The Goblin King's Lovers Read online

  When Eva was thirteen, she passed through the veil and became trapped in the goblin realm. She wanted nothing more than to go home, but fate had other plans for her…

  Lorne has loved Eva ever since the first moment he saw her, but admitting his feelings to anyone else has never been an option. As the prince’s companion, and the future lover of both Davin and his chosen queen, Lorne can’t choose whom to love. His heart belongs to Davin, and only his prince can tell him who else may share in that love.

  But Lorne will soon find that his prince knows him better than he knows himself, and their only challenge will be winning the heart, and the hand, of the girl who has only seen them as friends for so many years…

  The Goblin King’s Lovers

  by

  Marie Medina

  M/M, MMF, MENAGE SEX,

  AND ANAL SEX

  Twisted E-Publishing, LLC.

  www.twistedepublishing.com

  A TWISTED E-PUBLISHING BOOK

  The Goblin King’s Lovers

  Copyright © 2014 by Marie Medina

  Edited by Howard Moore

  First E-book Publication: August 2014, SMASHWORDS EDITION

  Cover design by K Designs

  All cover art and logo copyright © 2014, Twisted Erotica Publishing.

  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED: This literary work may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, including electronic or photographic reproduction, in whole or in part, without express written permission.

  All characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead is strictly coincidental.

  DEDICATION

  To J

  Author’s Notes

  Elar – also known as the golden goblin realm and the land of the white sun. A world separated from ours by a mystical veil. Humans can enter Elar, but there is no way for anyone to leave. This world is inhabited by goblins, the Elari, and humans who have passed through the veil. It is a peaceful society, but there is occasional unrest.

  Yabito – the companion of male royals in Elar. A yabito is his prince’s bodyguard, counselor, friend and eventually, his lover. A prince and his yabito share a bride not only to increase her fulfillment and protection but also to ensure a child is born of the union. All children are recognized as being of royal blood, no matter who the father is. All the people involved in these relationships have equal marital rights and recognition, and they are considered happy and blessed marriages. And yet, the nature of these unions is not often discussed. Thus, our heroine will not learn just how close this relationship brings two men until they ask her to be their bride…

  The Goblin King’s Lovers

  Chapter One

  Eva followed Nika into the palace’s large kitchen and moved to her spot by the sink to wait for Nika to pass her the dishes to dry and put away. She smoothed the skirt of her simple blue dress and tried to smile as two goblin women passed by and nodded at her and Nika. Her fingers fumbled a bit as she tied an apron over her dress. Even after three months, Eva still felt nervous around goblins. None of them had done anything to her, but she still couldn’t get used to them. She had to admit they were far prettier than the goblins in books and movies back in her world, yet her unease remained. Most of them stood only a little shorter than the average human, and each of them had either green or blue skin. However, this skin was smooth and flawless, not lumpy and coarse, as she had expected. They hard large round eyes and slightly sharper teeth as well. The Elari, who ruled this world, at least looked entirely human.

  Eva had tried to make friends with some of the other humans who had become trapped in Elar, just as she had, but most of them ignored her because she was so young, having just turned thirteen a few days before getting lost in a thunderstorm and waking up in this strange land. Some of them had been helping her learn the Elari language, which was very beautiful to Eva’s ears, but beyond that they spent no time with her. Nika, who had taken Eva in, was one-fourth goblin, but the only sign of this was a slightly green tint to her skin. Eva felt at ease around Nika, as she did not have sharp teeth or round eyes. Eva kept telling herself to stop being prejudice—she wasn’t sure if “racist” was a concept in Elar or not—but her fears still lingered. Even though she had not been happy in her foster home, at least it had been in the world she’d been born in.

  Nika had been gently trying to allay Eva’s fears for months now. Eva had at first had a very hard time believing that there was literally no way back to the human world. If there was a way to enter Elar, there had to be a way to exit it. Yet she couldn’t imagine why they would lie, since there seemed to be no reason to keep the humans captive. Eva worked with Nika because she wanted to help, not because anyone forced her to. The world of the Elari possessed abundant resources, so everyone worked to keep life running smoothly, not to earn money. There actually wasn’t any money at all—everything was accomplished by trading goods and services.

  Eva wanted to be happy, but she felt alone because the other humans were all adults who were much older. She had not made any friends among the Elari children because she still felt awkward using their language and had not yet agreed to go to school with them. Nika kept asking her every few weeks if she wanted to go, but Eva continued to say she wasn’t ready.

  Eva gasped when someone tapped her on the shoulder. She dropped the crystal goblet she’d been drying and felt as if she might be sick as it shattered. She immediately knelt to clean it up, but the person who had tapped her shoulder grabbed her and yanked her back.

  “Do you want to be sliced to pieces? Those shards are far sharper than you know.”

  Eva shrank back from the harsh tone of the young man holding her. “I’m sorry,” she said to Lorne, the prince’s yabito. She still didn’t know exactly what a “yabito” was, but he was the prince’s constant companion and seemed to be more of a friend than a servant, though he obviously did serve the prince and take orders from him. Lorne was a couple of years older than she was, and he constantly corrected her every time they were in the same room together. He watched her like a hawk, as if he wanted to see all the mistakes she made. He’d been checking up on her constantly ever since she’d arrived in Elar. Nika insisted he was trying to help her, but Eva couldn’t see it. He seemed to hate her, as if he thought she was stupid.

  Lorne sighed. “Stay right here and don’t let anyone walk in this area.” He glanced down to her feet, which were clad in sandals. “And don’t move. Some of the crystal might have landed on your skin.”

  She nodded slowly, and he stared at her for a moment before walking across the room and opening a cupboard. He and the prince did not seem to fit together at all. The prince, Davin, had long blond hair and ethereal blue eyes. His disposition calmed Eva, as he was soft spoken and kind. Lorne had wild black hair and eyes such a dark gray they reminded her of river stones. Those eyes often held a hardness that made Eva cringe. He seemed so serious and moody no matter what was going on around him. Even when the prince told jokes that made everyone laugh, Lorne would only smile, looking at no one but the prince. Lorne acted as if everything and everyone exasperated him every single moment. Watching him, she saw that dirt stained his dark, formfitting breeches and his dark brown doublet. He could have made her clean up the mess, yet he’d done it himself. She felt bad for thinking ill of him as he carefully cleaned the crystal with a brush and dustpan, but that feeling faded when he scowled up at her.

  “Why are you so jumpy? You’ve been here for months and should know no one means you any harm.” He pointed a finger up at her. “Don’t move, even if this tickles.”

  “I’m sorry,” she said again. She was glad she had learned that phrase, as she felt she had said it to Lorne a
dozen times. Something soft brushed her feet, and she angled to look down.

  Lorne had a feather in his hand, and he was swiping it over her feet. He shook it over the dustpan several times, and then he rose, still scowling. “You had five shards on your feet. They could’ve cut you.”

  “Thank you.” Eva lowered her head. “I didn’t mean to break the glass.”

  “I know that.” He put a finger under her chin and lifted it. “And stop acting so afraid all the time,” he added, his voice a tiny bit softer but still stern.

  “Leave her alone, Lorne,” Nika said. She had continued to wash dishes the whole time. “Was there something you wanted?”

  “Yes.” Lorne emptied the dustpan and quickly put it and the brush back in the cupboard. The feather, Eva noted, he put back into an inner pocket in his doublet before brushing the dirt from his sleeve and breeches. “His Majesty wanted to know how Eva was adjusting. He’s heard she’s still ill at ease.”

  Nika stopped what she was doing and leaned against the sink, her arms crossed and a smirk on her face. “I wonder who told him that.”

  Lorne’s jaw tightened. “I did. Why would I be ashamed to admit it? I can’t see any logical reason to tease me about it.” He nodded to Eva. “She’s the first human to be trapped here in a long time, and one of the youngest ever. His Majesty cares, and I keep him informed.”

  Nika laughed, which confused Eva and seemed to anger Lorne. “Oh, never mind.” She uncrossed her arms and turned back to her work. “Does he wish to see her?”

  “He would like to, if you can spare her.”

  “Fine with me.”

  Eva swallowed, not wanting to be alone with Lorne any more than she wanted to try talking to the king. “Are you sure, Nika?”

  “Yes, child.”

  Eva took her apron off and wiped her hands on a clean towel before turning to Lorne. She tried to remain composed, but he obviously saw how nervous she was.

  Lorne held out his arm to escort her. “Come along, Eva. I’m not going to drag you into a dark corner and eat you.”

  Nika snorted as Eva took Lorne’s arm, and Eva wondered what was so funny. Nika seemed to like Lorne a lot, which baffled Eva. They walked in silence for a while. Lorne’s skin felt hot against hers where their arms touched and her fingers rested on his wrist.

  “Your pronunciation is improving,” Lorne said.

  “Thank you. I’m working hard.”

  “You should start going to school with the other children. I could tutor you. I help Davin with his studies, and you’re about his age.”

  Eva gazed up at him a moment. “I thought he was older.”

  Lorne shook his head. “No. He’s just tall for his age. He’s barely thirteen summers, like you.”

  “How old are you?” she asked. This conversation was the first they’d ever had that wasn’t entirely unpleasant, plus talking helped her to feel less embarrassed about his nearness.

  “Fifteen winters.”

  Eva thought she might have heard wrong. “Uh … is that different?”

  Lorne gave her an odd look, but then his expression cleared. “Oh, I see what you mean. Elari favor the summer, while goblins favor the winter, so we express our ages differently.”

  Eva stiffened. It embarrassed her, but she couldn’t help it. “You’re a goblin?”

  He shifted and straightened his spine. Had she offended him? Would be hate her even more now?

  Glancing at her for a few seconds, he said, “Half-goblin, half-Elari. I take after my father so much in my looks that most think I’m full Elari. In dim light, you can see the blue in my skin though.”

  Eva looked at his arm. His skin was incredibly pale, but she had thought the blue tinge only a trick of the light, as his translucent skin made his veins stand out.

  Lorne sighed. “Are you going to be even more afraid of me now?”

  “I’m not afraid,” Eva murmured.

  Lorne stopped outside the door to the king’s anteroom and gazed down at her. “You are. It’s obvious.”

  Eva gripped her skirt with her free hand, no idea what to say as his gaze weighed down upon her.

  Lorne turned and knocked. “I’m sorry you don’t like me,” he whispered as the door opened.

  Eva looked up at him, but soon they were moving forward. She felt dazed as he escorted her to a chair and made her sit down. He gave her an expressionless glance and then moved away. She sat looking at her hands as Lorne spoke to someone. Once again, she felt bad for the way she judged him, but he didn’t exactly make it easy for anyone. Truth be told, she didn’t like him. He scared her and constantly corrected her. She hadn’t meant to hurt his feelings though. As he walked back by, she tried to catch his eye, but he left the room without even glancing at her.

  * * * *

  Lorne had fetched Davin and brought him to his father’s anteroom, as instructed. As they entered, Lorne made every effort not to look at Eva. He and Davin moved to a table near the window and sat down. The king wanted Davin to see him fulfilling his duties as much as possible without making it a formal matter. Lorne set down the books he’d brought and examined the spines. When Lorne looked up, he saw Davin smiling and nodding to Eva. Unable to resist, Lorne gazed across the room to see her reaction. Eva smiled at the prince, but her expression changed when she glanced at Lorne. Her mouth turned down, and she focused her eyes on her folded hands.

  Frustrated, Lorne opened one of the books and asked, “Where were we, Davin? Do you remember?”

  Davin took up another book and flipped through it. “Here. Just after the princess has asked the wise woman to bring her friend back from the dead.” The prince laid the book open between them and looked up at Lorne expectantly.

  Despite his bad mood, Lorne smiled at Davin. Though the prince was still very innocent, Lorne could tell the young man’s feeling for him were changing and growing. Lorne had been pleased to be appointed as Davin’s yabito during Davin’s tenth summer, but he had wondered if the sweet-natured prince would take to him. Davin did not have to decide until he turned sixteen, but even though they had such different personalities, Lorne believed their differences actually complemented one another. He couldn’t tell if Davin found him attractive, or if Davin’s thoughts even tended that way yet, but he knew he would have no difficulty becoming his prince’s lover if Davin chose him. He loved Davin more every day.

  “Let’s pick up at the top of this page then,” Lorne said, turning a couple of pages. “Read until the end of the canto, and then we’ll discuss it.”

  Davin leaned ever so slightly closer and began reading. Lorne lifted his head and nodded respectfully as the king entered. Eva jumped to her feet and bowed low. The king acknowledged Lorne and then moved toward Eva. He greeted her with soft, gentle words and invited her to sit down. King Urzen liked children, so he’d been distressed right away when Lorne had mentioned his concerns for Eva. Lorne turned back to Davin and watched his friend reading silently, admiring his profile and his golden hair. The king would likely want Davin to wed as soon as he reached maturity in his twentieth summer so that grandchildren would come as soon as possible. Many girls their age already eyed them with interest everywhere they went, as the prince was much admired. Lorne’s gaze drifted to Eva again. She seemed to like Davin very much, even though he was often a bit shy around girls.

  Why doesn’t she like me? I am always telling her useful things and trying to make things easier. I haven’t done anything to make her afraid of me. Davin had told Lorne he bossed people around too much, but Lorne dismissed the criticism. He had duties and responsibilities, and caring for the prince was his top priority. Davin’s eyes drifted over to Lorne briefly, and he blushed under Lorne’s gaze before turning the page and continuing with his reading.

  Lorne reached out and tucked a strand of hair behind Davin’s ear. “Just admiring you, my prince,” he said, unable to resist complimenting him.

  Davin looked up and opened his mouth, but a sound caught their attention.
Eva shook with sobs, her face buried in her hands. The king moved to her side to comfort her, his gaze catching Lorne’s. He started to rise, but then he stopped. I’ll only frighten her. He settled in his chair again and looked to Davin.

  “Go sit with her, Davin. She’s homesick and needs a friend.”

  Davin seemed puzzled for a moment, as if he wondered why Lorne wasn’t coming as well, but then he nodded and moved over to sit by Eva. He settled on the couch beside her and reached for one of her hands. Lorne was glad he had not told Eva that the king and Davin were part goblin as well. Most Elari had some goblin blood, but it seemed like something she should be told at a later date, given her lingering fears. Slowly, Davin pulled her trembling hand down and looked into her face. He spoke to her so quietly that Lorne could not hear what was being said, but her reply drifted to him.

  “None of this would’ve happened if they’d lived. I would’ve been safe at home, not out in the woods that night.”

  Lorne frowned. Nika had told him about Eva’s parents being dead. She’d been fostered with another family, but he didn’t understand what that had to do with her getting lost in the storm and stumbling upon the portal to Elar. He closed the books and stacked them up. Perhaps Davin would tell him later. The prince continued to talk to Eva, and her tears gradually stopped. Lorne felt left out, though as he sat there, he realized he would not know what to say to Eva. That gave him pause, and he continued to watch Davin, who spoke with her in an easy manner. Davin looked much more comfortable around Eva now than he usually did around girls his age.