Well played

"You little whore –" King Markus' voice thundered out inside the room.

Elle trembled so violently beneath him. Her teeth almost chattered with how terrified she was. It was over… everything was already over… she was done for. If only… if only he had been able to...

Fear and utter hopelessness consumed her in the blink of an eye. She knew her father. Even after seeing this situation, if prince Sebastian tells them that nothing happened yet, he would immediately believe him even if she said otherwise. And if she lied to that monster that she's no longer a virgin, Brandon was going to bring her to an OBGYN immediately to reconfirm it. That was just the extent of their madness towards her, and she had already known that full well.

While Elle remained there, just cowering under Sebastian's large and warm body, Sebastian finally moved after staring at her face for a long while.

He looked over his shoulder and met with the king's gaze.

The King was gaping at them. Frozen.

"Prince… Sebastian…" Markus then narrowed his eyes. "What is the meaning of this?" he roared out in anger as he looked at what was displayed before him.

Sebastian attempted to climb off her when Elle's trembling hands grabbed onto his arm. She did not know what she was doing anymore. There was no use clinging to him now. There was no way that this prince was going to save her. Even if he does try, no one could save her anymore.

But to her shocked surprise, he bent over and whispered. "I can't believe the little brave princess who's not even afraid of playing fire just a while ago is now cowering like this. Was all that earlier just bravado?"

Tears pooled in her eyes at his words, and she bit down on her lower lip hard. What was she expecting from him? Her heart seemed to wither inside her and hope long with it but…

"Tell me… what do you want me to do?" he suddenly asked, causing her to quickly swallow the tears that were about to spill forth. She didn't expect him to ask that.

"T-tell… please don't tell him that nothing happened between us yet." She whispered back as faintly as she could. Her eyes literally begging him.

He regarded her with a stare before glancing over at the king again. "Fine." He agreed.

"T-thank –"

"Stop. Don't thank me yet because you're going to pay for this. I don't do charity, princess." He said and then climbed off her. As he was doing that, he pulled the blanket up to her neck, covering her nakedness from being exposed to others.

Elle was shocked to find out they were actually covered by a blanket all this while. When did he cover them? Was it the moment he pinned her on the bed?

Wide-eyed, she watched as he stood, completely naked and totally unashamed about it. He walked with grace, not minding one bit how the other men in the room stared at him, even at his manhood.

A red-haired man rushed over to him and handed him his robe which he casually put on so leisurely, like nothing was wrong with the whole situation at all.

"You disappoint me, King Markus." Was the first words Sebastian said. His voice was clipped and cold, like a supreme ruler criticizing a high official fearlessly.

It shocked Elle. No one talks to her father like that and live to get away with it.

"Pardon me, but that's my goddamned daughter who's supposed to get married tomorrow." The King was clearly angry, but he gritted his teeth and held back his roar. "Tell me prince, nothing happened yet, right? There should not have been enough time for the both of you to escalate to that point yet. My daughter is still a virgin, right?" he could not help but flare up and the volume of his voice rose a little.

Elle trembled once again as she scooted back against the headboard, pulling the blanket with her and wrapping it all around her, looking for all the world to be a cocoon. Her father had seen Sebastian naked, and she saw him staring at Sebastian's… ahem. Could it be that he could tell just by looking, that nothing had happened yet?

Sebastian suddenly laughed. An almost soundless and disbelieving laugh.

"Virgin…" he echoed mockingly. "Are you being serious here, King Markus? You still care about things like that at this age and time?"

"Her husband-to-be cares for it. Very much so!" the king hissed, glancing at Elle with a murderous gaze.

"Condolence to him then." Sebastian said, shrugging. His words indirectly telling King Markus that Elle was no longer one.

The king stumbled in shock and the men behind him rushed forward to support him.

"You… you're going to have to take responsibility for this, Prince Sebastian." King Markus pointed at him, trembling. "You're going to marry my daughter! I will never let you leave this castle without taking responsibility for the damage you've inflicted!!!"

And he stormed out of the door, his men rushing after the king.

When all of them were gone, silence finally returned to the room.

Elle was still bundled up in the blanket, gaping. Utterly shocked. She did not… she totally had not seen that coming at all! Never thought of that in the least. Oh lord…

When Sebastian turned to look at her, she could not help but flinch a little. Maybe because she already knew what was coming.

He swiftly approached her like a panther. But his gaze no longer were the eyes of a predator. But the eyes of cold and heartless man.

He bent over her, his palms pressing into the bed.

"So that was what you wanted…" he uttered, a wicked heart-trembling smile tugging at his lips. However, the coldness that were in his eyes did not allow her to relax though he was smiling.

Instead, she went paralyzed. Her entire being now was covered with ice when he suddenly laughed. Almost sardonically. "Well played, princess. I have to admit you are the best actress I've ever met. Far better than those dramatic movie superstars I'd f**ked before."

Elle shook her head. She struggled to find words to explain. "NO! Believe me I didn't plan this. I wasn't… I never expected my father to say that!"