by Rachel Angel
“I must really be exhausted,” Kingsley said. “That’s enough for tonight. Let’s resume our talks tomorrow morning.”
Reluctantly, the men left.
Once alone in the big room, Kingsley walked around, his hands clenched behind his back. Every once in a while, he looked up, turned back and then went on walking around again.
“I know you can hear me, Kingsley,” Harley said.
He stopped in his tracks and looked up. “Harley?”
Chapter 9
“Yes!” she let out in the darkness of her cell. “Finally. You hear me, Kingsley? I need you to hear me. I need you to find me. Can you really hear me?”
“Yes,” he said. “It’s a little scratchy and faint, but I hear you.”
“I can see you, Kingsley. Can you see me?”
“No. Nothing.”
“I don’t understand. I’m working so hard to connect with you.” She was dismayed to see that her magic still wasn’t enough to send him an image of her.
“You just need to focus more. Look at your surroundings. Concentrate on sending me an image of that.”
“I’m in some sort of cell. It’s dark in here, Kingsley. It’s so dark, I can barely see anything at all.”
“Okay. That might be why I’m not seeing you.”
“Oh, Kingsley. It’s so cold and damp in here. They’ve kept me here all night without food or water. I just want to get out. What do I do now?”
“Try to remember everything that lead you to where you are. See it in your mind’s eye. Maybe I’ll be able to trace your steps and come to you.”
“Okay. I’ll try.”
“I know you can do it, Harley. You may be new to magic, but I know you have what it takes. Tell me, are you alone where you are?”
“Yes.” She was reluctant to tell him about Oldman’s treatment of her.
“What was that?”
She smiled, surprised that he had understood her vague thought.
“There’s a pig of a man here who tried to have his way with me.”
“Are you kidding me?”
“No, but don’t worry. I took care of him. At least for the time being.”
“Where are you, Harley?” he said with urgency. “Are you at the Academy?”
“No, Kingsley. I’m right here. I’m in your kingdom. I’m in an old castle somewhere near your palace. I could smell the sea before they captured me. I could even see it for a brief moment.”
“Are you telling me that someone from my own kingdom is treating you like this?” he said, seething.
“I tried to tell them that I knew you. I told them that I had to see you, that I had to talk to you. But they refused to believe me.”
“Shit!” he said suddenly. “I see it. Soldiers around you, laughing. They’re all leering at you. Then… who is that? Shit! Is that Oldman? Damn the bastard. Is he the one doing this to you?”
“I think so. I think I heard one of the men calling him that. I didn’t think it was his name. I thought he was simply an old man in the younger soldiers’ eyes.”
Kingsley chuckled. “Well, either way, I’ll deal with him when I see him. This isn’t the first time he’s done something like this. He has a reputation for mistreating female prisoners, especially very pretty ones. You can bet I’m going to put an end to that.”
“Then, does that mean that you can see where I am?”
“I can’t see it, but I think I know where you are,” Kingsley said. “No wonder your magic couldn’t work. You’re in a cell that uses fae magic to prevent any escapes. Your magic has to be incredibly strong to break through. Oldman’s had that dungeon under his castle for ages, but I’ll see to it that it is closed off for good once I get you out of there.”
“Can you come to me?”
“You bet. I’ll be there to get you out and to give Oldman a lesson in chivalry.”
“I think that’s like trying to teach a dog how to read. Pointless.”
Kingsley laughed. “Hang in there, love. I’ll be there as quickly as I can.”
Barely ten minutes passed before Harley heard a commotion coming from outside her cell. Standing on tippy toes, she peered into the small opening of her cell door.
At the far end of the dark corridor, she saw Kingsley coming with Oldman and another solider. She smiled at the authority Kingsley displayed, clearly at ease with his role as ruler.
“I told you, Prince Kingsley,” Oldman was saying. “The wench is a spy from Woods.”
“I ought to have you strung up by the balls,” Kingsley spat. “That you suspect her is one thing. That you imprison her and then mistreat her is another. The very least you could have done was to verify with me who she was.”
“Yes, Prince Kingsley,” Oldman groveled. “I should have. I apologize. But she was wearing the Woods crest, sir.”
Kingsley stopped walking a moment to shoot a quizzical gaze at Oldman. Then he shook his head and continued onward. “Open the door.”
“Sir,” Oldman stammered. “I must tell you that the wench… ah, that is, your lady friend, put up quite a fight as we tried to place her in her cell.”
“Open the damn door, Oldman!”
“Yes, sir.”
Harley heard the click of the key then the unlatching of the door. The moment it was thrown open, she ran into Kingsley’s arms.
“I’m so happy to see you,” she said as she covered his face with kisses.
Gripping her shoulders, he pulled her back to take a good look at her. “What happened?” he said as he looked down at her tattered clothes. But she needn’t answer. Furious, he turned to glare back at Oldman. “She put up quite a fight, heh? That’s why you had to tear her clothes up, you degenerate.”
“Sir, I was just trying to do my duties, sir. I was just trying to ensure your safety.”
“You were trying to take advantage of her.” Kingsley turned back to Harley. “I’m so sorry about all this.”
“Oh, Kingsley,” Harley said. “This place is horrid. It’s cold. It stinks. I’m hungry. I’m thirsty.”
Again, Kingsley turned his ire on Oldman. “Please explain why she was not fed. Why did you not even offer her a drink of water? Is this what my father has taught you? Is this the way you think we treat prisoners in The Kingdom of Sea?”
“No, sir. I mean. Sir…”
“Shut up!” Kingsley shouted. “Not only are you a cruel and perverse rogue, but you’re a sniveling coward when confronted with your own inadequacies.”
“But, sir…”
In a flash, Kingsley pulled out his dagger, swung around and nearly sliced Oldman’s nose off. “Now get out!” Kingsley ordered.
Oldman reached for his nose which was now missing a tiny sliver on the very tip of it. “Sir,” he whined.
“Get out!” Kingsley shouted. “Get out of my sight. Get out of this cell. Get out of this castle. Get out of this kingdom!”
“But, sir,” Oldman argued. “Your father, The King, gave me this position. I head the infantry division of your army. Sir, I am important to this kingdom. Surely you’re not going to get rid of me over a simple wench.”
“Out!” Fist clenched, Kingsley took a step toward him. “Out, or I swear I will run you through, Oldman.”
Oldman took a step back, but something in his eyes told Harley that this wasn’t over.
Kingsley looked to the other soldiers who’d been standing by. “Gilbert is the one who was with him when she was taken in. I want him questioned. I want to know everything that happened. Get this trash out of here and find Gilbert.”
The soldiers nodded and hauled Oldman away.
With them gone, Kingsley took off his jacket and wrapped it around Harley, then picked her up and carried her out of the belly of the castle.
Outside, he put her on his horse and got up behind her. As they slowly rode back to his palace, he gently kissed her head.
“I’ll make sure he remembers the day he chose to manhandle you.”
She patted his han
d. “It’s over now, and I’m with you. That’s all that matters.”
He squeezed her to his body and she could feel the breadth of his chest protecting her back. As he squeezed her, his hand fell to the sash that still tied her tattered shirt.
“Woods,” he said simply.
Harley looked down at the crest on the sash. “Yes.”
“Explanation?”
“Am I allowed a bath and a meal before we delve into that discussion?”
“Fair enough.”
They arrived at his palace and he carried her to his private quarters. As she peeled off the smelly shreds of cloth and threw them into a waste bin, Kingsley drew a bath, adding fragrant oils to the hot water.
“That smells incredible,” Harley said as she entered the elegant bathroom.
The cool marble flooring led to a magnificent clubfooted bathtub set in a windowed recess that allowed a beautiful view of the gardens below and the sea beyond it. The sea seemed to go one forever with the crystalline waters meeting a distant horizon of brilliant blue.
“Settle in,” Kingsley said, giving her an appraising gaze and smiling. “I’ll bring you something warm and fortifying to eat.”
“Sounds great.” She smiled at him as she dipped her toe into the warm water then stepped fully into the tub. As she sat down, letting the warmth of the fragrant water envelope her, she let out a long, satisfied sigh. “Heaven,” she said to him. “This is heaven.”
“After a night of hell, I’m happy to be able to offer you a slice of heaven,” Kingsley said. “Now that the outside of your body is in heaven, I’ll go get you something to fill your insides with a taste of heaven.”
“Take your time,” Harley said, leaning back and closing her eyes. “This is g-r-eat!”
For the next twenty minutes, Harley reveled in every breath of fragrant bath oils, every drop of warm water and every moment of pure joy.
But when her nostrils detected the scent of fresh baked bread, roasted pork and other tasty treats, she sat up, ready to feed her body.
Kingsley set the tray on a small table in the main bedroom and came to Harley, stripping off his clothes with every step he took. He reached the tub, glorious in his nudity, and stepped in behind her, washing her back, then washing her hair and rinsing it off with fresh water from a jug beside the bath.
It was a relaxing ritual she could have easily become accustomed to.
“Let’s get you fed while it’s still hot,” he whispered. He stood, his muscular body glistening like a Greek God. He offered her a helping hand.
Taking a firm grip of him, Harley stood, oily water shimmering on her body.
“Hmm,” Kingsley let out, his eyes taking her in, every inch of her. “Damn. Damn. Damn. How have I survived these past weeks without you?”
Harley laughed, eyeing him with hunger as well. “I guess you had more important things to think about.” She stepped out of the tub and Kingsley wrapped a luxuriously soft silk robe around her, then wrapped a towel around his waist.
“Well, now,” he said as he led her back to the main room. “You’re the only thing that matters.”
He sat with her at the elegant breakfast nook that also overlooked the sea. As she ate, his gaze constantly came back to her eyes.
“I’ve missed you, Harley,” he said as she chewed on a big bite of fresh bread covered with creamy butter.
“I’ve missed you, too,” she said through her mouthful.
“I tried a few times to return to the Academy to see you.”
“Really?” She washed down the bread with a large spoonful of soup. “So why didn’t you?”
“My father,” he said. “On the last day of school, my father fell ill. It was quite sudden and unexpected. I thought I was coming home to train a bit and maybe take a little time off, but…” He trailed off and his gaze swept over the sea a moment.
“I’m sorry to hear about that. Is he okay?”
He nodded. “He’s doing better, but he’s not well enough to tend to his duties.”
“And that’s why you’re the new general?”
He looked at her. “How did you know?”
She shrugged and broke off another piece of bread. “I heard about it. Word gets around, I guess.”
Kingsley looked around the room and saw the shreds of Harley’s clothing in the trash bin. “That sash,” he said. “With the crest.”
She knew the question would come up. Pulling in a deep breath, Harley looked at him. “I stopped by the Woods.”
“So, it would appear.” His tone was wary, and his eyes narrowed. “Why?”
“I wanted to know what was going on.” She looked down at her tray, then back at him. “I wanted to talk Oak out of this silly war. The sash was part of a disguise to keep his soldiers from discovering who I really am.”
Kingsley nodded. “So? Did you succeed in talking him out of it?”
“No more than I would be able to talk you out of it. Right? You won’t back down?”
“Did you miss me?” he said, sidestepping the question.
“Of course, I did.” She looked up at him. “I thought of you every day.”
“Is that why you came to find me… that is, after seeing Oak?”
“Please don’t do that.”
“Do what?”
“Turn this into a competition with Oak.”
“Isn’t it?” He looked her in the eye. “You missed me. Did you miss him?”
“Kingsley.” She let the chunk of bread fall to her plate.
“All right. I’ll drop it. I guess what I’m really asking is, do you care about me?”
“Of course, I care about you, Kingsley. How can you even doubt that? I came out here, didn’t I?” Taking a last spoonful of soup, she then pushed the tray away.
“Thank you,” she said. “That was really good.”
“I’m glad.”
Smiling, she looked at him. He seemed to want so much more.
“Are you ready to admit that you’re in love with me?”
She laughed and reached for his hand.
He looked down at their clasped hands. “Is that supposed to be an answer?”
“You could look at it that way.”
He leaned in to kiss her, long and hard. His lips latched onto hers and she could feel the hunger, the longing.
“I love you so much, Harley,” he said, squeezing her tight. “So much it hurts. Every day that I’ve had to spend here, without you… damn. You have no idea how difficult it’s been.” He chuckled. “Man, the dreams I had. Sometimes it was just a chaste dream of studying with you, holding your hand, strolling the grounds. Other times, ooh! I was making love to you, and I don’t need to tell you the state I woke up in. Man, was I craving you… all of you.”
She looked at him with a wicked smile. “Yeah, I think I had that same dream.”
He laughed. “Those dreams made it all the harder to stay here. I felt like I was in a prison, stuck here.”
She looked around her, taking in the sumptuous surroundings. “Prison? Really?”
Chuckling, he followed her gaze. “Okay, a nice prison. You know what I mean.” He put his hand over his heart in a melodramatic gesture. “I was a prisoner in my heart.”
Harley put her hand to his cheek. “Poor baby. When the day comes that you spend a day in prison the way I spent a night in prison, we’ll talk.”
“You ever heard of the bird in a gilded cage?” he said. “It’s not because this palace is so beautiful and luxurious that it makes it enjoyable to be here without you.”
“Well, I’m here with you now,” she said, her voice suddenly taking on a very husky tone.
“Indeed, you are,” he said, his voice equally heavy with sexual desire. He stood and took her by the hand, guiding her to the bed. “I want you in my arms… all night.”
“And that’s exactly where I want to be.” She lay down beside him, her silk robe opening as she stretched out on the huge bed.
He pushed the remaining
fabric off her shoulders, exposing her breasts. “You’re even more luscious than I remember. You’re exquisite, Harley. And I think you’re just more beautiful every time I see you.”
He leaned in to kiss her, his tongue quickly finding hers. After the long passionate kiss, he pulled back and looked at her. “I missed you so much.” He squeezed her tight. “I’ve missed this. Holding you. Kissing you. Loving you.” He let his hand travel down between her legs, finding the moisture and heat that told him she wanted him.
“Then come back with me, Kingsley. Forget about this silly war and come back to the Academy with me. You’d be safe, and you’d be with me.”
“I wish I could, Harley. Really, I do. But I have obligations. I can’t just turn my back on them.”
“Obligations,” she repeated flatly. She inhaled deeply, trying to keep her calm. “Do you really feel an obligation to fight Oak?”
“We’re fighting The Kingdom of Woods’ army.”
“And that includes Oak. You realize that, don’t you?”
“War is hell,” he said plainly.
“War is insane, and useless. What will this all prove?”
“The Kingdom of Woods chose to side with The Kingdom of Fall. They knew that in doing that it would cause friction. We, on the other hand, chose to side with your kingdom, Harley. We’ve sided with The Kingdom of Spring. That alone ought to tell you something.”
“What does that mean? That Oak doesn’t care about me as much as you do?”
“What do you think?”
Harley sat up, angrily pressing her lips together. “I don’t know what to think anymore. Holy crap, I’m just tired of thinking about it all. All I want to say,” she said as she turned to him, “is don’t. Just don’t. Damn it, I’m sure you have the capacity to put a stop to all this. Just don’t. Don’t attack. Don’t fight. Don’t kill. Just don’t, damn it!”
Kingsley nodded, but said nothing, the grim look on his face saying it all. This war was going to happen, whether they liked it or not.
“All right, then. If this is going to happen,” Harley said after a long, tense moment of silence, “can I at least ask that you not kill Oak.”
He quickly looked at her. “Did you ask Oak not to kill me?”