Page 14

Bracca

I woke up early, as I usually did, and then turned to reach for Killian—only to remember I’d lost my temper and left him at our temporary quarters the night before. I rolled back over in bed and sighed. He irritated me sometimes like it seemed no one else in the world could do, and I’d been angry enough to kick the door shut as I left our room and stomp all the way down the stairs as I left that place. In a horrible temper, I’d decided to go to another inn, and it was only at the last minute that I couldn’t bring myself to strand him there all alone. I didn’t want him to feel frightened after all. I’d relented and told the captain to stay with about ten or fifteen of his men there with Killian, and to come find me immediately if anything happened, and he needed help. It was a strange place after all, and a strange city.

Not that I was regretting my actions now—not in the least. Killian had been arrogant and infuriating, just like he’d been when I’d seen him at the Solarian city, and I’d had to get out of there before I throttled him. I obviously couldn’t hurt him, so I’d done the only thing I could do, and that was to remove myself from the situation. I’d probably attend the ceremony that Hendris had planned for him later that morning. More than likely, that is. I’d see then if he was truly contrite and regretting the things he’d said to me.

I had the innkeeper send up hot water for me to bathe and shook out my good suit to wear to the ceremony later that day. I’d have the innkeeper’s wife brush it for me later. I found the suit I’d set aside for Killian to wear, and wondered if I should send it to him, but changed my mind in the end. Let him wear what he’d had on yesterday and be travel-stained and wrinkled. It might help him guard his smart tongue more in the future. Besides, he still had his furs, so he’d be warm enough and nobody could see what he was wearing underneath them anyway.

After the ceremony, if he seemed contrite enough and if I felt like it, I might let him come and stay with me at the inn. In the meantime, I bathed and dressed, and then ate my first meal with my soldiers. I hardly thought of him at all—maybe a few times when I wondered if he’d slept well. Or if he had sense enough to eat something to give him strength for the day ahead. And once or twice when someone mentioned how cold it was outside today. He suffered from the cold more than anyone I’d ever met. The huge caves were more or less at a stable temperature, but I supposed they would still be too cold to a mortal, or someone raised as a mortal. The wind from outside sometimes blew through the caves, looking for a way up the hem of your coat or a way to slip down your collar. Killian had complained about it since he’d been here.

Winters were harsh this far north, and he needed someone to take care of him. I got a sudden picture in my mind of his pretty face looking up at me wistfully, with damn tears standing in his green eyes as he’d said, longingly, “You know, back at home, it’s summertime.”

I stood up abruptly and kicked over the chair I’d been sitting in. Then I kicked it across the room for good measure. The officer I was sitting next to jumped to his feet, looking at me in alarm. “Is there something I can help you with, Your Highness?”

“No!” I shouted at him and watched as his face blanched. I felt terrible. “Wait—all right, yes, you can help. And I’m sorry—I’m not angry at you. Go over to the place we were staying last night—the first place—and get my Consort and the other men and bring them here to me. If the consort tries to argue, which he undoubtedly will, just… don’t take no for an answer. Pick him up and carry him if you have to. But get him over here.” He started to walk away, and I called him back. “Captain…”

“Yes, Sire?”

“Don’t hurt him. Be careful with him, and make sure he wears his coat and hat.”

“Yes, of course, Your Highness. I’ll take some men, and we’ll leave right away.”

I nodded and got up to stand by the fireplace for a few minutes and planned what I’d say to him to get him to see how foolish he was being. Of course, I needed to be named his Regent. What could he have been thinking? Who cared if the Dokkalfar Elves didn’t like it? It wasn’t up to them, and I’d meant what I’d said. It was better to be feared by your subjects than to rely on any kind of loyalty or regard they might have for you. My father had drilled that one truth into my head since I was a boy. “Men love at their own convenience, but they fear at the convenience of their king.”

In other words, it was nice if your subjects loved you, but real control over them only came by instilling fear of the consequences in them for not obeying orders.

Since the other inn was close by, I didn’t have long to wait. Within minutes, my men were back, but with only the other soldiers. The captain came over to me right away and bowed.

“I’m sorry, Your Highness, but the Royal Consort had already left.”

“Left? What do you mean? Where the fuck is he?”

“The people that run the inn said he asked them to send word to King Hendris. He asked Hendris to send someone for him. I believe he’s at the royal palace now.”

I’d heard about people seeing red when they were angry. I thought it was just an expression, a figure of speech, a metaphor for when a person feelsintense rage and hostility. But a haze of red had dropped over my vision, and it looked pretty real to me. I clenched my hands at my sides and thought about what I’d do when I got my hands on that little neck of his. Not to mention that ass.

“Get my coat and my sword. I have a ceremony I need to get to.”

****

Killian

I had been taken straight to Hendris when I arrived at the royal palace, and he looked at me oddly as he asked me where Prince Bracca was. I simply told him he was at the Red Lion, and he’d be joining me later. I could see he didn’t really understand completely, but I changed the subject by asking him if he had any clothing that I could borrow that might be appropriate for that afternoon’s introduction to the people of Daeneid. He looked surprised and immediately came out from behind his desk and came over to me.

“Your Majesty…my dear boy…are you all right?” he asked, taking my hand in two of his and leaning in closely.

“Oh, I’m fine,” I said, pulling my hand away and taking a step backward. “I simply…I didn’t know what to expect, you see. I don’t know if I have anything appropriate to wear.”

“Forgive me, but why didn’t you ask your husband? For that matter, where is your consort?”

“He’ll be here later. I’m sure he will. He and I just…we had a difference of opinion last evening, you see. Nothing serious at all. But he decided to leave the place we were staying and stay with some of his men…at another place. To think about things… Does that make sense?”

“No, I confess it doesn’t. Are you saying that the two of you argued? I’m sorry if I’m being too personal, but you seem upset.”

“No, no, I’m not upset. Not too much anyway. I’m fine. I just didn’t have anything appropriate to wear.”

“I see. That’s not a problem, Your Majesty. I’ll have the bedchamber where you stayed when you first arrived made ready for you, and a bath drawn. Then afterward, the servants can help you dress. Maybe you’d like to have a short rest before this afternoon as well.”

“Oh. That might be nice. I didn’t rest well last night. Yes, I would.”

“Excellent. Now come with me.”

He drew me down the hallway to the guest bedchambers that were not too far from his offices. “Go in and lie down, and I’ll have the servants prepare things for you.”

He opened the door for me, and I went inside. The room was a bit chilly, so after he left, I went closer to the fireplace and snapped my fingers at it in the Elven way. The fire blazed dutifully up.

I heard the door opening and Hendris was back and took my hand in his again. “Why don’t you make yourself comfortable? I’ll send in the servants, unless…would you like me to stay? Perhaps you need to talk?” He ran a gentle hand down my arm soothingly. “I’m a very good listener.”

“Thank you, but no,” I said, pushing my hair out of my eyes. I’d never had long hair before coming to the Liminal. It wasn’t at all the style in our mortal world where royalty were the only males allowed to have long hair. But it seemed there was nothing I could do about this curly, unruly hair, and it seemed to literally get longer every day. It did give me a moment to consider what all I should say to Hendris, however. I didn’t want to offend him, but I could only imagine what Bracca would have to say about this if he found out—which he never would if I had anything to say about it. If he thought Hendris knew something about me that he didn’t know, it wouldn’t end well.

“I think I need to rest a while. I don’t believe I slept well after all the excitement yesterday.”

“I’ll take my leave then and let you rest. Please let me know if I can do anything to make you more comfortable.”

“Thank you. You’ve been very kind.”

He bowed slightly to me then and gave me a long look before he left. He was a young, handsome man, and I wasn’t oblivious to his meaning. But I was a married man—even though I never believed such a thing could happen to me, and I didn’t know quite how to feel about it. One thing was for sure. I had a possessive husband who would no doubt kill both of us if he found us in a compromising position. And it wouldn’t take him long to do it.

At least I thought it would make him jealous. I was beginning to realize that I barely knew him and didn’t have any real idea how he would react to any given situation. I sighed and went over to lie on the bed. Maybe I should keep some of my secrets to myself for now. When I’d dropped my blood on the throne, maybe something had happened to me. Bracca kept saying that the longer I was here in the Liminal, the more I was changing. Perhaps some of the magic of the stone had surged into me when my blood had touched it. Maybe my blood had awakened something inside me, and the stone had conferred some of its power to me. Perhaps the less said about it, the better. Just for now anyway, until I could get the lay of the land, so to speak.

The room was warming up nicely, and I meant to simply rest my eyes, but I fell asleep instead. It was enough to make me think people were putting things in my food to make me sleep, but I doubted that was true. I hadn’t eaten anything here anyway. It must be the almost debilitating cold, I decided.

I didn’t get much chance to rest, however, before the maids came in to “help” me bathe. I tried to tell them that I had been doing it for myself for years, but it made little difference to them. Actually, bathing at home my whole life had been a hit or miss proposition. In the spring and summer, we went swimming almost every day, but in the winter, the air in the house I lived in could get a little pungent. Most people I knew only took a real bath once a week or so.

I hadn’t noticed that at all with these Fae. They were among the cleanest, sweetest-smelling people I’d ever met. All the more reason to want to be at my best when I was going to be introduced to these new ones.

Not to mention some of the shocking things that Bracca did to me.

I suffered them to strip my clothes off and then sit me down in the lovely, steaming water and wash me all over. They put soap everywhere, including my long hair and then rinsed it all clean. Afterward, they helped me out and sat me by the fire to rub at the long curls with soft towels.

Finally, they were done with me, and I went over to the wardrobe to dress. It was brimming with clothing, that I suspected belonged to the king himself, because the quality was so very fine. Hendris was of a similar size to me. I settled on a white shirt with flowing sleeves and a snowy cravat, with a silver, embroidered waistcoat and soft, black trousers. It occurred to me that Bracca might not like me wearing the clothes of another man, not that anything that Bracca owned would ever fit me. I was learning that he could be very volatile about the least little thing.

I had asked the women to brush my hair and tie it in a long braid, and they had done so. As a last thought, I took the silver locket from the pouch Rosheen had given me and slipped the chain around my neck. I put on my fur hat and coat and pronounced myself as ready as I ever would be. I went along the long corridor to the king’s office to knock on his door and tell him I was ready to go out and meet the Dokkalfar people.

****

Bracca

The ceremony was set to begin around noon, and people were already flocking to the area outside the palace. It was hard for outsiders to imagine how vast this main area was and realize the city was still underground and the palace itself was its centerpiece.

In the circular courtyard in front of the four-story structure, there was a large, rectangular- shaped fountain that spread some sixteen yards across. It was fed, someone had told me, by an underground source. The pool it made was fairly deep and the water was surrounded on four sides by a wall about waist high. It was all very impressive.

Between the pool and the palace, someone had hastily built a small wooden dais that was probably ten or twelve feet off the ground. It was on this dais that the new king would stand, along with Hendris and the head councilor, both of them representing the current government.

I took a place nearby with my men. Our backs were against an outbuilding close by the palace. I wanted to be able to oversee the crowd, which was growing by the minute, and this gave me a good vantage point. We’d been there about thirty minutes, listening to the excited chatter of the Elves and watching the crowd, when some horns began to blow. The palace doors opened and first of all, the councilor appeared, looking self-conscious and dressed all in black. King Hendris came next, looking fairly regal and handsome—if you liked that type. I was growing partial to half-Elves myself.

But I noticed, Hendris wasn’t wearing his crown. His long, straight black hair flowed over his shoulders and the royal purple cape trimmed in ermine that he was wearing. He saw me right away and gave me an assessing look before nodding to me.

Finally, Killian appeared, looking down at his feet as he followed Hendris out. Hendris, who had gained the top of the stairs first, held out a hand to help Killian climb up the wide and perfectly safe steps, as if he were some damsel in need of assistance.

He looked effortlessly beautiful, of course, his long, white-streaked hair pulled severely back from his face and tied into a braid. The style accentuated his high cheekbones—which were their usual pale rose color—and his extraordinary eyes. How he managed to hide such beauty under a witch’s glamour for so long was truly a miracle. People actually gasped when he raised his face toward them and gave the crowd a tentative smile. I could see that Hendris was far from being immune to his charms too, as he seemed to have trouble tearing his eyes away from Killian’s face.

The councilor spoke first, explaining that Killian was the long-lost son of their “beloved” King Brendan, who had been so tragically killed years ago. He went on for a while about how the king had lost his son but searched for him everywhere after “the treacherous queen” had stolen the infant prince away. Despite the king’s best efforts, he’d never found the child. Though everyone had feared the worst, the prince was now miraculously restored to his home, just in time to save their magnificent true Blood Throne—and the city itself, which was magically linked to the crystal—from deteriorating without a “true-blood” on the throne to maintain its magic.

People listened as raptly as if they’d never heard the story before. Then it was Hendris’s turn to explain how Prince Bracca of the Fairies had shown up out of the blue, bringing Killian, the “heir apparent,” back home where he belonged. He described the scene when Killian dribbled his blood over the stone and then sat down on it and all hell broke loose. He phrased it much differently than that, of course. Then there was nothing much left to say—except for the fact that Killian was married to the Fairy Prince Bracca. They conveniently left that part out. The two Elves finally stepped aside and made way for their new king.

Killian stepped up looking shy and stood before the crowd, who soon quieted down to hear what he had to say. It wasn’t much. He told the crowd, speaking in a soft voice that they had to strain to hear, that he was happy to be able to restore the blood-stone and that he looked forward to learning more about this place where he was born and about his family here. He said that since he’d been away for so long, he had a great deal to learn about his new home.

“Hendris, your former king, has graciously offered to assist me, and the councilman has as well. Please be assured that everything in your government will continue to function as it always has, and after my coronation, I’ll have experts to help me govern until I feel a bit more confident. I’m thinking of appointing a Regent’s Council, until I can learn everything that I need to know to govern you successfully and to ensure the continued prosperity of the Dark Elf kingdom.”

A Regent’s Council? This was news to me and not happy news.

“As for who might be on this council, I’m thinking about a four-person group. it might be composed of your former King Hendris, and his head councilor, these two men on the dais with me, and in addition, my esteemed royal consort, who is also the Crown Prince and Heir Apparent of the Fairy Kingdom. Along with one other my husband shall name. I would then have the tie breaking vote, should it become necessary. I’ll let you know my decision soon.”

He stepped back then, and to my surprise the applause was thunderous. Killian turned his gaze directly to me. He stretched out his hand to me, asking me to come to him.

I admit I was stunned. We hadn’t discussed this at all, and it was the first I’d heard of any of it. In fact, the last discussion we had, I’d told him to name me as his Regent. I’d stormed out when he’d refused.

I didn’t particularly want to go take his hand, but how would it have looked if I didn’t? Besides, I could feel Hendris’s gaze on me too, and Killian had just made a huge concession. I knew exactly who I’d have join me on the council if I decided to do this and none of them were going to like it.

Perhaps I also needed to show Hendris, and this whole damn crowd of Elves, just who Killian belonged to. I didn’t like the way everyone was looking at him, as if any part of him belonged to them. Mind made up, I stepped over to the dais and took the stairs in a couple of bounds, going over to stand beside him. He slipped his hand in mine, and I could feel his gaze on the side of my face. It felt good to be close to him again, and there was no sense in denying it. I had let this whole thing go on for far too long and get way out of hand.

I kept my gaze on the crowd. I hadn’t seen any dissenters or heard any chatter about anyone not being happy that Killian was taking the crown, but Elves were unpredictable. I’d need to be vigilant. Hendris got back up in front of the crowd, looking a little surprised at Killian’s announcement, and not at all happy. I wondered if Killian had mentioned any of this plan of his to him as yet. I thought not. It seemed to be just as much a surprise to him as it had been to me. Whatever the case, Hendris named the Coronation date for Killian for four weeks from this day. I wasn’t surprised it would take that long.

That’s when I stepped up next to him. He looked at me in surprise, but he needed to get used to it. I looked out over the crowd and smiled.

“I am His Highness, Prince Bracca, son of King Larek. You may not have heard, but my father and I were the ones who first located Killian in the mortal realm and brought him here to you to restore Daeneid and his rightful place on the Blood Throne.”

I had to stop for the prolonged and excited cheering that went up. I turned and held my hand out to Killian, who came over at once to stand beside me. I held his hand up in mine and asked for quiet, and when the cheering died down a bit, I made my play.

“In the mortal realm, your future king, Killian, was a great and noble knight, who participated in the Tournaments. A Tournament, for those of you who don’t know, isa mock battle between knights and the nobles, showing off their skills and courage. They’re held to celebrate special occasions—like coronations—where the knights can practice their military skills in mock battle, indulge in a bit of pageantry, and display their chivalrous qualities and national pride. I propose we have one here to celebrate and commemorate his coronation.”

I barely got the last word out before the crowd erupted with excitement and cheers. Beside me, Killian was staring at me like I’d lost my mind, but I thought he really loved the idea. I think Hendris and his councilman may have been in shock, but they were beginning to come around too.

Deep down, I knew how appealing the idea was to them, just as it was to me. I knew how bloodthirsty and savage the Elves were. Like the Dark Fairies, they loved violence. Legends persisted among our people that the Fae were all descendants of those angels who had long ago fallen from heaven. A race of creatures who were basically savage, primitive beings who opposed the rule of any god, who loved war, and who generally created havoc and hassle.

“We can refine the details later, but there will be two groups of knights, numbering up to 100 on each side. One month from today—to give both sides time to practice. We will use lances, swords and shields that are blunted for safety. It would be the Elves against the Dark Fairies. Marshals will ensure there was no foul play, and the field of conflict would be on the plain just outside the gates. So that all can participate, we will allow foot soldiers to boost a side's chance of winning and a greater range of weapons.”

The cheering was so loud by this time that I had to end my speech. We both waved to the crowd, and I took Killian’s arm as we left the dais. I knew he was dying to speak to me or for me to speak to him, but there was literally no chance. We were surrounded by people all wanting to touch Killian or talk to him. I managed to tuck him against my side and get him back inside the palace, with the help of the palace guards and a few of my own men, who were unhappy about so many Elves surrounding me and had pushed forward to surround us.

Someone stopped Hendris, who was in front of us, on the way in, so I took a moment to turn and face Killian. I looked down on him and his exotic good looks and knew what I needed to do right away, or as soon as I could manage it. I needed to re-establish my claim and remind him who he belonged to. His face was only inches away, and he fluttered those long eyelashes of his at me and leaned into me. I noticed his breathing got faster as he did.

“Bracca, what was all that about?”

“I thought you’d like the idea.”

“I-I did. I do, but it was so unexpected.” He glanced up at me. “I should be mad at you,” he said, “And I am, except…it’s really good to see you too.”

“Is it?”

“Yes,” he said and swayed even closer. He looked up and pouted at me for a second. It was all I could do not to ravish him then and there. “You have a terrible temper, and you left me all alone. I didn’t even have any clothes.”

“Always a good look for you.”

“Don’t be rude.”

I gave him a little smirk. “You’re wearing a very expensive suit of clothing now. I see.”

“These are Hendris’s. He loaned them to me.”

“In that case, I’ll take great pleasure in ripping them back off of you.”

His eyes widened, then clouded with lust. “You can’t do that. These clothes belong to the king.” He was blushing, but I thought he might like my possessiveness over him. He should get used to it.

“But you’re the king now.”

His fingers found a button on my shirt, and he began to fiddle with it, twirling it around and around and keeping his face lowered, but still looking up at me from under his lashes. He was blatantly flirting. “You really won’t do that, will you?”

I smiled. “Watch me.”

He pretended to pout and turned as if to move away, but I caught his wrist and reeled him back in. “Don’t run from me, a chuisle . You’ve started this. Now stay and finish it.”

I might have relented and let him go if I hadn’t seen the naked lust in his eyes. I knew he wanted me as much as I wanted him, though it was hard for him to admit it. This was a game we were playing, he and I. And it was one I fully intended to win.

Hendris suddenly appeared to invite us to dine with him and the councilor later on. He was mostly addressing his comments to Killian, but I answered for him, smoothly cutting in.

“My consort is a little fatigued and needs to rest a while. Of course, afterward…”

After I’ve thoroughly fucked him until he can barely walk, that is... I left those words to be implied. I smiled at Hendris and settled Killian a little closer in my arms. “Afterward, we’ll be happy to join you.”

I could see by the stiffness of Hendris’s face that he may not have heard my thoughts, but he’d known exactly what I’d been thinking. I thought about winking at him, but I didn’t want to push it too far.

I took Killian’s arm and led him back upstairs to the room we’d been in earlier that week. I’d been concerned about privacy from Hendris, but that didn’t bother me nearly as much as before. I walked Killian straight over to the bed, pulling off his clothing as we went. I found a silver locket around his throat and held it in my hand.

“What’s this? Did Hendris give this to you?”

“No. It belonged to my mother. The lady at the inn gave it to me. She said she used to be one of my mother’s attendants.”

“Good,” he said softly, slipping it off over my head and putting it down on the table next to the bed. “Then I won’t have to break it and shove it down Hendris’s throat.”

“Bracca…he’s been very good to me.”

“Oh, I bet he has. Now it’s my turn.”

I threw his waistcoat and cravat on the floor, followed by his shirt. By that time, we were at the bed, so I threw him down on his back and enjoyed stripping off his boots and then his trousers. Next came his small clothes and those I simply ripped right off him as he made a sound suspiciously like a squeal and tried to get away. I caught him easily and threw him back down naked on his back against the pillows and then crawled on top of him to describe to him in detail exactly what I was going to do to him.

He surprised me by looking up at me and saying, “You talk too much. Get on with it.”

I laughed out loud and quickly divested myself of my clothing. He was beautifully made. His body wasn’t overly muscular, but he was perfectly formed, and he was fairly tall for a Fae creature—all lean muscle, as hard as the ice on the waves. His moonbeam-white skin was as warm as it was silky to the touch. I reached for the long, pale length of him, and it was like greeting a beloved friend. How could I have missed it so much after only one night apart? I took a great deal of interest in my own cock, but there was something about his that made me want to fondle and stroke it all the time. He pulled me down toward him and dropped another soft kiss on my lips and then trailed kisses down my throat. Impatiently, I thrust up against him, wanting to move things along, pushing my aching cock against his stomach and grinding into him a little.

I moaned and he smiled at me, carding his fingers through my hair. “We have all the time in the world now,” he said. “I was so afraid you’d really left me.”

“You’re mine, Killian, and I never give up on what belongs to me. You’d do well to remember that.”

Smiling and trembling, Killian opened his arms to me and began kissing and caressing me. I enjoyed it, but I had other plans for him.

I flipped him to his stomach and ran my tongue from his balls up to his entrance and listened to him making that noise again that was halfway between a scream and a howl. He was trying desperately to get away, but I just pulled him back and continued. He tasted so sweet I was afraid I’d spill my seed right then before I got inside him. Somehow, I held on and continued driving him out of his mind. I knew he loved how it felt but his mortal upbringing made him think this was wrong. It embarrassed him.

Meanwhile, my body was humming with desire for him. I placed one hand at the top of his ass and used my fingers to spread his cheeks wide open while my other hand reached between his legs and pulled his cock back toward me. When I had him right where I wanted him, I admired the delicious sight spread out in front of me. His quivering, twitching hole, his sensitive taint, his balls and the plump head of his cock. Starting with his leaking crown, my tongue swiped and swirled, moved up to mouth his balls, teasing him, and then dived straight into his tight pucker.

He cried out and tried to move away, but my hold on his cock kept him firmly in position. My mouth worked his most sensitive spots, sometimes nipping with my teeth…sometimes sucking…sometimes swirling my tongue. Killian made way too much noise the entire time. His fingers fisted and unfisted the sheet beneath him. He begged me, as his back arched gracefully. He tried desperately to pull away and then tried to push back against my mouth. As I pleasured him, I listened to him slowly coming undone.

When he finally collapsed in exhaustion, I positioned myself between his thighs. I reached for the bottle of oil on the table beside the bed—helpfully supplied by the servants I supposed. Pushing one of his legs up, I eased in a well-oiled finger. We both groaned and he cried out again, begging me this time. By the time I added another finger, much, much later, he was already almost a puddle on the bed. But when he felt the second finger enter, he arched his back, widened his eyes, and came all over again.

I bent to kiss him and made soothing sounds against his mouth, but I didn’t stop or slow down—I didn’t think either of us could have at that point. I continued to rock my fingers inside him and pulled him up to me as he cried out. I had no idea it would feel this good to be inside him again, and I lost control a little. Thankfully, I had great recovery powers. I soothed his cries and petted and kissed him until he began to want more. It was a testament to his youth and maybe his Fae strength that he was able to climax again. He turned his head and licked the corner of my mouth, and I gently bit his bottom lip.

“I love the way you make love to me, darling,” he said.

Darling? He’d never called me that name before, and I wasn’t sure I liked it. It was a mortal word, said to someone a mortal was in love with, the way I understood it. I didn’t know that I wanted to be someone’s darling, or even if I knew what that meant. It seemed to me that the word had strings attached. What did such a word entail, anyway? Did it promise things I didn’t necessarily need or want? Things I might not have inside me to give? I thought it probably asked a lot of a relationship that had only just begun. And it hadn’t started because of any love on my part either. I’d had to harden my heart against that emotion a long time ago and I think it had dried up.

Boldly, he gripped me and murmured to me. “I want this inside me.”

Did he now? I parted his thighs, and I pushed him over on his back. Then I lined myself up and pushed in, gently but insistently, not stopping when he cried out. Not stopping until I’d filled him. After a moment, the discomfort seemed to ease some for him, and I lay still inside him, letting him get used to this feeling of being full. Listening to his heartbeat…my nostrils filled with his scent.

When he began to beg me to move, to do something, I pulled out and pushed back in hard, impaling him, thrusting against him and reminding him of who he was in this relationship. I wanted more of him, and I was suddenly in a frenzy of need. I put a hand on his hip to hold him in place, because I couldn’t get close enough to him somehow, and the heat was curling in my belly again and tingling along my spine. I sat back, pulling him up with me so that he was impaled on me and sitting in my lap. I thrust upward again and again with power and strength, making him sob and cry out. I put my hand on him to stroke him and he began to come at my first touch, and this time I came right along with him. And for just a few moments, I was buried deep inside him, and I never wanted it any other way. His mouth opened in a silent “o,” a wordless cry.

I held him tightly afterwards, his head falling down on my shoulder, and I could feel his heart bumping rapidly against my chest. We sat there together until I softened and rolled him off my lap and over onto his back, his body limp and boneless. I rolled over too, so I could be closer to him. I put a leg over his, and after a long while, we made love again. And again and again, until he was totally mine, totally under my control again. When it was over, he fell back on the pillow, almost insensible. I gave him a little rest and then I kissed him awake.

“We need to talk about this Regency council you came up with and assigned me to.”

“Hmm?” he said, groggy and still half-asleep. “No, I didn’t assign you to it. I haven’t actually made up my mind about it yet. Actually, this whole thing was your idea.”

My idea? Infuriating child! “What are you talking about? How in the world do you figure that?”

“We were talking, and you said that King Edward had a Regent’s council, and I thought, what a good idea. That might solve everything.”

“First of all, we weren’t talking; we were arguing. And I never said that such a thing would be right for you. I told you to tell them that I’d be your Regent—the way things should be. And I certainly don’t remember you saying any of that would be a ‘good’ idea. In fact, we both got angry, and I walked out shortly after that.”

“But I’ve thought about it, and you explained to me that the entire council would make the decisions instead of just one person. That would allow me to have Hendris and his head councilor, whose name is Lord Harrill, by the way, as well as you. And then you can name someone that you trust to help us, and we’ll have a full Regent’s Council. And that way everyone will be happy.”

“I think I can assure you with little fear of contradiction that no one will be happy, least of all me. Hendris’s face looked as if he were sucking a sour pickle as you made your big announcement.”

“Oh, it did not.”

“It most certainly did. And mine probably did as well. I don’t agree with this decision, Killian, and I’m not interested in the job you assigned me to. I have my own kingdom to worry about.”

“Oh, you’re just being difficult now. If being one of a council of four is too burdensome a task, then how did you expect to do it all by yourself?”

“Maybe I simply don’t feel like arguing with those Elves about every little thing.”

“You don’t know that will happen, but if it worries you, then you’ll have someone on your side to help you. Someone who’s knowledgeable and that you can choose. Then it will be two against two, and I can break the tie.”

“It would serve you right if I did that.”

“You’re not listening to me. I want you to. Choose whomever you like as the fourth Regent council member.”

“Very well then. I choose my father, King Larek.”

He stared at me with huge eyes, not sure if I were serious. When he decided I was, he nodded, held his chin high and said, “Certainly, if that’s who you want. Go right ahead. It will be a wonderful council, with two kings and a royal prince to advise me. Though it does seem…”

“What?”

“As my old nurse used to say, ‘It seems like too many generals and not enough soldiers.’”

I had no doubt that it will be a disaster of unmitigated proportions. But he’d learn that soon enough. It wasn’t that I wanted him to fail. This had nothing to do with Killian—he was mine and I’d see to his needs. He’d never want for anything, and I’d make sure of that. But the Elves in general and the Dark Elves in particular, were not our allies and never had been. We maintained an uneasy truce with them, though, and over the years we had fought many times. Certainly, there was no love lost between us.

The whole point of going after Killian and bringing him here in the first place was that my father wanted to be the High King of the Northern Realm of the Liminal. That had always been the goal. If this kingdom were my father’s, with him in charge and crowned the king—or the King’s Regent, which was practically the same thing—then he would be well on his way to achieving his goal. It was why we’d searched for the true-blood prince and the only reason I’d married him. I certainly wasn’t in love with him. I barely knew him, after all. My father would have married the boy himself if not for my mother, who had powerful magic and refused to allow him to put her aside.

Now that I had, I didn’t regret it. Not in the least. As soon as Killian got this ludicrous idea of ruling Daeneid out of his head, I’d take him home with me and bring him back occasionally to maintain the throne with a few drops of his blood. I’d be good to him—I had no reason not to be, and I did care about him. He was very good looking, and I enjoyed having sex with him, and he seemed to enjoy it too. But first he had to get rid of these human ideas about love that filled his head. Marriage was more or less a business arrangement between two people. Nothing more and nothing less.

That was the plan, and Killian had somehow come to believe that he could deviate from that plan, but it simply wasn’t possible. For now, I’d make a trip home to speak to my father and inform him about what had transpired. He could decide what we needed to do from here.

Besides all that, I had to tell my father about the Tournament. We had to train our soldiers and make our plans. I’d heard that sometimes a melee at a Tournament actually developed into real battles. And once, a long time ago, joust had blown up into an open fight with a lot of violence. It sounded like a good time to me.