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A Princess’s Lessons on Seduction
A queen-to-be learns how to pleasure a man with her closest ally in her kingdom’s court.
“Do you really want to do this?” Erix asked Riel as they sat in her bedchamber the night before her coronation as queen. He had been her closest friend for ages, and he had been her attendant in a court that openly distrusted her ever since her father’s untimely death.
“Yes, Erix,” Riel said. “Do you want me to look like a fool when I have to consummate a marriage to one of these silly princes they’re going to parade in front of me?”
“You could choose not to marry,” Erix said, a crease forming between his brows. “Be a revolutionary. Set a new trend. Show them that you can rule as queen all on your own.”
The laugh out of Riel’s mouth was harsh. “They’ll have me dead then, Erix. It’s either I marry or I surrender my neck to one of their swords.”
Erix was quiet for a long moment before he nodded. “I can’t say you’re wrong, princess.”
She rolled her eyes. “Stop with the niceties. We’ve been friends for a long time. Call me Riel.”
“Riel,” he said, his voice soft as his lips shaped her name. But she didn’t see the way he was looking at her — expectant but nervous, anxious yet giddy.
