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Do You Like It?

Author: JoyceOrtsen
last update Last Updated: 2025-06-25 07:02:26

“Do you like it?”

 “Well,” Elias began. “There are… parts of you in full display that are meant for your husband’s eyes only but…” He cleared his throat, his ears tingling red. “As a man, yes. I do.”

Lyra arched a brow and tried not to laugh, but her lips twitched. “Relax. It’s just clavicle, not a crime scene.”

“I’ve seen less skin in a men’s changing room,” Elias muttered under his breath, then looked away, mildly scandalized—and deeply, helplessly impressed.

“Miss Lirae.” King Matthew’s voice sliced through the air. The crowd parted. He extended a hand. “A dance.”

Lyra turned and bowed gracefully, every muscle in her body tensing. “Your Majesty,” she replied.

“I don’t think Miss Lirae—” Elias began, stepping forward instinctively.

“You do not speak for her.” Matthew shut him down cold, without even sparing him a glance. The dismissal was casual.

“I’d be delighted, Your Majesty,” Lyra said, ignoring Elias’s warning look and slipping her hand into Matthew’s.

Elias’s fists clenched at his sides. Two reasons. Two very loud, gut-churning reasons he couldn’t breathe.

First, Matthew. The king was now his number one suspect. The idea of him whispering threats or trying to dig secrets out of Lyra under the guise of a waltz made Elias itch for the dagger he’d left in his boot.

Second… the waltz.

Why hadn’t they taught her the damn waltz? How had that slipped past both him and Thaddeus?

So he stood there, holding his breath.

Lyra moved.

She let Matthew lead, yes, but she matched his rhythm. Her posture was regal, her steps perfectly timed. The guests watched as she spun across the ballroom, somehow transforming the air around her into stardust.

“I’m sorry,” Elias muttered aloud, watching her glow under the chandelier. “Who the hell are you?”

*****

 “Interesting.” Matthew’s grip on her waist was polite but his eyes were doing a full interrogation.

“What, Your Majesty?” Lyra responded with practiced sweetness.

“Are you ever going to tell us what happened to you?” he asked, spinning her.

“I would love an explanation myself,” Lyra replied smoothly, grateful for all those childhood dance classes her mother had forced on her. “I woke up remembering nothing. A small little family in the northern province saved me. They said it seemed I had fallen from a cliff, badly injured. My memories are only just returning, in bits and pieces. The last few years… well, they’re still a bit foggy.”

Matthew hummed thoughtfully, though the sound was more judgmental than curious. “It leaves a lot of questions unanswered.”

Lyra nodded demurely. “Yes, Your Majesty, I understand.”

“For example,” Matthew continued, turning them slightly so they swept past a group of nobles gawking with wide eyes and too-large ears, “why is the first person you run to Elias?”

“Your Majesty, I have always felt safe with him,” she said, letting a softness creep into her voice. A whisper of affection, believable even to the most trained ears. “He’s always been kind to me. Besides, he is my betrothed. I do remember that.”

Matthew’s jaw ticked, and the hand at her waist tensed ever so slightly. The smile on his lips stayed fixed, but his eyes dimmed.

“He was about to stand trial for your disappearance,” he said tightly. “He was suspected of having something to do with it.”

“I heard.” Lyra kept her tone gentle but curious. “It must have been awful for him.”

 “As you know, your relationship came as a shock to a lot of people. To me especially.”

She looked up at him, pretending confusion. “Oh?”

Matthew leaned in just enough to be heard over the music. “Since you used to warm my bed.”

“Excuse me?!” Lyra stopped mid-step, her heeled foot nearly colliding with the hem of her gown. Wow, she thought, biting back a laugh. It seems Miss Lirae was quite the slut. Great. Just great.

“I apologise,” she said quickly, summoning her most delicate voice and ladylike poise. “I do not remember any of that.”

But Matthew only smiled and pulled her closer again, resuming the dance as though he hadn’t just dropped a verbal grenade in the middle of their conversation.

“It’s okay,” he said smoothly. “You will remember… in time.”

Thankfully, she was rescued at that exact moment.

“Excuse me,” Elias’s voice sliced through the tension. Lyra nearly sighed aloud with relief. If this were a drama, she’d throw a bouquet at his feet and kiss his boots. Hallelujah, my knight in shining sarcasm.

Matthew turned, clearly displeased.

“I wasn’t done,” he said.

“It’s rude to dance with a man’s betrothed for too long, Your Majesty,” Elias replied, offering a poisonous smile that said try me.

There was a tense beat before Matthew stepped back with exaggerated grace, masking his irritation. He glanced around the ballroom, clearly calculating who was watching and how his exit would be perceived.

“Good night, Miss Lirae. See you soon.” The words were gentle, but the implication lingered.

Lyra gave a curtsy that was all charm and zero warmth. Elias offered a bow so low it was clearly mocking. Once Matthew turned and walked off, Elias immediately stepped in, pulling Lyra into his arms for the next dance.

“You didn’t tell me you are the main suspect in my death… Lirae’s death,” she hissed as soon as the music resumed.

“Sshhh…” Elias leaned in with a reassuring smile. “We’ll talk when we get home. Right now—smile. Smile and dance. You are doing absolutely well. And you look stunning.”

“Oh, well, thank you. I do love being told I’m stunning right after finding out I’ve been murdered by my fiancee,” she muttered under her breath, still smiling.

“I promised you I would only say nice things to you,” Elias quipped.

Lyra rolled her eyes and focused on the steps. The dance might have been graceful, but the tension around them was palpable.

*****

King Matthew exploded through the doors. He didn't wait for the guards or courtiers—he moved, charging down the corridor and straight to his father’s chamber. Without knocking, he shoved the heavy doors open, sending them slamming against the walls.

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  • Stolen By The Mirror, Claimed By The Prince   See You Tomorrow

    “I don’t know what we’re doing,” Elias said quietly. “But I want you to know… it doesn’t feel wrong. Not with you.”He kissed her again.Lyra looked up at him with a soft smile, her eyes glossed with affection. “Goodnight, Elias.”“See you tomorrow… after the duel,” he said with a grin.She lingered for a heartbeat longer, then turned and padded softly toward the door. Thaddeus was already waiting.As they walked down the quiet corridor, torches casting golden shadows on the stone walls, Thaddeus finally spoke.“You must think me harsh.”“Actually, yes. Sometimes I think you’re part butler, part prison warden.”Thaddeus let out a short, dry chuckle. “I shall take that as a compliment. I’ve been called worse things by nobility.”Lyra’s smile faltered slightly. “Why are you really like this with me?”They turned a corner, passing a tall stained-glass window.“I am not one to stand in the way of happiness, Miss Lyra. Truly. I have served Elias since he was a boy. But you must understand

  • Stolen By The Mirror, Claimed By The Prince   You're Trying To Kill Me

    They landed in a messy sprawl of limbs and tangled sheets. His mouth found her neck and she gasped.“Oh God…” she moaned, arching into him as his lips branded a trail along her collarbone.She fumbled with his buttons, tearing open the last of them.Her hands caressed the expanse of his bare chest, every inch as firm and sculpted as she'd fantasized since that absurd, embarrassing moment he’d walked in on her naked on her very first day in Terra Lucida.His abs twitched beneath her fingers, taut and hot to the touch, like he was barely holding himself back. Elias let out a shuddering breath as his lips grazed her shoulder, trailing slowly down. He pulled the thin straps of her nightdress down, kissing each newly revealed inch of skin.When his mouth finally found her breasts, he groaned—a deep, guttural sound that set her nerves on fire. Lyra rocked against him, shamelessly grinding into the hard length of him that pressed between her thighs. She gasped, her back arching as if pulled

  • Stolen By The Mirror, Claimed By The Prince   I'll Take All The Smoke

    “I’ll take all the smoke. Light it on fire and throw me in the middle,” Matthew muttered.Philip exhaled, clearly torn. He turned to look at the stained glass again. “You do realize what you're asking of me, don’t you? If I do what you ask, if I manipulate events to keep her by your side… what happens when she regains her memory and finds out I stabbed her?”“With Elias’s dagger, Matthew. To make him take the fall.”“I just want another chance.”“And if she remembers? If she turns on you with that same fire in her eyes she had the day she threatened to expose you?”“It still works for us. If I marry her, she becomes queen and has an allegiance to protect the throne,” Matthew argued.Phillip exhaled and paced. Candles flickered in the sconces, casting long, war-like shadows of both men on the walls.“What you ask of me is a lot,” he finally said. “But if—if—I manage to do this... then every decision from that throne will be mine. Whether you approve or not. No arguments.”“Yes. I promis

  • Stolen By The Mirror, Claimed By The Prince   Preferably Behind A Locked Door

    She hung on to him. Her body melted into his with a softness that made even Elias forget the centuries of etiquette he had been raised with. The kiss was no longer about proving a point—it had evolved into a confession. A fevered meeting of vulnerability, danger and truth.“Your Highness,”Elias groaned and broke the kiss, resting his forehead lightly against Lyra’s. His breath was still caught in his throat, but his glare snapped toward his steward. “What, Thaddeus?! Must you haunt every moment of happiness I try to steal in this damn house?”Thaddeus stood at the base of the corridor with the serenity of a monk and the sass of a long-suffering butler. “I am not one to judge, Your Highness,” he said, eyes flickering briefly to Lyra’s swollen lips and tousled hair, “but if the maids stumble upon you in this compromising position, tongues will wag. And you know how fast gossip travels in Windmere.”Elias scowled, adjusting his coat. “Are there any places left in this blasted estate wher

  • Stolen By The Mirror, Claimed By The Prince   Marquis Gideon Langstone

    “Marquis Gideon Langstone,” Thaddeus said dryly from behind her. “Marchioness Gemma’s father. Believes his daughter was born from a diamond and farted into nobility by dragons.”Lyra snorted. “Oh, he’s the daddy.”Gideon pointed a trembling, accusing finger at Elias. “I am a father! And you—you defiled my daughter. The entire eastern court is whispering how she spends time alone with you—alone!”Elias’s nostrils flared. “I did no such thing. I told your daughter—explicitly—that I would consider courtship after my diplomatic visit to Wentworth Castle in Avenrest. That’s it. That’s all. And then… destiny intervened.”Gideon sneered. “Destiny? You mean her?” He nodded toward Lyra, who raised her hand in a mocking wave.Elias turned his body slightly toward Lyra, as if just her presence steadied him. “Yes. Her. Miss Lirae returned to me. And whether you believe in fate or not, I do. Her arrival made it clear that courting your daughter would have been a grave mistake—a political convenien

  • Stolen By The Mirror, Claimed By The Prince   Envy Of All The Women

    “Maybe,” Matthew echoed. He gave a small nod, almost to himself. “It was quite a stunning ring. Envy of all the women. Still is.”He paused, a distant look flickering over his face. “It’s said to be of immeasurable value because of the gems—and the love of the king for the queen. But… when she was found out to be a witch, and it was believed she had charmed the king… he took the ring back. Banished her. Stripped her of her titles, her name. She was never seen again.”“Story time?” Elias’s voice cut through the room. He strolled in, the edges of his smile sharp. Lyra jumped slightly and instinctively pulled her hand out of Matthew’s hold.Matthew straightened but didn’t look the least bit ruffled. “We were just discussing history. It’s always good to know the past, don’t you think?”“Especially the parts that conveniently fit your narrative,” Elias replied dryly.“Where is the tea?” Matthew asked, turning his head slightly, his regal patience thinning.“It’s almost here,” Elias replied

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