The duchess's library was circular, with high frescoed ceilings and a skylight through which daylight filtered in. A slender spiral staircase rose all the way to the top, passing through numerous galleries crammed with bookshelves.
William had never seen so many books packed into such a small space.
"It's beautiful!" He looked around, his mouth hanging open. "There are so many of them…"
The prince wrapped his arms around him from behind. "We can stay as long as you like."
"We should deal with that issue in the city."
"I'd like to talk about it with Flori first." He kissed William on the temple. "You can look around if you want."
"Thank you."
William pulled away with a bright smile and moved toward the shelves. He scanned the titles, marveling at the quality of the texts, and pulled out a few to leaf through them. They were valuable books—manuals and essays, as well as novels and poetry collections.
He wandered along the shelves for a long time, unable to decide what to read. If he'd had enough time, he would have devoured every single one of them.
He climbed the stairs to the first gallery and approached a bookcase. One of the titles caught his attention.
"A novel by Etta Moss?"
He pulled the volume out—it was one of the novels he hadn't read yet. Maybe he could give it a quick look.
"It's strange that the duchess has erotic texts… Maybe it belongs to one of the ladies."
He opened it, glanced at the illustrations, then closed it again. Excitement coiled in his belly. Before, erotic books wouldn't have affected him like this.
"Maybe I shouldn't read it."
But he was too curious; he couldn't bring himself to put it back.
He went back downstairs and sat in one of the reading armchairs. He reopened the book and immersed himself in it.
The plot was simple: two princes from two warring kingdoms who went from enemies to lovers. Judging by the style, it had to be one of the author's early publications, and the illustrations were far more explicit than the novels William had already read.
And more… amateurish.
"What are you reading?"
William jumped in surprise, and the book slipped from his hands and landed on the rug, open to an image of the two protagonists performing oral sex on each other.
The prince glanced down, then raised his eyebrows. "Oh."
"I was just curious!"
William moved to pick it up, but His Highness got there first.
"I have to say, this drawing isn't bad."
"Your Highness, please…"
"I'm being serious. It's nice. What's it about?"
William shrugged. "Two enemy princes who become lovers."
"Oh. A classic, I suppose."
"It's not bad."
"This illustration definitely isn't."
William pressed his lips together and held out a hand. "Please, give it back to me."
The prince lifted the book higher. "Give me one good reason why I should."
"Because it's not mine or yours, and we still have things to do."
William stood up and stretched to reach the book, but the prince moved it out of his reach, slipped a hand behind his back and pulled him against his chest.
"Sorry, it was the only thing I could think of to draw you into my arms."
"You're really shameless."
"Maybe. But you have no idea how your smile looks when you're surrounded by books." He brushed his nose against William's neck. "It makes me want to mark your body with bites."
"I thought my stern looks were what turned you on."
"You turn me on, Will. Everything you do makes me happy. And when I'm with you, time seems to stop."
William's heart leapt into his throat. His Highness was looking at him with an intense light that sent a shiver through him. By the spirits, being this close to him always made him think such strange thoughts.
"Will…" The prince's hoarse voice sent a tremor through him.
William swallowed, then kissed him. His Highness teased his lips with his tongue and slid into his mouth. William welcomed him, surrendering to the warmth of his hands.
"Your Highness…"
"Do you want me to stop?"
"…I don't know."
"You don't know?"
William looked away, his cheeks burning with embarrassment. "I would like to, really, but we're surrounded by books and the sweat and the mess… I mean, what if we ruin them?"
The prince tilted his head. "We're not doing it on the books."
"What if someone comes in and sees us?"
"They'll see two beautiful men loving each other."
"Please, be serious."
"You worry too much. Who would ever come in?" The prince kissed his temple. "But if you don't want to, that's fine with me too. I'll come to your room tonight."
William pressed his lips together and, for a long moment, hesitated. After the reading and the kiss, he was aroused, and the idea of being discovered tickled some dark fantasy he'd never admitted to himself. But doing it in that library felt like heresy.
"All right," he conceded at last. "But don't undress me."
The prince's face lit up. "I have a better idea."
He set the novel down on the table and slipped William's jacket off his shoulders. He unbuttoned his shirt and kissed his chest, sucked on one nipple, then knelt in front of him.
William flushed. "Your Highness, you're not going to—"
"Has anyone ever done this for you?"
"No, usually… I was the one doing it."
The prince looked at him in surprise. "Really?"
William lowered his gaze and nodded.
"Well, there's a first time for everything." The prince unbuttoned his trousers and pulled them down. "Relax, you'll like it."
He removed his gloves and stroked him along his entire length. The warmth of his hands and the cold of the library sent a shiver of pleasure through William. And maybe knowing they were doing something scandalous heightened his arousal.
His member twitched. The prince traced it with the tip of his tongue and placed small kisses on it, while his other hand caressed William's thighs and ass.
"Can I put my fingers in?"
William nodded and stiffened when he felt the first knuckle penetrate him. An unbearable heat bloomed in his chest and rushed up to his cheeks; a sigh slipped from his lips.
The prince took him into his mouth, and William clenched his fingers around the edge of the table.
His Highness began to move his head and his finger. Up and down, in and out. With every thrust, a moan tore from the mage's throat, and desire trembled beneath his skin.
William wanted him—his warmth, his sun-kissed skin, and his blue eyes looking at him with love and devotion. And he wanted to kiss him until he was forced to pull away.
The prince's tongue caressed him, tearing ever more frequent moans from him. William clenched his hair.
"Continue… please, Your Highness."
The prince sucked at the tip, slid down to the base again, and stroked the shaft with his tongue. He went back up and down. He added another finger, and a muffled cry escaped William.
His voice broke; pleasure was a shard lodging in his chest, keeping time with his lover's caresses.
The prince lifted one of William's legs and rested it on his shoulder, then resumed sucking him, penetrating him, and stroking him with his tongue. With every thrust, every intrusion, William's moans grew louder and more frequent. The orgasm swelled and receded like a surging wave.
"Y-Your Highness… I'm coming…"
With a strangled breath, William came into his mouth. The prince did not pull away; he swallowed every last drop, then withdrew his fingers and ran his tongue over his lips.
"You should eat more fruit, Will."
William collapsed over the desk, his lungs still burning.
"You are… really good." He closed his eyes for a moment, then looked at him again. "I need to return the favor."
The prince smiled. "You don't have to."
"That wasn't a question." He sat down on the table, his jacket abandoned beneath him, his trousers pooled around his ankles. He kicked them off and spread his legs. "I want you inside me."
A light flush colored the prince's cheeks, then a mischievous smile curved his lips.
"And you say I'm the shameless one."
He lowered his trousers, lifted William's hips, and entered him.
William crossed his legs behind the prince's back and pulled him closer. He unbuttoned his jacket and shirt and caressed his chest with his hands. His Highness thrust with slow, deep movements, and William moaned in pleasure.
With each motion, pleasure rose and fell like a wave, and their breaths were fire on skin. Their fingers, their gazes locked, and their voices and moans rocked them.
The prince quickened the pace. "Will, I'm almost there."
"Come inside me…"
They kissed, tongues and lips brushing, hungry for each other. Then the prince reached orgasm with a half-moan, and William followed him shortly after, for the second time.
For a long while, they remained in silence, breathing hard, fingers intertwined.
"It was worth it, right?" His Highness murmured.
"Yes."
William closed his eyes, listening to the prince's heartbeat as he caressed the nape of his neck. He didn't even ask him to move; he liked the lingering sense of him inside and how his presence lulled him.
"We didn't get the books dirty, did we?"
"No, just your clothes. Sorry."
"That's fine. It was worth it."
"Can I move?"
William nodded and let him go. The prince withdrew from his body, ran his fingers through his own hair, and pulled his trousers back up.
"That was… really wonderful."
"I know. I can feel it when you're particularly aroused."
The prince blushed. "Right. The Crown Pact. It doesn't… bother you?"
"Not particularly. It's as if your emotions mingle with mine. When you're happy, it's pleasant; when you're angry or very sad, a bit less so."
"You feel everything?"
"Only when they're very intense, but I can't tell what triggered them. For example, I feel that you're sad, but not why."
The prince nodded and buttoned his shirt. "Did Caedos tell you why our Pact is like this?"
William shook his head. "He told me you asked him to investigate, but he hasn't received an answer yet from the spirit he consulted."
He slid down from the table, and his legs wobbled. The prince steadied him, and a shadow of concern flickered in his eyes.
"Are you all right?"
"I'm just a little tired." William leaned against him. "You're really forceful; I need a moment to recover and be able to walk without trembling."
"I'm sorry. Next time I'll take it slower."
"No. I like it when you can't hold back, when it's so intense I can't stay on my feet. It makes me feel good."
"All right." The prince caressed his cheek. "I trust you, but stop me if I do anything that makes you uncomfortable."
"I will, don't worry."
They exchanged a small kiss.
"Your Highness, would you like to go out with me?"
"Go out? As in…"
"A date. You and I, without an escort. There's a place in the city I'd like to show you."
The prince smiled. "That would be wonderful."