[Bonus chapter] Stranger To Best Friend

(From Ella's Perspective)

He was indeed being strange. That morning after breakfast, he came to kiss me as per the deal. I was in front of the mirror, fixing my hair.

His kisses were never gentle. His morning kisses were a bit tolerable, but every time he kissed me at night, I would feel a burning desire in myself. His kisses were hungrier at night. But this morning, his kiss was too gentle. It was as if a brush of lips and nothing more.

He pressed his lips onto mine and pulled back almost instantly. He did not even suck on my bottom lip or bite my lips to open them so he could push his tongue inside my mouth. He barely moved his lips against mine.

When he pulled back, I was left dumbstruck. I did not expect it at all. This time during the kiss, he did not even hold my neck. He barely touched me.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" he asked, looking at my shocked face.

I quickly fixed my face and gulped. "Nothing," I said, avoiding his gaze.

"Good. And remember, I'm going to meet you at Edrich's place at night tonight. I'm going to take our food there," he said.

"Really? Then bring some for Jed as well. He will like it."

"Why would I?"

"Come on. It would look bad if we eat and don't give him anything. Besides, he is my friend. I'll... well, give you one more kiss for that," I said, looking down at my feet. I could not make myself see his reaction. But I knew he was smirking.

"No," he said.

"What?"

"I want something else."

"Don't ask me to..."

"No, I don't want you to submit your body to me, Ella," he said without letting me finish. Wow, did this guy know me way too much that he knew what I was going to say?

"Then what do you want?"

"I want to kiss your throat," he said without hesitation.

I gulped and looked up at him. He was serious. His eyes seemed to pierce through my body. I did not look away. What was he doing to me? Why could I not stop myself from thinking about him?

"My throat?" I asked in a slightly shaky voice.

"You heard me," he said coldly.

"But there is nothing there. I mean, lips are cool. But throat? What's special about the throat? Why would you want to kiss my throat? It's just plain skin there. And besides, you'll get tired kissing my throat. It's too long," I said. "It's not even soft. My throat is bony, too bony."

"Do you agree, Ella?" he asked in his usual cold voice, ignoring my questions completely.

"You didn't answer me."

"It doesn't matter what I'll find in your throat. I just want to make a deal with you. Agree or refuse. It's your choice."

I thought for a while. I could manage myself when he was kissing my lips. It was surely not going to be hard if he kissed my throat. It was throat only. I did not think there was going to be much of a reaction if he kissed me there.

"Alright then," I said.

"You are sure, aren't you?"

"Yes, I'm sure. I'm always sure about what I say."

"Good then."

"When will you kiss my throat then?" I asked.

"Excited?" he asked, smirking.

"No, it's not like that. I mean... I was just wondering," I mumbled. "The sooner it's done, the better."

"I'll do it when I want to. But not now," he said.

I did not say anything else. I got ready and we made our way out of the forest. I took my notebook with me under my dress. It was a bit hard to walk with a notebook tied with my right thigh, but I managed.

I met Jed in the market. He told me last night that he was going to wait for me. He smiled widely at my sight.

"Leora, girl!" he hugged and greeted me.

"God, not you too. Almost everyone calls me girl here. It's weird," I said, hugging him back.

"Yeah, I know. I told that to tease you. Let's go then," he said. "Race?"

"Yup."

We ran our way to the castle. People again gave us dirty glares, but who cared? He would be the first to reach the castle gate, but he bumped into an old lady. He was a gentleman. He waited to apologize. I did not wait for him though. I laughed and ran past him, sticking my tongue at him.

"Huh! I'm first!" I exclaimed proudly.

"It all happened because of that old woman. She came on my way," Jed said.

"You two were running again?" the guard with a long beard asked.

"Yes. It's fun," I said, smiling. The guards never did and would do anything inappropriate to me. I was grateful for it.

"Don't go look for too much fun, girl. Things might not end well," the guard said.

After Jed and I went inside the castle, we started cleaning the rooms starting with the king's room as usual.

"You better clean this room. I'll go to the king's father's room. It'll be quicker this way. Besides, I've to show you something," I said.

"Alright. Just be careful," Jed said. "of that pervert."

"Don't worry about me."

As I got near the king's father's room, I knew that I should not have come alone. I heard the noise of skin slapping together and the loud moaning of a girl.

The room's door stood ajar. I tried to get away quickly, but too late. "Who is there?" the king's father's husky voice came. His voice was deep, but not in a good way. He sounded lustful.

"I'm here to clean the room, My Lord," I replied quickly. "It's alright. I can do it later. Sorry for the interruption."

"Take my dirty clothes. They are in the bathroom," he said.

I went inside, being careful about not looking at them or hearing any sound. It was way too much. I felt as if I was going to die out of the second-hand embarrassment.

"Ah... ah...," the girl was moaning. I got a glimpse of her silver hair. Her hair was bouncing up and down as she was riding him. Both of them were completely naked. I felt the urge to leave this room as soon as possible.

"Ah..."

The girl let out a long moan. Huh, as if she could fool everyone! It was clear that she was faking it. But the man was enjoying it. His groans said it all.

I quickly went to the bathroom and picked up the clothes that were on the floor. As I was about to get out of the room, the man suddenly said, "I have never seen you before, girl. Are you new here?"

"Yes," I replied. "I'm a servant."

"Good," he said. "Ride faster you lumpy slut!"

He slapped the girl's butt very hard. She cried out in pain. He started to slap the girl's breasts mercilessly. I quickly left the room, without making any sound.

I found Jed in another room, mopping the floor. "I shouldn't have gone there alone. It was... disgusting... horrible."

"What happened?"

"A girl was riding him," I said. Then I told him exactly what happened.

"Oh, that's really disgusting. I don't know why but I'm kind of thrilled that the girl was faking it. Surely, he has a little dick," Jed said laughing.

"Yup," I laughed as well. It was strange how easily Jed and I could talk to each other. It was as if we had known each other for a very long time. At least, in this unknown world, I found a friend.

"You met the king's father and I met the king."

"The king? When?"

"Just a while ago. The king did not look at me, but there was another man with the king. He pushed me."

"Why?"

"I don't know. Perhaps to show his strength."

"Did you give him a high five?" I asked.

"What?"

"In the face? With your shoe?"

Jed laughed. "Really, Leora! You are my best friend."

"I know, I know. Anyway, glad to be someone's best friend. But people seemed to, well, never like me much," I said.

"Why? You're a great person."

"I'm not a great person. I'm just crazy. You and I are the same types of people. That's why you think I'm great."

It was crazy that a stranger whom I met only two days ago wanted to be my friend, my best friend. Yet the people I knew wanted nothing more than to be strangers.