Edwynn dug her nails deeper into the long haired man's flesh, desperately urging him to thrust faster, deeper, harder. With all the strength she had, the woman wrapped her legs around the waste of the man thrusting above her and stared deep into his eyes. He was her lover, her prince, her husband and on this night they were consummating their love for one another.
The more she howled beneath him the faster he thrust inside of her. With lust filled eyes, Edwynn stared at her lover's eyes, a deep rich golden that seemed to change whenever he felt his climax nearing. It was then that she felt him explode inside of her, hot and wet and she moaned, relishing the sensation of his semen pumping away inside of her. Writhing beneath him, Edwynn released a cry of ecstasy as she felt her pussy tighten around his cock, before the hot wetness seeped from out of her hole.
The last thing Edwynn remembered before the blackness consumed her was the glint of her lovers eyes glittering amber above her.
Chapter 1.
She stood with her head bowed low, nimble hands clasped gracefully in front of her dress. Around her, the music of the evenings festivities echoed around the hall, mingling with the cries of laughter, the smell of hog roast, mead and wine. “You do not seem to be enjoying yourself my lady.” The voice of the young lord confronted Edwynn playfully. Lifting her eyes to look up at he who spoke, Edwynn merely smiled cautiously at him, though her mind desired to scream at him to leave her be. “Festivities are not my strongest point I fear my lord.” She replied to him raising her chin stubbornly. The young lord laughed at her reply, took a sip from his goblet of wine, all the while his eyes never left hers. “Not even your own your birthday my lady?” He countered playfully.
The raven haired girl found herself wondering why such a lord was so insistent on trying to impress her. Granted he was handsome. He was tall, lean and a waterfall of fair hair cascaded over his shoulders, highlighting his black open neck shirt that had been roughed up due to too many goblets of wine, she assumed. Even though he was appealing she was not stupid. Something told her that he was not what he made himself out to be. Her mother had invited him to the feast in hopes that a union would be enforced. Marriage was not something that Edwynn was interested in not while her heart belonged to another.
Suspiciously she eyed the young lord before she spoke. Her eyes narrowing slightly. “Forgive me my lord but I don't think I know your name?” Her admirer laughed again at her defiance and respectfully took her slender hand in his, bowed low and placed a soft kiss upon her skin; all the while never taking his eyes from hers. “My lady.” He addressed himself confidently, an arrogant smirk etched upon his face. Edwynn was not fazed by his sickly charm. Instead she found it rather amusing. “And you are?” Edwynn's mind erupted into a fit of laughter at the young lord's question. Most guests who attended a feast knew who their guest of honour was. It was plain to her now that he was only at her celebration by her mother's permission. It took all the strength she had not to burst out laughing. “If I may sir,” She began, her voice wavering slightly from fear of laughter, “But, isn't it customary for the guests to know their guests of honour's name?” The look on the young lord's face filled her with so much joy that she knew her words had wounded his pride. He seemed to shrink away at her words, grow careful, but still he did not turn and walk away. He was stubborn it seemed. “In most cases you are right my lady, but where I come from, it is customary for the guest of honour to reveal their name when asked.”
Edwynn could not fight the smirk that threatened to burst free upon her lips at his arrogance. She admired his Gaul and found him to be rather an amusing, annoying fool than a suitor. So, reluctantly, the raven haired girl played him at his own game. “Edwynn.” The noble lord leant back on his heel and smiled in triumph at finally getting a reply. “A lovely name.” He insisted. “But tell me Edwynn, why do you hide away? This feast has been thrown in your honour. Surly it would be a waste to not show off the jewel of the evening?”
“And you want to be the one who shows off the jewel of the evening?” Edwynn questioned him sharply. She had no time for men who insisted on wooing her for their affections. There were other things that occupied the young woman's mind, and a rich, handsome noble lord was not one of them. “You must excuse me my lord but I do not take to meaningless flattery the kindest. Thank you for taking the time to attend my celebration but I grow weary and must rest. Enjoy the food and drink merry. Farewell.”
With her last words spoken, Edwynn departed from the high table and ever so gratefully sifted through the crowd of people that littered the great hall, stepped over middle aged men who lay passed out in a pool of their own vomit. She was careful to not stain the white lace dress that her mother had embroidered for her. It was symbolic. Edwynn knew. The whole purpose of the dress in white was to proclaim to all bachelor men at the feast that she was still innocent and untouched. Edwynn despised the attention more than anything.
It was a warm summers evening when she reached the outside balcony. The castle gardens were swollen with berry trees, rose bushes and wheat fields. The smell of the harvest perfumed the air and Edwynn inhaled the scent with closed eyes, letting the smell intoxicate her more than the wine she had consumed. Gently opening her eyes, Edwynn let herself get lost in the vastness of the kingdom of Wearhalla, drank in the beauty of the overflowing hills of green that shone emerald in the rays of a red sunset. Below her, voices of the village folk echoed through the silence.
The festive music had silenced the moment that she had entered the outside and shut away the celebration behind her. Being born a noble woman, a life of a princess was something that Edwynn had ever wanted. The life of a queen, like her mother, meant nothing to the raven haired girl. There was so much formality, so much to learn and most of it was not useful, not beneficial. Often Edwynn wished for a simple life.
It was the sound of a cold harsh voice that made Edwynn's blood run cold. “Edwynn.” Slowly the raven haired girl turned to face the wrath of her mother. The queen. She was dressed in rich crimson, her dress beautifully crafted, tailored tight at the waste, the corset perfectly fitting her tiny body, the skirts cascading around her hips like a beautiful parasol. Her own black hair hung in glossy tendrils over pale shoulders. Edwynn thought how she looked more like a sister than a mother.
“Yes Mother,”
“Have you spoke with Lord Morris? I saw him earlier speaking with you but you dismissed yourself. Where is he now?” When the queen spoke her words were filled with ice.
“I don't know.” Edwynn answered her mother just as coldly. “I left him at the high table.” A look of fury crossed her mothers face at her answer. Edwynn readied herself for the sting from her mothers hand as it struck her hard in the face. Once, her mother's strikes would have hurt the young woman, but now Edwynn had grown accustomed to them. “Insolent child!” The queen hissed. “Do you not know what I have gone through in trying to find a suitor for you? And this is the thanks I get? He is of royalty and did not have to agree to come to your celebration yet he made the effort to come and you greet him with cold contempt? How dare you be so ungrateful!”
“I do not wish to marry mother.” Edwynn replied mechanically. The queen scoffed at at her daughters disobedience. “You are of an age too marry now child!” The ice queen snapped. “You are have reached your twentieth birthday and you are still unwed! Do you know what shame that brings our family? Under the eyes of the gods I was wed when I was sixteen. You will and you shall go back and find lord Morris and make your apologies to him. If I don't see his lips upon yours tonight I will not be happy! Do you understand?”
Chapter 2.
That night she dreamt of freedom, in a place far from Wearhalla. In Edwynn's mind, her heart belonged to the vast hills that framed her fathers kingdom yet her heart still belonged to another man, a man that she could no longer be with.
Sleep had not come easy to the raven haired woman. Her refusal to obey her mothers instructions caused the young woman to face the wrath of a woman scorned. Forced
back into the feast to face the cocky lord once more, the queen had forced her daughters to the handsome lord and gave her permission for her to marry.
Through a broken sleep, the eyes of the young woman fluttered open. Somewhere in the room a candle flame flickered, its flame dancing upon the walls of her bedchamber, the cold night air blowing into her room from an open window. Tiredly, Edwynn rose to her feet. She was tall for a young woman and slender too. Her hair of glossy curls hung down her back, shielding her from the biting cold wind that blew outside. Even though she was awake, Edwynn felt numb. The day that she had finally turned a woman had come and gone and still she was treated as if she was nothing but a foolish child.
A month from now the raven haired girl would be married. Already the news of the princesses wedding was spreading across the land in eager, excited whispers. Though the girl did not desire marriage, she knew that she could not decline. If she was to make a good queen one day then Edwynn had to accept her duties to the throne, whether she wanted it or not.
For a long moment, Edwynn merely stood at her window, her eyes of emerald green drinking in the velvet blue black sky, her eyes fixated upon the great silver full moon that illuminated the blackness. Inhaling deeply, Edwynn closed her eyes and pushed her face closer to the outdoors. The cold air felt good against her skin, brushing against her face. Somewhere in the distance a wolf howled. The sound mournful and sad. The call of the wild. The call of the free.
There came a sound of gravel crunching below her window when something told her to look down. She was hypnotized by what she saw, so beautiful was the creature. Edwynn was amazed by how it just stood quietly staring up at her, its ichor eyes glowing up at her, fixated and refusing to look away. Its fur was as black as the night itself, its body big, its fur course. The raven haired girl, hypnotized by the power of the beasts eyes smiled weakly down at the great wolf. For a moment it remained standing in the same position until a noise from the castle stables frightened it away. A sadness consumed the young woman's heart as she watched the beast fade to black before closing the heavy wooden shutters and turning on her heel to walk over to her little desk, where a leather bound book of parchment lay open, a majestic quill innocently sleeping in an ink pot next to it.
There were so many thoughts that flooded Edwynn's mind, but too much time to convey them into words. Often the young woman recorded her daily activities as she enjoyed reading back over them. With heavy eyes, Edwynn looked down at the blank pages before her. Where once the paper had been a crisp white they now were stained and faded from no use. With a heavy heart the raven haired girl flicked the pages until she came across the final entry that she had written when she had turned fifteen. The last entry to ever grace her book of dreams. As quickly as she opened it she had slammed it shut again. The pain she felt when she looked over the words within her diary was enough to drive any sane man mad.
Five years ago, Edwynn had suffered a great loss. Her brother had died in a war North of Wearhalla, a kingdom filled with hate and malice, evil and blackness and all things corrupt. Unlike her, her brother had been born with a purpose. He was a fighter, a warrior who had strongly believed in peace and justice. He was the protector of the king and queen, dedicated his life to keep peace in the land but the moment that he had rode to war, the end had been nigh. Whilst her brother was alive, Edwynn had been untouchable. He had been her protector as much as her friend. He saw how the queen treated her only daughter and he tried making amends on Edwynn's part but to no avail.
And so for five years Edwynn had haunted the halls of Wearhalla alone. It was the death of her brother that drove her to the love of the sword. An outcast and an only child, Edwynn had no choice but to find her own way of grieving. Mothers wept, men swore to avenge the Kingdom's fallen., banners were raised in honour for the lost prince, wreathes of red littered the stone floor of the monument of the prince, resembling the blood that had left his body upon the battlefield. The queen had confined herself to her chambers, refused to see anyone. The king ruled the kingdom as if a death had not affected his rule. Edwynn had stood at her brothers graveside, clad in the attire of a mourner, black veil shielding her face from the autumn leaves that fell respectfully from the sky.
It had been a time of hardships yet still the pain did not leave her. Edwynn had began to wonder whether it ever would.
Chapter 3.
The sky of that grey morning wept the tears that she concealed from the people of Wearhalla. Edwynn, dressed in her riding dress of deep red velvet, walked through the great hall like the shadow that she was. In her hand a great sword of silver glinted upon the steel, the sunlight of the early dawn reflecting off the blade like a mirror of the past. From behind her there came a strong voice.
“My lady,” Edwynn's feet came to a halt when a rough hand wrapped itself around her wrist. When she turned to face the one who had dared to touch royalty, her heart sank at the sight before her. Lord Morris. “My lord?” His hair was dishevelled, the crisp pristine look of a prince now gone. In its place was a young man, unshaven, hair of gold wild and untamed like a lions mane, shirt of white open at the collar revealing a hard chest beneath. Due to the inconvenience, Edwynn could not help but steal a glance at the young man. “Apologies my lady, but I only want to speak with my soon to be wife.” His voice seemed to shake when he spoke. Edwynn frowned. “Do you fair well Lord Morris? You do not seem yourself. Shall I call for a physician?”
At her words the young prince eyed the girl hungrily before he answered her question. “I must confess that I have seen better days my lady.” It was only when a clatter erupted around the great hall that captured the young lords attention did she notice the blood upon the lip of his shirt. Edwynn frowned. “Your bleeding.” She told him, reaching out with her thumb and finger to trace the blood upon his shirt. “Have you been injured Sir?” Lord Morris shook his head though his eyes stated otherwise. “It is nothing my lady, only a cut. Nothing I cannot handle alone.” A strangely soft smile stretched across his lips then as he stared down at the raven haired girl. Edwynn looked back at him, her mind racing.
“Well,” She whispered nervously, “I wish you good health my lord but I must be on my way. I have business to attend to in town.” Still he did not release his hands from off of her. Edwynn frowned. The lord stared down at her with a blank expression on his face before he seemed to return to his normal state. “Then at least let me accompany you into town Lady Edwynn. The village is no place for a woman of royalty to walk so openly without a chaperone.”
“I assure you sir there is no need,” But he would see none of it, for the insistent lord was already heading back to his own chambers. “I will return shortly.” He insisted leaving the young woman aghast.
When he did return he seemed to look a different man. Gone were the rags that he had previously been clothed and in their place was now the man that she had witnessed at the feast. Dressed in his signature black silk shirt, golden mane of hair now sleek and tied back with a black sash. The only thing that remained of the wild man was the dirty blonde stubble that covered his handsome face. Edwynn had to force herself to remain vigilant about her task. She was going to visit her brothers crypt at the tombs. By sundown she would reach there. Or so she had hoped.
When Lord Morris approached her he smiled at her a smile that would have sent the hearts of any other young lady aflutter. Although his smile did stir a foreign feeling within her, Edwynn fought desperately to refrain from giggling uncontrollably like a loved up child.
A drawn out silence passed between the two before the lord finally extended his arm to the raven haired beauty. Edwynn looked down at his arm and back up to his face, taken a little off guard by the action. At her confused expression the young lord laughed the same laugh from the night before. “May I?” He inquired, pointing gently to her arm. It took a moment before she realized what he meant for her to do and so not quite knowing what to answer with, she let the young lord take hold of her arm, and link it through his
as he guided her to the great double doors that led to the outside world.
“Red suits you.” He said helping her mount her horse after a moment of an uncomfortable silence. “Thank you.” Edwynn replied quietly though she had no patience for his honeyed words. “Please, call me Thomas” Lord Morris instructed the young woman. He sat atop his horse across from her like the regal man that he was. A confident smile was still etched upon his face, golden eyes sparkling. The stable boy reached up to whisper something into the young lords ear and what she saw upon his neck unnerved her. A deep gash showed upon his neck, black and crusting. Edwynn stared at the wound in awe until the smiling lord turned his eyes back to hers. Edwynn faked a smile that did not reach her own eyes, watching suspiciously as the lord kicked his horse into a gallop and out of her sight.
The air of the early morning light filled her lungs as her young mare sped over the grassland. Edwynn's cloak of black velvet billowed in the wind, her hair blowing around her as she rode. Whenever the raven haired girl was away from the castle and the people within it, did she then feel truly free. The prince had raced up the mountain and had jolted his stallion to a firm halt as he waited patiently for the girl to arrive. When finally she caught up with the prince a great smile was stretched across her face, a smile of pure enjoyment. Whenever she rode her horse she felt alive. Even in the company of the man that was to be her husband. “You ride well lady Edwynn.” Lord Morris complemented her gently, eyes of gold glittering. Feeling rather abashed, Edwynn smiled back at the handsome lord. “Thank you.” She whispered again, the urge of adrenaline still coursing through her veins. Lord Morris trotted his black stallion up to next to Edwynn's mare. Gently the two horses rubbed their noses together in a form of greeting. Edwynn patted her horse gently in a reassuring manner.
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