Curvy Ever After: Forbidden Curvy Girl Fairy Tales (16 page)

Kyoto, Japan 1854

Princess Yuki walked the gardens of the Imperial Palace, humming softly. She tossed out food for the koi fish swimming in the ponds. As soon as they saw her above the water, they swam over, waiting impatiently for her to feed them.

“So greedy.” Yuki scolded the fish. “If only I were a fish, then I could be as greedy as you. And no one would have to worry about finding a man that’s willing to marry the fat princess. The disappointment of Japan.” Yuki said resentfully. She tugged at her tight obi that wrapped around her waist, holding her kimono together and forcing her thick waist inward.

When the princess was born, her pale skin reminded her father, the Emperor of Japan, of the pure white snow after a heavy snowfall. The Emperor fondly named her Yuki Shiro,
Snow White
. After her mother passed away, the Emperor doted on his only child. Giving her whatever she asked for; toys, ponies, sweets, etc. In the end the beautiful princess became soft and curvy from overindulging.

A full-figure in her culture wasn’t found attractive. Slender, delicate frames with little to no curves were the standards of beauty. So once she grew to a marriageable age, no man was interested. People of the aristocracy often told her that it was a shame, since she had such a beautiful face.

Which was why Yuki preferred to spend her time alone in the palace gardens. The birds, fish, and other animals that came to visit her, couldn’t speak or criticize her. And instead of focusing on how to look pretty with makeup and clothing, Yuki focused on the Arts. As well as passing out food and spending time with the commoners near the palace. As a result she was an expert musician. She loved to sing and play the biwa and shakuhachi, a Japanese guitar and flute. And she was well loved by her community.

Though even with all her extra-curricular activities, Yuki’s melancholy only increased when her father married Kasumi, a very beautiful but domineering and cruel woman. She treated Yuki like a second class citizen and looked at her with unconcealed disgust. And Yuki was not fooled when her father suddenly became ill, shortly after the wedding.

He father was still holding on, but just barely. Yuki knew that Kasumi was somehow responsible for keeping him sick. Though, she had no way to prove it. She knew that even as the princess, she better have more proof than a hunch, before accusing the Empress of foul play.

Yuki sighed deeply as she tried to shake off her dejected mood. She kneeled down at the edge of the pond and ran her fingers lightly over the crystal clear surface of the water. The large fish nibbled happily on her fingers, tickling her fingertips. Yuki giggled, her chortle sounding more like music than laughter.

“Yuki! Stop cackling and cavorting with those stupid fish and come inside to help with the feast for tonight.” Kasumi shouted angrily from the doorway.

“Yes, Empress.” Yuki submitted and quickly walked inside under the watchful glare of her stepmother.

~~~

That night, the palace held a large gathering inside a huge tent on the elaborate palace grounds. It was in honor of the trade agreement Japan made with America. There were several Japanese dignitaries and noblemen in attendance. Some were in traditional Japanese garb and others opting for western style formal suits. The American men wore their tailored suits and military uniforms to perfection. Atop their heads were bowlers and top hats in black, gray, brown and tan.

One American man in particular, Yuki’s eyes immediately gravitated towards. Something about him seemed a little wild and untamed. Many of the Americans wore white wigs or powder in their natural hair, but this man’s long raven colored hair was untouched. He wore it pulled back with a brown leather tie at the nape of his neck. Most of the men were clean shaven or had fancy mustaches, where his face was covered in a light, jet-black beard.

He wore a black double-breasted short coat with tails, a white waistcoat underneath, and pristine white pantaloons that scandalously showed off his powerful thighs. Black knee-high riding boots graced his feet, and a white cravat around his neck. Though his ensemble was just as formal as the other men at the fancy dinner, his powerful body under the clothes and his sharp silver gaze, hinted to the feral heart under the surface. Yuki was entranced.

She was not alone. The American, Yuki had been watching, Cade McAllister, had eyes only for her. His silvery gaze landed on the stunning princess the moment he walked through the open entrance of the large tent. She greeted the guests with a deep bow at the waist and downcast eyes, refusing to make eye contact.

The princess wore a deep red kimono with cherry blossom details embroidered around the sleeves and hemline. A white obi cinched in her waist and held the kimono together. Her ebony hair wasn’t as elaborate as the other women’s. Hers was pulled up into a high intricate bun with silk cherry blossoms that hung from the side of it and trembled with her every breath. And unlike the other Japanese women in attendance the princess had foregone the white makeup on her face, since it appeared that her skin was already the palest shade of white. She only wore rouge on her Cupid’s bow lips in the deepest of reds. And kohl on her sultry hooded eyes to emphasize their beauty.

They both tried to keep their attraction hidden. For Yuki, it would be inappropriate to stare at a man. And Cade didn’t want to disrespect the Empress by staring down her stepdaughter.

Everyone sat at a long western style banquet table to accommodate the Americans in attendance. During their dealings with westerners before, the palace knew that not everyone was comfortable sitting on the floor to eat if they weren’t used to it.

Cade sat several chairs down from the Empress and princess during the elaborate dinner, in a position of lesser importance. After all, he was just a lowly merchant and expert huntsman. He had spent many hours hunting with Japan’s finest dignitaries and trading their wares. So Cade had gained a good reputation, which was why he was invited to the grand feast.

Though during his time in Japan, Cade had yet to meet the princess until this night. None of the men he had spent time with ever talked about her, so he knew nothing about the beautiful woman. He planned on changing that later, if he got the chance.

Yuki surreptitiously watched Cade out the corner of her eye. She wondered what his story was. Though, she knew that it didn’t matter. The country would rather see her become a spinster than to be with a foreigner. She sighed heavily at the tragedy of her current and future love life.

Yuki’s woolgathering was interrupted by a solid looking General with a blond curling mustache, sitting across from her. “How long has the Emperor been sick, Princess?”

“Hmm…just about as long as my father has been married to Empress Kasumi.” Yuki said boldly before turning to her stepmother and raising a finely arched black brow. “Isn’t that right Empress?”

“Yes, some terrible unknown disease befell my dear husband not long after our marriage began.” The Empress said to the General and then looked to Yuki barely concealing a chilling glare. “I’m surprised you even noticed, Yuki. I mean, with your face buried in sweets and talking to animals all day, I’m amazed you’ve had time to pay attention to anything else.”

Yuki was mortified by the insult. The other Japanese noblemen at the table chuckled at the joke. Though the Americans seemed clueless as to what was so funny. Yuki quickly got up and excused herself. She knew that she had probably made a dire mistake by calling out the Empress and bringing to her attention the fact that Yuki was accusing her of foul play. But she was just so fed up with the Empress and her cruelty.

Yuki fled the large tent and ran towards her personal garden. Tears streamed down her face as she collapsed in front of her favorite pond filled with her beloved koi fish. The full moon was reflected in the still surface of the water. A single tear fell into the water, causing ripples in the serene reflection.

“Princess? Are you alright?” A deep voice startled Yuki.

She quickly wiped at her tear-streaked face before turning to address the interloper. “I’m fine.” Yuki turned to see the handsome dark haired American she had been fascinated with all evening.

“You don’t seem fine. Do you want to talk about it?” He coaxed.

“I don’t think it’s proper for you to be talking to me in a dark garden without a suitable chaperone.” Yuki warned.

“Well, I don’t know about you, Princess. But I like a little danger and excitement in my life. Keeps the blood circulating,” he said with a devilish smile. “I’m Cade McAllister, by the way.” He introduced himself with an extended hand to shake.

Yuki looked at his large, rough hand for a few seconds. She knew it was improper to be alone with this strange man. It was also their custom to bow instead of shake hands, but her pale, delicate hand reached out towards the fire and clasped his hand anyway. Cade’s massive paw wrapped around the fragile bones of her hand and shook gently. A thrill shot up Yuki’s arm and radiated down her body. A small gasp escaped her lips.

“Yuki Shiro. Though you can call me Yuki.” She greeted him as he still held onto her hand.

“What does your name mean, Yuki?” Cade asked curiously.

“Snow white.”

“Hmm…it suits you.” He noted as he looked at her skin that was nearly translucent in the moonlight.

“Thank you,” she said demurely, feeling bashful.

Yuki tried to pull her hand free of his, but Cade had other plans. His hand tightened and he pulled her up onto her feet. She lost her balance and collided with his wide chest. Cade steadied her with his hands on her soft shoulders. She looked up at him with sad dark brown eyes.

“Now, what was so terrible about what the Empress said to you?” Cade asked.

Yuki flushed in embarrassment, realizing that he had overheard the insult. “I…I’m not considered…attractive,” was all that she could get out. She then turned her head in shame.

“What are you talking about?” Cade asked bewildered. “You’re gorgeous!

“I’m fat. Which is why I’m still unmarried. I’m told that no man wants a fat wife.” Yuki said looking down at the ground.

Cade placed his fingers under her chin and lifted her face up to his. “I’m not sure what the requirements are for beauty here, but where I come from you are stunning. A woman that is strong enough to work alongside her husband during the day, in a sometimes unforgiving country.” Cade lifted the hand on her chin to stroke down her soft cheek. “Yet, soft and pliant enough to tempt a man to his bed at night, and never want to leave. That’s a woman a man wants, where I’m from.”

Cade’s words and silver gaze nearly buckled Yuki’s knees. No one had ever dared to speak to her so frankly before. No one had ever looked at her with desire either. She had never found anyone that she thought was desirable, for that matter. So the heat that pulsed through her veins. The butterflies that stirred up a commotion in her tummy. And the pool of moisture that gathered at the apex of her legs that made her squirm, were all feelings that were completely new to her.

The desperate need in her to feel wanted, to feel affection, overrode her need for propriety. So as Cade’s sculpted lips descended to hers, Yuki opened up to him like a lotus flower. The silk cherry blossoms that adorned her hair quivered as her body trembled with barely contained desire.

Cade traced her bottom lip with his tongue and she opened for him on a sharp intake of air. Once she let him in, he drank from her lips and tongue thirstily. The princess timidly touched her tongue to his, trying to imitate him and Cade’s control slipped slightly. A growled rumbled through him and he deepened the kiss, devouring her sweet mouth and abrading her soft skin with his beard.

The quick flicks and soft caresses of his warm, wet tongue made the arousal that had pooled at the entrance of her sex, drip down her inner thigh. Yuki squeezed her thighs together in an attempt to stop the flow, as well as the throbbing that had begun in her most secret of places. Cade had just wrapped his arms firmly around her and she had gotten a hint of his solid arousal, when a voice broke the spell.

“Princess? Are you here?” The voice of Yuki’s trusted maid Mai, called out in concern.

Cade reluctantly pulled away from the princess and melted into the darkness of the garden as Mai walked further into the garden. Yuki felt chilled after the warmth of his embrace, and she wrapped her arms around herself.

“I’m here, Mai.” Yuki spoke up, her voice sounding shaky to her own ears.

“Oh, thank goodness! I was worried when I didn’t see you in the tent.” Mai smiled sweetly at her.

“I’m fine. But I think I’ll retire now. I’m no longer in the mood to socialize.” Yuki admitted.

“Yes, Princess. I’ll take you to your room and help you dress for bed.” Mai said, taking Yuki’s arm gently.

“Thank you, Mai.” Yuki said and then looked back to where Cade had disappeared into the night. Though she saw nothing.

Cade was an expert at blending into his surroundings. He knew she couldn’t see him, but he watched Yuki turn and walk into the palace. His heart still pounded in his chest and his erection strained against the soft cotton of his pantaloons. He took a moment to compose himself before rejoining the festivities. Though it was harder than he thought, due to the memory of her small sweet mouth and warm soft curves against him.