The Rover Princess

by D. E. Kilgore

  “Right...” I looked at her suspiciously. “So you don’t think he is a gorgeous hunk of elf ass?”

  Selene gaped at me, and I reeled backwards in laughter when the pillow she was holding hit me square in the face. “Maribella!”

  “I just need to make sure you are thinking with your brain and not something else.” I was still choking on my laughter and Selene rolled her eyes.

  “Fine, you are correct. He’s quite gorgeous, but believe me that’s not why I offered to help.”

  My giggling died down, and I looked at her suspiciously. “And what would that be?”

  Selene looked away and picked at a blanket. “He just seems like he needs help.”

  “Help taking his pants off maybe.” I snickered and Selene threw her hands up in defeat.

  “How about we talk about you, Maribella? And where you have been for the last three months?”

  Selene’s weighted question hung in the air, and I sucked in a deep breath. “It was only a day for me.”

  Selene’s face softened and she reached out, gripping my hand. “You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to.”

  Shaking my head, I gripped at her hand like a lifeline. “I would really like to hear what went on here in this realm while I was away first.”

  Selene let out a low whistle. “It wasn’t good, Maribella. I have never seen a person—a Dragon—so distraught before. We really thought during this last month Rafael was going to lose control and his Dragon was going to take over fully. Honestly, I’m surprised he didn’t go on a rampage the first month, and then the thing with Sheharla happened last month...”

  I blinked, interrupting her. "Wait, what happened with Sheharla? Faen mentioned it briefly at my cabin but I need to know, if you know more of what happened?”

  Selene leaned backward. “He didn’t tell you?”

  “No.” I shook my head, heart rate beginning to pick up.

  “Your father, he offered your sister to Rafael to make up for you disappearing.”

  I couldn't help my gasp and I slapped my hand over my mouth in shock. I don’t know why it surprised me, to be honest. My father would do anything to stay in the good graces with the Dragons and not have to worry about the protection of Sheharla to fall onto his shoulders.

  Selene shook her head. “Rafael took great offense to his offer, but I’m happy to inform you that your sister is currently being groomed to take over the throne. The contract is in limbo until new negotiations can take place with her."

  My jaw slacked. I think a little part of me had thought Faen was misinformed this entire time, that it was all just a rumor.

  Selene smiled and shrugged. “No more maidens.”

  I struggled to get up, mind racing and needing to speak to Rafael.

  Selene surged up and grabbed my waist taking me back down to the ground. “Maribella, it’s not as bad as it sounds, and you need to stay off your ankle. Yelling at Rafael can wait until tomorrow.”

  I grumbled under my breath, but Selene was correct. I needed to calm down and hear Rafael’s side of the story. I threw my hands up. “Fine, I’m calm. I’ll ask nicely for his side of the story tomorrow.”

  Selene narrowed her eyes at me but slowly let go, and I settled back into the cushions surrounding us. “Color me suspicious, but last time I checked your temper never cooled down that fast.”

  I sighed and rubbed at my head. “It’s honestly...I don’t know Selene. So much has happened in such a short amount of time. I really need to work on how I react.”

  Selene took my hand gently and looked me in the eyes. “Tell me.”

  Taking a trembling breath, I looked out the window. The stars had finally made an appearance. “I couldn’t save her. I left her there, and it was my fault.”

  “You know I can’t believe that, Maribella. You would never leave anyone behind if you could help it. Why don’t you start at the beginning?”

  I sniffled, and a single tear rolled down my cheek. I scrubbed at my eyes. “The beginning, okay. Yes, the Veiled Realm. Delightful place, I must say. Nice foggy, wooded area. Lots of spirits.”

  Selene gave me a lopsided grin in my attempt at humor. “So the Veiled Realm, you don’t say. Find anything interesting?”

  I laughed and shook my head. “I met a witch.”

  “Oh, do tell.”

  “Well, after the knight snapped me off the balcony on my wedding night, I found myself and Amelia in a strange cabin in the middle of the woods, surrounded by the weirdest fog I had ever encountered. And because no quest ever begins indoors, we left the cabin and followed a dirt path through the woods.” I shook my head, gathering my thoughts, and then smiled. “Wedding dress and all”

  “What? No, I didn’t even think of that.”

  I snickered at Selene. “When we stumbled off the path into the witch’s territory, do you know what she thought?”

  Selene shook her head no.

  “That I was a dead bride with her child in tow.”

  “Hmmmm, that makes sense.”

  “Yes well, when I answered her back, she was very much surprised I was not dead. That was when she assumed I was there to retrieve a soul. When I told her no, that I was there to talk to the gatekeeper, she ushered us inside.” I took a deep breath. “The gatekeeper, Selene. He ...it...I don’t know what to call what that thing was, but it wanted her. It wanted Amelia, and I couldn’t, I just couldn’t.” I couldn’t hold back my tears and I broke down. “ It lunged at us, and I did the only thing I could think of. I stabbed it, over and over and over again.” My hands shook and my breath came out in ragged gulps. Selene murmured something low and pulled me into her arms slowly rocking me back and forth.

  “But you can’t kill the gatekeeper. You can only kill its host and once the host is dead it needs another body.”

  Selene stilled at my whispered confession. “Oh.”

  My head dropped down, resting on her arm. “Oh is correct. It took Amelia. So yes, it is my fault and I left her.”

  Selene squeezed me tighter. “No.”

  I pushed away and looked at her in mild shock. “What do you mean no?”

  She shook her head, lips in a tight line. “No, it was not your fault. What I heard from your story is that you tried to save a young girl from a predator. You couldn’t have known about gatekeepers in the Veiled Realm before this. And even if you did, I can guarantee you would never have handed Amelia over willingly. Even if all the realms in the universe depended upon it.”

  My laugh was strained, and I wiped my eyes. “That makes me sound like a bad ruler. Save one for the sake of all humanity.”

  Selene shook her head, “No, Maribella. What it shows is compassion and that you care, no matter who the person is. It shows you have a good heart.”

  I sniffled and let her words sink in. “I still regret what happened. I will never know if there was another way—another path.”

  “That’s life though, isn’t it? There are split second moments in life forcing a quick reaction and you have to hope in the long run it was the right choice.”

  “It still doesn’t make it hurt less.”

  Selene shook her head. “I know. We can only hope that in time we see what we did was right.”

  I leaned back out of Selene’s arms. “Is that what you’re doing?”

  She scrunched up her face in confusion. “What do you mean?”

  “You made a choice, in a split second without thinking, to go with Varis. Are you not happy here?”

  Selene made a little oh with her mouth and shook her head. “No, it has nothing to do with the Stronghold. I just... I’ve always had an interest in elves and their culture. This seemed like too good an opportunity to pass up.”

  My eyes narrowed. I could feel she was holding something back, but I couldn’t put my finger on it. “Are you sure that is it, Selene? I just want to make sure it’s not something or someone here bothering you, maybe.”

  Selene’s laughter bubbled up and reverberated across t
he room. “You know the Dragons here wouldn’t stand for that type of behavior.”

  I threw my hands up in mock distain. “Okay, fine. I believe you.” I looked at Selene with a wicked grin. “Now let’s talk about you, Varis’s rock hard abs, and how he would not complain in the least if you touched them.”

  Chapter Thirty-Three

  I leaned over the balcony, still waving Selene and Varis off when Rafael spun me around to face him. “Hey!” It came out louder than I expected, and a few guards looked our way, making sure everything was okay.

  Rafael waved them off before cupping my chin and lifted my head up. He was frowning, but I was beyond happy to see rich caramel eyes instead of amber. I smiled. “I see you got your Dragon in check.”

  He grumbled and his brows creased as he studied my face. “Did you sleep at all, Maribella?”

  I went to make a joke, but instead a yawn nearly broke my jaw in two. A smug look overtook Rafael’s face and I rolled my eyes. “How do I know this is not just a ploy to get me into bed?”

  Rafael winked at me and started to saunter away, walking backward. “You don’t.”

  I tried to glower at him but instead snorted when he walked right into an open door and tripped over his feet. Swinging myself over on my crutches, I stuck my tongue out in his direction before hobbling my way past his sprawled-out form. I should have known better as a low growl erupted from behind me, and I tried to hobble away faster. Making it exactly two steps, my crutches flew out of my hands, lying abandoned on the floor, as Rafael scooped me up and tossed me over his shoulder. He all but flew down the castle halls and into our room. Throwing the lock on the door, he gingerly sat me onto the bed and went to the curtains, snapping them closed. Oh, maybe I was wrong, and he actually expected me to take a nap. The room still had a small window higher up on the wall allowing sunlight to stream in. It was minimal but still enough for me to pick up the mischievous glint in Rafael’s eye. I raised an eyebrow, he was definitely up to something, but I didn’t know what. My eyes narrowed as Rafael rounded the bed, standing in front of me with a sly grin across his lips. “Do you trust me, Sweetness?”

  I put my hand out on the bed and leaned backward. “With the look you are currently giving me, Rafael, I would lean towards no.”

  He chuckled and got down on his knees in front of my dangling legs, hands caressing up my hips and sides. Leaning into his touch, a soft moan echoed from my throat, and I got a kiss in return for my compliance as he began untying the front of my dress. I went to help shrug it off my shoulders, but Rafael stopped me and gently bit my lower lip. The grin had reappeared, and I glowered at him, putting my hands on his shoulders. “What are you up to, Rafael?”

  He shook his head, and instead of answering me, placed soft kisses down my neck to my chest. After spending a considerable amount of time exploring and trailing kisses across my breasts, I was panting when Rafael stopped sucking and licking at my sensitive nipples. I moaned out Rafael’s name as he gently tugged my dress down my thighs and fully off, discarding it onto the floor. I was still gripping his shoulders when he ordered me to lie on my back. Biting out a growl, I dropped onto the bed only to let out a soft gasp a second later when Rafael threw one of my legs over his shoulder and started nibbling at my inner thigh. He threw my other leg over his shoulder and resumed kissing and nibbling, working his way up. I was about to ask what he was doing when he gripped my hips and started doing things with his tongue which should have been illegal. My hands scrambled for purchase on the bed spread, and I let out a cry of pure surprise followed by another full of ecstasy as my body shuddered.

  Rafael didn’t let up as he licked, sucked, and nibbled at my core, pressure building, and I scrambled for a pillow to muffle my moaning. Rafael growled against me and I lost it, my body shuddering and bucking against his mouth as a breathless scream escaped me. The pressure inside me broke like a dam, but Rafael kept going. The pressure started to build up again only to crash down harder this time as I let out one breathless scream after another. My body was useless and limp by the time Rafael stopped the onslaught of torturous pleasure, making his way onto the bed with me. He gripped my waist from behind, pulling my legs fully onto the bed and positioning me the way he wanted before pressing his body flush with mine. He was hard against my back, and I moaned once more as Rafael slid in, taking me from behind. Grinding against me, one hand gently wrapped around my throat while the other gripped my hip. He pressed feather light kisses onto the back of my neck. I dug my fingers into the bed spread as Rafael started to nibble and suck, thrusting deeper inside of me, and I shuddered against him over and over again, ecstasy crashing over me. Rafael’s arm tightened around my waist and he dropped his face into my hair, stifling his own moans. Two strokes later, he stiffened and released inside of me. His labored breathing matched my own as we laid tangled together, panting. My eyelids fluttered and Rafael moved, pulling a light blanket over our bodies. His arms tightened, pulling me in even closer before he burrowed his face into the back of my neck with a soft sigh. My eyes closed fully, and I drifted off to sleep with a grin on my face, legs intertwined with Rafael’s.

  Chapter Thirty-Four

  Mumbling incoherently, I pulled a pillow over my face when a soft knock echoed through the room. Rafael slid out from behind me and the door creaked open. Cracking open my eyes at the soft murmurs between Rafael and the person at the door, he took a letter from the castle worker. I gripped the light blanket to my chest and sat up.

  Rafael padded back to the bed, giving me a kiss on the forehead.

  “What is that?” I yawned and leaned against Rafael’s chest.

  He stroked my back and held up a letter in front of my face. “One of my sister’s dear friends, and to be completely honest, a woman who can scare the living daylights out of me, but whom I also consider another mother figure, sent you something.”

  I frowned at his long-winded explanation and reached out, plucking the letter from his hand. “Why would she be sending something to me?”

  Rafael smiled. “When she found out you were missing along with something else, which we really do need to talk about where you went and what happened, but I digress. She rushed over to speak to Mother and I. Katrina is... special. She’s a witch.”

  My gasp was audible and much louder than I had anticipated. “But Dragons and witches don’t get along.”

  Rafael reached out to stroke my bare arm, sending shivers down my spine. “Like I said, Katrina is special, as is her lineage. She and my sister have a special bond, but even if that was not the case, she did us a great service once which almost cost her everything. She’s not like any witch in the Old Lands.”

  I shivered, almost wanting to mention the witch I met in the Veiled Realm, but thought better of it in the moment and instead opened the letter. I frowned. “It says she would love it if we could join her and her family for an early dinner this evening. Apparently, you would like to speak to her sister who just got back.” I shook my head, feeling a headache coming on. “I guess we are going to dinner, then?”

  Rafael smiled and reached out, cupping my chin. “Only if you want to, sweetness. If not, we can reschedule for another time, but I think you would like to get out of the castle and meet your people.”

  It took me a moment to understand what Rafael meant by my people, and he chuckled when it fully hit me. Soon the king and queen would be stepping down for Rafael and me to rule over the Stronghold. His people were my people now. I smacked his arm playfully, then sighed, gently placing the letter down. “Yes, I wouldn’t mind going to dinner, but first...” I hesitated to catch Rafael’s gaze before continuing, “I know about Sheharla."

  Rafael’s brows knitted together before he dropped my hand and turned away, getting off the bed. “Your father is a tyrant.”

  Sitting up to my knees, I scooted to the edge of the bed and reached out, gently placing my hand on Rafael’s shoulder. “Just tell me what happened.”

  Rafael’s shoulders hunched s
lightly before he straightened them and reached up, grabbing my hand. “What do you know?”

  “Just that my father offered you my sister after I went missing. You got angry, flew down there, one thing led to another, and now the contract is in limbo until my sister takes the throne.”

  Rafael’s chuckle was harsh and grating against my skin, and I almost flinched. I had never heard him make a sound like that before and its coldness disturbed me. “Angry is a nice way to put it. I was out of control, Maribella. I ripped your father right out of his throne and tossed him across the room. He needed to understand that we, that you, are not replaceable. I meant to break the contract and all dealings with Sheharla right then and there, but then I saw your sister. It was my Dragon who suggested it but first I had to make sure she could handle being put onto the throne. I gave her a choice. Believe me, I gave her a choice.”

  Rafael turned around and my heart shattered at the way he looked at me. He expected me to be angry, and I had been when Selene confirmed the news, but now? I reached out, throwing my arms around Rafael’s neck and hugged him close. He hesitated before crushing me into his chest. “I’m not happy about it but I trust and believe you. I’m guessing you didn’t just leave her there to fend for herself.”

  Rafael buried his face into the side of my neck, and I giggled as his breath tickled. “Of course I didn’t leave her to fend for herself. I asked her what she wanted. I made sure she had a choice and when she chose to stay, I made sure Dragon guards stayed with her. Right now she has three Dragon guards, a trusted Stronghold advisor, and the Rover Maccus sent.”

  I pulled back. “Maccus sent a rover?”

  Rafael cracked a smile and pushed back my mess of hair from my bare shoulder before placing a light kiss on it. I shivered when he murmured, lips still teasing my shoulder, “Yes, he is quite happy about getting a Rover into the palace.”