Dark Lord in Chains 112 (Patreon)

As I left the Queen’s private quarters early in the morning — but not so early that the rest of the palace was still sleeping —  I was in a good mood. Sapphire was always a pleasure, but the inclusion of Valkyrie turned that into a true feast. 

But I expected my mood to improve even further soon due to my destination. The Princess’s quarters. I was whistling with joy as I stood in front of the secret entrance, a simple spell enough to unlock the secret entrance. 

I walked in, doing my best to stay silent, more than happy to take the opportunity to tease Aria if the circumstances allowed. I still pulled the shadows around me to hide, not wanting to get caught by a maid in an accident. It wasn’t something I couldn’t handle, whether through threats or magic, but why invite unnecessary trouble. 

It was good, because I could feel the presence of another person in Aria’s quarters. I stayed wrapped in the shadows while walking forward. I found Aria and the other person in the study. Aria had a pile of paper in front of her, and was going through them with impressive efficiency while the other person was a maid, alternating between ferrying papers and carrying refreshments. 

My little princess was quite a worker bee while alone … I was certainly impressed. 

I turned my attention to the papers in front of her, trying to get a sense of their content. It didn’t take long for me to realize the issues they included were less political, and more about ensuring the safety of the commoners. 

As usual, she was really nice. 

As I watched her work, I let my gaze focus on the way she dressed, a simple light green dress that left her arms completely bare, with a frilly skirt, the kind that a peasant girl might wear to a festival, cute and honest. And, to make things even simpler, she had no makeup on. 

Most noble-born would never dare to wear something like that, but then, most noble-born would have looked like a fisherman’s wife that was in the process of being divorced. 

Aria simply looked divine. 

I got closer to her, but did nothing until the maid left the room for a long disappearance, waiting for inches away from her, shaking my head in slight disappointment. Her beauty might be legendary, but that certainly didn’t extend to her awareness. Yes, my ability to conceal myself in the shadows was strong, but that was not an excuse to miss my presence even when I stood next to her for minutes — and I wasn’t even running the trick at the maximum potential. 

“You need to be more careful about your surroundings,” was my first words, along with a flick to her nose, startling her in fear enough that she jumped to her feet, the motion toppling her chair. 

I waved my hand to block the noise just as she processed the identity of her intruder. “Byron, you scared me,” she whispered in a throaty tone, though she was greatly mistaken if that worked as an admonishment. 

It wasn’t just that her tone was unintentionally sexy, but the way her chest rose with each breath, pushing the chest area of the dress to the limit, significantly straining it to the limit. 

“Take that as a reminder that you should be more careful about your surroundings, sweetie,” I answered, and she frowned. “I’m very fond of you. I don’t want to lose you to a political accident.” And just like that, her frown turned into a shy smile, showing that even my reluctant admittance was enough to salve her earlier concerns. 

She said nothing as she walked hurriedly toward me. I opened my arms invitingly, though my gaze was on the way her assets had been dancing. In her dress, she seemed to also skip wearing underwear, which increased the impact of her hurried walk significantly. 

Then, she hugged me tightly. “I missed you,” she whispered. “Where have you been?” 

“Sorry about that,” I answered as she buried her head in my neck, and paused a moment to enjoy the warm sensation. “There had been a little situation with the mysterious enemy that we’re facing, but I managed to get a handle on it,” I said.

She didn’t ask any follow-up questions, contending to limit herself to what I gave, once again showing she was not really suited as a ruler, but as a healer. Oh, she tried to work, certainly, as the passion she attacked the paperwork showed, but unfortunately, the real challenge came from the awareness to handle everything that was around the throne… 

And she lacked that. 

She was really lucky that I was very fond of her, enough to make sure I would keep her safe even if she surprised me by choosing to become the Queen — as she showed no true desire toward that direction. 

Either way, those questions took the backseat when she raised her head a bit more and caught my lips in a searing kiss, delivering a beautiful, heated embrace as her tongue danced into my mouth, creating a beautiful flicker. 

I pulled back after a moment, examining her face, even lovelier in such close quarters. The lack of makeup was nothing against her natural beauty, the soft lights of the room dancing on her skin more than enough to compensate when combined with her growing blush as she felt the tickling of shyness. 

The fact that she could feel shy after a kiss despite everything we had done was another amazing yet entertaining detail. 

“What? Is there anything on my face?” She whispered. 

“Nothing, you’re perfect,” I answered even as I dragged my finger on her lip, making her shiver. She said nothing, just blushing as her lips parted invitingly. 

She just shivered under my touch. I hummed as my lips pressed against her, enjoying their delicate softness once again, the repeated exposure doing nothing to blunt the pleasure I was getting from it. 

Her tongue jumped out, quick to respond, and soon our tongues battled. 

“Delicious,” I whispered for a break, then kissed her again. This time, she was even more active, but her body reacted by trembling more and more passionately, flushed and nervous. My tongue probed her lips and she accepted my invasion, wholeheartedly surrendering. 

I let the kiss extend far more than my usual habits, enjoying her response. She was an interesting mixture of obedience, desire, and innocence, no kiss too long to enjoy such a mixture. 

“So, did you miss me?” I whispered into her ear once we pulled away once more, but she didn’t let me take a step back, her arms tightly wrapped around my chest, showing that her passiveness was nowhere to be seen when it was time to secure what was important to her. 

“What a silly question,” she whispered as she left a soft kiss on my cheek, an innocent yet impactful move. “Do you want me to show you?” 

“Will I be surprised by the way you show me?” I whispered. 

“Maybe,” she answered, though her mischievous smile was very promising. I nodded, allowing her to do whatever she had in mind to do. I let her take control, and she pushed me back, which would have been sad… 

If she hadn’t immediately followed herself, squashing my body between hers and the wall. She pressed my shoulders down, and I decided to follow her, curious just how far she would push. 

The answer, as it turned out, was not too much. She just buried my face in her cleavage, which had got bigger at one point as a couple buttons had popped off while we had been having fun, even without pushing things for more. 

Then just as things were about to reach a fun point, I noticed footsteps getting closer. The maid. She didn’t have particularly soft steps, but Aria seemed to be unaware of that approach. I tried to raise my head, yet she pushed down, keeping me in her cleavage. 

I smiled into her breasts. If she didn’t want to allow me to speak, then she could deal with the maid. And, it would be another lesson about maintaining decent situational awareness. 

Or maybe not. I needed to make a decision…