The Prince of Zammar

Up in Flames - Chapter Two

TWO

Jalen wasn’t looking forward to apologizing, or explaining any of the events that had taken place this past day. Yet Sadie deserved to know what happened. With a groan, Jalen rolled away from the comfort of her embrace, and sat up. He would need to tell Siddig of their destination since they would use the hidden passage to get to his private bathing room. Knowing Sadie would be curious, he said to her as he stood up, “I will inform Siddig we are leaving.”

He walked to the door and opened it just enough to look out into the hall. The emptiness of the corridor depressed him anew. It is for my—no, their—safety, he thought despondently.

“Your highness?” Siddig inquired, unphased by his prince’s obvious nakedness.

“We will be retiring to the bathing room.”

“Using the back hallway?”

“Yes,” Jalen replied. “It is a more direct route.”

“Understood, your highness. I’ll be waiting for you there.”

Jalen nodded and closed the door, trusting that Siddig would follow through. Not that there was much to guard against now that this wing had been cleared of servants and sealed off. If a rage hit, they could let him bluster about without fear of repercussions. The collar made sure of that. He sighed.

As he turned, he saw Sadie reaching for her night tunic. He couldn’t explain why, but seeing her in his discarded shirt awoke something tender and fiercely protective in him. Her putting it on was a wasted effort, though, so he told her, “As much as I love seeing you wear my shirt, you won’t need it.”

As he expected, her firebrand temper wouldn’t let his statement by. “I walked these hallways naked once before. I do not wish to repeat the experience.”

Jalen winced inwardly. Having her prepared and presented to him like a first-time oholibah had been arousing in its own right, but he had mixed feelings about the memory. “What if I ordered you to be presented to me again?” He was curious to see her reaction.

He saw her throat work as she swallowed hard. “I would do as you command,” she replied. But her eyes said she’d hate him for it.

“Rest at ease, little firebrand, I have no wish to parade you naked for all to see again. We will take a more direct route to the baths.” With that, he strode to a door hidden behind a tapestry on the far wall and pushed it open. “Sadie,” he said, gesturing her forward, “if you would.”

After a moment of hesitation, Sadie slid off the bed and preceded him through the hidden entrance. “I wish I had known of this path before today.”

“No one informed you of it?”

“No.” He heard her sigh. “Walking the hallways after your... attentions has been awkward. I understand the reasons behind keeping me ignorant of this route.” She glanced back at him. “But it would have been nice to use it on occasion. If only to avoid the knowing looks I received.”

“That will no longer be an issue,” he replied, annoyed at the twinge guilt he felt at her obvious discomfort.

Sadie stopped and quirked an eyebrow at him. When he didn’t answer she turned and continued down the dimly lit corridor toward the baths. Following behind her, Jalen enjoyed watching the gentle sway of her hips with every step she took. Her luxurious red curls glimmered softly in the torchlight, and he itched to run his hands through them again.

For a moment he let himself remember grabbing her hips as he rocked himself to climax inside her. With a shake of his head, he quickly suppressed the thought. He’d made such a mess of things; he fully expected she’d not want him to touch her for a while after he explained the situation to her. But he didn’t have a while left.