“Your first warrior,” William said. “And your first order. How did that feel?”
“Not my first warrior and not my first order, William.” She rode onto her toes and kissed his mouth. “You were my first.” Another kiss. “And my first order was for you to kiss me.”
He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her up against him, and she felt his body respond to her. And he kissed her. More than a kiss, he claimed her. She tasted the passion in him as he possessed her. Lifting his mouth from hers, he smiled at her, and it warmed her as no fire could.
“I cannot promise obedience, but I pledge to be faithful and to always be at your side,” he began. “And to love you, Brienne. If you will have me?”
The love in his gaze was all she needed to see before giving her answer.
“Aye. I willhave you,” she said, emphasizing the last words. He laughed and kissed her, hearing it.
“First, things to see to. Then thehavingwill begin.”
Marcus watchedas the priests gathered, forming a circle around those who had fought the battle. Then, nodding to the couple, he watched as they came forward together, hands linked as they’d been since the ritual.
Though this was not a duty he’d performed often or recently, he’d agreed to witness the giving and receiving of vows, joining the lives of these two whose souls and blood had been united already. Now it was time to give their hearts.
As they spoke the words that would make them husband and wife, Marcus smiled and guided them, just as he had before for others in his care and would again. These two had taken on the mantle of leadership, the first two of the bloodlines to rise and the first two to be proven in battle against the evil one. They would lead the journey as they sought the next circle and lead the struggle as some lived and some died.
He could feel not only the love between the two of them, but also the way it sparked their powers even more. They would be more together as one than the sum of them separately would be. Something they would learn very soon.
As they spoke, tiny glimmers of light appeared and floated above them in the air, sparkling and shimmering, forming shapes and signs that only he and Aislinn could see. Their gazes met, and she smiled, for they bore witness to the blessing of the gods they served.
It was right. It was blessed. It had been foretold.
His own powers surged, letting him know that the prophecy they needed would be given soon.
After the ceremony, they shared a simple meal before seeking rest. This endless day had proven a success—the one whose name he dared not speak remained imprisoned in the timeless chasm and one gate had been sealed. They needed rest and healing so that they could begin the fight anew.
As William and Brienne walked out of the camp toward a more private place for their first night together, Marcus summoned the priests. They needed to pray and offer thanks to the gods. And they needed to wait for the words to be given to them.
Rest would have to wait on the gods, even as they did.
ChapterTwenty-Six
The path wound down the hill and through a small copse of trees until it ended near the stream. The night grew chilly, as the beginning of spring in Scotland was never warm. It mattered not to him, and from the becoming flush in her cheeks, his wife did not notice it. He lifted the torch to show the path. Aislinn had whispered of preparations, and then she’d blushed, knowing what this night would bring.
William had been living in a constant state of arousal for Brienne since their first meeting, and no efforts on his part to douse that desire had worked. And that one night, when he had held her naked body to his, feeling her arousal and watching her peak, had been a torturous one for him.
But this night . . .
They reached the stream and found a tent set up there. Roger stood before it, waiting for them. Brienne, fearless, brave Brienne, tucked in close to him, became suddenly shy.
“Roger,” he greeted the man, and handed him the torch. They would have no need for it.
“Will.” Roger held the tent open for him.
Inside was more comfortable than he could have expected. It would not be high enough for him to stand straight, but Brienne would fit nicely. Thick, lined blankets lay in one corner, with more piled on top. A skin of liquid, some food and bread, and an unlit candle sat on a small stool that served as a table. It would do nicely.
“See you both in the morn,” Roger said, and with a bow and a wink at Brienne, he walked whistling back up the path. Only when the sound and light disappeared over the hill did Will let out the laugh that he held inside.
“Come. It will be warm inside.” He felt the slight hesitation in her body. “Surely you are not nervous over this small thing,” he said, kissing her on the mouth that beckoned him endlessly.
“Small thing?” she asked.
“Oh, aye, you have seen it.” He was teasing her, hoping to ease her nervousness. “We will do only what feels pleasurable to you. You remember how it felt that first time?” Her body shuddered. She remembered. “Let me show you that pleasure again.”
She nodded and went into the tent as he held the flap open for her. Once he closed it, the enclosure grew warmer just by having them in it. When he reached for the candle, she placed her hand on his arm to stop him.
