That disturbed Talon. Why would Nock be given a chore so far removed from his skill? “Is there someone in the cookhouse that could take your place?”
“Aye, my King. Barkell enjoys working in the cookhouse and often tells me what I am doing wrong. He would serve you well as would others there, though there are a few Barkell would dismiss if given the chance.”
“I will visit with your staff on the morrow and see what changes can be made,” Talon said and gave a nod to the guard at the door.
“I am grateful, my King, so grateful, and I will serve you well,” Nock said, bobbing his head and followed the guard out.
Talon did not want to turn and look at Hemera. He knew she would be wearing a smile and he knew what she was thinking. I told you Nock was not happy in the cookhouse. He turned to her anyway, but instead of a smile, she wore a frown and he wondered why, though not for long. More than likely her thought mirrored his and she wondered over why Nock had been placed in the cookhouse.
Paine entered the room and went to Anin. “You should be sitting.” He turned to Talon. “My King—”
“Anin has done well as usual and may leave,” Talon said.
Tilden stepped forward and Anin went to protest an escort. One look from her husband and her words died on her lips. Though, she turned to the King. “Would it be permissible for Hemera to join me and see how Wrath fares?”
Talon could almost hear Hemera in his head, pleading with him to let her go. He turned to her and the pleas he heard in his head were clearly visible in her eyes. “You will return here after you are done.”
“As you say, my King,” she said with a nod.
“You may go,” Talon said. A sudden tug grabbed at his heart as the door closed behind her. Only a moment from his sight and he missed her. He was as besotted as Paine and Wrath and that would not do. He was King. He pushed Hemera from his thoughts or so he thought. She returned before he could address the men in the room and remained there, refusing to leave. Annoyed that he no longer had control of his musings, he spoke abruptly. “We have much to discuss.”
It had been a long day and Talon was glad when he and Hemera were finally alone in his sleeping chamber.
“I am relieved that Wrath’s wound is not as bad as I first thought,” Hemera said, a long yawn following her words. She discarded her garments as she continued talking. “The knife struck his leather strap and gratefully it did not penetrate his flesh as deeply as first thought. He was lucky. The wound was seared, though it will barely be noticeable with his body drawings.” She walked over to Talon, scrunching her brow.
He tossed the last of his garments aside just as she came to a stop in front of him. He rubbed at the tight wrinkles between her eyes. “Something troubles you?”
“I am curious,” she said and her fingers went to trace the body drawing on the side of his face. “Why only this drawing and no other?”
“The old woman who did the body drawing in our tribe claimed I was destined for far greater things and when the time was right, she would give me the body drawing I was meant to have. It was when fierce fighting broke out among the tribes that she came to me and told me it was time. She explained that I needed only one drawing and it had to be on my face for all to see. She also told of how I would sweep across the land and unite the tribes, gathering them together as one force against foreign invaders and how I would ensure that Pict blood would forever claim this land.” His hand went to rest on her stomach. “The start of that legacy may well reside in you.”
“How could that be when I am not queen?”
“It is a Pict woman I need to wed and you are Pict.”
“You cannot mean to make me your wife,” Hemera said, taking a step back away from him.
She did not get far, his hands settling at her waist and giving her a gentle tug, drawing her closer to him. “To be a Pict King, my children must be born of a Pict mother. You are Pict and you were born of a Pict mother, were you not?”
Hemera nodded.
“You are also from one of the oldest tribes, the Alpin Tribe. You would make a fine queen.” She drifted off in thought and he wondered why. “Is there reason for me to think otherwise?”
“Several reasons,” Hemera said to his surprise, “the most important being that many will think me a poor choice to be queen and that will only serve to embolden your enemies.”
“I alone choose my queen and the people will learn soon enough what a wise choice I made in making you my queen,” he said, tucking her closer against him and feeling her shiver ripple over him. He scooped her up in his arms. “You are chilled.”
The strength of his powerful arms and the heat of his hard body flamed the spark that had already burst to life inside her and she whispered, “Warm me.”
He lay down on the sleeping pallet alongside her, settling his naked body around hers. “I will do more than warm you, after you tell me what other reasons you believe will prevent me from making you my queen.”
She remained silent and Talon smiled and brought his lips down on hers and teased her with gentle kisses that promised so much more. “See what you will miss if you do not answer me.”
She sighed. His warmth, the comfort of his powerful arms, and his arousal nestling hard against her had ignited her passion as soon as he had wrapped himself around her. She rested her hand to his cheek. “Can we talk of this later? I need you so much right now.” She pressed her finger to his lips when he looked as if he would argue.
Talon took hold of her finger and kissed it before moving it away from his mouth. “Tell me one, just one reason.”
“After you warm me, I promise,” she whispered and brought her lips to his, her kiss not gentle.
He grabbed a handful of her hair and pulled her head back, breaking their kiss. “I will hold you to your promise.”
“I will keep it, but at this moment I need you more than ever.”
Her aching need flamed his need that had been tormenting him from early on and he was soon lost in the sweet taste of her lips once more, though their kiss was anything but sweet. It was hungry and demanding as were their hands that roamed eagerly over each other.
She surprised him when she shoved him onto his back and slipped over him and began to work her way down along his flesh with kisses and nips, and he savored every one of them.
Hemera wanted to taste all of him, know every part of him, and save it to memory. Should one day come that she was no longer with him, she would have the memories to cherish. She favored his alluring scent and savory taste. For some reason, she was reminded of the scents of the forest, the pungent pine, the musky soil, and the fresh smell of the foliage after a rain. She would never be able to walk in the woods again without thinking about Talon, but then he was never out of her thoughts.
She continued kissing down along his body and when she got close to his manhood, stiff and ready for mating, she felt a pain pierce her heart. If separated, she would miss mating with him, but more so she would miss the closeness she shared with him, sleeping nestled in his arms, or the way his fingers closed possessively around hers when he took hold of her hand.
Hemera continued kissing him, not realizing tears had sprung to her eyes and that one spilled over and fell on Talon.
Talon groaned with pleasure, not something he usually did. He always contained himself, never letting a woman know how she affected him, but then no woman affected him as Hemera did. He was lost in an exquisite pleasure he never recalled ever feeling. Hemera was different than other women in so many ways and he would never let her go. Never.
His pleasure was suddenly disturbed. Was that a drop of wetness he felt? He waited and not long after he felt it again, then again.
Was Hemera crying?
Talon reached down and grabbed her, hoisting her up beneath her arms and brought her to dangle over him face to face. He got upset as soon as he saw her tears. “You are crying. Why?”
Hemera brought her hand up to her one eye and wiped at it, a look of surprise on her f
ace. “I am crying.”
“Why?” Talon could not keep the concern from his voice. “I do not force you to mate with me.”
“It is not that. I want to mate with you. I cherish your touch, your taste, you slipping inside me.” She could not stop more tears from falling.
“I have never seen you cry,” Talon said, a fierce pain striking his heart and turning his concern to anger. He did not mean to sound harsh when he demanded, “You will tell me why you are crying.”
Tuahna.
The word tolled in her head like a bell that refused to stop ringing. That was why she hurt so badly when she thought of never seeing him again. She had not only lost her heart to him, she had found with him what most people never find. Tuahna, a caring so strong, it seeped down deep inside to remain there forever.
The word slipped from her lips softly at first. “Tuahna.”
“What did you say?’ Talon asked, struggling to hear her.
A heavy sob rose up as she once again said, “Tuahna.” She did not stop this time, she said it again and again. “Tuahna. Tuahna. Tuahna.” Another tear fell, splashing on Talon’s chest. “I never thought I would ever feel tuahna for anyone. But I do for you, and I so fear being taken away from you.”
Her words shocked Talon, though it was more the intense joy he felt hearing her say it that had stunned him. He had never felt so pleased, not ever, but her last few words stirred his anger.
He brought her down on his chest and took her face in his hands, wiping at the tears on her cheeks with his thumbs. “No one will ever take you from me. I will kill anyone who tries. You are mine and always will be.”
Tears continued to glisten in her eyes. “They will come for me.”
“They have tried and failed. They will never get you.”
“I am glad you know what I feel for you so that if—”
“You will tell me often, for I enjoy hearing you say it,” Talon said, preventing her from saying what he refused to hear, that if anything should happen to her at least he would know how she felt for him. The thought of her gone from him was a thought he refused to consider. It would not happen. He would not let it.
Talon eased Hemera onto her back, his hands going to either side of her head to support his upper body as he hovered slightly over her. “No one will take you from me. I will remind you again and again. You are mine and always will be. You will be my queen.”
He kissed her and all thoughts and worries slipped away. They mated slow and easy, savoring every kiss and touch and when he finally slipped into her, she eagerly welcomed him and they finished together as one, bursting in a climax that completely exhausted them both and soon after they fell asleep wrapped tightly in each other’s arms.
Chapter 25
Talon woke to find Hemera gone and quickly donned his garments to find out where she had gone off to. He had expected her to be there in his arms when he woke and he was more than disappointed to find himself alone.
They had fallen asleep soon after coupling and he was pleasantly surprised when she had aroused him awake. He had enjoyed hearing her whisper tuahna to him several times during and after they mated. He could still hear her voice now, whispery soft in his ear, and gooseflesh rose along his bare skin. He would never grow tired of hearing her say it. It filled him with a comfort and peace he never knew existed, a peace that he found only with Hemera.
He was still trying to comprehend it, still trying to accept how he felt, still trying to grasp that he felt for her as she did for him.
Tuahna.
He shook his head. He had never thought it possible, never thought he would find something so special, so rare with anyone. Though, Hemera was not anyone... she was his future queen.
Talon left his sleeping chamber, intending to find Hemera. They had never gotten to talk last night and he had wondered over her reluctance to do so and how she always avoided talking about her time with the Northmen. It had him believing that she was hiding something from him, but what?
When Gelhard seemed to step out of nowhere in front of him when he entered the feasting hall, he remembered he had things to deal with this morn, the cookhouse problem being only one of them. Still, he would know where Hemera was before he did anything.
“Hemera?” Talon asked, expecting Gelhard to have an answer.
“She rose early and I walked her to her dwelling along with one of your personal guards who remained with her,” Gelhard informed him. “I asked her how she knew the bread was poisoned.”
Talon headed to the High Council Chambers, while Gelhard followed alongside him continuing to talk.
“She told me it had been the smell and taste that had warned her. I asked her how she would know the smell and taste of poison. Instinct was what she told me, though for some reason I felt there was more she was not telling me. Naturally, I will do my best to see what I can uncover.”
Talon took his seat at the High Council table and after taking one look at the bowl of gruel placed in front of him, he pushed it away. “Bring Nock and Baskell to me. It is time to make changes in the cookhouse.”
“They are on their way,” Gelhard said and a knock sounded at the door.
Talon was again reminded why he had chosen Gelhard as his High Counselor.
After only talking to the two men for a few moments, Talon could see that Baskell was suited for the cookhouse far better than Nock.
“You still do not recall who appointed you to the cookhouse, Nock?” Talon asked, continuing to wonder why the man had been placed there.
Nock shook his head. “No, my King. I believe being sent to the cookhouse after I requested metal work so surprised me that I remember little else of that time.”
“Your chore from this time on, unless I say otherwise, shall be with the metal workers. Go join them now.” Talon looked to Gelhard. “I assume it already has been arranged?”
Gelhard nodded. “It has, my King.”
Nock thanked him profusely and hurried from the room.
“I expect improvements not only to the food, but the cookhouse itself, Baskell. Are you up to the task?” Talon asked.
“I am, my King, and I am eager to get started. Your meals will be much improved as will the running of the cookhouse,” Baskell said. “I will implement new rules once I return to the cookhouse.”
“I am pleased to hear that, Baskell, though what concerns me is that poison had been brought into the cookhouse without anyone’s knowledge. Does no one oversee the making of the meals?”
“Not to speak ill of Nock, for he is a good man, but he paid little heed to what went on in the cookhouse. He allowed far too many people to come and go who had no reason to be there. I had been pleased when Hemera took Nock to task for how poorly he maintained his duties. I had hoped he would listen to her suggestions, but to my disappointment he ignored them. Things remained the same. It really was no wonder the poison found its way so easily into the bread.”
“It was that easy for Cyril to poison the bread?” Talon asked his annoyance sparked.
“Far too easy for him or anyone else since many of the workers brought things to the cookhouse that they had foraged in the woods, then used without Nock’s knowledge.”
“Does Ebit not supply you with enough of what is grown that the workers forage in the woods for food?”
Baskell seemed hesitant to answer, then he spoke up. “The cookhouse share of the harvest from Ebit has been less and less lately, since his crops have been less plentiful than they once had been. It is also what caused Nock to look elsewhere for food staples and foraging was one way he could get more.”
“Why was I not informed of this?” Talon asked his annoyance mounting.
“Ebit told us that you had been informed.”
Talon’s annoyance switched swiftly to anger. “You will come directly to me with any problem. You will also keep me apprised of what goes on in the cookhouse. Is that understood, Baskell?”
“As you wish, my King.”
“We w
ill talk soon. Your task is heavy, go see to it,” Talon said and dismissed the wiry young man, then turned his attention to Gelhard.
“This is why you need a queen,” Gelhard said. “The cookhouse is for her to oversee.”
“It is a king’s duty to make sure there is enough food for his people.”
“I will get Ebit,” Gelhard said.
Talon stood. “No, I will go speak with Hemera.”
“She is not queen,” Gelhard said his brow pinched tightly.
“No, but she warned the soil would not accept the seed and if it proves true, we will have a weak harvest and little food for when it grows cold again. I will not take that chance,” Talon said and went to find Hemera.
Hemera smiled, dusting her hands of dirt, pleased that her garden was finally ready to seed. The soil was moist from the rain that had not lasted long yesterday. It had made the earth easier to work with and the seeds would do well when planted.
“I will have a fine crop to harvest,” Hemera said, looking around to find that Bog was gone. He had arrived shortly after she had started working in the garden and she had talked with him the whole time. She had wondered why she had seen so little of him of late. She got the sense that something was troubling him and reminded him with a hug and a kiss that she was there if he needed her.
She dropped her head back and was pleased to feel the sun linger on it. The sun would remain longer and longer in the sky each day, nourishing the seeds so they would grow.
“Seeds.” She reminded herself and turned to fetch the seeds and her smile grew when she saw Talon approach. She did not wait, she hurried to him.
Talon halted his steps and braced himself to catch Hemera against him, when all of a sudden she stopped abruptly before reaching him.
“I am covered in dirt,” she said, raising her dirt-covered hands as proof.
“And still I want you,” Talon said and reached out, grabbed her arm, and caught her in his embrace as his lips came down on hers. Her lips were warm, moist, and welcoming as was her body that pressed invitingly against his. He wanted to linger there and lose himself in her, a dangerous thought. He reluctantly moved his lips off hers, kissing along her cheek until he reached her ear and he nipped at it as he whispered, “You tempt me, woman.”
The King & His Queen (Pict King Series Book 3) Page 22