We spent the following days enjoying the festivities, though I took a moment to go speak with Elara. She was in the palace, so I waited until Adela informed me that she was alone.
This time I didn't find her in an embarrassing situation; she was lost in thought, staring out the window.
"There's nothing interesting to see out there," I said, breaking the silence.
She jumped, startled.
"You! What are you doing here?" Although her words tried to push me away, her body language said otherwise; she seemed happy to see me.
"I've decided what I'm going to do with you," I said bluntly. "I want you on the throne."
"Excuse me?" She looked at me as if I were making a joke in very poor taste.
"Your father sent someone to kill me, and I'm not enjoying the current state of this Empire. If I'm going to spend any significant time here, I want someone in that seat who will make sure no intrigue ever reaches me or mine again."
"You're crazy. I won't betray my father," she declared, though her voice trembled slightly.
"I seem to recall you don't have much of a choice. Besides, it doesn't seem like he thinks about you much, Elara. But if it makes you feel better, I can avoid killing him."
"But… my brother is the one who will succeed him. How do you expect me to take his place? And if you don't kill my father, what reason could you possibly use to make him give me the position?"
She paused, rubbing her temples in desperation before continuing:
"Not to mention that the Demor Empire isn't like Lucratis or Pradiles, which have had empresses in the past. The latter even has one right now. Here, traditions are different."
"There's always room for a first time," I stated. "You don't need to worry about the details; just show up and show your face when I tell you to. Though I won't always be the one coming to tell you what to do from now on."
"This will get me into too much trouble…" she murmured, her voice breaking. "As soon as they realize what I'm after, they'll kill me. You won't be there to protect me if that happens."
"You're right, I won't," I replied coldly. "But I can assure you nothing will happen to you if you do exactly as I say. And to put your mind at ease…"
I made a brief pause before continuing:
"I'll leave people to protect you. If they can't handle the situation, at least they'll warn me quickly if you're in danger and I'll be able to intervene."
Still uncertain, she seemed to accept my words little by little.
"If you understand, then I'll be going."
She lifted her head at my words.
"You're not staying? You know…" She couldn't finish, embarrassed by what she was asking.
"Not today," I answered coldly. "I have other things to do."
I turned around without waiting for her response, leaving her alone in the room with the weight of her new ambition.
I had to make the most of this day, I have to see Elizabeth before tomorrow's banquet. But I can't exactly say I didn't want to stay longer.
Elizabeth, with her long violet hair and those almost golden amber eyes, sensed my arrival and immediately stopped what she was doing. A smile, somewhere between complicit and seductive, appeared on her face.
"Cassian."
"I assume Adela already informed you about what I'm planning," I said without preamble.
"She did. We're already preparing everything; I'll be heading to the Beaumont marquessate in a week."
"Beaumont?" I asked.
"Yes. Given their situation, they're the easiest to deal with for now. If we take too long, the Valois won't leave anything of them."
"I just came from seeing Elara," I commented, sitting down across from her. "She didn't take it well at first, but it seems she'll cooperate."
Elizabeth nodded thoughtfully, interlacing her fingers.
"I should ask her to accompany me on the visit to the Beaumonts," Elizabeth suggested. "If she's going to join the fight, it's better for everyone to know there's a new option on the table, and that the crown prince's position—which seemed unshakeable—is actually much more fragile than they thought."
"If she resists, let me know," I replied dryly.
"Mmm, don't worry," she murmured, placing a hand on my shoulder. "If she does, I know exactly how to handle someone like her."
She paused, and her gaze became more intense, filled with a different intention.
"Now that we're here… we don't get time alone nearly often enough. Why don't we do something more fun?" she asked, beginning to trace slow circles on my shoulder with her hand.
I really didn't have much time today. I thought about how Margery could come looking for me at any moment to go out again; they really never seemed to get tired.
Still, my resistance faltered when I saw Elizabeth begin to lower her dress—the one that matched her hair—revealing those curves I had already enjoyed far too many times in the past.
I rose from the chair and pulled her toward me with one hand, forcing her to wrap her legs around my waist while I held her firmly underneath.
The feel of her skin against mine—cold from the office air but warm with anticipation—made every thought of Margery disappear completely.
Elizabeth let out a broken gasp as my fingers sank into her thigh, pressing her against my body while I sat her on the edge of the heavy wooden desk.
Her hands tangled in my hair, tugging gently to force me to look into her eyes.
That golden amber seemed to burn under the candlelight. I didn't waste time with words. I captured her lips in a deep, possessive kiss while my free hand traced the curve of her back, undoing what little remained of her dress's closure.
The sound of papers scattering across the table and the echo of her ragged breathing filled the room.
Elizabeth arched her back as my lips moved down to her neck, marking her with an intensity that made her tremble.
"Cassian…" she moaned my name, tightening her legs around my waist.
I didn't make her wait long. As soon as she was wet enough, I thrust myself inside her with one deep stroke, drawing a raw, guttural moan of pure pleasure from her immediately.
I then turned my attention to her bare breasts and began caressing them with hungry hands, pinching her hardened nipples exactly the way I knew would unravel her in that savage ecstasy only I could give her.
"Look how ready you are for me…" I growled against her ear, my voice low and dark. "You're soaking wet."
I bit down on her neck and quickened my thrusts, feeling her tighten around me with every powerful stroke. Her moans grew louder and more desperate, her full breasts bouncing hard as I claimed her without mercy.
I could feel her clenching tighter around my length, drawing closer to the edge. I wasn't going to last much longer either. I kissed her hungrily, devouring her mouth as I accelerated the pace, determined to spill deep inside her at the same moment I pushed her over the edge.
Elizabeth dug her nails into my back, scratching me hard as her body tensed beneath mine. Her moans became sharper, more broken, almost desperate.
"Cassian… right there!" she gasped against my lips, and I felt her core begin to pulse violently around me, squeezing me as if she never wanted to let go.
That was all I needed.
With a deep, guttural growl, I thrust into her a few more times—hard and to the hilt—and released inside her with force. Hot, thick spurts flooded her depths as I kept driving into her through her climax, prolonging the pleasure for both of us.
Elizabeth trembled in my arms, her body convulsing as she came with me. Her legs tightened even more around my waist, as if she wanted me buried inside her forever. A final long, broken moan escaped her throat while her inner walls continued contracting around me, milking every last drop.
We stayed like that for several seconds, panting against each other's mouths, my length still throbbing deep inside her.
Her amber eyes, now glassy and sated, looked at me with that mix of desire and something deeper that always managed to disarm me.
"You're dangerous…" I murmured against her mouth, still buried deep inside her, in no hurry to pull out. "You always manage to make me fall even when I should have left."
Elizabeth let out a low, breathless laugh, still breathing hard, and ran her fingers through the back of my neck with affection.
"Then just let yourself fall," she whispered, gently squeezing her inner walls around my still-sensitive length and sending a shiver through me.
I smiled against her lips and kissed her again, slower this time, enjoying the warmth of her body pressed against mine on the messy desk.