Aria lay pinned beneath a weight that made her body tremble with anticipation and fear. Her silver hair fanned out across silken sheets, glistening in the dim, golden light that bathed the room. The air was thick, heavy, and thick with desire.
Hands, strong, firm, yet gentle, held her wrists above her head, their grip both unyielding and agonizingly slow as they trailed up her arms. The touch was electric, igniting her skin with every brush, and every caress.
A mouth followed pressing against her collarbone, hot and insistent, leaving a trail of open-mouthed kisses down to her shoulder. Lips grazed her skin, teasing, biting softly before soothing the sting with the flick of a tongue.
A moan escaped her, low and breathless, as her body arched involuntarily to meet the burning heat pressing against her.
Fingers, rough yet deliberate, traced the curve of her waist, moving lower with a purpose that made her heart race.
Every stroke, every touch, was an agonizing dance of pleasure and torment, leaving her breathless.
Another presence loomed at her side, their touch featherlight but electrifying. A hand brushed her inner thigh, traveling upward with maddening slowness, the warmth of their palm burning her skin.
Her breath hitched, her legs trembling as the hand gripped her thigh, spreading her wider. The closeness, the intimacy, sent waves of heat crashing over her, leaving her utterly helpless and consumed.
A soft moan escaped her lips as the touch became more insistent. Fingers brushed her breasts, circling around her hardened nipples, teasing them with gentle pressure. She gasped, her back arching, eyes fluttering shut as the sensation sent jolts of pleasure surging through her.
Mouths and hands claimed every inch of her. Teeth grazed the sensitive skin of her neck, followed by lips that pressed down with a raw and unrestrained hunger
Aria's fingers curled into fists, her body aching and straining under the weight of her own desires...
Suddenly she jolted awake..
Laying still on the grand canopy bed, her were breaths shallow, her body glistened with sweat, While her fingers trembled as she gripped the silk sheets, trying to shake off the remnants of the dream that lingered, burning her skin with forbidden sensations.
It had happened again.
The same dream.
The same faces.
The same heat.
The same desires.
Her adopted brothers, entwined with her in ways she could never speak of, ways that left her gasping for air and desperate to escape the vivid memories. Every touch, every whispered word in her dream had felt real, too real. Their hands on her body, their lips trailing fire over her skin, it made her wake with a shudder, her heart pounding like a war drum.
For years, those dreams had come to her occasionally, once in a blue moon, fleeting and easy to forget. But ever since her 18th birthday a few days ago, they had become relentless, haunting her nearly every night.
Why was she having these dreams?
Her hands ran through her silver hair as she sat up, glancing at the gilded mirror across the room. Her reflection stared back silver eyes dulled by exhaustion, her skin pale from the fever that had taken hold after she fainted during her betrothal ceremony a few days ago. Yet there was something different. A subtle glow beneath her skin, an unfamiliar heat simmering in her veins. She didn't feel as weak as someone who had just endured a fever.
A knock on the door interrupted her thoughts, and a maid entered carrying a tray of water and a towel, intending to help calm her fever. On seeing her awake, the maid looked slightly surprised and bowed faintly.
"You're... awake." The maid turned slightly, intending to leave. "I'll inform His Majesty and Her Majesty."
"Hold on. How long have I been asleep?"
"About three to four days," the maid replied, her tone barely respectful for someone addressing a princess. Without waiting for a dismissal, she left, leaving Aria to her thoughts.
Aria was used to the disrespectful tone and stares from the maids, but witnessing it now still made her slightly sad.
Her mother's distant words echoed in her mind: "A daughter is nothing but a disappointment." Queen Seraph had once said those words with disdain. Aria's birth had been a moment of sadness and disappointment for the royal family, they had conceived a girl when they longed for a son. One who could continue the family's legacy.
And so, the king and queen adopted three sons,noble orphans raised to carry the royal legacy. Aria was an afterthought, a forgotten shadow in her own family.
No one in the palace cared for her, not the maids who whispered behind her back, nor the courtiers who barely acknowledged her presence. She was a princess in name only, confined to a gilded cage of loneliness.
Her hands trailed to the amulet on her neck, given to her on her last birthday with no sender details and only a note instructing her to wear it at all times. She had obliged, thinking it might be a lucky charm. But luck had never favored her, and her life hadn't improved.
With a pang of anger and sadness, she desperately pulled the amulet from her neck and let it fall to the floor.
Another knock at the door startled her. Wrapping a silk robe around her slender frame, she hesitated before opening it.
Lord Adrien stood in the doorway. Upon seeing her, his dark eyes glinted with something dangerous. He was a close ally of the royal family, seasoned diplomat known for his charm and cunning.
She barely knew the man beyond fleeting mentions at court. What could he possibly want with her?
"Princess Aria," he said smoothly, stepping into her chambers without waiting for an invitation. His gaze roamed over her, lingering on the exposed curve of her collarbone.
"Lord Adrien," she said quietly, her voice hoarse from the fever. "To what do I owe this... unexpected visit?"
"I heard you were unwell and felt compelled to see you," he replied, his tone carrying an unspoken weight.
Her brows furrowed, suspicion flickering in her tired eyes. "We've hardly spoken before. Why would my health concern you?"
Adrien stepped closer, the space between them shrinking with every deliberate movement. "I had to see you," he said, his voice low. "You've been asleep for more than three days." His feigned concern grated on her nerves.
Aria's breath hitched with irritation. There was an unsettling intensity in his gaze, as if he were drawn to her by an invisible force. She shifted uncomfortably, her unease mingling with confusion.
"I don't understand," she said in a slightly cold voice. "Like I said, we've barely spoken before."
Adrien's lips curved into a faint smile, though it didn't reach his eyes. "Perhaps it's because we haven't spoken that I find myself so intrigued." His hand lifted, brushing a lock of her silver hair away from her face. The touch was light, barely there, but it sent an inexplicable shiver down her spine.
She flinched, her voice sharper now. "You shouldn't touch me, Lord Adrien."
His expression darkened, but he didn't withdraw. Before he could speak again, a sharp knock at the door startled them both.