by N. C. Hayes
“You’re a fucking tease,” I gasped as he began to make his way lower. Aydan laughed huskily against my skin.
Lower.
He had teased me so long that I nearly yelped in surprise when his mouth closed around the bundle of nerves between my legs. He moaned when my hands dug into his hair while he kissed and stroked and brought me just to the edge of starlight—the edge, that was, until he slipped his first two fingers inside me to join him in the motion, and I fell right over it, crying out as he continued pumping those fingers within me, letting me ride out the end on his hand.
Aydan rose from his position and climbed over me to press a deep kiss to my mouth, letting me taste myself there, on his lips, his tongue, while he touched my face, then my breasts, with one hand as he held himself over me with the other. He shifted, and once again I could feel him hard against me. I adjusted my legs, allowing his hips to rest on top of mine.
“Are you all right?” he whispered, kissing my face. I realized he was kissing away tears that had slipped out of my eyes.
“Yes.” I nodded. “I love you.” He pressed his mouth to mine again, reaching down with his free hand and circling his fingers around the slick, sensitive mound there. Once he had me nearly panting again, he brought his hips up and inserted himself between my legs, moving slowly, allowing me to adjust. “Gods, Aydan,” I mumbled in his ear, lost in an ocean of sensation. He groaned as he was fully seated and started to pump himself into me, keeping a hand on my breast, playing with my still peaked nipple, occasionally reaching down to take a breast into his mouth or simply kiss them before coming up to kiss my lips again. This time when I reached the stars, he joined me shortly after, crying out as he finished.
Chapter Thirty-Six
We lay there, facing one another with our limbs tangled together, for a while afterward. Saying nothing, Aydan would kiss me occasionally, as if confirming that I was indeed there with him.
“I love you,” he reminded me, breaking the silence.
“I love you too.” I smiled. He pressed a kiss to my forehead before pulling me in closer, wrapping his arms fully around me. I let my head rest on his chest and listened to his heartbeat. “What’s on the agenda tomorrow?” I asked.
“As of right now, I’m supposed to meet my grandfather in the sparring ring after breakfast to fence, and then we meet for tea and to sign the new trade agreement. However,” he added with a sigh, “I have half a mind to cancel everything and spend the rest of time laying here with you.”
“As the woman in your bed, I have to say that sounds like a wonderful idea,” I replied “but as your Chief Advisor, I must advise against throwing out the most important legislation the Crown has signed in centuries in favor of sex.”
“I thought you didn’t care about this institution?” he teased. My face heated.
“That’s not funny,” I said, hiding my face in his chest. “You know I didn’t mean that.”
“I know, my love, but I’ve missed teasing you. I have to make up for lost time.” One of Aydan’s hands began tracing lines up and down my spine, making me shiver even as heat rushed to my core. “Speaking of lost time.”
He rolled to his back, pulling me on top, where I lay flat against him and began to kiss his chest, traveling upward to reach his mouth. All the while, Aydan’s hands rubbed and massaged my back, gripped my backside, then kneaded their way back up again. The next time his hand moved down, just before reaching my bottom, he brought it around and shoved it between our bodies, sliding it down to slip his fingers into me. I gasped, and Aydan’s expression glazed over, his eyes hooded and his mouth slightly open as he watched me. I pushed myself up to straddle him and lowered myself onto his hand, riding for a moment before he pulled it away. I let out a noise of protest that turned into a groan as he lifted my hips and brought them back down, inserting himself inside me. I adjusted and slowly rocked back and forth. Aydan swore, gripping my hips and thrusting into me. A wave of pleasure tore through me, and just as I thought another would, he lifted me off of him.
“Wha—oh gods—” In one movement, he’d slid his own body down before I lowered again—this time atop his face. His mouth finished the work his hands and body had started. More waves tore through me, and my body seized while I cried out. Aydan gripped harder into my hips, holding me in place while I finished. Once I regained my senses, I focused and banished the sparks yet again while climbing off of his face. He sat up straight, still erect, and I moved to his lap. My legs wrapped around his body as he slid back inside. I brought my arms around his neck, kissing him deeply and slowly, riding him at the same speed, until he tensed and shuddered, moaning with his mouth still open against mine and his hands gripping into my hair.
Once he’d settled back, letting me roll off of him while he scooted up behind and wrapped his arms around me, I said, “Okay, you win. Bed forever it is.” He chuckled into my hair and pressed a sleepy kiss to my shoulder.
~
After only a few hours of sleep, I woke to the sun pouring through the window and directly into my eyes. Irritated, I tried to will the curtains shut, but exhausted as I was, my magic only made them flutter. Aydan’s arms still held me. I moved his arm and slowly climbed out of bed so as not to wake him, then marched over and shut the curtain quickly.
“As much as I enjoy the view, it is absolutely freezing without you next to me,” said Aydan from the bed. I turned to see him propped up on an elbow, staring at my naked form in front of the window. He lifted the blanket and I crawled back in to join him.
“I tried not to wake you,” I said apologetically, curling up close and resting my head on his chest.
“Mmm,” he replied, “I would have had to wake soon anyway. Perhaps—?” He ran his hand along my arm at a speed which suggested only one early morning activity. I was not opposed to the suggestion. I pressed a kiss to Aydan’s chest, then his neck, moving to climb on top of him—
There was a sharp knock on the door.
“Shit,” I whispered, having forgotten that anyone outside of this bed existed. Aydan stifled a laugh.
“Aydan darling, join me in the ring this morning,” Gerridan’s voice called from the other side of the door.
“No,” Aydan replied, face buried in my neck. I sank down into the pillows and blankets as another knock rang out.
“Come on, don’t be an asshole, I’ll go easy on you.”
“Fuck off.”
The knock was more persistent now. Aydan ignored it this time. A mistake, as Gerridan simply barged into the room.
“Come on, Al and Kenna are hung over, and Hannele won’t—” Aydan stood up, holding a sheet around his waist, and chucked a pillow at Gerridan, which hit him squarely in the head.
“I said go away.”
“I just—” His eyes landed on the bed in disarray, and then upon me as I held the blanket around my naked body. Gerridan’s face was struck with realization, and then lit up like the orbs in the great hall the night before. “Oh.” He grinned, crossing his arms over his chest and leaning against the doorframe.
“Out, Ger,” Aydan said, pointing to the door.
“I’m going, I’m going.” He smirked at me. “Morning, Shaye.” Aydan threw another pillow at the emissary, who ducked this time. He shoved his hands into his pockets and whistled, walking away and leaving the door open. Aydan crossed the room to shut it, and just before he did, Gerridan’s voice rang down the corridor, “Al, get out your coin purse, you owe me a lot of gold—” He clicked the door shut and leaned against it.
“That’s one way for them to find out,” he said to himself. We locked eyes and burst out laughing. Aydan dropped his sheet and kissed me soundly on the mouth. He smiled against me. “Sorry about that.”
“They had to know,” I replied. “Although, I’m not sure I want to know how Gerridan is currently embellishing the story to the rest of your Cabinet.” He chuckled. “I suppose we should join them.” I sighed, looking around. “I don’t have any fresh clothes. Gerri
dan would love to see me walk out there in a bedsheet . . .” Aydan snorted, then opened his wardrobe and found a pair of pants. He put them on before snapping his fingers once. Within seconds, there was a knock on the door.
“Enter,” he called. The door opened and Elise stepped in. She saw me on the bed but had no reaction other than the faintest hint of a smile on her lips.
“Yes, Your Majesty?”
“Would you please select some clothing for Lady Shaye, and feed Catchfly?” he said. The cat was probably furious with me for not being in bed with her last night.
Elise left us, getting straight to work. Aydan made his way to the bathroom to wash his face and clean his teeth before he finished dressing. I shivered and covered myself with the blankets as I watched him select a blue tunic. He was sat at the foot of the bed, putting on socks, when Elise returned with my pewter gray dress and black slippers, Catchfly trailing behind her.
“She insisted, my lady,” she said apologetically.
“That’s all right,” I told her. Catchfly jumped onto the bed and pawed at my hands. I scratched her ears. “See? I’m fine.” She meowed.
“Will you need help dressing?” Elise asked.
“No,” I said, “but thank you for bringing these to me.”
“My lady,” was all she said before leaving.
A toiletry case was on top of the folded dress now sitting upon one of the chairs on the other end of the room. I summoned it and walked to the bathroom to clean my own teeth and run a brush through my hair before braiding it.
When I was done, I stepped into the gown and pulled it up around me, but when I reached back to deal with the laces, Aydan was there. He weaved them in and out of the eyelets before tying it off, and with one last peck on the cheek, we made our way to breakfast.
~
This would be my first breakfast in Sylvanna, at Aydan’s table. Alastair was reading from a stack of papers in front of him, handing Hannele each page as he finished with it. He looked a pale shade of green as he sipped slowly from a steaming cup of tea. Hungover, indeed.
Hannele seemed to be in good spirits, if a bit tired, as the rest of us were. She had a plate in front of her, filled with items from the platters lining the table—bacon, pastries, bowls of fruit, I saw at first glance—which was more than could be said for poor Alastair. I walked past him and squeezed his shoulder lightly. He patted my hand.
“You don’t look so good,” I told him sympathetically. “Maybe you should go lie back down.”
“I just drank too much.” He waved me off, then passed the next page to Hannele. “Tory made me some concoction of his. I’ll be fine in an hour. Kenna on the other hand . . .” I looked around, furrowing my brow when I realized she wasn’t there.
“Still sleeping,” Gerridan said around a mouth full of pastry.
“Swallow your food,” Hannele scolded without looking up. “No one wants to see that.”
“Yes, mother.” He rolled his eyes, then turned his attention to me. “She had a busy night as well.” He winked. Aydan shot him a warning glance.
“She went to bed when the rest of us got home,” I replied, sitting beside Alastair and filling a plate. “I watched her. You can stop fishing for details, I’m not biting.” I winked back. Aydan kissed the top of my head before sitting beside me. I turned to Al and Hannele. “What are you reading?”
“The final verdict on the conflict with those officers a few days back,” Alastair said, his voice dripping with boredom. “Some field reports from the generals and officers. Inventory from the armory.” He looked at me, sighing. “Excitement all around.”
“You’re the Lord General. When your life is exciting, it means the rest of us are in grave danger,” Aydan replied, piling his plate with food.
We continued eating, mostly in silence, for a short while before Kenna finally joined us. She wore sparring leather and held an open letter in her hand. “Fantastic news,” she said to Aydan. He wiped his mouth with a napkin and accepted the folded parchment.
His eyes skimmed the page, and then he passed it to me and rested his hand on my thigh. “The healers at Ironridge have agreed to take on Captain Whittaker as a patient. He’s too unstable to be effuged, but I can spare a few Ayzellen guardsmen to provide an escort to Xarynn.” I scanned the letter, reading the healer’s hopeful prognosis. “They’ll leave in a week or so.”
“Good,” I said, setting it back down and returning to my food. “Maybe we can figure out what the hell he’s been rambling about—”
“What is this.” Kenna demanded suddenly. She was staring at Aydan and me sitting closely beside one another, his hand on my leg. Her eyes grew wide. “Did you—last night?” I started to smile, but it quickly faded when I realized the look on her face was absolute fury. Then Gerridan nearly burst with laughter from the other end of the table. I turned my head to see him shaking, attempting to stifle his outburst, while holding out his open hand.
“Pay up, Ken.” The emissary grinned. Kenna scowled, summoned her coin purse, and began counting out gold pieces.
“I thought Kenna wasn’t allowed to participate in your gambling anymore?” I asked Gerridan, who was now counting the twenty pieces she’d shoved in his hand.
“I wasn’t,” she grumbled, taking the spot opposite Aydan. “But as you’ve been developing your extra abilities so quickly, you’ve now completely disappeared from my sight. Not even a hint of you remains.”
“If it helps you feel better,” Alastair told Kenna, “I lost fifty pieces to Gerridan this morning.” Kenna snorted, and it was obvious that, no, she did not feel better. “If they’d waited until summer solstice, I would’ve won two hundred.” She and Gerridan groaned.
“If they’d waited until summer solstice, I would’ve effuged to Xarynn and walked into the sea,” Gerridan said. I scowled at him. “Sorry, darling, watching the two of you dance around each other has been exhausting.” Kenna nodded heartily, while Alastair and Hannele sheepishly avoided eye contact with me. Aydan laughed and kissed my temple.
“You’ve won them over, my love,” he said. “Now they’re going to stop being polite.”
“You say that as if they ever were,” I replied sweetly. Hannele laughed, and Kenna pretended to look outraged.
~
A few hours later, I stood outside the sparring ring, watching Aydan fence against Priamos. It was their third round, and hopefully their last, I thought as my stomach growled. We were supposed to have lunch with the Lord and Lady after the match was over.
Watching their sabers clash against one another made me want to pick up where I’d left off with Alastair. We’d never trained beyond my first lesson, and I hadn’t gotten much farther with Gerridan. I made a mental note to tell them both that I wanted to continue.
“The last one standing, it seems,” said a voice from beside me. Lady Solandis had appeared.
“My lady?”
“The king usually has his entourage nearby. I assume they’ve left you to remain as the final audience member.”
“Oh, yes,” I replied. “I believe Princess Hannele will be joining us for lunch. The rest of the Cabinet have other matters to attend to.”
“I see.” We remained in silence as the men chased each other through the ring, jumping over barrels and stepping over walls. It was a few moments before Solandis said, “You were a vision at the festival. Your ensemble was stunning.”
“Thank you, my lady,” I said. “As were you—”
“Yes, the king has wonderful taste.” She talked over me. “I was surprised, though, to see that particular tiara on your head.” I closed my mouth. “You see, it has been over a century since I have seen any of my daughter Astra’s belongings in person, let alone the tiara I myself gave her the day she came of age.” Her tone was cool, and polite enough that I almost didn’t hear her disapproval.
“My lady, I didn’t know. I never meant to offend—”
“No need.” A cheer, and our attention turned back to the ring, w
here Priamos had knocked Aydan’s saber from his hand. Solandis and I clapped politely. “My grandson has every right to give whatever he wants to whomever he wants. Although.” Solandis gave me a sidelong glance. “Such a sentimental piece would generally be reserved for someone the king was courting.” Aydan and Priamos were walking back toward us.
“Well, then the king has done well to stick to tradition,” I said, smiling at Aydan and avoiding the urge to turn to Solandis.
“Are you telling me that the king is having an illicit affair with his Chief Advisor?”
“No, my lady. I’m telling you that the king’s courtships are a private matter, which he will no doubt share with you when he deems it necessary.” I didn’t give her the chance to respond, as the men were now greeting us. Priamos kissed his wife’s cheek and I congratulated him on his win. Aydan feigned disappointment, but laughed while greeting his grandmother, and then me. He offered me his arm and a swift kiss before leading the way back to the Grand Palace, ignoring the disapproving glare of Lady Solandis.
Part Three: The Children
Chapter Thirty-Seven
A month had passed since the eclipse festival.
Each day spent in Sylvanna felt like something new sprinkled into a growing sense of familiarity and home. Every morning, I woke at dawn to join Gerridan or Alastair in the ring, alternating each day. Even in such a short time, I felt myself growing stronger, more precise in my actions. My magical outbursts occurred less often, though they always lingered beneath the surface. Gerridan had moved on from shielding and escaping, and was now teaching me how to strike. While Alastair still made me use a waster when practicing swordplay, he also introduced me to the bow and throwing daggers, as well as the importance of weapon cleanliness and care.
After training, we ate breakfast with the rest of the Cabinet in Aydan’s home, followed by days filled with much of the same as we found in Ayzelle. There were many meetings with the Sylvannian Council, which was now made of almost entirely new members, thanks to Aydan recruiting the previous ones. They were certainly more productive than Ayzellen Council meetings. After the trade agreements and new treaty were signed, there was no practical reason for us to stay, beyond Aydan simply being happy to be home for the time being.
