Eielawyn [The Maidens of Mocmoran 3] (Siren Publishing Classic)

by Wynette Davis

  “That’s what they tell me. Though, I never felt like one. I never embraced that caste system of ‘I’m up here, and everyone else is down here,’” he said motioning with his hand. “But yes, I am a prince, and I can keep you away from Gaeldos.”

  “Thank you, your highness—”

  “No. Just Laeros. With you, always just Laeros.”

  “Okay. Laeros, thank you. But while living in a palace in Zinvia sounds nice, I have to decline your very gracious offer. Because—” She turned to gaze at him. “—this has been more than I ever thought it could’ve been, but I’m not in love with you. With your cock, maybe.” They both laughed. “But if I go to live with you in a palace, I would end up feeling—”

  “Feeling like a royal concubine? The exact thing you’re trying to escape. I understand.” He kissed her again, before reluctantly getting out of the bed and dressing. She pulled on a silky-looking robe and sat on the edge of the bed watching him.

  “You’ve awakened my vaedra, Laeros. Any man I have the experience to make love to in the future will have you to thank for that.”

  He pulled her up to stand with him. “I don’t know why, but I really don’t want to think about you being with anyone else. You’re special, Eielawyn. Don’t ever forget that. May the goddesses watch over you.” He kissed her deeply and left.

  After leaving the brothel through the back exit, he walked across the street to the tavern where Whendifor was waiting for him. Whendifor waved him over to where he was sitting. “By the goddesses, man. I’ve had almost a barrel of ale to myself sitting here waiting for you.”

  “Sorry,” he said with a smile.

  “Oh, is that right? She was that good?”

  “She was…she was special, and always will be. And that’s all I’ll say on that.” But over the years, he would think of her and smile in remembrance.

  * * * *

  Present day.

  “So, why are you in Yaesdrah?” Eielawyn asked him.

  Laeros looked around the shop. “Can we talk freely?”

  Eielawyn walked over to the door, locked it, turned the closed sign around, and then motioned for him to follow her into the back room. “The walls are made of four feet of Yaesdrah stone. No one can listen through them with the best devices on the market.”

  “Good. I was in Yaeltaran speaking to the king. He’s entered into an alliance with King Tathasdahbaenan of Valwithia. Balknae is trying to join them, but not without Zinvia. My dear, ignorant, easily lured mother is insistent on entering into an alliance with Queen Balaedras. She feels Teveoch is strong, believing everything Balaedras tells her. I can’t prove it, but she has regular meetings with Balaedras, and I can’t help but feel she’s not under her own volition.

  “You think Balaedras may be slipping her something to persuade her?”

  Laeros shrugged. “Maybe. Like I said, I can’t be sure. But since I was in Yaeltaran, I thought I would bring some supplies to help the Yaesdrah cause. I was told that Balaedras’ embargo on goods is crippling the town. She’ll do whatever she can to keep Drisa and Drisians under her thumb. She doesn’t want them flowing into Yaeltaran, Valwithia, or even into the northlands. She needs their numbers to fill the ranks of her military. If she can increase the Teveoch military, then she’ll have the strength to campaign against Balknae. If she does that, Zinvia will have to go to their aid, as they are our ally. But if my mother can enter an agreement with Teveoch, Balknae will follow. That will leave Yaeltaran and Valwithia alone to fight against Balaedras and the other kingdoms. That’s what Balaedras wants. Zinvia has the numbers, but Teveoch has the technology. If she can take Zinvia and Balknae, nothing will stop her from marching through the rest of Ai.”

  “And if more Drisians leave Drisa, Balaedras won’t have her military strength. The rebellion has been trying to help them get into Yaeltaran and beyond, but the rebellion’s leader isn’t in the best state right now.”

  “Filkothinor. Yes, I know. It’s one of the reasons I’m here. The royal guard is trying to find him. They have orders to kill on sight. To kill him and anyone that is trying to help him,” he said to her with a raised brow.

  “I’m very careful. I helped a friend move him to one of the isolated caves a while ago, but I haven’t had any contact with him since then. But he’s sick, Laeros. They killed his wife. Just killed her, and left her body on the beach to rot in the open. I helped bury her. Since he’s heard of her death, his health has been dwindling, and that cave is drafty and cold.”

  “Tell me how I can help.”

  “By the goddesses, thank you. I was going to ask you, so thank you. We need an air transport to take him to Jahlmerikahl. He has a daughter there.”

  “And the rest of the refugees from Drisa?”

  “Filkothinor and his supporters have started a resistance in Drisa. It finally seems as though King Noesmaneon is finally growing a backbone.”

  “When do you need the transport?”

  “There’s a festival next week. Maybe on Sixth day? Kinsbithu—she’s my best friend—she’s moving Filkothinor then, so the guards will be here in Yaesdrah patrolling the festival.”

  “Good. Good. I can have a transport ready and waiting at a small field on the other side of the bay. And you?”

  “Don’t worry. I won’t be helping in that capacity. I’ll be here just in case the guards get wind of the plan. I’m to use my…oh.” She stared at him with wide eyes.

  “Oh what?”

  “Oh, you don’t know about my gifts. My…um…my vaedra gifts.”

  Laeros smiled knowingly in remembrance. “Oh, I remember your vaedra…gift. I remember it very well.”

  “No, not that one. After that time, I came into my other gifts. I have the power to suggest thoughts and read minds.” She stood staring at him, as if she were waiting for his reaction.

  He had to admit, surprise didn’t enter his mind. Acceptance did. And, as he thought about their time together five years before, why wouldn’t she have other gifts? Amazing, useful gifts.

  “Yes, they are very useful,” she said with a smile.

  “Oh! Oh, you read…okay. Well, it’s true.”

  “You’re really okay with it? It doesn’t freak you out?”

  “Eielawyn, I’ve been travelling all over Ai. There are things—beings and creatures—that I never thought existed before. I’ve met a mist walker—”

  “Theoch. How is he?”

  “You know him. Okay. He’s well. Ambassador Theoch is very well. I’ve seen the child, Eielawyn. The child that was foretold, and I’ve knelt in front of her pledging my fealty.”

  “Leiahrahwyn. Glywyn’s daughter.”

  “You know her, too?”

  “I’ve never met the child, but I helped Glywyn and Draedon about a year ago. We still keep in touch.”

  “But I’ve also been too close for comfort with glaon fairies. I’ve had diplomatic talks with the hyaeth people of the northlands. Tall, they’re very, very tall. So hearing that you have special gifts? No, it doesn’t freak me out.”

  “Good. They can be useful, but I can only suggest thought on three at a time. After that, things kind of go wonky. But Kinsbithu said it might be a good thing if it keeps the guards focus off of what we’re trying to do.”

  “So, we have a plan.” He stood staring at her, and not wanting to leave. “Damn, it’s good to see you again.”

  “I’ve been talking to you here for the past fifteen minutes. You’ve asked me if I was married, yet you haven’t said anything about your soon-to-be engagement.”

  He looked surprised. He knew he did. “Y-y-you know about that?”

  She walked around a low table to stand on the other side to stare at him. “You are the only person—royal I should say—that I do keep tabs on. I’ve tried to keep up with what you were doing over the years. It’s been kind of easy with having Glywyn helping me out with little tidbits of information, since she’s married to the Yaeltaran ambassador. So, what about that?”

>   He sighed heavily, unintentionally letting out a low groan. “It’s arranged. Mother wants to cement an alliance with Tulor, who’s in the back pocket of Balaedras. Do you see where all of this his heading?”

  “Yes. I get it. It won’t be happening. Is that safe to say?”

  “From where I’m standing? No, it won’t be happening. At least I hope it won’t. I don’t want it to happen.”

  They made their way to the front of the shop together. “So, will this be the last time I see you?” she asked him.

  “I hope not. I’ll be at the dance next week. Save me a dance.” He was about to give her a hug and leave, but thought about mentioning something. “Oh, by the way. What is all of this animosity you have with Raenos?”

  Her expression quickly changed. “He’s a fuckin’ royal guard, Laeros. He and his cronies get off on their power trip.”

  “Don’t you think you’re judging him on the actions of other guards without getting to know the man?”

  “Go away,” she said, shooing him out. But he knew there was more to her actions than that, so he let her shoo him out and made his way back to the inn.

  Chapter Seven

  That next week, Eielawyn walked into the large banquet room at the only hotel Yaesdrah had. The dress she’d decided to wear was green and yellow. Still a noticeably Mocmoran dress, but with the gathering under her bust line, the fullness of the skirt, and the movement of the fabric, it was also very un-Mocmoran.

  She’d applied a small amount of makeup to her eyes, and a little lipstick. That was all she was willing to do for the night. It was a dance, she told herself. Not some date she’d been anticipating all week. But even as she told herself it was only a dance, she scanned the crowd to see if there was a certain royal guard there.

  “You look amazing,” a voice said behind her.

  She turned to see Laeros standing in a cream-and-white suit. His hair was unbound and lay around his shoulders. She smiled brightly up at him.

  “Hey. I didn’t think you would be here yet. You look nice.” She looked around him. “No royal entourage?”

  “No. I’m not one for an entourage,” he said.

  In the next instant, a large figure was standing next to her. She looked to see Raenos standing in a light blue dress shirt, with golden thread woven throughout, and black pants that seemed to be fabric, but that she knew was probably eel or dialon leather. It didn’t matter what he was wearing, she had to admit he looked delectable, and not at all like a royal guard.

  “Y-y-you’re not in uniform,” she said in a low whisper.

  “No, I’m not,” said Raenos. “Guards are allowed off time. I’m not on duty tonight.”

  Eielawyn didn’t mean to let her gaze travel over him, but the man knew how to clean up. “I didn’t—” She cleared her throat. “I didn’t think royal guards wore anything but their uniforms.”

  Raenos stood smiling at her. “We are human, Eielawyn, clan of Nelglis.”

  “Um…just Eielawyn.”

  “Remember,” Laeros said to her. “You owe me a dance.”

  “Okay.” She started to walk toward him, but he held his hand up to stop her. “What?”

  “You owe me a dance, but—” He smiled and waved to a woman across the dance floor. “I’ve already asked a certain young lady for this one. Raenos is free, though.”

  Raenos stood looking at her expectantly. He stared at her, and then out onto the crowded dance floor. “Would you like to dance?”

  “Together?”

  He nodded. “I believe that’s usually how it’s done. It goes along with me asking you to dance.”

  Eielawyn nodded, taking Raenos’ outstretched hand and letting him lead her onto the floor. An electric shock travelled up her arm and throughout her body from that one touch. She was sure she could attribute it to some scientific phenomenon if she’d had time to think about it, and if her brain cells were working at the time. They weren’t, because she’d agreed to dance with him. She wanted to dance to the fast music that was playing. It was safe. They wouldn’t have to touch, which would be good since the electric shock she received from his touch seconds before was still running rampant through her body, making parts of her anatomy moist. But a fast song wasn’t going to happen, as the music changed to one with a slower tempo.

  Eielawyn stopped short in her tracks. “What’s wrong?” Raenos asked.

  “Um…the music changed,” she said, staring worriedly at him.

  “Okay,” he said. “I’m versatile.”

  “But, I was okay with a fast song. Um…this…this is too slow.”

  “Eielawyn, take a deep breath. It’s a dance,” he said, pulling her into his arms.

  But it wasn’t just a dance. It was so much more. She felt his body’s warmth so close, as if her own body was trying to absorb him into her flesh. His scent was intoxicating. He smelled of woods, and lavender, and…him. His arms enfolded her, and she felt protected. She didn’t want to feel anything for him. He was a royal guard. He was part of the group of soldiers that tortured, and raped, and killed. But deep inside of her heart, she knew he was none of that.

  He stared down at her, and she looked into eyes that threatened to drink her in. “Stop looking at me like that.”

  “How am I looking at you?”

  “Like that. Like this is more than a dance.”

  “Is it more than a dance?”

  He was becoming too close. She could feel her aura begging to be released, to envelop him. No, she thought. “I-I-I can’t do this,” she said, breaking away from his hold.

  “Eielawyn!”

  She heard him call to her, but she needed to be as far away from him as she could get. He frightened her. He frightened her because she’d felt something for him in the brief few minutes, as he held her in his arms. But she wouldn’t allow herself to fall for a guard, so she ran out of the hall. She ran away from him, and his blue eyes, and intoxicating scent, and muscled body, and deep and alluring voice.

  She ran down the street toward her shop, getting to the door and unlocking it with the key held on a chain around her neck. Her breathing was erratic, and she didn’t know if it was from her speedy escape away from Raenos, or the fact that she’d wanted much more than a dance with him. She needed time to collect her composure. Time to rebuild the stone façade of her resolve before seeing him again.

  She was about to close the door when he stopped it with his arm. “Eielawyn, what’s wrong? Why are you running away?”

  “Just leave me alone. Please,” she said, as he walked into the shop.

  “I’ve done nothing to you. Is it too much to ask why you hate me so much? It can’t only be because I’m a royal guard. I have a feeling that if I weren’t a guard you would still hate me for some reason.”

  “I have friends,” she said, turning to stare at him in the semi-darkness of the shop. The large streetlight outside her door always illuminated her store like a beacon. She could see him clearly looking at her with that mop of roguish hair of his. “Friends that have had dealings with the royal guards of Teveoch. The guards hunted them. They never think for themselves. Balaedras gives the command to hunt this person, rape that woman, kill this family, and they do it, saying it’s for the queen. It’s in the name of the queen. I say bullshit. There’s only so much that can be done in the name of the queen. They’re excuses. The guards hide behind that excuse to be fucked-up human beings.”

  “I’m not that kind of man,” Raenos said tensely.

  “How do I know that? You can smile and placate me with soft words, but I don’t know you. I only know what I’ve seen. What I’ve heard.”

  “You don’t want to. You say you hate the guard, but I doubt that’s all there is to it. You’re using the guard as a shield. You’re afraid of getting to know me. Why? Because of something you might feel?”

  Her heart began to beat wildly in her chest, and her breathing became erratic. “I-I-I don’t feel anything for you. I hate you!”

  He c
losed the distance between them. “You hate me?” He took her into his arms, but she only stared up into his eyes. “Then tell me to stop.”

  His lips descended onto hers, as he kissed her passionately, plundering his tongue into her mouth. She wanted to tell him to stop, but she found herself welcoming his tongue, and returning his passion with her own. She wound her arms around his neck, pulling his lips into a more intense kiss.

  He stopped momentarily, staring down at her, before picking her up into his strong arms and pinning her against the wall. Their mouths were in a frenzied attack of discovery, kissing, tasting, licking, and gently nipping.

  Her hands went to the front of his shirt, pulling it apart and not caring about anything she might have ripped. She branded his bared skin with her mouth, licking and nipping along his muscled chest. But he suddenly pinned her back to the wall, knelt on the floor in front of her, and pushed her dress up to her hips. Her hands braced his shoulders, as he stared up at her with passion-filled eyes. But she wasn’t expecting him to rip her panties off and bury his tongue deep inside of her.

  “Oh shit!” she exclaimed, with her hand immersed in his hair.

  He licked and teased her with his tongue, before exploring her fully. She moaned and cursed aloud with each flick of the tip of his tongue on her clit.

  “Fuck me,” she whispered to him, as she unbuttoned the front of her dress and pulled her bra straps off to bare her breasts to him.

  Raenos dipped his head, pulling first one and then the other nipple into his hungry mouth, sucking and licking them, as she moaned her pleasure. His hand went to his pants, quickly unfastening them and releasing his stiff cock. She felt his hand between her legs, stroking her pussy with expertise, before she gasped at feeling him push inside her.

  Nothing had ever felt so amazing to her. She told herself it was because it had been so long since she’d felt the glorious sensation of a man inside of her. But she knew that wasn’t it. It was Raenos. He gazed at her and engaged her lips in a frenzy of pleasure, all the while stroking her pussy with his engorged cock, as she stayed pinned to the wall, held with his strong arms.