by Marie Hall
"It is my honor and pleasure."
A long silence followed, and Io felt her body warm and contract. It created nervousness, at least she'd call it nervousness, not fear she'd lose all this through some misfortune. Or worse, some act on her part that again made her unacceptable to those around her. Because no matter how many times Xavier said no one could remove her, she knew from experience, it took very little, in fact, to do just that. Remove her.
"Io?" Xavier said, disrupting her dark thoughts.
She forced a smile. "So I am to stay, what shall we do then, with this permanence?" At the very moment, her stomach rumbled. She'd not eaten last eve.
Laughter rang out, and after a brief tussle where she tried to hold him in place and he tried, though not hard, to get free, Xavier managed to reach the basket. "I think we feed you."
They made some adjustments to the furs and cushions and, curling together, shared food and conversation. A good deal of it teasing and light, some more serious. The most serious was when Io teased about Cutler being chosen to play king and how that might inflate his head for his return to Kate. She happened to mention the children Kate cared for, her sister's children, whom the woman had abandoned with Kate. Xavier told her he'd had some moments to observe Cutler with them. He thought he'd make a good father to them. Io didn't miss the sadness that crept into his voice and expression.
The loss of their child had cut Xavier deeply. She'd not known she was pregnant when she fled, and it was only a month ago when Io came to him, hurt by a comment from a woman only visiting in the shire, about how in all this time she'd not yet given the great Lord Brice a son, asking if he thought her a failure for that fact.
He was careful in his explanation. Constant in the reassurances he gave that if he had nothing else the whole of his life but her as wife, he'd be the happiest of men. But she knew the loss hurt him. Sarah and the other women told her he was so pained because he felt guilty. He'd caused the rift that drove them apart and then drove her out, unprepared and unprotected. He blamed himself only for the loss. But Io knew, she'd been the one to lure him that last time to their bed. And it was then, his seed planted the child within her. Had she stayed, had she tried harder to make Xavier see what his mother and the lady Blake were doing, had she only trusted him with her safety rather than believe he was the one set to murder her, they could now have that one thing for which men took wives. A child.
"Io," Xavier voice was sharp. "When the time is right, and God willing, we, too, will have a child."
"I should have already given you a son, an heir."
"There is no should in this, Io," he said, brushing the hair from her face before leaning in to kiss her. "And we have spoken of this already. I told you I think I should like a daughter from you."
Io giggled. He had teased her about such a thing. "Ah, yes. You said you should not mind such an expense as a girl child would bring you."
"I should pay anything that I can see a beautiful little angel, with your looks and my good sense running about and giggling through these halls." He kissed her again. "It will happen if it is meant to, Io. And if not, I am already more blessed than I deserve to be."
"It could happen, my lord, that the child will look like you and behave like me," Io said and tried to imagine a handsome, young man who, when he smiled, could make some poor maid's heart pound.
Xavier laughter washed over her, "Heaven help my heart if that should be the way it is."
Turning, Io shifted so she sat straddling his lap. She put her arms around his chest and leaned her head on his shoulder. "I will hope always for a child more like you than like me."
"Why?"
"I think this world already has too many girls needing to be held in a good man's arms. The world is not easy for a woman. A man to support her, those are not common."
"I will always support you." Xavier squeezed her. "And I will ensure any son that is mine knows how to value women. I think, though, any daughter, with you as the example, will be well and strong enough to fight the injustices she might face."
"You will be a great father, Xavier, better even than your own."
"And you will be a mother your own would be proud of," he said before taking hold and rolling them over.
"Well, if we are to get these wonderful, capable children, should we not practice making them? Io asked, spreading her legs so he might fall into the right position.
"Practice is always a good thing
They practiced a few times throughout the day, taking time between to eat, rest, touch each other and speak of things both not of importance and of some. And though, over the last few months, Xavier worked more to take moments like these, it wasn't truly until now, Io could really believe she was more than what she was in his bed.
There was a look he often had when they shared those pleasures; she saw now the same look as they spoke about things they might do as the weather warmed. She saw it when they sat together reading from the last book the king sent, and she saw it when they did nothing at all. She did have a purpose beyond the one she served in the dark of night.
"What do you think on so seriously?" Xavier's voice interrupted her musing. She shook her head at him. "Io, tell me."
"I was only wondering how much longer until I have you back every night."
She knew instantly the smug look on his face. "Do you miss me?" He rolled over her and, using just one finger, traced her cheek and along her jaw.
"I was only wondering how much longer until I have you back every night."
She copied the action, drawing a finger along his jaw, "You do warm the bed for me."
He chuckled and shook his head. "For you, indeed, as you take the whole bed for yourself and leave me almost on the floor."
Io shrugged and smiled, though she didn't look at him. "You seem to be not uncomfortable on the floor, as of late." She bit her lip to stop the laugh when Xavier growled.
"The floor," he said, dropping his full weight on her, "has become softer." He shifted and nuzzled down so his head rested on the swell of her breast.
"Blah, Xavier, you smother me," Io complained but with a laugh she held back.
He chuckled again and shifted to lift a good bit of his weight from her. "You might think more about sharing the bed?"
"I think I could, or you could set me in my own chamber and—" His lips slammed down, silencing her. As he pulled back, his teeth bit down on her bottom lip and pulled until the pleasure bordered on pain.
"My chambers, my bed, until death," Xavier told her. "No matter where I make it, you will always bed down beside me. There will be no separate chambers for us. And we will always be equals within them."
More and more, Io could find solace in the words of her husband. It mattered less and less if he could, in fact, hold to them or only that he believed he could. If indeed, someone did come to take her away, she knew Xavier wouldn't let it happen without a fight. More than anything he'd already given her, that knowledge was the greatest gift from him.
"You are thinking hard on something again."
"Nothing so much, only that the hour grows late and it will be morning soon," Io said, and when he rolled off, she followed, setting her head on his chest to listen to his heartbeat.
His finger played in her hair and his deep intake of breath lifted her before she came down with a slow sigh. "Those we are matched against are without instincts; their training does them little good if they cannot determine quickly what and when to put any of it to use."
"You will be done with this soon?" She rather hoped so as she'd great plans with her women and she'd need to be allowed past the gates to enjoy them.
"Not much longer, I should think. Though, I do not rush. It is better all men who serve the crown be trained well," Xavier said and tugged her hair so she had to tilt her head and look at him. "Have you some great plans that I must hurry to defeat them?"
He asked with a smile, and Io fought the cringe that crept up. What she and the others planned was not for
men. She went last year and never told Xavier, though, at the time, he was overly occupied by his mother's presence in the house and had not noticed her gone. It might be better for all of them if he was still away when the gathering in the glen happened.
"Io?" Her hesitation to answer gained her his unwanted scrutiny.
Forcing a smile, she shrugged. "I do not want to be held prisoner behind the gates all summer long for a second year." She wouldn't feel guilty for using his guilt to distract him from her doings.
"Ah, well, I will make sure that is not the case for you," he assured her and tipped his head back to look at the ceiling.
"Then I should give you what time you need to teach those men there is no better than you to defend the whole kingdom."
"Your confidence in my abilities is rather fickle, but I will take your praise whenever I might have it," he said, chuckling and sighing again. A moment more, and his soft snores rumbled his chest.
He woke her a few hours before dawn, rolling her to her stomach and taking her from behind. When he pulled out and shoved her knees to her chest and lined his cock up with the smaller, tighter entrance, she made sure to tell him to not be nice this time.
The stretch of the invasion hurt in the most delicious way. She could feel every bit of his length and girth, and he pushed in and pulled out with no restraint. The sound of flesh slapping against flesh, groans of pleasure and exertion and beads of sweat rolling along her spine brought awareness of her own body Io didn't always have. She might know pleasure and pain at any one spot at any given time, but when Xavier claimed her, when he took her hard, with everything he might have to do so, Io knew such a mixture of the two opposing sensations, it was a wonder the battle raging through her body didn't kill her. She often wondered afterward if it might someday be how she died, but at this moment, she could only think of the incredible pleasure building in her. Taking her beyond what was simple delight into near rapture so all she could do was let it overwhelm her. Sap all the strength from her and make it hard to breathe as from somewhere she heard Xavier cry out his own surrender to the bliss.
They collapsed down in a heap, skin still slick and hearts pounding. Moments passed with only the sound of them panting for breath.
"You are a goddess, Io," Xavier said as he adjusted them in the covers and pulled her close. He always told her this; it was her signal all was as it should be and she could rest easy. She'd only closed her eyes when she felt him lean over her and brush the hair from her face.
"Behave, my love, I will return as soon as I can that you might have back your freedom." His lips lingered at her temple as the smile curled her lips, but then he was gone and Io was left to curse the breaking dawn.
She was left cursing again as she was dragged into the encampment, and this time, what she and her friends were about wasn't going to go unnoticed by her husband.
Chapter 11
Xavier looked up at the sound of chuckling. The tool he used to sharpen the blade came to a stop with a clank as he watched several of the men around the fire try to hide their stupid grins. "What?" he snapped, which, rather than make the men sober, made them laugh.
"That look hasn't left your face in nearly a fortnight," Lucas said, his smile more approving than teasing.
"What look?" Xavier knew exactly what look. He could feel the ache from the smile he couldn't shake.
"That one that says we're not going back to the shore any time soon," Cutler said.
"Not unless your lady wants me to take her there," Xavier assured them. It still impressed all of them that Io managed to get so far from home, on foot, alone, and in the dark. When Io felt the need to escape, she did it like no one he knew could.
"I think you might need to celebrate more anniversaries," Luther commented dryly. "What one is coming next? I don't want to wait until winter to celebrate your marriage."
"Damn, it will be two years wedded then," Lucas remarked.
"Two years indeed," Xavier said, going back to the work at hand.
"Two hard years," Lucas remarked with sadness.
"Aye, but they held on through it," Luther barked. "What can they not survive after all that?"
"Nothing," Xavier agreed. It was hard. Harder than it should have been. But they persevered and they knew better now how to deal with each other, and with outside forces working against them. They'd have many more anniversaries; it couldn't be any other way for them. And if he was better at remembering every detail, he'd know better when the next one was coming.
"There is that look again?" Lucas commented, making Xavier again pause in the chore.
"I cannot remember the date exactly, but it must be coming soon," Xavier commented as he tried to recall how long exactly it had taken him to receive the second message from the king—the one telling him he was to take Io to wife. "When did the king's courier bring the notice of our union? It was before the tournament at Havenstore, was it not?"
Some muttered discussion went about, but no one could say the date with certainty, though most thought it a few days, if not weeks, out. Io would know, and Xavier thought, with this all nearing an end, he'd be home in time to do more than spend a single day and night with his wife in that celebration. Not that when he left he felt in anyway Io was disappointed in what they shared.
Several sharp whistles through the woods ended the teasing and brought men to their feet. A scout pushed his way through camp. Out of breath, all he could do at first was point in the direction of the 'enemy' camp.
"Is that smoke?" Cutler asked as all eyes turned upward to the tops of the trees.
"Two of the main tents went up in flames," the scout informed them. "No one saw the cause, but the first went up near dawn and the second about an hour afterward."
"Should I fear my forests will be burned down?" Xavier asked, only slightly in jest. He didn't think Deux Saunds would be so careless, but a fire could quickly devastate.
"They were quick to put the flames out both times. We didn't see what started it, but whatever happened, the whole of their camp is in disarray. The infighting could be heard even as I rode to tell you."
"Could be time to strike again," Luther commented.
"Could be just the time," Xavier agreed, knowing the last few strikes did much to deplete the treasury in the other camp. A few well-chosen targets and they'd have a victory. A soft one but one that'd serve as a lesson to the men new to the game.
"Messenger to the camp," someone within the wood line called. Cutler quickly pulled a cloak around himself to hide the telltale sign he played king, as did several others so the cloak didn't make it obvious, and a few minutes later, an envoy from Deux Saunds' camp was brought in.
"Get the fires out, or should I have Paxtir evacuated?" Xavier snapped, causing the young man to jump and tremble. It might be a game, but that didn't mean Xavier's reputation for harshness and cruelty when wronged wasn't known to all.
"The fires, my lord, are well enough doused. An accident is all, carelessness that shouldn't be seen again," the youth said, not sounding so sure.
"What message have you, then?" Lucas asked, stepping up.
"We've a hostage."
The words caused a bit of a stirring, but Xavier's men were disciplined enough not to show too much concern. Though, with everyone accounted for at dawn, Xavier wasn't sure whom they might have lost.
"Who have you taken, that you are so quick to seek ransom?" Cutler asked, even as the hairs on Xavier's neck stood on end.
"A careless person, caught in the glen early this morn, someone from your house. Our lord seeks a personal appearance to have h-ah, them back."
"The house was off limits for the duration," Luther yelled, coming at the messenger, causing him to stumble backward and fall.
"They took her in the glen near Bluntly," the youth sputtered in panic, and Xavier's gut twisted.
"Bluntly?" Cutler had his hands around the man's neck before anyone blinked. "Her name?"
"I am not to tell you; I was not to even
say it was a woman. I…"
Xavier, like Cutler, knew it was likely Kate they'd grabbed. She wasn't supposed to leave the house, either, but she'd children to care for and if one had some need, she'd have stubbornly seen to it herself rather than let one of the men attend it. Cutler let the boy drop back into the dirt and stepped into the closing circle of Xavier's leading men.
"If it is Kate, do you have enough to pay what they might ask?" Samuel asked.
"It could be a trap, a way to lure some of us out so they might have a chance to come in and grab the prize?" Sir Ansell said, stating the obvious.
"It could be any woman from the house, or it could be just some woman claiming to be from the house," another of the knights said.
"My lord," Cutler started, a bit of worry clear in his voice. "If it is not Katie—"
"But if it is and she's already confessed to being our lady's maid…" Lucas reasoned.
"If it is and she's that stupid, I will strangle her straight away," Cutler threatened, and Xavier almost smiled, thinking more bans were going to need to be read very soon.
"We will not chance this. We assume it's Mistress Kate, and we assume Lady Io would not keep anyone close to her so stupid," Xavier stated then turned to face the messenger still cowering in the dirt where he'd been dropped. "A hostage exchange, then?" They had two lower level soldiers still tied up in the woods.
"My lord demands coin for this one," the boy said, getting off the ground. "He said he will give you passage into camp, you and two others, no more, that you might pay for her and then see her started home." He was growing more confident as he spoke, and again, the hair on the back of Xavier's neck stood up. "Come before noon, or the price will double," he finished then started looking around for a way to escape the battle forged group of men closing in on him.
Xavier gave the signal for one of them to see the messenger on his way and then pushed down the concerns about what Deux Saunds might be learning from the hostage he held, be it Kate or some other. For certain, as soon as they learned Xavier hid a wife within his walls, the agreement of what was and wasn't off limits would be forgotten.
