The Emperor's Arrow

by Lauren DM Smith

  Evony blinked as the prickling got stronger. She missed her home, missed the trees, the green light, the laughter and noise her whole family made, and the friendly faces that made up her clan. But going back would be just as painful as staying because she’d have to leave Galen behind. Her chest constricted, making it hard to breathe as she thought of the full reality of leaving.

  From the half smiles he showed her to the rarer real ones, from the way he looked ready to take on everyone when he was reminded of his sister to the surprise that sometimes showed when she did things, every display of emotion made her feel special, that she got to see parts of him that he didn’t show easily. Galen’s cleverness, his strength, his honour, and the crumbling of the wall she felt he’d put up between himself and the world had her completely ensnared. If she did go home, she’d only end up looking for some excuse to come back, some reason that she had to see Galen. A hand fisted as she fought to keep her emotions from gaining control of her and from showing on her face.

  She dug her fingernails into her hand, focusing on the pain as a way to fight back the rush of her own feelings. She kept her face as blank as she could, glad that Galen was usually quiet, and that her silence seemed to have gone unnoticed so far.

  Galen needed an empress, and Evony knew she wasn’t it. She didn’t want the job, didn’t want to spend her life surrounded by people looking for something from her and to be responsible for the lives of everyone in the empire. The weight of it could crush her. She didn’t know much of intrigue and knew less of the court as a whole. She couldn’t even get along with all the girls in the competition the way Paran and Chana could. In that respect, Venita wasn’t entirely wrong about her. She was barely a noble. She just wasn’t suited to ruling the way an empress would have to. She wasn’t good at smoothing things over with people, wasn’t good at acting with the grace and poise she saw the other girls use, and wasn’t good at being the contrast to Galen that he needed in a lifemate.

  And that was assuming Galen would choose her, that he would want her beyond the agreement they’d already made. He was hard to read, and while she thought he liked her on a personal level, she couldn’t be sure. She only knew she couldn’t be what he needed. No matter what it was she wished. Again, she found herself wishing he wasn’t the Adnuhom. Everything would be simple then.

  She shook herself, thrusting all of it away for now. This wasn’t the time or place for this. When she had a moment, when she could be by herself and sort through everything, then she’d get herself figured out. For now, she needed to help Galen, and that was something that would remain true no matter what she decided.

  Evony breathed deeply, trying to use her exhalations to get rid of all her conflicting thoughts. Galen chose that moment to speak. “I see you were not exaggerating when you spoke of Primus Venita.”

  The words took a second to penetrate, and she focused desperately on them, willing everything else down to her toes if it wouldn’t disappear. She nodded slowly, not immediately trusting her voice to work properly. “She’s...interesting.”

  “So I gathered. She is most determined.”

  Evony nodded again as they rounded the corner that turned into one of the walkways that crisscrossed the whole complex. She glanced towards the empty space formed by the square of two building walls, their walkway, and the one that crossed it up ahead. It was a stone paved courtyard, the edges lined with stone troughs overflowing the flowers. The sun overhead had the whole centre filled with light, the straight lines of the shadows only interrupted by a single hump at an angle to them, the scent of hot stone stronger than the smell of flowers.

  Hairs on her arms rose and Evony stopped, grabbing Galen’s arm to stop him from going past her. He turned to look at her, frowning, while every nerve told her something was wrong. She didn’t argue with her instincts but twisted so she was in front of Galen and his back was towards a column.

  She had barely completed the movement when pain ripped through her left arm. Evony cried out even as she pulled out one of the throwing knives she kept hidden on herself and spun in the direction the arrows had come from. The angle of the attack told her all she needed to know, and she looked up. Her assailant was easy to see, crouched on top of the other walkway, struggling to his feet, hand going for another arrow.

  Evony didn’t let him get that far, hurling her knife straight at him and drawing another. She needn’t have bothered as her first sliced through the air to nick the side of the man’s neck. He clapped a hand to the wound and lost his balance, falling off the walkway to the unforgiving ground below.

  Galen’s guards raced past her, heading straight towards the man, swords drawn. Evony barely had a chance to lower her right arm when she felt hands on her. Before she could react, her feet left the ground, making her yelp.

  She found herself looking up at Galen, who had an arm around her chest, the other under her knees. “I—” she began.

  “Shut up! I am taking you to see the medicus,” he snapped, already running, two of his guards hurrying to catch up behind him.

  “It’s just a scratch.”

  “The arrow could have been poisoned!”

  Evony shook her head. “I’ve been trained to know my body. I’d know if it was poisoned.”

  “I do not care!” he shouted, glaring ahead of him, a muscle in one cheek jumping. “You cannot be certain of anything and I will not have you dismiss your own safety for even a second. Now stay quiet until you have been seen to!”

  She flinched, never having heard him raise his voice like this. His whole body was tense around her. Remembering what she’d heard of Callisa, she hid a wince. Of course his first thought would be poison. The deep lines that etched themselves into the area around his nose and mouth left her no illusions as to his state of mind. Her stomach twisted with guilt at the thought of causing him to remember that kind of pain, while at the same time she couldn’t help the little bit of warmth blooming in her chest. He at least cared enough about her to want to save her if he could. So Evony remained silent, letting Galen carry her in his arms.

  * * *

  Evony watched Medicus Tebah bandage her arm. The chief medicus had confirmed what she’d already known: the arrow hadn’t been poisoned. When Galen had heard, he’d only dropped his head for several moments before straightening into the position he held now, his arms folded over his chest, hovering over Evony’s right shoulder.

  “The wound is shallow, but you should still avoid using your left arm as much as you can for the next day or two. Change the bandages at least once a day, after you bathe. If the wound reopens or it becomes inflamed, please come see me,” Tebah said as he finished tying the bandage off.

  She nodded, the instructions being much the same as the time she’d gashed her leg slipping off some rocks. “Thank you,” she said, gathering up the overdress they’d taken off to treat her wound. “I’ll do my best to be careful.”

  Galen said nothing, only offered a curt bow of his head to Tebah as Evony rose. He moved so he was close enough that he could put a hand into the small of her back and propel her forward with it. Evony let him, waiting until they were out of the medicus wing and heading back to the main building before she said anything. “See?” she said, offering Galen a smile. “It was just a scratch.”

  His jaw tightened as he looked at her. “It was this time, but next it could very well be worse.”

  Evony sighed. “That’s a risk I’ll have to take.”

  “No, it is not.”

  She looked up into his glare and made a face. “I’m an Amazzi warrior. When you’re a warrior, you accept that there are times you’re going to get hurt. It’s part of the job.”

  “A warrior’s job is not to get between assassins and their targets.”

  “Really, then what are your guards’ jobs then when they follow you around?”

  He glowered. “Th
at is different.”

  “No, it’s not. I’m Amazzi and beyond all else, I have a duty to keep you safe. You are the Adnuhom.”

  A muscle by his eye twitched. “And you are a bride candidate here, not a soldier.”

  Now she was glaring. “Before I am a princeps, before being of clan Aureline, I am Amazzi. And Amazzi are warriors!”

  “I do not care! I forbid you from putting yourself in danger like this again.”

  “I will break orders even from you if it’s to keep you alive,” she snapped back. Both their paces increased into a harsh march, their steps reflecting the emotions rising in both of them.

  “You would defy your emperor?”

  “I would defy the Adnuhom. I don’t care about other titles. I won’t have you hurt when I can stop it. I won’t!”

  They finally reached the narrow hallway that led to Galen’s room and they both stalked down it, glaring at each other, ignoring the looks they were getting from the guards on the doors. “You have no idea how dangerous the palace can be! You blunder about like a bull in a potter’s shop, covering yourself in scratches and not having the sense to stop and pay attention to where you are stepping.”

  “What did you say?” she cried, following right on his heels as he ripped open the door to his rooms, kicking it shut behind them. “You’re the one who doesn’t have any sense. I may have gotten hit in the arm, but if I hadn’t moved, you’d have taken an arrow to the chest! You could have died!”

  “So could have you!” he shouted. He shot an arm out and grabbed her right arm in a grip so tight that it was painful. Before she could react he pulled her close and dropped his forehead onto her shoulder, his free hand going to her left hip.

  Evony could feel the tremor running through the arm that still held her biceps. She sighed, the anger draining out of her. “Galen,” she said, reaching up with her left arm and ignoring the twinge of pain. She gently stroked the back of his head, able to feel the heat of his breath against her. “The world is full of danger. There’s always the chance that someone could be hit by lightning, slip and hit their head, or even choke to death. If everyone were to avoid everything that could kill them, they wouldn’t really be living, would they?”

  He went still for a few heartbeats then slowly raised his head so he could look at her, the grip on her arm slackening so it no longer hurt. She barely noticed when her overdress dropped from numb fingers. Evony smiled and moved her hand so she could cup his cheek. “I’m glad you want to keep me safe, but you have to understand I want to keep you safe as well. And sometimes that means being in danger. But you know that I’m well trained, and that I’ll do everything to minimize that risk, so please don’t worry. I have every intention of living to be a cantankerous old woman.”

  Galen studied her intently for several punctums then reached up to gently brush a stray curl away from her face. She blushed and looked away, her body choosing that moment to remind her of what exactly those fingers could do. He tilted her chin back up so she was looking at him again.

  The kiss he pressed onto her lips wasn’t really unexpected, but it still brought further blood rushing to her cheeks. Not that Evony paid much attention to it, not when the rest of her body was coming alive with desire. She moved closer so she could press her body against his. Evony then moved her uninjured arm so she could grab the back of his neck and pull his lips even tighter against hers.

  He responded by sliding an arm around her waist and melding their bodies together. He opened his mouth and this time it was she who slipped her tongue in first. It was quickly met by his, and it didn’t take long for them to fall into a rhythm that had both their hearts pounding harder.

  In less than a minute, Galen let out a little half grunt, half moan and broke off their kiss. Evony didn’t have a chance to protest as he picked her up again. She stared up at him as he carried her from the main room through one of the arched doorways. Evony only had a second to look around at the painted wilderness scenes before she was dropped onto the largest bed she’d ever seen.

  She wasn’t left there alone for long. Galen jumped up beside her, straddling her with his elbows braced against the white cotton sheets, his face only a few digitus from hers. He stared at her again for a few moments then returned his lips to hers. Their combined body heat filled the narrow space between them making Evony feel enveloped in Galen’s warmth even though it was only his lips touching her.

  But his lips were soon joined by his too-clever fingers. He dropped down to his elbow beside her, legs pressed close to hers as his free hand slid its way up from her hip to her chest. The second his hand moved her nipples began to tighten so that by the time his palm reached her breast, they were like carved beads, hard and eagerly anticipating his touch.

  He didn’t disappoint. He gently grazed one with his thumb before flicking the hard nub with his index. The feeling through the fabric of her chiton sent pleasure jolts racing through her, all seeming to hit her pleasure point in a way that had her shifting her legs as desire began to rise inside of her.

  Galen continued his assault for a few more punctums then pulled open the front of her chiton so he could touch her bare flesh. The delicious sensation intensified as he touched her naked nipple and Evony couldn’t help the little noise of pleasure that escaped. Seeming to take it as encouragement, Galen gently flicked her nipple a few times before softly rolling it between his thumb and forefinger.

  That felt even better and she twitched, her hand going to the back of his neck to press him more tightly against her, not wanting him to stop. He pulled away from her lips while his fingers kept up their attentions. She glared at him, which only made him smile. She found out why when his head drifted lower and his lips went to the nipple he’d been paying so much attention to.

  She couldn’t help the soft cry as his warm mouth and clever tongue started their own delicious attack on her. His hand went to her other breast and began the slow buildup he’d done to the other. Evony’s lower half was slick and tingling, every piece of her longing for more, wanting him to take things even further.

  Evony didn’t even notice the disappearance of his one hand until she felt him pulling away the lower folds of her chiton. The sudden introduction of cool air made her gasp. Then she gasped again as Galen simultaneously switched nipples and ran a finger the length of her divide. She jerked as his finger brushed against her pleasure point, the feelings too intense to handle all at once.

  Galen’s swirled his finger up and down her wet folds, causing her to squirm as he avoided the area she both wanted him to touch and didn’t. He broke away from her breasts and smiled slightly at her movements as he slid a finger inside of her. Evony let out a little moan.

  He returned his lips to hers as he moved his finger in and out of her a few times. Then he pushed it as deep as it would go and held it there for a second. Evony thought that this wasn’t nearly so good as when he moved it until he flexed his finger inside of her. Her cry was only partially blocked by Galen’s tongue.

  She could feel the waves of desire within her, rising higher and higher as his first finger was joined by his thumb which circled her pleasure point, grazing it every so often. Every time he did so her whole body would twitch and a half cry would come from the back of her throat. What he was doing to her was torture of the highest, and best, order and if he’d ask her to do it, she’d have done almost anything to not have him stop.

  But stop he did. Evony’s half-closed eyes snapped open, a little growl rising in her throat, her body begging for release, for him to go back to what he’d been doing. Galen sat up on his knees then reach down and fully pulled open the folds of her chiton, yanking them away so she was lying on top of them. She frowned but then noticed the straining fabric of his tunic.

  Evony propped herself up onto her elbows and grinned. Bolder this time, she reached straight out to run her finger along its length a
s she’d done before, glad there were no fountains for him to fall in again. Not that that would stop her with the way her body throbbed with unspent desire.

  It was Galen’s turn to twitch. Encouraged, she ran three fingers up to the very tip, swirling them around the top, feeling the heat of his appendage even through the material of his tunic. Running her whole hand down towards the base again, Evony was stopped by the hand that Galen closed around her wrist.

  “Enough,” he said, his voice rough, eyes bright as he looked at her. Galen released her then ripped off his tunic and threw it away. His leather shorts, something Evony had only ever worn in winter, followed suit.

  Evony couldn’t help but stare at what she was presented with. She’d had a rough idea of the length of him from her previous investigation, but it was quite another to face his member. Pinker than the rest of him, his phallus rose out of the dark curls at strict attention, the tip already glistening with moisture.

  She licked her lips, a little uncertain about the whole of it fitting inside of her. She’d been warned to relax, that if she was well prepared it wouldn’t hurt, but it was hard to think it wouldn’t when she was expected to get something like that inside of her.

  Galen helped with the decision, grabbing her by the hips and pulling her closer. The heat of him and the gentle spice of his musk reminded her body of how empty it was, of how much she needed release. She hoped he was as good at fully lying with another as he’d been with all the rest.

  Evony shifted so she was more open to him, and Galen took over. He moved so that his hard rod pressed against the wet opening to her, gently pressing forward. The movement of it against her brought her desire back full force to her mind, and she moved her hips up a bit, trying to make it easier for him.

  He kept up the steady push until slowly the head of his member made its way past entrance and the rest of him followed more swiftly than Evony had thought it would. He froze once he was inside of her as she winced slightly at the bit of pain and odd sensation it created. She had never felt so full there. It was like the shape of him was being imbedded inside of her.