Chapter Three

It was as if her entire world came crashing down on her, her hastened steps reflected her tensioned mood, "Thank you for escorting me to my chambers Erik, it was a delightful evening indeed." Penelope said in an unpleasant tone.

"My pleasure... Will it please my betrothed if she joined me for wine in the garden tomorrow afternoon." Erik suggested.

"Oh... Erik, I'm so sorry but I must decline, I have a milk bath with Europa tomorrow, perhaps some other time." She replied and slammed the door shut immediately. 

Meanwhile, Velkan who just got engaged to Irini has a particular liking for a serving girl named Aphra.

Velkan constantly abused her sexually, the first time it happened was ten years ago. It was Europa's eighth birthday, Velkan was eighteen years old, Aphra was fifteen, she had no parents, she grew up in the palace working as a maid.

He lured her to his chambers and ordered her to undress in front of him, "Take off your toga....." He said authoritatively.

"My lord??" she stuttered.

"I shall not repeat myself" he said with a hushed tone.

Aphra took off her toga out of fear, Velkan took his time to stare at her naked milky flesh, though Aphra was just fifteen years old, she had the sophistication of a sexually appealing woman.

He circled her like a vulture about to feast on a carcass, "You are mine Aphra, you belong to me...... everything in this kingdom is rightfully mine......including you." He gloated

"My lord please, forgive me for anything I might have done, it shan't happen again" Aphra begged.

"Silence, Aphra.......Do not say a word, there's nothing you can do to escape this." He replied softly.

Velkan curled his fingers in her hair and swept it over to the other side to get a good feel of her neck on his lips, she shivered as he did so

"My lord please don't do this, I beg of you." She pleaded

"I said silence!!" he said aggressively and shoved her against a wall, tears rolled down her cheek, to silence her, he covered her mouth with his hand and had his way with her, her muffled moans did not make him stop until he had his fill.

Velkan discovered she was pure, no man has ever touched her before him, Velkan was pleased with this, it stroked his revolting ego.

He threatened to have her killed if she told anyone, "Why the tears? The crowned prince of Aratheon is your first, you should consider yourself lucky.......you must leave now, I do not want anyone seeing you here looking like this and remember.....if you mention this to anybody, I shall have you killed." He said and walked out.

He did it to several maids but once he had a taste he never went back but there was something about Aphra that always made him want more.

Aphra resented him at first but as the years went by she grew accustomed to it, she began to see it as a duty to satisfy his lusty needs.

The engagement party was over, everyone had retreated to their various rooms, Irini's chambers were in the west wing, Aphra helped Irini to her night robes and turned off the lamp on her way out.

On her way to the maid's quarters she accosted Velkan, he's Chambers is on the east wing, so her meeting him wasn't by chance. Velkan knew was going to ply that path to her quarters and that could only mean one thing.

"Where are you going Aphra?" Velkan asked leaning against a wall in the dark.

Slightly frightened Aphra was taken aback as she thought she was alone, walking along the passageway, she screamed, "My lord... I-I I'm sorry I wasn't expecting you to be here." She stuttered.

"Why? This is my home, why can't I be here?" Velkan asked in a calm yet frightening tone.

"Forgive me... I didn't know what I was thinking?" She apologized.

He walked up to her, Aphra had her face down, he lifted her face with his hands gently, smiled, and said "Fret not... I am not displeased."

Aphra became relieved, she didn't know what else to do, waiting for Velkan to dismiss her.

"I shall be in my Chambers waiting." Velkan said and walked away.

Aphra was caught between a rock and a hard place, she thought their amorous acts will come to an end after his engagement to Irini but Velkan just invited her to his chambers and right after his engagement for that matter. She didn't want to go but she can't say no to Velkan either.

The door was not completely shut, there were no guards on the east wing, that was strange, Velkan must have dismissed them to cover his tracks.

Aphra pushed the door with little to no effort and it opened, she let herself in, and there Velkan was on his bed. She started to undress.

"No no... Keep your clothes on." He said while making a gesture with his hands in disapproval.

Aphra has never heard such words from Velkan before.

"Come" Velkan said, inviting Aphra to his bed.

Aphra obeyed, she sat on the bed, he offered her wine and honey, poured her a chalice.

Velkan was showing no interest in having sexual relations with her. This made Aphra a tad confused.

"You must be wondering why I'm not stripping off your garments." Velkan remarked and chuckled a bit.

Aphra was tight-lipped, she didn't know what to do or say, she didn't even know if she could have a drink of the wine he offered her. She thought she might be in some sort of trouble or there's something she didn't do right.

Velkan noticed she wasn't comfortable being around him in this manner, "Make yourself comfortable Aphra, tonight, you are my guest." He said.

Aphra couldn't grasp the meaning of the statement he made, she took a sip of the wine, "My lord, I am flattered, indeed I am but you have never done this before and I'm a bit frightened that someone may see me here, I could be severely punished for this." Aphra replied.

"Nothing is going to happen to you Aphra, not while I'm here like I said earlier... You are my guest tonight, so feel safe." He assured her.

Aphra became a little relaxed, she kept sipping her wine, she sensed Velkan wanted to say something but kept resisting, "Is something wrong my lord?" She asked.

Velkan kept a straight face, it got Aphra worried, she came closer to him, "My lord is there something wrong? You look-" she said but got interrupted by Velkan.

"Shhhhhhh..." he hushed.

"Forgive me my lord, I overstepped my bounds, I'll take whatever punishment you deem fit" Aphra groveled

"Don't say that Aphra, you are right, something is wrong with me... tonight I stood in front of everyone and promised love to someone I barely know, I am only meeting her today Aphra." Velkan interjected.

"My lord... the princess is beautiful, you will learn to love her." Aphra said.

"You don't understand Aphra..." he corrected her.

Velkan took a moment to breathe a little and said.

"What I am saying is..." he paused again.

Aphra became more confused and a little scared.

"When I stood there and wore the rose quartz necklace on Irini, my heart was elsewhere..."

Not knowing whether to make a comment or not she sat, looking at him, she didn't understand where Velkan was heading at.

"I thought of you Aphra, I know I have not been so good to you but your loyalty to me never flinched, there's something about you Aphra, something I can't seem to let go of, the only thing I don't seem to have control over." Velkan added.

Aphra looked at him and for the first time, she saw the vulnerable side of Velkan, not the tough and domineering man he's always been.

"I have to admit... I did not foresee this happening, I never knew you felt this way... I won't lie, I detested you at first, when you forced yourself on me... I cried myself to sleep most nights and you kept coming back, I had to accept my fate." She cried while lamenting.

Looking at her pine about the pain he caused her moved him, he held her hand and said

"Permit me to express my regrets, you did not deserve what I did to you...Please forgive me Aphra, I was younger and I did not know any better... There's no excuse for what I did to you."

"No, please do not apologize to me... I'm just a serving girl, you're a prince! I must serve you... In any way you want me to Velkan, I do not belong in your world" she responded.

"Look at me Aphra," Velkan said

Aphra looked at him... she drowned in his eyes, those fire breathing eyes.

"Tonight, I give you my word as the crown prince, I shall never make you do anything against your will... Ever again, I promise you.... Though I want to hold you right now and make love to you, I won't do that... Unless you want me to... You are not just a serving girl to me, not anymore, though I know we can't be together... I had to confess my feelings to you " he said.

Velkan's words moved Aphra to tears, he leaned towards her for a kiss, centimeters away from her lips he held back, he remembered his promise to her. She pulled him in for their lips to meet.

Velkan took this as permission to proceed, for the first time they shared a passionate kiss. Every single detail of that night was exceptional, the passion of their writhing bodies, the sweet moans of ecstasy, the gentle strokes, symphony of pain and pleasure, every single thing about that night was beautiful.

In Aphra's heart, that was her first time, the other times didn't measure to what each experienced.

Woke up in his arms, watching him sleep was the most precious thing she has ever seen.

Velkan opened his eyes like he knew she was staring at him, he smiled and kissed her on the forehead, "Good morning.." he greeted.

Aphra was brought back to her senses, "Oh my!! It's almost sunrise, I must leave now" she exclaimed.

"Please stay a while longer" Velkan pleaded.

She got up and wore her clothes, "You know I want to but I can't, I have to go before anyone sees me on the palace grounds this early, they might suspect" she said hastily wearing her garments.

On her way out of his chambers, he held her back momentarily for a goodbye kiss.

Aphra scooted her way back to her quarters before anyone woke up, she successfully reached her quarters, hurried in and locked the door behind her.

Although, she thought no one saw her, she couldn't be more wrong.