, attaching his mouth to her neck.

"I think we should wait until the wedding." Ro said. "If this whole virginity thing is so important, why not wait until then to make it extra special?"

"You don't want to do anything?" Antonio said, still kissing her neck. "Not even kiss?"

"We can kiss." Ro said, her breathing quickening.

"You don't want to touch me?" Antonio put her hands on his chest, and she ran her hands over the smooth surface.

"I still want to touch you." Ro said, instinctually parting her legs.

"What if…I wait, and you don't." Antonio said, slipping a hand between her thighs and teasing her entrance.

Ro shifted herself down onto him, and Antonio began moving his fingers in and out, faster and faster. He rubbed her clit and rolled on top of her, sucking her neck and kissing her lips until they swelled. He found himself growing harder every time she gasped or twitched, but he tried to keep his own needs out of his mind. He thought about her, and how lovely she was, and how every time he looked down at her from this position her lips were always in that perfect little –

"Oh!" Ro exclaimed, unraveling. She climbed on top of Antonio, laughing at how he was already hard again. She kissed him, and leaned back. "Okay, we're even. But maybe we should try to make it extra-special."

"If that's what you want." Antonio said, and kissed her again.

"The ball is tonight." Ro said, smiling. "We'll finally be announced, and we'll be married soon!" she smiled.

"And we'll be together forever." Antonio kissed her deeply. He slid her, still naked, up onto his lap. "And in every way."

…

They would be announced separately at the ball, then emerge together as a couple, to all the fanfare one would expect of a royal match. Antonio waited in a parlor just outside of the ballroom, pacing in front of the fire. Finally, the door opened, and Ro walked in. She was wearing a sleek silk gown that graced her curves and fell off her shoulders.

"You – you look beautiful." Antonio smiled.

"Thank you." Ro hopped forward to kiss him. "It took forever to get my hair to curl."

Antonio ran his hand through it. "It looks gorgeous."

Ro wrapped her arms around him, laying her head on his chest and looking into the fire.

"Don't flatten your curls." Antonio laughed. A million thoughts ran through his head about how he could touch her so quickly, and it'd be exciting as someone could walk in any moment-

"Your highnesses?"

Antonio exhaled, his plans foiled before they could even start.

"It's time."

"Of course."

They walked out to trumpets and fanfare, and the many whispers from the crowd who looked up, as if they could possibly determine whether or not she was a virgin just by looking at her.

Duke Kensington finished his drink, looking up at her. How the dress clung to her – there certainly were freckles across her shoulders. Maybe those boys were telling the truth. Already feeling a need rise within him, he certainly hoped they were.

The couple descended and took the first dance, as was custom. But as the night went on, it was proper for the queen to take many partners (as she was likely accustomed, the crowd whispered). Duke Kensington soon found himself to be one of them.

"My Princess," he said in a respectful tone, while looking down at her dress. "I've seen so little of the palace gardens here. Would you show me?"

"Oh! Of course." Ro figured this was custom. After all, who wouldn't want to see the gardens?

The Duke offered her his arm and Ro laid her hand upon it. He steered her out of the ballroom and towards the brush. He surveyed her up and down quickly, wondering why such a lovely girl, with such a good match, would be such a whore.

Antonio whirled his partner, noticing how the Duke was escorting Ro out of the room. He furrowed his brow. Yes, people often walked the gardens at balls, but there was the implicit desire for privacy. It was couples, or budding couples, who took this stroll. It was bad for gossip if you did. And why would he possibly need privacy with Ro?

"If you'll excuse me…" Antonio said, a little curtly, as he walked out of the room to follow them.

Duke Kensington led Ro until some high bushes. "You have the whole town talking, you know."

"Oh?" Ro said, no sound of embarrassment in her voice.

"They say you're very beautiful, which is of course true."

"That's kind of them."

"They say you're very enchanting in other ways, too." He said, beginning to test the waters.

"That's nice."

"This engagement is a big deal."

"It's one of the happiest things that has ever happened to me!" Ro said with a big smile.

"But it also means…the loss of options."

"Huh?"

The Duke turned and stepped closer to her. "You'll only know one man after the wedding, Rosella."

"What-I" Ro's heart began beating more quickly as he stepped closer. She scooted back, but hit a bush.

The Duke smiled a little. She really was very lovely. And she hadn't said no. He put his hands on her hips and pressed himself up against her, leaning in-

"Get OFF!" Ro yelled, shoving him back.

"Oh, see reason-"

Ro never learned what his 'reason' exactly was, as the sharp sound of bone on bone cracked across the garden. Antonio had punched Duke Kensington, sending the man to the ground.

"Sire!" the Duke yelled, rubbing his jaw. There was no way out of this one. He stood back up and Antonio grabbed the front of his shirt, pulling him closer.

"She said get off, you don't get to touch her! You're not going to be near her, ever again!" Antonio yelled, shoving him off. "Go home. Leave. Now. If I see you again, I can't promise you'll leave in one piece."

The Duke left, terrified.

…

After the ball, Ro and Antonio sat in her bed.

"I didn't want to kiss him." Ro said, scrunching up her nose. "I didn't ask him to. I just thought we were going for a walk."

"I know." Antonio nodded, pulling her into his lap. "He's a terrible person for trying to force you. He won't be back here again."

Ro rolled her head into his shoulder. "He seemed nice enough. I can't believe he would do such a thing."

Antonio could. He was far more aware of the horrors some people committed. He didn't want Ro to have to know about this, not firsthand. "I'm so sorry."

"I'm just glad you came out!"

Antonio smiled. "You seemed to have it under control."

"I just froze at first. I didn't know what to do. He just grabbed me." Ro said, clearly rattled by the experience.

"No one has a right to touch you if you don't want to be touched." Antonio affirmed. "If anyone ever tries again, and I'll do my best to make sure they won't, push them off, hit them, scream, do whatever it takes to get them to back off."

"I will." Ro nodded.

"Even I don't have a right to touch you, ever. Even after we're married. You can tell me to stop as well, though I will try to read your body language more than some other people may."

Ro kissed his jaw. "But I always want you to touch me."

Antonio kissed her softly. "I'm glad to hear that. But sometimes you might change your mind. And that's fine too."

"Well," Ro said, twining her arms around him. "right now I haven't."

Antonio wanted to remind her how gentle everything could be. He placed his hands on her waist and kissed her softly. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him down on top of her, wrapping her legs around his hips.

Antonio trailed kisses across her cheeks and down her neck to her décolletage. Her tugged at the little ties on her shift, opening it up so he could push it down her shoulders. He fondled her breast and brushed his thumb across her nipple.

"Wait!" Ro said, her eyes flashing open.

Antonio pushed himself off her. "What?"

"I forgot – we're not supposed to do anything before the wedding!"

Antonio groaned, but laughed, and rolled to his back. "I forgot about that too."

"Off to bed, your highness! You'll get us both into trouble."

Antonio laughed and kissed her again, bidding her goodnight.

…

The Duke sat, fuming. He knew he couldn't do anything to Antonio. He was the Prince, for God's sake. But he could hurt Antonio, through hurting someone he clearly loved. Ro was still attainable. Ro had a reputation. The wedding was not yet here.

There was still time for it to be called off.