Shouts and noise came from outside the tent, and Aurora hurried to dress. In one of the chests at the end of the bedplace she found her traveling clothes and other personal items. Tears came to her eyes when she saw Julia’s favorite bronze comb carefully packed away among her things. She and Julia had not been close. It seemed that she could never please her critical older sister. Which made it especially touching that Julia had chosen to give her one of her most prized possessions.
Aurora began the frustrating process of trying to untangle her hair. The day was hot, and she was soon sweaty and very thirsty from her struggle with her obstinate curls. The urn of water on the table looked stale and unappetizing and Aurora thought with longing of the spring in the nearby forest. She could almost taste the cold, sparkling water. Why not? she thought impulsively. The spring was only a short distance away. There was no reason she could not help herself to a drink. She finished combing her hair quickly.
The day was brilliant with sunshine, promising great heat by midday. As she left the tent, Aurora was amazed at how much Maelgwn’s soldiers had already accomplished. Where the night before a large camp had been spread, this morning there was just a cluttered, muddy field. The grass was trampled and dotted with bare wet patches and a few smoldering fires. Most of the men were ahead of them, grouped to march, and only a few lingered behind to finish up.
The young soldier who had escorted her the night before was stationed near the tent. He nodded courteously and bade her good morning.
“Do I have time to go for a short walk? I would like to wash, and there is a spring I know of just a few paces within the forest.” She pointed across the ruined meadow.
“Of course, my lady,” he answered politely.
Aurora immediately set out for the dark line of forest. The thought of the cool spring water drew her on, and she felt the need to escape the oppressive mass of the army crowded so near. She was disconcerted when she saw the young soldier was following her.
“I do know the way; I’ll not get lost,” she said over her shoulder.
“Aye, my lady,” he answered, but continued to follow her.
“I’ll not run away,” she added, turning to face the soldier with flashing eyes.
“Of course not, my lady,” he said with an awkward look on his face. “But you are the queen and must be guarded. Maelgwn commanded it.”
Aurora turned and continued walking. She felt badly that she had snapped at the man. Clearly he was only doing his duty, and it was some consolation to learn Maelgwn was protective of her. Still, surely the soldier would let her walk alone when she came to the forest.
They walked on, neither speaking, her escort following a few steps behind her. Aurora had been carefully picking her way through the mud and garbage, but as they reached the portion of the camp where the horses were kept, it seemed impossible for her to continue without ruining her sandals. She paused, close to tears. She had only wanted to spend a last few quiet moments in the woods, but here she was, a grown-up, married woman, no longer the young girl who could run wild and free, heedless of her clothes and shoes.
“My lady,” his voice came softly from behind her. “May I help you across?”
At first Aurora was startled by the suggestion, but then she nodded her assent and allowed the young soldier to pick her up and carry her over the sodden ground. He was surprisingly strong, despite his youth and slender build, and he carried her with little effort. His face was very close to hers, and Aurora glanced at him shyly and saw that he was watching her.
They were not yet to the open meadow when they were both surprised by the sound of horse hooves. Maelgwn, mounted on his black stallion, rode up rapidly, nearly running them down.
“I bade you look after my wife, and here I find you carrying her off.”
“She wished to wash at a spring near here; I am taking her there.”
The young man’s answer, so calm and precise, relieved Aurora. For a moment even she could have believed that this gallant young soldier was abducting her, and she had been a little frightened by what Maelgwn would think.
Maelgwn shifted his horse so that the sun did not shine on them so brightly. Aurora could see that he was smiling.
“Well, if my wife needs assistance, it is only proper that I give it myself. Lift her up, Elwyn.”
Maelgwn caught her about the waist and helped her up to sit in front of him on the horse. Her position was awkward, and she felt that all that held her on the huge horse was Maelgwn’s firm grip about her waist. The pressure of his arm made it seem that she could barely breathe—or was it the excitement of having him so close? She could feel his warm breath upon her hair, and the power of his taut muscles as they guided the horse sent thrills along her body.
Aurora pointed the way, and Maelgwn directed the horse to the edge of the forest. They reached it in a few massive strides, and Maelgwn released Aurora so that she slid gently off. He dismounted after her. For a moment their bodies were very close, and there was a surge of feeling between them. Aurora pulled away in embarrassment, filled with unease. She could not forget Maelgwn’s frightening effect on her in the garden, and she did not want to risk having Maelgwn paw her in public again.
Aurora entered the forest quickly. Maelgwn followed right behind her, and she had a start as she realized he meant to escort her to the spring. The idea upset her. She was looking forward to being alone one last time in this sanctuary of her childhood. She glanced back at Maelgwn. He was watching her intently. She looked away and hurried down the path ahead of him.
“Aurora.”
“Aye, my lord.”
“This place you are taking me to—do you go there often?”
The nerve of him! What right had he to pry into her life? Except he had every right. After all, he was her husband.
“Aye, ‘tis a pretty place, and one that soothes my spirit.”
“It is lovely country here. Different from Gwynedd, but very green and fertile. I imagine that it’s only a matter of clearing the trees, and near anything would grow here.”
Aurora did not answer him. She had no heart for talk of land and farming. She had come to the forest to find the peace and contentment that usually awaited her here among the tangled green thickets and misty air. This place was a refuge from the tensions of her father’s household, the clatter and bustle of the town. How many times had her mother scolded her for shirking her chores to escape to the woods to while away the hours daydreaming?
Aurora stepped lightly on the soft, cushiony undergrowth, and Maelgwn followed behind her more noisily. She felt another stab of irritation at his presence. He seemed too big and loud to belong to this secret world. She could almost feel the forest creatures warning of his approach, like a whisper on the wind. To them, Maelgwn was an intruder—the hunter, who brought fear and death to the forest.
Maelgwn felt the subtle shift in Aurora’s mood as soon as they entered the forest. A moment before, they had been close, their bodies pressed together and her quick desire echoing his own. Now Aurora was silent and withdrawn, and she hurried down the narrow path as if she wished to leave him behind. Her coolness infuriated him. Didn’t she realize she was his wife now? Didn’t she know she could not run away from the bargain her father had made? He quickened his pace, puzzling over her frustrating behavior. She was obviously very familiar with the forest—she said she came here often. Had she come alone or with another man? The very thought enraged him.
Maelgwn stared at the woman ahead of him. Her step was light and graceful. Her long, nearly hip-length hair swung back and forth, keeping provocative rhythm with the sway of her hips. Desire ignited in him with painful urgency. He would not wait any longer to claim his haughty royal bride. These quiet woods would serve as well as any place.
They reached a ravine and made their way carefully down the mossy, emerald green slope. Purple cranesbill and wood anemones grew in the moist soil near a tumble of rocks, and hidden among them was a small spring that dribbled clear coo
l water. Aurora knelt down and cupped her hand for a drink. She had barely begun to quench her thirst when she turned to find Maelgwn very close to her. He looked strange. His face was flushed, his blue eyes intensely bright.
“Would you like a drink, my lord?”
Maelgwn shook his head. He pulled her up and kissed her—hard. Aurora slipped on the damp ground and found herself thrown against him. A flicker of panic flashed in her mind. They were alone. Maelgwn appeared determined. This time her father would not come to rescue her.
“We should go back. Your men are waiting for us.”
Maelgwn said nothing. He continued to stare at her with his impossibly deep blue eyes. Aurora edged away, feeling the fear throbbing in her veins. She had imagined that Maelgwn would consummate the marriage eventually, but not like this. There was no bed, no darkness to hide in. What if someone came upon them? She glanced at Maelgwn. There was no way out unless she fled. She wondered if she could outrun him. Maelgwn was weighed down by his heavy clothes and weapons, and she knew the forest much better than he.
She turned and stumbled directly into a small birch tree.
“You—you are so beautiful.”
His eyes held hers, filled with longing, the fire of desire. Aurora closed her eyes, waiting, trembling. She could feel his warmth close to her, then his arms around her. His mouth came down on hers hungrily, and his hands moved over her body. It was too much. Aurora squirmed slightly, trying to get away from his strong fingers. Her chest heaved, struggling for breath, struggling to remember to breathe. Maelgwn’s hands were everywhere, sending exquisite shivers down her body. She parted her lips and was invaded, possessed by Maelgwn’s insatiable mouth. Her thoughts dissolved into the wet, dizzy darkness.
How good she felt—soft and warm and quivering. Maelgwn could feel the heat of her, the pulsing desire he had first awakened in her father’s garden. He tangled his fingers in the rich, dark spill of her hair, feeling the softness of it flowing down her back. He slid his hands farther down Aurora’s spine to the luxurious curve of her hips, cupping the soft swell of her buttocks. Her mouth grew greedier as he gradually pulled up her long skirt and ripped off her linen undergarment. He touched her silken nakedness and sighed in satisfaction.
She could not move. She was firmly trapped between Maelgwn’s body and the tree behind her. She did not want to move. The sensations moving through her body were terrifyingly pleasurable. She could feel Maelgwn’s broad, warm chest through his tunic, his tongue thrust achingly between her lips, and his rough fingers moving along the bare skin of her hips. Her whole body was shaking and shuddering, and she felt weak, as if she might fall down. She reached up to put her arms around Maelgwn’s neck, feeling his long hair tickle her skin. He was stroking her softly, gently. Aurora could feel the spill of moisture between her legs, the aching need there. She wanted him to touch her—aye, like that!
She nearly swooned with the indescribable pleasure that surged through her. A darkness raged in her body. She could not see or think, only feel. A hunger, raw and demanding, took possession of her, and she moaned in ecstasy.
Abruptly, the pleasure turned to discomfort. Maelgwn was forcing his finger inside her. It hurt! Her body stiffened as the pressure increased.
“Maelgwn, stop. Please don’t hurt me!”
He stopped kissing her and looked down at her with a soft faint smile. She could hardly bear to look at him. She felt humiliated as she thought of her unseemly moaning. He made her feel so helpless, so out of control, just as he had in the garden. Aurora leaned against the tree, trembling and ashamed. Through half-lowered eyelids she watched as Maelgwn took off his sword, spread his cloak on the ground and began to undress. She wanted to stop him, to protest that it was not the right time nor place, but she did not. She was afraid of him, afraid of his powerful body and devouring blue eyes. Most of all, she was afraid of the way he made her feel, turning her will to water.
“We must finish,” he said hoarsely as he saw her watching him. The black of his eyes was huge—almost blotting out their deep blue.
“Take off your dress.”
She did not know how to resist him. Aurora loosened the tie at her waist and pulled her gown over her head. Then she slid off the linen tunic she wore beneath it, shivering even though the day was hot. His eyes were everywhere, examining every inch of her. She flushed, and tried not to look at him, at the proud naked body that stalked her. Maelgwn moved close and put his hands on her, stroking her skin with an unnervingly light touch.
“My darling,” he whispered.
Aurora kept her head down. Maelgwn pushed the hair back from her neck and began to kiss her, his lips floating over her skin. The tingling, burning fire grew inside her.
His arms went tight around her while his head bent down to bring his mouth to her shoulders. His lips were rough, nibbling and sucking at the soft skin with a harsh rhythm.
She was near faint with desire. Maelgwn pushed her down upon the ground, parting her legs with his knees as she fell. The soft mossy ground cushioned her landing but the sensation of Maelgwn’s naked body on hers went through Aurora with a jolt. She gasped. He was so warm, so big, so alive. The hardness of his manhood pressed excruciatingly against her thighs, and an unbearable ache radiated from a spot between her legs throughout her whole being. She longed for him to touch her again in that wet, burning place between her legs, but he was busy kissing her, his tongue teasing her with a languorous, teasing lightness. His mouth grazed her neck and moved lower, licking the hollow between her breasts. Slowly his lips circled one nipple, moving closer and closer, finally closing in upon the taut, sensitive skin. She cried out as he suckled her, thrashing wildly and whipping them both with her long hair. She pushed her hips against him desperately. Her body was on fire! She would fly apart if Maelgwn did not do something to comfort the raging need deep within her. She wanted more of him, more and more!
She reached for his shoulders and pulled him up for a kiss, her fingers cradling his hot face. He kissed her savagely, his mouth crushing her lips. Then, abruptly, he pulled away, his eyes sweeping her face. Seemingly satisfied, he maneuvered his body over hers and pushed into her with a sharp stabbing thrust.
Aurora bit her lips and dug her fingernails into the smooth skin on Maelgwn’s back, trying not to cry out.
She had not expected it to hurt! He was so big. She felt like she was going to break apart. Maelgwn moaned deeply and began to move within her slowly and rhythmically. He was deep inside her, touching her innermost being. Aurora held her breath, feeling the tears squeezing at her eyelids. She had wanted him, she had wanted this, but she had not expected it to be so uncomfortable.
Maelgwn moaned again and moved within her more rapidly. The pain subsided, weakening to a dull throb. It almost felt good—almost. Aurora pressed her face against Maelgwn’s sweaty neck, and Maelgwn began to kiss her again, his tongue thrusts matching the rhythm of the ones below. Aurora took him in, her thoughts forgotten.
Maelgwn shuddered violently, groaned and lay still. Aurora savored the weight of him spread across her, pressing her into the soft, fragrant earth. She was still breathless from exertion and surprise. So this was what it was like to be so close to a man that you could not get any closer, she thought in wonderment. She had not expected to feel like this, so fragile, so exhilarated. She listened to the heavy rhythm of Maelgwn’s heart. She stroked his damp skin. Their bodies were twined together tightly, their breathing a rapid duet of sound.
It seemed that only seconds had passed when Maelgwn pulled away and stood up. Aurora watched him, startled and confused. She wanted to reach out and touch the vibrant aliveness of her husband, but it was too late. He was dressing. Her eyes lingered on him, taking in his sleek, square shoulders, long, well-muscled back and solid, but narrow hips. His strong lovely body disappeared into his clothes. His face changed, once more becoming hard, determined, unreachable.
Aurora closed her eyes. She knew Maelgwn would be impatient for her to dress
, but she continued to lie there stubbornly. Her mind was in a turmoil of fury and disbelief. Maelgwn did not love her or care for her feelings at all. His whispered endearments meant nothing. He had only wanted her body, the final payment of tribute from her father. Now that he had taken what he wanted, he was done with her. She despised him.
Maelgwn looked down at his wife as he dressed. Her face looked sad and desolate. He had the urge to kiss her, to tell her again how beautiful she was, how sweet, but he held back his tender words. It was in the quiet moments after lovemaking that a woman could most easily manipulate a man and make him pay for the pleasure she had just given him. He did not know this woman well enough yet to trust her.
“Aurora, you must get up and dress. My men will come looking for us eventually. I do not think you want them to find you like this.”
Spurred by the fear of Maelgwn’s men finding her naked, Aurora washed herself in the spring and dressed quickly while Maelgwn stood a discreet distance away. Her body was still stiff and sore, but she managed to follow his rapid pace back through the forest. She was shocked to find Elwyn waiting for them, and she wondered immediately if he guessed what they had been doing. His disciplined soldier’s face showed no emotion as he led her to her horse, which was saddled and ready for her. Only when she found her seat on the mare with a gasp of pain, did he blush and look away from her.
Maelgwn reached up to give her a light kiss. Then he rode away. Aurora sensed that it would be a long time before she saw him again. She would have hours alone to sort out her confusing feelings toward her husband.
Chapter 6
It was late morning when Maelgwn’s army began their slow march back to their homes in Gwynedd. Maelgwn rode at the head of the column of soldiers, while Aurora and her escort brought up the rear with the wagons and battle equipment. For a while Aurora was able to follow Maelgwn’s dark figure far ahead of them, but eventually he was swallowed up by the green hills. It didn’t matter, for with every jolt of her horse, she was reminded of him by the soreness between her legs. Despite her discomfort, Aurora felt a lingering desire which embarrassed her.
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