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Despite her (somewhat hilarious) denial of responsibility, the Princess did seem concerned, perhaps guilty. "But he must have been moody? This was just a few days ago - I only returned last night. Did he seem especially upset?" Finished serving them, she lay the cutlery aside, reaching for her personal utensils. "He really needn't have fussed."
Yes indeed, it was a few days ago that Alais had been in the middle of her unspoken (ha) vow of silence, when his mood had dipped distractedly elsewhere. It might have even been her saving grace that day; for now, she was prudent enough to lay these trivial curiosities to rest. She continued to listen attentively, eyes blinking again in recognition with Duke Ethan's mentioning.
All the same, she (apparently) could not help a slight grimace when informed of the King's fury. Were he truly angry, she thought she might have heard about someone losing their hand or a cruelty of similar magnitude - well, there was talk of what happened during his inspection of the monastery post-assassination attempt, and that may have had something to do with it. It was no use speculating. "I have a difficult time reading him as it is, but I think he was worried about something. And now I realize the full extent of it - no wonder," she related with her sympathies. It felt odd looking back now, considering her own mental state at the time...
"He would not be a good brother if he didn't fuss," she added gently. She should've felt even odder reflecting upon him in such a way.
When the steaming cup that she'd asked for arrived, her small acts which followed could not even be described as surreptitious, mundane as it was and in plain sight. Sitting as she sat, she leaned (gracefully) forward and not once removed her eyes from Adeline as her hands worked to withdraw a small, velvet pouch from the side of her dress - previously tied there by its purse strings, like some fanciful decoration - and sprinkled what appeared to be dried herbs into her now brewing tea.
"He is a good brother," Adeline agreed, with a sigh. "It's so unfortunate too, for it makes it much harder to hate or find fault with him, when I know I should!" She pronounced this with her characteristic dramatic flair, as if it were the most troublesome thing in the world. But this lasted only a moment, and then she was smiling again. "It's very sweet of you to say, though. You are too sweet, really."
She observed the new Queen with a thoughtful eye, before noticing her beverage. "What kind of tea is that?" she asked, conversationally. "I can have the servants bring you some next time - no need to be so polite, Your Majesty."
A fond smile tugged at Alais's lips. "Chamomile root with a little something extra." Oversimplification notwithstanding, the 'something extra' could easily be substituted with any other, benign ingredient should the princess request for a sample. "Someone very close to me taught me how to brew, so I can be... particular about my tea. It's kept me grounded where I needed it most."
The Princess nodded, not looking otherwise suspicious.
"But as we were saying," Alais continued, "I wouldn't say I find no fault in him." This, she managed to utter with a meaningful and conspiratorial glance, bordering on playful, to soften the edge of such a statement. Even with her new... outlook, she never intended to feign mindless delight for all the things she fundamentally disagreed with. She was never going to pretend to agree to each of the things he did (including the kidnapping) - only to her general acknowledgement that she could do nothing against him, what was past was past, and the best she could do was looking on the bright side. Or to kill with kindness. Either way.
"But credit should be given where it's due," she simply explained. Perhaps His Majesty truly was a good brother, for his sister to regard him so. He had, unbelievably, given her the impression that he did love his family, from those sparse moments of humanity.
"Perhaps you're right. Family is important to him," said Adeline. Her expression turned considering, and then more serious, for a moment. "But something you should know about -"
The door flung open, before she could finish her thought, causing her to start a little in her seat. Two young boys bumbled in, shrieking in glee, and instantly made a beeline for the Princess with laughing abandon.
"You little monsters!" Adeline declared, as they attacked her, but she smiled happily as she gathered them into her lap. They were both tiny, one slightly older than the other, and full of suppressed mirth and golden curls. Held close to her, the resemblance was easily traced - their eyes were bright blue, like hers, and their nose had a similar little flair. "I thought Evelyn was looking after you."
"I was." An older girl emerged from the doorway. Evelyn must have been no more than seven, though she was far less rambunctious than her companions. A toothy smile filled her face as she crossed her arms . "But they wouldn't sit still."
"I should have known," said Adeline, as she bounced the children on her lap. Belatedly, she looked belatedly back to her guest. "Do forgive me, Your Majesty - they caught me quite off guard! These are my sons. Edward here is the eldest, and that's William."
Alais had been in the middle of chewing on a bite of salmon when the children exploded in. A nonplussed quality froze over her expression, and for the first few seconds she merely stared... chewing very slowly, before finally managing to swallow. Her eyes glanced over the little ones, then to Princess Adeline, and then to the little ones again as though confused.
Then she burst into mirthful laughter, quickly moving to stifle herself with the back of her hand. "I'm sorry -" she stammered between giggles, "I hadn't expected - they're so tiny." It was a little funny how the boys swarmed her, and the way her hostess had nearly jumped from her seat. She had the good graces to appear charmed, while still somewhat nonplussed. "Very nice to meet you."
Adeline beckoned the girl closer too, who complied. "And this is Evelyn." She faltered a little here, glancing across the table. Her tone took on a more delicate tenor. "Their...cousin."
Cousin? But that would mean...
*****
Authors: As always, thanks for reading! If you enjoyed this, we appreciate any ratings/comments - and don't forget to subscribe (link in profile) if you'd like to receive an alert when new chapters come out!
And another comment game: if the story was a show, what actors would you envision as the characters? (Inspired by a few comments from the chapters before!) Share your thoughts, and we'll share ours!
Oh, and happy double digits in chapters!
- COMMENTS
lady_temilyover 7 years agoAuthor@ "comment game"
Thanks, we were trying something different with the sex montage! And I love love Natalie Dormer in everything she's in - great choice!
@ "Slightly Confusing/Distracting"
Oh yeah, that was meant to be three separate scenes (separated by the "*" marks). Think of it like a montage in a movie where it cuts away from one scene to another - first as she's bend over, then later in a boat, and then lastly tied up on the bed. :)
@ "So good!"
Thank you so much! Definitely a lot of interaction with other characters coming up - especially during the wedding, when she'll be introduced to a lot of his court. You're right in that it'll let Alais be a little bolder and let her explore a different dynamic to their relationship. Lovely actor choices too! Saoirse Ronan has really expressive eyes the way I imagine Alais's are, and Alexander Skarsgard has that antihero vibe (and the right name, haha).
@ "OMG"
Haha oh no, don't let your nephew read naughty stories! :P Yeah, there's a bunch of stuff Alais doesn't know about Alexander and her new kingdom, and several plots in the works that are about to slowly unspool. And you're totally right about the montage explanation!
@fictionsBFF
Thank you, you're always too kind! ❤ We try to balance the story with the sex (which is equally important!), so I'm glad to hear the pacing of both are working for you. And it's great that you liked the conversation between Alais and Adeline! Had to satisfy the Bechdel test some way, haha. They were totally sizing each other up, but in subtle and almost friendly way.
@ "oh cliffhanger !!!"
Alexander does have a somewhat boyish/petulant side to him in terms of his boredom! But he handles boredom a little worse than the average person, haha, and resorts to idle displays of cruelty to entertain himself. Unfortunately! Glad you're enjoying the sex scenes too. One thing's for sure: he won't be content with this forever, and something will have to give eventually. ;) And yes, Alexander does have an annoying tendency to be rather smug, doesn't he? He'll have to get frustrated eventually! Oh, and Alais's parents will be a plot point later, but the public story is that they died at sea. (And I did consider Christian Bale too as a model for Alexander! He's got suave and charming down pat. Not as familiar with Rebecca Ferguson but I agree that she has a look of elegance and intelligence about her!)
@ "It was lovely!!!"
Wow, we were so impressed by how many characters you cast! We had tons of fun looking some of these actors up. Haven't heard of Toni Mahfud before, but he does smolder pretty good on these googled images! Emilia Clarke has this exotic beauty about her (mixed with cool defiance) that could do Alais justice for sure - and she's played a similar role before in having to deal with a hulking warmonger, haha. Joseph Gordon-Levitt does innocent/friendly great, Aishwarya Rai has always seemed mischievous but good-natured to me, and Nikki Hahn looks adorable for Evelyn. I wonder if your casting choice for the handmaiden is the same now that Chapter 12 has introduced them!
@ "Supremly Dumb"
Haha, naming actors is purely for fun - we obviously aren't actually casting for a movie. But then, I think you know that! :P
@cantfightfate
Were you talking about the flashback in this chapter, with Ethan's comments? Or the flashback in the chapter before this, with Alexander and his brother Cassius? The Ethan one was to foreshadow what might happen once Alexander's good mood disintegrates, and also to shed some light on Alais's strategy in keeping him entertained. The Cassius flashback is supposed to be more ambiguous, though we meant it to offer some insight into Alexander's childhood and also tie into the chapter thematically (in terms of subtle over blatant strategies re: the pebble throwing metaphor).
@ "Lmao"
Haha, I completely agree about it feeling like a reach for insults. Guess we should take that as a good thing, that they have to resort to complaining about too much sex! Thank you for your vote of confidence though - we're always grateful when you guys defend us. ❤ Definitely lots of political machinations up ahead, as well as changes in dynamics with Alexander. :)
@ "Hooked"
Aww, thank you so much! That's really flattering - I'm so pleased that we got you hooked! And that's exactly what we wanted to accomplish with Alexander, haha. He's intended to be terrible and likable at the same time in that antihero way.
@candysilly
Thank youuu! You guys are too nice. We love putting in twists to throw you guys off, haha, so keep looking out for them! Agreed on Emilia Clarke being a great Alais (especially with her role in GoT). Neither of us have seen Sons of Anarchy yet, though Charlie Hunnam totally has the looks (and abs) for Alexander!
@ "Comment"
Love Rachel Mcadams! She has such natural charisma.
@Elhaz
Thank you! And yes, definitely more surprises (good and bad) for Alais along the way. :)
@Alliwantis
I guess we'll have to see if Alais changes her mind! As for her role as a stepmother - she doesn't have much experience with children, though her inclination is to pity Evelyn rather than blame her for the circumstances of her birth, which some other noblewomen in her shoes might have.
@ "Actors"
Thanks! Giacomo Gianniotti has a great smirk, by the way. Took a moment for me to realize who Lyndsy Fonseca played in How I Met Your Mother! She's just petite enough for Alais. :)
@ "The dude in Gladiator"
Which dude, Joaquin Phoenix or Russell Crowe? Funny thing, we imagined Russell Crowe as Alexander's dad (when he was younger)!
@ "Hmm"
Yeah, Alais has dark hair and green eyes, and is considered a great beauty - that and her charm/intelligence managed to draw a lot of suitors (including, unfortunately, Alexander). We did imagine a British accent since we're drawing inspiration from medieval England, in some respects. Both Jenna Coleman and Alexis Bledel are really pretty and have beautiful eyes! Can totally see either as Alais. And I'm glad you can see Cavill in the role too!
@Erotik_Mind
Yay, glad it drew you in! And hey, falling in love and making her a sex slave aren't necessarily mutually exclusive. :P
@ "ahhhh"
Thank you!! Yeah, being at court will introduce a lot of different dynamics for them to explore - with each other and with other people! Neither of us follow soccer but we can see what you mean about Mat Hummels looking pretty dreamy! He kind of reminds me of Oberyn from Game of Thrones too, with that glimmer of mischief in his smile. And poor Sophie Turner, haha, always slated for characters held somewhere against their will!
@Roze
Wow, thanks! That means a lot coming from a writer. :) We haven't considered publishing yet, as there's still a lot to write in the story, but it would be pretty amazing if there was actually potential for that! And I'm glad you enjoy Alais! We tried to give her a skillset/personality that would enable her to exert influence - I think you hit the nail on the head by characterizing her as adaptable. She's a survivor at the end of it all (once she decided she wanted to survive). Thank you for your kind words!
@ "Nice"
Thanks a lot! Not many people catch that Alais is a cynic, but there are definitely tidbits here and there in her thought process that point to it. And yeah, we wanted to emphasize that it was her intelligence and humor (and not only beauty) that caught the King's attention. I share your sentiment with regards to antiheroes too! We're trying not to pull any punches with Alexander; he's a terrible person and does actually terrible things.
@Colddesire
Glad you liked it! We tried to make it as steamy as possible. :) As for age, Alexander is 32 and Alais is 21, and Alexander has been reigning since he was 19.
Colddesireover 7 years agoThis chapter was very easygoing and steamy , I like it a lot. Some thing came to my mind though , how old are our main characters? I don't think that it has been mentioned .
lady_temilyover 7 years agoAuthorBad word choice on my part! I meant that we submitted it to Literotica, and the site will usually take a couple of days to approve and then actually publish it publicly.
lady_temilyover 7 years agoAuthorChapter 11 has been published! We were planning to get 11 and 12 out together, but in the interest of tiding you over, we'll do 11 first and pump out 12 a few days after that. Chapter 11 is a bit of a transitional chapter, but it sets up some interesting things that we hope you'll enjoy!
Also, flattered that you guys were still checking in - we half-expected to be forgotten!
