Earning the Love of a Princess-Chapter 280: Violet: Sample

"I want what you’ve given Ilse." she repeated. "More, actually. I deserve more, you see."

"How interesting. Why do you think that?"

Violet swallowed hard and willed her heartbeat to stop pounding in her ears. "Because I can offer you more, my lord. It’s that simple."

Leo gave her a crooked smile. "You mean, because you were right about Ilse holding on to her virtue? She still hasn’t lain with me."

Violet blinked in surprise, then paused for thought. She’d been so sure her sister had already been bedded by the prince.

But if Ilse was holding back...did that mean she was strategising too? Was she even capable of having the foresight to play a long, patient game?

Violet realised there was little to be gained if she gave the prince everything. She’d just end up discarded like the others while Leo became even more fixated on the unattainable Ilse.

No, she knew she had to give the man just enough to maintain his interest at a steady boil. To keep him always seeking more, like a hungry hound following a trail of breadcrumbs.

"Unless you’ve sampled both sisters, how can you truly know who will be more to your liking?" Violet asked sweetly.

Leo smiled broadly at that, obviously delighted with the thought. "Well, that’ll be a new experience. I’ve never found myself trapped between twin sisters before. Like a thorn between two roses, I suppose."

Violet smiled back, though his description made her want to gag. Of course any man’s ego would love the idea of being shared between two women, let alone sisters. There was no point making it clear to him that it wouldn’t really be like that at all - not for long, anyway.

She had every intention of being the sister that took the entire prize.

"I do have one condition, though." Violet said.

"A woman with conditions? Let’s hear it."

"I’m not the kind of lady that is willing to tumbled in a storeroom or in some dark corner. A duke’s daughter should have proper rooms, a proper bed." She was determined to draw a line between her and how Leo treated his other dalliances. And that included her twin.

"Well, then perhaps you can do something for me to prove you’re worth so much effort?"

Violet was snapped out of her reverie by the prince’s voice, which had dropped to a low purr. She looked up at him, her heart starting to race again. "What did you have in mind, my lord?"

"Lift up your skirt for me and open your legs."

"What?" she squeaked out in shock. She must’ve heard him wrong. It sounded like he’d said -

"A man likes to see a bit of what he’s getting before he enjoys the goods. So I’m telling you to lift up your skirt." His voice made it sound like he’d asked for a minor favour, nothing more.

"B-but my lord, we’re in public!" she stammered. "Anyone could walk by and see me."

Leo looked in both directions. "There’s no one around. Nothing to worry about."

Violet shook her head at his reckless disregard. Granted, they seemed to be alone along the path that wound through the towering yew trees. But she couldn’t take the risk. Being caught mattered little to him, and why would it? He’d still be the heir to the throne, no matter what he did.

She on the other hand, would be branded a whore.

"I’m sorry. It’s just too risky, Your Grace. A lady’s good name is everything."

He sulked. "You think you have the right to make so many demands, yet you provide me with nothing. It hardly seems worth it."

It was on the tip of Violet’s tongue to ask snidely if he’d ordered Ilse to expose herself in a garden, but she swallowed the words. She could see the annoyance on the prince’s handsome face, and she knew she couldn’t afford to upset him.

"Is there something else I can do for you, my lord?" Violet wondered if he might kiss her and she wasn’t opposed to the idea. Ilse had seemed to enjoy it. And she supposed there was something romantic about sharing a kiss with a prince in a summertime garden -

The next moment, she stumbled and almost lost her balance as Leo pulled her behind a tree, pinning her between the trunk and his own broad frame.

"At least unlace your gown for me."

"But Your Grace-"

"If you don’t do this for me, I’ll assume you are all empty words and no action." he growled. "And why would I waste time on such a woman?"

It seemed the prince was dead serious.

Do this, Violet. You have to do this, so gather your courage. She began untying the laces of her bodice slowly, hesitantly.

"Hurry up, you little tease." the prince said in a husky voice. "I don’t like being kept waiting."

Violet tried to make her stiff, clumsy fingers work faster. She wasn’t deliberately teasing Prince Leo, despite what he thought. She was genuinely shaking with nerves. Eventually, the laces were completely loosened and her gown hung on her shoulders, a yawning gap at her chest.

"Push it down your shoulders." he ordered.

Feeling her face burn, Violet slid one sleeve down her shoulder, then the next. As the entire dress slid down to almost her waist, her upper body was shielded by only her sheer linen chemise. She could feel her nipples hardening under the thin fabric and other his burning gaze.

"Touch yourself." Leo seemed to be breathing rather quickly.

"My lord?"

"You said you’d offer me more than your sister. So I’m telling you to touch yourself. I want to watch you do it." His eyes were firmly on her breasts.

"I...I don’t know how." Violet’s voice was small. She was terrified, having no idea what he wanted or what would please him.

Leo took one of her hands in his own much larger one. He moved it so that her own fingertips stroked the underside of a breast, then moved upwards. Soon, he was forcing her fingers to stoke lazy circles around her nipple. Around and around her fingertips travelled under his guidance, as if she were teasing herself.

Violet’s breath started to quicken at the odd sensations simmering inside her. When Leo eased the pads of her own fingers across her hard nipple, she gave a sharp gasp.

Suddenly, Leo dropped her he’d and stepped backwards. "Now, you know what to do. So do it. Use both hands." His eyes were glazed.

And she did.

Using both hands, she cupped and caressed herself through the thin linen, her back braced against the tree trunk. She supposed it was no different to one of the acting troupes that occasionally visited court, putting on a performance for the audience’s enjoyment.

Violet was quite sure she’d never seen any of the Devon princes watch an acting troupe with the same expression on their faces as Leo had in that moment, though.

He looked like a wolf about to tear his prey apart. "More." he rasped.

She lightly pinched her nipples and moaned softly for the prince’s benefit. She couldn’t pretend that her own fingers didn’t feel sinfully good, though. Violet gave him a sultry look as she continued to play with her hard peaks.

She couldn’t imagine how much more pleasurable Leo’s touch on her flesh would be. Any moment, he’d surely be touching her.

But he didn’t. He didn’t even make a move to kiss her. Instead, he took a step back from her and smiled the smile of a predator. "That’s enough." was all he said.

Violet blinked and swallowed. The reverie she’d been in was suddenly broken. She could only stand there, feeling horribly exposed. She quickly pulled her gown up over her shoulders and crossed her arms across her chest, not knowing where to look as the prince continued leering at her.

"That will do for now." Leo flashed her a dangerous grin. For a moment, he looked as ruthless as his uncle Johan. "It seems we’ve reached an agreement then, Lady Violet. An exchange, if you like."

Violet nodded, almost screaming from impatience.

"Here’s what I’ll do. Over the next few days, I’ll send one of my pages to seek you out. He’ll then bring you to my apartments at a time that works best for me. You can show me then why you’re worth so much extra effort."

"Understood, my lord." Violet tilted her chin upward.

At that, Leo abruptly turned and walked off in the direction they’d come, his pace languid. As soon as he was a little distance from her, Violet hastily tied the cords to her bodice tightly.

Leaning back against the roughness of the tree trunk, she tried to process what she’d just done. She wasn’t sure what had possessed her.

"Ambition makes you brave, I guess." she whispered. Her nerves thrummed with excitement and fear. 𝕗𝐫𝚎𝗲𝘄𝐞𝕓𝐧𝕠𝘃𝕖𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝚖

I’m getting what I want, she said to herself as she started slowly making her way back to the castle. I’m getting the opportunity to prove myself the better sister and I’m going to please him like no other has before.

As much as Violet tried to deny it, there had been something arousing about being commanded by the prince and being scorched by his hungry gaze. She’d felt both vulnerable and powerful under his lust.

She tried not to dwell on what it meant that he’d just left her in the middle of the gardens, without bothering to offer to walk her back to the castle.