Aydra forgot they were merely beneath the arched gateway. In full view of the castle entrance and the Belwark guards walking along the catwalk above.
Draven’s arm draped around her waist. The world spun around her as she surrendered into his embrace. His lips were still on hers, fingers remaining threaded around her throat.
An open mouth hit her collar, and Hagen’s firm chest was against hers.
She groaned into Draven’s mouth as Hagen grasped her hips and she felt slight firmness on both her backside and her front. Draven’s smile curled on her mouth. She was vaguely aware of her feet moving, of the three backing up because all she could concentrate on was Hagen’s mouth on her throat and Draven kissing her. Her legs were numb from the herb, her chest fluttering. She sank into Draven and curled a hand back around his neck.
A door rattled as they knocked into it—the stairwell door.
And Aydra was locked between them.
Aware of every friction on her front and her back. The hand Draven had wrapped around her waist moved lower, hand delving through the high slit on the mermaid gown. He grazed over the underwear she’d worn, groaning into her mouth as he felt her wetness through the fabric, and Hagen grabbed onto her opposite leg.
“Do you want this, my Queen?” Draven whispered as she felt Hagen pulling her thigh up around his waist.
Aydra sank against him, opening up to both and becoming dizzy at the weight of the herb and her jagged breaths. “Yes,” she managed, her hand curling in Draven’s hair.
His amused huff tickled her ear, and she opened her eyes to find Hagen watching her with a darkened gaze. His hand traveled up her bared thigh, higher and higher as he held her eyes, and he paused as he squeezed her ass.
“You’ll have to come to Dahrkenhill for it, Sun Queen,” Hagen breathed, his words tickling her lips.
As Hagen took a step back, she nearly collapsed forward, but Draven caught her around the waist. She had to blink hard to bring herself out of the heated daze, even clearing her throat and blowing out an audible breath as Draven chuckled in her ear.
Hagen was smirking at her when she straightened. She reached for Draven’s hands on her waist and entwined her own with his, toying with his large fingers against hers in a teasing manner, and Draven kissed her cheek.
“Dahrkenhill,” she repeated, eyes dancing at Hagen. “I look forward to it, Elder.”
The Blackhand’s gaze drifted over her as he puffed on his pipe again. “I’ll send a fucking carriage,” he bantered.
Aydra left the pair after giving Draven a lingering kiss and a coy glance over her shoulder to Hagen that made Draven shake his head. His friend let out a low whistle once she was across the courtyard, and then he grinned in Draven’s direction.
“You’ve no idea what you just unleashed with her,” Draven said, his own eyes wandering over his love’s figure as she disappeared into the castle doors. “She’ll have me meeting her in Dahrkenhill when the snows stop.”
Hagen chuckled low and clapped Draven’s shoulder as they turned towards the market. “Marry that one, mate,” he said. “You can have the ceremony on the eastern cliffside of Mons when she drags your ass to my mountains. Neutral territory. Perhaps I’ll help you consummate the marriage bed,” he winked.
Draven scoffed. “Marry…” He shook his head at the fantasy and ran a hand through his hair. “Venari King married to his enemy? Sure the Chronicles would love that.”
And it hurt his heart to say the next words out loud, so much so that he started twisting the old ring on his finger.
“She’d be condemned more than they already wish to see her. Stripped of throne and title. Forced into exile or even death. Never to see her family again.”
A heavy sigh left Hagen as he squeezed Draven’s shoulder, aware of the turmoil running through his friend.
“Leave it to you to love the one person on this land you shouldn’t,” Hagen said solemnly.
“Seems fitting after everything I’ve done, doesn’t it?”
Though the banter felt forced.
Hagen’s hand dropped, and he shook his head as they rounded the corner into the market. People stopped what they were doing and watched them walk down the street, a few backing into shadows and shielding children into shops.
“They always like this?” Hagen muttered as he noticed the people gawking in terror.
“Usually,” Draven said, keeping his head high.
“Fuck of a welcome wagon,” Hagen grunted. “Where are we going?”
“Nadir wanted to meet on the beach,” Draven said.
