Dancing on Strings

Forever and Always

Mai raised an eyebrow at him and he chuckled, a darkness in his voice as he titled his head away.

"But you're..."

She got up, dropping the blanket.

"Well, since you made your warning clear enough, I should probably leave," she said, whirling away.

His hand closed on her wrist, pulling her back and she stumbled, her foot catching on the hem of her skirts before she hit the carpeted floor on her back, stunned – though not winded as he had held her steady enough to let her down almost gently.

But then, calm as anything, Griffin turned, stepped over her and knelt, straddling her waist as he flattened her hands to the floor and looked down at her.

Her first reaction was confusion.

And it was nearly instantly replaced by horror.

Without a thought, she drew in a breath, about to unleash it in an ear splitting scream for Kazimir until Griffin's hand clamped down on her mouth, stopping her.

"Easy now, My Lady, I'm not going to hurt you. I can never bare to hurt you," he said, his voice disturbingly stable as he held her effortlessly against the floor.

But he wasn't using any weight or strength or muscle.

It was like something was wrapped around her wrists, neck, waist, thighs and ankles, flattening her to floor so solidly she could even twitch.

"But, I'm not ready for you to leave just yet," he added, watching her writhe internally and yet not be able to move as she stared up at him, her eyes wide and her skin pale and clammy as her heart thundered against her chest.

After a moment, he gave her a sad smile.

"My Lady, what horror do you think I'm going to inflict upon you just because I'm... I admit, ungracefully, sat upon you?" he asked.

He managed to remove his hand by a centimetre before Mai managed to get it between her teeth and bite down so hard she tasted blood.

Resentfully, he didn't even flinch.

He wriggled his had from her and examined the savaged skin between the thumb and index finger.

"Get off me!" she snarled.

"You'll promise you won't leave?"

"I needn't promise anything to likes of a beast to pins me down," she growled.

He considered that for a moment, then nodded. "Good point, I suppose," he said, before the strange pressures around her snapped free.

In an instant, she could move and she struck the flat of her palm square against his face, snapping his head to the side even if it didn't dislodge him.

She tensed, waiting for him to retaliate as he turned to look back at her.

"Alright, I admit, I might deserve that," he said and Mai glowered at him. Then he suddenly grinned and he was back to normal – even if he was still sat on her. "But you have to admit, I'm not going to get many other chances to have you beneath me."

"Do you have anything idea who you're talking to?" Mai snarled, scrambling to try and get out from under him, "What kind of common whore do you think you're in the presence of? I am the god damn princess royal of this kingdom and I swear if you do not get off me this instant, I'll have you arrested for the abduction of my sisters, guilty or not!"

Griffin didn't seem in the least bit frazzled by the threats.

"I certainly do not think I am in the presence of some common whore – nor any whore at all for that matter. Frankly, I wouldn't have to hold myself back with a whore."