1606011324-Lady-Knight-Chenery

by Lady Knight (lit)

  Today she decided to forgo her usual practice. The day was warm for that time of year and the sun shone brightly. Thinking to take advantage of such good weather, Ariel headed for the meadow. She had not been there since her return from Kilsmere. Suffering under Broc’s treatment, she hadn’t wanted any reminders of what could have been.

  With a deep breath, Ariel allowed the sounds of nature to wash over her. She could hear the birds singing in the trees and a gentle breeze pulled at her hair. The meadow was still her favorite place to go when she needed some time alone.

  Her steps led her where they might until Ariel found herself heading in the direction of the pond. Like the meadow, the pond remained the same in an ever changing world. But today Ariel noticed a change had taken place, a hut stood near the water’s edge. A few trees had been removed to accommodate the structure, making its presence seem isolated in a sea of trees. It gave the feeling of privacy.

  Wanting to see more, Ariel skirted the pond and went over to the hut. At closer inspection she could see it had been built using the same design the villagers used, but much larger. Curious as to what other changes may have been done to the inside she grabbed the door handle and pushed it open.

  Here was where the similarities to the villagers’ huts ended. Instead of just hard packed dirt, fresh rushes covered every inch of the floor. The walls had been white washed. A small table, along with two chairs, sat in the middle of the room close to a fire pit. What drew her attention the most was the large bed sitting in the far corner of the room.

  Along with being large, the bed was covered in beautifully made sheets, sun bleached to a perfect white. A thick pile of rich furs were spread atop the mattress. The overall appearance was of a lovers’ retreat from the outside world.

  Only one person who could have arranged for this hut to be built on this particular spot. It had to have been Broc. No other knew what had taken place here. She hadn’t even told her father what had happened at the pond. Then, almost as if he had sensed her thoughts, Broc appeared at her side.

  “Was this your doing?”

  “Aye.” Moving from her side, Broc went to the fire pit and placed some of the wood he carried inside it. “Do you like it?”

  “It’s lovely.” Seeing Broc strike a flint, Ariel watched the spark turn into a small fire that licked greedily at the wood.

  With the fire well established, Broc stood. His eyes held an intensity that made Ariel aware of her woman’s body, especially when using that same look he moved his eyes up and down her body. She felt drawn to him.

  “I’m glad you approve. Consider it a marriage present.”

  “How...why?” Ariel didn’t understand why he would do this when their marriage was not a close one.

  Broc smiled at her making her heart beat erratically. “As to how, I had some of the villagers build it while I stayed in London looking for you. My mother graciously furnished the inside. The bed was her doing. As to why, it’s really quite simple. This place holds great meaning for me. Here is where I met and claimed my one true mate. Here is where I found the only woman I could ever give my heart to.”

  Hearing those words, Ariel felt a rush of desire so keen that it made any kind of thought near impossible. Her whole being focused on the man who stood before her. Losing herself in a set of blazing gold eyes, the outside world fell away leaving only the two of them in their own realm of existence.

  Taking a step closer, Broc pulled Ariel hard up against his body. “I need you, Ariel. More than I have needed anything in my whole life. Don’t reject me. I have suffered enough for my past actions. Give me some peace.” He bent his head down to her. Broc let his lips hover a breath away from her mouth. “Let me.”

  Ariel could no more deny him then stop her heart from beating. For in denying Broc, she would be denying herself the pleasure only he could give. Sighing in acceptance, Ariel closed the short distance between their lips and wound her arms around Broc’s neck. Groaning, he pulled her even closer. Her breasts flattened against his hard chest. She felt his heart beating at a rapid pace. She knew Broc felt her heart racing along with his.

  The joining of their lips was fierce, holding none of the gentleness as it had in previous meetings. Neither of them had the patience for such wooing. Their hunger had been too long denied and shoved aside. Once unleashed their passion ran rampant. Lifting Ariel off her feet, Broc walked to the bed in two long strides. Laying her on the soft mattress, he then followed her down.

  Chapter 46

  Swords dropped to the floor with a thud as they hit the rushes. Clothes were flung in every which way in their haste to be free of them. Broc knew he was going too fast, especially since this would be Ariel’s first time since giving birth. He hated himself for it, but he couldn’t wait any longer. For too many nights he had been haunted with dreams of Ariel, with her held in his arms exactly like this.

  Now that she lay beside him in all of her naked glory, he let his eyes skim over every inch of her body. For a woman who had recently given birth, her body was virtually unchanged. The only indication of her motherhood was a slightly rounded stomach and a faint brown line running from her navel to the curling hair that shielded her sex.

  Claiming her lips once more, Broc kissed Ariel until she started to wriggle impatiently under him. Wanting more, he nibbled at her throat and down to her breasts. They were full and heavy with milk. Watching Ariel’s face for any sign of resistance, Broc suckled at one of her breasts. She closed her eyes and pulled him closer.

  Releasing her breast, Broc inched his way down her body and placed featherlight kisses against her skin as he went. In his dreams he had done this to Ariel over and over again. Slipping lower he spread her legs and tasted her. Ariel moaned as his tongue laved her clit. The taste of her drove him wild.

  Ariel gasped as Broc used his tongue to push her desire to greater heights. A keening moan escaped her lips. Not wanting to push Ariel over the edge, Broc moved back up her body and kissed her. He needed her hands on him. Taking hold of one of her hands he led it down to that part of his body that craved her touch the most—his throbbing cock. Closing her hand around him, Broc showed her what he liked as he moved her hand up and down his length. He released her hand when she squeezed his cock and pushed down on him. Broc groaned. He knew he couldn’t take too much of this, he was already on the verge of exploding. Unable to wait any longer he pulled her hand away from his body, slid between her legs and joined their bodies in one thrust.

  At the feel of Ariel’s hot slick opening closing around him, Broc groaned in ecstasy. Knowing there would be another opportunity to love her again at a much slower pace, Broc pulled almost out of her body and then rammed back into her. He couldn’t slow the pace down, and from the way Ariel clawed at his back, he knew she didn’t mind. Ariel wrapped her legs around his waist, taking him in deeper. Moving so his cock rubbed her clit has he entered her, Broc pushed Ariel over the edge. Her climax claimed her as her hot channel squeezed around his cock. It pushed him into an intense release. Ramming home one more time, Broc groaned.

  Once his breathing returned to normal, Broc rolled onto his back and pulled Ariel until she snuggled up against his side. He cushioned her head on his chest. Pushing the white blonde hair aside, Broc kissed Ariel’s forehead. “Does this mean you have forgiven me?”

  Ariel smiled against his chest. “I suppose I best. Every time we make love, I end up with child. You better make an honest woman out of me.”

  “Let’s hope this joining doesn’t bear any fruit. I would like to have you to myself for a little while.”

  “Aye, that would be nice. We always seem to have obstacles put between us.”

  Growing serious, Broc lightly rubbed the pad of this thumb across Ariel’s bottom lip. “Nothing will tear us apart again, ever. I give my solemn word. You are my wife, the love I have for you will never die. I only hope you can learn to love me like you did before. That would be my greatest wish.”

  Going up on one elbow,
Ariel kissed him lovingly. “I love you, Broc. My feelings for you never changed. Aye, you hurt me, but I’m willing to forget. My life would not be complete without you by my side. I need you, always.”

  Pulling her head down, Broc thoroughly kissed her leaving her breathless. With a groan he pulled away and slipped out of the bed.

  Ariel frowned. “Where are you going?”

  Donning his tunic and trews, Broc searched for his boots. Finding them under the table, he went and sat down on the edge of the bed and pulled them on. “We need more wood. What little I brought will not last us throughout the rest of the day. I will return, don’t worry about that.” He flashed a cocky grin.

  Ariel returned his knowing grin. “You want to stay here all day?”

  “Of course, I haven’t had you to myself for a very long time. I intend to make the most of it while I can.”

  “What about Brianna? She will need to be fed.”

  “When I get the wood, I will stop by the hall and tell Lily to bring her here when she grows hungry. Relax. It will not take me long. I’m not through with you yet, not by a long shot.”

  * * * *

  With Broc gone, Ariel lay back down on the pillows and pulled the covers up. She felt drained and satiated, but happy, very happy. Happier than she had been for quite some time. A smile formed on her lips as she allowed herself to drift off to sleep.

  The door creaked open a short time later, Ariel didn’t stir. Figuring Broc had returned from his errands, she waited for him to slip back into the bed beside her. So with some surprise, Ariel felt the cold steel blade of a dagger pressed against her throat. Wrenched fully awake, she opened her eyes to see a face she had hoped never to look at again.

  Theodoric sat on the edge of the bed and smiled maliciously down at her. “Did you think you could so easily escape from the plans I painstakingly made for you? If you did, then you were mistaken. Now I will remove the dagger from your throat, please don’t give me cause to use it. Get dressed like a good girl.”

  Once more Ariel found herself in a situation she was powerless to prevent. With Theodoric’s hard eyes watching her every move, she hurriedly pulled on her clothes. Bending down to retrieve a stray boot, her eye caught the sparkle of a gem stone. Her sword lay half under the bed with the hilt easily within reach of her hand. Giving Theodoric a furtive look, Ariel lunged for the sword.

  Pain shot through her head as Theodoric grabbed a handful of her hair and roughly pulled her out of reach of the sword. “Now, Ariel, did you think I would allow you to gain possession of your sword? Remember, I’ve watched you on the practice field. I would be a fool to allow that to happen. I don’t seek my death by your hand.”

  Yanking on her hair, Theodoric brought her to her feet. Her eyes watered with pain. Ariel pulled her cloak around herself and followed the older man out the door. He seemed to have a destination in mind, because Theodoric unhesitatingly led Ariel deeper into the forest.

  Ariel felt a wave of sickening panic wash over her. In the forest they would be much harder to track. Their passage through the woods would go almost undetected. Her only chance was Broc’s ability to track them from the hut. Hoping to leave some sort of sign of their passing, she dragged her feet and brushed up against trees breaking off leaves and branches.

  Deep inside the forest the air seemed cooler. Very little sunlight managed to penetrate the thick cover of foliage that rose high about their heads. It gave the impression that the day was further along than it truly was.

  With a jerk on her hair, Theodoric came to a halt. Just as quickly, he released her hair and pulled her hands behind her back. He then proceeded to bind them together with a piece of cord he carried with him. Searching the shadows to make sure none had followed, Theodoric wiped at the sweat that trickled down his face. “It would appear we are alone, for now. But I will feel better when we have reached the deepest part of the forest.”

  Taking hold of her arm, he once more dragged Ariel through the bush. With her hands bound behind her, she had trouble keeping her balance over the rough terrain. Theodoric took no notice. When she would begin to fall, he would only pull her up onto her feet and push her ever deeper into the forest.

  Finally, after what seemed like hours, Theodoric stopped their travel. His breath came in pants and sweat dampened his hair as well as his tunic. Ariel guessed this was probably the most walking her captor had done in quite some time. His soft body gave testimony to his easy life.

  Looking around her, Ariel realized Theodoric had to have been here before. He had set up a makeshift camp. A small lean-to type shelter sat off to one side in the natural clearing. A ring of stones filled with ash gave her the suspicion this man had been here for more than one day.

  Forcing her to sit down with her back against a large tree, her captor took a few steps away. Theodoric reached for a saddle bag and pulled out a length of rope. He walked back to her. He wrapped the rope around her chest and the tree trunk binding her tightly to it. Unable to move, she knew she would have to wait for another opportunity to escape to come her way.

  * * * *

  Stepping with a light heart and feeling a small amount of anticipation, Broc moved hurriedly across the meadow. In his arms he carried the needed wood. The others who had been at the hall where not too surprised to hear of his and Ariel’s reconciliation. Swein had clapped him on the back saying Ariel had needed the time to see what she had been missing out on. She wasn’t a stupid girl. She knew when to hold onto something of great value.

  Broc had been knocked speechless at his father-in-law’s words. He had thought Swein didn’t think too highly of him, but this speech told him otherwise. It came as a surprise to find himself held in such regard by his wife’s father, considering Broc had taken Elmstead away from the man. Broc had said as much to Swein. The older man had chuckled. He had said he was getting too old to run Elmstead anyway. Swein made it quite clear he preferred to pass the responsibilities onto a much younger set of shoulders. He had no complaints with Broc’s ability in running the land.

  Now with the pond in sight, Broc broke off his musings and lengthened his stride. The thought of Ariel lying naked in the bed was all the motivation he needed to hurry.

  Seeing the door to the hut standing open, Broc came up short. Something wasn’t right. A sense of unease washed over him. A feeling of Ariel being in trouble overwhelmed him the more he looked at the open door.

  Broc dropped the wood and ran into the hut. As he had feared, Ariel was nowhere to be seen. A quick inspection proved his uneasiness had not been unfounded. He knew she wouldn’t have left willingly on her own. What they had shared told Broc he hadn’t been wrong in his thinking. Ariel had accepted him back into her life as well as into her body.

  Moving about the room he searched for any kind of sign, something that could have caused Ariel to leave. All he found was her sword half hidden under the bed. Broc had all the proof he needed, his suspicions had been correct. Ariel would never have left her sword behind. A knight’s sword was as much a part of him as was his sword arm. A knight would feel lost without his sword hanging at his side. The same would be true for Ariel as it was for him.

  Finding no other clue as to what had befallen Ariel, Broc searched the outside of the hut. It was then he noticed the scuffed footprints that led to the back of the hut. He followed them and found others that headed into the forest. The prints in the fore were large, a man’s boot possibly, the other set had to be Ariel’s.

  Needing nothing else to persuade him Ariel had indeed been taken without her consent, Broc started to run back to the hall. The day was fading fast and soon it would be too dark to see the trail Ariel had left for them to follow. Time was of the essence. If they didn’t move fast his wife could very well be taken from him once again. This time he may not be so lucky in finding her, she could very well be gone from his life for good.

  Chapter 47

  Night descended leaving Ariel cold and stiff. Theodoric had tied her to a tree that w
asn’t even close to the fire. Her lightweight cloak didn’t offer much in the way of warmth, especially on a frosty night such as this. She shivered uncontrollably.

  Shifting around she tried to find a more comfortable position, which was impossible given the circumstances. Her hands were numb and her breasts ached with too much milk, another reason why she needed to return to her daughter. Ariel could just picture Brianna screaming with hunger. That thought alone made her feel all the more anxious to be with her.

  Her movements drew Theodoric’s attention. Stepping away from the fire, he came to stand above her. He smiled. There was no warmth in it. Ariel silently wished him to hell. “How is my lady holding out? Cold? Good, we wouldn’t like you to forget your place, now would we?”

  “Why are you doing this to me?”

  Theodoric chuckled, but no mirth was in the sound he made. “You haven’t figured it out yet? It’s quite simply really. I dislike being denied the pleasure of seeing Broc suffer. He gave Alwen a grievous insult by annulling their marriage.”

  “You know Broc will come for me.” At least Ariel hoped that was true, but the fading light made her doubt Broc would be able to find her.

  “He will not find you. The forest at night can be your enemy, or in my case, a friend. Broc doesn’t know this forest very well, he will become lost very easily and by morning we will be gone.”

  “What are going to do with me?”

  “I haven’t decided as of yet. For now, I will keep you with me. Having you separated from your new daughter should cause Broc some upset.”

  Ariel felt her blood turn to ice in her veins. This man knew too much about her family. She had to wonder how long he had been watching them. If he didn’t succeed here, would he go after her children next? The blood drained out of her face just thinking of what could happen to those two innocents.