I circled him slowly, tracing my fingertips along his back, ribs, and stomach. His hair stood and I saw other clear signs of arousal, but I knew I could do better. I wanted him to beg - for what, I didn't yet know. He would tell me, and I would use it against him.

"Scarlet," he whispered, voice heavy with need.

I kissed his cheek.

My purpose was to serve the Ivory Kingdom. Be their sacrificial princess; enter the Other world; seduce our enemy, Rowan the Crimson King. I did all of these things. Now he would take me to the Crimson Gates and unwittingly break the banishment curse on my kingdom. My kingdom would invade his overnight. But he wasn't the monster I was told he would be. He was precious, playful, and all things good. I didn't want to betray him, but I didn't know what else to do.

18+ for sexual content
TW: mild violence; substance-induced psychosis; recovery from cult/mental abuse.

Of What is Red is created by Diana Regolizio, an eGlobal Creative Publishing signed author.

Of What is Red

I joined Tulip in her room for tea. The bedding and much of the furniture was still pink since she had insisted upon it at five years old. She was thirteen now, but we still sat in the too-small chairs at the too-small children’s table.


The china was real. The tea was real. A stuffed unicorn joined us in the seat to my left. A wooden red rose and a diamond white rose sat in a short vase between us. 


“I’ll be a princess by extension, right?” Tulip asked me.


“That’s right,” I said. This was what I had told her when she learned I would marry the Ivory Prince. It wasn’t entirely true, but it didn’t matter. 


“It’s pretty wild,” she said, sounding closer to her 13-year-old self. “Other girls play pretend, but it’s real for us. It isn’t even that great.”


I didn’t want to think about Ivory Kingdom politics. I just wanted my sister.


As I would with any vivid dream, I forcibly altered the moment so that we talked about something else.


Chapter 21: He Thinks I Mean Well