Chapter 77

ISABELLA

I had spent my entire life living in the luxury of some of Europe’s finest noble homes. Hell, for the last five years, I had managed to get away with living in Fresonia’s royal castle. I was used to servants waiting on me hand and foot, and waking to bubble baths and pressed linens.

Sleeping on the ground in a tent in Charles’ military encampment in the Dragon’s Teeth mountains was about as far from luxury as you could get.

Every morning I woke up, feeling sore in places I did not know could ache. I was always cold, as if the cold had somehow seeped into my bones. I had sacrificed everything–my family ties, my life in the castle, any potential of a relationship with Felix–to join Charles’ mutiny and take down the crown.

Sometimes I wondered if sleeping on the ground was worth it.

Charles summoned me to his tent that afternoon. Still feeling tired and grumpy, I begrudgingly dragged myself over to the center of the camp.

Charles was examining a map when I entered. He smiled when he saw me.

“Good, Isabella, you’re here,” he said, gesturing for me to sit. I plopped down one of the cushions across from him.

“What is it, Charles?” I didn’t bother to hide the annoyance in my voice.

“Well, first of all, one of the men brought in a small mattress from the most recent supply run,” Charles said casually. “I was thinking we could put it in your tent. We can’t have a lady sleeping on the ground, can we?”

My heart softened slightly at that.

“Yeah, that sounds like a good idea,” I muttered.

“Great.” Charles smiled at me.

I still felt uncertain about aligning myself with him, but I knew better than to share my doubts. I believed in the cause, as long as the cause was still focused on getting revenge on Felix. When we were through with him, he would be wishing he’d never met that American bitch.

“There is something else,” Charles said cautiously. I snapped my head up to look at him.

“What is it?” What could he possibly want from me?

“I need your help with a mission to infiltrate Felix’s bachelor party,” Charles said softly. “My hope is to slip a roofie into his drink and spread pictures of him acting wild. Start planting seeds of doubt in the minds of the Fresonian people that their future king is truly up to the task.”

It was a brilliant plan. Even I had to admit that. His confidence sent shivers down my spine.

“What do you need me to do?” I asked, my voice trembling slightly.

“It is simple,” Charles said. “You disguise yourself as a stripper and sneak into the party. Felix would never hire strippers on his own, but with all the visiting royals around, it is certainly likely that someone would have called in some… entertainment for the evening.”

My jaw dropped. “You want me to pretend to be a stripper?”

Charles shrugged. “It’s the only way one of us will be able to get into the castle. Besides, Isabella, don’t act like you are so innocent and pure. We both know you can get down and dirty when you want to.”

A shiver went down my spine. I had no desire to discuss my… dirtier… habits with Charles. Or did I?

This plan was messing with my head.

“I assume you already have an outfit for me picked out?” I drawed. Charles smirked.

“Oh, do I.”

He reached into a trunk below his desk and pulled out a tiny bodysuit. Cutouts throughout would show generous portions of my skin, and only a few tastefully-located tassels would cover my more private areas from the crowd.

I frowned. “I’m not wearing that.”

“You’ll feel sexy. Believe me. Why don’t you go ahead and try it on?”

“What, so you can gawk at me? No, thank you.”

Charles winked at me. “I’ll turn around.”

I rolled my eyes, stifling the secret thrill that ran through me. Charles and I had been playing cat-and-mouse for weeks now. This was only the latest play.

The bodysuit fit me well–almost too well. There was very little left to the imagination.

Charles turned back around and whistled.

“That’s what I call a princess,” he murmured. He handed me a small glass vial.

“This is what you will need to give Felix,” he said. “Perhaps our plan won’t work as well as I thought it would. I don’t know how any man will be able to take his eyes off you.”

I uncorked the vial Charles had given me, ignoring his frown as I did so. Immediately, an odd smell filled my nostrils. I frowned and took another sniff.

Roofies were not supposed to smell like anything. This had the faint, distinct scent of hemlock.

Charles did not want me to drug Felix. He wanted me to kill him.

“You want me to poison Felix?!” I was practically screaming. I didn’t care.

“Now, now, Isabella,” Charles said, “there’s no need for the dramatics–”

“I thought I was embarrassing him, not assassinating him! I didn’t sign up for this! I am not some puppet that you can control!”

I stormed over to him, practically blind with rage. Charles made no secret of the way his eyes dragged along my body in the stripper outfit, and for a moment, I felt a rush of heat.

It was probably just the anger.

“Just be honest,” I seethed. “Are you planning on killing him?!”

“If you must know the truth, my lady,” Charles purred, “I never intended for him to survive. As long as Felix is alive, he is a threat to my claim to the throne.”

“I will not help you in this,” I growled. “This is assassination.”

“I need you, Isabella,” Charles said. There was a tone of desperation in his voice that shocked me. “I can’t do this without you. You’ve become far more valuable to me than you even realize.”

I stared at him. “What’s in this for me?”

Charles closed the distance between us, now only a breath away.

“Be my queen,” he murmured. “You are a far better choice than that stupid American. Help me get rid of Felix, and then you and I can be on the throne.”

I looked at him, my heart thudding in my chest. “Charles, I…”

It had been so long since someone made me feel wanted or valued or anything like that. Felix had made it clear that he wanted nothing to do with me. But now I had the opportunity to be queen, to take back the power Felix and Mila had stolen from me.

Maybe that was why I let Charles kiss me.

“Isabella,” he whispered into my mouth. I pulled back slightly.

“Charles, I…”

He pressed a finger against my lips. “Please, Isabella. Let me touch you.”

I always said I was a lady, never a saint.

Charles wasted no time. He lifted me against him, my legs wrapping around his waist. He tore at my bodysuit, desperate for my skin. He was already hard–I could feel him straining against his pants. I slipped a hand in between us to stroke him, and I felt his whole body shudder.

Charles easily lowered me to the ground, finding the snap on my godforsaken stripper outfit and pulling it off me. I had committed to the part and wore nothing underneath. Now, staring at my naked body on the ground, Charles’ eyes were full of lust.

“On your hands and knees,” he ordered. “Face the wall.”

I obeyed. I knew from that moment on, I would always obey.

I heard the sound of a zipper being undone, of clothes falling to the ground behind me. I was already shaking with anticipation. I wanted it rough and dirty, and I knew Charles could give that to me.

Charles did not bother to be gentle. We were far past sweet nothings and soft touches. He slammed into me from behind, immediately finding the spot deep within me that made me cry out. He gasped as me entered me and slapped my bare ass.

“Harder!” I commanded, and Charles was more than happy to oblige. His thrusts grew faster, rougher, and I could feel myself reaching a climax quickly. He yanked my hair back, shooting a searing, wonderful pain through me.

“You’re so tight,” Charles hissed. “So ready for me.”

He grabbed my throat and pulled me back against him, so that I could feel his hips moving with each thrust as well. He reached down my front and took my breast in one hand, using the other to rub between my legs. He was so deep in me, but I could tell he was still holding back slightly.

I knew exactly what to say to make him finish.

“Go all the way in,” I gasped, pausing a moment before adding, “my King.”

That unleashed him. He threw me to the ground, holding my waist with two hands, moving in me in a way that made me practically sob with pain and pleasure. They felt like one and the same.

“I’m going to–” I heard Charles attempt to warn me

I screamed as I came, not even caring who heard me.

Charles collapsed on top of me, still inside me. I smiled to myself as we lay there.

This may have been my ruin, but what a way to go.