“It’s better than shiverin’,” he said with a small shrug. “Besides, I didnae think the smell o’ ale would offend ye so much since ye were happy tae drink so much o’ it last night.”
Elayne’s cheeks, already tinted pink from the cold, now turned a furious shade of red as her head whipped to the front, her jaw clenching tightly.
“I was saddened by the prospect o’ an unwanted marriage,” she reminded him. “Ye cannae blame me fer wishin’ tae forget as much as I could about it. But o’ course, I dinnae expect ye tae understand. Ye will never be in such a position.”
Dunn’s eyebrows knitted together in a frown. “Dae ye think I never have tae dae things I dinnae wish tae dae?”
“I dinnae think ye’ll have tae marry a terrible, vicious man,” Elayne said. “An’ ye should ken ye’re lucky fer that.”
“Perhaps,” said Dunn. “But what if I end up marryin’ a terrible woman?”
Elayne pinned him with an unimpressed gaze that told him everything he needed to know. It wasn’t the same, he supposed, and besides, no one would force him to marry like they were forcing Elayne. Her position was undoubtedly one of disadvantage and they both knew that well.
“Fine,” he said, relenting. “I suppose ye’re right. But that’s why I’m comin’ with ye. Tae save ye from this marriage.”
“Aye,” Elayne said, but she didn’t sound so convinced, as though she worried their plan wouldn’t work. If there was something she was hiding from him, Dunn didn’t know, but as far as he was concerned, there was little reason to worry. Why would anyone question their decision to marry? From what Elayne had told him, she had been at her aunt’s cottage for a sufficient amount of time to have met someone and fallen in love.
They fell into a silence, the two of them riding side by side through the path. Dunn soon noticed how the clouds had gathered over their heads, the storm having caught up to them though it wasn’t raining just yet. He cursed under his breath, knowing it wouldn’t be long until the first drops started to fall, and once the rain began, it wouldn’t stop for a long time.
The silence was cut by the sound of thunder, so close to them that his horse was spooked and Dunn had to tighten his hold on the reins, keeping it still. Elayne, though, wasn’t so lucky. Her horse was spooked as well, much more than Dunn’s, and all he could do was watch as it bucked and threw her off its back, dashing down the path towards the castle.
Elayne landed with a thud, but she managed to roll her body and avoid the worst of the impact. Still, Dunn couldn’t help but fear she had been injured and he quickly jumped off his horse, rushing to her, hands hovering over her body as he didn’t know if he should touch her.
“Are ye alright?” he asked, a hint of panic seeping into his voice. Elayne groaned, rolling onto her back as her features contorted into a grimace of pain. Dirt coated her cheek and the strandsof her hair, the brown of her dress even duller now that it was coated in dust. “Does it hurt?”
“O’ course it hurts,” said Elayne, but simply the fact that she could be annoyed meant she couldn’t have been that hurt from her fall. “I feel off a horse!”
“Aye, I saw,” said Dunn with a soft chuckle as he offered her his hand. Elayne took it gratefully and he helped her stand to her feet, still watching her carefully for any signs of severe pain as she dusted herself off. “Can ye walk?”
Elayne took a few tentative steps and nodded when she saw she could manage the pain. Dunn let out a sigh of relief, but he knew the aches would come. He, too, had fallen off horses many a time and the bruises that came with such a tumble were far from pleasant. But at least they were close to the castle, so Elayne wouldn’t have to ride for too long in that state.
Looking into the distance, she let out a heavy sigh. “Me horse… dae ye think we can go after it?”
“It went towards the castle,” said Dunn. He looked up at the sky, though he already knew what he was going to find there: nothing but grey clouds, heavy with water, and the occasional lightning in the short distance. “We’ll find yer horse on the way. We must hurry now before we’re caught in the middle o’ the storm.”
As he spoke, Dunn reached for Elayne and brushed the dirt off her cheek with his thumb. At first, she startled at the sudden touch, almost pulling away from him, but once she realized whatDunn was doing, she only remained still, letting him clean her face.
Her skin was burning under his touch, the color turning a charming pink. He had promised her that by the end of all this, she would be begging him for a kiss, and he was determined to do anything it took to make that promise come true, though now it seemed like it wouldn’t take too much.
Clearing her throat, Elayne took a step back from him, putting some distance between them. Instantly, Dunn missed the proximity, the way he could feel the warmth radiating from her body, but he didn’t try to pull her closer again. Seduction was a long game, he knew, and he would work on it for as long as it took.
“Let us head tae the castle, then,” said Elayne, but then she eyed both Dunn and his horse with hesitation. “Are we tae share the horse?”
“Och aye, she can handle it,” Dunn said, patting his mare on the flank. She had obediently stayed near him, munching idly at a bit of grass on the side of the path.
The color on Elayne’s cheeks intensified.
I see… she doesnae wish tae be so close tae me. Ach, it cannae be helped.
“Come,” Dunn said, offering her his hand to help her up onto the saddle. After another moment of hesitation, Elayne took it and climbed on, plastering herself to the front so that when Dunn joined her, they wouldn’t be touching.
Only her plan failed. There was no way for them to share the saddle without Dunn’s chest pressing up against her back, and it soon became evident to her, as she went rigid against him. With a sigh, Dunn began to steer the horse back onto the path, but it didn’t help that Elayne seemed determined to avoid his touch at all cost.
“Ye’ll have tae relax,” Dunn told her. “Or we’ll both fall off the horse.”
Elayne relaxed, but only enough to ride a little more securely. Dunn was certain the way she kept her back so straight could not possibly be comfortable, but she simply refused to lean against him. They rode in silence, the soft, accidental brushes of Dunn’s arms against her own as he handled the reins always making her jump, as though she never expected it, as though she couldn’t get used to it.
“Have ye never felt the touch o’ a man, lass?” he asked, only half-teasing. Surely, Elayne had no reason to be so uncomfortable near him. Servants like her always worked in close quarters, men and women together, so he couldn’t be the first man to ever brush against her like that, in an innocent way.
