by R. G. Angel
He sighed. “Not him, Princess; it can never be him.”
I looked down at my lap. “There’s only him,” I admitted, barely louder than a whisper, but as I saw his fist clench, I knew he heard me just fine.
“Lord Penbrook will ask you to dance,” he replied. “He’s the son of the late Lord Penbrook. He is extremely powerful and almost as pure blood as you are.”
“I see…”
“You don’t have to dance with him; you can pick another noble blood.”
“Him or another, it doesn’t matter,” I replied with a sigh as a tall and lanky young blond man approached me.
He wasn’t bad-looking—as far as I could see, no fairy was—but despite his charming smile and warm brown eyes, he didn’t do anything for me.
He bowed low as he reached my seat. “Princess Fay, would you do me the immense honor of opening the ball with me?”
“Yes, Lord Penbrook.”
As he extended his hand toward me to help me up, I couldn’t help but glance toward Tamlin who was scowling. He disliked it as much as I did.
Lord Penbrook took me to the middle of the dance floor.
“Don’t worry, Princess; you’re doing well,” he said kindly as we assumed our position.
As the dance progressed, I started to relax and made some idle chitchat. He was very polite and nice but with each turn, I looked toward Tamlin and the more I danced, the more he looked somber.
After the first dance, I kept on dancing with different nobles of all ages, until my feet hurt.
“I’m tired,” I said to Aidan after eight dances.
He nodded. “It’s okay, you stayed long enough. Tomorrow you’re meeting the war council. You can retire. I’ll deal with the masses.” He gestured to Yannick. “Walk her back to her room; I’ll get her chamber aid over.”
He turned to me with a smile. “I’m so proud to be your uncle, Fay. You made me so proud tonight, and I know your mother is looking upon you with a pride that could only be matched by your father’s.”
My heart tightened in my chest; if only he knew how much I needed to hear that. “Thank you, Uncle Aidan.”
He kissed my forehead. “Goodnight, Princess.”
As soon as I walked into my room, Nolwenn walked behind me to help me out of my heavy dress.
She’d just started to unhook the back of the dress when Tamlin walked into my room without knocking.
He looked at Nolwenn. “Could you please leave us? I have some matters to discuss with the princess.”
Nolwenn looked at me and I nodded my approval. “Please go, you’re dismissed for the night.”
As soon as she was out, Tamlin locked the door.
“What? Is there something wrong?” I asked as my heart sped up.
“No, I…” He looked sheepish. “Hi.”
“Hi? You came to say hi?” I asked incredulously.
“I… missed you and I thought—”
You missed me? You sure as hell didn’t show it in the last month, I thought, knowing it was stupid to mention it now. To be fair, I was rather happy to have him here with me. “You thought?”
“I missed you so much… I tossed and turned in my bed over and over again, knowing why it was better to stay away, but I knew one reason… one essential reason for which I had to come.”
“And what is that reason?”
“You’re the love of my life.”
I smiled coyly. “Good answer.” I turned around toward the mirror. “Now that you dismissed Nolwenn, you need to help me out of this dress.”
“There’s nothing I’d like more… Well, at least right this second,” he whispered huskily as he kept on undoing my back lace, trailing his knuckles on my naked back once he was done.
“You made quite an impression on Penbrook tonight; the most eligible bachelor of Heulwen is smitten,” he said, his voice tainted with jealousy.
“Ah, that’s too bad for poor Lord Penbrook then.” I smiled. “Because the only man I want is my knight.”
He brought his lips to the back of my neck, kissing it tenderly as he pushed down my dress, leaving me in nothing more than my pair of panties.
I looked up and met his eyes, darkened with desire in the mirror.
“Good answer,” he replied, letting his hands trail up my stomach to cup my bare breasts.
He ran his fingertips over my erect nipples, and I moaned, leaning back against him, my head on his shoulder, his hard erection pressing against my back.
“Make love to me, Tamlin.” I turned my head to kiss his neck.
He pulled me away and I looked at him, startled, as he turned me around.
“No,” he said as he sank on his knees in front of me. “Tonight, Princess Fay of Heulwen, I’m going to worship you.”
I was about to ask why he was on his knees when he hooked his forefingers on each side of my panties and brought them down slowly.
Once the panties were discarded, he raised one of my legs and I caught my breath as he rested it on his shoulder. Opening me fully to him.
“I— You don’t have to,” I said self-consciously.
“I know, but I'm dying to.”
And without adding anything, he brought his lips to the most sensitive part of me, and I couldn’t stop the loud moans as his tongue did things I never knew could feel so good.
I was glad he was holding me in place with his strong hands on my hips. He pulled me even closer to his mouth, eating me up like a starved man.
I grabbed at his hair as my hips started to rock, seeking my release with his wicked lips and tongue.
And I came, shouting his name, hoping he would do that every day for the rest of my life.
He put my leg down gently, his hands still holding me up, which I was grateful for as the strong orgasm turned my legs to jelly.
He looked up at me, his lips glistening with my arousal, and I couldn’t help but blush.
“Don’t be self-conscious, my queen. You tasted even better than I could have imagined. Now I just wish I could lay you on the banquet table and eat you until you beg for mercy.”
I shivered at the thought; I could picture it. “Maybe one day.”
“I sure hope so,” he replied, picking me up and carrying me bridal style to the bed.
He laid me there and discarded his uniform, keeping his eyes trained on me.
I ogled his naked body shamelessly. His body was all hard muscles. He had a perfect six-pack and powerful, well-defined thighs, and his penis, it was just as hard and massive as he was. I was now more than grateful that he’d shared his pleasure as he’d entered me because I could hardly believe this had fit in me. No wonder I’d felt him in me for days.
He walked back to the bed, and I looked up at his gentle green eyes full of love and devotion.
“I love you, Fay. More than I could even say,” he whispered as he lay on top of me. “Open your mind now, Fay. I want you to feel only pleasure.”
I nodded eagerly, taking his hand. I would need time to accommodate him.
He entered me and his pleasure once again took my breath away as he filled me up.
After a couple of nice, gentle thrusts, I raised my hips. “It’s okay, my knight, let it out.”
And he growled, letting the beast out once more, half fucking me into the mattress, and I was grateful that I could feel his overwhelming pleasure taking the pain away, letting me enjoy the fullness, the friction of his pubis against my clit, and I came again as he reached his own orgasm. His pleasure was almost too much for me.
He rolled to the side, taking me with him, and wrapping his arms protectively around me.
I felt safe and loved when I was in his arms and I knew he felt the same.
It’s okay, there’s nothing I can’t face with him by my side, I thought as I fell into sleep.
Chapter 20
I took a bath and thought about what I was going to say to the war council today. I had prepared the perfect speech in my head and repeated it over and over again, but I w
as pretty sure that once I was in front of this council, all the words would escape my mind and I’d end up a blank slate.
Aidan believed I was ready to face them, that I was strong enough, and I wanted him to be proud and I also wanted to make sure Nicky didn’t die in vain.
After a little while longer thinking about everything that could possibly go wrong, of all the wrong things I might end up saying, I heard a soft knock at my door.
I took a deep breath, checking my clothes one more time. Did they say ‘please trust me and let me start a war’ enough?
No surprise, Yannick was the one in front of my door; he was my private guard but part of me couldn’t help but hope it would have been Tamlin at the door. He knew I was worried about this session. I thought that maybe he would have come to calm me and give me courage, but instead I ended up being escorted once more by the quiet Yannick.
We walked for a long time, crossing the whole palace. He was taking me through corridors I had never seen before and I tried to peek as much as possible, not really knowing when, if ever, I would see those rooms again.
We finally made it in front of a huge pair of wooden doors that reminded me of the ones I had seen in Tamlin’s head when he had been called by the martial court.
The two guards in front of the door bowed their heads slightly, which was still something strange to me and it always caught me off guard. Aidan kept telling me I was the princess, that it was protocol, but I didn’t feel like a princess. I never did and I was probably one of the only little girls who never dreamed about being one.
“The princess is here for the special session. Please inform them of her presence,” Yannick announced, standing straighter.
His attitude made me smile. I could see that the job of escorting me around was important to him… He was a cutie.
The biggest guard nodded again before disappearing behind the huge door.
After a minute he came back out, leaving the door slightly open.
He gestured me in. “You may go in, Princess; the council is waiting for you.”
I took a deep breath, tightening my ponytail. You’ll be just fine; you know it’s the right thing to do, I told myself, entering the room, ready to face the men that were holding the issue of my plan in their hands.
The council was small which could be both a good and a bad thing as far as the convincing was concerned.
There were seven people in front of me, five men and two women, sitting in a half circle around me. I knew who the five men were. Three members of the martial court, which of course included General Woods. The two other members were a lot more surprising: Tamlin and Aidan.
Aidan was a lot higher in the ranks than he’d led me to believe. I was mostly surprised to see women sitting on the council. I had expected this society to be patriarchal, but thinking about it, they were about to sit on the throne a single woman barely of age which was not really fitting the chauvinistic image I had.
“Princess,” General Woods announced ceremoniously. “You’re exercising your right to speak to the full military council.”
I nodded, unable to let a word escape my lips. I could feel cold sweat forming at the nape of my neck as my heart rate increased dangerously. I was a shy person, but it felt like I was having a panic attack right there. I knew that any kind of weakness would make me lose the small legitimacy I might have had.
“Put your brave face on tonight, Fay; don’t let them see any weakness,” Aidan had said to me. “You can do it, I’m behind you.”
I took a deep breath. I had to do my best not to follow my instinct to run away. I looked up to meet Tamlin’s eyes. I saw him fight authority so easily; I saw him turn his back to everything he believed in to be with him. I just wish I was that brave… He was a soldier and I was about to run away. I was not brave.
“May I ask you, Princess, what is the reason for you to call this extraordinary meeting?” General Woods added, stopping my own internal rant. I knew that he knew exactly why we were here, but he was not asking to bother me; he was doing so because it was protocol.
You are brave; you have a fighter’s heart. We are the two parts of the same soul, remember? I believe in you… I love you. I heard Tamlin’s voice in my head.
It seemed that our connection had been growing since I had granted him access to my mind and every time I opened my mind to him during sex, it had just reinforced our bond. But I also knew it took a lot of effort to talk directly in each other’s head; that was why he almost never did it.
I couldn’t stop the small smile from spreading to my lips. I love you too, I thought back, not sure he could hear it, but when I saw his eyes light up, I knew he did.
I might have been afraid, but it was my turn to be brave. “Of course, General. I’m here to request permission to give an ultimatum to Myros.”
I heard one of the women gasp; apparently not all of them knew my reason for being here.
“An ultimatum?”
I nodded. “He wants my throne… I’m offering it to him under one condition. We fight for it.”
“You… fight?” The general right across from Tamlin spoke, his voice full of incredulity. I remembered his name was Victor.
“Yes, exactly.”
“With all due respect, Princess, you don’t stand a chance. Myros will have you dead within minutes; it would be easier to hand him the throne right now and spare your life.”
This was the moment, I was standing there on my own with everything I believed in, everything I felt, everything I owned… This was my last chance, my right of passage.
“With all due respect, General,” I start, imitating his politeness. “Wasn’t it what you were about to do anyway?”
Tamlin’s father jerked back a little. I had to admit I liked that reaction.
“What do you mean?” asked one of the women.
“You let that… man come and talk to the council; you let him give you an ultimatum; you listened to his lies,” I continued.
“Are you saying that everything he said was lies?” Tamlin’s father challenged, and the light in his eyes clearly said, ‘Go on, I dare you to lie.’
“With all due respect, what constitutes a lie or not is not really relevant here, General.” I stood straighter, keeping my eyes on him. “The things he accused me of are not crimes; it clearly doesn’t make me less worthy or incompetent, but yet it was enough to shake the trust of the people, and in order to keep my throne, I have to take a stupid oath. If it was an oath of allegiance, of respect for the laws of governance or anything along these lines, I would take it without a second thought.”
“So why not take this one? As you said yourself, it’s trivial enough,” Tamlin’s father stressed.
“That’s not really the point.” and I didn’t have to lie because it wasn’t. “If this silly and pointless accusation is enough to shake our regime, then we need to put an end to all that. Today he is stating that; what will stop him from doing it again tomorrow?”
“So what kind of ultimatum do you have in mind?” the blond woman who had talked before asked.
“I am asking for nine volunteers, and then I’ll ask Myros to meet us with nine of his men and we will settle it right there… By his death or mine but it has to end here and now.” I was so proud of how steady my voice was.
“This is suicide,” the other woman said with a shake of her head. She was blond as well but a lot older than the first one.
“I beg to differ. I’m not suicidal. I have good things in my life, but this uncertainty is unsettling. Let me try to gain the legitimacy I might never gain otherwise. It will give a new vigor to our political system, and if he agrees and we win, we’ll get rid of our biggest threat to date.”
Seven pairs of eyes were locked on me, all eerily silent.
“Are there any more questions?” General Woods asked the other members of the council.
When nobody replied, he concentrated his attention on me. “Please go and wait in the side room.” He pointed to a s
mall door near where Aidan was sitting.
I went there reluctantly, not liking the idea of them talking about me. I wanted to be there and justify myself during the debate, but I knew better than to argue; it would not be in my favor.
It was a small and cozy library. It’s the kind of place I could actually spend days in.
I decided to browse the books on the shelves while they were talking about my plan, as absurd as it might be to them.
I was only halfway through the first shelf when I was called back in the room.
“We are ready for the vote now. Princess, if you want to take a seat.” Tamlin’s father offered, pointing at the seat that had been added in the middle of the circle.
“No, thanks… I prefer to stand.”
“As you wish.” He turned toward the younger blond woman. “Colonel Tanner, what is your vote?”
“I vote no,” she said, avoiding my eyes. “I’m sorry, Princess. I think it’s too much of a risk and I think it’s really a waste… Sorry.”
I kept my face blank or at least I tried to.
“Colonel Wyatt?” He turned to Aidan. I hadn’t expected for Aidan to be the same grade as Tamlin, but it made sense as he was always going against what Tamlin decided.
“I vote yes. I think now is the time to end this feud once and for all. I would also like to put my name forward for your team, Princess.”
I smiled and bowed slightly. “Thank you, Colonel. I’ll keep that in mind.” Like I would ever tell him no.
“General Jones?” he asked the second woman.
“It’s a no for me too,” she enunciated coldly, not even bothering to explain.
“General Birkam?”
Victor Birkam looked at me for a long time… what seemed forever.
He sighed. “Yes, I will allow it.” He sighed, and I could see he reluctantly agreed.
“General Hollow?” He turned to the other general that had been there during the martial court.
“I vote no. I think there are less prejudicial solutions that can be found here.”
Man, he was probably the only high-ranking military man that was against any form of violence… What was wrong with the man?