Heart

Chapter 5

In the city of Lágrima:

The ceiling was a dark patchwork of hard stone in which the shapes of stars had been carved, showing the true night sky. The steam from the pool lingered on Sofía's dress, the icy blue silk clinging to her figure. The scent of lavender clashed with the smell of red wine. Chosen lords and ladies padded through the chamber, their bare feet committing unknowing sacrilege. Sofía loved the sheer luxury of the place. It was a special room, reserved only for her family, descended from kings. But on certain evenings, Sofía invited those who caught her fancy and her friends to this place and sinned.

The young man with blue eyes gave her a hazy smile, his toes dipped in the warm water. A glass of wine hung limp in his hands, on the verge of shattering.

"Why don't you go in deeper?" Sofía asked, smiling playfully at him. The strap of her dress fell down her shoulder as she moved sensuously towards him. Hedonism. In a form her mother could only dream of. If the King or Queen knew she let people in here they would throw a fit. But Sofía delighted in breaking the rules. It made her feel alive, as if her very bones craved the thrill of danger.

"Only if you join me." Lost in drunkenness, the young man had lost his shyness. He stepped down into the water and Sofía grinned as she followed, her dress now soaked. It showed every sinuous inch of her, but no one even glanced at her. They were too used to her behaviour by now. Her friend Petronilla only winked at Sofía, her own hand resting on the chest of another man.

"I like the dress much better now," the young man slurred. He grabbed her by the arm and kissed her, his mouth tasting of overbearing sweetness. Sofía tried to fall into the sensation of her dress hugging her body, his mouth on hers, but he was so drunk he half dragged her in deeper. She broke off the kiss abruptly, disgusted. He stared at her and lunged for her again but she walked out the pool, the sensation ruined.

"What the hell do you want?" he muttered and she ignored him. What a waste. Nothing but a boy. He didn't have any respect for her and besides, he was a drunken fool. Her dress was far too sheer and now everyone could see what they wanted. Some nights she wore even less.

Other men's eyes lingered on her figure, top to bottom. Why not?

"Care for a drink?" a man with brown curly hair asked. She considered him and nodded, gulping down wine. Maybe she was no better than that boy with blue eyes.

"Do you want to have some fun?" he asked, his eyes expectant. They always wanted fun. Never her. She'd learned that the hard way and now that was the point of her life. This underground secret was the only thing she enjoyed. She'd sucked the life out of everything else.

They were kissing after four glasses of wine and his fingers peeled the skirt from her thighs. Soft fingers circled between her legs, making her cry out. The pleasure was the only thing that mattered...the friction rubbing back and forth. It was becoming a crescendo and she could hear other noises echoing hers and this was what living was-

"For fuck's sake, Sofía. Is this how a princess behaves?" The voice dulled her pleasure, destroying that dizzying high. She flinched and drew back from the man. He reached for her but she shook her head and he walked away as Mateo surveyed her with disgust.

She licked her lips, trying to act as if she wasn't completely drunk.

"I don't see how that's any of your business." 

His eyes were cold as they always were. Beautiful, a broken piece of her whispered. His dark hair framed his lovely face and there were those words written all over it: whore, failure, wrong.

"You need to get a grip, your highness," he hissed, taking her hand roughly and pulling her away from the swarm of people. "Sebastian won't be happy about this."