by L. P. Dover
I quickly look over at Kalen and he smiles mischievously at me. The marriage bond. Kalen and I will be bonded tonight, and there’s nothing that’s going to stop us.
I turn back to Ashur, excited. “I’m so happy for you, Ashur. I’ve waited so long for you two to be together.”
He bows his head and looks from me to Kalen, “I will leave you two to your peace, but soon I want to know everything that happened when we were separated.”
I nod my head, “Agreed.” Before he leaves, an idea pops in my head so I hastily ask him, but only silently so Kalen won’t hear. “Are my things here from the Winter Court?”
He replies, “Yes, they are Princess. Everything has been put away, even your bow and arrows.”
“Thank you, my Guardian.”
He narrows his eyes at me and I give him a huge smile in return. I’m sure he knows what I’m planning, but all he does is shake his head and laughs before leaving my room. “What was that all about?” Kalen asks skeptically.
I look at him and smile, “It’s a surprise I can’t tell you.”
I swing my legs over the bed and I stand up for the first time in who knows how long. I wobble on my feet and Kalen catches me. “Easy there, firecracker, you haven’t walked in a week so I’m sure your legs need time to adjust.” I was wondering how long I had been gone. I give Kalen’s hand a squeeze and then he lets me go so I can walk on my own. My legs tingle a little, but it quickly passes and I am now walking normal. I saunter back to Kalen and I wrap my arms around his neck. I wonder if he’s been here with me the whole time.
“What have you done all week while I’ve been playing sleeping beauty?” I ask.
He laughs at that, but then turns serious as he stares into my eyes. “I stayed here beside you the whole time. I even talked to you hoping you would hear me and come back.” I know I heard him when I was lost in my other world, but could it really have been him? His voice kept me going and gave me hope. I honestly believe that if I didn’t hear his voice all those times I truly would have lost all hope. I stare up into his watery gaze with one of my own. How could I have ever believed that he would betray me all those years ago? Anyone could have looked into his soul and saw only goodness and love. I was just a fool and couldn’t see past the weakness. I whisper, “I think it was actually your voice I heard in my dream world. It’s what gave me hope… the hope I needed to continue on. Without it I would’ve been lost forever.”
“But at least I found you. That is all that matters,” he claims.
He pulls me closer and then gazes down at my lips. We kissed in the other world, but now that we’re here and alone I want to be able to enjoy him. Kalen lifts my chin and caresses my cheek. His soft touch sends chills all over my body and I desperately ache for more. His other hand slides down low on my back and he firmly urges me closer. Anticipating his kiss, I lick my lips as he bends down to press his soft ones over mine. I take his lips greedily with my own and I invite him further in by allowing his tongue to enter deeper. He starts to move over to the bed, and as much as I want to finish our bond I know this isn’t the right place. My chest is on fire with the intensity of my passion for him, and even though I yearn for him I pull away from the kiss to cool down the fire.
Kalen groans, “Please don’t do this to me, my love. I don’t think I can wait much longer.”
I lift up to kiss him quickly on the lips. “You won’t have to, but you know this isn’t the right place for us to finish this.”
He nods his head and sighs in understanding, “I know, love. We need to go to our home to complete it.”
“Yes, we do, but first I need to change,” I say, excited.
Kalen never saw me in the purple dress his sister, Sorcha, picked out for me. It was the dress I had worn the night we were to be bonded. I have it hidden under my cloak and out of sight. I couldn’t leave without my bow and arrows, but they are however, strapped to my saddle on Prince Ashe instead of on my back.
The journey to our land from the Summer Court was fast and swift with the help of my beautiful horses. I’m amazed at what I see and feel when we reach the border to our land. The sense of belonging warms my heart while the cool spring breeze caresses my skin. I close my eyes to breathe it all in, and then I open them to admire what is there before me. Calista has done a lot more than what I was expecting. My mouth hangs open while I am rendered speechless and unmoving. If I could speak I know I would.
“This is amazing,” Kalen exclaims in wonderment.
The stone wall goes on for miles and is covered in flowery vines and mosses. This is the wall that will protect our palace once it’s built, and also our court. Calista has been very busy.
The gate is already open waiting on us to enter through. I hop off of Prince Ashe’s back and I step over the line of the border, entering through the gate. As soon as I do I gasp in surprise. The magic of the land is strong and it is flowing through my body sending tingles through my veins. I can only imagine what it will feel like when we complete the bond. I look over at Kalen and I know he’s feeling the magic too from the wistful expression on his face.
He grabs my hand and I’m amazed when the gates close behind us, protecting us. This place is going to be magnificent when I get done with it. Calista has added flowers here and there, but the surprise she was telling me about lies straight ahead. I look up at Kalen and I find him smirking with a curl to his lip. He laughs and shakes his head. “Calista?” he asks.
I nod my head and smile. Calista has made us a little cottage made purely of vines and flowers. The vines are intricately laced and intertwined to form the walls while millions of flowers are scattered throughout. It’s absolutely breathtaking, and I couldn’t have asked for a better place to complete the bond.
I can feel the excitement in my blood building and the anticipation rolling off of Kalen. He guides me to the door and gently pushes it open. The cottage is small, but large enough for a bed that Calista has happily put in here. Flower petals of every color imaginable are sprinkled all over the floor and across the bed. I can’t help but smile in delight as I enter the cottage. Kalen comes in behind me and closes the flowered door with a gentle nudge.
“What are you smiling about?” Kalen teases. “You’re not nervous, are you?”
I narrow my eyes at him and give him a playful scowl. “I’ve been waiting for this day a long time. I am way past nervous,” I laugh. He smiles at me, but then turns that smile to a seductive grin.
“I’ve been waiting a long time too, Meliantha,” he says in a deep, husky tone. He walks over to me and moves my wind tousled hair behind my shoulders. By the lustful look in his eyes I know he’s just as ready as I am to get out of these clothes and spend the rest of the evening making love. He unclasps my cloak and removes it slowly, staring into my eyes the whole time.
“You are so beautiful,” he whispers. He lets my cloak fall to the floor and steps back to look at my body appreciatively. “You also look amazing in your gown. It’s just a shame you won’t be in it long.”
I smile up at him and bite my lip. “That’s not a shame, Kalen. I look forward to having it taken off of me very quickly.”
He groans and grabs me by the waist with both hands and pulls me tight against his body. His groin is hard and pulsing against my stomach, and I groan, aching to touch him. I want to see his body on top of mine and looking down at me with those ice blue eyes filled with passion. Just feeling how turned on he is, is making my body weak with a longing desire.
“Well then let’s get our bond completed, shall we?” Kalen urges. I don’t know how he wants to do this because when Calista and Ryder completed theirs it was during a ceremony. I guess Kalen and I can do this any way we want. He takes my hands and leads me over to the bed. His eyes roam over my body like he can’t wait to devour me. He takes in a deep breath and lets it out slowly before speaking, “I want to complete our bond while I make love to you, Meliantha. I want to be connected and bound to you in all ways possible when I
seal our eternal fate.”
His words make my heart flutter and I couldn’t be happier than I am right now to seal the bond with him while making love. To complete the marriage there is a saying in the Old Fae language that must be spoken by both people. These words are not taken lightly because once they are said, they are forever binding.
Kalen is staring at me patiently, waiting on my reply. I bring my hands up to his face and I pull his head down so I can kiss his lips while his arms are wrapped around my waist, holding me tight. “I’m ready when you are, my love,” I whisper against his lips.
As soon as I say that his lips crush over mine in a raging display of passion. It’s like every emotion, and every desire we have been denied over the years has come rushing to us in a burst of need. His lips are warm against mine while his tongue enters deep, searching to caress my own. My body tingles all over, desperately aching to be touched. He moves back to take his shirt off quickly and throws it on the floor. His muscled body makes mine tighten in all the right places with need, and I long to have his naked body resting firmly on top of mine.
Kalen stares at me with those sensual blue eyes of his while he unlaces the back of my dress, slowly and seductively. He takes his time on the laces, and in the meantime, he’s tracing his fingers with feather light touches up and down my bare back. It makes me shiver and the prickling of the chills cascade all over my body. He laughs at my response so I decide to seek a little vengeance of my own.
I lean up quickly to claim his lips and instead of kissing him gently I take his lower lip and I bite down firmly. He moans against my mouth, gripping my waist tightly before continuing on my laces. I love the way it feels to be close to him, and to know that he’s mine for the rest of my life. I begin sucking on his bottom lip while I trail my hands down his bare chest to the top of his black leather pants. As I begin to unbutton them his hands start to work faster on my laces. His groin is hard and straining to be let out so I loosen his pants and let them fall to the floor. He is now naked and bared to me.
I release his lips to stare back at him with a fiery expression. I’ve wanted him so long and now I demand to have him. I take him in my hands and I stroke him gently but firmly. He closes his eyes and sighs as he unlaces the last and final lace while enjoying the tormenting I’m giving him. My dress falls to the floor and I am left with nothing but my lacy underwear.
His hungered gaze looks savagely down my bare body. I let go of his erection to help myself out of the lingerie. I can’t wait any longer to have him inside me. Kalen takes me by the waist and moves me over to the bed, guiding me down gently. His skin feels hot and on fire as he settles himself between my legs. He doesn’t move, but takes his time to explore my body with his hands. He trails them up and down my heated skin and massages my breasts along the way. His touch makes me tingle in all the right places making me moan in pleasure. The tip of his groin is pressed against my core, but he holds back to tease me for a few minutes more. He gives me a playful smirk and winks, knowing very well that he’s tormenting me. I narrow my eyes at him to show my impatience, but I quickly forget when he trails his tongue over the mound of my breast to my tender nipple. He sucks it gently and massages my breast while moving his body back and forth between mine, not entering but teasing.
“I thought we were in a hurry,” I urge playfully.
He gazes down at me and smiles before kissing me tenderly on the lips. “Are you ready now, my love?” he asks.
“Always,” I reply softly.
He enters me gently and we both sigh in contentment. He settles his weight above mine when he enters me fully, and I’m filled to the core. I groan in pure bliss as he moves his body in and out of mine in slow delight. I wrap my legs around his waist, holding onto him tightly, and enjoying the feel of him inside me. His long, black hair caresses my face as he kisses my neck and bites gently along the lines of my collarbone before slowly moving down to my breasts. I run my hands down his back and I pull him in tighter against me. My body is on the verge of exploding until Kalen slows his pace and lifts his eyes to stare into mine. As much as I don’t want to stop, I know what we have to do now.
Kalen’s voice is full of love and devotion when he vows, “You will always and forever be mine, my love. My queen, my lover, and my…wife. Amin mela lle ilyamemie ar’ ten’ oio.” (I will love you always and forever)
Tears begin to burn my eyes as I hear him say the sacred vow. His bond is sealed on his part, so now it’s my turn. I take his face into my hands and I stare at him lovingly in the eyes.
“And I will always love you, Kalen. You will forever be my king, my lover, and my...husband. Amin mela lle ilyamemie ar’ ten’ oio.”
He kisses me fiercely as the bond begins to take hold. The magic flowing through our bodies opens my senses and I can suddenly feel the land changing below the ground and spreading throughout our court. It fuels our hunger for each other even more making Kalen move faster in between my legs. Sweat glistens our bodies making us glide together in perfect harmony. His arms hold me tight, and the muscles in them flex and strain as he works hard to hold himself up while moving his hard body ravishingly into mine. We both moan in pleasure until the sensations of orgasm have me arching off the bed. Kalen grips me tighter with a fierce intensity while we’re both lost in the sensations of our heightening climaxes.
Sighing in delight, Kalen collapses on top of me, still hard between my legs but satiated. I’m trying to catch my breath and inhaling as much air as I can muster when I happen to notice the changes going on around us. The flowers in the cottage have all doubled in size and their colors have magnified to more vibrant ones. A golden mist swirls about the room and as it comes closer to my body I see that it absorbs into my skin. The magic of the mist is the brightest and purest energy I have ever felt in my life. I can feel the land celebrating its joy of mine and Kalens’ union. The land is happy and strong, and it warms my heart to know that I helped save it. Kalen still has his head down and hasn’t noticed the amazing display of magic swirling around us.
“Kalen?” I whisper.
“Hmmm,” he replies.
“You have to see this,” I insist.
He lifts up on his elbows and looks around the cottage. His eyes go wide in amazement and he stares around the room open-mouthed and speechless. The golden mist swirls around his body and he sighs as it absorbs within his body and soul. He smiles down at me, but then gasps when things begin to change. I look down apprehensively until I notice what he’s in awe at. I stare in utter astonishment at the changes to my skin. Both of mine and Kalen’s skin have taken on a shimmery golden glow. The golden mist not only absorbed into our bodies, but has taken on the shimmery glow on our skin as well. I wonder if all Spring fae will have this happen or if it is just mine and Kalen’s body that will go through this change. I guess we will find out soon enough. Calista and Ryder had been blessed with crowns of vines and berries, but this must be the land’s way of claiming us as the Spring fae.
A tingling sensation around my wrist draws my attention. I stare in awe as markings begin to appear across the expanse of my left wrist. The word “Taris” is written in the Old Fae language across my wrist meaning “Queen” and is surrounded by tiny flowers and vines that wrap all the way around. The marking is absolutely stunning. I peer up at Kalen and he’s just as mesmerized by this turn of events. I search over his body and as soon as I look down at his wrist the markings begin to appear. In the middle of his left wrist the word “Arann” appears in the Old Fae language meaning “King” and is surrounded by the same pattern of flowers and vines as mine. The Land of the Fae has unusual ways of marking its king and queens, but I couldn’t have asked for a more glorious declaration.
“How do I look?” he asks, excited. I didn’t think he would be so excited to have golden skin and flowers covering his wrist, but he’s actually filled with joy at having markings of the Spring Court on his body.
“You look amazing, my love,” I reply joyously.<
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Kalen bends down to kiss me which then begins another round of passionate love making. Every moment we have missed being separated we have now made up for in this one night. Our long night of love making has made us fatigued, but fully and completely satisfied.
Kalen is asleep beside me and as I stare at him I silently thank the heavens and the stars that I was able to save him. He is my love, and the keeper of my heart. The land belongs to us, and we belong to the land. The Spring Court has now been formed and I will take my place as Queen just as Kalen will take his as King. We will make this Court the strongest anyone has ever seen. When the final battle comes...I will be ready.
- Five Months Later -
The Spring Court has flourished and a new life has begun for us all. After the bonding with Kalen we built our palace and have accepted many new fae into our Court. It’s been interesting to see how the bodily changes would occur when the various fae would join our court. The skin and temperature changes are what we expected, but something new has developed that I never thought possible. Kalen and I have the flower markings with the shimmery, golden glow, but when our fae swear fealty to our court they are given the same golden sheen to their skin. We didn’t know if it would pass to our fae, but miraculously it has. Our people are absolutely beautiful and breathtaking.
Kalen’s wolves have joined us here and their pack has blossomed with life. Several new pups have been born and it’s been a joy to have them here running around. They have acclimated extremely well to the milder temperatures, and have made their home here amidst the palace walls. Aki has been a loyal protector and still guards me when I venture outside the palace grounds.
I finally told Kalen about the adventures I went through to find him, and he was none too pleased to hear about them. The sprites I sent to the Summer Court have now joined me here in the Spring Court along with my other sprite friends. They tend to all of the Spring’s needs and I have never been more grateful.