The inside of Robin’s head fuzzed and buzzed as Robin struggled against his bonds.
Come on freakin’ darn you! Bend! BREAK! COME ON!
He paused to catch his breath.
Come on.
He closed his eyes and listened. To the sounds of his own breathing. For any sounds around him. For other prisoners, any guards, any drips of water, any footsteps, any coughs, any sneezes, any sign of life outside of his own. For any sign that he was not alone.
But, most of all, he listened for Isellta. For Isellta to open the door at the top of those stairs. For Isellta to come down the stairs, to come into Robin’s cell, to unmask him, to remove all of his shackles, to touch him. To say his name.
He listened for Isellta’s light, sweet voice. That voice he had taken for granted so many months ago.
How long has it been? How many days? How many freakin’ nights? How much longer will it be?
‘sellta? You there? You hearin’ me okay? You still alive and all? You gonna talk to me? ‘sellta, you gonna come to me? You ain’t gonna just leave me here, are you?
He opened his eyes and watched the stairs.
I’m here.
Just right here.
Robin grunted as his hunger spiked up.
Gotta get the heck outta here. ‘sellta, you and me are gettin’ outta here soon as I break this danged blasted super stupid rotten restraints. ‘course, this would be a whole freakin’ lot simpler if you’d just come down here and set me free. Ain’t sure why that’s such a big freakin’ deal for you this time around. Come on, ‘sellta! What you waitin’ for?
His hunger spiked even higher. Robin grunted and doubled his efforts to break free.
‘sellta.
‘sellta.
‘sellta. If you hear me, say my name. Let me know you hear me.
Let me hear you.
*****
Preyuna didn’t speak as she pulled up Isellta’s pajama bottoms.
But she remembered….
She pulled the pajama bottoms up Nayla’s legs. He was fully capable of doing it himself, but she enjoyed doing it for him.
Past fey queens would have considered such an activity to be subservient and demeaning to their queenhood. But Preyuna didn’t see it that way. For her, it was an act of intimacy, a small way to pamper him.
His feathers rustled as he flapped his wings.
Isellta’s wings lay flat against his back.
Preyuna pulled the waistband over his hips and stood.
Nayla gazed upon her with rapturous love. “My Queen.”
Preyuna pulled the waistband over Isellta’s hips, which earned her a wing flitter from him.
But Isellta didn’t even look at her. He kept his gaze fixed on the wall as if it were the Magna Carta and the Declaration of Independence and he had to memorize it all.
She smiled at Nayla and laid her hand on his bare chest.
His wings flapped faster. “My Queen, may I kiss you?”
She studied Isellta.
The color of his hair. The texture. The length. The way his bangs lay on his forehead.
The shape of his face. His coloring. The placement and shape of his features. The color of his eyes.
The length of his neck.
The length of his shoulder line. The shape of his shoulders.
The width of his chest. The number and arrangement of his chest feathers. Their iridescence.
In all of these ways and so much more, Isellta is nothing like Nayla. And yet he is lovely in his own way, just like how a moonstone differs from a pearl.
Preyuna laid her hand on Isellta’s bare chest.
And he deserves a better setting than dross like Robin.
Isellta gave her a mournful look.
“You deserve better, Isellta.” she said. “So much better.”
He put his hand on top of her hand. “So do you.”
Nayla kissed her. The feel of his lips on hers…the warmth of his breath…the way he touched her and held her…There was nothing better. She was sure there could never be anything better.
She held her head higher, even though her heart was hurting. “I know.”
ambroseandelsie 