“I’m not sure how to answer that, Your Highness.”
“Have you been with a man before?”
The question struck without warning, and I said nothing at first.
“Have you?” he repeated.
I cleared my throat, composed. “I have, Your Highness.”
“That’s surprising.”
I’d known men in Brier Len. Some fleeting, others forgettable. None of them mattered, really—except for one. The memory stirred faintly, and it came with a dull ache in my chest. At twenty, I was already past the age most skirtsfolk wed. My father couldn’t afford a dowry, and I’d come to expect a life untouched by marriage. As the prince’s consort now, any trace of that possibility had vanished entirely.
The prince stepped closer, his eyes fixed on mine. He brushed a knuckle along my cheek and tucked a stray lock of hair behind my ear.
“I’d like to kiss you,” he said. “May I?”
I should have bowed my head, murmured something obedient. But my nature was not so easily tamed.
“Do I have a choice, Your Highness?” I asked, voice level.
“You do.” His mouth curved, eyes alight with quiet amusement. “You’re always free to choose.”
My gaze dropped to his lips, and my throat tightened. Of course I could say no. But what would it truly mean? Refusing him might cost more than it gained, and even then, would he accept it?
This wasn’t how I’d imagined our first conversation.And I couldn’t yet read what kind of woman he wanted me to be. Compliant? Coy? A challenge?
His stare didn’t waver. He was waiting.
I gave a slight nod.
The prince lifted my chin with gentleness and leaned in. His kiss was soft, his fingers settling lightly at the back of my neck, thumb brushing along my jaw. As my eyes drifted shut, a strange thrill unfurled beneath my skin.
Maybe it was the intimacy of the moment. Or maybe it was the power behind the choice I’d made. Whatever it was, I leaned in, if only for a second.
The prince deepened the kiss, sensing my shift. A slow warmth pooled in my chest, blooming low in my belly. I felt myself want.
Then I pulled away.
My eyes opened. His stayed on me, gleaming with something unspoken. I stepped back, forcing distance between us. He didn’t follow, just ran his tongue across his upper lip with a slow, pleased drag.
“You’re dismissed,” he said.
My brows lifted. “Your Highness?”
“You may return to your chambers.”
I gave a silent nod and turned to leave, adjusting the sheer fabric of my night shift as I stepped away. But as I passed him, the prince reached out and caught my wrist.
“I’m looking forward to our time together, Odessa,” he murmured. “I think you will too.”
Heat crept into my cheeks. Unwelcome, but impossible to stop.
“I could taste the want on your lips,” he added, his grip loosening. “I hope you’ll stop pretending it isn’t there.”
He let go.
As I was led back to my chamber, only one truth rang louder than the sound of my footsteps on stone: I would find a way to leave this place. It was only a matter oftime.
