I was summoned to sleep with the Firebird Prince (Part 1)

The rays of sunshine were falling through the window into the chamber, creating a soft golden veil. I turned around, half-asleep. I was able to find at least one advantage of living in an old medieval castle. I didn't have to go to work, and I was able to sleep in.

I noticed a movement near my window and opened one eye. The red firebird was sitting on my window, his feathers shining like gold. I looked at it.

“No cock-a-doodle-doos in the morning, please,” I said.

The bird nodded, then jumped down my open window into my room. It strode gracefully across my chamber and jumped right onto my bed. I was expecting it to let out a loud cry, but it was quiet. Instead, it lay down, nuzzling its head under my chin.

“So you want to sleep in, too?” I asked.

It chirped. So I wrapped my arms around it and closed my eyes, hoping to steal another few minutes of sleep until Korvan appears, demanding another reading lesson. The bird was soft and warm. I felt fuzzy and fell asleep quickly.

It must have been at least another hour.

Still in my slumber, I felt heaviness enveloping me. I thought it was a sleep paralysis, but it felt too strange. Warm, soft, and hard at once. I opened my eyes to check the surroundings and…

I screamed.

A man was lying next to me. In my bed. With his arms around me as if we were lovers. The worst thing was – he was naked! At least his chest was, as I could see each muscle under his tanned skin. It was Radovan, the Firebird Prince.

“Heavens, must you scream so?” he mumbled, waking up.

“What the hell are you doing here?” I yelled.

He turned around, showing me his back, not caring at all that he was in my bed. “I wanted to sleep for a little longer, and village girls need to get up early to start working on the fields. They would wake me up.”

“If you won't get up now, I will kick you out. Literally.”

“Why such a fuss? You invited me to your bed of your own accord. Why the protest now?”

“I thought you were a goddamn bird! Not a grown-ass man! Get out!”

“You are amusing when you are angry. You use so many unusual words.”

I was able to climb out of the blanket. “Get off!” I commanded.

He was not listening at all. I bent my knees and put both of my feet on his back. I pushed him out of my bed. He fell on the floor immediately. Thank god, he pulled the blanket with him. He was butt-naked for sure!

“Happy now?” he mumbled, scratching his head.

“You pretended to be an animal just to get to my bed! I cannot believe this!”

“It looked like you fancy animals more than the princes,” he explained. “I just wanted to share bed with you.”

He smirked! He had the audacity to flirt with me even in this situation! I thought my head was going to explode. I was never a violent person, but I wanted to kick his ass now.

Seeing that I was not enchanted by his hard body, he decided to turn back to the firebird. The big body of a man shrank, golden feathers bloomed out of his skin, and suddenly, a bird was standing on the floor next to my bed, preening its wing. Pretending like nothing ever happened, he looked at me and opened his beak.

“If I stay like this, can I sleep with you?”

“I swear,” I said, “if I ever catch you doing this again, I will make a chicken soup out of you!”

“Why are you so angry? I am a prince, and I am even good-looking if I must say so.”

“Quite a spectacle, indeed,” I said, my voice dripping with sarcasm.

“Girls in the village are always smiling at me when they see me. They bring me small gifts and want to dance with me.”

“You can be handsome, you can be rich, but if I suddenly find you sneaking into my bed, you are a goner, boy.”

“Is that how it works?” he cocked his head to the side.

“Zora, who are you talking to?”

The firebird looked at me with its beak open. Is he trying to threaten me? I am not afraid of chickens.

“To an intruder,” I said calmly.

“Intruder? There is an intruder?”

The door to my room opened, and Korvan was standing there, jumping around. Once he saw a firebird standing on the floor, he knew immediately that it was Radovan.

“What are you doing here?” he shrieked. “This is His Highness' castle.”

“I am just visiting his guest,” he replied.

“Get out or I will tell His Highness you were here without proper invitation.”

“How will you tell him? He is probably outside, flying somewhere in his dragon form. Even if you sent a dove to him, he wouldn't be able to enter the palace. He is too big in his form, unable to change it according to his wishes.”

“Can't we kick him out? Does not the master of the castle have some kind of power in his home?”

“Until you are wed to His Highness, he is the only lord of the castle. If he says Firebird Prince must leave, then the old magic will force him out. But until then, he can stay.”

An explosion of feathers filled the room. Radovan changed back to his human form, leaving behind the glittering feathers.

I screamed and turned around, covering my eyes like an embarrassed schoolgirl. I did not mind eyecandy, but I had to be mentally ready for it.

“Please, put some clothes on,” I said.

He wrapped himself in my blanket and made a few steps.

“And don’t come closer,” I added.

He stopped in his tracks.

“Why wed Dragan?” he asked. “He is too boring. Come to my castle!”

Now it looked like it would be Korvan who would explode in the cloud of feathers. He puffed his chest, angry. His tiny birdeyes had a killing intent in them.

“Such insolence! Zora is His Highness' bride! H-how dare you even ask her! Just wait once His Highness hears about it!”

I could feel a headache coming.

“You can argue all you want. But outside of my room. Out with all of you! Now!”