by Dobsyn, Aury
“’Tis good of ye to notice,” Paen said as he retrieved his sword. Nodding towards Ella and Thea, he asked, “Shall we give them their gifts?”
“Aye.”
While Paen retrieved the bag holding the newly made gifts for the two troublesome females, Gavin walked over to them, immediately noticing the dark circles under his wife’s eyes. He berated himself for not realizing sooner that Ella had slept very little in the past three days.
Thea threw herself at the mighty laird, who instantly lifted her high into air. Her laughter filled the bailey, and then increased when Gavin tossed her to Paen.
Paen swiftly dropped the bag he held and easily caught the wee lass. Her thrilled shrieks proved her trust in the two warriors, even though it appeared they callously tossed her around like a sack of grain.
Gavin and Paen cared a great deal about Thea and her brother Leif, the only children that lived within the castle. Laird Macleod and his brother had found the children wandering the woods a few years ago, Osgood and Maeve had adopted them upon sight.
Starved, beaten, and abandoned, the siblings had a profound effect on Gavin and Paen. Completely trusting, Leif and Thea crawled in their hearts just as they did their laps after the evening meals. On occasion, they even chased the highly feared warriors around the hall without any trepidation. At first, the unfamiliar behavior of the children startled the laird and his brother. Due to their reputations in battle and the belief they were like their father, most of the villagers feared them. That changed when Thea and Leif came into their lives and gave them their undying loyalty, along with a great deal of affection. The brothers had vowed to love and protect them for all of their days.
Gavin winked at Ella, then opened the bag at his brother’s feet, while Paen gently pulled Thea from his shoulder and brought her to stand in front of him.
On bended knee, he cupped the child’s bruised cheek and stated, “Thea, as yer laird and kin, I failed to protect ye as I should. Ye are part of my family, but more importantly, ye are part of me.”
With Thea’s back pressed against his legs, Paen leaned over and whispered, “And me.”
Gavin smiled at how tender his brother could be with the little girl, and then continued, “Will ye forgive me?”
The little girl instantly nodded, wrapped her arms around his neck and put her head on his shoulder. When he stood, she whispered, “Laird Gavin, I should have been braver and told ye sooner. Will ye forgive me for being a coward?”
Gavin pulled her away so he could look at her when he said, “Ye are nae a coward. And Paen and I would ne’er have spent hours making a sword for a coward.”
With youthful anticipation, Thea’s eyes widened. “Ye made a sword for me?”
Gavin nodded as he lowered her to the ground. He then turned her to face Paen, who held a small wooden sword.
The wooded blade, sanded to smooth perfection, was decorated down the middle with a Celtic carving. It was far superior to her brother’s sword, Thea quickly noticed. The round handle was wrapped in narrow strips of dyed leather, fastened by two black iron stud nails on opposite sides.
“Aye, lass,” Paen said as he handed her the gift. “After seeing the courage ye displayed with the lads, we felt ye deserved yer own sword.”
Thea hugged the sword to her chest with child-like excitement and said, “Oh, thank ye both. I love it! And that ye made it just for me makes it more special.”
Ella’s heart clenched, seeing the two burly warriors act with such thoughtful tenderness. With a smile on her face, she watched Thea dance over to her.
“Look at what Laird Gavin and Paen made me. Is it nae the finest sword in all of Scotland? Will ye teach me to use it?”
With faux bitterness, Paen said to Gavin “Here stands two superior warriors, highly skilled in sword play, yet the wee lass asks yer wife to teach her how to use a sword.”
Gavin chuckled, then asked, “Thea, how will Lady Ella teach ye to use a sword when she dinna have one of her own?”
“Mayhap, she can borrow yers,” Thea suggested without hesitation.
Both men laughed at the outrageous notion, aware that Ella could not even lift her husband’s sword, let alone wield it.
Tipping his wife’s chin up, Gavin asked, “Think ye we forgot about ye, lass?” Without waiting for her response, he pulled out another wooden sword, identical to Thea’s sword.
Ella’s mirth filled the air, and with gratitude, she accepted the toy sword used only by the very young.
Jumping up and down, Thea exclaimed, “Now we can practice together like Laird Gavin, Paen, and Papa, too. How long do ye think afore I can beat Papa with my sword?”
Paen rolled his eyes, where as Gavin encouraged, “If ye practice verra hard and-”
“And we tie his arms behind his back,” Paen cut in.
“Mayhap I will nae be able to beat Papa,” Thea conceded, “after all, he is best swordsmen in all of Scotland.”
Ella brought her hand up to stifle her giggles when she saw the identical look of disgust that both men cast Thea’s way. The little girl remained completely oblivious to their reaction as she continued to wield her sword around.
Gavin ask, “Thea, who said that yer father is the best swordsmen in Scotland?”
Thea stopped her movement to turn and say with a proud grin said, “He did, and Papa ne’er lies.” She went back to her sword fight against an imaginary opponent, determined to be as good as her papa someday.
Ella bent over laughing at Gavin’s and Paen’s horrific expressions and snorts of disbelief. She teased, “Will you challenge Osgood and prove to all in Scotland who is the best swordsman?”
In unison, they said, “Aye.”
“Nae, I think not,” she warned.
“Aye, ye are right, but we will have fun with him at the evening meal,” Gavin predicted.
“Aye, we will,” Paen agreed, before adding, “But dinna fash so, Ella. We will nae let the truth be known, just praise our friend’s legendary skill.”
“Then I look forward to a very entertaining eve,” she said, trying to conceal a yawn.
“Paen, take Thea to Maeve and explain the gift, but ask her nae to tell Osgood just yet.”
“Aye,” Paen replied, and then threw Thea over his shoulder. After two steps, he muttered an oath under his breath as he swiftly took the sword Thea used to whack his buttock.
Cupping Ella’s face, Gavin said, “Ye need sleep, little one.”
“Nae . . . well, mayhap.”
Stubborn wench, Gavin thought as he said, “Aye, a wise decision.”
As Ella turned in the direction of the castle, she swayed suddenly.
Despite her protest, Gavin lifted her meager weight in his arms and carried her to his chamber, with Arth tagging behind. After stripping off her clothes, he slipped a chemise over her slender frame, and then tucked her into bed.
Gavin sat on the bed and stroked the face of the slumbering angel. When the bed suddenly sagged, he looked over to see Arth settling himself in the crook of her bent knees.
“Nae, Arth. She needs her rest, nae her pet. Come!”
Arth instantly obeyed the command, but cast one last look at the sleeping form in the bed before leaving with his master.
Seeing Arth’s reluctance, he chuckled, “She will be fine without ye for a few hours.”
As Gavin predicted, and his mother confirmed later that night, Ella slept through the evening meal.
When he returned to the chamber, Arth rushed to the bed and checked on Ella before sinking onto his own pallet. He hastily undressed and slipped into the bed. With her unresisting body pulled close, he savored the feel of her enticing little body in his arms. Her backside wiggled against his groin in an unconscious gesture, sending flames of desire to that all too sensitive area of his body.
Nuzzling the back of her head, he breathed in the woody, lavender scent of her hair. He kissed her bare shoulder, and then realized he wanted her in his bed regardless if they made lo
ve. Holding her felt too enjoyable to go without for even one night. On the morrow, he decided, all her belongs would be moved into his chamber.
23
At dawn, as light slowly filtered into the chamber, Ella noticed the brisk chill in the air and instinctively cuddled closer to her husband. They slept on their sides with his back to her chest. She liked holding him this way, the same way he normally held her.
Gavin smiled when he woke to his wife’s warmth seeping into his back with her arm wrapped around him. He covered that small hand that rested on his stomach and pulled it to his chest. He felt her hot breath and moist kisses upon his back. The sensation instantly aroused him. When her tender kisses moved to his neck and then his ear lobe, he let out a groan. He knew she rose with the sun as he did. However, unlike her, he did not consider himself a morning person. Though, that seemed to be changing rapidly.
“’Tis good of you to wake, husband.”
Ella giggled when he groaned again, and then she added, “Come play with me.”
A wave of excitement and energy washed over her, anticipating the new day with her husband. Gingerly, she turned him onto his back and straddled his waist, and then began to kiss his neck and chest.
Keeping his eyes closed, he molded his hands to her delightfully curved bottom and said in a strained voice, “I will nae play when ye are nae bare.” Despite Gavin’s words, his hands continued to fondle her backside while blood rushed to his loins, making him iron hard.
“Very well, but you must promise to play.”
“Aye, now remove the offending garment.”
She threw off her chemise, and then continued her early morning game, determined to see those lust-filled blue eyes of his. Her hands stroked his lean body as she trailed kisses down his chest and stomach. She noticed that his eyes remained closed, but he now wore an arrogant, satisfied grin. Well, we will see how long that lasts.
No longer having access to her firm, taunt bottom, Gavin languidly moved his arms behind his head, intent on enjoying his innocent wife’s attempt at seduction. There would be time enough to teach her all the erotic things couples did with one another, but for now, he would allow her to ‘play’ as she put it.
However, when she continued to move down his body and her fingers lights grazed over the hardest region of his body, his breath hitched. When she stroked his thighs, blood pumped fiercely through his heart and his breathing became labored. His fists tightened behind his head at the feel of hot breath enveloping his painfully hard erection. Preparing to halt his pretense of indifference, he then remembered that Ella had not so much as taken him in hand. With that thought, he knew not to expect much, but he quickly realized the foolishness of that assumption. .
Although he lay there with his eyes closed, seemingly unaffected by her touch, his heavy breathing encouraged her to encroach further upon his serenity. Apprehensively, she wrapped her hands around his hard phallus, fondling its length. The muscles in Gavin's stomach and chest instantly went rigid.
When his eyes remained closed while boldly cupping him, Ella decided she had enough of his lack of participation. She may lack experience with such intimate acts, but she was not ignorant to them.
Gavin’s control hung by a thread as her hands worked feverishly upon his flesh. Desperately wanting to see her radiant face, he opened his eyes to the sight of her sensual mouth engulfing him. His passion flared like an inferno. On the peak of exploding, he flipped her onto her back and thrust hard into her welcoming heat.
“My God woman, a lifetime with ye will nae be enough to have my fill,” he croaked as he began to make love to her.
His hands moved all over, wanting to touch every part of her lithe, little body. He kissed her hungrily, plunging his tongue deep, tasting her sweetness. Their fervor soared higher and higher, until together they reached the pinnacle of raw sensation.
They clung to each other with their gazes locked, allowing their breathing to ease and their heartbeats to calm.
“I enjoy this playful side of you, wife,” he whispered as he stroked her face.
“It took ye a long time to actually play back.”
With a soft laugh, he said, “Ye dinna ken how hard it was to hold back and let ye have yer way with me. I wanted to give ye the opportunity to learn my body as well as I ken yers. Yer words and yer touch . . . ye please me verra much.”
He gave her a long, thorough kiss, then stretched out on his side and pulled her close. “Where in God’s name did ye learn-”
She replied before he could finish his question, “When I was younger, I heard the women in the village talk about such . . . acts. I told my aunt what I had heard, and she explained in detail.”
“Was it easy to talk to her about such sensitive topics?”
“Aye, I never was embarrassed to ask questions to either her or my uncle.”
Thinking about a young, curious Ella asking Sir James, a seasoned knight, about the intimacies of coupling, Gavin chuckled, “What kind of questions did ye ask your uncle?”
“I asked him why the church viewed such acts as sinful. Why men can have sex afore marriage, but women cannot.”
Gigging at the thought of one question in particular, she blurted, “At ten and three summers, I asked Uncle James if he had ever made love to a woman.”
“What did he say?”
As she left the bed and began to dress, she replied, “He told me he had been with many women.”
“I suppose that’s when ye asked him why a man can bed a woman afore marriage?”
“Aye,” she giggled. “He explained that the church does not view men and women equally. That they cast women in an evil light, stating a female must remain pure until marriage or they are unworthy of a husband. Uncle James also told me that men are weak when it comes to women’s flesh. And since men make church laws, women are punished for sexual relations prior to marriage while men are condoned for committing the same act.”
“Aye, he speaks the truth.” Gavin belted his plaid around his waist, and then helped her to dress as he added, “Especially the part about men being weak for women’s flesh.” To emphasis his point, he kissed the swells of her breast just above her chemise.
His tender ways made Ella foolishly cling to the hope of having a future together. He had told her that no matter her past, he would always care and protect her. Unfortunately, previous experience taught her the danger of trusting another.
Before her mother’s death, Ella trusted her father to love her always. Yet, when she needed him the most, he had turned his back on her. Her brothers, too, had abandoned her. Nevertheless, she did not blame them. Philip had explained that the men who attacked her and her mother that fateful day would have ransomed them, not killed them. Her mother would still be alive if not for her rash action.
A sudden knock on the door broke her train of thought.
“Laird Macleod, a message from Alex Mackenzie,” a guardsmen said in the corridor.
Instantly, she stiffened in fear. Had her father discovered that his most trusted friend wed the hated daughter he banished eight years ago?
“Aye, I will meet the messenger in the hall shortly,” Gavin replied, before tilting her chin up.
“All will be well, little one. Go about yer duties, and I will come to you later.” He kissed her forehead, and then left the chamber.
All morning she felt powerless against the cold knot of dread that formed in her stomach. Finally, at high noon Gavin appeared in the stable yard and divulged the contents of her father’s missive.
“After gaining the King of Scotland’s approval of our marriage, and disclosing the events concerning Gabriel, he journeyed to Winchester to expose Baron’s Montgomery and Greystone to the King of England. Alas, King Henry has been ill and unable to receive him, nor anyone else. Alex must await a summons. It seems yer king is eager to learn about Baron Greystone’s misdeeds.”
Assailed by profound relief, she replied, “Aye, Aunt Eleanor often said that Philip never found
favor with King Henry.”
“We will wait to decide our plan of attack until Alex gains the king’s ear. And, if Henry dinna seek justice, then the Macleods and Mackenzies will.”
“What do you believe King Henry will do?”
“Alex and I both agree that there is more to this story then a simple abduction. There has been bad blood between Baron Montgomery and my clan, as well as Baron Greystone and the Mackenzies. The death of yer aunt and uncle will only condemn Baron Greystone further. I suspect Henry will seek out the truth afore justice is served. Nevertheless, the death of Baron’s Greystone and Montgomery is absolute.”
Starring at the battle-hardened warrior who was her husband, she confessed, “I want vengeance for the death of my family, but not at the risk of you, your clan, or the Mackenzies.”
Cupping her face, he asked, “Ye worry for me?”
Ella nodded as she nibbled on her bottom lip.
“Ye have a good heart, lass, but there is nae reason to fear for us. We are the two most powerful clans in Scotland. Irrefutably, our men are blessed with the greater skill in battle, but to avoid war we ask for a trial by combat.”
“A trial by combat?”
“Aye, ‘tis when two disputing parties fight in single combat, the winner is proclaimed right. Mackenzie will fight Baron Greystone and I, Baron Montgomery.”
Seeing her about to protest, he raised his hand and said, “I will nae quarrel over this with ye.”
She winced at his harsh tone and realized arguing is futile.
“‘Tis been decided, so glare all ye like. When Alex learned of Lady Eleanor’s death, the sister of his departed wife, he vowed to kill the bastard. Regardless of my acceptance, a trial by combat is inevitable.”
When she nodded, Gavin pulled her into his embrace. “All will be well.”
“I have nae wish to lose you,” she whispered.
Insulted by her lack of faith, he abruptly pulled her to arms length and insinuated, “Ye think Baron Montgomery can defeat me, Gavin Macleod.”