King Dom Comes (13 page)

Dom stroked Shannon's braid of
knee-length hair in one slow motion, looking at her through the light of the
flickering fire. "Do you have a comb?"

"I have an ivory one given to
me by your father."

He took it from her, unplaited her
hair, and began to slowly comb through the silky strands. "The enemy,
frustrated that they could not seize the castle, turned towards the village.
Then the anger struck me. The anger towards my father for abandoning me to tend
to another child; the anger towards the father who had not spent a summer with
me since I was young, but instead spent every summer with her; and mostly, the
anger I held for myself for being so selfish, became all-consuming. I knew in
my heart that that little girl needed my father's love as much as I did. I
knew, as well, that she would one day be my wife, and that the love my father
gave to her would come back to me. My shameless jealousy brought me to my knees.
As the pain jolted from the floor and up through my legs, I released my fury
towards those who sought to destroy Father's people—my people."

Dom inhaled slowly and struck his
boot several times with a slender stick, which he then tossed into the fire.
"I pulled myself up to lean upon the parapet overlooking the mass of
marching men and released my will. Like you, I do not know how it was done,
only that the army froze mid-step and turned towards the cliffs. I watched as
row by row, thousands of men disappeared over the edge to meet their fate. They
dismounted their horses, abandoned their wagons and simply marched in silent
acceptance of their fate. There were no struggles and no screams. They just
fell to their deaths."

Shannon hesitated before laying her
hand over his. "I did not know this. Had I been there, I would have
released my cry. Their deaths would have been quite tortuous."

"I fear that you and I are much
alike, dear druid. Ours will be a battle of the wills if one does not submit to
the other."

"By one submitting, you mean
me."

"I mean that, as you grow to
know and trust me, you will feel confident in releasing your will to me. Ah,
before you argue," he raised his hand, "it must also be said that as
I grow to know and trust you, in return I shall learn to seek your council and
wisdom before decisions are made."

Shannon blinked with astonishment.
"You are a man ahead of your time, Your Grace. The world would never
approve of a king soliciting advice from his consort."

"Then the kings who rule in
this world are fools. I believe that women are given a type of wisdom that men
do not have. To refuse to consider sound counsel, regardless of how it is
packaged, is the refusal to accept a precious gift."

"You are truly a unique
man."

"I had a very wise father. He
sought my opinion in everything, ever since I could remember. He never mocked
my words because I was just a boy. He would even show me how my ideas would or
would not work, and teach me to think of different strategies."

Shannon watched as he rubbed her
hand with his thumb. "He did that with me as well,"

she said. "That is how I learned to be so
opinionated."

"Father loved any challenge
that came his way. No wonder he adored you. No, my dear, my years of playing
the fool are finished. I have a kingdom to care for, and a wife to consider. A
very naughty wife who will be certain to keep my days bolstered with
mischief."

Shannon eyed him suspiciously.
"What makes you say such a thing?"

"This." He rolled a long,
red strand of loose hair between his fingers. "With hair the color of
fire, also comes the temper. I must say that I look forward to taming
you."

"I will not be tamed by any
man," Shannon snapped.

"There is that temper,"
Dom laughed. "You say you will not be tamed, yet you eat off my knife like
a puppy sitting upon my lap. Father used to say that the key to love is never
to be with anyone who treats you like you are ordinary. You are not ordinary by
any means, and I will never treat you as such."

"How, then, will you treat
me?"

"My lady, I will aim to meet
you, not please you. I will pamper you and let you feel cherished. I will set
limits and act upon them. When you are hurt or anxious, I will hold you so that
you might surrender to me and not flail at me. I will take you in hand and
unlock your desires. Mostly," his eyes met hers once again. "I will
penetrate you."

"Penetrate me?" Shannon
stuttered.

"Aye, penetrate you. Deep into
the essence of your soul." His words hypnotized her and drew her closer in
to hear, "I will hold you steady in life and make you feel centered. When
you see how deeply I can take you into my heart, then you will know that I am
strong enough for you to trust. With that, you will submit your heart, mind,
body and spirit to me."

Shannon swallowed, her groin aching
in response to his words. Was he somehow using his gift to persuade her, or
were his words simply ones that she longed to hear?

He paused, tracing his finger down
her cheek. "Will you have me?"

Shannon licked her lips. Trembling,
she touched his mouth with the tip of her finger. "Yes."

The next morning, Shannon stood
angrily in front of the carriage, with her arms crossed and her hair lifting
around her face. Dom approached her, his footsteps heavy as they pounded the
ground.

"What is this I am hearing? You
refuse
to enter the carriage?"

"By a dog's buttocks, I
refuse!" Shannon leaned forward until they were almost nose to nose.
"That man wanted to harm me! I will not travel near his stench!"

"He cannot stay on his horse
without tumbling over or spewing…"

"
That
is the argument you wish to make to force me to travel in the
carriage with him?" Shannon stared incredulously at him. "That he
might tumble over and spew on me?"

"I meant to say," Dom
sighed as Shannon erupted into gales of laughter which quickly spread to the
guardsmen, "that if you are comfortable doing so, you may ride his
animal."

"I may do what?" Shannon
stared in disbelief. "You will allow me to ride astride the horse? Like a
man?"

"I assume a bonny lass from the
Emerald Isle knows how to ride a pony," Dom teased, slipping into a heavy
brogue.

"I do, indeed," Shannon
said proudly. She grabbed the reins in her hands and looked around at the
stunned guardsmen. "Well? A foot up, if you please."

One of the guardsmen hurried over to
hoist her over the large horse's back. Dom's laughter echoed through the woods
as Shannon promptly yanked her skirts to her thighs and revealed her braies.
The other men stood in shocked silence, staring back and forth at one another.

"Your Majesty? Have you,
well…"

"Have I lost my mind?
Nay," Dom wiped his face, "the antics of this woman continue to amuse
and delight me. When we get into town, I wish you to obtain a pair of boy's
bottoms and a loose man's shirt for our lady to ride in."

"Sire!"

"Oh, yes, the horror!" Dom
jested. "What evil will befall a woman who dresses as a man in the
presence of the man who is to be her husband. The husband to be who purchased
such an outfit for her in the first place."

"Well, Your Grace, people could
say…"

"Be silent," Dom ordered,
with a chuckle. "Let's get on our way. I have a special visit planned for
my lady outside the town's gates."

Shannon leaned forward, staring in
wonder at the vibrant, bustling little town, bright with white-washed clay
walls, brown joists and bright red shutters. The streets were packed tightly
with dirt, and immaculately clean despite the hordes of people running to and
fro. Flower stands, fruit vendors and weavers lined the streets, while the
hawkers belted out their voices to sell their wares.

"They do not seem to be
disturbed by the symbol of your stork," Shannon whispered, as Dom rode up
beside her, watching the children run back and forth in front of the troupe.

"They know me to be an ally of
their king and have no reason to fear us. Thank you," he said, as a young
girl handed him a handful of picked flowers.

She said something, pointing to
Shannon, then shook her head at the proffered coin before scampering away.

"She said this is for my
beautiful lady," Dom grinned, handing Shannon the bunch.

"These are all healing
plants," Shannon said, sniffing the bundle of yarrow, chamomile, poppy,
and feverfew. "Is this an omen that my skills will be needed?"

"I pray they will not be. Boy!
Come here." Dom pointed to a youth.

"My liege?" the boy dipped
to him. "How can I help you?"

"You speak my language?
Excellent! Your name, son?"

"Rupert, Sire. I am the
treasurer's son."

"Well, Master Rupert, I must
commend your tutor for his excellent job in teaching you your linguistics. I
have a piece of silver here for you if you would do my lady the honor of
notifying Mistress Aida of our arrival. She would like a hot bath and a tray of
sweets."

"On my way, Your
Highness." The boy grinned and raced away.

"Rupert! Your coin!"

"My pleasure, Majesty!"
the boy yelled, waving.

"These people are so
pleasant," Shannon observed, her arms rapidly filling with flowers,
pastries, and patches of embroidered cloth. "How did he come to speak
English?"

"He said he was the son of the
treasurer. That is a nobleman's position in this country, which means the
children gain a higher education. My people are said to be much like
this." He leaned over his horse's neck to gather a baby in his arms. He
bounced her lovingly and smiled at Shannon. "Have you ever smelled a baby?"

"Not a clean one," Shannon
wrinkled her nose. "You act as though you have never been out among your
people."

"I have not. They have suffered
fear at the hands of the vicious clergy prior to my father gaining the throne,
and the tales of the ottoman defeat are still fresh in their minds. If they do
not know me, then they will not be as afraid of me."

"I disagree with you."

Dom said something to the infant's
mother, who nodded. "Here. Hold her and breathe."

"You always change the subject
when things become uncomfortable, you know," Shannon said, as she snuggled
the tiny girl next to her chest. She closed her eyes and inhaled the fresh,
slightly sweet, and immensely satisfying scent of the baby's velvety soft head.
She took several loud, greedy sniffs as she cradled the child. She looked down
to see a dozen other children reaching up to touch her.

"I don't understand them,"
Shannon said, reluctantly handing the infant back to her smiling mother.

"They are praising your beauty.
They say that you are the most beautiful queen in the world. The little ones to
your left think you are a wood faery, and that your hair is made of fire."

Shannon smiled, softly squeezing a
little hand that reached to touch her fingers. She felt a jolt as energy left
her body. "Dom?"

"Yes, my love?"

"That child. The boy with the
ball. He is either sick or injured."

"How do you know? Did you see
something?" Dom frowned.

"I felt something leave my
body, like a snap or a pinch. Please… the child?"

Dom kissed the back of her hand and
slid from his horse. The children swarmed around him and hugged his legs as he
walked in the direction of the young boy. Dom knelt upon the ground and spoke
to the child. The boy pointed to his leg and nodded, his eyes not leaving Dom
even as the king gathered the little hands in his own.

Dom beckoned to Shannon. "Come
here, my queen. Bring your pouch of herbs. Our young friend here was kicked in
the shin by a cow! He says it doesn't hurt right now but it has kept him from
helping his poor father for weeks. Have you anything that might ease his
discomfort?"

"Oh, yes. Have him chew on
these leaves to the count of thirty and then spit them out. Tell him his mouth
may feel odd and he might get a little sleepy." She handed Dom a small
roll made of valerian leaves, willow, vervain and mint. "And have him stay
away from the hind ends of cows."

Dom repeated her words and popped
the little roll of herbs in the boy's mouth. The child flung his little arms
around the king's neck, dipped a gallant bow at the king's lady, and raced off
without so much as a limp.

"He will think that your herbs
healed him."

"Did you touch him as
well?" Shannon whispered in his ear. He nodded with a wink.

"They adore you, darling,"
Dom whispered, as he lifted her back onto the horse.

"It is you they adore."
Shannon blinked prettily down at him.

He handed her the flowers that had
been piled into a large basket. "Not so, my love. It is your presence that
makes them want to be near me. Ask your men."