by N L Nold
The woman gave her an assessing stare to make sure she understood that Reign was still not trusted. She patted Reign’s shoulder and stepped around to her side.
“I am going to have the kitchen send up some food. Now if you would please excuse me, I’m sure you would like to speak with your men as well as get cleaned up.”
She sniffed towards Reign scrunching her nose up in distaste. She called over her shoulder to Eerikki
“Be sure she is more… well more when you present her to the court.”
With that she swept out of the room just as she came in, the door shutting and locking behind her once more.
The fury Reign felt towards her men had mostly subsided instead now directed more towards this so-called queen of the fae. She looked to the three men again all standing in front of her once more. Abban produced a hesitant smile, Eerikki looked to her with uncertainty, and Maikoh stood arms crossed over his chest not willing to meet her eyes.
They all looked guilty, apologetic but guilty. Was she foolish to place her trust in these men so soon? It certainly seemed so. Looking to Eerikki once more
“I wish to bathe according to your mother I am not presentable.”
She made sure to insert as much venom as possible into her words. He nodded his head
“Of course, anything Reign absolutely anything you need.”
He opened the door to what she presumed was his bedroom.
“You may use my bathing chamber; each room has one but if you’re ok with it I’d like you to use mine.”
He was so different from the grumpy fae she had become accustomed to in there short time together. He at least had the decency to look ashamed of how his mother had just treated her.
Reign took sure steps toward Eerikki, expressing her anger with each stride. She needed time to think, to process all that had occurred over the past few days. The fae stepped back from the door holding it open as far as he could, ensuring to give reign plenty of room.
She walked by him and into the room taking in the luxury that extended into his bed chamber. The room was carved from the tree just like the others she had seen, it had a polished marble fireplace off to the right with a large fur rug of some kind laid carefully in front of it.
A chair sat just to the side of the fireplace a small table stacked high with books. There where books set upon almost every surface of the room and several full shelves lining the walls as well.
Seeing all the beautiful pages made Reign wish she knew how to read, Drogan however didn’t find her education to be a priority.
The room was full but didn’t feel cluttered, instead the soft glow from the fire and lived in feel gave it a homey comforting vibe that Reign loved.
She stepped further into the room placing her hand on one of the large columns that adorned each corner of the massive bed. They to where carved from wood in an intricate pattern. She could feel Eerikki’s eyes on her back as she took in his room but was unwilling to meet his stare.
“The bathing chamber?”
She let the question linger in the air knowing the fae heard her.
Light footsteps sounded followed by the soft opening of a door to her left. Reign turned and headed straight into the bathing chamber once again not looking to the fae.
The room she stepped into was straight out of a fairy tale. A large wooden pool was carved into the floor steam rising off the water that filled the basin from a waterfall overhead. There was soft moss and beautiful leafy plants covering the walls no doubt from the heat and moisture emitted by the bath.
There was a privy and a much smaller version of the bath with a mirror hung over it. She was unsure of the use of this smaller bathing tub but wasn’t about to ask the fae either.
Too tired to care about Eerikki standing behind her she began to strip out of her filthy clothes. She heard the door close behind her and assumed that Eerikki had stepped out of the room.
Finally removing her chest wrap and underwear she tossed them to the side and didn’t even try to hold back the moan that escaped her lips as he stepped into the warm soothing water.
“That sound will never get old, I just wish I was the one causing you to make it.”
She would have jumped had she not been so exhausted both physically and mentally. Reign ignored the fae enjoying the luxurious waters as they soothed her sore muscles and washed away the filth that had accumulated on her skin.
Taking a deep breath, she sunk completely under the water enjoying the peace and serenity the water held.
Only when she could no longer hold her breath did she emerge eyes closed. She felt fingers on her wiping the wet hair from her face. She didn’t want to open her eyes, she wanted to enjoy his touch for a little longer pretending everything was right with the world.
Pretending the caress she now felt was from a lover.
Knowing she couldn’t pretend though she opened her eyes finding the beautiful gray eyes of Eerikki staring back at her.
“I trusted you”
Reign meant it to come out strong and angry but it came out week almost a whimper. The fae said nothing only stared deep into her eyes, as if searching her soul. He leaned forward brushing his lips against her cheek before arriving next to her ear. She felt his warm hand slide up her leg as his breath tickled her ear.
“Don’t say anything just listen, I know that you think you understand what is happening but you have no idea. My mother is no friend to you, she would have left you in the dungeon if I hadn’t gone around her to bring you here. We need to get out of here as soon as possible.”
Chapter 18
Trust and Love
Eerikki pulled back to once again look into her eyes he placed his finger to his lips indicating she should remain quiet.
“Reign darling come closer to the waterfall so I can help you wash your hair.”
Still unsure of what was happening she complied with his request. Once situated just in front of the falling water Eerikki came up behind her placing his lips near her ear.
“The sound of the water will help block out our conversation, my mother has ears everywhere and nothing you say within this forest is safe from her.”
Keeping her head facing away from him as he began to touch her.
“What is this Eerikki? What is going on?”
She angled her head slightly to ensure he could hear her while keeping her voice low.
“I’m so sorry Reign, I thought we could travel through the forest quick enough to avoid detection, but I was wrong.”
Reign could hear the regret dripping from his words making her more inclined to hear him out.
“Why did I end up in a cell?”
She felt Eerikki cringe behind her.
“Let me tell you a story Reign and hopefully when I’m finished you will understand better.”
She nodded her agreement willing to listen to him.
“Once upon a time there was a beloved king and queen who ruled over the fae of the northern forest. They were fair and just rulers always placing the needs of their people before anything else. The king and queen had everything they could ever want and where very happy.
One day a stranger arrived in their kingdom claiming to be the daughter of the great Valdraken who had disappeared one hundred years prior. She brought with her knowledge and magic like no fae had ever seen. She claimed the magic was that of the Valdraken herself and when the time came, she would be the one to teach the new Valdraken how to wield her power.
The fae accepted her into their kingdom. They fed her, clothed her, and gave her anything a person could ever ask for. At first she helped the fae and did great things for the people.
They quickly fell in love with the woman and even erected a statue in her honor. The statue still stands to today in fact. However the woman was not happy with merely being a citizen though and decided to try and win the heart of the king.”
Eerikki’s words paused as he took a breath and began to rub shampoo through her hair. It took everythi
ng within her to not moan in appreciation of his fingers against her scalp.
“The king was not at all interested in this woman however as he was deeply in love with the queen and had eyes for no other. The woman became increasingly frustrated by the king’s constant refusal and decided to use her magic to trick the king.
On the night of the fae’s winter festival the woman was able to kidnap the queen and using her magic she took the form of the queen. She danced and drank and celebrated with the fae all through the night and when the time came for the royals to retire for the night, she joined the king in his bed.
The woman and king made love several times throughout the night, the king none the wiser to the deception. When morning came the king awoke to the woman in his bed instead of his queen. To make matters worse his queen stood at the end of the bed staring in disbelief.”
Eerikki cupped the back of her head dunking her hair all the way in the water as the suds from the sweet-smelling soap was rinsed form her hair. Raising her head from the water he wrung out her hair as he began again.
“The queen was so heart broken by her husband’s betrayal she walked to the balcony of their room and leapt from the top of the tree ending her life. The king was equally heartbroken not only at his betrayal of his beloved queen but at her death as well.
He followed the queen to the balcony intending to leap as well but was halted by the woman who tricked him. She told the king he could not take his life as he needed to be here for his people and for his son that now grew in her womb.”
Once again pausing for a breath he pulled Reign’s now clean from her shoulders using his long fingers he began weaving the strands into an intricate braid. As he worked his way down, he continued on.
“Torn between the love for his people and the love for his queen the king allowed the woman to pull him back from the edge. The king retreated into himself as the months passed allowing the woman to take over his kingdom and rule as she pleased.
When his son was finally born the king felt no joy, no happiness, only the emptiness that had been his constant companion since his queen took her life.
The woman ruled over the fae kingdom with fear and intimidation. She used her son as a means to elevate her self-having prophesied that her son would one day grow to be a mate to the Valdraken.”
The tone of his voice changed and she could feel him stiffen behind her as he continued.
“Her son grew to possess a great many powers said to belong only to the Valdraken. He was graced with the gifts of the fae, but unlike any of the other fae he possessed wings and healing magic. The queen dedicated a great many of the kingdoms resources to train and teach her son.
She intended to use him to capture the Valdraken. She told him that once he had the Valdraken she and him would have power beyond measure and could take over the world together. He sent her out in the world for many years in search of her.
Little did she know though the fae never intended to bring his mother the Valdraken he wanted nothing to do with the evil queen that had given him life. She treated her son as a tool never showing him kindness or love.
The fae wandered the four realms acting as a mercenary for hire and avoiding the great northern forest at all costs. Until one day the pull came and he was brought to this beautiful woman who took his breath away.
He tried to walk away but the longer he watched the more enraptured he became. The woman he found was fierce, fearless, beautiful, and heartbreakingly broken.
Eventually a shifter and a mage showed up and he knew the words his mother had told him where true. He was the Valdraken’s mate and he knew that no matter what happened he would never allow his mother to get her hands on her. He would never allow anyone to hurt her she was his and he loved her even before he knew her.”
With those final words Eerikki leaned back allowing Reign to warp her mind around the story he just told a tear streaking down her face. She knew for certain he was the son in the story and his mother Saline was the woman.
“What does your mother want with me Eerikki? If she is the woman in the story than there is nothing, I can give her that she doesn’t already have.”
Eerikki let a long sigh slip from his lips
“That is where you are wrong Valdraken, she wants your power and she intends to use me to get it.”
With that he stood. Reign knew in her heart there was more to this story and she intended to find out what that was but she also understood her initial instincts about her men were not wrong. Whatever this was, whatever had landed her here was not there doing.
She stood facing the fae really looking at him for the first time since she stepped foot into his quarters. His eyes had black circles underneath them as if he hadn’t slept, his hair was disheveled, his stance slouched and broken, and when his eyes finally met hers, she saw a deep well of sadness and regret reflected back at her.
He had not been enjoying the luxury of his home while she rotted in a cell, no he had been punishing himself for allowing this to happen. Reign knew she couldn’t stay mad at him, knew deep down this was no more his fault than the things she was forced to do for Drogan where hers.
She closed the distance between them pressing her naked body to his. She reached up pulling his face down and kissed him. She poured her emotions into the kiss; all the fear, pain, and anger she felt.
He didn’t initially react but eventually returned the kiss with the same emotion. Their mouths met in a clash of teeth of tongue. Eerikki’s hand twisted in her braid as the other found her hip pushing her to the edge of the bath.
As the back of her knees hit the edge, she placed one hand on the warm wood and sat down spreading her legs. Eerikki took the invitation and stepped between her thighs never once breaking the kiss.
Reign wrapped her legs around his waist drawing him even closer. She could feel his hard length standing proudly between their stomachs.
She reached down surprised by the size of him. She had guessed at his size but was pleasantly surprised when she wrapped her hand around him how truly big and beautiful he was.
His length twitched in her hand as she began slow lazy strokes up and down the length of his shaft. He let out a low moan encouraging her to continue as he thrust into her tightened fist.
Between the kiss and the feel of his hard length in her hand she was tingling, her core throbbing in anticipation and need of his thick cock. Sliding her hand to the tip of his penis she positioned him where she wanted him the most.
Eerikki broke the kiss peppering her jaw with light kisses and nips.
“Are you sure you want to do this Valdraken?”
Reign didn’t even need to think about it, she wanted this, wanted him and the distraction he would provide. She did not respond only kept her hand firmly wrapped around his hardened length, guiding the tip to her entrance.
Removing her hand, she grasped the side of Eerikki’s face placing it between both of her palms as she looked him in the eyes once more. Her answer was written clearly on her face and he saw it just as she intended.
He thrust into her with one quick motion causing Reign to cry out in pain. She had never had a man inside her before and Eerikki was not small in any aspect. He paused giving her time to adjust before slowly starting to slide in and out of her sensitive core.
He pushed at her shoulder lying her down. His hands trailed over her tight peaked breasts causing tingles to erupt over her skin as he continued his slow soft plunges.
The pain she had felt was completely gone replaced only with the pleasure Eerikki’s hands and pulsing length where drawing from her body. Just when she thought she couldn’t feel any more pleasure he replaced the hand on her breast with his mouth and allowed his free hand to travel down her body finding that little nub of pleasure within her folds.
He rubbed soft lazy circles with his fingers while his tongue darted out from his mouth licking at her hardened peaks. Reigns body squirmed beneath him soft moans escaping her lips. She could feel the pleasa
nt pressure in her body building until it erupted, her back arching, nails digging into Eerikki’s shoulders, as she screamed his named.
Her core pulsed around his length milking it for every drop of pleasure he could give until finally the fae erupted inside her as well his warm seed spilling into her, her name leaving his lips as if on a prayer.
He collapsed on top of Reign both of their breathing unsteady. They laid there in silence for several moments Eerikki’s softening inside her. Reign had never felt so full in her life, she was completely sated and content in the moment.
Nothing else mattered but her and her fae right now. Their breathing slowly evened out and Eerikki lifted himself from her once more. He placed his hands around her middle, raising her to fit tightly against his chest.
He then placed both hands on the underside of her thighs and lifted her causing Reign to wrap her arms around his neck as her legs wrapped around his hips.
Eerikki walked towards the water fall in the middle of the bath one more and sat down allowing the warm water to wash away the evidence of their coupling. They sat there in silence for a long time enjoying the feel of each other’s bodies mixed with the warmth of the soothing water. Eerikki leaned down kissing the top of Reigns head before resting his chin there.
His words where quiet but filled with strength
“I will not allow her to hurt you Reign, you are my Valdraken, my love, my mate, mine.”
