by Rachel Angel
Tar looked at her, stunned. “Wow. Do that again.”
She swung again and hit him straight against the new armor plate.
“Wow. I can feel the power of the blow, but nothing else. Not even a dent.”
“Seeing how you’ve held us back and it is now too late in the day to leave,” Flint said,” “father has decided to invite us to a grand banquet in our honor. Many notables from the kingdom will come to see us off to war.”
Ally noticed the mischievous grin and realized they had not been held back by her time at the forge at all. “This banquet was planned all along, wasn’t it?”
“Go put on something pretty, lass, and meet us back here,” Flint called out in an overly macho manner.
“Absolutely not,” Ally said. “I am here as a warrior, just like you, and I will dress like a warrior.”
The four princes looked at her.
“You look beautiful no matter, so let’s go,” Flint said. “A feast awaits us.”
Without pomp and circumstance, the banquet was a feast of good food, loud music and relaxed atmosphere. People talked loudly about their strategies for fending off the monsters, while others whispered their frightened predictions of doom and gloom.
All praised Flint for his heroism. After all, he was the first of his lineage to go to The Borders. They also showed their support for all the princes and were especially fascinated by Ally’s part in the battle.
“You impressed quite a few of them,” Flint later said as he walked Ally to her room. “It’s curious how people respond when they learn a female is going to battle.”
“Kind of the way you guys responded when I joined the Academy,” she shot back.
She opened the door to her room and he followed her inside.
“We have an early departure tomorrow morning,” she said. “And I need my rest.”
“But the night is still young,” he countered. “And you know that you’ll sleep much better after.” His voice was soft, softer than she’d ever heard it. Even softer than when he’d taken the time to explain to Frank how he was going to slay every monster in the kingdom.
“There’s a magnificence about you,” he said, “when you are all dolled up, in pretty gowns and your hair cascading in a rainbow down your back. But there is something earthy and real, something so pure about you when you are just… you. You’re beautiful, just simply beautiful.”
She looked up at him, seeing the huge, strong man that he was, but also the sensible and sensitive man. She’d seen how he was with his father, with his people, but mostly with his little brothers. And now, was it possible? Could he be gentle with her?
He unpinned her hair and let it flow down over her shoulders, then slowly unbuttoned her shirt and removed it. His gaze was loving and caring as it traveled over her breasts and down her waist. With the same careful attention, he removed her boots and then her pants.
She leaned into him, ready for another round of hot and heavy, and mostly rough sex. She tore his shirt apart, letting his buttons fly.
He grinned and grasped her hands in his.
“I want to love you the way you deserve to be loved,” he whispered. “I want to take the time to savor you, and show you my feelings for you aren’t just based on animal sex. I’ve come to know you, Ally, in these past few weeks, and I’m ashamed of how I behaved towards you in the past. You deserve more from me.”
He removed all his clothes and pulled her into his arms, kissing her neck, her shoulders and the length of her arm right down to her fingertips.
She melted into him, wanting more of his lips all over her body, and he willingly gave into that want. Leading her to the bed, he set her back and crawled over her, kissing his way over her breasts, down to her navel and to the outer curve of her hips. He trailed down her thigh over her knee and along her calf before taking the path of her inner thigh to finally stop at the juncture of her thighs.
He lingered, long and slow, lapping her up with unhurried motions that were deliciously perfect. She reached a slow, throbbing, sweet orgasm just as he came up to penetrate her with his huge cock.
Something was different. Something had changed since the last time they’d collided together. There was a depth to his every thrust that went beyond sexual. There was a connection between them that seemed to bond them forever.
Clinging to him, she kissed him, wanting the connection to be complete and eternal.
He groaned, a muffled sound that echoed in her mouth, and groaned again, leaving her lips in order to let the full strength of his orgasmic cry fill the room. His climax was thunderous, filling her in a way that left her feeling light, yet stronger than she’d ever felt in her life.
“Wow,” Flint said as he fell onto his back beside her. “That was something else.”
She looked at him, wondering if she should tell him of the strange sensations she felt. “Flint,” she finally said.
“Yes.”
“I feel… different.”
“Different from what?”
“Different from how I felt before. It’s as if… I don’t know really. Like you gave me something.”
He turned over onto his side, propped himself up on his elbow and looked down at her. “Like I gave you what?”
“I don’t know really. Power? An essence? I just suddenly feel… invincible. Indestructible.”
He smiled and ran his hand over her belly. “I like the sound of that.” He nodded thoughtfully. “Yeah, I really like the sound of that. It might just be the edge you’ll need to conquer the beasts.”
Chapter 10
Rose Cliff was as colorful and bright as The Metal Kingdom had been dark and stark. Flowers bloomed everywhere. Roses of every kind, color and scent. Many of bright yellow, some of deep purple and even a few blue ones, but the predominant colors that filled the grounds were red and pink.
The blooms were huge, often weighing down the stem.
“Everything is so beautiful. It’s amazing. Such beauty.” Ally leaned over to smell a splendid double rose.
“Beware of the thorns,” Razor said.
Ally looked to him. “So you have the beauty and harshness here, too.”
“Ally!”
Ally was suddenly hugged from behind by small delicate arms. She turned to see Ruby.
“I’m so thrilled to have you here at Rose Cliff.”
“You’re so sweet. It’s good to be here. This is lovely.”
“And what about me?” Razor said. “Don’t I get a hello and a hug?”
“Aw,” Ruby said as she leaned in to hug her brother. “Don’t be jealous. I mean, I’m used to seeing you succeed at everything you do. But Ally here is doing something no other female has ever done before.” Ruby turned to look at Ally. “I can’t believe you made it through the Diamond Trials. It’s absolutely awesome. I love you, big brother, but I think I may have found myself a new hero.”
“You’re breaking my heart,” he groaned.
“And I wouldn’t be surprised if Ally were to follow in the footsteps of Queen Jade.” Ruby looked at Ally. “That woman is absolutely legendary.”
Ally smiled at the unexpected compliment.
“Come on,” Ruby said with her customary exuberance. “I’ll show you to your room.”
Ruby led her to a sumptuous room that overlooked the extensive rose garden. A huge bowl of pink roses sat on the dresser while a single rose lay on the pillow on the bed.
While flowery and delicate, the room’s décor wasn’t overly girly, but had a quiet, subdued elegance. The curtains, a deep red of almost burgundy were trimmed with a delicate line of gold. The huge comforter of the same color had tiny roses embroidered in gold along the hem. The effect was pure elegance.
“I hope you like it,” Ruby said. “I brought in the flowers myself.”
“Thank you, Ruby. That was very thoughtful of you.”
“Thoughtful because I asked her to,” Razor said, shooting a scolding glance at his sister.
“Oh,” she
scoffed, playfully slapping his massive arm.
“Either way,” Ally said as she smelled a perfect rose. “Roses are my favorite flower and I’m thrilled to see so many in my room. Thank you. Thank you, both.”
“Well,” Ruby said. “I’ll go see if dinner is being prepared as planned. I do hope you like seafood. We’ve received a shipment of shrimp, lobster and crab from the coast.”
“That sounds perfect.”
When Ruby left them, Razor took Ally’s hand. “I honestly thought she’d never leave.”
“She’s sweet.”
“I wanted to show you something. Are you up for a stroll in the garden, or do you need to rest before dinner?”
“No need to rest. I’m eager to see the garden.”
He led her outside, but instead of bringing her to the gardens she’d seen from her bedroom window, he brought her to a distant corner of the grounds where a smaller, more tightly packed garden grew.
“Hmm,” Ally said as she looked at the unusual flowers. “I’ve never seen roses like this.” She fingered the petal of one and found it oddly coarse and rough. “So strange,” she whispered, almost to herself. “Are they supposed to be like this?”
“This is an experimental garden. Many of these flowers have been manipulated. We’ve played with their genetic makeup.”
“Why?”
“We strongly believe that plants can contain many helpful elements. A while back, Ruby noticed that one particular rose from a wild rose bush, had a strange texture and even stranger scent. I found it very interesting and started tinkering with it. I cut a branch of that rose bush and planted it, fed it, watered it and noticed that the scent and texture continued to change.”
“But what do you hope to do with it. The texture isn’t particularly appealing. It’s actually almost unpleasant.”
“Pleasantness isn’t the end goal. I think this flower may be the secret to killing the monsters.”
Ally frowned. “How?”
“There seems to be a certain oil that is secreted by the flower and it seems to have the ability to counteract the effects of the monster’s toxic breath, at least that’s the theory for now. We’ve not had the chance to test it out yet.”
Ally continued to finger the strange rose petal, thinking of her own experiments with various substances. She suddenly thought of Kate and her constant reminder to try everything and consider every possibility.
“Can I have one?” she said
Razor furrowed his brow. “Hmm, sure,” he said. “But why? Like you said, they smell kind of funny.”
“Kate always said that plants had special powers, and that virtually every problem in the kingdom could be solved with various plants.”
“Okay, but who’s Kate?”
Ally smiled. “My foster mother. She’s a highly talented alchemist. When I was younger, she was my parents’ physician. She’s truly incredible. I was always so curious about all her lotions and potions, her strangely colored powders and awful smelly ointments. But for all the strange colors and smells, her concoctions always worked. They always did what she said they would do.”
She pinched the head of the tiny rose and examined it more closely before putting it in her pocket.
“If she could see me now,” Ally said with a light chuckle. “Bilbo, her husband and my foster father, would often laugh and mock her when she’d stop to sniff a new plant, sometimes even picking off a leave and chewing on it before spitting it out. It eventually became a running gag that I gleefully joined in on. We’d have a head of lettuce and tell her to test it, or take a stalk of celery and sniff it like she sniffed new plants.”
“And here, I thought you were a nice person.”
“Ah, it was all in good fun. She’d get a laugh out of it as well and knew that it was just good hearted ribbing. There were so many mornings when I’d rise from bed to find her gone. I’d go out to the garden shed where she spent so much time, and there she was. The sun was just barely up, and she was crushing leaves and adding oils and blending potions.”
“You’re really fond of her, aren’t you?”
Ally nodded. “I love them both. I don’t know where I’d be if it wasn’t for them. Not only did they put a roof over my head and fill my belly, but they taught me so much. Blacksmithing, alchemy and sciences, but also kindness, understanding and humility.”
Razor took her hand and led her back to the larger more fragrant garden.
Ally looked at him. “And here I am going on and on about myself. Why kind of lessons did you learn from your parents?”
“A lot of good lessons like hard work, honesty and bravery. But I have to admit that my parents are a little old fashioned. My father lost his brother, King Rodan years ago before Ruby and I were born due to a strong Queen who ruled all of Wyvern, and it was so tragic of a loss for Rose Cliff, our entire society went backwards. When Ruby and I were growing up, despite being twins - so, of course, the same age - we were treated so differently. We were taught different things. She sat inside learning to embroider, to read poetry and play the harp, while I was encouraged to go outside, to run around, to throw things and to hit things. I can’t even remember how old I was when I first wrestled with my father.”
Ally cocked a brow. “That explains a lot.”
“You mean how I treated you?”
“Yeah.”
He shrugged and pulled in a long breath. “Sorry about that. But, yeah. Seeing a girl at the academy was like… wow. Something isn’t right here. Girls can’t fight. Girls can’t pick up a sword. Girls can’t learn math and science. Girls can’t, can’t, can’t.”
“Well, I’m just glad you guys all came around and can now see that girls can, can, can.”
He stopped and turned to face her. “Indeed. I’m even beginning to think you can even more than any of us.”
He leaned in to kiss her. Shuffling his feet, he guided her back until she was up against a huge oak tree. His kiss increased in intensity and his hands joined in the play, grabbing her breasts. He stripped her of her pants and tore off his own.
Ally looked over his shoulder and at the open garden. “Someone might come,” she said.
“Yeah,” he said with a naughty grin. “So?”
She smiled as he raised one of her legs and ran his fingers along her moistened folds. Suddenly excited by the added element of danger, she groaned her pleasure and laughed at their predicament at the same time. It was thrilling to be out in the open.
He nudged his cock up to her folds and slowly pushed in, filling her. “Oh Ally,” he whispered, “I couldn’t wait to have you. Seeing you at Rose Cliff, and how easily you belong here…how everyone admire you here, especially Ruby and my parents, it made me want you even more. I’ve never met a woman like you, and at first I fought against my attraction to you, but you keep breaking down my walls, until I had to face you…face the overwhelming pull you have towards me.” He cupped her cheeks and kissed her. “We were meant to come together, Ally. We were meant to be.” Whispering soft and tender words of love and admiration, he made love to her, bringing her to heights of passion and pleasure.
Quickening the pace, Ally felt his oncoming orgasm just as her own shook her body. Razor climaxed in silence, but there was a surge of power that bonded them together.
Ally’s eyes opened wide at the sudden surge and she dug her fingertips into the back of his neck, gripping him and keeping him close.
“Oh, my God,” he muttered softly. “I don’t understand what you do to me, Ally, but all I know is that I always want more. More time with you, closer to you.”
***
The next morning, the Cruel Princes and Ally were greeted at the gate by hundreds of Rose Cliff citizens. They cheered and shouted their encouraging words at them, but were particularly attentive to Ally’s part in the battles to come.
They had faith in her. Some saw her as their angel, others as their savior, but most like a simple and strong warrior.
“We look forward to s
eeing you again soon,” the king said to Ally as they prepared to head off. “Perhaps your next visit will be as our daughter.”
Ally smiled as she nudged her horse forward, pleased by the notion. “I look forward to seeing you again soon as well,” she called over her shoulder.
“Godspeed,” the king called out.
Ally quickly came up to Razor’s side. “What was that all about?”
“What’s that?”
“Coming back as their daughter.”
“Oh,” he said with a broad smile. “They’re obviously impressed by you.”
“That’s very flattering, but they barely know me. We just spoke briefly during dinner.”
“I think Queen Jade may have something to do with their impression of you as well.”
“How’s that?”
“Everyone has heard of the private meeting you had with the queen.”
“So?”
“The queen never, and I mean never, has private meetings… with anyone. She must obviously see something in you; something special. Something that we don’t know about you yet. Maybe you don’t even know it about yourself.”
Looking down at her horse’s wild mane, she nodded, and thought of the faith Queen Jade had in her.
“I can tell you that I’m happy they approve. I kind of like the idea.”
She looked quizzically at him.
“Of marrying you,” he added.
Chapter 11
“Are you sure you guys want to do this?” Tar said, stopping at the river crossing that would bring them to his kingdom.
“Sure,” Razor said. “I’m sure the animosity between the two of you has died down since you left.”
“You don’t know my brother,” Tar said. “He’s a stubborn bastard who can hold a grudge until his dying breath.”
“But now you have company,” Flint said. “Surely he can draw on some degree of decorum in front of us… and Ally.”
“Decorum,” Tar muttered. “Yeah, right. The guy doesn’t know what that means.”