Doubt rose. “How could— ”
“You should be readying yourself, Lis,” he interrupted. “The Prince will return for you and you have little time.”
“I don’t care about that right now.”
A brief smile appeared. “You and I both know that’s not true.”
“All right, I do care about that, but we can get back to that mess in a minute.”
“Mess?” He chuckled. “I’m not sure why you’re even protesting so much. You appeared to thoroughly enjoy his attentions,” he pointed out. “I don’t think I’ve seen a person come as hard as you did.”
My cheeks caught fire as I muttered, “I doubt that’s true.”
“Come now, pet. Nothing I’ve done with my cock or my tongue has ever come close to what he did with his fingers,” he said. “Even I can admit I never brought that sort of ecstasy to your face.”
“I can’t believe I’m even having this conversation.” I reached for a bottle of wine left on the table and drank straight from it. “None of that matters, Claude. I’m not an object to be given or taken.”
“And you’re not owned. You stated that clearly enough at supper, but you?” He lifted a finger from his glass, pointing it at me. “You’re wrong. We all are owned by the King. We are his subjects, in flesh and spirit.”
“Okay, well, besides that.” I clutched the neck of the bottle. “He wants to use me so he can feed, Claude.”
“I sincerely doubt that is the sole reason, Lis. There are innumerable ways he could feed that don’t require him doing so from one person.”
“Then why me?”
He raised a brow. “Good question, is it not?”
It wasn’t. Not at all. “I don’t want to go with him and be— be under his mercy, his command.”
“I have a feeling that being under his command and at his mercy will only involve being under him,” Claude replied.
A sharp twist of desire pulsed through me despite my anger, and that made me really want to smack myself. “I want to throw this bottle at you.”
Claude laughed. “You should rest your throwing arm for when you’re with the Prince. I have this distinct impression that such an act will arouse him.”
“Oh my gods.” I fell against the back of the chair, shaking my head. “What if he thinks I’m a conjurer?”
“But you’re not.”
“That hasn’t stopped you from worrying about the Hyhborn accusing me of such in the past,” I reminded him.
“Yes, but he won’t think that,” he argued.
“And how do you know that?”
“Because I do,” he said. “He’s a prince. If anyone would know, it would be him.”
I wasn’t sure if that made a difference or not. Nibbling on my lower lip, I struggled to beat back the rising tide of frustration. “I don’t even know why he wants this.”
“I can think of a couple of reasons,” Claude remarked dryly.
I was sure he could. Staring at the arched ceiling and its gold veining, I shook my head again. Several moments passed. I looked over at Claude.
He was staring into his almost empty glass. “Do you really not want to go to him?”
I opened my mouth.
“Honestly?” he insisted. “I want an honest answer, Lis.”
Snapping my jaw shut, I gave my head another shake. I didn’t know how to answer that. There was nothing but confusing thoughts and feelings if I spared one thought for the Prince— for my Hyhborn prince. “If he simply asked me if I would like to keep him company while here, I could answer that question for you, but he didn’t ask, so I can’t.”
“And if he had, you would’ve said . . . yes?”
I kept my mouth shut.
Claude raised his brows. “He’s a prince, Lis. Their concept of asking is pretty much what you just witnessed.”
“So?”
“Most lords wouldn’t have even gone so far as to ask, let alone a prince. Hell, most Hyhborn wouldn’t have even thought twice. They would’ve simply compelled you, then taken you.”
Lowering my chin, I pinned him with a glare. “So?”
“You’re losing time, pet.” Grabbing the oval-shaped bottle of brandy, he rose. “Ready yourself.”
I didn’t move.
Claude sighed heavily as he crossed the chamber, stopping short of opening the door. “Grady will be fine while you’re with the Prince. I promise you that.”