“Aren’t you hungry?”
“Yes.”
How could she not be? The last time she ate was more than two days ago! She might have been starving but she was used to the painful sensation of hunger. Upon seeing those delicious looking plates, however, she couldn’t repress the hungry growl emitted by her stomach.
“Let’s eat then.”
He walked over and sat in a large armchair while Cassandra followed and, like she would have done with her previous masters, knelt on the floor next to him, but Kairen frowned.
“What are you doing?”
He grabbed her arm and pulled her up onto his lap without warning. Cassandra was suddenly straddling his leg, facing him, dangerously close. The swift action brought her attention to his bare chest, causing her to blush!
“Master, I can’t!”
But he ignored her and took a slice of meat from the table. His other hand was still firmly holding Cassandra in place, and she had to put her hand on his shoulder to keep herself steady. What kind of embarrassing position was this? She hoped he would let her go, but Kairen just kept eating, ignoring her pleading eyes.
“Eat. We have a long journey ahead.”
“A long journey?” she asked, a bit lost.
“Going home. The Festival is over.”
She suddenly realized it was the eighth day! The Festival had ended this morning and the Princes were now free to go back to their respective lands. So he was bringing her back to his castle then? She wondered what kind of place it was.
Kairen brought a grape to her lips and Cassandra had no choice but to take it. She was a bit embarrassed, but was distracted by the amazingly sweet taste! She remembered eating dried or rotted grapes, but never fresh ones. She took her time eating the little fruit while he watched her with a slight grin. She blushed again; it was her first time receiving something close to a smile from him.
She finally reached out her hand to take another grape and started eating with delight. This was so great, to be able to eat without worry. Before, she had to eat quickly and hidden from her masters, so that she wouldn’t be beaten for slacking off. And slaves could only eat what servants wouldn’t even want, leftovers and rotten food. Once in a while, she would be lucky enough to get some rice or dried fruits, but never fresh fruit, cheese or meat. This was all a first for her!
Kairen was silently watching her eat, one arm on the armchair and his other around her waist. He took some meat from time to time, but he was mostly busy observing each of his new concubine’s movements. Cassandra continued eating small bites like a little bird. It was obvious she was avoiding his gaze, blushing and looking down.
As she placed a little cube of cheese in her mouth, Kairen suddenly took her chin between his fingers and pulled her in for a kiss. Playing with her tongue, he stole the little cube, eating it before her stunned eyes.
“M...Master!”
How could he do that?! Cassandra was so surprised by his childish game she hadn’t even been able to react. Kairen tilted his head towards the food.
“Give me some meat.”
Grabbing a greasy piece of beef, she handed it to him, wondering why he was suddenly acting lazy. But Kairen just looked at her, ignoring the food. She didn’t really understand his strange behavior until…! That’s when she understood - he wanted her to do it again. It was so embarrassing!
“Cassandra.”
His forceful tone made her even more uneasy. She knew she couldn’t refuse him, and it was just feeding him, right? She took the meat between her lips and approached him. This time, Kairen leaned in, grabbing it from her mouth while kissing her. The meat’s juice dripped from their lips while their tongues entangled. Soon enough, the Prince had eaten the little piece but kept their deep kiss going. Not letting go of her, Kairen kept her close, preventing Cassandra from backing away.
Their kiss was so intense she could barely keep up with his lips. The taste of the meat lingered there, something sweet and sour. When he finally relaxed his embrace, Cassandra leaned back to catch her breath, a bit light-headed.
Without anything more, Kairen grabbed a new bite himself this time, eating the meat as if nothing had happened.
Cassandra was completely lost by his sudden change of demeanor. Still, she grabbed more food, hoping he would let her eat in peace this time. Kairen had apparently decided to oblige her unspoken wish as they ate in silence, Cassandra enjoying a bit of each food that was there. Her master was still holding her by the waist, only occasionally caressing her with his thumb, and only asked for food to be delivered by kissing a couple more times. Cassandra complied, but was just as embarrassed as the first time and was relieved when he finally stopped eating before her.
Even with his close presence and the embarrassing position, she found it impossible to ignore the delicious food and ate her fill for the first time in a very long while. Once she was pleasantly full and feeling much better than before, she awkwardly kept her stare on the plate of remaining food, not sure of what to do next.
Kairen leaned in to kiss her neck without warning, pulling her to face him completely.
“Are you done?” he asked.
“Yes…” she whispered.
