Dark Lord of Kismera: Knights of Kismera
Page 47
Lexin stood amazed as well. To be given a horse from the MacKinnon was truly an honor. “Thank you, my Lord. It is a great gift.”
“Yes,” Cearan seconded. “Thank you. We are blessed to have you return to us.”
Drace turned to both men. “I have a favor to ask of the both of you,” he added, suddenly very serious. He looked to see where Cerise was. She was stirring the stew and out of earshot.
“I’m not asking this as Lord MacKinnon but as brother to you both.” Drace glanced again at Cerise and then back to the two Werre men. “Cerise is an innocent, ignorant in the ways of these lands. She can be a bit stubborn but she’s no….” He almost said ‘pansy’. “Ah, what I’m trying to say is that she is an intelligent, brave woman but lacks the skills for defense.”
Lexin’s lips curled in amusement. “You ask us to watch your kinswoman to protect her, from enemies, or herself—whatever mischief might befall her?”
“Exactly. I can’t always be there for her. Besides, she would chaff at too tight a rein anyway.”
Cearan placed a hand on Drace’s shoulder. “We understand, brother. She will come to no harm if we can help it. Rest easy.”
Lexin smiled his agreement and then headed towards the fire and food. Cearan hung back with Drace.
Cearan leaned nonchalantly against the gray Andalusian mare, pulling at a tangle in her mane. “Ask me what it is that is really in your heart.”
Drace was grateful for the inquiry. “Ki, how is she? Is there…?” He couldn’t finish the question, because he dreaded the answer. He shifted his weight.
“There is no one she has taken to mate, if that is your question. She is well, but she is lonely and still mourns your loss. Her moods tend to change as the wind and most stay clear when she is touchy.” He gave a little snort of amusement at that. “She will be pleased to see you, though shocked. Most thought you dead.”
Cearan’s head was lowered as he spoke, but then he looked up at Drace in a confidential way. “Ki has told me some things of your world. Only I. It would be an adventure indeed to see such wondrous things.
Then his mood darkened. “Several moons back she was gone for over a turning of the moon. No one, including myself, knew where. She only told me she must see Nimbus and then be to herself for awhile, asking me to care for things in her absence.”
Drace cleared his throat nervously. “How was she when she came back?”
“Different. Quieter at times. Soon after her return, she quit the practice field, which I found odd. But do not be troubled, my brother. All will be well.” He clapped Drace on the back. “Come, before Lexin leaves little for the rest of us.”
The four travelers rode out from their second camp, a day’s ride from Oralia.
Cerise wore a dark blue dress she had made for one of Drace’s renaissance festival appearances. It was a period costume complete with stays and a long skirt. Her red-gold hair was in a long braid, loose tendrils curling softly around her face, fresh from a wash at one end of the fairy pool.
After he had washed in a stream along the way, Drace sat down by Cearan who braided his hair for him in the warrior fashion. “The MacKinnon cannot ride into his home looking like a beggar,” Cearan told him.
Drace wore black breeches with his riding boots and a white, embroidered, long sleeve linen shirt, his sword and dagger belted around his waist. The day was cool so he had his dress plaid draped Highland fashion for warmth, complete with broach.
Cearan drove Drace’s wagon while Drace rode the Andalusian stallion. The chestnut stallion sensed that Drace was both nervous and excited and reacted by prancing under him, tossing its head from time to time.
The wagons traveled side by side until they came upon the road, then Cerise dropped back to follow Cearan. Lexin rode beside her, joking and talking to pass the time.
“So you are a servant to Arahtok now,” Cearan said with some wonder as Drace rode along side. “I cannot imagine what it is like to see him, to speak to him. It is as the legend. You are blessed, my Lord. To grant you passage, he has some use for you.”
“Maybe, but I have no idea what it may be or when. But I will serve whenever He calls me.”
While Cearan drove, apparently lost in thought of a mere human having an encounter with the lion god, Drace pondered something himself. Neither Cearan nor Lexin had mentioned anything of a pregnancy when speaking of Ki. Surely she would be showing by now if she were. Could she possibly be hiding it? Or was my dream just that, a dream and nothing more? Drace fought the impulse to put his heels to Leo and leave the slower wagons, hurrying to Oralia and his fate.
Finally, as late afternoon came, the road led them into sight of the village. Drace halted Leo, who gave a low rear in excitement. Drace’s belly knotted as he stared down the road at the large village, and then looked to the hill behind it, the massive fortress stood golden in the sunlight. Oralia. Home.
Cerise glanced nervously in Lexin’s direction, then ahead. “Drace?” she called.
Lexin side stepped his horse towards her and put a calming hand on her shoulder. “Rest easy, little one. He prepares himself to meet his lioness.” Lexin’s horse moved away from the wagon and Lexin muttered a curse at the ill-tempered animal. Back in control, Lexin continued, “Remember, my Lady, that the Dark Lord is as a shade returning: a shadow warrior to many. But a valorous man to those of us who rode with him at Hopa, and the few who know the truth of his leaving.”
Cerise swallowed and nodded. One thing she knew that Lexin did not was all that Drace had given up, including his birthright. There was no going back for him. If Ki would not have him, Cerise feared it would break him.
Drace nodded to Cearan and asked Leo forward, the rest of the group followed.
As he rode through the village, people came to their doors and windows to see the traffic: the two wagons and many horses loud in the empty streets. He heard whispers and comments behind him and he rode straight and proud.
He heard again the respectful whispering of ‘Dark Lord’ and louder musings of his death at Hopa, along with other such wonderings. He rode as if he were coming home from a battle that had happened yesterday. Some of the villagers began to follow the procession.
Drace halted at the first gate, and a speechless guard who had known him from before waved him through. They came through the second gate unchallenged, the guards recognizing Cearan and Lexin, if not Drace as well.
An unnatural quiet descended on the courtyard as stable boys came to take hold of the teams of horses. Everyone stepped down except Drace, whose blue-gray gaze swept the courtyard for Ki.
Finally, he saw her. It appeared she’d just come in from riding, Estelle at her side. She wore a dress, which he found odd. He couldn’t remember ever seeing her on horseback in a dress. She much preferred the freedom of breeches. Her hair was done up in an untidy knot and she looked tired and dispirited.
The gathering crowd caught her attention and she turned. Her eyes met Drace’s and she visibly paled. She staggered a step and caught her balance by placing one hand on the rump of the horse she had just dismounted. Estelle reached for her but Ki waved her off.
Estelle raised her eyes to see what had her mistress’ attention. She gave a small cry and covered her mouth with a shaking hand.
Drace guided Leo forward a few steps and then stopped and dismounted, handing his reins to someone beside him. He vaguely recognized it was Cearan.
It grew silent in the courtyard; the only sound was the soft snort of one of the horses as Drace walked towards Ki. There were audible gasps and a few shrieks when he drew his sword but a hush quickly followed when he drove the point into the ground and knelt on one knee at Ki’s feet.
Drace held the blade of the sword like a cross and looked up into her eyes. Their gazes remained locked while wind tugged gently at them, lifting the loose strands of his hair and the edges of her cloak. His gaze drifted downward to see the small mound of her belly and then returned to her fear- filled eyes.
Ki reached out a trembling hand and placed it on the top of his head, the feel of his thick hair soft under her palm. He kept his head bowed until her hand moved down to the line of his jaw, beckoning him to raise his head. Tears flowed freely down her pale cheeks and she smiled at him.
Drace rose to his feet and barely had time to release his hold on his sword before she lunged into his arms. He closed his eyes, feeling dampness on his own cheeks.
“God, I love you, Ki,” he whispered hoarsely into her hair. “Never again. Never again will something separate us, I promise you.”
Ki couldn’t answer as her sobbing left her speechless.
The crowd in the courtyard suddenly erupted in cheering as the villagers witnessed the Lady Ki reunited with the Dark Lord MacKinnon.
Lexin gently pried Cerise’s hand from his arm where she had held it in a death grip as she watched Drace and Ki. She was openly crying, so he took his now free arm and wrapped it around her shoulders, pulling her into the warmth of his side. He grinned down at her when she looked up.
Happy for the comfort, she put an arm around his waist and they watched the Lord and Lady together.
Chapter Fifty-Three
A CONTROLLED CHAOS ENSUED with Estelle taking charge. A quick introduction to Cerise was all she needed to have the chamber Drace had quartered in on first arriving assigned to his kinswoman.
Like a drill sergeant she had trunks and belongings going to the proper rooms, including the trunks containing horse equipment to the stable.
A new stable had been built while Drace was gone and stood empty. It was soon swarming with activity as Cearan and Drace had all the horses settled into their new home.
Ki walked down the wide aisle, looking into the stalls to see each new horse, Drace hovering at her side. She stopped to give Pride a loving rub. The big horse heaved a contented sigh against her arm, making her laugh.
She continued on until she came to Leo’s stall. The chestnut stallion came to the stall door, his eyes bright with curiosity.
“I bought this horse because he reminded me so much of you,” Drace said softly.
Ki gave him a half smile, her eyebrows raised with mirth. “A horse reminded you of me. I should be flattered I suppose.”
Drace returned a sheepish smile. “I don’t guess that quite came out the way I meant it. I saw him and had to have him. His name is Leon de Corazon. It is Spanish for ‘heart of the lion’ or ‘lionheart’. Both the name and the horse touched me. I call him Leo. You may call him whatever you wish because he is yours.”
“That is a very generous gift, my Lord. What is ‘Leo’?”
“For ‘Leo the lion’. He was a cartoon character. It’s also a star formation.”
“Leo suits him, I think.” She looked up at him. “You must be hungry. I believe Estelle has ordered elk steak for tonight’s meal. Let us go to the hall. I do not wish for you to faint from hunger.”
“Wait a moment, if you will. How are you, and the baby?” he asked, and hesitantly placed a big hand on her rounded belly.
Ki covered it with her own. “Your son is well. He is glad his father has returned.”
They had a moment of privacy in the stable. The horses had all been fed and were settled; the stable lads now at their own meals.
Drace pulled her close against him, gazing into her tawny eyes. God, how I’ve missed her, missed this. “And his mother?” he asked and dropped his head to kiss her, taking his time and doing a thorough job of it.
When he pulled back, she was breathless and clung to his arms as her knees went weak. “She is most glad as well. Later she will show you,” Ki said, promise in her eyes.
“I do not have a gift for you,” she said after one last look at Leo and they turned to walk from the stable.
“Oh yes you do. You are carrying the best gift I could ever receive. Never doubt of that, my love. If I have nothing else, I am still a happy man.”
When they entered the main hall, the people inside cheered at Drace’s appearance as lion roars mixed with acclamations. The gathering grew quiet after a while and all bowed in respect to the Lord and Lady. Once they were seated at the head table conversations gradually resumed.
Estelle hurried to the head table and gave a squeak of surprise when Drace stood again and gathered her up in a warm bear hug.
She stepped back, her eyes glistening with tears. “My Lord, we are so glad you have returned to us,” she said with a little hiccup of emotion. “She collected herself, like a small wren settling its feathers. “I have a bath waiting for you in you your chamber. I thought you might wish to get rid of the dust of travel.”
“Thank you, Estelle. I see you’re still the same wonderful, peach of a woman I remembered.”
Drace went up the long stairwell with Ki at his side, to their chamber, and once inside sat with a sigh to pull off his boots. He stood again and stripped, sinking into the tub, closing his eyes with pleasure.
“These are new,” Ki remarked of the fresh scars on his chest and the phoenix tattoo on the bicep of his sword arm.
Drace explained the reason behind the marks. “I would do it again to get back to you.” He opened his eyes, dark with emotion. “I love you.”
“And I love you,” she returned, handing him a rag and soap. “Shall I help you wash your hair, my Lord?”
“If you do, we’ll be late for the meal. We have time for that later, because I mean to take my time at it,” he said, promise in his voice.
Drace did let her pour water over his head after he had soaped his hair. He quickly finished his bath and stood, accepting a towel from Ki, who dropped her eyes for an admiring glance.
“The water is still warm if you want to use it,” he said and stepped out to dry off.
Ki suddenly seemed shy in front of him as she started to remove her clothes, pausing at the fastenings of her simple gown.
Drace stepped into a clean pair of breeches and tugged them up over his lean hips. “What’s the matter, hon?” he asked, seeing her uncertainty.
“I am changed. I do not wish you to see me this way,” she admitted, dropping her hands from her laces, tears coming to her eyes. “And I weep at nothing all the time.” She gave him a teary look. “At least I can eat now. I was vomiting at the very smell of food. Now I am always hungry, except for certain things.”
Drace laughed out loud and came over to place his hands on her upper arms, rubbing them gently. “You are beautiful, Ki. The changes you’re going through are normal and wondrous—you know that. I’m as new at this as you are but we will learn the rest together. Okay?”
Ki gave him a watery smile as he began to untie her laces for her. At last he was able to slip her dress from her shoulders and it pooled around her ankles. She made a sound of distress when he looked at her in her shift. She covered her breasts with her arms.
“No, baby, don’t. Please, don’t hide yourself from me.” Drace uncrossed her arms and pushed her shift down to join her dress. “I want to look at you, Ki. Don’t be ashamed,” he coaxed gently, and then lowered his eyes to look at her.
Drace’s eyes came back to hers, full of wonder. “Oh my God,” he breathed, sinking to his knees in front of her. “Oh my God.” He put his hands on Ki’s hips then ran them slowly up her sides. Carefully, he cupped her breasts, fuller now, the areolas darker.
His hands drifted back to encompass the roundness of her belly. He felt strangled by his emotions. “I’ve missed so much, Ki. I’m sorry you had to do this much on your own.” He leaned his head against her stomach. “Incredible,” he whispered.
“You look incredible.”
Ki ran her fingers lovingly through his hair, no longer feeling self conscious of the changes in her body.
Drace rose then and let her step into the tub. He sat on a stool next to her while she bathed. “Can you feel the baby moving yet?”
“Yes, but it is hard to explain. Have you stood in a stream and felt the ripples of the current or the brush of a fish barely touch your skin?”
“Yeah,” Drace answered in amazement, watching her as she soaped herself.
“It is stronger now, the ripples.” Ki leaned her head against the high back of the tub. “You did not seem surprised at this,” Ki remarked, laying a hand on her belly. “How did you know?”
Drace told her about the erotic dream he’d had of her and her saying she and the baby needed him. “I just knew then. I knew it wasn’t just a dream.”
Ki gave him an odd look. “I had a dream also of the two of us. I had my woman’s pleasure. In your dream did you have your pleasure as well?”
Drace blushed hotly, standing to find a shirt. He cleared his throat. “Yes, I did. Something that hasn’t happened in a long, long, time.”
“Hmmm,” Ki said, thoughtfully and went about finishing her bath.
She dried off while he finished dressing. Once she was dressed, she came up behind him and wrapped her arms around his waist, her breasts pressed against his back. “When I saw you today, I thought my heart had ceased to beat. When I left your world I was sure I would never see you again. That is why I did not tell you I thought I might be carrying our child. I could not leave you to mourn us both.
“I did not bring the herbs to stop a man’s seed. I did not even think of them. I did not believe I was capable of even conceiving.”
Drace knew her cycles were irregular but he asked anyway. “Do you have any idea when it may have happened?” He felt her smile against his back.
“There were many opportunities, were there not?” she added and Drace chuckled at the thought.