All the Light of the Sun

All The Light of the Sun Karoline Rayne Copyright This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental. Copyright © 2023 by Karoline Rayne (Michelle Andrews) All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or used in any manner without written permission of the copyright owner except for the use of quotations in a book review. First edition January 2023 Cover by Ivy at BeautifulBookCovers (Etsy) Edited by E. Rose Books Interior by Samantha M. Thomas Author's Note This book contains content that may be troubling to some readers. Including and not limited to: Language, graphic sexual content, themes of BDSM (including but not limited to: Dom/sub dynamics, light bondage), talk of spousal death, depictions of sibling/parent death, grief/grieving, talk of past child abuse (physical & emotional), mentions of possible infertility, pregnancy, and kidnapping. Dedication For my Opa, who instilled a love of history and of stories. That love manifested in this book, though he’d never be allowed to read it. Mathias Schagh 1927-1997 Contents 1. Chapter One 2. Chapter Two 3. Chapter Three 4. Chapter Four 5. Chapter Five 6. Chapter Six 7. Chapter Seven 8. Chapter Eight 9. Chapter Nine 10. Chapter Ten 11. Chapter Eleven 12. Chapter Twelve 13. Chapter Thirteen 14. Chapter Fourteen 15. Chapter Fifteen 16. Chapter Sixteen 17. Chapter Seventeen 18. Chapter Eighteen 19. Chapter Nineteen 20. Chapter Twenty 21. Chapter Twenty-One 22. Chapter Twenty-Two 23. Chapter Twenty-Three 24. Chapter Twenty-Two 25. Chapter Twenty-Five 26. Chapter Twenty-Six 27. Chapter Twenty-Seven 28. Chapter Twenty-Eight 29. Chapter Twenty-Nine 30. Chapter Thirty 31. Chapter Thirty-One 32. Chapter Thirty-Two 33. Chapter Thirty-Three 34. Chapter Thirty-Four 35. Chapter Thirty-Five 36. Chapter Thirty-Six 37. Chapter Thirty-Seven 38. Chapter Thirty-Eight Epilogue . Chapter Acknowledgments . Chapter Chapter One Ilaria didn’t know his name. She couldn’t even remember if she had asked for it in the first place. The dark blue of his jacket signified he was a guard, though the location of his typical post in the palace was irrelevant at the moment. The wine from dinner buzzed through her veins. The guard’s hot breath fanned against the tingling skin of her neck. His lips trailed down and over her shoulder. “My lady,” his voice was a harsh whisper, his hands encircling her waist. “Maybe we shouldn’t—” Ilaria shoved him back against the nearest wall, taking two fistfuls of his shirt and yanking him down until his nose touched hers. “Shut up,” she hissed before crushing their mouths back together. She hadn’t picked him for his better judgment; rather, for his discretion. Ilaria could use him as she pleased, knowing he wouldn’t tell all of his friends about it. Even if he did, he wouldn’t be the first or the last. He would only come to the realization of how many of his friends she already toyed with. Sure, she could have her pick from any of the more high-born gentlemen with titles and wealth. Ones who would lavish her with attention, sparkling jewels, and empty promises. Ones who would see her, not for who she was, but what she was—something to be won. Ilaria had been a man’s prize once, and vowed never to be again. Instead, she took her pleasure from palace guards, who were easy to manipulate, eager to please, and discreet. This one in particular was easy to persuade. All it took was a look; a slight tilt of the head, and he came running like a starved dog. Ilaria reached around him to grab hold of the door handle and, jerking it open, pushed him inside. The room was mostly dark, aside from a very small fire in the hearth and the still setting sun slipping through the curtains. It suited her just fine. Taking a few steps back until the back of the guard’s legs hit the side of a settee and he went tumbling down. Ilaria hiked up her skirts just enough to slip into his lap, and grasped his shirt again to pull him up into another kiss. The strike of a match and the glow of a cigarette caught her eye from the corner of the room. It was just enough light with the curls of smoke to illuminate the piercing green eyes staring at her. Ilaria growled, shoving the guard back down and rising to her feet. She didn’t offer him a second glance. “Get out.” There was no doubt to whom she was speaking, but the guard heeded her unspoken warning. Jumping to his feet, he ran from the room, as if she had set his pants on fire. The sound of the door slamming behind him echoed through the otherwise silent room. Her heart pounded against her rib cage, both from the surprise and the still-lingering arousal. It took a couple of long, deep breaths before she could force her feet to move. She stood in front of him, staring up into those eyes that were all too familiar. Reaching out, she pulled the cigarette free from his lips and brought it up to her own. She took a long drag, blowing the smoke into his face before she handed it back. Turning on her heel, she stormed over to the sideboard and sloshed a liberal amount of brandy into a glass. Not even the burn of the alcohol could subdue her nerves. “Aren’t you going to offer me some?” The deep rumble of his question sent shivers down her spine. She glared at him as she poured herself another and took a deep swallow. “Why the fuck are you here?” she asked. She poured him a drink regardless, but left it on the side table. Taking her own drink, she went over to the window, leaning against the frame. The early evening air was cool as it blew by. “Am I not allowed to visit my little