The Royale Court

THE Beginning

Hazy wisps of smoke billowed about the club as the latest hit from The Cruxshadows blared. Jamie was buzzing with excitement beside me. I thought she was going to take off on me like a rocket. Which would be rude since she dragged me here.

Ever since La Chambre Rouge opened she had been pestering me to join her on a venture. She rambled on about how great it was, how mystical and alluring the decor was, how the music was fantastic. She always fixated on the owners of the club more than anything.

She had mentioned they were three brothers, elegant in the way they dressed, and their looks breathtaking to most. Jamie made sure to note that they always watched over the crowd in a secluded room that was above the dancefloor. She swore that only the best of the best got to meet them. They were shrouded in mystery I guess.

Clubs weren’t my scene I would rather be writing and sipping tea. I couldn’t say no to my best friend though not when she bribed me with freed food the next time we went out. So I did what I always did, I sucked it up.

“I have no idea how you find this amusing J,” I mumbled in distaste after dodging a drunken club goer, “Seems more of a hassle than anything.”

“Loosen up Rose just try to embrace the atmosphere!”

My lips turned down into a flat line; she had the carefree spirit of a bird. I only wished I could look at the world like she did but sadly I was more cautious and timid. Never able to be spontaneous, I had to know what I was getting myself into. Maybe that’s why we got along so well, we were a yin and yang type of deal.

Jamie took my hand as she led us through the gyrating bodies to an open space on the dancefloor.

“You don’t expect me toー” she cut me off immediately getting into the music.

“Oh yes I do,” she replied with a happy chuckle, “Just enjoy the moment!”

I huffed taking a wary look at my surroundings; no one was paying attention to us. No one seemed to care if they looked foolish flailing about, they were just having a good time. Maybe this was okay, I started to sway to the heavy bass in the song giggling when my best friend made a face at me.

She looked content with the success she had achieved in getting me to dance, and more so as I continued to shake my inhibitions away with each song.

I didn’t know how much time had passed when Jamie leaned in and grabbed me by the arm to shift my view into the direction she wanted, “That’s them Rose! Look!”

“Don’t point Jamie!” I shoved her hand down by her side but observed the objects of her infatuation. They were rather handsome no question about that, there was a certain eloquence in the way they carried themselves. They dressed very fashion forward and that was enough to peak my interest. I loved the last man’s hat and the ruffled shirt front he adorned. The man in the middle, his suit accentuated his figure and the scarf he wore gave him that small push of sex appeal.

My gaze landed on the man in the front and my breath hitched, he was beautiful. His skin was ethereal and from the distance his hair looked thick. That could be because of the product he used to spike his hair in every which way. He smiled at something one of the others said and I felt like my heart stopped. His grin was gorgeous.

Jamie placed a hand on my shoulder spooking me out of my own thoughts; my head whipping in her direction trying to regain my composure.

“Oh my God Remington is looking this way!” She announced nearly jumping up and down in excitement, I chanced a glance in their direction and sure enough his eyes were sifting through the crowd in our direction. I wondered who he was looking for but I shifted my blonde hair behind my ears not thinking too much of it.

“Rose I think he’s looking at you!” Jamie said happily, “He has to be.”

I resisted rolling my eyes at her silly notion, “Jamie, do you know how many people there are in here right now?”

“I’m serious,” she insisted like a child, “Turn around.”

Huffing I obliged knowing that if I didn’t her constant badgering would never cease. I never for a second thought that she would be right but the moment my gaze shifted my eyes collided with a set of warm but slightly calculating brown eyes. I couldn’t move I was stuck in my spot but I was growing uncomfortable under his unwavering stare. I hid behind my long hair as I felt my cheeks heat up in embarrassment. I must’ve looked like an idiot or something.

I peeked between my locks and finally let out the breath I didn’t know I was holding. They were gone. Thank God.

“He was definitely checking you out!” my best friend clapped her hands together, “Good for you Ro.”

“I’m pretty sure he was looking at the bombshell behind us,” I muttered referring to the raven haired beauty in the short skimpy dress and seven inch stilettos.

She shook her head rapidly, “His eyes never left you trust me it was you he was infatuated with.”

“It doesn’t mean anything.”

“Rose I’m not telling you to throw yourself at the guy I’m just saying you can take it as a compliment.”

Of course it was flattering if I was the one he was actually paying attention to. The eye contact we made couldn’t be mistaken but maybe he thought I was someone he knew.

It was probably nothing, “I’m going to get a drink from the bar do you want anything?”

She asked for a Cosmo and I was off fighting my way through the masses. When I made it to the bar I sat on the barstool and waited to be served by a man in a nice dress shirt and vest. I gave him my order and he began making it topped off with a show of his mixology skills.

Halfway through his performance a shrill phone began ringing on the bar top. He stopped shaking in order to answer it.

The bartender’s eyes shifted toward mine, “Yes sir.”

And then he hung up with no mention of the phone call until I tried to pay. He waved his hand in a dismissive gesture when I questioned him he said, “Compliments of Remington Leith.”

I suddenly had cottonmouth, “As in—?”

“My boss?” The man chuckled, “Yeah he also wanted me to escort you to Le salle de sang.”

My brows furrowed, “To where?”

The man smirked, “Follow me.”

“I have my friend with me and I can’t leave her but let him know I appreciate the drinks.”

There was no way I’d trust some weirdo stranger who bought my friend and I a drink. Way too crazy.

“I’ll keep an eye on her,” he told me coming around the bar, “but if my boss wants something he gets it…”

I gulped. That sounded like a threat.

“What does that mean?”

“It means it’s better to come willingly.”

“Hey man I’m not a fool. No woman in her right mind would willingly go with a strange man to a strange room away from humanity.”

It seemed the bartender and I had reached an impasse. It turned into a staring contest of wills. I refused to move from my stool.

“Miss please don’t make this any harder—”

The man grabbed hold of my arm yanking me from my perch, “Let go of me!”

As I struggled to pull my wrist out of the man’s grip a hand popped up on his shoulder, “Lester what are you doing to our guest?”

It was the man from before. Up close he was even more godlike.

“Master Remington I was just following your orders.”

The man named Remington smiled mischievously at his subordinate, “I would never ask you to manhandle a lady.”

Then his attention was on me; a hand with long, lithe fingers outstretched toward mine. I don’t know what it was but I allowed him to take my palm. He gently placed a kiss on it.

“Allow me to apologize on behalf of my staff ma chérie, my brothers and I will see to it that he’s properly disciplined.”

“It’s alright,” I swallowed the lump in my throat, “it’s all just a misunderstanding I think.”

He smiled that handsome smile at me, “That’s kind of you…?”

“Rose.”

“A fitting name ma petite fleur,” he placed his other hand over mine and gently caressed my fingers. “It would be an honor if you would join me in my lounge, but I understand your hesitation. I am a stranger but I would like you to know that I would never harm you.”

What an odd declaration for hardly knowing somebody, I thought to myself but I figured he was just trying to smooth the whole issue over so I wouldn’t sue the club or something. I wasn’t convinced that I was safe though just because he said so.

“M-my friend,” I said nervously when I found myself falling deeper into his gaze, “I can’t leave her alone.”

“She can come too,” he promised, his grip on my hand tightening just enough where I could feel the biting of his nails in my skin.

“We really should be going…” I tried once more to gain my freedom.

He pouted his lower lip so plump it was taunting me to run my finger over it, “Chérie please.”

Whatever made me give in to him I would never know because I wouldn’t ever allow a stranger to lead me up a flight of stairs to a secluded room that was decorated in gilded golds and reds. It looked like something out of a french castle. Very luxurious and decadent.

Was I drunk? I didn’t remember having a single sip of my rum and coke. Why was my mind so hazy? Why was this man the center of my attention and vice versa?

How could I allow him to pull me onto his lap and ravage my lips until they were puffy and red from the intense way he kissed? What was the driving force behind this dangerous sensation of lust?

“Ma coeur,” I remember him whimpering into my neck like a man starved, “Ma trésor.”

I cried out in pain when I felt something sharp in my neck but after that my entire memory was fuzzy.

The next thing I knew I was waking up in a bed of black satin sheets with no recollection of how I got there.