Caught in the Middle Ch. 05

"It was great, just what I needed." Maya answered, pleased with herself for following Cedric's example and acting like nothing happened. "Were you guys talking about anything interesting?" she was genuinely curious and figured that she could learn a little bit more about their relationship.

"Not particularly," Richard stated simply, "Even though we share the same home, our daily responsibilities make it surprisingly difficult to find more than a few moments to speak with each other."

"How long have you guys known each other?"

Cedric took this one, "Practically since birth. Richard is only a few months older than I am. My father was the palace physician before I was, so we grew up together. Maya was somewhat taken aback. "So then, you're pretty much brothers?" They each nodded.

Maya felt a little envious at how close they were. At the same time, for reasons she couldn't quite put her finger on, she felt happy watching them together.

"The sun will begin to set in a few hours," Richard said, undoing the reigns of his horse. "It's probably best to start heading back now."

Cedric agreed, freeing his own horse and hopping on. Once Maya did the same, the three of them left the beach behind, going back the way they came. Despite still feeling a little embarrassed at having been caught naked, Maya reflected back on the events of the day, glad that she was able to spend time with both Cedric and Richard in a more casual environment. She only hoped that there would be similar opportunities in the future. She hoped especially that she and Richard would be able to move forward, as opposed to acting so stiff around her. It wasn't as though she felt completely at ease around him, but a little progress is still progress, so she wasn't going to complain.

Less than halfway through their journey back, the atmosphere changed and the clear blue sky that had stayed with them the whole day suddenly became enveloped by dark, thunderous clouds.

"We might want to consider making a stop at the nearest village," Richard called out to Cedric. He led the horses onto a different trail, one that would lead them to a place where they could stay until the clouds cleared. As they rode, Maya subconsciously gripped the reins tighter, becoming a little uneasy given the ominous atmosphere. It was a short while later, when light, misty raindrops were just beginning to fall, that they were able to make out the outlines of inns and cottages.

Right before entering the village, they stopped to make sure their identities were hidden. Richard placed a cloak around his body and put the hood over his head, while Maya wore the hat Mille had given her to hide her hair. Cedric was the only one who was able to go around as he normally did.

As the rain began to fall harder, their main priority was to find a place to wait out the storm. Being a rather small village, this wasn't a difficult task. While the two men looked for an inn, Maya was looking around at the small shops, homes, and other places of business. Despite the weather, she could tell that whatever middle-of-nowhere village they had come to was flourishing. This is so much nicer than what I saw in Jursia, she thought, happy that the people of Alsthior could have a higher standard of living.

Before long, the horses stopped in front of a large inn, one that looked completely different than any other building they had passed. Richard sent Cedric to go inside alone to check if there were any rooms available, while he and Maya waited under an awning. Once Cedric appeared in the doorway, waving for them to join him, Richard and Maya took the horses to the stable at the back of the building and ran inside to dry off and warm up.

"This is one of the more expensive inns, so there aren't as many travelers," Cedric informed them. "The innkeeper doesn't think that the weather will clear up anytime soon, so he recommends that we stay the night. I went ahead and got three rooms." He held out a key for each of them. "I already paid the innkeeper for one night. There should be a set of night clothes and a hot meal waiting for us in our rooms. Aside from that, each of us should have complete privacy."

"Isn't this all a little much, though?" Maya protested, "I mean, three rooms at the most expensive place in town? Two rooms at a cheaper place would've been fine."

Both men responded by giving her quizzical looks. "It isn't as though we can't afford it. We're not exactly common folk. Besides, this way, it'll be easier for each of us to get cleaned up and changed," said Cedric. Richard nodded in agreement.

Maya could feel her face heating up, partly because two stubborn men was more frustrating to handle than one, and because the way they explained things made it sound as though she was lacking common sense. "But one room with two beds wouldn't have been an issue, right?"

She was met with the same confused faces as before. "Give me that," she snatched a key from Cedric and stormed off, not wanting to give either of them another chance to question her logic.

"I don't understand why we couldn't have gotten a cheaper place, and why the hell does a prince need his own room. It's just for one night anyway, why do they have to go around wasting money like this..." Maya continued muttering under breath as she stomped away from them. They both watched as she disappeared up the stairs, and less than ten seconds later, they jumped simultaneously when they heard her slam the door shut. Holding back their laughter, the two friends proceeded to their own rooms, which were in the same hall as Maya's.

As soon as he shut his door, Cedric started a fire and removed his clothes, hoping that they would be dry by the time they left the next morning. He grabbed a towel and sat in front of the fireplace.

Staring at the bright, flickering flames, Cedric allowed his mind to wander back to the image of Maya standing in the sea naked. Despite adamantly telling her that he had seen nothing, it was practically impossible for him to look away the moment he'd laid eyes on her. He reflected on his earlier thoughts regarding the degree of her naivety. It was worse than he had previously believed. The girl was dangerous. It seemed to him that she possessed a charm that she herself was unaware of. At least, she had to be if she was still a virgin. Otherwise, she could've had any man she wanted eating out of the palm of her hand.

He wanted to believe that this sudden, powerful attraction was due to her being the Source, but her powers had yet to be awakened. Therefore, he had no choice but to admit that what he felt for her was nothing but pure, unadulterated lust.

Dammit! He slammed his fist on the chair's arm. I can't keep thinking of her this way. He took a deep breath and attempted to clear his mind. However, it was no use. He felt his body warm up as he remembered the sight of her wet, bronzed skin glistening in the sunlight, the feminine curves of her petite body, and the way her raven hair was illuminated by bright rays reflecting off tiny beads of water. I've already seen her naked before. But now...he tilted his head back, his hand subconsciously seeking the growing hardness between his legs.

He wanted her. He wanted to taste her, to be inside of her. He wanted to make her scream, and mark her, so that any other man who dared to look at her would know that she belonged to him. Stroking himself, Cedric began to imagine what it would feel like to have Maya squeezing around him. He imagined her lying helpless beneath him, writhing with pleasure. His grip tightened, and his hand moved faster, covering the length of his erect shaft.

He came quickly, with spurt after spurt of his cum erupting from his cock, before settling back into the chair and using the towel to clean himself off. To his immense displeasure, his body was still unsatisfied, and he was left with a tight, pained feeling in his chest. Without thinking rationally, he threw on a nightshirt, and quietly snuck through the hallway, headed towards Maya's room.