Ceremony of Seduction (7 page)

Pulling back just far enough to look into her face, the king smiled down at her. “Alyssandra, I thought this day would never come.”

She blinked furiously to keep the unshed tears burning in her eyes from falling. This was one of the happiest days of her life, she wouldn’t ruin it with tears.

“Step aside, Darius. You’ve hogged her long enough.” Alyssa turned at the sound of her mother’s voice. Annalecia’s face was lined and drawn, as if she’d been very ill. But her voice was strong, her eyes clear and loving. Without hesitation, the queen stepped forward and enveloped her in a hug even more crushing than the king’s. Alyssa hugged her back, burying her face against her mother’s shoulder. How often growing up had she longed for an embrace such as this from parents who loved and approved of her?

When she released her mother, Stone cleared his throat behind them. She turned to face him, still holding her mother’s hand and noted the mist in his eyes as well.

“Beloved.” He stepped forward to capture her free hand and bring it to his lips. “I can see you are comfortable enough with your parents. I think you need some time alone with them. And my parents would like news of you, as well. I’ll be back for you after dinner to show you to your room.”

Almost before realizing she was going to, she jumped into Stone’s arms, fusing her lips with his. She poured all her gratitude for her new life into the kiss, and for the first time, their kiss held tenderness rather than only lust and sexual energy. When she pulled back, Stone’s expression was stunned—his eyes wide, his mouth parted. “Thank you. For bringing me home and for being the only thing I looked forward to for all those long years. Before you, my life was dreary and lonely.”

Color flashed into Stone’s cheeks and she smiled as she realized she’d made him blush. “The pleasure is all mine, Princess.” He turned her hand over and placed a hot kiss just inside her palm, then curled her fingers inward as if to allow her to hold onto his kiss until he saw her again. “Until later.”

She watched until he disappeared through the double doors and then turned back to her parents.

“Are you hungry?” Her mother linked her arm with Alyssa’s, leading her toward a large table in the back already heavy with a wide assortment of strange looking foods.

Her stomach grumbled in response and her parents laughed. Her father walked on her other side laying his hand lightly on the small of her back, as if he was afraid she’d disappear if he let go. “I think it’s time you ate. You need to keep your energy up for the upcoming coming-of-age ceremony. Being queen is hard work.”

She stopped dead in her tracks to stare at her father. “Queen? I don’t understand, I just found out I’m a princess and now I need to learn to be queen? What’s the rush?”

Annalecia guided her to a cushioned high backed chair. “I’m sorry, I know all of this is strange to you. Maybe we’d better start by answering your questions, so you feel more comfortable.” She ran a gentle hand over Alyssa’s hair causing at least some of the panic to recede. “But why don’t we eat first and just get to know each other again. After all, the last time we saw you, you were in diapers.”

Alyssa pushed aside her fears and questions and grinned across the table at her parents. “I’d like that.”

A servant poured wine for them and Alyssa blindly took food and chewed, not tasting much of anything. She was too intent on listening to the timbre of her mother’s voice and studying her father’s smile and the way he often ran his fingers through his thick dark hair, mussing it. It was almost as if she memorized everything about them, she could never lose either of them again.

They asked her about her life with the Cunts and she tried to give an honest picture while still shielding them from the worst of it. Hurt swam in their eyes even as they heard the damped-down version. The feeling of belonging was so strong, she tried to imprint every detail firmly in her mind to replay later.

Finally, she pushed her plate away and looked from one to the other. “I’m glad for the chance to finally get to know you. You’ve only existed in my wishful fancies for so long. But for now, maybe you’d better explain to me exactly what this coming-of-age ceremony entails.”

King Darius looked decidedly uncomfortable. The queen smiled a knowing smile and reached out to lay a gentle hand on his arm. “Why don’t you go and help the cook decide on what dessert to serve our lovely daughter on her first night home, darling?”

Did I say something wrong?

He cleared his throat, never meeting Alyssa’s eyes and beat a hasty retreat to the sounds of the queen’s soft chuckles. Annalecia placed a hand on Alyssa’s arm. “Why don’t we walk in the water gardens while we talk?” They rose and Alyssa followed her mother outside, their arms linked at the elbows again—both women afraid to let go of the other for any long period.

The water gardens turned out to be a large open garden with thousands of exotic looking plants interspersed among breathtaking waterfalls. The falls emptied into small ponds teeming with brightly colored fish and frogs. The scents of fertile earth competed with the mist of water and the aroma of flowers. The gentle gurgling sound of the water, accompanied by soft frog croaks and other sounds of the night blended around them. The moon shone down on them, bathing everything in silver light and a gentle breeze teased Alyssa’s hair.

“Did I ask something I shouldn’t? About the ceremony, I mean?”

Her mother chuckled and led her to a cushioned bench in front of a large pond. “We may be a society that must have sex or at least sexual energy to survive, but no father is comfortable talking about his own daughter having it. It is much like a human father not wanting to talk about the feminine cycle.”

Understanding dawned as well as dread. She’d accepted that most everything with the Klatch centered around sex, but she hadn’t thought the ceremony would too. Although she probably should have known. Stone had kept his comments vague, probably to keep from scaring her.

Taking Alyssa’s hands in her own, the queen turned to meet her gaze. “I’ll be as forthcoming as I can about the ceremony and any questions you may have. I know you haven’t known me as your mother for long, but I went through the ceremony as well and I know knowledge can make it easier.” Annalecia squeezed her hands. “Have you been mated?”

Alyssa had never had a talk with her mom growing up about anything. She’d found out about her period from listening to her sisters talk, and anything else she’d wanted to know from books or the Internet. But having this open, wonderful woman who genuinely seemed to care about her offer to give her information felt wonderful and different. “Mated?” she asked. “I’m not sure what you mean. Is that a Klatch term?”

Her mother’s brows knit together for a second and she seemed to be searching for the correct term. “I believe the human equivalent is losing your virginity?” her mother said, sounding not quite certain.

Understanding dawned, as did a hot blush that crept up her neck and cheeks. She couldn’t convince herself to meet her mother’s eyes as she shook her head from side to side.

Annalecia let out a breath of relief. “Good, then at least there’s no irreparable damage. I’m not sure how much Stone told you, but having the essence of a Klatch man touch you before your coming-of-age can be deadly. A human’s essence can make a full-blooded Klatch royal sterile, or just weaken your system permanently.”

She stared open-mouthed at her mother. “But my roommate, Debbie, she fu…I mean, she had sex all the time and she’s apparently a Cunt. Aren’t they just another faction of Klatch?”

“The Cunts are a product of a Klatch and human mating. They have different constitutions. They aren’t as sensitive to human essence, but are even more sensitive to Klatch essence. Another tradeoff is that we are more powerful.”

“In what way?” Alyssa’s curiosity peaked. “Back at my apartment, I zapped Debbie unconscious. I’m not sure how I did it, or even what powers Klatch have.” She blushed again as she remembered the episode in the baths where she’d used her powers to make Sasha come.

“From what Stone told us, you defended yourself admirably.” Her mother squeezed her hand in reassurance. “Powers vary from witch to witch, but you should be able to control energy, cause instant arousal, and once mated with Stone, you will share an empathic bond.”

I’ll be able to experience Stone’s feelings while he’s fucking me?
Her sex clenched at the thought. Then she remembered her mother’s presence and pushed the erotic thoughts from her mind. “About the ceremony—maybe you’d better start at the beginning and assume I don’t know anything.” She swallowed hard. “Exactly what’s involved, what I’m expected to do. Those types of things.”

Her mother nodded and smiled. “All Klatch women come of age at their twenty-fourth year and the men in their sixteenth. But those of royal blood must marry another of royal blood.”

Ewwww!
“You mean Stone is my brother or cousin or something?” she demanded in horror.

The queen laughed aloud, the sound easing Alyssa’s fears about Klatch incest. “No, Stone is the product of another royal family. There are sixteen royal families. We are the first, so therefore, you are the First Princess of Klatch. We hold the same mores about incestuous relationships as the humans, I assure you.”

The soft breeze latticed her hair over her face and the queen brushed it back with her fingers. “Unfortunately, the Cunts don’t share our concern. They inter-mate quite often, which was one of the many reasons for the civil war.”

At Alyssa’s audible sigh of relief, her mother continued. “Stone is the Fourth Prince of Klatch, but since we are a matriarchal society, everything is determined by the needs of the woman.”

“Wow, too bad they don’t have
that
mindset on earth.” She reached down to pet a neon blue frog that had wandered close and laughed as he hopped into her hand. “Okay, so no incest. What exactly does the coming-of-age ceremony entail?”

Annalecia pursed her lips and studied her for a long moment. “How comfortable are you with your sexuality, Alyssandra? The Klatch ways are probably taboo by human standards of sex.”

“Not very,” she admitted. “I mean, I…have the urges and I’ve…masturbated.” She stared hard at the little frog, not comfortable with this discussion. “But until Stone…I really didn’t feel very attractive or comfortable with my body. And he was a dream!”

The events of the last day suddenly caught up with her in a rush. She stood, startling the frog, which jumped back into the pond with a plop. She stood rubbing her hands up and down her arms, trying to smooth away the conflicting emotions that invaded her. “And now, he’s suddenly real…I’m not sure exactly who I am or how I feel.”

She let her mother smooth a comforting hand over her hair. “I’ll tell you of the need for the ceremony first, that way you’ll understand why the mechanics are the way they are.”

A shudder ran through Alyssa and she wanted to stop her mother’s words. Somehow, she knew she wasn’t going to like what she heard. “Tell me,” she said simply and sat again.

Her mother continued to stand and trailed her fingers in the nearest waterfall, watching the water spill around her hand rather than looking at Alyssa while she talked. “When a First Princess comes of age, she must come into her powers fully to assume the throne. And assuming the throne isn’t just in title as it is with human royalty, it’s in function. As queen, it will be your responsibility to feed the nation of Klatch with your energy.”

Alyssa bolted to her feet. “You don’t mean I have to supply
everyone
with sexual energy?” A sudden picture of her having to go from person to person sharing energy every day flashed through her mind and she shoved it aside. Dread flowed through her as she waited for her mother’s answer.

“I don’t mean the nation as in the people, I mean the land.” Her mother turned to face her. “Usually, as the First Princess grows older, her powers increase and she begins to help the queen with the nourishment of the land. It flows from you in a give and take with the world. And in turn, once you marry, your husband keeps you supplied with energy to share.”

Alyssa looked at her mother, the pale skin, the etched lines in her face and then she knew, somewhere deep in her soul. “And since I was stolen, the full burden fell on you to give this world its energy, didn’t it?” Nausea roiled inside her stomach and she swallowed against the acidic taste of bile on the back of her tongue. It wasn’t her fault she’d been abducted, but that didn’t stop guilt from flowing through her.

Annalecia stroked a thumb across Alyssa’s cheek. “Sometimes that is the way of life. But you are here now. The land has begun to sicken and die, but no affects are visible inside the city. The edges of the wilderness are showing the first signs. Hunts and harvests are not what they were. Once you assume the throne, my energy will no longer be needed. You’ll be strong enough to maintain the world until you have a daughter to help you.”

“And what if I have a son?” she asked, picturing a miniature Stone.

“All of the first-born of the ruling family are female. It has always been so.”

“Then why didn’t you just have another child when I was taken?” she asked and then instantly regretted it when jealousy at the thought ran through her.

“All of my energy went into the world and my grief. I knew you were not dead, for I would have felt it, even though I know the council believed me foolish.” Her brows knitted and her fists clenched for a moment before she relaxed and turned back to Alyssa. “You and I are connected as the world and I are connected. And even now, since you’ve returned, some of my burden eases.”

Alyssa knew she must complete the coming-of-age-ceremony and assume the throne. If it would help her mother, she would do anything. She couldn’t bear to lose her again. The rest would reveal itself in time. “So give me the bad news—what exactly is involved in this ceremony? No one seems to want to talk about it, so it’s got to be bad.”

Annalecia sat next to her and took her hands in her own once more. “It’s far from bad. It’s a very erotic ceremony, and rather enjoyable. However, you need more energy than just Stone can provide. The good news is that you and Stone will finally be able to consummate your relationship fully. You two will become mated during the ceremony.”