I awoke to the strangest sensations. My whole body was cradled in warmth and white. Soft cotton covered the King and I as we lay completely entangled in the early light of daybreak. As a servant of the palace, both the inclination to rise early to prepare the palace and the exposure to visible sunlight via grand windows, had roused me. Basking in the assortment of comforts, I stayed still and took the opportunity to evaluate my position.

With the King's clothed limbs tangled with mine, I remembered the way he had held my hand last night.

No- there's no way that's what happened.

My brain hurt as I tried to make sense of literally any aspect of my relationship with King Chevalier. A sigh exited me, prompting the arm around my ribs to tighten its grip. Had I really stirred him? He must be the lightest sleeper in the world...

I suppose someone prepared to defend themselves at any hour would have to be.

"Mhm," sounded in my ear as the Beast nestled his face into my hair.

Willing myself to be still and silent, the drumming of my heart felt so loud, as if it were echoing through the room. As the minutes passed, I concluded that I was going to be restrained to this bed until the King himself decided to rise. With no better way to spend my time, I searched out more sleep.

Movement on the bed, stirred me from my elongated slumber. It may have been late into the morning hours, but it was also long overdue. Rolling onto my back, I searched out my captor to find him retreating from the door. Standing next to the bed, he began undressing.

I didn't look away this time as he removed his briefs. His backside exposed to me, he sat on the edge of the bed before lifting his legs to scoot them under the sheet. We locked eyes as he laid back down beside me.

"Your turn," he said, holding my gaze.

A shiver trailed my spine as I shifted to the edge of the bed. I stood, gathering my long skirt to pull my wrinkled dress over my head. I had learned nothing from the previous night.

I turned to face the Brutal Beast in my very plain undergarments. I was embarrassed to not own something more enticing, but more so from what was to come.

"Keep going," he urged, watching me unblinking.

Reaching behind myself, I loosened the tie between my shoulders to let my brassiere slip from my torso. Chevalier shifted suddenly in the bed. Resting his weight back down, he gripped the sheet, as if to tether himself in place.

With all the courage I could muster, I slipped the sides of my underwear down my thighs to let them drop at my feet.

I watched as the King's shoulders heaved with his breath. "Come," he commanded.

Climbing on the bed hands first, I made my way towards my undoing. His eyes wandered from my face to my breasts as I approached. From the corner of my eye I saw the sheet shift as his excitement grew.

Panic rose up inside me as I glanced at the door.

"Locked," he murmured, seemingly able to read me even in his current state. "I've given us the day off. Anyone who disturbs me for anything less than an invasion is asking me to draw blood." My eyes widened with the implications.

Apparently done with being patient, the long limbs of the Beast pushed me back down onto the plush surface of his bed. Fingertips ghosted along the sensitive flesh of the pink wound on my neck, causing me to stir. My vision was filled with that of handsome features, highlighted by crystal blue eyes. On my back, Chevalier leaned over me, "Delanie?" he called.

"Yes, my King?" I replied obediently.

"Do you trust me?" he asked.

I searched his face for any sign. My brain told me that he wanted me to say 'no,' but my gut was screaming 'yes.'

"With my body," I said carefully.

A smile crossed his features. "Fool," he cooed. He continued to hold my gaze as he reached under his oversized pillow to slowly draw his sword.

My heart jumped in recognition but my body remained still under his. Adjusting onto his knees, to free his sword arm, the heavy steel was brought over my body. He brought the tip under my chin, allowing the thick metal to rest between my breasts. Between the danger at my throat, the chill of cold steel at my chest, and the feel of his erection pressed against my thigh, I was drowning in him.

An unintelligible noise escaped me as he added the slightest pressure.

"Why didn't you run from me?" he asked. "Now it's too late."

Through my fog, I heard the genuine inquiry in his words. I was about to respond, though I have no idea what would have come out, when I felt the heavy blade move across my skin. He angled the tip lower as it ran across my sternum, making a small cut in the divot of my chest.

A strangled moan accompanied the sting I felt as I gripped the sheets on either side of me to still myself. Moving the blade aside, lips soon took its place.

Platinum blond hair blocked my view as the creature above me licked and moaned into my chest. Our bodies moved restlessly against each other and I felt a wetness form at my core. His ministrations stopped as he shifted the length of his body on top of me.

Bloodied lips dominated my vision as an icy cold stare attempted to capture my gaze. "You will give me what I need," he said, almost seemingly more to himself than to me.

"It's yours," I said breathlessly.

His lips crashed to mine, greedily, hands and legs working together to position his hardened sex at my entrance. Without prompt, he slowly moved into me, marrying our flesh. I gasped against his mouth, so he invaded that space with his tongue. Moaning in unison, he took his time pushing his length into my depths.

"I- I can't-" I whined against his lips, unsure if I was referring to the size of him or the pace at which he was torturing me. My body, being inexperienced, still knew exactly what it wanted. And that want had blossomed into a need at some point.

Chevalier kissed me again. "But you will," he clarified. He remained annoyingly controlled in his movements as he almost removed himself from my warmth completely before reentering with the same torturous speed.

Not harnessing the same level of control, my hips thrust up to meet his, inciting a growl from the beast above me. He fisted a hand in my hair and pulled my head to the side so he could assault my neck. His pace was building slowly, my attempts to contribute, made in vain.

"Please, my King," I begged, the fire inside me playing at combustion.

With a final slow thrust, Chevalier groaned into my flesh as he tripled his efforts. Moving to match his speed, I felt the pleasure build inside me quicker than I anticipated. "Oh!" I exclaimed as my orgasm began to flood my body. I felt a spasm start at my sex and spread through me without mercy.

In the midst of my pleasure, lips crashed back against my own. The Beast removed himself from my depths and a warmth covered my stomach, spilling over my naked body. We moaned against each other, drowning in the scent of my blood mixed with our sex.

Flipping onto his back, Chevalier and I disengaged. All except for our hands.

"Did I give you what you needed?" I asked, in the silence.

A long moment passed and I started to wonder if he had fallen asleep.

"You will," he replied.

We stayed like that a few minutes more, before the stickiness coating me became uncomfortable. I dared lift my torso, waiting for a dominating limb to reach out and restrain me. When the King made no move to do so, I carefully climbed over his sword to slide off the far side of the bed.

I hadn't done much looking around the King's chambers but knew he would have some sort of wash station available. Not seeing any sort of basin, I went to the only other door besides the door to the hall. Behind it I discovered a proper bathing chamber where I was able to clean myself up efficiently.

I moved back into the bedchamber once refreshed and headed to the bed. Moving through the room in the muted afternoon rays, I caught a glimpse of myself in a long mirror and paused. Naked and aware, I took in the fresh wounds marring my flesh and compared it to the soreness I felt inside. Both had aged me- maybe not visibly in the traditional sense, but I felt the damage on a level deeper than my skin.

A rustling of covers alerted me that the King was not asleep.

Upon reaching the bed, I discovered, to my pleasure, that his sword had been removed. I climbed up to settle in next to the resting beast without directly disrupting him. After pulling the sheet over my exposed flesh, I stilled. His ice blue gaze sought me out before a muscled arm draped lazily over my waist. We stayed like that for a few minutes before a gurgle from my stomach disrupted the peace.

The corner of Chevalier's mouth lifted as he moved to stand. He approached a set of tasseled pulls where he tugged on the one second from the left before crawling back under the covers. "I suppose I'll have to keep you nourished in more than one way," he jibed.

Somehow, even succumbing to hunger felt embarrassing in his presence. "Thank you, my King," I said through my blush.

His icy gaze narrowed on me. "When we are alone," he started, moving to bring his thumb to stroke across my bottom lip. "Use my name."

Melting under his unrelenting attention, I struggled to breathe. "Thank you, Chevalier," I said hesitantly. His name on my lips felt exotic.

"That's better," he breathed, moving in to kiss me languidly. We stayed fused, kissing slowly until a knock sounded on the door. My eyes fluttered open to meet his crystal gaze before he turned from me to stand and dress. He didn't seem in a hurry to answer the door so I followed suit, rising to collect my clothing.

Chevalier wheeled a small serving cart through the door before relocking it. He moved the coffee tray from last night to the bottom of the cart, normally a place reserved for used dishes, while I set out the food on the available surface. The smells were divine and I realized just how hungry I was.

We ate in silence and I was relieved that he seemed to have an appetite as well. Lost in my thoughts, I leaned back with a fresh coffee and a full stomach.

"This is nice," I mused.

I glanced over feeling the King's gaze on me. "Is it?" he asked, his tone serious.

I smiled. "It is for me." When he didn't respond, I continued, "I have no idea how much all this is going to come back and bite me in the ass, but I can't stop it, so I'm going to enjoy it. Because what isn't there to enjoy about this moment?" I asked sincerely.

"It's good to know you are so easy to please," he scoffed.

Something stirred in me as his eyes contradicted his words. Setting my coffee down, I scooted closer to him on the little couch, carefully putting a hand on his thigh. "Can I make this moment more pleasurable for you, Chevalier?" His pants tightened under my palm and I felt like I hit the nail on the head.

There were no grand delusions that the King in White and I were going to have a happily ever after together. He had brought me here to please him, and though it was going to hurt when he was done with me, I saw the silver lining.

Maybe if I gave him enough, he wouldn't fire me when he finally found himself sated.

I tugged at the fabric of his pants and he obeyed my wordless demand. A small smile graced my features as I watched him stand above me to unbuckle his belt. Patiently waiting, I watched him disrobe from the waist down, leaving him in a sleeveless white undershirt.

He was already engorged in anticipation of my touch. Finally seeing him fully, and almost at eye level at that, I had new understanding of the soreness in my loins.

"Open your mouth," he commanded through a thick voice.

My eyes widened in shock. I had been planning on working up to that, knowing how the romance stories we were both so familiar with never seemed to skip the act, but was startled with the immediate direction nonetheless.

We leaned into each other as he brought his moistened tip to my parted lips. I slowly opened wider, allowing a good portion of his length to rest against my tongue. A moan broke through his clenched jaw as he gripped a fistful of my hair.

I brought my hands up to brace myself against his thighs as we found a rhythm together. Feeling him start to lose control, I moaned around him. His eyes flashed down to meet mine, watching him, and I moaned longer and louder.

He came undone with a whimper as he spilled into my mouth. I swallowed quickly, trying not to think about it too much, before he pulled away from me.

Rough hands pulled my head back so that his face filled my vision as his lips crashed down onto mine. "What are you doing to me?" he practically growled. Releasing me, he slammed down onto his knees before me. The Brutal Beast leaned his face into my bosom, causing me to flinch as he made contact with my freshest wound.

Jerking away from me, a look of panic flashed over his eyes before being replaced with anger. He stood, redressing, before using a powerful stride to reach the bedside. Without pausing, he snatched up his sword and faced me. "Who are you?" he demanded boldly.

Confused by the question, I stared at him blankly.

A few aggressive steps later, the tip of his sword was at my throat where I sat.

"Do not make me repeat myself," he spat.

"I- I don't understand the question," I said, fear entering my voice. "I'm Delanie McMannus. I have been employed as the palace librarian," I paused a moment, my fear mutating into something new. "And if anyone should be confused by all this," I carefully gestured between us, "It's me!" I blew out an exasperated breath.

Chevalier lowered his sword, holding my gaze. "Bedding you was meant to be a conquest. A fantasy I built so I could get you out of my system," he gritted his teeth, "But you keep spreading like an infection the more I indulge in you," he glanced at his sword, then back at me. "You can't be real. Someone planted you in the palace to get under my skin and seduce me," he concluded.

I gaped openly at him. He was completely delusional. I might have laughed if I wasn't so certain it would be the last thing I ever did. Instead, I spoke with honesty, "I don't understand it either. Your interest in me, I mean. I know your brothers take women but the way people talk makes it sound like you never do-"

"I don't," he confirmed, cutting me off. "They are slaves to their lust," He paused, noting my raised eyebrow. "I can't afford such weaknesses."

A heavy silence thickened the air around us. "Are you going to get rid of me?" I finally asked, the pounding in my chest crushing.

"Not yet," he spoke, and my heart clenched. "I'm not done with you, but my underestimation of your effect on me has drawn too much attention already."

I waited for his solution but it never came. Instead he moved to kneel before me again, resting his sword on the rug. His movements were revenant as he moved closer to gently kiss the length of each cut he had made on my chest and neck. I was so stunned by his ministrations, I didn't notice as a tear streaked down my cheek.

Lips followed the trail up until we were eye to eye. The Beast's thumbs stroked under my eyes to clear away the tears building there. "I won't tolerate crying," he said sternly.

"No, of course not," I shook my head in his grasp, ashamed I had not contained my heartbreak better. I took a deep breath to still the well rising within me, but the salt liquid flowed without consent.

Chevalier stood before me, lifting me from the settee. I let out a little yelp as he transported me back to the bed, tossing me into the mass of bedding.

"What're you-" I was interrupted as the King climbed in after me, coming to box me in from above.

He eyed me, searching for something I couldn't discern. "If I must distract you, I will," he said, leaning down to kiss me thoroughly. He seemed determined to fend off my tears as he explored my body, taking his time undressing me, first with his eyes, then with his hands. The Brutal Beast cradled my body to his as we lay on our sides as he moved inside me. Sweat coated us both after experimenting with different positions. I could feel as he started to lose his rhythm before he pulled out to coat my back in his warm fluid.

Kisses pecked my shoulder before he released his hold on me. After a moment of stillness, I sat up and made my way to the bathing chamber to clean myself up. Upon returning, I found Chevalier, eyes closed, resting on his back. Exposed to me, I drank him in, wishing I could believe I'd see him like this again.

I redressed quietly, grabbing both my shawl and my shoes, and strode to the door before I lost my nerve to leave. I had no delusions of being sneaky, I knew that he had let me leave, but I moved towards my own room like he would snatch me up from behind any second. Once alone, in the sanctity of my own space, I cried.