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He pointed at the door across the hall from mine.

"Your inner sanctum is so close to mine," I murmured.

"You are welcome in my space at any time," he said, his eyes intent with the meaning behind his words.

"Any time at all?" I asked.

"Yes," he said. He hesitated as if he wanted to say more, desire flashing across his face like a fire that was burning him. He turned away from the heat and vanished through his door.

I followed suit, stepping into my own room.

I stopped, stunned by the sight in front of me.

The walls curved upwards, creating a vaulted dome of space with huge windows that let in the sunlight filtering through the green leaves of the tree branches outside. In the center of the room stood a bed that was an immense platform hewn from a single heartwood slab, its headboard flaring up like outstretched wing bones. The mattress lay high, piled with what looked like down-stuffed silks, colors of sunrise golds and rosy reds, a sunset of color that matched the cushions on the perch that jutted out from under the highest window. I wandered across the room, my bare feet padding on a thick woven carpet that covered most of the floor, protecting my feet from the soft wood of the tree. I pushed open a door on the opposite side of the room and entered a bathing chamber, with several pools filled with water that ran from one to another in a staggered cascade. At the top of the stacked pools was one made out of gleaming copper, andthe water in it had the soft scent of steam rising from it. This room was thick with plants in woven pots that seemed to grow from the walls, their broad leaves dripping down with the slight shimmer of water as they caught the condensation in the room.

I turned and left the room.

The doorway on the other side of the room led into a huge closet with hangers on the large pole that wrapped around the room, and built into the wall dressers with drawers that slid out smoothly at the slightest touch. On one wall were several white and gold robes that matched the 'proper' garment for royalty. Thankfully, there were other garments of a variety of colors and styles, off-the-shoulder or one-shoulder dresses. I gasped as I found a drawer filled with trousers. I held one up to my hips. It might fit?

It had been forever and a day since I'd last worn pants, as I wasn't allowed to wear them at school.

I'd missed them.

It was the pants that did me in, the feeling of them as I slid them on to discover they were perfectly my size, fitting around my larger rear end without digging into the softness of my belly. I let out a trembling gasp as tears pricked in the corners of my eyes. I stood in front of the huge mirror in the back of the walk-in closet, sliding my palms over my legs as I turned this way and that to examine myself. I blinked them back, refusing to let them go as I carefully took off the trousers, folded them, and carried them back over to the drawer.

I clenched the fabric so tight in my fists, my heart pounding in my chest as the intensity of my emotion overwhelmed me. If this place was a trick, if there was a catch lying around the next corner waiting for me to discover things weren't as good as they seemed, I didn't know if I could handle it. I wanted so badly for this to be real.

I wanted so badly for him to be real.

I released my deathgrip on the trousers, setting them down in the drawer.

I smoothed them out gently, my palms running over the soft fabric.

I could wait.

I could wait to see what would happen, to see if he was a man of his word, to see if this was all real or just another horrible trick like I had discovered during Orientation, my first day of school. I could wait to see if my fragile hope would be shattered, never to be put back together again. Except, I had spent years like that - working and waiting for my chance to escape. I hadn't had fun. I hadn't gone to the school parties or done anything other than work and study.

I hadn't been living, I'd been waiting for my chance to live.

I bit my lip as I reached up and took a dress off the hanger that would have been borderline inappropriate for going clubbing in a big city. I slid it on, feeling the soft fabric molding to my body, showing off every curve. I looked at myself in the mirror, seeing the strong lines of my muscles, the soft bulge of my belly, and the rounded edge of my rear.

I was gorgeous, feminine, and strong.

He wanted me as I was.

I didn't want to wait to find out if this was all a lie.

I wanted to have my fun, take my pleasure, and if my heart was broken afterwards?

I could live with that.

Chapter

Eight

CRYSTALLO

Iglared at my crotch.