flags and banners and the crowds who came to see you, cheering in his ears. He needs a little time to himself to recuperate.”
“Yes, just as well, I suppose.” The Crown Prince nodded stiffly. “Well, then, I dare say I’ll see you when you get him safely locked away.”
Elli felt hope swell in her heart.
“So you’re going to wait for me, so that you can give me a piece of the Healing Lattice?” she asked. “As we agreed, Your Highness?” she added, reminding him of his promise.
“Yes, I did agree that a good showing in the Grand Parade would earn you a chance to earn a piece of the Lattice, didn’t I?” He looked at her musingly, his bulging eyes raking over the tight-fitting red dress in a way that made Elli feel as naked as she did when she was wearing the see-through Tenebrian dresses all the Court ladies favored.
“Yes, you did,” she said, standing her ground and resisting the urge to cover her breasts with her arms.
“Very well then—I shall wait for you here.”
The Crown Prince started to sit on the mounting block, then examined it more closely and frowned. He removed a gold lace handkerchief from his inner cape pocket and spread it fastidiously over the dirty wooden block before sitting gingerly.
“I shall wait for you here,” he said again. “But don’t be long—I’m not accustomed to waiting.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.” Elli bowed quickly and took Demon by the halter. “Come on, sweet boy,” she told him. “I think I promised you some sweet biscuits and krispers so let’s get you unsaddled and settled down.”
Forty-Five
By the time Elli had locked the heavy jeweled saddle back in its special case and given Demon a quick rub-down, she was completely exhausted. She left the huge zorel contentedly munching the pile of krispers she had given him and shut the heavy stall door securely behind him.
Demon’s stall was reinforced in order to keep him in—otherwise he doubtless would have kicked the door down and escaped long ago. Because of the weight of the door, the latch was stiff and tricky to get right. Elli spent a moment fiddling with it, trying to make it latch securely. She almost had it when a heavy hand fell on her shoulder and someone spun her around.
“Oh!” Elli gasped. Looking up, (though not very far, since he wasn’t much taller than her) she saw it was the Crown Prince who had grabbed her.
“Did I not tell you to hurry, girl?” he demanded, glaring at her. Grabbing her by the arm, he pulled her out of the stables. “I’m not accustomed to waiting, you know!”
“Forgive me, Your Majesty,” Elli exclaimed, stumbling after him. She was flustered by the quick trip from Demon’s stall to the outside of the stables. “I just had to see to Demon—he worked hard for you today, you know. I couldn’t leave him without at least a quick rubdown!”
“As to that, I wouldn’t mind a ‘quick rubdown’ myself.” The Crown Prince leered at her. Then he grabbed her hand and put it on the meager bulge under his golden breeches.
“Ugh!” Elli made a face and yanked her hand away. All her honeyed words of flattery deserted her and she could only demand, “What do you think you’re doing?”
“What I’ve been doing is sitting out here with my cock as stiff as a tree branch waiting for you to finish with that big brute so I could fuck you!” he snapped. “But you have the nerve to keep your Monarch waiting!”
“What are you talking about? You said you’d wait for me to give me a piece of the Lattice!” Elli exclaimed, staring at him. “You said that I would earn it by helping you make a good showing in the Grand Parade today.”
“I said nothing of the sort,” the Crown Prince said coolly. “I said that if we made a good show in the parade today, you would earn a chance to earn a piece of the Healing Lattice. Which you have and your chance is here—I will fuck you now so that you may earn the Lattice. So pull up your skirts and let’s get on with it!”
“No!” Elli gasped, when he reached for her again. “I won’t do that, no matter what you say!”
“You will too, you little whore!” The Crown Prince’s flat face turned an ugly shade of purple. “I saw how eager you were to take your lover’s cock last night.” He leaned forward, taking Elli by the throat