by Alice Wade
* * * *
Tillian awoke to the sound of a fire crackling and the smell of bacon frying. It surprised her how hungry the wonderful smells emanating from the fire made her and couldn’t stop the loud rumble when her stomach responded. It was a wonderful way to wake up.
Stretching slowly, she lay on the bed remembering the most incredible night with Ryan and held tight the memory of his mouth taking her to a whole new plane of existence. She had a fleeting feeling of guilt but it quickly faded to utter joy because of the man who did that to her. She still wasn’t sure how he’d react once he learned the truth, but she decided in that moment to just enjoy this while he remained blissfully ignorant. As her thoughts traveled to Ryan, Tillian turned to search him out and found him watching her with a sensually curious expression on his face.
“Good morning,” he greeted. “You look much better today, how do you feel?” Ryan struggled with the distraction at finding her awake. He watched her stretch and that nightgown really was threadbare. It gave an incredible view of her thin body beneath its flimsy surface. He was tempted to join her on that bed, but the snapping of the bacon alerted him that he was neglecting his chore. His attention returned immediately back on the skillet before him otherwise he might destroy breakfast.
Tillian smirked equally at his reaction to her as much as what he was doing. Ryan, the large handsome ruler of Yorath squatted before two large skillets over the fire, cooking. Cooking! “Don’t you have servants for that?” she teased but pushed up onto her elbows, clearly amused by his action.
The corner of his mouth lifted briefly. “I like to pretend I’m ‘normal’ when I’m hunting. It’s my one time to escape my bonds.” He sheepishly looked at her. “Look who I’m talking to, you probably know exactly what I mean by that. Anyway, I like to do my own chores while out here, so yes I have servants but I don’t use them here.” His face creased when he smiled innocently. “Are you hungry?”
Tillian’s stomach answered with another loud rumble and they both laughed in unison. “I would say yes, but I think my stomach answered first. That smells wonderful.” She had an easy smile on her face today, knowing full well it was the man before her that made her feel so content.
“Excellent, because I made enough food for an army!” He matched her easy smile with one of his own before he handed her a plate piled with an obscene amount of food.
“You’re serious? I can’t eat all that.” Tillian dubiously eyed the plate, picking up a piece of bacon to take a bite anyway. “Mm, it’s delicious though.”
“While you eat, I wanted to lay out my thoughts for what we do next.” He saw the minute twitch in her cheek just before she started chewing again, but only nodded in reply. “How are you feeling today, overall?”
Tillian was curious about that question, because it was the second time he’d asked. It was then she realized that all her soreness and pain were gone. She put her fork down with a clatter and explored her lips and face with her fingers. She found no evidence of her abuse and sucked in a breath when she felt no swelling or wounds. Her frantic gaze flew to Ryan who watched her calmly while she came to realization she’d been healed.
“What have you done?” she asked, not in anger, more in amazement.
“Edda and I are both skilled at healing, but I did that once you were asleep last night. She started the process though. I couldn’t stand the thought of you being in pain for longer than absolutely necessary, so took the risk you’d be offended. I’m sorry if I erred, but Tillian, I couldn’t hold the thought of you in pain.”
Tillian sighed, her shoulders dropping in acceptance. She’d never given the idea of touching magic much thought before now. Given it happened and she felt amazing, she realized it wasn’t so bad after all. “I’m not offended. Surprised, but not offended. So, am I completely healed then?” She felt a grip of panic when she realized he would have seen the abuse done to her body and know the reason. To avoid seeing his revulsion, she began eating again. She dipped her eyes, taking small bites of the delicious food and watched Ryan’s emotions play out on his bearded face through her eye lashes. She tried to mask her own fear for he wasn’t very good at hiding his thoughts.
Like her, he sighed. “Yes, for the most part.” When she looked up, his eyes looked deeply into hers for a moment and then he nodded. “Even that drug has run its course and is gone. I can’t hide this very well, Tillian, but it angered me to find the damage I did when I healed you. It wasn’t severe, but it was enough.”
Tillian swallowed the lump in her throat at his confirmation that he’d seen but he still wasn’t rejecting her. “It was enough for you to be tempted to heal me without my blessing though,” she said with sincerity. “Thank you.”
Ryan was extremely relieved she wasn’t reacting violently, and smiled into her sweet face. “You’re welcome, Princess. So, back to my grand plans. Since you’re obviously healed, I have no reason to hold you hostage in Yorath on the pretense of healing.” He looked down for a moment. “I would dearly love to hold you hostage though. What can I do to convince you to remain in Yorath with me for a period of time?”
“Hmm, I don’t know. Maybe if you promise to cook for me like this every day, maybe, just maybe I could be convinced,” Tillian laughed a deep sound at the look that crossed Ryan’s face. “Only then.” She didn’t realize how much she wanted to stay until he offered it. Relief didn’t begin to describe the feeling she felt at his words, because he still wanted her company, even after seeing what had been done to her.
“Wicked. You ask a steep price, because I don’t cook at home. Honestly, I would send the kitchen staff into a panicked fit if I stepped foot in their domain. You make a dangerous request, dear.” Ryan’s eyes had not left her gorgeous face, though. He watched every smile, every flash of her eyes, and knew that he’d do just about anything to get her to agree without a fight. He could see she wasn’t backing down from this request and gave into her, knowing full well he’d not deny her anything. It made him smile. “Fine, but only for a month, then I will let the seasoned staff take over, deal?” Ryan held his breath while she feigned thinking about her answer. He knew damn well she didn’t want to go home any more than he wanted her to.
“Deal.” Tillian laughed a gentle sound, something that seemed to come easily around Ryan. “How long is the ride to your palace?” she asked with a toss of her head that was seductive.
“A half a day, nothing too strenuous.” Ryan watched mesmerized when Tillian cleared her plate, amused by her distraction. “Would you like more food?” He found it extremely satisfying to watch the woman he loved eat the food he prepared. He was going to enjoy this next month and looked forward to more moments like this.
When he mentioned the plate, she looked down in shock to find it empty. Groaning, she laid her utensils down in disgust that she’d eaten that amount. “Ah, no thank you.” She’d just eaten enough to feed three people and if pressed, she probably could have eaten more. This was the first time in months she’d been allowed more than a few bites and stale bread. The decadence of this meal and her ability to eat all of it astounded her.
“I have more, Tillian,” he indicated the half full skillets sitting near the flame. “I won’t mention it to my men that you ate their breakfast.”
Tillian grinned at his sexy smirk but shook her head. “No thank you. They can eat their own.” She chuckled again, holding his attention with her foreign eyes. “One month, Ryan. I want to experience that every day for one month. That’s a fair price to pay, is it not?”
His heart swelled at her confident demand before he stood. “All right, you already won, Tillian. I would be willing to do just about anything to get you stay with me, so cooking seems a cheap price to pay.”
Her stomach fluttered violently when he stared at her this way. When he added those words, she practically melted. What was wrong with her?
Tillian watched him move around the room collecting odds and ends from their stay and tucking them securely i
n bags and crates. “How long until we leave?” she asked, curious because it appeared he had been busy while she slept and the place was nearly packed. The cabin felt deserted in this state and even the mugs and extra plates were stored away. He even stripped the other beds of their sheets and blankets, also packing those away in a chest in the corner. The bed she sat on and the dishes from breakfast were the final acts that needed to be done to make it look as if no one had been here at all.
“As soon as you’re ready to ride.” Ryan turned and held his breath. She’d stood up and stretched with her arms reaching towards the sky. It made her tiny five foot tall frame long and lean, reminding him of what lay beneath that thin fabric. He thought he would die because his heart pounded violently in his chest. “You really must stop that, Tillian.”
Tillian leaned her head back and finished her stretch before lowering her arms and boldly stared at him. “I’m not afraid of you, Ryan. I should be, I know, but I’m not.” She meant her words too. Every other man, including his Captain sent a cold panic racing through her core, but not Ryan. In him she saw a kind man, one who would protect her.
He advanced on her and stopped just inches from her body. He was close enough to lean down and kiss her, but didn’t. “You should be scared of me, Tillian.” His breath brushed her face and caused strands of her hair to move away from her forehead but she didn’t move.
“Why is that?” Tillian was spellbound by this handsome man, and still felt absolutely no fear. In reality, she wanted him to kiss her.
“Because I’ll love you until your dying breath and then beyond. I won’t give you a chance to recover when I ravage you and will ensure you scream my name until you’re hoarse.” Ryan leaned closer. “I’d run if I were you,” he whispered just as his body uncoiled and wrapped around her thin frame while his lips found their target, pulling her into a deep and loving kiss.
Tillian moaned against his embrace and relaxed into the kiss, giving back the same level of passion he delivered. When his soft lips separated but still touched her lightly, she felt his smile.
“I’m glad you didn’t run. It would not have been fun chasing you in that nightgown,” he added.
The nightgown. Remembering quickly what she was wearing, Tillian peeled away from his amazing body and looked down in frustration. “Ryan, I can’t exactly ride in this.” Tillian shot him a pained looked before crossing her arms, suddenly self conscious of her attire.
Ryan knew his heart was lost to this foreign Princess from the first moment he saw her, but it grew more and more painful the more acquainted he became with her. She was absolutely fantastic. Watching her stand there while she tried to work through a solution to her clothing situation, he felt his stomach cramp out of emotion.
Damn Wallace and damn his charming wife. Wallace was right and he was going to have to admit it when he faced him this morning. He was going to have to admit he was in love with Tillian and dreaded it because he rarely was wrong.
Ryan finally broke the hypnotic trance with a shake of his head. “Well, they might be big, but you can borrow some of my clothes,” Tillian eyed him dubiously for he stood over six feet two inches and he had a broad chest. She was just over five feet and thin, so the mental image of her wearing his clothes seemed comical. “We were planning on being out here longer, so I have a few extra outfits.”
While he spoke, he dug in a bag along the wall and pulled out a pair of breeches and a white tunic. With feigned drama, he presented them to Tillian in a theatrical fashion of a servant, causing her to stifle a laugh at his antics.
“Why thank you kind, Sir,” she said but accepted the clothes. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I’ll change and we can be on our way.”
With another dramatic flourish, he twirled and exited the cabin while inside he gloated for he made his traumatized Princess smile again. That was something he would never get tired of.
Wallace turned at the sound of the door opening and grinned at his king for he heard both their laughter coming from inside. When he caught the smug look and the utter joy radiating from Ryan’s face, he couldn’t help the smile that lifted the corner of his mouth. Even if he didn’t trust the reason for her appearance, it lifted his spirit to see that his friend found love. He’d deal with his misgivings about the rest.
Ryan came to stand by him and leaned on the railing. It was clear he debated on what to say. He ignored the bustle of activity around the field as the rest of his party packed and prepared to depart. Taking a deep breath, he decided to just get this over with and turned to his Captain, who waited with expectation. “You were right.”
Wallace held back his laugh and leaned in close as if he didn’t hear correctly. “I’m sorry, could you repeat that?”
Ryan growled and lifted his head and frowned. “You’re not going to make me say it twice, are you?”
“Yes, I am!” Wallace finally laughed. “It’s a rare moment when King Ryan admits he was wrong.” He laughed harder and pounded Ryan on the shoulder before he moved towards the stairs, leaving to go help his men. “I just hope she is worth it, Ryan.”
“She is,” he replied with a sheepish grin. “More than you know.”
“Well, I won’t complain if she gives you this much joy. It’s been a long time coming and I know June will be thrilled when she hears you finally found your true love. She’s been nagging me for years to do something about that.” Wallace had a flash of his stunning wife in his mind and felt an intense desire to be home. “Assumed since you had the men muster, it’s time to go?”
“Aye. Tillian is changing now. There’s breakfast left in the skillet if you are hungry and the bags are packed and ready.” Ryan motioned with his head towards the cabin.
“You cooked it?” Wallace stopped mid-stride before he turned and faced his liege. Ryan’s cooking rivaled any of the palace cooks and he’d not pass that up.
“I did, but I’d wait until Tillian came out, she’s still a bit shy around men at the moment.”
“Not all men,” Wallace muttered under his breath before he decided to check on the horses while he waited. Ryan narrowed his eyes but didn’t say anything. What was there to say?
Ryan didn’t hear the door open behind him as Tillian emerged. She was going to scare him, but decided startling the six foot heavily muscular man wasn’t such a good idea. “Um.” She decided to clear her throat instead.
He whipped around and found her leaning in the doorway, with her arms crossed. Her tiny frame swam in the tunic that hung on her in layers. It sent his mind into a state of chaos, remembering each and every curve beneath. He couldn’t wait to get home and explore what hidden treasure lay there.
Ryan actually whimpered when he glimpsed the soft flesh of her cleavage through the opening in the tunic collar that dipped far too low. The way the opening draped open, he could see the swell of her cleavage. To add to his torment, the fabric was meant for warm weather so it was thin and transparent, showing him tantalizing hints of her nipples which were erect, responding to the cold morning air.
She attempted to tuck the tail of the tunic into the oversized breeches that two of her could have fit into. To keep them from sliding off her hips, she’d cinched them with a piece of rope she obviously found inside and wrapped it three times around her waist to hold up the material. It was comical but in an erotic way and the fact that this beautiful Princess wore his clothing was going to drive him wild with desire all day.
“You look incredible.” He wasn’t jesting and found his body responding by pulsating into yet another painful erection. She was going be the death of him before he even made it on the road.
“You must be joking.” She looked down at her attire and missed seeing the reaction her appearance generated. “Thank you for the loan, though. It’s better than the nightgown.”
Ryan swallowed a few times before he could speak. When he did it was to collect her into his arms and whisper, “You are welcome. Although, the thought of you riding in that nightgown did seem
appealing for a moment.”
Tillian laughed and she pushed him away slightly. “Don’t we need to be doing something?”
“Oh, right.” He called over his shoulder, “Wallace, you can go eat now.” When he looked back down, Tillian had managed to worm farther out of his grasp and he pulled her back, pressing her close. “We don’t have anything to do right at this moment, so relax. Wallace wanted breakfast before we headed out.”
“Oh.” At the mention of his Captain, Tillian wilted and pressed closer. Ryan was the only man she wanted anything to do with at the moment. Suddenly, all her fears and apprehensions came crashing down and she felt close to tears until Ryan whispered in her ear.
“It’s all right. He won’t do anything but eat. He’s married to a lovely woman named June and he really is harmless. You can trust him with your life.”
“Rationally, I know this.” She shook her head against his chest. “Guess I just need time to get used to it.”
He frowned against her hair. “You have all the time in the world, Tillian.” Up until his last breath, he would find some way to punish Irfan and her brother, Gareth. He heard the panic in her voice and knew they’d put it there. Hearing it was enough to shatter his seductive moment and he broke away from the embrace.
Surprised at the sudden motion, Tillian followed him blindly while he led her towards the long line of horses in the yard. “I fear we are short on horses, so would you mind riding with me today?” He steered Tillian towards a stunning white stallion with a brand on his left flank.