And her name is…

It’s the day of the court gathering Triennia planned. I’ve seen her twice since we first met, and we talked about décor and people. I’m in the bath in my room in Helion’s domicile. The water is getting cold around me, but I’m nervous. Once I get out of the water I need to start getting ready for the party and I’ve already managed to work my way into a tizzy.

There a gentle knock on the bathroom door and I sink deeper into water. I recognize that knock far too well now and Helion enters a moment later. He’s already dressed and looks more confident in his appearance than I ever could going to something like this.

He sees me in the tub and smirks from the door. “You’re stalling.” My only response is to blow bubbles into the water.

He walks over, rolling up his sleeve along the way and reaches into the tub to pull the drain. There’s a mocking comment about the cold water and he brushes one of my hard nipples as he pulls his arm away. The smile he gives me as he dries his arm on my towel reminds me of why I caved.

The second time I came with him to his home, Tiago had to go somewhere else and we got carried away. The wine came out and we had already been drinking with lunch. The next thing we know our respective bottom layers are on the floor and we’re testing our chemistry for more than just over throwing another king.

It began almost as it did the first time, with him bringing me into his lap to hold me. He moved right to my neck and I flatten myself against him. We’re both moaning as I rock against him, and his lips touch every part of me he can reach.

“You’re beautiful darling,” he whispered in my ear, showering me with compliments even when I had nothing to say.

I grind myself against his length, shamelessly moaning into his ear. He approves and bucks his hips against me. That’s when we both cave and decide this is happening. I reach around my dress to pulled him free, feeling him fill my hands and he slides one of his hands under my skirt to feel my wetness for himself.

He groans deeply, “I can’t wait to be inside you.”

I’m tipsy and horny, and move on top of him without prompting. He grabs my hips and rolls me against him slowly, and I can feel him where I clench around his shaft. We’re operating on desire, but he’s restricting how much I can move. We’re both chasing our end as fast as we can. Of course, there’s a knock at the door and it becomes clear only one of us will get it, but that doesn’t stop us from trying.

.

I think about that first time as he holds my towel out for me. The tub is nearly empty and I stand up, shivering, “do I have to go?”

“Yes,” he returns easily. “The party is for you.” He realizes as I take the towel to wrap around myself that I could only care less if the party was literally for the king. “Triennia is waiting for you.”

“That’s probably the only thing you could have said to actually make me go,” I admit.

He opens the door to the bedroom and reveals an extravagant gown hanging on the door of the wardrobe. It’s form fitting in a deep red, with long sleeves and starts to flare out from the hips. The colour stops me and I feel myself wanting to be sick.

“You don’t like it?” Helion guesses, clear hurt in his voice.

I can taste bile in the back of my throat as I hearhisvoice in my head, ‘red to hide the stains of your blood’.

“Red…” I manage to choke out before swallowing down the acid in my mouth.

“Oh no,” he mutters, coming to wrap me in a hug and spin me to look back the way we’d come. “I’m so sorry, I didn’t think of that.” I feel his magic in the room and hear the window open before I see a red flash fly out it from the corner of my eye.

I’ve been panting, a panic attack I realize, but with the gesture I start to laugh. He is still holding me and I squeeze him, breathing in his smell. After another minute I feel my heart slowing and I lean back from him.

“Thank you.”

“You can pick anything you want to wear, even those weird loose pants you keep getting them to make you. Any thing you want, you name it,” he assures.

I chuckle again. “I know that would drive you absolutely certifiable too, but I’m not especially eager to have to talk to so many in one night as to make myself a point of conversation. I’m sure there’s a dress here that will work.”

I have been saving the burnt orange coloured dress for Kheliq’s as the closest thing to red I can tolerate. I won’t let his conditioning stick, and I will take backred.

I find a beautiful green gown and Helion helps me put it on, lacing the back while I start combing through my hair with my fingers. He doesn’t pull it tight enough at first, and I need to convince him to pull harder because it will loosen as the fabric wears and end up falling down. It’s the risk of me showing everyone my tits that convinces him to try harder.

Pretta is summoned to braid my hair, and she makes one large braid with smaller ones through it again, but this time adds a lace ribbon. Helion leaves to grab his coat from the next room over and Pretta moves back to observe her work. She adds the small hair comb that Helion gifted me and the ‘engagement’ necklace.

“I could glammer your ears, then you won’t need to worry so much about covering them,” she offers kindly and I’m glad she’s looking at the back of my head.

“I could do it,” I say quickly. “I have been working with my magic.”

I remove the glammer carefully and turn to observe my reflection. My ears poke through my hair slightly where the sides have been brought around to the braid loosely. I smile at them and make them wiggle up and down.

Pretta applauds me. “Well done, they look perfect.

“Thank you,” I return.

Helion returns and stands at the door looking at me. His eyes quickly catch the small amount of pale skin peeking through my hair and he smirks.

“I see Pretta convinced you to glammer your ears this time. Good thinking Pretta. Are you ready to go?”

Pretta is moving to my shoes but stops to correct him when I interrupt her. “Yes, let’s go.”

I smile at her, a silent deal that I’ll give her the credit if she doesn’t bring up my shoes. She dips her head, seemingly agreeing and watches me go. Helion leads me down the main stairs in a different part of the house, away from the bedrooms and nearest the ballroom.

Triennia is pacing outside the doors and her head jumps up to the sound of Helion’s shoes on the stairs. In comparison, my bare feet make no sounds at all but I have to suppress the shiver I get at feeling the cold floor beneath them. My feet were always cold and bare in the cell, and after a dozen treatments with Nyx my feet still can’t handle the pain of wearing shoes.

I wish I’d brought a pair of the warm house shoes that the Yurik had made me.

“Cheil! I’m so sorry, I had planned to space out everyone’s arrival like we talked about, butsomeoneforgot to tell his security. They all showed up at once, eager to meet you…” she trails off,gauging my reaction and I swallow.

I can hear the room full of people just behind the doors. There is a steady roar of conversation and from the corner of my eye I see Helion step forward. He pins the vail into hair and then reaches for my hand kissing the back.

“I’m fine,” I reply, though it comes out shaky.

My intrusive thoughts immediately relate the party to one of the many I’ve heard Kheliq had, fuelled by my blood. I had heard about a punch container where my blood was added to a dark red wine for the lords and ladies to turn a faucet and fill their cups. For this reason I had specifically asked Triennia to have servers with trays of drinks and only light wines for the guests. I didn’t tell her why, in fact I didn’t give any reason, but she could see it troubled me and agreed without debate.

Pull yourself together. You are an Abigia! We do not fear people! You made a mistake, but you will never let someone hurt you again. Never without a fight.

“I’m fine,” I say again, more confidently.

Sanji comes out, clearly distressed but relaxes as he sees Triennia. ”I couldn’t find you, I got worried.”

“Just meeting up with Cheil for her big entrance,” Triennia returns, clear apology on her face.

“I’m fine.” Maybe if I say it enough times I’ll start to believe it myself.

“Of course you are! You look fantastic, the party is for you, and everyone in there is ready to grovel at your feet for your favour.” Sanji sees my lip quirk on the side with that, even through the vail.

He always seems to notice these little reactions with me, like he expects it.

“No one here wants to upset you, and your word has the final say. Anyone who pisses you off or makes you uncomfortable will be removed, and you have the added bonus of knowing their punishment doesn’t end there. People will never let them forget that they were kicked out, even if Helion would forgive them for hurting you.” Sanji continues and the word,hurt, makes me straighten my back.

“I won’t let them hurt me,” I say, and there’s more power to it this time.

He smiles warmly and Triennia sighs with relief. Then the doors are opened and we stride inside. There are just as many people inside as I feared from the noise but I’m sure 50 is a small party to most of them.