AMELIA
Loud chatter is echoing between the walls of the great hall while everyone waits for the King and the Crown Prince to arrive so the next council meeting can begin. I've decided to come earlier considering I've been absent from the past few meetings since I had monthly troubles to deal with.
"My my, look who's here." The boy in front of me is a son of one of the members; a seventeen-year-old brat, arrogant, obnoxious and in desperate need of an educational slap I wish I could give him. "Where have you been for the past few meetings, hm?" His blue eyes narrow as a pompous smirk curves his lips.
"Lord Richard has asked you a question," another member reprimands me once I stay silent.
"I had urgent matters to deal with, my Lord," I curtly reply.
"More important than your job?" He continues. "If we could call what you do a job."
I ignore him, the same member from earlier suddenly pointing at me. "You are bound to answer-"
"I am bound to answer only to my King, no one else. As far as I know, young Lord Richard here is not even a council member," I interrupt, watching as the little shit scoffs, offended. Like I care. It's sad they have no other things to do but to entertain themselves by trying to humiliate me. Trying and failing.
"I bet she bled," Richard says rather loudly, gaining the attention of the men who haven't been paying us any thus far. "A very useful adviser, I must say, available only when it suits her. Is that why you're wearing that red dress today?" A chorus of laughter surrounds me.
"This is why women are unreliable. They shouldn't have any rights when it comes to diplomacy and politics, they are too emotional and weak minded for it," the member I know very well by now speaks. His name is Robert, one of the eldest and richest members, very valuable to the King.
I clench my jaw, my blood boiling. I know if I let myself get challenged by these chauvinistic idiots, I could lose my position or worse. "How unfortunate the King disagrees with you." I smile, standing a bit taller.
"Or he needed a new fool and has found a rather oblivious one," he fires back, making most of the men laugh now.
"Easy," a voice to my right says before I can say something I will regret. "Don't let them get to you."
"Ahh, another fool has arrived!" Robert exclaims as everyone looks to the man to my right, myself included.
A very short man stands beside me, his head reaching a little above my hip. His brown hair is scruffy, the strands falling over his forehead, almost hiding his eyes. He's dressed in a dark red fitted suit with golden buttons and cuffs, definitely being a Lord of some sort.
"We've been seeing very little of him these days, haven't we, gentlemen?" Richard says, earning another chorus of obnoxious laughter as he slaps his knee.
"It certainly wasn't a short absence," another member adds and their laughter only intensifies.
"If I had a coin for every time I heard these jokes, I'd be richer than all of you combined. For now, I shall have to settle with my intelligence that certainly beats all of you combined," the man says calmly, motioning to a servant aside to fetch him a drink.
"Watch your words, dwarf!" Robert says harshly, probably earning another dozen wrinkles when he frowns.
"Oh, I must have missed it," the newcomer says, raising his eyebrow.
"Missed what?" Robert sharply demands.
"The day you were named King and was allowed to give me orders."
Robert glares at him as a few men snicker at his remark, my hand covering my mouth subtly to hide a smile. "Lord Joseph-"
"Oh, I'm a Lord again? It must be beneath you to refer to a dwarf as a Lord. See, that is how you make a good dwarf joke, step up your game." He winks at him. "Now, excuse me, I am absolutely quenched and cannot bother myself with talking to you anymore." He lifts a silver goblet the servant has brought him, taking a few gulps of the drink at once.
"Accompany me to that table, my Lady," he tells me as he walks away, making me follow him a moment later. I definitely fancy this new Lord, whomever he may be.
"You're Amelia Evans, Prince Harry's adviser," Lord Joseph states matter-of-factly, pouring the wine on the table into an empty goblet before offering it to me. "I'm Joe."
I take the goblet, giving him a wide smile. "I must say, I am pleased to meet you, my Lord."
"No no. None of that Lord shit for you. Just Joe." He takes another gulp.
"Joe," I repeat, nodding. "I haven't seen you on the meetings before."
"That's because I usually have many important things to do in the King's name out of the castle. And when I do have time, I prefer to spend it in the company of good wine and beautiful women, not wrinkly arrogant men and brats with boring jokes."
"I wish I could do that."
"There is wine everywhere and I'm sure there are women who would fit your taste in the town brothel." He shrugs casually, eyeing me.
My eyes widen. "Oh, that's not what I meant-"
He chuckles. "I know, love. Relax."
I smile. "Thank you for coming to my rescue. I am certain I would have said something that would get me into trouble."
"Maybe I shouldn't have. I heard you are quite a troublemaker, perhaps I should have let you do your thing to amuse myself." He smiles, finishing his wine before quickly pouring himself another goblet.
"But then you wouldn't have had such an interesting entrance," I remark, taking a sip of my drink.
He wags a finger at me. "True, I do love dramatic entrances. You're allowed to talk back at them, though, what is the worst thing they can do? Tell on you like some group of immature children? As if they would dare bother the King with such meaningless issues. Besides, always remember the King chose you for a reason. That same mouth brought you this position. Damn it, I meant that in the most innocent way, I swear."
I burst out laughing. "I must humbly ask you to attend more of these meetings, you would surely make my day and worsen theirs." I look at the gossiping members who keep glancing our way, making Joe and I raise our goblets at them in a mocking gesture.
"Like I said, I love spending my free time in the company of beautiful women and good wine. We have one thing on the list, all you need is to make sure there is wine and I'll be here." He winks, downing yet another drink.
In that moment, the King and the Prince arrive, entering the room with firm postures and strong strides, all eyes falling upon them. The Prince dares to take a few glances around the hall, searching for something until his eyes stop on me for a few moments. I curtsy at him quickly, sending him an endearing smile as he fights his own considering he needs to be serious and collected in this situation.
Since I am his adviser, I must be by his side, so once he and the King take their corresponding places behind the high table on the far end of the hall, I lift my chin, starting to approach. I am surprised to see Joe doing the same thing while the men all watch us in silence, some greeting us with nods, the others sending dirty glares our way. It's funny how neither of us seems to care, used to their behaviour by now. When we reach the high table, Joe stands to the King's right while I stand to the Prince's left, and it dawns on me he is the hand of the King. He always has plenty of advisers by his side, but this is the first time I see someone standing beside him and I realise how significant Joe really is.
The matters that we discuss are important yet tiring, the entire meeting lasting for about two hours. I can't help but silently laugh at Joe's clever remarks each time someone tries to diminish his words, making me realise why did King Henry choose him for this position. I admire the King for being righteous enough to give a chance to the people who everyone ridicules or considers less worthy than the others. A dwarf and a woman on the royal council meeting is something unheard of, but a dwarf and a woman as the people closest to the King and his son... unbelievable.
"Miss Evans, make sure to cancel any lessons I have for the next few hours. I want to train with you today," Prince Harry orders quietly once the meeting is over. He is quick to follow his father out of the room, leaving me behind with a smile on my face. We haven't seen a lot of each other in the past few days, so I am definitely excited for our training lesson.
"I hope to see you soon, my Lady," Joe says as he approaches me, taking my hand in his and kissing it. "It's always nice to meet a person who appreciates my humour."
"By the way Robert, nice staff!" He shouts as he heads towards the exit. "Let's hope you're not compensating for something." And with that, he leaves the room.
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"Tell me, Mel-" Prince Harry swings his sword, making me block his blade with mine "-what did the Lords tell you before my father and I came to the meeting today?"
His question surprises me, making me take a step backwards as he takes one forward, now being in advantage. "Judging by your question-" I grit my teeth, barely stopping his blade "-you've heard about our conversation. But I'm sure you've also heard how it ended. No need to talk about it."
"Yes, Joe is great, I've always liked him." He holds his sword with both hands, beginning to advance forward while I'm forced to move backwards. "But I also want to hear the exact words so I can repeat them to the Lords before punishing them for disrespecting me. Anyone who disrespects you-" he swings the sword "-disrespects me."
"I appreciate it, your Highness." I pant, my strength slowly giving out. Heavens, when did he become so strong? "But-"
Before I can finish my sentence, I trip and fall down, rolling down shortly until I fall into a lake I forgot was there. My clothes and hair instantly get soaked, my quick reaction as I stand up not doing much to save them. Lucky for me, I usually wear men's clothes to our training for convenience, it would be impossible to stand had I decided to wear a dress. Goosebumps arise on the surface of my skin, the chilly weather mixed with cold water not helping my situation.
When I lift my eyes, I notice the Prince standing there with flushed cheeks, gawking at me. I glance down, realising my white shirt is clinging to my skin, leaving very little to the imagination. My cheeks also flush as I back away deeper into the clear water, crouching slightly to hide my body. I look around me to avoid the awkward eye contact, seeing a waterfall pouring from a sharp, ragged cliff behind me.
"Amelia, take my hand!" The Prince says in panic once he snaps from his trance, entering the water up to his ankles, extending his hand towards me.
An idea strikes me as he does so, a smirk spreading over my lips. I approach him and put my hand in his, noticing how his gaze drifts towards my chest instantly, deepening the red colour of his cheeks. Instead of allowing him to help me out, I jerk his hand and pull him forward, making him fall into the water with a shriek of surprise. I burst into laughter, immediately taking a few steps back before he can retaliate.
The Prince dives out, inhaling deeply as he looks at me with widened eyes. "Miss Evans!"
"Oh, don't give me that look, it's only fair." I grin gleefully. "I cannot be the only embarrassed one here, it's a gentlemanly thing to do."
"You've taken advantage of my willingness to help you!" He accuses, subtly moving towards me.
"Let's not do anything rash, your Highness." I lift my hands in surrender when I notice him approaching a lot faster now, my heart starting to beat faster in excitement. In my panic, I dive under the surface, swimming away in another direction, towards the waterfall nearby.
When I emerge back on the surface a few moments later, the Prince is nowhere to be seen. I begin turning around, searching for him as my eyebrows draw together in slight confusion. I let out a scream when I feel a pair of strong arms wrap around my waist from behind before they spin me around, quick breaths leaving my mouth from the sudden shock. The loud splashing of the waterfall behind me has made it impossible for me to hear him.
"Got you," the Prince says, watching me intently as his green eyes search my features. There is barely any space between our bodies, his arms still wrapped around my waist and my hands have somehow drifted on his chest.
The tension between us thickens, his glistening red lips parting as he takes a step back, letting his bright eyes very slowly move down my body, lingering on certain parts. The water is up to my hips, leaving the entire upper part of my body exposed. He takes my hands into his and leads us towards the waterfall, him being the first one to disappear behind the curtain of water and I follow right after.
"I couldn't risk anyone seeing us indecent like this." He smiles nervously, his pupils dilating, leaving thin circles of green around them.
The Prince's lips are suddenly on mine, devouring them eagerly, barely giving me any time to register what is happening. He pulls me towards him, my chest colliding with his, knocking the breath out of me. One of his arms keeps me pinned against his firm body and the other one trails down my side, leaving a tingling sensation behind it. His actions are surprising and completely uncharacteristic for him, but I certainly won't complain.
As quick as the kiss came, it is gone, both of us breathing heavily. His lips are a shade darker and a bit swollen from the intensity of the kiss, his tongue swiping over them alluringly. "My apologies, I don't know what came over me." I'm certain if his cheeks weren't red from the kiss, they would certainly turn red now.
"There is nothing to apologise for. I... I enjoyed it," I admit, shamelessly letting my eyes trail down his body like he did to mine. His white shirt is sticking to his skin just like mine, accentuating his chest and abdominal muscles and I am suddenly grateful for my clumsiness.
"You did?" He asks, surprised. "It's just... the sight of you like this is strangely... alluring. This is very disrespectful towards you, thank heavens I cannot see your... legs!" He whispers the last word. "I can barely stop myself from touching you."
"What is stopping you?" I ask almost breathlessly, my fingers boldly grasping his wrists and guiding his hands towards my body. I place them on my waist, shyly lifting my eyes to meet with his widened ones. "Touch me."
He closes his parted lips so he can gulp, looking down at his hands as he painfully slowly starts moving them lower, reaching the curve of my hips, leading them towards my backside. My heart is hammering and despite the cold water, I feel hot, my body heating in response to his touch. He squeezes the flesh in his hands, earning a soft gasp from me, making him tense.
"I'm sorry," he quickly apologises, looking guilty and embarrassed.
"No no, it was... you surprised me, is all. Continue." I nod, holding eye contact with him as I lift my shaky hands, pressing my palms against his chest. "May I?" He nods, gulping once again.
As he explores my body, I do the same with his, sliding my palms over the expanse of his solid chest, moving them towards his biceps, feeling his muscles beneath my fingertips. The Prince has always had them, but I swear they have got bigger and stronger in the past few months. When one of his hands boldly cups my breast, I release a sharp breath, my eyes closing instantly.
This is all very awkward and both of us are blushing profusely, and it is clear neither of us is used to this, but we are comfortable enough around each other to let the other touch them intimately, no matter how wrong that may be. I believe both of us have stopped caring about what is right and wrong a long time ago.
Leaving one hand curled around his bicep, I let the other trail down his abdomen, reaching his hips. My hand disappears under the water, brushing against the front of his crotch, the action surprising both of us. I definitely feel a bulge beneath my palm, making the Prince take a step back, his back hitting the cliff wall behind him. Just when I thought I've crossed a line, he pulls me towards him once again.
"Do that again," he quietly demands, his voice deeper than usual.
I nod, looking down as I bring my hand down to his crotch, palming the hard bulge. He sucks in a sharp breath, his hands grabbing my hips and jaw clenching. "Again?"
"Yes," he manages to say and I stroke him once again, this time not stopping. As I do that, I watch his reaction, noticing how his eyes close and head tips back slightly, his breathing becoming uneven. I cannot believe I can make him react to my touch like this and I am almost sorry I haven't done this sooner.
I had a few friends who work at the pleasure house back in Frontera and they never failed to leave out stories about their encounters from work. Very detailed stories. I learnt quite a lot from them about pleasuring a man, but have never tried applying it considering I'd been busy fighting men back at home, not chasing after them.
Having their detailed instructions in mind, I boldly slide my hand into his trousers, wrapping my fingers around his hardened length. He hisses and I widen my eyes, abruptly pulling my hand away. "What- did I- oh no. Does that hurt?" Oh no, they didn't warn me about this, what do I do-
"N-no, you... you can continue." He gulps, breathing heavily as he tightens his hold over my hips while I let out a breath of relief.
When I begin stroking him softly, he lets out a trembled groan, growing even bigger in my hand. The wetness of the water makes it easier for my palm to smoothly glide up and down the silky skin, feeling the protruding veins there. Even though I am nervous and don't have much clue about this, he seems to be enjoying my actions, his head thrown back, lips parted and eyes squeezed shut. Wisps of his damp brown hair cling to his face, partially blocking it from the view. The sight of him like this awakens something inside me, an unfamiliar pressure slowly collecting in the pit of my stomach.
"Heavens," he breathes, his fingertips digging into my skin. My free hand is resting beside his head against the wall, only a small gap between our bodies, enough to allow me to move my hand. When I apply more pressure, he gasps, muttering something incoherent.
It's incredibly arousing to see him like this, falling apart because of me. I keep my pace steady and my grip firm, taking mental notes of his reactions. Within the next couple of minutes and a few quicker strokes of my hand, a loud groan rumbles from his throat as his hips rapidly jerk upwards a few times, peculiar white liquid staining the water between us a moment later. The Prince takes a few deep breaths, his cheeks flushed, expression a mixture of satisfaction and confusion.
"What just happened?" He asks me as he opens his eyes to the half. He looks genuinely confused, his hand rising to push his damp hair away from his face.
"I might have a few ideas," I reply, shrugging innocently. "Was it good?"
"Yes. Very good actually." He almost sounds intrigued. "I've never felt anything like it before."
I place my hand on the nape of his neck and press my lips firmly against his, letting them linger for a few moments. A strange sense of accomplishment bubbles inside me upon the realisation I've managed to make him feel this way. Once I pull away, we share a shy smile, my palm cupping his cheek.
"Come, my Prince, we need to dry ourselves."
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a/n: Joseph (Joe) is played by the one and only Peter Dinklage ❤