***

When the lowly girl became queen, the greatest luxury she enjoyed was leisure. Delicious food and soft bedding had been hers during her time as a fake princess, but leisure was new. When the king was alive, every day was filled with the anxiety of wondering when he might summon her for a beating, or the constant fear that her lowly origins might be discovered.

For Malyn, the leisurely pace of each day was nothing short of astonishing. She’d wake at dawn out of habit, only to find there was no reason to get up and close her eyes again. Sleep hadn’t come easily at first, but now she could fall back as if she’d never woken. She ate the food others had brought her and wandered the castle’s courtyards.

She had thought that, like food and bed, she would eventually get used to this idleness. But that hadn’t been the case.

“I guess I still can’t let go of my old habits from my days as a kitchen maid.”

“The thatched roof of the stable bothered you, did it?”

With a soft laugh, a warm hand brushed gently across her forehead.

It was Layla – once Malyn’s master, then her servant, now the King of Veldam and her husband. He was also the father of her child, though he looked far too young and beautiful for such a role. But more important than his beauty was the fact that he shared a secret with Malyn. Sometimes the thought of it horrified her, sometimes it thrilled her.

Today, it was more horrifying.

“Whenever I see such shoddy work, I feel like rounding up every stable hand and drilling them. If they put their backs into it and tied it tightly – even the strength of the little finger matters – that thatch would last a year without needing repair”.

“It doesn’t seem that Veldam’s finances are so bad that the Queen has to worry about stable thatching. Now give me a kiss.

Layla’s lips brushed against her cheek, lingering for a moment before pulling away. Instead of rewarding him, Malyn shot him a sideways glance.

“I know that much. It’s just that I’m a lowborn girl, so these little things get to me.”

“If you don’t want to, I’ll do it instead. Is that why you were down in the kitchen, sweating over the iron pot?”

His tone was playful as he pressed his lips to hers again, quickly and teasingly. Malyn narrowed her eyes at him.

“You wouldn’t understand.”

A chuckle escaped him. It was a joke they could both share, knowing full well that Layla was anything but noble.

“True. So whatever you’re saying isn’t really getting through to me right now.”

With that, he pulled away the pillow she was holding and sank into the space next to her. Even though he hadn’t gone without food for years, his arms were still strong and solid. What had started as a light, birdlike kiss suddenly deepened. His thick, warm tongue traced her mouth, sending a strange shiver down her spine.

For Malyn, too, this was something new and surprising. She had always found it unsettling to surrender to another, to leave her body vulnerable in the hands of another. She had never welcomed the warmth of hands touching her roughly, invading her space – but Layla was different. His touch made her forget, made her put aside everything she had been grumbling about just moments before.

Her back pressed against the pillows of the bed as Layla’s hand slid from her back to find her waist. His fingers moved quickly to undo the jewelled belt around her hips. As they kissed, Malyn loosened the straps across her br*asts. She wasn’t some prim queen, so there was no need to wait for him to undress her.

Sliding her hand under his already open shirt, she gently caressed his firm chest and the smooth skin underneath, eliciting a soft moan from him.

“Mmm…”

Though his desire was obvious, he was in no hurry. He playfully nipped at her upper lip, then trailed kisses along her cheek and jaw, moving down to her neck. The feel of his even teeth brushing her neck sent a shiver down her spine.

“Haa…”

Her breath quickened. With his hand supporting the back of her head, Layla kissed her collarbone again and again before burying his face against her upper br*ast. At the same time, his knee pressed hard between her thighs, nudging her in a way that was surprisingly intense even through the thick fabric of her dress and his leather trousers.

“Mm…”

She moaned softly. As her hips turned instinctively, Layla murmured, “No,” and held her gently tighter. His mouth moved to her br*ast and he bit gently.

“Aah!”

Her surprised, delighted scream made him laugh. Even the slight tremor of his laughter sent a tingle through her. They had been together for years now, but each time it was both startling and deeply arousing, driving her to the brink.

“Look, it’s already getting hard here.”

Layla teased, running his tongue over her n*pple. Malyn replied, feigning a pout.

“It’s always like that, even without licking.”

After giving birth and breastfeeding her child, Malyn’s br*asts had changed shape. Her n*pples, once subtle, now stood proud, almost as if to say, “I am the woman who bore this sweet, precious child. Her n*pples had grown rounder and fuller. Layla pressed his cheek to her br*ast and smiled.

“Yes, and that’s why I’m always in trouble.”

“Oh, always?”

“When I see your br*ast lifting its head so mischievously in broad daylight, I think I shouldn’t have listened to you after all.”

Instead of answering, Malyn just frowned. With a calm expression, Layla pressed his cheek more firmly against her br*ast and continued.

“I should have been a wandering rogue instead of a king. Then, day or night, I could have…”

Malyn didn’t need to hear the rest to understand his meaning. She laughed in disbelief and tried to push him away, but it was impossible to move someone as firm as he was. The man who wished he’d been a rogue instead of a king shifted his knee, pressing it gently against her p*ssy. A tingling sensation spread where he touched, and as he continued to kiss and suck on her br*ast, Malyn gasped, warmth pooling deep inside her. Her hips arched instinctively towards him.

“Mm!” she gasped as his hand moved down, pressing along the inner seam of her thighs. Malyn let out a soft moan and buried her face in his shoulder. Her dress had already been lifted, exposing her thighs, and his fingers slid over her damp underwear, tracing a line before sliding lower. His fingertips caressed her sensitive spot for a moment, deliberately avoiding it, adding to her frustration

“Touch me.”

She murmured, sliding his hand under her underwear. Layla raised an eyebrow, clearly amused, as she gave him a playful grin.

“Unlike some, I am actually a rogue by birth.”

She teased, a reminder of her humble origins. Being of low origin had its advantages; she wasn’t afraid to ask for what she wanted. It wasn’t her style to feign innocence and back away.

Layla let out a soft chuckle and leaned in to press his lips to hers, deepening the kiss.

“Mm…”

Their breaths mingled, hot and heavy. His fingers moved more openly now, pressing and teasing her most sensitive areas. It was both ticklish and exhilarating, making her hips twitch as he rubbed against them, then suddenly pressed deeper. A wave of pleasure washed over her, her thighs parting naturally from the heat building between them.

“Ah…”

She gasped as his mouth, which had been devouring her br*ast, began to work its way down. He kissed along her side, then around her navel, each touch sending small tingles through her body.

“Ugh…”