...in which Emperor Victor Sinclair learns to trust himself, as well as his Empress, bone-deep....
SFR Brigade Presents: Excerpt from MAJESTY, Book Two of the To Be Sinclair series by Eva Caye
When
Victor described the meeting, Felice instantly said, “Mikhail.”
Confused,
Victor asked, “Mikhail what?”
Felice
turned from brushing her hair before the vanity. “Have him mentor the new Duke
Vincent. It will give him some pride, some reason to live, an ally in the
Assembly, and a sense of honor in the fact that you both believe he can wipe
out the shame of his House. He needs it.”
Victor
moved to hug her and breathe in her essence. “What would I ever do without
you?” He nuzzled her neck as Felice leaned into him.
She
finally asked quietly, “Do you trust yourself yet?”
Victor
nodded. “If what she said was factual, she never repeated her commands, nor had
me repeat them, and they were vague enough that I am sure I am no true harm to
you.” He caressed her breast. “Will you come to bed with me tonight?”
Felice
looked him over. “Are you willing to undergo my ritual?”
He
considered this for all of three seconds. “Yes. But I hope you explain it to
me. I don’t want to have to guess what it means.”
“I’ll
explain every step.” She led him to the bed. “Please remove your clothes.”
He
began to do so. “Aren’t you going to help me?”
“No.
You must do it of your own free will. That is the essence of the ritual; you must
be convinced of your own free will. Now, lie down on the bed, relax, and try to
think of our love. I’ll be right back.”
She
left the room. When she returned, she had two long silk scarves in her hands. Victor
stared at her in alarm. She sat on the bed, still fully clothed. “What do you
need those for?”
“I
am going to tie you up. You were restrained by the drug, so I am going to
restrain you now. But only of your own free will. At this point, we’ve gone way
beyond manipulation issues and have to delve into trust issues. You either
trust me, or you don’t.” Felice waited patiently.
Victor
had to struggle with the notion for a few minutes before he gave his assent. The
thought of being completely at anyone’s mercy right now, even hers, was
painful, but he suddenly recalled their first time in bed. Teaching Felice to
trust him as he opened her had deepened their commitment in ways he had never
imagined, an incredible satisfaction that still soared well above the pleasures
of the bedroom.
When
he finally nodded, she tied his legs at the ankles and his hands over his head,
reminding him, “Are you thinking of our love for each other? Try to think of
the times you felt the most love for me when we were not actually touching.” He
shivered a bit; the way her simple statement paralleled his previous thoughts
was uncanny. She tied both scarves with bows so they would unravel with one
tug.
“Now
I’m going to love you. Remember, at all times I am touching you because I love
you. I am not going to have sex with you. Just love and care for you. I have no
intentions beyond showing you that you matter more to me than anyone else in
the universe.”
She
began by kissing him and hugging him, then caressing his face and torso. She
had him roll over and gave him a back rub. Rolling him back over, she rubbed
his feet for a while. After releasing the knot around his ankles, she moved
back up to hug him. He was totally relaxed and slightly aroused.
“Are
you comfortable?”
“Very.” He felt like the stresses of that
hideous day, and a thousand merciless ones before it, had been erased by the
tenderness and relentless love of his magnificent lady wife, she of the keenest
intellect and strongest will he had ever known.
“Do
you trust me?”
“Yes.
Completely.”
“Do
you trust yourself with me?”
He
smiled very broadly. “I trust myself to show you the time of your life. Does
that count?” At her giggle, he continued. “I understand the nature of the
ritual. I think you were right to do it. I’m not entirely sure I want it to end
yet, though.”
“Sorry.” Felice untied the bow at his hands. ”To
finish the ritual, you must have complete freedom of movement and complete free
will. And you must have complete trust in yourself and in me.” She touched him
amorously. “So, what are you going to do about it?”
He
laughed, growled, and pounced. She giggled madly for quite some time
thereafter.
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