Citadel of Desire

Chapter 6 – Irresistible Urges (1)

The musty, calming smell of old books lost and abandoned in the flow of time, the serene sound of raindrops pattering against the earth, the constant thump of their footsteps falling against the wooden floor; Rei could sense each thing vividly.The walk down the hallway was a long one. The pair walked past an almost ancient library, each of its walls lined with shelves full of books. Then, they entered another corridor, tens of portraits hung up on the wall with each one framed with exquisite pearls. As they wandered further into the place, the decor began to look older and older, with some of them dating back to almost half a century ago. Even the door frames and the dishes so carefully displayed inside the glass cupboards looked faded. It was as if Rei had ended up in a place buried in time.“Are you tired?” Clodan asked as he walked ahead of her.“Your pace has slowed down.”Rei was so absorbed in observing her surroundings that her pace naturally slowed down. She wanted to look at every single item carefully, taking in the beauty of every minute detail. Clodan turned around, waiting for her answer. Her eyes finally landed on his expectant face and she realized she still hadn’t answered his question. She gently shook her head.“I’m fine.”As the two of them stood in the middle of the corridor, the gentle sound of rain enveloping them.“Come in.”Their eyes met and it was almost as if the world around Rei stopped existing. She almost didn’t see him reach out towards the metal chain attached to the wall behind him. The tails of five metal snakes woven into a ring, the ornament served as a perfect disguise for a device that opened a secret passageway.

The wall rumbled as it split open and Clodan stepped inside first. He turned around, waiting for Rei to follow him. She stood still outside the entrance, shocked at the sudden appearance of a room. She hesitantly walked in and the door shut close behind her. Only the two stood inside the room, no other living organism even being able to breath close to it.The room was filled with various things. One wall was packed with books, while the other was lined with little bottles of coloured potions. Another side of the room was piled up with accessories that seemed to have been passed down over generations, with dry, wilted flowers woven amongst them. It didn’t look like a place where someone lived, rather it seemed more like a storeroom for someone’s collections.But from the looks of the blankets crumpled up in the corner of the room, Rei could tell that this was where Clodan stayed. She could even smell it in the air. His scent was lurking in every inch of the room. Rei secretly took a deep breath. The scent of a young boy playing in the fields mingled with the faint residual smoke of a cigar… The feeling that took over her as the scent washed over her, it was indescribable.“Do you like it?”Rei stared at Clodan, her pretty eyes opened wide with surprise. Clodan lifted his hands, gesturing towards the surroundings. “I mean this place.”“A-ah, yes! I like it here. It’s very pretty.”“Come closer.”Advertisement || Word Excerpt

Clodan gently tugged on Rei’s sleeve, pulling her close to his body. Rei’s breath hitched. This was their first time touching either other. An inexpressible, intense feeling swelled inside her body.“I simply collected whatever caught my attention.”He pulled out one of the books from the shelf in front of him and handed it over to Rei. It was pristine and clean, carefully preserved from the tides of time. The illustration etched on the cover told her what the book was about, a boring tale that’s been spread around for hundreds of years. It was the story about a cursed prince who was transformed by a true love’s kiss.“Have you read it?”Rei felt embarrassed. She couldn’t even read the title. The only reason she even knew it was a fairy tale was because of the drawing. She couldn’t bring herself to tell him that she was illiterate, so she feigned indifference and nodded mechanically.“Does Your Lordship like fairy tales?”“You look like you don’t.”“Y-yes?”“You didn’t even look at it properly.”Clodan stroked the spine of the book, a smile blooming across his face.“Do you think it’s childish?”Rei’s breath hitched inside her throat as she felt Clodan’s warm breath fan her across her nape. She didn’t even when he’d moved behind her!“L-lord Clodan.”His soft voice tickled her ears and suddenly, Rei felt an irresistible urge swell up inside her. She wanted to kiss him and gently pet his face. She…She wanted to caress the graceful figure of the man who kept provoking the forbidden desires buried deep inside her! But the only thing she could manage to do was pull at his sleeves.“Please read it out for me.”Clodan didn’t answer her, choosing to follow Rei’s instead. She walked towards the pile of blankets in the corner and made her a comfortable sport for herself. She sat down, tucking her small feet underneath her long skirt. As Clodan walked closer, Rei assumed he’d find a spot beside her. But suddenly, he moved behind her.She found herself in an awkward position. Clodan plopped down behind her and pulled Rei onto his lap, locking her in his embrace as he wrapped his arms around her. The close proximity left Rei feeling flustered. Her body trembled delicately. She couldn’t even bring herself to gulp.“Have you read it before?”Rei didn’t speak. She was too afraid of her voice cracking.“Why aren’t you answering?”“J-just… P-please read it quickly.”Clodan didn’t even bother opening the book. Rei’s neck tickled as his nose brushed against her nape. She began to shrink away from him. This only caused Clodan to grow bolder. Soft lips kissed her neck, sparking a warm, tingling feeling inside her.He lost all interest in the book. Rei tried to pull away, shifting her body around to get away from his touch. But Clodan pulled her closer, trapping her with his arms. He buried his face in her hair, lips still placed on the crook of her neck. A feeling of longing built up inside him as he panted wantonly, yet he restrained himself, or at least, tried to. With trembling hands, he picked up the book once more.“I’m going to read it to you. Stay still.”“L-lord Clodan, t-this position is…uncomfortable.”“Which one?”“The position we’re in…”Rei shifted uncomfortably in his lap, as if to prove her point.“This?”Suddenly, Clodan’s hands clamped down on Rei’s thighs as her bottom brushed up against his crotch.