Finally, Lia started back toward the main trail, and I followed. When we reached the guards, I had trouble focusing enough to speak. We silently fell in with them and set off, leaving the ruined Vilkerdam Palace, with all of her ghosts and spirits, behind.
As we rode through the village I gradually came back to myself, reclaiming the boundaries of my senses. Lia rode beside me, occasionally asking me about an abandoned store, or the broken fountain that had been capped off but still leaked water from the spring. The village had been ruined by lack of commerce after the curse Lore had placed on the area. The population, fearing her wrath, had fled into neighboring villages, and farther.
We were already riding through my land, but there was nothing of interest for me to show Lia. When the cultivation of torppine vines along the side of the road became the dominant feature of the area, I smiled to myself. I had returned prosperity to the people of the northern region. I would do the same for Vilkerdam Palace.
“This is my land,” I said to Lia.
“It’s beautiful,” she commented. “I love the little villages on the tops of the hills,” she added. “And the torppine vines have a sort of austere beauty, like something out of a fairy story.”
“They’re prettier in the spring, when covered in vibrant, purple blossoms,” I assured her. “We’ve had the harvest already, so they appear a little bleak.”
“I like them,” she decided, pronouncing judgment. “I’ve only ever seen porcelain, and cloudberry vines before.”
“Torppine vines only grow where the soil is highly acidic,” I replied. “Few places are conducive.”
“I know,” she said, grinning at me. “I’ve read that book about your torppa empire about a thousand times,” Lia said. “Still, I don’t know how torppa is made.”
“It’s an intricate process,” I replied. “I’ll take you through some of my distilleries and storehouses to show you, if you’re truly interested,” I offered.
“I’d like that,” she said.
We spent the remainder of the afternoon touring distilleries and tasting torppa. The guards were allowed very small samples, because unlike Lia and me, too much torppa could actually kill them. By evening they were all quite inebriated, causing Lia and me to laugh at their expense more than we should have. They didn’t seem to mind, though.
The following afternoon we reached Marinella Manor, the only great Vilken estate still in existence. It was the birthplace of Lore’s former guardian, Dame Kessa. I’d never been close to the prickly older woman, but I had respected her iron strength, and even mourned her death. I was relieved when Lore decided to spare the House of Marinella, and Dame Kessa’s family, from retribution after the war.
Over the years I’d helped the family with their first torppine vines, and personally financed the wait period for the distilling process. During that time I’d grown close to Earl Jestin and his wife Countess Emmuska. When I wrote about our tour, they insisted on hosting the princess. I knew they wanted her ear for worries about political instability in the area. She was ready to hear from her future subjects, without my interference, so I left her alone with them shortly after introductions were made.
I walked alone through the torppine vines, noticing the efficient workmanship displayed in the pruning. I began to worry that their torppa might surpass my own if I didn’t stay on top of business. I knelt and picked a lonely, bright blue, wildflower that was growing at the edge of the field. I held it to my nose for a moment, inhaling the honeyed fragrance of the early fall bloom, and then tucked it behind my ear.
When I returned to the sitting room, Earl Jestin was still explaining the plight of those unfortunate Vilkerlings. I slipped wordlessly into a chair across from my lovely Lia. Her attention shifted to me for only a moment. A faint smile flickered across Lia’s face before she returned her attention to our hosts. Since no one seemed to take notice of me, I allowed my gaze to travel over Lia, adoring her with my eyes, as I studied the fine bones in her wrists, and that unusual birthmark on her shoulder. My gaze settled on this mark that, until recently, she had always kept hidden. My preference for kissing her there had made her less shy of what she had always considered a blemish.
I wanted to lick the dark red mark, to taste the sweetness, and smell the fresh tanginess on her skin. I pressed my lips together, biting them from the inside as I watched her lips move, craving their softness, wanting to trace the perimeter of her mouth with the tip of my tongue.
“Pet?” she asked, calling me out of my reverie. “What do you think?” I had no idea of what she asked. As intense as my focus on Lia had been, I’d heard nothing of the conversation.
“I agree with you, Lia, as always,” I said, reaching for the torppa bottle in front of me as Lia held my gaze, her jaw dropping slightly for only a second before she smiled self-consciously, blushing before shifting her gaze to the countess. My hand retracted as I realized I’d given the wrong answer.
“But the princess hasn’t expressed an opinion, Your Grace,” the countess said, a teasing smile spreading across her kind face. Clearly my gaffe had amused my old friend.
“Does that matter?” I asked, trying to recover. “I always agree with Lia. I want what she wants in all things.” Our hosts started laughing, and that slight blush intensified, turning Lia’s face bright red as she diverted her gaze.
“And that’s our beautiful grand duchess for you, the consummate politician,” Countess Emmuska said, filling my forgotten glass with torppa. “I’d excuse you on account of the torppa, Your Grace, but you haven’t had any yet,” the countess said in an arch tone. “Princess Aurelia, I don’t know what we would have done without the grand duchess these past years. She’s been our protector and champion since ascending to the Primeship. Despite her Fae features, I believe she must have Vilken blood in her veins.”
“Really? What an outrageous idea,” Lia replied, raising a blond eyebrow as she glanced at me speculatively, her eyes lighting up. “What would Mamma think of that idea, Pet?” Lia teased, quickly recovering from her initial embarrassment at my blunder.
“Regardless of her heritage, the entire region owes the grand duchess a debt,” Earl Jestin added. “We never would have held on to our estate without her.”
“The Vilken people are resilient. The House of Marinella would have coped without my intervention,” I said, still attempting to recover from my misstep.
Truthfully, the House of Marinella would not have stood without my assistance. The taxes on the estate were far too high, and after the devastation caused by the Baneland War, there was no income to pay even realistic taxes. By the time I became Prime they were hopelessly in debt. I forgave six years of delinquent back taxes, and then I’d given a credit every year until their torppa inventory was ready for sale. I doubted Lore would have been as lenient with Vilkerlings, even Dame Kessa’s cousins.
Our hosts fed us Vilken specialties for which, I must admit, I had not yet acquired a taste at that time. Only through years of exposure was I able to learn to appreciate certain Vilken dishes. Of course my Fae stomach could never tolerate the meats Vilkerlings favored. Still, our hosts were kind, and Lia obviously liked both Earl Jestin and Countess Emmuska immensely. They were the first Vilkerlings she’d been in contact with since the attack on Vilkerdam Palace. For that reason, I was quite surprised she warmed to them so easily. Lore still hated the Vilken people, probably even Dame Kessa’s relatives.
After we ate, Countess Emmuska showed us to a single guest apartment. Our trunks were unpacked already, and our clothes hanging side by side in the wardrobe. I glanced at Lia nervously, as realization dawned. Without question, Countess Emmuska recognized what we were to one another. Not only that, she wanted us to be aware she knew.
“This is the most comfortable guest apartment in the manor,” the countess said as she opened the door to the sitting room, preparing to leave us, after showing us around. “I know you were expecting your own apartment, princess, but I thought that while you’re un
der my roof, you should be able to share a bed with the grand duchess,” she suggested. “Otherwise Her Grace will have an inferior view, at the other end of the hall. After everything she’s done for us, I’d rather not cause her such inconvenience,” the countess explained. “Not to mention, the floorboards creak late at night in this old manor, and she might wake us, coming down the hall to join you,” she added with a wink to Lia.
“This will be perfect, countess,” Lia replied, entwining her fingers with mine before lifting my hand to her lips for a brief kiss across my knuckles. Lia was basically acknowledging that the countess’s assumption had been correct. “Your arrangements have made us far more comfortable.”
“Then I’m pleased,” the countess said, offering me a smile before turning away.
Honestly, I was too shocked to speak, as Lia led me back into our apartment, closing the door behind us. She laughed and shoved me against the closed door before kissing me soundly.
“Deus!” I said in a sharp whisper when she drew back.
“I know,” she observed, pressing her lips to my neck. “And it’s entirely your fault, by the way,” she added, laughing. “I made every effort to appear oblivious to your attentions, but you simply wouldn’t stop. I’m not made of stone, Pet.”
“What do you mean by my attentions?” I asked, as Lia’s lips trailed down my cleavage. Grasping her shoulders, I lifted her back from me, so I could see her laughing eyes.
“Pet, for once, you were completely obvious,” Lia said, chuckling as she turned away, heading for the sofa.
“In what way?” I asked, pursuing her. “When?”
“I couldn’t say when, exactly, except the whole entire time,” Lia teased dropping down on the sofa and slipping her feet from her shoes. “All right, when I asked your opinion about violence along Smugglers Pass, and you said you agreed with me. You clearly hadn’t heard a word of the conversation,” she said, raising both eyebrows in emphasis. “And you’d been diligently undressing me with your eyes for the past several minutes by that point,” she added. “I only asked about your opinion to give you a chance to snap out of it.”
“Deus!” I cussed again. “What is wrong with me? I’m usually so…”
“You’re usually more discreet. I know. But it’s all right,” she said gently. “They’re not likely to tell anyone. They obviously adore you, and I sensed that they hate Mamma, and fear Mata. They’re probably hoping we’ll join,” she added. “Their lives will be easier if you remain in power.”
“You like them, though. I could tell,” I said, hopefully. “You’ll protect these people when you govern the region.”
“You still believe that’s going to happen?” she asked, shaking her head. “I promise, for your sake, if I ever have any power, I’ll protect what remains of the Vilken people,” she offered, smiling sadly. “Now come sit with me, my beautiful Pet. It’s time to make good on those promises you’ve been making with your eyes all afternoon,” she teased.
I did as she asked, and quickly stripped her dress open to her waist. I kissed the dark red mark on her shoulder that had held my attention all evening, as she brought my hand to her breast. Her nipple was hard against my palm.
“Lia, darling,” I said.
“Yes,” she replied breathily.
“I want to acquire Vilkerdam for us to...” I started.
She lifted up to kiss my mouth, stopping me from telling her what I wanted to say. She guided my mouth to her breast and sighed as I took her tightened nipple against my tongue. I pressed my hand between her legs outside of the material of her dress, and she rocked back on the sofa.
“You’re killing me, Pet,” she said. “You’ve been teasing me for hours. I need your mouth on me. Now.”
I quickly shifted away from her, dropping down to the floor and spreading her thighs. I lifted her dress and tugged her underclothes over her hips and down. Gathering her hips in my grasp, I eased her close to the edge of the sofa and lowered my head, taking her with my mouth. Her thighs pressed my ears as her hands gripped my hair, encouraging my attention as her head pressed back against the sofa. Her orgasm was loud only for a moment before her hand came over her mouth, muffling her response.
After she came, I continued to kiss her thighs until she reached down to lift my chin. I gazed up at her and imagined my heart might explode in my chest. I’d never felt so protective of anyone, or so desperate to give pleasure.
Lia leaned forward and kissed me gently, coaxing me from my knees and onto the sofa again. I watched as she straightened her dress and underclothes. I wanted her again. Instead of stripping her clothes away, I scooted over and lay my head in her lap. Her fingers sifted through my hair as that unquenchable craving for her pulsed in me. She ran her thumb across my lips and leaned down to press a kiss to my temple.
“I’m buying the Vilkerdam ruin,” I said again.
“I know. You told me before. Are you planning to plant more torppine vines?” she asked. There was a smile in her voice, sweetening it.
“I’m going to build you a palace to rival Lareem and Saranedam,” I said. “It will be our home. We’ll call it Lauderdam Manor.”
“What a beautiful thought,” she said gently.
“We could be joined here, in an old Vilken Temple,” I suggested. “Lore’s not the head of the Vilken Temple system. She couldn’t unfix a Vilken joining bond.
“Not long ago we were discussing my potential future as the ruler of Nogeland and the Baneland Territory. Are you asking me to turn my back on that possibility, and on my mothers as well?” she asked.
“I don’t want to ask you to give up anything, Lia, but they’ll never consent to our joining,” I said gently.
“What do you think they’ll do if we join without their permission, and in a Vilken Temple no less?” she asked, laughing quietly at the absurdity of my request.
“I honestly don’t know,” I replied, as images of M’Tek in full battle garb flashed through my head. The last thing I wanted was to share that thought. Lia’s fingers kept in constant motion, sifting through my hair as she considered what I said. For too long she remained quiet. I desperately wanted for her to agree with me, as unrealistic as my request was. When I could stand her silence no more I finally asked, “Lia, don’t you want me?” I sat up to face her. “I swear I’ll make you happy. I’ll live to make you smile.”
“You already know I want you, and you’ve made me happier than I ever imagined I could be, Pet,” she said softly. “But are you truly asking me to join with you, here in Baneland, without their consent?”
“Yes. I am,” I replied too quickly. “I adore you, Lia. I can’t bear the thought of living without you. I’m not certain I can survive losing you.”
“As long as I breathe, you’ll never loose me,” she assured me. “But for now, I can only enter into an attachment with you,” she said. “Whatever happens, we’ll join within two years, I promise. We have to try to do this the right way first, though,” she added. “If I can avoid defying my mothers, our life together will be far less complicated.”
“But we could be joined tomorrow,” I said, still arguing even though I knew she wouldn’t give in. “Think about it for a moment. It could be done. No more questioning. We could begin our life together.”
“More than anything, I’d like to give you what you want, Pet, but I can’t. It would be a mistake. I give you my word, I’m yours, and only yours, for as long as I live,” she said. “But I don’t want to break with my family if I can avoid it. I need to convince Mata at least, and not only for myself. She’s your cousin. She loves you.”
“M’Tek is hardly my cousin,” I argued. “I’m your first cousin, Lia, eight times removed,” I pointed out. “We’re not family, not really. I happen to be a direct descendant of M’Tek’s much older sister, a woman who died almost three hundred years ago. Your mother never even knew her sister.”
Lia ran her fingertip lightly along the bridge of my nose, making her point without speak
ing, by reminding me of that unmistakable familial feature I shared with her mother and Ania. As diluted as my blood tie to M’Tek was, I still possessed the Tannuk nose. My appearance betrayed me as a member of the royal family. I sighed and she leaned in to kiss me.
“I love you, Pet,” Lia whispered against my lips. “Please be patient with me.”
-CH 6-
We returned to Saranedam Palace only ten weeks before the Fae season was to begin. I would have politely declined my invitation to the season, as was my custom, and kept Lia safely ensconced in Saranedam Palace with me, but I was expected to decorate for Ania’s joining ceremony. Much had been made of my skills in creating marvels, an overestimation of my talents, in all actuality.
By royal command, I was expected to perform an absolute feat of genius for the event. I dreaded the upcoming season as the condemned dread the gibbet. Every time I thought of the coming months of scrutiny Lia and I were to endure, I remembered Countess Emmuska’s knowing eyes. Certainly, I would give myself away at some point. There was no doubt. My feelings for Lia were nearly overwhelming, and at times my utter adoration of her was plain to anyone watching me.
As I’m highly pragmatic, I began planning for the eventuality of my ruin. The first preemptive move I made was writing to Lore petitioning the opportunity to purchase the grounds at Vilkerdam. I offered a generous price. Lore wrote back suggesting different holdings in Baneland that I might prefer, and reminding me that Vilkerdam was cursed. In my response I said I wanted the land for gooseberry cultivation, and intended to uproot the forest and flatten the land for that purpose. I knew the scenario would appeal to Lore’s carefully nurtured sense of outrage over those events of the past.
Predictably, Lore replied that she could deny me nothing. Though it was a sentiment I doubted, I was thrilled when she accepted my offer. Over the subsequent weeks my Saranedam guards moved an enormous amount of coin from my vault in Saranedam Palace, delivering it to Lore at Lareem Palace. The signed and stamped deed arrived before the final load of coins had even left Saranedam. Without wasting a moment, I commissioned the best architect in Nogeland to begin plans for the estate Lia and I intended to name Lauderdam. In the meantime Lia and I took an excursion to Vilkerdam to hire local labor to refurbish and expand the old gamekeeper’s cottage. I hopped that Lia and I might enjoy spending the upcoming summer hidden away in those woods together.
A Fortunate Woman Page 9
