Queen Of My Heart (6 page)

I rolled my eyes in exasperation as she flung even more insults at my head.

"Queen Rhiannon I'm not sure either of my parents would appreciate you calling me the scurvy bastard seed of a whoreson." Where did she learn such language anyway?

"Argh, let me down from here this instant you oaf."

She kicked her legs in a futile attempt to escape; I raised my hand in a farewell salute to her father, made sure young Jason was well seated on his mount behind me and moved out.

After a night spent in splendid lovemaking where we both enjoyed a passion few ever even came close to my beautiful bride had reverted back to form. I opened my eyes to a fuming hellcat who it appeared had been glaring at me while I slept; it only took my eyes opening to have her lighting into me.

"You pig."

The smile that had begun on my face died a sudden death as I realized the sweet warm woman of only a few hours ago was long gone to be replaced by my pain in the arse wife.

I guess it was rather forward of me to think that my expert loving had tamed her, no such luck.

“Say your goodbyes to your father and his people as befits my queen and let’s be off.” She threw out a hasty goodbye from her unladylike position and with the raise of my arm I led my men out of the courtyard. I felt the tension leave my shoulders the farther away we went, we were going home and no matter her ire, in the end that was all I wanted. Once I’ve got her back in my kingdom I can take the time needed to win her over again. That’s if she didn’t follow through on one of her hurled threats and geld me.

We rode hard for home, as I wanted to get there within another day or two. My wife had been riding astride before me for the last few hours after I'd decided that she'd had enough of riding upside down. She was nowhere near pleased but it couldn't be helped; now that I had her back in my clutches my mind had moved on of necessity to the troubles I faced back at home.

I had no doubt that I could quell whatever rebellion was underfoot but these little skirmishes were a bothersome nuisance. There were still some families left over from my grandfather's reign that thought I shouldn't have been crowned king, and so every once in a while the little upstarts would find a following that would pump their heads full of rhetoric making them believe they stood a chance of usurping me and taking my throne. Other than these little blots I lived a rather peaceful existence these days. I’d put down the resistance of all who had dared to test me and was finally able to breathe easily, my throne secure. Now it was time for me to be seeing to my progeny, I needed an heir for my kingdom and my people were getting restless.

My marriage to Rhiannon had angered some but most were pleased with my choice since most of my subjects trusted my judgment. I'm going to have a time of it explaining or rather living down this up and down turmoil in our union of the past couple weeks though. Indecision could be perceived as a sign of weakness, which I didn't need right now with all that was going on.

By now the reason for her exile had been leaked and was most likely being bandied about, now she was returning home. I wasn't much interested in what anyone had to say beyond the fact that I didn't want her hurt or scorned by others because of my mistakes, so obviously I would have to make some sort of announcement. Then there was the issue of the ones who'd conspired against her, well against us actually. I needed to know for a surety if they had set out to cause trouble or if they'd really believed something had been afoot. How could they have known that the man was a boy and that that boy was her brother? Hadn’t I too been fooled by his size and by the seemingly secret and clandestine way in which they’d met?

"We'll camp here for the night." I halted my men in a copse of forestry that ran the length of a stream. I knew she had to be tired but she said nothing, stubborn wench. Too late I remembered that she was newly breeched and the hard ride could not have been easy on her sore muscles. Once again I find myself lacking as a husband. “Are you overly tender Rhian?” I hadn’t called her by that name in so long. I know it had given her much pleasure before, that shortening of her name from my lips. I sought to ease the soreness from her shoulders but she held herself stiff, stubborn ‘til the end.

My squire came over to help her down but I shooed him away, I didn't want anyone else's hands on her. After last night I was feeling rather territorial where she was concerned which was really stupid considering it was part of my squire's duties to help his lady. Whatever the case I didn't want his hands on her.

My horse is fifteen hands high so there was no way for her to alight by herself so I'd have to help her down. I climbed down and reached back up for her board stiff frame. She kept her face straight ahead ignoring my outstretched arms. I could hear my men moving around behind us setting up camp, and hoped they weren’t about to be witness to yet more of their mistress’s displeasure with her husband.

"How're you feeling my love?" I took her down and held her before me. Dare I steal a kiss? It had been so long since the night. All day riding with her held so close I had had to steel myself from the rampant need of my body. He knew her now, knew her well and was even now hungry for more. “Well, how do you feel?”

"I'm not talking to you." She set herself away from me and folded her arms as she looked about the forest where we’d be bedding down for the night. “There’s no need for worry little love, we are well secluded here and my men are prepared for any occurrence.” I thought perchance she as worried about our safety in such a place between home and safety. Though the kingdoms have been at rest for some time now there were still bands of outcasts who roamed the forests looking for loot.

She turned her back to me then letting it be known that she had no interest in my words.

"Suit yourself; Alec get my lady a hot bath as soon as the tent's set up lad." I had to glare the poor boy into action, as he seemed enthralled by her. She had a smile for him of course, which almost brought the poor fool to his knees as his mouth hung agape. “Be about it Alec.” My sharp reprimand brought him back to his senses and his youth showed in the blush that covered his cheek at being caught by his king practically ogling his wife.

"Yes your majesty." The young man ran to do my bidding all but tripping over his feet while Rhiannon tried to work the kinks out of her back and shoulders.

"I need to check on Jason." She tried to walk around me but I stopped her with a hand on her elbow.

"No, I'll check on Jason, he's one of my men now and unless you want him to be mistreated the way he was in your land you'll stop babying him and let him be a man."

"He's fifteen summers..." She was itching for a fight but this was one we wouldn’t have; if mother was right she’d been working her way up to asking me to bring the young man to our home. Once there he would’ve been my responsibility, and now after having met him I knew what course of action to take to make his once wretched existence something more.

"I've said all I mean to on the subject, let it be."

“Jason is my concern…”

“He’s mine now, as a brother and as one of my trusted men. He does not need his sister mothering him in front of his new comrades it will only shame him.” I knew she wouldn't accept that because she's been nurturing him for so long but what she didn't understand, hadn't realized is that her babying him was more of a hindrance than help. I've been watching the young lad since we met and I'd come to learn that he's not hampered by his impairment. Anyone meeting him for the first time might be mistaken in thinking him weak, but it didn't take much to see that he had both inner and outer strength not to mention a beautiful heart.

She'd marched off away from me in a fury but her stiff legs from the day's ride didn't allow her to get too far in her pique. She almost crumpled to the ground before I caught her up in my arms. I took a moment to enjoy the feel of her in my arms, something I knew wouldn’t last too long since she was still playing the hellcat. I inhaled her scent, spice mixed with the heat of the sun from the day’s ride. My cock, which seemed in a constant state of need since his first taste of her raised his head, seeking, yearning. Later.

"I'm sorry love, I know I rode us pretty hard today but we really need to get home in haste." She put her nose in the air and ignored me; I didn't let that out me off though. In the hours that we'd been riding I'd come up with a plan of action. No matter how offensive or nasty she was towards me I have set it in my mind to show her only tenderness. It's the least I could do after all. I accept full responsibility for this disaster she was not to blame in the least for any of it. So I will take the fall out on my shoulders since I'd been a neglectful husband and king who'd allowed her to be treated so poorly. So I will accept every epithet thrown at my head and every scornful look, though they pierced me deeply, she was due her pound of flesh.

I hope she didn't make me suffer too long though, it was hard not having the loving girl who'd first come to me all those months ago. Would she ever return or will I now be saddled with a less joyful replica? Someone who was ever wary of the same, never feeling comfortable in her own home again? I was only now realizing what a monumental task I’d set myself. How will I reforge the bond that had been broken, the trust we had lost? I will do it; no matter what it took I will do it because she meant everything. I won’t lose her again, not to the machinations of someone else’s wiles and not to her anger.

Chapter 9

I left her to her bath behind the tent walls while I spoke to my men. Alec had set up our tent a little ways away from the others, not too far but far enough to afford us some much needed privacy. I kept my eyes trained on it to make sure she stayed safe, not that anyone would dare approach my tent especially since they knew she was at her bath. But that's the reason I was so focused on her even as I gave my men their orders for the night's protection and the morning's ride. Knowing that she was naked only a few feet away made me hungry and I didn't like the idea that any of my men might be imagining what the beauty looked like in her present state. I needed to overcome this new malady of mine jealousy is a bloody nuisance.

The men were a little restless as they wanted to head to the water to wash away the day's grime, cook already had the meat roasting on a spit and the horses were rubbed down and fed. I'd charged my man Jonas with watching over Jason while I saw to my wife's comfort. I'm sure my queen's ravenous by now, all she'd had to eat since luncheon was an apple and some water. Knowing her stubbornness I'd better let Alec or Jason take her food in, she'd most likely throw it at my head if I tried.

See I'm already learning how to deal with her. I believed it wouldn’t be long before her natural tenderhearted nature won out and she forgave me. At least that’s what I keep telling myself, a man can hope can’t he? I wondered how much damage I'd do if I tried to take her tonight, after all I'd breeched her maidenhead only the night before only to be followed by hours in the saddle, and she was bound to be sore. Still I'll test the waters later, maybe I'll wait until she was asleep so she wouldn't be tempted to do me bodily harm.

I couldn’t resist going to her as my men turned for the stream that ran through the forest. There were but a few left in the camp when I made my way into our tent. The sight that met my eyes was one I would wish to behold time and again. Relaxed in her bath, tendrils of her hair kissed her cheek and her neck from the heat of the water. She was a beauty without compare as she ran the bathing cloth along her raised leg. At the sight of me she dropped her leg back into the copper tub that had been brought just for her pleasure. I would not have my wife bathing in the open with my men about. Though I know it’s done it’s not something I favored.

Walking over to her side, wordlessly, I knelt behind her and taking the cloth from her listless hand took over where she’d left off. “What is this you do? I can attend to myself or one of my ladies will help me if I have need of it.” I inhaled the scent of roses from her neck before bringing the cloth up between her legs. “It is a husband’s pleasure to care for his wife in all things is it not?” I did not await her answer but instead turned her face towards mine so I could take her mouth.

I sucked her tongue into my mouth, teasing it with the edge of my teeth even as I caressed between her thighs with the soft cloth. When I was sure that she was too preoccupied with the feelings coursing through her to put up any resistance, I dropped the cloth and used my fingers instead to wash her. She moved against my hand beneath the water and I had to press my aching cock against the tub for relief. I won’t take her now this was for her. To keep her body well awakened so that when I did take her heaven willing there would be no fight. I felt her body tremble in release as she pulled my tongue wantonly into her mouth, her soft cries were captured between us. Only then did I release her lips and without uttering a word stood and left the tent for the stream. The cold water will help to cool me down until later.

She's been fed and bedded down, the camp was finally quiet, my men keeping their ribaldry to a minimum out of respect to her presence. She'd put a bolster between our places on the spread furs that made up our bed when I finally retired for the night. I guess that answered my question, though I may control her body, once the pleasure had receded she was back to being the stubborn hellcat.

 I removed the offending pillow and threw it across the tent before pulling her forcefully into my arms with her back to me. She struggled for a few moments but I didn't let go, she still refused to speak to me the stubborn woman.

"Stay." If I had to I would use my strength to overpower her because she had shown that there's no give in her, so I'll have to do the taking. Fair enough, but I hoped she knew her strength was no match for mine.