The Island Ch. 07

7.

She couldn't quite believe she was here, in this situation. That it had actually come down to this. It was done now; it really wasn't the time to be questioning whether she had crossed some line, or if she had any dignity left at all.

She supposed that she didn't. But then, maybe she had given up dignity years ago in the forests of her island, feigning attraction towards random hunters so she could kill them before they killed her, and rob the corpses - like some desperate siren.

Lux made a quiet noise of disgust, directed at herself. Yet again, her thoughts were drifting into dark areas...sitting under a table, of all places. Perhaps it was the damned wine. She looked accusingly at the decanter in her hand in the dim light, like it wasn't an inanimate object. Maybe the worst wasn't even over yet, and the wine was just an attempt to make her compliant.... As if she could get more compliant than she had already been this evening.

This evening. How did she get here?

The King, that's how.

She had only met him hours before... after the incident with Lana.

Even as she had forced that bitch to the ground and made it clear that she would not kiss her pretty feet, Lux had known that she was digging herself into a hole. Lana was a woman with a mission, she was not going to let Lux get away with humiliating her; or threatening her position as the King's favourite. She should never have retaliated...

She sighed. Perhaps her pride and anger were the real enemies in this game.

Two hours later, the guard had knocked at her door; the King had summoned her.

***

Walking through the royal quarters towards the King's study, Lux realised she felt something like excitement at the prospect of meeting this man. With such a build-up, she found herself wondering if the King's return would be an anti-climax. The walk was just long enough for her to realise that she was actually nervous, and... excited. The nerves made some sense -- after all, perhaps she had become too complacent about her acceptance in the higher tier. Her skirmish with Lana had reminded her that the position was still unconfirmed -- and fragile. The excitement though, that was more worrying. Adrenaline withdrawal, maybe....

The guard -- another man of few words -- had knocked at the study door, and at some signal Lux didn't hear, he swung it open and motioned her inside alone.

As Lux stepped into the study, she was momentarily taken aback.

The King's study was unlike anything she had seen before. In essence, she supposed it was similar to her room here; stark white walls, a polished white floor -- one wall of glass that lead to a balcony, overlooking the lush terrain below. Large arched mirrors were positioned along the wall opposite the fireplace, like windows. The fireplace itself was white marble, polished and minimal. The furnishings however were a stark contrast. Almost intimidatingly masculine black leather chairs and a sofa stood before the fire. The desk was a semi-circular structure made entirely of glass, sitting on white marble pedestals. The overall impression was of harsh, minimalist decadence.

He was sitting behind the desk, calmly watching her as she took in the room. He didn't say anything when she finally met his gaze, continuing to watch her as Lux brazenly took time to analyse him, declining to break the silence herself. Beside her, the fire crackled.

She didn't know what she had expected of the King, but Lux suspected it wasn't what was before her.

He was clearly related to Felis; the strong jaw line, intense gaze. He was tall like Felis. His hair, though full, was and neatly cut and a shade of graphite grey. Still, he was younger than Lux had expected. Early forties, perhaps? Lux was dimly aware of realising that he must have been relatively young when he had Felis. She was also vaguely aware of realising that Felis' remarkable amber eyes must have come from his mother -- who ever she had been.

Leon' s eyes were no less remarkable, and she currently felt as though they may be boring a hole into her head. They were a shade of intense ice-blue that added to the overall impression that the King was as impenetrable and cold as a slab of slate.

He rose fluidly from his chair and strode smoothly toward Lux, never breaking eye contact. Two foot away from her, he slowly began to circle her, eyes roaming over her body, sharply processing every detail. Lux could practically feel his eyes stripping her, as she fought the urge to turn around to face him.

He stopped behind her.

"You have a name?"

His voice was deep, and as cold and smooth as his demeanour. He sounded... dangerous.

"Lux," She replied brusquely, staring ahead.

"Well now... Lux", He sounded the name as though tasting it. "You have not been in my city long."

"No....your Highness." She added the courtesy on as an afterthought.

"And yet..." the King began to walk smoothly back towards his desk, his back to her; "...you are already causing trouble."

Lux's eyes flicked to meet his in surprise as he turned and sat. She had known, of course, that Lana might tell the King of their...disagreement. She hadn't expected her to be quite this efficient. The King leaned forward slightly.

"Let me make myself clear," he spoke, with quiet menace. "Those honoured with a place in the higher circle, are here and remain here at my bidding. I do not tolerate disobedience or unrest within the circle."

Lux drew breath to speak... and then thought better of it. The king cocked an eyebrow, amusement tugging at the corner of his mouth. It was an uncannily familiar mannerism.

"Yes?" He murmured questioningly. Lux stayed silent, staring above his head through the glass wall behind him rather than meeting his gaze.

"Then let me guess -- 'she started it'?" He smirked slightly.

"Lana will be punished also, in due course."

Lux flinched slightly. 'Also' did not bode well.

"As for you... you have yet to prove yourself worthy of the honour of higher circle. In fact, I'd say you are standing on very thin ice."

Lux simply waited, resigned. Perhaps this was it...the closest she was going to get to the King after all. He picked up a book, preparing to return to whatever writing he had been doing before she entered. The brusque order that came next took her by surprise.

"Tonight, you shall attend the great hall early. You shall place yourself under the table before a soul is present. You shall sit there, at the foot of my chair, until I am seated and instruct you further. Then, you shall do whatever I indicate during the course of the meal."

Lux stood frozen. Her jaw clenched. Was he seriously implying what she suspected?

King Leon did not look up.

"You are dismissed."

For a moment she remained, her blood running cold. Then slowly, rigidly, she turned and made her way to the door.

" And Lux...." She paused at his voice, nonchalantly cutting the silence.

"...I'd aim to impress."

*** She had crept in while the cavernous space was echoingly empty, tables laid neatly in preparation for dinner. For the first time since Lux's arrival, the two ornate chairs at the head of the table had immaculate glimmering crockery, glassware and silver set before them. Feeling utterly ridiculous, she crouched and slid between chair legs, lifting the heavy white linen cloth that hung down to a foot above the flagstone floor.

Once under, she looked around. The light was dim, obscured by heavy wood above and cloth all around. Although the higher tier table was large, Lux felt acutely claustrophobic. She sat down, shifting her position periodically as the piercing cold of the stone floor bit into her flesh, and waited -- trying desperately not to think too much.

She couldn't believe she was lowering herself to this. But then...was it any worse than things she had done in the past....seducing hunters?

Yes, she decided. This was different; she was not in control. It was humiliating, and she had practically volunteered for the honour. And there was no backup here...no Gus. But even as she thought this, steely determination was returning to her. Hadn't she always known it would be bad, coming here? Hadn't it been easier than expected so far? She should count herself lucky.

The bastard was trying to break her - that much was evident. He could see her pride, and he was trying to destroy it. She wasn't going to let it happen. If he wanted to be impressed -- fine, she would impress. She would maintain control of the situation in her own head.

'He hasn't won unless I let him...' She thought. It seemed she had a new mantra.

She was pulled from her thoughts by the murmur of approaching footsteps and voices from below her. The citizens of Pantheon were filing in to be seated in the lower levels of the hall. Lux suddenly felt immensely grateful that the heavy white linen table cloth touched the floor on the inside curve of the table; that which faced the descending tiers of the hall. No one could see her.

She sat and watched as eventually below the tablecloth pairs of feet filed could be seen, finding their place around the crescent table. Chairs were scraped back around her. Lux knew when the King entered, a reverent hush feel in the hall. The final two pairs of feet walked smoothly to the chairs before her, and as the King and Prince sat, Lux heard everyone in the hall following suit, and suddenly she was sitting before a panorama of knees -- some in claret shifts, toned thighs visible through the open slits at either side, some in black denim.

The King was addressing the hall, his cold, deep voice filling the space. Lux could hear the words clearly enough, but she wasn't listening -- some speech about success on the mainland... praising the people for all their work, that sort of thing. She was staring at the legs before her. Straight ahead, the King. To his left, Felis. To the King's right, the caramel thighs and dainty feet of one that could only be Lana. Lux had the sudden desire to stick something sharp in one of those perfectly manicured feet...shame there was nothing to hand, really. She smiled to herself grimly. If Lana wanted a competition, she would get one.

A growing buzz had returned to the hall again -- the King had stopped speaking. Lux watched as the feet of serving girls passed around the table. She pictured them pouring out wine, placing platters of food down. Her stomach clenched slightly... she was glad they would never know she was scared.

Lux watched as the King spread a white napkin over his knees, meticulously. The white cloth rucked at his waist, falling either side of his legs, cloaking everything outside the table from view.

She watched as his right hand disappeared again, above the table. She could hear his cold voice murmuring -- Lana's flirtatious response. Meanwhile, his left hand began swiftly and nimbly to undo the buttons of his fly.

Clearly, he was practised, Lux observed dryly. She found her anxiety was beginning to fade, replaced by a constant burning anger in the pit of her stomach -- and something else. Resolve, perhaps. It felt gritty and bitter.

Even before he beckoned, she was sliding forwards. He spread his knees apart slightly, an invitation. Lux knelt between them, and slid one hand gradually up his thigh. If he wanted satisfaction, she would give it to him. She would win him over...Then eventually, when the time was right, she would kill him.

He grasped her hand with his; strong, dry, warm. He moved hers towards his crotch, then withdrew his above the table -- presumably to carry on with the meal. His self-assurance would be impressive -- if she were that easily impressed, Lux mused. She didn't need further encouragement. She set about finally freeing him from the confines of tight dark denim.

He was already hard, and Lux studied him for a moment in the dim light, running the nails of both hands up his thighs. His cock was comparable in length to most she had seen before, but thicker. She brought one finger to the tip, traced the bead of moisture gathering there, smoothed it over the sensitive surface of the head, teasingly. Then she leant in, and with one slow, deliberate stroke, ran the tip of her tongue from the base of his shaft to the tip.

She sucked the smooth head gently between her lips, lathing it with her tongue, enjoying the twitch she was granted in response. She could hear the King continuing his conversation with Lana above; but she could feel the tension in his legs, the slight spasm of muscle each time her tongue hit a sensitive spot. He was resilient.

Finally, she slid her mouth down the length of his shaft, engulfing him as far as was comfortable. She began to slide up and then down the length of him rhythmically, one hand still caressing his inner thigh. Every so often, she would allow her teeth to gently brush against him.

She would interject her relentless assault with her mouth with periods in which her hand would wrap around his shaft, pumping smoothly, as her lips sealed tightly around the bulbous head, tongue circling. Her other hand she brought up to cup his balls, rolling them firmly between her fingers, teasing him further. She could taste the saltiness of his pre-cum in the back of her throat.

Lux shamefully acknowledged that she was rather enjoying herself. If he had expected her to be humiliated into submission, he was wrong. At that moment, concealed under a table and pleasuring the man she hated most in the world, she felt an immense sense of power. Not only that, but this was one area in which she was quite adept -- and knew it. Her mind drifted briefly to Gus, remembering nights in the island caverns when his groans had echoed off the walls...but she drew her mind back to the present. It made this harder, thinking of Gus, not easier.

She was teasing the King still, increasing the speed and intensity of her efforts before reigning in and lightly caressing the head of his cock, when she felt his hand on the back of her head. Winding her hair suddenly round his fist, he pulled her head uncomfortably back. Lux supressed a gasp, before he rammed her mouth forcefully down upon his shaft, driving his shaft deep into the back of her throat.

Unprepared, she gagged and her right arm flew out as she overbalanced forwards. Her hand grasped the nearest support as the King raised her head painfully by her hair, then forced her down again. Fighting for breath, she realised she was gripping a thigh -- not the King's, as a strong, cool hand came down upon hers and gripped her fingers. Felis. She gripped the hand like a lifeline, not thinking, as she fought to regain control. Eventually, she relaxed her throat and regained a rhythm, as the King's hand untangled from her hair and instead grasped the back of her neck, roughly massaging the soft skin there.

It was not long before she felt his cock thicken and jerk in her mouth, and she grasped his balls gently as they began to clench. As she dived down once more until the head of his cock collided with the back of her throat, she felt the first warm, fast shot of his seed pump into her mouth. Lux swallowed automatically, repeatedly. She drew her mouth slowly back up the shaft as it gradually began to soften.

***

The King let out a quiet sigh, cradling his wine. Then he turned to Felis, leaning in close to his son's ear.

"You know, you may be right about this new one. For a moment there, she had me almost distracted..." He murmured, with a slight smirk.

A muscle in Felis' jaw twitched. Below the table, his hand still lay over Lux's, which gripped his leg still as she recovered. He thought he was disgusted as he could get, until Lana leant over to his Father, and in a girlish, falsely playful tone, murmured "May I try out the new girl now, your highness?" She grinned, managing to look both coy and malicious at the same time.

Felis watched as the King began to smirk a little wider, considering the idea.

Beneath the table, Lux was regaining her breath when Lana's voice cut through her consciousness. Her blood ran suddenly cold. She couldn't do it. It was one thing to stoop this low to secure her place near the King...to manoeuvre herself to a better situation from which to destroy him. But just imagining giving any pleasure to that bitch, while she sat there smugly...Lux felt her face burn in indignation. She wasn't expecting what came next.

"I believe my desire comes before yours, Lana. Or do I need to remind you of your place?" Felis interjected, coldly.

Above the table, Lana and the King both paused momentarily in surprise. Lana soon regained enough composure to glare cattily back at Felis, as the King's smirk widened even further.

"Why Felis, I thought you disapproved of this -- how did you once refer to it? Oh yes, 'manipulative degradation'... but since you seem to have changed your mind, please, do help yourself..." He drawled.

"Thank you, Father" Felis replied coolly.

He felt Lux suddenly attempt to snatch her hand from under his, but he grasped her fingers tighter. He was going to have to play this carefully.

The King had evidently pushed the girl towards him below the table; she collided suddenly with his leg. Felis reached with his free hand to find her face, making contact first with her hair. He could feel her trying to recoil, then the moment she decided to remain stubbornly frozen. Gently, he drew his hand down the side of her face, until he found soft, full lips. Then, he brought one finger silently to them, in what he hoped conveyed a 'shhhh' gesture. She remained still.

Felis removed the finger from her lips, and proceeded to casually adjust the napkin in his lap. From where the King and Lana sat, he could just as easily be opening his fly. Then, he gestured for the maid to bring a decanter and refill his glass. Beside him, he heard Lana murmur something to the King; trying to re-claim his attention, stroking one hand down his leg. While they were distracted, he swiftly and smoothly lowered his wine glass below the table cloth. He lifted Lux's hand, still grasped in his, and after what he hoped was a reassuring squeeze, deposited the glass in her fingers.

Felis scanned the table quickly to see if anyone had noticed. One face turned towards him caught his attention; from the table of the tier below.

Ethan's expression was priceless, a mixture of exasperation and amusement. Felis knew he shared the same disgust of the King's 'amusements' -- he had been almost as angry as Felis had when the King had told them of Lux's next 'test'.

Felis, face completely deadpan, winked.

Below the table, Lux sat cradling the wine glass, still staring suspiciously at Felis' legs. What exactly was going on here? Was he giving her a brief break before she was expected to impress him, too? That didn't make a lot of sense. It couldn't be long before the privileged table retired to the royal quarters for the evening. She decided not to look a gift horse in the mouth, as it were...whatever his motives, he had, after all, saved her from Lana's attempts to humiliate her further. She would rather repeat her performance for the King ten times over than give that bitch the satisfaction once...

It seemed she had been dragged into some long-standing father-son dispute. She was too tired to care what that meant for her...she'd think it over tomorrow.

She took a large swig of wine, swirling it around her mouth; erasing the taste of the King. Better. She ached from sitting on the cold stone floor. On the spur of the moment, she turned and shuffled backwards until her back rested against Felis' legs, feeling absurdly grateful for the small amount of warmth they provided.

***

The meal lasted longer than she expected, and she almost drifted off to sleep, exhausted from the anxiety and strain, still propped up against the prince's legs. The wine had instilled in her a false warm fuzziness that pleasantly drowned out her growing sense of self-disgust. The glass, however, was now empty. She could judge that the meal was largely over due to the growing hum of voices in the hall.