Page 25 of His Noble Savior (Folk of Vale #3)
Lilian
Lilian had never been sure whether he’d find a man to marry, and he certainly hadn’t thought his husband would be a lord. Their wedding would be conducted by a fae officiant and a human priestess and take place in Somerdale Castle’s great hall with Richard’s extended family and guests from other noble houses present. The servants had lavishly decorated the house and mounted bouquets of roses and pink mallows on the walls. The floral scent was as overwhelming as it was familiar—this might as well have been the Spring Court.
A marble altar stood on the far end of the hall opposite the grand entrance, flower festoons adorning the sides. This was where Lilian would lie down and be presented to Richard, the higher-ranking spouse, like an offering. A flute set in, and from his place at the entrance, Lilian watched the officiants enter the great hall through a side door. The priestess wore a simple white dress, whereas the fae officiant was clad in a long, pink-and-green robe, cherry blossom petals clinging to the seams of her skirt. Lilian would be forever thankful that Richard had arranged for an officiant from the Spring Court to perform the ceremony. Richard may be human, but his influence reached the upper echelons of the faerie realm. Soon, Richard kept reminding him, that’d be true for Lilian too. Nobody could afford to ignore Lilian of Somerdale, he’d said with a smile.
The officiants moved to the sides of the altar, and then, as a harp joined the flute, Richard entered the hall. And by all things sacred, he was gorgeous. His bronze curls shone in the golden light that fell through the windows, and he was dressed in an immaculate ensemble of a forest green doublet and dark trousers, the collar of his white silk shirt adorned with an emerald brooch. When his gaze fell on Lilian, his eyes sparked.
Did he like what he saw? Lilian hoped so. He’d taken great care when picking out his wedding attire, selecting a long white robe with silver embroidery along the front and light pink seams, which brushed the tops of his shoes. A servant had coiled Lilian’s hair, which had become long in recent months, and slung it over one shoulder, exposing the side of his neck.
To his left and right, the wedding guests parted to create a corridor between Lilian and the altar. With his heart pounding against his ribs, Lilian proceeded toward Richard. He looked stunning, his broad shoulders stretching his doublet, his torso narrowing to slim hips. They were about to be married, united for eternity. Lilian was the luckiest fae in Vale.
As he reached Richard in front of the altar, Lilian lowered his gaze in deference, then sank to his knees on a white cushion. Lilian embraced the gesture of submission; he didn’t mind showing respect to Richard’s status as a baron. Richard had been on his knees for Lilian plenty of times and done more than look at the floor.
Above him, Richard offered a hand, and Lilian took it, allowing Richard to lead him to the altar. Lilian climbed atop it in one fluid motion and lay on his back, offering his body and soul.
Their eyes connected, Richard’s hazel gaze alive with adoration and lust as if he wanted to simultaneously sink to his knees to worship Lilian and take him right then and there, putting their carnal union on display for everyone to see.
“You’re the most beautiful person in the world,” Richard whispered, his voice suddenly thick with emotion. “There’s nothing I wouldn’t do to prove myself worthy of you.”
Lilian clasped Richard’s hand and squeezed. “There’s nothing I wouldn’t do to be the husband you deserve.”
“I can’t wait to be one with you.” Richard placed his right hand on Lilian’s lower abdomen.
The touch was possessive in the best way. Only Richard was allowed to put his hands on him. Lilian longed to be claimed by him for good. He was giving himself to Richard, holding nothing back. That familiar scent of sandalwood and leather engulfed him, and every part of him let go. He moved his hand next to Richard’s in anticipation of the placement of their wedding marks.
The fae officiant stepped forward and spoke the ceremonial words. “Today, you will bear witness to the wedding of Lord Richard Dalton of Somerdale and Lilian of the Spring Court. The magic of the spring forest shall bind their souls.”
Anticipation fluttered through Lilian. What would it feel like to connect with Richard on the deepest level? How would their relationship change when the last barrier came down?
“Richard of Somerdale,” the fae officiant said, “do you vow to honor and protect your husband and stay by his side in life and death?”
Pride straightened Richard’s back. “I do.”
“And Lilian, do you vow to honor and obey your husband and stay by his side in life and death?”
That and more. “I do.”
The officiant nodded at an attendant, who stepped forward with a light pink silk cushion, upon which sat the biggest cherry blossom Lilian had ever seen. Had it been enlarged by magic?
The fae officiant scooped up the blossom—it was almost the size of her palm. The flower erupted in a peachy glow. When it subsided, the blossom had turned into flattened, wafer-thin copper. Light skated off the curved petals. The fae took the flower between her palms, and when she parted them, she held two identical copper blossoms.
“May your souls unite and your marriage be blissful,” the fae officiant said and cupped the backs of their hands.
The copper was hot as embers, but it didn’t hurt when she pressed it to Lilian’s hand. It sank into his skin, and when the officiant withdrew, nothing remained but the copper outline of the cherry blossom on the back of his hand. The metal glistened in the light, resting flat in his skin.
The bond came onto Lilian like a wave rolling toward the shore. It rose as a presence in the distance, grew as it approached, and when it washed over him, it carried him out to sea. He floated in an ocean of love. Warmth engulfed him. Lilian sank into it, euphoria bubbling up. The ocean embraced him tenderly, and that was when he recognized it. The ocean was Richard. He was all around him, inside him, and Lilian dissolved in his presence, becoming one with him.
They pulsed, and nothing existed but pure, unadulterated love and bright rapture, a climax of the soul. The sensations reversed, and Lilian enwrapped Richard, cradling his innermost being. His soul made love to Richard’s before they blended again, two people becoming one. They fused, merging until nothing could separate them.
Their eyes snapped open, and for a split second, Lilian saw himself from Richard’s point of view—lying splayed on an altar for him, a silver-embroidered, white robe covering his body, his blond locks slung over one shoulder. Lilian snapped back into his body and found Richard staring at him, eyes wide with wonder and full of adoration.
The deep feeling of comfort stayed. Richard was around him, his soul penetrating Lilian’s. His sandalwood scent intensified, and where his hand rested on Lilian’s lower stomach, a heat drenched with love and lust dropped into his core. They irrevocably belonged to one another.
Lilian placed a hand on Richard’s nape. “You’re mine.”
“Yes.” Tears of joy pooled in Richard’s eyes.
Someone cleared their throat, and only then did Lilian remember that they weren’t alone, that an entire wedding party was looking at them. Oh. The world was easy to forget when Richard was with him and in him in ways Lilian had no words for. He sat up and glided into Richard’s arms. Richard helped him off the altar, every touch reaching deep into his soul.
The fae officiant drifted into the background, and the priestess stepped forward. Richard kneeled on a cushion that an attendant had brought in his and Lilian’s momentary mental absence. Following Richard’s lead, Lilian sank to his knees for the priestess. Fae weren’t brought up in the faith of the Lady, but it was of enormous importance to humans, and Lilian had nothing but respect for the beliefs of his husband . Damn, he loved that word.
“The Lady has witnessed the creation of a bond and she approves,” the human priestess said. “You have accepted the eternal terms of this union, and thus you are married in the eyes of the church, the Lady and the people. I pronounce you husband and husband. May the Lady bless your marriage; may you live under her shield.” She lifted her hands to signal Lilian and Richard to stand. “Let this union be sealed with a kiss.”
They rose as one, Lilian sensing Richard’s every move a split second before it happened. Turning toward each other, Lilian lost himself in Richard’s eyes, and once more, their surroundings faded.
The bond didn’t reveal each other’s thoughts to them, but emotions flowed freely. Lilian had known Richard loved him, but he couldn’t have imagined the depth of those feelings. Or how all-encompassing they were. When Richard had said he’d do anything for Lilian, he’d meant it. He’d do anything . It was as terrifying as it was awe-inspiring.
Lilian felt the same. He gathered his protective, caring feelings and clad them in determination before sending them to Richard through the bond. Lilian saw the moment they hit him. Richard’s jaw slackened. Oh yes. Richard wasn’t the only one who’d burn down the world for their love.
In a heartbeat, Richard’s hands were on his waist. The touch felt so good, Lilian’s knees buckled. He sank his hands into Richard’s curls, and his lids closed as he pressed up against him.
The moment their lips brushed was like a lightning bolt hitting them. They were on fire. They were the wind. The strength of their connection robbed them of their senses. In each other’s arms, nothing and no one else mattered. The world couldn’t touch them. In this bubble of their own, everything was in harmony.
Their lips parted at once, and sweet mercy, all of Richard wrapped around him, his soul embracing and caressing Lilian’s. He responded, penetrating Richard’s core, and they melded.
Their tongues met, and that wet, hot slide was going to be their end. In an unimportant corner of their minds, a small voice said that they should keep the kiss polite, but their freshly bonded souls were far too hungry for each other, yearning to unite. They kissed like starving men ate food: ravenously and uninhibited.
Urgency slammed into Lilian, and it ricocheted through Richard. He needed Richard, and he needed him now.
Lilian tore away at the last minute before losing all restraint. His fingers had slipped into Richard’s waistband while Richard’s leg pressed into the space between his thighs, his hand fisting Lilian’s robe. They separated with reluctance, Lilian catching a glimpse of the furiously blushing virginal priestess before she quickly scuffled through a side door. The poor woman.
The wedding party moved to the ballroom upstairs, a hall of epic proportions with floor-to-ceiling windows, gilded mirrors and glistening chandeliers. The celebration came with an abundance of food and dance, and the human guests were swept away by the various spring faerie cakes the cook had prepared for the occasion.
Lilian and Richard sat together as they had in the early days—Lilian in Richard’s lap, their hands constantly on each other. It violated Valian ideas of modesty, but surely, their guest would excuse two soulmates who’d bonded less than an hour ago and whose young connection craved constant physical reassurance.
Later, they made the rounds, greeting the guests and exchanging pleasantries. All the nobility of southern Vale was there as well as King Malorn and representatives from the Autumn Court. Prince Elior, who’d represented the Summer Court at other weddings of importance, was absent. One of his sisters replaced him, though that didn’t stop the whispered rumors: The prince had turned down the Winter King’s hand, causing a rift between the two courts. He’d secretly married a princess from the Six Ice Queendoms of the North, some said. No, he’d run away to the west, others claimed. Nobody knew for sure what had happened, and the royal family of the Summer Court kept their lips sealed. Only one thing was certain: the Winter King was still on the hunt for a spouse.
Richard spent a lot of time strategizing with James and Raziel—the front was close to collapse, and when it fell, Vale would be overrun by orcs. Richard’s rejection of Bellerose was costing the kingdom dearly. Lilian listened in as they debated contingencies. Perhaps the castle could withstand a siege, at least until winter, when the cold weather would drive the orcs south and bring reprieve. Maybe King William could intervene, but there’d been no news from the castle at the foot of the White Mountains.
When the music set in, inviting the bridal couple to dance, Richard told James to set up a visit for the following week so that they could further coordinate, then led Lilian onto the dance floor. Richard swept him up in his arms, and Lilian sank against him, banishing thoughts of war from his mind.
When the festivities wound down in the small hours, and the guests retired one by one to their rooms, Lilian and Richard snuck away to their marital chambers. Anticipation swayed in the bond as they approached the bedchamber. Lilian opened the door and was greeted by a sea of candles and rose petals. They covered every surface, the golden glow and pink petals turning the room into a romantic dream. The scent of vanilla hung low in the air, sensual and comforting.
“Richard…”
“It’s nice I don’t have to worry about whether you like it or not.” The bond was announcing it loud and clear.
“I love it,” Lilian said nonetheless.
Richard closed the door behind them with a soft click , shutting out the world. Here, only the two of them mattered.
Lilian threw a glance over his shoulder and took Richard’s hand, leading him toward the bed. Petals dotted the white sheets, and Lilian couldn’t wait any longer. He climbed onto the bed, pulling Richard with him. Impossible to wipe the grins off their faces. They were one, and yet there was one more way in which they had to be united.
Lying down side by side, Richard tucked a strand of hair behind Lilian’s ear, brushing the pointy tip. “I’m the luckiest man in the world. You look… ravishing.” Richard’s fingertips trailed from Lilian’s hair to the corner of his jawline and down his neck before running along the floral embroidery at the front of his robe, the candlelight reflecting off the silver thread. “I can’t believe you’re mine.”
Lilian took Richard’s hand, their wedding marks aligning, and placed it on top of his heart. “This beats for you.” A wave of admiration and desire slammed into Lilian. Were those emotions his own or Richard’s? Their feelings had become difficult to separate.
“I would’ve said you don’t know how much I want you, but…”
Lilian smiled. “I do. So come and take what’s yours.”
Richard’s hand glided to Lilian’s waist and pulled him close, aligning their fronts. Richard’s possessive touch and thickening scent drove Lilian out of his mind. He moaned when Richard touched him from head to toe.
Lilian brought their mouths together. Oh, that sweet slide of lips. Need coiled in Lilian’s belly, and he felt the corners of Richard’s mouth curve. Richard knew. From this day forward, he’d be conscious of Lilian’s state of arousal and Lilian of his. Oh dear. They weren’t going to leave bed ever again.
Richard’s tongue nudged his lips, and Lilian invited him inside, sparks flying across his skin. Richard invaded his mouth; his hand wandered to Lilian’s hip and down to his ass. He palmed the cheek, then tugged at Lilian’s robe to hike it up. Underneath it, Lilian rose.
Deepening the kiss, he lifted his hips off the mattress, allowing Richard to drag the garment further up his body. Richard’s deft fingers found the waistband of the slim trousers Lilian wore underneath and snuck inside. His hand, warm and big, closed around Lilian’s cock.
“Yes!”
Their bond came alive. Waves of emotions rolled over them, and they fed off each other, their hunger escalating. Richard stroked him, and Lilian’s mind entered his, unrestrained lust enveloping him, pulling him deeper. Lilian whimpered, wetness seeping from his tip. He was putty in Richard’s hands.
“Fuck,” Richard growled against Lilian’s lips. “I can feel the ghost of my hand, like I’m stroking myself.”
Lilian had heard that the bond transmitted arousal and intimate touch. This was going to be interesting. He cupped Richard’s hard cock through his trousers, and lo and behold, a hint of pressure settled on his own erection.
“We’re going to have fun with this,” Lilian said.
“We will. You think I could come from bringing you to climax?”
“Maybe. One way to find out.”
Richard chuckled. “Trust me, I’ll find out.”
He let go of him, earning a grumble of protest, and worked Lilian’s trousers down his legs. Lilian kicked them off, then shed his robe, leaving him naked before Richard. He enjoyed being nude when Richard was still dressed. It reminded him of the early days when they’d just met, and Richard was—as Lilian had learned later—fighting his desire for him.
His fingers found Richard’s collar, and with a few quick tugs, he unlaced his jacket and shirt. He brushed the fabric aside and ran his fingers down the smooth skin of Richard’s torso. They latched onto his fly, and that came undone too. Richard shrugged off his jacket and shirt and discarded his trousers.
When he pressed against Lilian, Richard’s hot skin singed him. They kissed once more, and Lilian reached blindly behind him and grabbed the faerie oil off the nightstand. He popped off the cork with one hand and peeled away from Richard’s soft lips.
Richard slicked his hand and nodded for Lilian to do the same. He’d expected Richard to roll him onto his back and prepare him for his dick, but evidently, he had something else in mind. Richard scooted closer, then wrapped his hand around their cocks, bringing them together in his fist, lubing them with faerie oil.
Lilian almost passed out from the overwhelming pleasure of his cock pressing against Richard’s. They were the same size and fit together perfectly. He clutched Richard’s hip with his clean hand, the oiled one cupping their flared heads. They groaned in unison, lust bouncing between them. Their hunger for release grew with each heartbeat. Urgency flared like a torch set ablaze.
Lilian dragged his palm over their glans, and the greedy pull in his loins redoubled. Their cocks throbbed with need, Richard’s thick veins pulsing against his. His soul enclosed Lilian’s, who floated in bliss. Richard hauled his lubed hand up their dicks. Faerie oil soaked them, and heat rushed onto Lilian. He moaned, his cock bursting with the urge to grind and fuck until he twitched in release.
Bolts of passion rattled him until Richard took mercy and jerked them. The well-oiled friction of cock and hand drove Lilian mad. He bucked into Richard’s grip.
“So eager,” Richard mumbled and gave them an extra firm stroke.
Lilian sucked in air and joined Richard in the slow play. He ran his fingers along the ridges of their heads and swiped his thumb through the fat drops of precum that leaked from them. Richard caressed every part of him as though he held not Lilian’s cock but his soul in hand, massaging it toward the pinnacle of rapture. Lilian ached and pulsated, Richard’s every touch taking him higher. He lost himself in Richard’s soul.
His fingertips bathed in the precum welling in their slits, teasing the sensitive flesh with a lazy back and forth. His insides gave a lustful twitch, and more liquid sluiced onto his fingers where it mixed with the oil. Tingles prickled over his hard, slick cock, and he wondered how long it’d take for him to lose his mind.
He slid his hand to their shafts, joining Richard in the languid up and down. They worked their cocks to the steady beat of a silent drum, liquid arousal oozing from their tips and spilling down their knuckles.
They breathed the same air, lips meeting intermittently. No words were needed. The joy of becoming one was all-encompassing. After a while, Lilian let go and took himself in hand, and so did Richard. The sensation of wanking himself while feeling traces of Richard doing the same overpowered him. He groaned into Richard’s mouth, his insides tensing as his excitement mounted. Swiping his thumb over his glans on the upstroke, Lilian blew out air in a guttural, desperate noise.
“Fuck,” Richard ground out, “you feel so damn good. Every time you get close, that deep compulsion to come rushes into me. Like my body thinks it’s unacceptable to not climax when you do.” Lilian jerked hard, and Richard dropped a rough, drawn-out growl. “Feels incredible.”
Lilian’s eyes dropped to Richard’s cock, to the hand fisting it with rapid tugs. He memorized how Richard moved, when and how his wrist twisted. “Let’s make it even better.” Lilian let go of his dick and lay his hand on Richard’s, stopping his frantic moves. “I’ll get you there.”
Richard let go with a filthy smile and closed his fingers around Lilian’s erection. He paused, idly running his fingers over Lilian, causing his cock to buck. A devilish smirk lifted a corner of his lips. “I’m going to make you come, and then I’ll put my lips to your sweet little hole and wreck you for good.”
Images flashed before Lilian’s eyes. He on his stomach, hands spreading his firm cheeks, his sensitive little pucker exposed. Richard diving in, claiming uncharted territory. No one had put their mouth on his most private orifice. It belonged to Richard alone.
“I can’t wait,” Lilian said, teasing Richard with his fingertips until he snapped his hips with a grunt.
Richard grabbed Lilian’s cock and dragged his digits sideways over his glans so they rippled across him, each bump shocking him with a bolt of sensation.
He hauled his damp thumb up Lilian’s underside, and it proved a point. Over the last few months, Richard had mapped every pleasure point on Lilian’s body, and he knew where to rub and tease to make him go wild. The bond, laying Lilian’s emotions open, made it obvious what Richard had to do to get him to come like a fountain. Lilian whimpered, and Richard massaged and stroked him, leaving him trembling.
Lilian wasn’t going to leave Richard disappointed. He got a good grip and awarded him the steady, powerful jerks sure to get him over the edge.
“Oh, you’re good,” Richard said. He took Lilian’s bottom lip between his teeth, giving him a playful bite. “You know what you’re doing. But I’ll get you there first, and then I’m going to take care of that little flower of yours, show it a whole new world of delights.” Lilian squirted precum in Richard’s fist. “Mmh, you can barely hold back. I can feel how much you want to come. Your soul is vibrating with need. Let go.”
It sounded so good. In the safety of Richard’s arms, Lilian was free to relinquish control and experience ecstasy beyond what he’d thought possible. Giving his body to someone else was scary—unless that someone was Richard. Then, letting go was tempting. The rewards he would reap enticed him. With Richard, pain ceased to exist. Richard made bad things good and good things better. He was going to introduce him to another sweet source of pleasure, and with the way Lilian was throbbing in his skilled hand, he wasn’t going to last.
Sluice after sluice of precum flowed out of Richard, lubricating Lilian’s merciless strokes. Richard’s cheeks were dotted with color, and his body strained, every muscle working to hold in his climax.
Richard flicked his thumb over Lilian’s frenulum, and an ecstatic shiver raced through him. Another sweep and Richard sent him trembling, orgasm lurking in his climbing balls, in his tensing pelvic floor. Fuck, he was going to come so hard.
“I’ll make it good for you,” Richard said and gave him a teasing, open-mouthed kiss that left Lilian reeling for more. “Come in my hand, and I’ll send your hole to fucking heaven.”
Lilian was hanging on by a thread. His balls settled against his root, readying for release. Richard’s words made his hole clench in anticipation. Coming for Richard was all he wanted. It’d yank Richard over the brink too. He was teetering on the edge with Lilian.
“Be good for me,” Richard purred. He had talked Lilian into an orgasm more than once. “Don’t you want to come for your husband?”
The words knocked Lilian sideways. He’d do anything to please the man he’d knelt for, the man he’d sworn his obedience to. Lilian glided through Richard’s deft fingers, his insides tightening. Richard’s soul embraced him, showered him in feelings so tender Lilian’s heart cried out with love. His cock lurched in Richard’s fist, responding to waves of devotion. Against them, Lilian was defenseless.
He screamed when his orgasm drove into him, condensing his insides to a ball of lust. Lilian exploded into a deafening climax, his core whipping him with rapid contractions that forced the cum from him. His hole and balls shuddered, and he sprayed his release across their chests and stomachs.
Richard’s cock jerked in his hand, and his soul pulsed all around him. He followed Lilian over the edge, the force of his orgasm splattering their skin with a punch.