by D. R. Rosier
Huh, she knew their names? He was mated to a hot redheaded stalker that could explode in anger without notice, not to mention turn into a fire breathing dragon. If she wasn’t so damn special in a million other ways…
He replied, “That would be wise, tomorrow we can get married? Then we can stay together. There’s a place to get it done in the village, unless… do you want a big wedding?”
She shook her head, “No, I just want you.”
He considered that this might be a test of some kind, but his bond indicated she was telling the truth so… Well, it was normal women that dreamed of weddings, he imagined dragons dreamed of meeting and claiming their mates so he decided it was safe to take it at face value. He knew he was overthinking it, but the bond thing was new.
She reclaimed his attention as she added in a soft sultry tone, “So… if we have to get separate rooms tonight, maybe we should… take a nice walk in the woods when we stop for lunch?”
He felt his cock stir at the thought, and his throat was suddenly a little dry so he had to clear it, “That sounds like a wonderful idea Steph…”
His mate was dazzling.
Chapter 8
They arrived at the inn close to sundown, their walk had taken hours and he thought it was lucky that it wasn’t full dark when they reached the village. It was rather uncomfortable, Lia and Jetta were close to him, perhaps he had let them get too close, because they didn’t look happy at all to see Stephanie at his side. They didn’t make a scene of course, that would probably have led to his father punishing them for disrespecting the gentry and trying to rise above their station.
But, by their body language, he could tell they were hurt, and he felt a little guilty about it, but on the other hand they all knew this day would come sometime. He hadn’t made the rules, he just had to follow them. Besides, he wouldn’t have given up Stephanie for any reason.
Early the next morning they ate quickly and headed to the keep. He was kind of glad he was planning to move out of Clearwyn, it would have been too awkward to keep going to that inn anytime in the future.
When they arrived, there was no one in the stable, so he unsaddled the horses, fed and brushed them, and then walked with Stephanie beside him up to the keep. He didn’t waste any time once he got inside, and grabbed the first servant he saw.
“Where is my father this morning?”
The servant bowed his head, “The study my lord.”
He nodded and walked that way, Stephanie had a hand on his arm. He hoped to run into his sister and explain, but he didn’t feel her magic in the keep. Maybe she was out for one of her morning rides… which he finally realized had probably been a euphemism for morning flight the last two or three years. No wonder she hadn’t wanted her older brother coming along anymore. He just remembered, she’d been about to turn thirteen when she’d asked him to give her privacy for her morning rides, stating she was old enough to go without a keeper.
Huh. It was all so obvious, there were so many clues scattered around in his past. But the clues proved an outrageous premise, which was probably why the secret hadn’t been exposed yet. That… and a judicious application of mind magic on occasion, probably.
He knocked on his father’s study, and after waiting a moment, opened the door and walked in. His father was behind the desk and looked up, frowning at the woman on my arm. My older brother George looked confused, and the eldest… Mal just looked bored, but it was an affection, his sharp eyes belied the act and studied the two of them intensely.
He said, “My lord, this is Lady Stephanie, I would like permission to marry.”
His father frowned, “No. If you insist on being a useless wastrel soaking up my ale, eating my food, and living under my roof, you will do as I say and find a more useful match than… some lowborn lady from another kingdom.”
He felt Stephanie tense, he did as well. He’d expected it of course, but it still bothered him. The man was his father after all, it was why he’d spent so much time on the road the last ten years, as soon as he’d turned sixteen.”
“Very well father, I will be taking my leave of the family.”
Mal looked incredulously at him, then studied Stephanie again as if to reassess. He had no doubt Mal wouldn’t understand his decision, his older brother had seemed to inherit his father’s madness and resulting behavior.
His father narrowed his eyes, “Why now?”
That… was a strange question to ask. Were his father’s plans about to come to fruition? He thought his father looked a little paranoid, and for the first time he sensed danger in the room, not just abusive neglect and malicious greed.
He shrugged and tried to sound baffled, “I’m not sure what you mean my lord. Now, because now is when I met and fell in love with Lady Stephanie. This is not a political match as you so astutely stated a few moments ago father. Obviously I have more… personal reasons.”
His father’s eyes narrowed for a moment, but then seemed to clear of suspicion. That made him very suspicious, what was his father up to that made him think he’d leave if he knew about it?
“Very well, I will allow you vising rights if you wish it, but you will not spend more than a day at a time in this keep again.”
He bowed low, “Yes my lord,” and they retreated from the room.
He brought her to his rooms, and packed some clothes and other keepsakes, and had the servants bring it down to the stables. After they left the room he started to chant, and a secret compartment in his room popped open. He pulled out what looked to be a normal silk coin purse, and tied it to his sword belt and tucked it behind.
Stephanie raised an eyebrow.
He smiled, “A gift from my mother before she died. She was a talented mage, the bag is much bigger on the inside and holds… my wealth inside.”
Stephanie hugged him, and gave him a deep kiss, and they headed back downstairs and out to the stables.
“Creekshire?” he asked, his lips twitching. It might even be a little entertaining, as he could poke fun at his liege lord whenever they met.
She giggled, “You’re an evil man my lord.”
He grinned, “Felt that over the bond, did you?”
While he was saddling the horses, his sister rode in and dismounted.
He gave her a hug, which obviously startled her, they didn’t hug very often, but he wasn’t sure when he would see her again so...
“I’m leaving sis, this is Stephanie, my fiancé, for about another hour. I think I’ll wind up in Creekshire if you ever want to visit.”
Kari smiled at Stephanie, “Nice to meet you my lady, so you’re stealing my brother away?”
Stephanie nodded, “He stole me actually. I’m just along for the ride.”
He snorted and shook his head, and they mounted their horses.
Kari narrowed her eyes and looked at him, “Creekshire is pretty far brother.”
He shrugged and said casually, “Not if you fly. I’d like to see you in all gold one day sis,” he winked.
He really enjoyed the look of shock on her face as he lightly kicked his horse’s sides and rode out of the stables at a slow walk. It wasn’t often he got to flatfoot his sister like that, she was always clever.
Stephanie muttered as she followed, “You are evil my lord.”
He laughed, “You said that already my lady.”
She muttered playfully, “It bears repeating my lord.”
They were married in a short ceremony and their names were put down in the noble rolls. It would eventually make its way to the King’s castle to be recorded in the central archives. He’d been more excited than nervous about it, because in a way the marriage was so much less than a mating bond. He was already hers for life, and she was his, their lives were cemented as one by both love and magic. Their names in a book and a public vow was almost… anti-climactic after that powerful and meaningful moment in the woods when they’d joined for the first time.
All it really meant was they could be seen together
now, and not worry over censure.
Even so, they were eager to consummate their marriage, or possibly eager to just simply make love again, but neither of them wanted to use the inn in town. That would be… rather awkward and inconsiderate as well, Stephanie wasn’t cruel and had no need to rub it in Jetta’s and Lia’s faces, all she cared about was what happened now and in the future.
So long before the noon bell they were back on the road and heading east toward Creekshire.
If they managed not to stop for too long of a lunch, they should arrive at the village across the border by late afternoon. He didn’t want to wait, but he also did. He wanted there to be a mattress beneath them for once. They were riding along chatting when the alarm went off in his head, and he pulled his crossbow and cocked it with a two-word spell before he even saw the enemy.
Fifteen bandits ran out of the woods, and although he was in shock that they’d dare attack a knight, even at fifteen to one odds, his training ensured he didn’t hesitate a moment before he aimed his crossbow and fired. He took two down in quick succession, then jumped off his horse and pulled his sword.
He’d heard Stephanie chanting for about ten seconds, and suddenly a cone of fire left her palm, expanding as it went out. She had the power of a true mage, much stronger than his weaker version. Eleven of the thirteen men that had almost closed with him went up in flames and turned to ash. Two had managed to dodge the flames.
He lunged forward and slit the throat of one before he could recover and regain his feet. The second man jumped up and ran back toward the forest. He frowned, grabbed his crossbow, and shot the fleeing bandit in the leg. The man went down screaming.
“That… was an impressive spell love,” he told Stephanie as he walked toward the man.
She smiled at him wryly, “Well you know me my lord, I just love fire.”
He snorted, even as he realized how inappropriate their joking was, but it helped. Sometimes macabre things happened in his world as a knight, a good sense of humor was essential. Or perhaps, a twisted sense of humor would be a better description.
He asked in a faux sounding bored voice, “Who sent you, no bandit is stupid enough to attack a dragon slayer and a mage just for a coin purse.”
The guy glared up and opened his mouth, “I’m not…”
The bandit’s words cut off with a scream as Derig kicked his leg.
Derig growled, “Who sent you?”
The man was gasping in pain, and said, “Mal my lord, Mal Melnott.”
He frowned, “Do you have proof?”
The man shook his head, “No my lord, the message was sent with a simple spell.”
He nodded, he figured that. There was no point in even bothering to pursue it then, it would be a bandit’s word against the man who would inherit a barony. Without proof it wasn’t worth even trying to go after his brother.
“What do you know about what their plans?”
The man looked terrified when he answered, “I don’t know, I swear. We just attack who he says to and get paid, that’s all.”
He believed the man. What was his family up to? He also realized that maybe he hadn’t been playing a heartless asshole well enough to be believed by his father, or he would probably be a part of the plans. For some reason, that annoyed him more than the bandit attack did, he’d been sure his father had no clue.
He took Stephanie’s hand and walked away. He saw no reason to kill the guy, but he’d probably bleed out anyway, after all his crossbow bolts were meant to take down a dragon, the bandit’s leg was… pulverized in places.
Stephanie asked, “What now?”
He frowned, “We go to Creekshire. I have no proof, I can’t challenge my own father, the king would hang me unless I had indisputable proof, and my brothers are in on it. I will message my sister though, and let her know to be careful. It makes me wonder though, why do anything, the old duke can’t have much time left.”
She nodded thoughtfully, “Maybe he wants to be more than just a duke. Maybe that’s just his first step.”
He shook his head, there was a horrid thought, his father as king. He would… well he wasn’t really sure.
“Maybe, but without proof, a false accusation would just get us hanged. The King’s guards and mages are the best in the kingdom, so…”
She sighed, “I know, but perhaps a discreet word in the right ear, instead of an outright accusation would do the trick.”
He nodded in thought, “Lara?”
She grinned, “Yes, I think she’s already friends with Duchess Katherine.”
He thought about that for a while, it was probably the best they could do, it would be up to others to stop his father if it was possible. He knew his father was ambitious, but this was a new level he’d hadn’t expected.
He asked, “Do you suppose it’s just blind ambition, or does he have a goal?”
She shrugged, “Like what?”
He didn’t know, but he could speculate, “Well is it just the power of being king, or will he start invading our neighboring kingdoms, or… maybe it’s more personal than that. Dragons for instance, he did lose his mind after all when my mother died.”
She frowned and looked down in thought, “It won’t help anything trying to understand a disturbed mind, I’m sure he doesn’t think right anymore.”
He nodded and dropped it, this was supposed to be their wedding day, a happy one, not… what it was turning into. There wasn’t anything he could do about it anyway, he’d let Stephanie pass the word quietly through the princess, and hope that was enough. Even the idea it had something to do with the king was merely guesswork. He did remember though, to use the spell and communicate with his sister, he just hoped she’d stay out of it, he wanted her to avoid danger…
Chapter 9
They rode for a while in silence, finally he said, “You’re mine, and I’m yours…”
She looked over at him hearing the but in his voice, “Yes?”
“But I don’t really know much about you, outside of the fact you’re perfect of course my lady. And that you were watching out for the princess. So… tell me something?”
She smiled softly, “I like fire, did I mention? What, like my favorite color? Or hobbies?”
He nodded, “Yes to both, but I’m going to guess red is your favorite color. Hobbies, because I was planning our manor house and… I wasn’t sure what you would want. I mean, besides spending time together what do you like to do, should we have a garden, a sewing room?”
He snickered at that last suggestion.
She frowned, “I don’t actually know, now that you ask. I’ve spent so much of my life as Lara’s shadow. I love to fly, and I’m going to want to spend time with you, not go off on my own a lot. I love flowers, but hate gardening, so we’ll need one of those. I don’t have the patience for sewing either. What about you?”
He frowned in thought, dragon slaying, wenching, and drinking. He would need new hobbies now. If he wanted to live.
He laughed, “I guess my lady, that we will find out together. I think I’ve got spending time with you so far.”
They discussed a few possibilities, and matched up fairly well under riding, helping villagers that were left destitute, or broken from dragon attacks, she even indicated she’d want to come along on his dragon hunts, which made sense after a fashion, dragon or not the feral ones needed to be put down. But it also made him a little nervous, he wasn’t stupid enough to tell her it was too dangerous for her though.
When they arrived in the town, they put the horses in the stables and went into the inn. Dinner was a venison stew, served with fresh bread, and chased down by some beer. He kept the conversation light, and by the sparkle in her hazel eyes, he knew her mind was upstairs as well. He couldn’t seem to ever get enough of her.
Her warm eyes and fresh face with her long eyelashes and flowing long red hair. Even her petite curvy body added to it, she had the look of fresh innocence, and at the same time was so… incredibly sexy. It
brought out both strong protective instincts, and his need to have her. Add their intense magical bond, and he simply couldn’t resist her at all.
It was more than just the attraction, when she spoke he listened, he loved to listen to her voice, and he found she usually had something worthwhile to say. She wasn’t a pushover either, bond and in love or not, his or not, she’d let him know when he fucked up.
They finished their meal and retired upstairs, he was intensely aware of her touch on his arm. An innocent public contact that nonetheless made his heart race in anticipation of more. When they got in the room, he locked the door and was satisfied when no one else came up after them, and he pulled her into a kiss.
She moaned breathily into his mouth through her slightly parted warm silky lips, her body rubbed up against his in desire, and he didn’t think she even knew she was doing it.
He broke the kiss and started the bath, and then returned to her, claiming another kiss before they slowly undressed each other. He’d seen her naked before, many times, but his eyes feasted on every inch of newly bared flesh as he slowly removed his wife’s and mate’s clothes one piece at a time, while she removed his.
He took a moment to admire her tight supple body, but his eyes were inexorable pulled back up to her hazel eyes which now showed lust and desire. He wondered if he would ever get used to the idea of her being his, and what he’d done to deserve such a wonderful thing to come to pass.
He kissed her softly for a moment, and then pulled her to the bathtub, stopped the water, and carefully heated it with a quick spell before they both stepped in. He could see his own urgency echoed in her eyes, he wanted to take her hard, fast, and right this moment. But he put it off for now, and took his time. He grabbed the soap and slowly started to wash her, as she returned the favor and ran her hands over him.
He was slow, thorough, and teasing as he cleaned her body, ensuring he caressed, touched, and teased every part of her. They were both breathing heavily before they reached the center of their lover’s body, and cleaned there as well.
