Royal Court

by Jenny Frame

  Surprisingly Quincy responded and sat back down.

  “I know you’re fighting against a lifetime of training from the admiral, but you can trust me. You will feel better if you share it.”

  Holly took her hand and kissed it. Quincy looked at her, but Holly could see in her eyes that she was somewhere else.

  “After the King and Crown Prince of Denbourg were assassinated, my unit was on a mission to destroy one of Thea Brandt’s weapons stores. It was a warehouse near the water, so we made an amphibious landing. We entered the building and spread out. That’s when we realized there were hostages there. Human shields for her weapons.”

  “Oh my God,” Holly said.

  “They were ordinary men and women from the local village. Jacob was my second in command, then there was Lieutenant Rodwell, and three other marines. Six went in, three went out.”

  Holly moved closer and put her hand on Quincy’s back.

  Quincy continued, “Rodwell had a grudge against me ever since officer training school. He never liked me, and I graduated top of the training group. He was transferred to our unit a year and a half ago, and he hated being under my command.”

  “So what happened?” Holly asked.

  “We had fire support in the hills surrounding the warehouse, but Brandt’s people had a lot of firepower guarding it. I remade the plan. We were to split up, get the hostages, and get out the way we came, via an unguarded dock at the back, where our motorboat was waiting.”

  Holly saw Quincy’s hand begin to shake as she recounted her story.

  “Rodwell was vocally against the new plan. He didn’t care about anyone but himself. He was a coward forced into the marines by his father. Not fit to wear the green beret. I ordered him in no uncertain terms, and we split up.”

  “Bloody arsehole. Did you get any hostages out?” Holly asked.

  “Come with me. You’ll be safe.” Quincy untied two female hostages on the second floor and led them downstairs. She met Jacob, who was leading a male hostage from behind some crates.

  Then they heard gunfire, and the main warehouse doors burst open.

  “They know we’re here,” Quincy said, then shouted into her body mic, “Cover fire!”

  Quincy and Jacob made their way to the back of the warehouse while exchanging gunfire with Thea Brandt’s men.

  Jacob said into his mic, “Phillips, Rodwell, Logan, where are you?”

  “Logan here, sir. Phillips and I have two hostages, on our way down.”

  Quincy looked at Jacob. “Where’s Rodwell?” Then she shouted, “Rodwell report.”

  “Ma’am, look.” Quincy turned around to the back of the warehouse, while Jacob fired at those attacking them.

  Rodwell was running out their escape route alone. “Rodwell, get back here.”

  Rodwell looked back and said over the radio, “I’m not dying here in this godforsaken warehouse, just because you want to play hero and rescue villagers who no one cares about.”

  Then he was out of sight.

  “You’re a cowardly fucking bastard, Rodwell,” Jacob shouted.

  It was then that all hell broke loose. They heard explosions all over the large warehouse and screams through their earpieces.

  Quincy shouted over the din of the explosions, “This place is wired. Let’s get these two out, and then double back for Phillips and Logan.”

  Jacob nodded, and they made their way to the back exit. Luckily the heavy fire had died down since the explosions, but the wooden warehouse was starting to burn.

  When they got the three hostages out the back door, they saw Rodwell, already sailing off in the motorboat, towards their pickup point around the cove.

  “He’s taken the launch. He’s taken our escape!”

  Jacob was fuming, but it was Quincy’s job to keep them calm and alive.

  “We’ll deal with that coward later. Now we keep our minds on the job.” She spotted a rowboat attached to the small wooden pier where they’d made their landing.

  Quincy turned to the hostages and said, “Go down into the boat, and if we’re not back in ten minutes, row for shore over there.” She pointed to the beaches and habitations a few miles down the coast.

  They got them safely into the boat and made their way back into the warehouse. The place was starting to fill with smoke. They could hear their marines shouting for help.

  “Let’s split up,” Quincy said. “Let’s get our people.”

  Jacob smiled and bumped fists with her. “In together, out together.”

  Quincy said, “Remember, if I don’t get you back to Helen, she’ll kill me.”

  Quincy heard a voice pulling her out of her memories. “Quin, Quin, take a breath. Stay with me.”

  Holly. Holly made her calm, her only light in the darkness. She reached for a bottle of water and took a drink.

  “Tell me how your story ends, Quin, but stay with me,” Holly said.

  “I searched everywhere I could, and then heard Phillips and Logan trapped up the stairs. They were screaming in agony. The stairs had collapsed under the fire, and I couldn’t get to them. Then I heard Jacob screaming for help. The smoke was overwhelming me and everyone else, it was hard to search, but then I saw him in one of the rooms. A wooden beam had fallen on his leg, after an explosion. I had to get to him, but the fire was covering the entrance to the door.”

  “You didn’t—you didn’t run into the flames did you?” Holly said.

  “I took my gear off, down to my vest, then put my jacket over my head and ran to him. I got burned but I could cope. Jacob had detonated one of the blasts, and he was badly burned, really badly.”

  Holly couldn’t stop tears—she felt for both Quincy and Jacob. She did all she could think of and put her arms around Quincy.

  “I got the beam off his leg. He was screaming for me to put him out of his misery. He asked me to shoot him—he looked me in the eye and pleaded with me to shoot him. I couldn’t, I just couldn’t. I promised Helen I’d keep him safe.”

  Holly saw tears starting to pour from Quincy’s eyes, and Holly hurt for her even more. “How did you get out?”

  Although Quincy was crying, her face was quite like stone. She obviously had such trouble dealing with this.

  Quincy turned and looked right at her, tears falling from her eyes. “I put him over my shoulder and moved as quickly as I could. I had to run through the fire to get out the front of the warehouse. Luckily our cover forces had wiped out the enemy and come down from the hills. The last thing I remember is rolling on the ground trying to put out the flames on my body. Then two medics came and knocked me out.”

  “Oh my God.” Holly cupped Quincy’s face with her hands and wiped her tears with her thumbs. “I’m so sorry. You’ve had so much pain, but I’m here for you.”

  A different look appeared in Quincy’s eye, and it was hungry. Quincy kissed her unexpectedly and forcefully. The kiss caught Holly by surprise.

  It didn’t feel right. It didn’t feel like Quincy.

  “Quin I don’t think—”

  Quincy suddenly stopped and said, “I’m sorry. I’m not…I need some space.”

  She got up and walked out the front door, leaving Holly lost for words, but one thing she did know. Captain Quincy was the most honourable, noblest, bravest person she had ever met.

  When she looked in Quincy’s tear-stained eyes, she knew she was in love with her.

  ***

  Quincy walked and walked till she calmed. Sharing her story had been one of the hardest things she’d ever had to do. But as she calmed, unusually for her, instead of running from offered comfort, she wanted to run to it. She wanted, no, she ached for Holly.

  Quincy walked back, but Holly had gone to bed. Probably disgusted with her. She went up to her bedroom and changed into her boxers and T-shirt, sat down on the end of her bed, and rubbed her hands together. Quincy wanted to go apologize to Holly, but she was scared.

  Jacob’s words floated across her mind. He told her to m
ake a life, to grab any chance she got, and to be brave. She got up and walked out of her bedroom and knocked on Holly’s door.

  “Come in,” Holly said.

  Quincy took a breath and opened the door. She found Holly lying in bed, looking beautiful as she always did.

  “I’m sorry for earlier.”

  Holly sat up. “For what?”

  “Kissing you and then running, pushing you away,” Quincy said.

  “That’s all right,” Holly said.

  Quincy was longing to go over to her, but she was afraid.

  “I’ve never talked about this before, and it’s hard to control what I feel,” Quincy said.

  Holly pulled back the covers and said, “Don’t talk to me from there. Come here.”

  She patted the bed. Quincy hesitated for a few seconds, then walked over but didn’t get in. She had never shared her bed with another woman before, and this wasn’t any woman. This was Holly Weaver. She went into the bed but lay quite stiffly on her side looking at Holly, unsure of what to do next.

  Holly reached out and stroked Quincy’s cheek. “I don’t want you to control what you feel with me. I’m Holls. You know I’ll never betray you, or use your feelings against you. I know you trust me. Don’t you?”

  Quincy answered from her heart. “You are the only light in the darkness inside of me.”

  Holly had never heard anything so painfully beautiful. She scooted closer and said, “Then don’t run from me.” She inched closer and placed tiny, tender kisses over Quincy’s face. Quincy moaned when Holly ran her tongue teasingly over her lips.

  Something in Quincy was unleashed in that moment, because she kissed Holly feverishly, and put her hand on Holly’s hip to pull their pelvises closer.

  Holly wanted to feel Quincy as close to her as she could. She pulled off her nightie and lifted Quincy’s hand onto her breast. Quincy touched her breast so softly and tenderly, as if she had been given a special privilege.

  “Holly? I want you so much, I need you.” Quincy turned them over so Holly was underneath her. Holly loved the feel of Quincy’s solid body on hers. She opened her legs, so Quincy could slip between her thighs.

  Holly was careful not to touch Quincy’s upper body and make her run. She pushed down the sides of Quincy’s boxers. “Take them off, Quin. I want to feel you touch me,” Holly said, between kisses.

  Quincy kicked off her boxers and their sexes came together for the first time. They both groaned, and Quincy said, “You’re so beautiful. I want to make you come.”

  Holly encouraged her by holding onto her backside and pulling her closer. “You’re going to. Don’t you feel how wet I am?”

  “Yes.” Quincy grasped both of Holly’s plump breasts, and then put her mouth on one, sucking the nipple into her mouth.

  Holly tensed and grabbed Quincy’s head. “Oh yes, just like that.”

  She knew this was Quincy’s first time and wanted to be as vocal as she could to give her lover confidence that she was doing the right thing.

  Quincy rolled her wet tongue around her nipple slowly, teasing and sucking. It was driving Holly’s desire to new levels, and all she wanted was to feel Quincy inside her.

  Quincy started to kiss her way back up Holly’s chest and neck, but Holly pulled her back to her lips, then took Quincy’s hand and pushed it down to where she wanted it.

  “Go inside me, baby,” Holly breathed.

  Quincy closed her eyes when her fingers slipped between Holly’s slick folds. To think that Holly wanted her that much, despite being emotionally challenged and mentally scarred, was more than she deserved.

  She stroked all around Holly’s clit, her fingers always moving but never directly touching. Quincy was going by how she touched herself, although she hadn’t done for such a long time.

  “Quin—” Holly hips moved around desperately.

  She finally pushed two fingers inside Holly. She loved the way Holly looked when she experienced pleasure. She lived every ounce of what she was feeling.

  That was so attractive to her, considering she found living life to the fullest difficult. Holly pressed her leg between Quincy’s and said, “Together, Quin.”

  Quincy hesitated. Letting go herself sexually and emotionally was a scary thing, until Holly placed her hand on Quincy’s face and said, “Look at me, and don’t be scared. Together—we’ll be safe together.”

  In that moment she believed Holly. She would be safe with Holly, always. Quincy thrust against Holly’s thigh while she thrust her fingers inside her. Holly pressed her nails against her backside, making Quin hiss and thrust harder.

  She could feel her orgasm so close and was frightened it was going to overwhelm her. She felt the walls of Holly’s sex begin to flutter.

  “Faster, Quin. I’m going to come. Together, Quin.”

  Quincy thrust harder onto Holly’s thigh and pressed her face into the sweet-smelling hair that had so tantalized her, and her hips began to buck as her orgasm took control and washed over her.

  “Fuck, fuck, Holly,” Quincy shouted.

  A lifetime of tension and sadness that overwhelmed her poured out unrestrained. Holly gave her neck a death grip, and her fingers were gripped by Holly’s walls as she came with a cry.

  She felt cheated that she couldn’t see Holly’s face as she came, so she raised herself up and started to stroke Holly’s clit with her thumb.

  “Bloody hell, Quin,” Holly said.

  “I want to see you,” Quin explained.

  Quincy soon felt Holly’s walls start to flutter again, so she started thrusting.

  Holly said, “Jesus, Quin—” Then she went still as her orgasm washed over her.

  Quincy was blown away by how beautiful she looked. As Holly calmed, Quincy eased out her fingers and simply cupped Holly’s sex with her hand protectively.

  “Do you know how much you mean to me, Holly?” Quincy asked.

  Holly shook her head. “No, will you tell me?”

  “You’ve made the light come to the dark places inside me and made me see beauty in the world again. Hope.”

  Holly pulled her down into a kiss and rolled them over so she was on top. “If you let me, I’ll care for you forever.” Then she crawled down Quincy’s body and was only starting to kiss her, when she got to her hips and then her sex.

  Holly opened her up, and she felt Holly’s wet tongue lick all around her clit. It felt amazing, and she slammed her head back against the pillow.

  “Oh my God.”

  Holly gave her one big lick and looked up at her sweetly. “I’m going to show you how beautiful the world is, baby.”

  ***

  Holly was awakened by a noise. As she came to, she noticed Quincy was tense, sweating, and quite obviously dreaming.

  She looked at the clock. It read four in the morning. “Poor baby.”

  Quin had been through so many emotions last night, that it was no wonder she was having nightmares, even though she was with her.

  She did the only thing she thought she could. She leaned over her and stroked her brow, then her arm. “Shh, it’s okay. Quin, you’re safe with me,” Holly whispered.

  Quincy started to thrash. “Get off me. I’m burning!”

  Before she knew what was happening, Quincy had flipped her and held her arms by her biceps painfully.

  Quincy was big and strong—she had to wake her quickly. “Quincy, it’s me!” she shouted.

  Quincy’s eyes opened suddenly. Her breathing was heavy and laboured.

  “It’s me, Quin. You’re just dreaming.”

  Quincy looked down at the way she was holding Holly and pulled back her hands immediately. “I’m sorry, I’m so sorry. What have I done?” You’ve hurt her. You’ve hurt Holly. “Please forgive me. I was dreaming about the medics holding me down. I—”

  Holly made a move towards her. “It’s okay, Quin. It was just a dream. You weren’t trying to hurt me.”

  She could have killed the woman she loved. She did love Holly
, and she had to get away from her. Quincy jumped up and pulled on her boxers.

  Holly walked to her.

  “No, stay away from me, Holly.”

  “It was just a nightmare, a reaction to telling me everything that you told me about. Please don’t run away. I’m falling in love with you, Quin.”

  Holly reached out to touch her, but Quin grasped her wrist. “No, I can’t be trusted. When I show my emotions, I can’t be trusted. This has followed me my whole life. I can’t feel.”

  Holly pulled away from her hand. “Don’t give me that crap your bloody admiral mother has fed you all these years. That’s why you have so many emotional problems.”

  Quincy felt that almost like a slap. “I can’t love you—I can’t love anyone. Don’t follow me.”

  “Run away then. Do whatever you want, Captain,” Holly shouted.

  Quincy went out Holly’s bedroom door and took refuge inside the safety of her own room. She let her head fall back against the door.

  She closed her eyes and saw herself holding Holly down, hurting her. If Holly hadn’t woken her up, God only knew what would have happened.

  I’m not capable of loving someone.

  With a lifetime of practice behind her, she tried to force down everything that she felt and shut herself off.

  But she’d never tried to shut down love before.

  Her mobile on the bedside cabinet beeped with a message. Her heart sank with dread, and she walked over to read it.

  I’m back. Are you ready?

  Chapter Twenty

  Holly woke up and reached for Quincy, but then remembered she was gone. She sat up and looked around the room and remembered what happened last night.

  “Argh! One step forward, three steps back.”

  She pulled on a top and walked downstairs. She saw all of Quincy’s bags set at the front door of the pool house. They weren’t leaving till late this afternoon, but Quincy was eager to leave.

  Holly made a cup of coffee and walked outside onto the porch area and sat down. She watched the ranch staff coming and going. Everyone was busy. She smiled when she saw George walking out the front door of the house with Teddy on her shoulders. George was such a good parent, and Bea had said they would be trying for another baby soon. George and Bea were the perfect couple, and the perfect family, something for them all to aspire to.