Galien’s heart thumped a steady rhythm and lulled her into a peaceful state. His forgiveness washed over her, and she tightened her arms around his waist, wanting to be as close to him as possible. Her heart swelled with affection for this man who had stormed into her life, rescued her from certain misery with a foreign mercenary, and took his vows to her seriously even before he’d gotten to know her well.
“Are you all right, wife?”
“Aye, my lord. I am well.” She nuzzled his chest, inhaling his masculine scent and sighing into his tunic. The aching in her core pulsed harder, and she squirmed and detected the hardness of his manhood beneath her punished bottom. She tilted her face up and Galien captured her lips, pressing his mouth to hers and thrusting his tongue inside.
His rough manner stoked the flames of her desire to burn hotter and she moaned as he kissed her. He lifted her and arranged her legs to straddle him while she continued sitting on his lap, and this position allowed her to feel the brunt of his arousal through his leggings, the hard part of him that heused to conquer her and bring her to the heights of the clouds. No, the stars and the moon.
“Does my wife want a cock inside her?” He pulled back and cupped her face, and her cheeks burned with the coarseness of his speech.
“My lord,” she said in a hushed, scandalized voice.
He grinned and flipped her around, placing her atop the blankets on her back. She winced at the feel of her sore arse brushing against the covers, but she spread her legs in invitation, her pulse thudding as he stripped off his clothing. His cock jutted out, so long and so thick.
“My lady,” he said, mimicking her tone.
She giggled and sat up on her elbows, eager for him to advance on her.
He gripped his cock and a dark look crept over him as he situated himself atop her, aiming his length for her quim’s wet, aching opening. Rubbing the tip up and down, he teased her entrance with the softest touches, driving her into a fever of longing.
“Cup your breasts, my lady. Touch yourself.”
Her hesitation lasted but an instant, and his ardent look prompted her hands to her breasts. She cupped the mounds and squeezed, kneaded, and ran her fingertips over her hardened rosy peaks. He rewarded her obedience with a press of his thumb to her pulsating nub, and she lifted her hips to meet his firm caresses as he swirled moisture atop that sensitive spot.
Leaning over her, he trailed kisses up and down her neck and licked the soft hollow at the base of her ear. He moved lower, nibbling her flesh and grazing his teeth over her breasts. A hot spike of desire pierced her when he flicked her taut peak with his tongue, and she arched into him as he moved lower still, and lower, until…
She saw the stars approaching, felt the majestic night descend upon her in a haze as Galien lapped at her wet center, licking her folds over once before focusing his attentions on her throbbing nubbin, circling that swollen bit of flesh until the stars transpired and sparkled bright in the blackness that consumed her. She ground herself against his mouth and rode out the crashing waves, hearing the roar of the water in her ears, or perhaps it was the beating of her heart. She wasn’t sure. But she fell apart in his arms over and over again that night, spreading her legs as he pumped into her and spilled his seed, and even as she straddled him and rode his thick cock while he guided her movements.
Before she drifted into a restful sleep, he kissed her forehead and caught her eyes in a lingering stare so intense she feared his earlier anger had returned, but his words dispelled her worries. “I love you, Claire. With all that I am, I love you.”
She smiled and kept her eyes open as long as her fatigue allowed it, never wanting this day to end. “I love you, Galien.”
* **
The next day she watched him ride off into the snow-covered forest with his men, her heart heavy and light at the same time. His dire sense of duty dictated he hunt down the Hohenzollern men and she wished he didn’t have to endure such danger, but he had confessed his love to her oh so tenderly the night before. She wavered between heartbreak and absolute elation during the next three days as she awaited his return. She wished to stay in her chambers and keep vigil at the window, but she was the lady of this household, and she had duties to attend to just as Galien did, so she made herself busy with her normal routine and maintained a presence in the halls. She also comforted the women whose husbands had accompanied Galien on his search, hugging them to her side and promising the men would return soon.
She hoped she spoke the truth, and it took all of her strength to hold her head high around the keep and project confidence. In the privacy of her chambers at night though, she curled into a ball beneath the blankets and cried silent tears, wrapping her arms around her body to fight off the pervasive loneliness. Apprehension ravaged her senses, leaving her sick to her stomach and barely able to eat. Was this how her mother had felt each time her father rode off to battle?
The clouds blocked out the sun most days, but at least it didn’t snow again. The cold wind blew across the village and whistled against the walls of the keep. She prayed for Galien’s safe return at least ten times during every hour of every day, keeping a constant vigil in her heart. The men who stayed behind kept watch over the keep and reported back to her often, though there wasn’t much to report. A lack of news was preferable to somber news, she knew, but when a full six days passed, the bleakest scenarios played out in her mind.
She stared across the darkness of Minrova at the end of the sixth day, watching as the sun set beyond the snow-covered mountains. She felt as cold inside as the top of the farthest peak. Standing at the window with a blanket draped around her shoulders and her hair cascading down her back, she willed Galien and his men to ride into the keep.Come back to me, husband, please.
A sickeningly familiar sight lit up the sky, and Claire rushed to get dressed and put on her boots, once again wishing for her knife. If she lived through this, she would get another weapon, even if she had to sneak it behind Galien’s back.
She glanced outside and spotted three distinct fires. Panic crashed over her, and she rushed out of her chambers, determined to ensure the survival of Galien’s people. Her people. They were her people too.
A white-faced Erwyn rounded a corner and bumped into her. “Milady! We’re under attack!”
Claire reached for the girl’s hands. “I know, and I have a very important job for you, Erwyn. You must gather all the women and children and head for the storage rooms off of the kitchen. It’s warm there and close enough to the back entrance and the great hall that you have two options of escape if the walls of the keep are breached.”
The fear marring Erwyn’s face soon gave way to a purposeful, confident expression. “Aye, milady. I will do so at once.” The girl turned and hurried away, knocking on doors as she moved down the hall to summon the women and children into hiding.
Claire ran past her and stomped down the stone steps into the great hall, and exited the keep and found Galien’s men mounting their horses in the bailey. She sought out Sir Ceryn, one of her husband’s cousins, and the knight in charge of his remaining men.
“Sir Ceryn! Sir Ceryn!” She bounded to him just as he prepared to mount his horse. He paused and peered at her through the slit in his helmet, and the sight of his full armor filled her with dread. Their keep was under a true attack, and judging by the shouts spilling in from beyond the walls of the outer bailey, she feared the enemy outnumbered them.
“My lady, you must remain in the keep. We will protect you, but you must stay inside.”
“Any sign of Galien or his men?”
