Chained to old wounds

CH20

Morgan

When he turned away from me, it felt like I could breathe again. The air lost all of its heat, but I didn’t move from where I was standing. My heart was thudding in my chest. It was almost as if I could see into his mind. Though I didn’t know much, I could tell that he wanted me. I felt his desire like a wave from far away. I took a deep breath, trying to regain my composure. As he made his way to the closet door, he opened it and walked in.

“Wait…”

It was a walk–in closet?

I walked across the room following him, leaned around the open door, and gasped. The closet was more like another room, filled with rows and rows of hanging robes. He walked down the aisle, looking at the robes on either side of the closet. Then, he stopped in front of one and pulled it from the rack. My face heated. The robe was made of a luxurious crimson silk. There were three parts to it: an underrobe, a mid robe, and a longer robe over it, but it didn’t look heavy like the clothes that Maya had brought from the queen’s room. Now that I thought about it, I wondered if I had just been wearing his mother’s clothes all this time and was thankful that I had only worn

two outfits out of the whole collection.

He paused near the front and bent down to get a small velvet box inside a chest near the door. Then, he stepped out and offered the robe to me.

“Dress first.”

I took it and hurried back into the bathroom, closed the door behind me, and started to dress. I

was surprised to find that the underrode was actually more of a structured slip. It was way more comfortable than breast bindings or bras, in any case. The robe went on easily and felt way more expensive than any clothes I had ever thought I would wear against my skin, but when I came out, he looked at me as if I had stepped out of his dreams. It was a heady feeling to be looked at like

that. I dropped my gaze to my feet.

He held a long gold cord in his hands and beckoned me forward.

“Turn around.”

I turned toward the bathroom mirror and saw us. He looked far taller, far broader, in the mirror than usual. I could feel the heat of his body against my back. Slowly, he drew the cord around my waist. I was a bit startled, but soon, the warmth of his hands made me relax. My face was bright red. I wasn’t sure if he was taking his time or not, but the look on his face said he was enjoying

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being so close to me. Still, it didn’t feel sleazy. He lowered his head so I could feel his breath.

against my ear.

“Don’t let me cinch it too tight.”

I nodded shakily, breathless, as our gazes met in the mirror. This felt far more intimate than anything I had ever experienced. He tightened the cord to hold the robe together and put it in place before tying an intricate knot and laying it just off center.

“This is the knot my mother used to wear,” he said. “It’s generally called the queen’s not.”

“Because she wears it when she wears her husband’s clothes?”

Π

“Yes, and it’s distinctive from the king’s knot in that it is both ornamental and functional.”

“Functional?”

He tugged at one end, and the whole knot unraveled. The length of the cord slipped from around my waist, and I clutched the robe closed, scowling at him in the mirror.

“Functional.”

“I’d say that was more ornamental than functional.

He laughed, low and breathy in my ear before retying it around my waist. Once that was done, he

turned away and went to the dresser, where he left the box.

He returned with a diadem that looked to be made of golden waves and vines of jade. It was a beautiful piece of jewelry with a large ruby set in a jade and gold setting shaped like dragons and vines. The gold seemed to glow. He placed it on my head and smiled warmly at me in the mirror.

“It’s beautiful,” I whispered, reaching up to trace the intricate design. “Was it your mother’s as

well?”

“No,” he said. “Though, we had quite an argument about it.”

He chuckled. “If anyone asks, tell them that Dr Shang told you it was something I’d always wanted to give to my wife.”

I swallowed past the dryness in my throat. “Is that accurate?”

He wrapped his arms around me, resting his head on top of mine and breathing slowly. I was shaken by how easily he seemed to find comfort in my presence and how relaxed he was. The warmth of his body was comforting after the chill that had been working its way through me since

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side of my face gently. “You.”

I met his gaze in the mirror, breathless and stunned. I didn’t know what to say, and for a long

neither of us said anything. Then, a knock sounded on the door, and Maya called out.

“Your Majesty, it’s time for dinner.”

Chapter Comments

Tammy Bunder

wow… steamy

Karen Rolling

the queen’s knot