The Devastation: Unexpected Circumstances Book 7 (10 page)

“What is that?” Alexandra asked.

I did not answer her but quickly found Samantha to watch over Little Branford as I took my wife’s hand and led her down the back staircase to the Great Hall.  I checked around the room quickly, but as I suspected, it was completely empty at this time of night.  Still, I would not wish to be interrupted, so I instructed Alexandra to stay where she was as I went to the doors and informed the guards that no one was to enter for any reason.

Returning quickly to my wife’s side, I reached for her hands and brought our bodies close together.  I could see the slight confusion in her eyes as our bodies touched, but she still melted against me as I took her face in my hands and kissed her deeply.  I found all my favorite places with my hands—her arms, her shoulders, her breasts—and then came back up to cup her jaw once more.  I brushed over her cheekbones with my thumbs as I finally broke our kiss and lowered my hands to lace my fingers with hers.

Alexandra licked her lips as we parted, and I gave her a half smile and a raise of my eyebrows.  Her cheeks tinged red as her gaze dropped to the floor, and her fingers tightened around mine.  Before she had a chance to say anything, I turned around, still holding on to Alexandra's hand, and sat down on the throne of Silverhelm.  I raised my eyebrows at her again and gave her a big smile as I pulled her to stand between my knees.

“I told you I would take you here one day.”

“Branford…”  Her voice trailed off as she looked over her shoulder.

“No one will disturb us.”

“I thought…I thought you were jesting,” she said quietly.  She looked down to our joined hands.  “We cannot…not here…”

I brought her hands up to my lips and placed tiny kisses against her knuckles.  Then I took one of her hands in mine, pushed up the sleeve of her dress, and slowly kissed up her arm until I reached the crook of her elbow.  I let my tongue dart out, tasting her skin as I listened for her breathing to increase.

It did.

I placed my hands on her lower back and brought her a little closer, then dipped down to bring my lips against the place where her navel was hidden by her dress.  I kissed the spot and then ran my hands up her sides.  My gaze finally met hers again as I covered her breasts with my hands and gently caressed them through the fabric.

“We can,” I said.

“Someone could come in.”

“They will not.”

“They
could
.”

I pulled her closer again and dropped my hands low enough to gather the ends of her skirts.  I lifted them enough to touch her bare leg before her hands stilled me.

“Branford…if someone saw us…”

“Leave it on, then,” I suggested, determined to have my way with her.  My fingers danced over the skin of her leg as she relented, and I worked my hands up the back of her calves and then to her thighs.  She moaned softly in the back of her throat, and I knew there was no way she would deny me.

Alexandra tangled her fingers in my hair as I continued my pilgrimage up her legs.  I finally reached the place I sought, and I could feel her warm, wet, and inviting flesh on my fingertips.  As I touched the small bit of flesh at the top of her folds, I heard a sharp intake of breath.  I looked at her quickly, making sure her change in tone was due to pleasure and not discomfort.  Her eyes were closed, and her lips parted slightly as her chest rose and fell more rapidly with her breathing.

She was incredible.

I slid my fingers over her flesh, teasing and stroking her until I felt more moisture against my hand.  I wrapped my other arm around her backside, pulled her close, and slowly inserted a finger inside of her.  I rubbed against her rhythmically with my thumb—matching pace with the tiny movements of her hips until sweat appeared on her brow and she leaned hard against me.

“Please,” she whispered.

“Please what?” I replied as I slowed my movements.  Alexandra groaned.

“I need you…inside me…please, Branford.”

As if I would ever deny her such a request.

I shifted in the throne enough to lean against the back and give Alexandra room to join me in the oversized seat.  Quickly, I untied the drawstring on my trousers and released my turgid flesh.  I held it in my hand and looked into my wife’s eyes as I stroked myself slowly.  Her throat bobbed up and down, and I could feel her excitement growing at the sight of me ready to take her and make her mine again.

Alexandra gripped my arms as she placed first one knee and then the other on either side of my thighs.  I moved the fabric of her skirts out of the way and helped position her over my hardened flesh.  She gasped as our bodies met, and I looked up into her eyes to make sure she was all right.  It had been so very long since we had come together, and my body and soul ached for her.  Still, if it caused her any pain, I would not touch her.

Her eyes and a slight nod told me all was well, and I breathed a sigh of relief.

“So beautiful,” I whispered as I looked into her eyes.

Very, very slowly, she began to lower herself over me.  As the warmth of her body encompassed mine, I felt an incredible sense of belonging…of comfort…of
rightness
.  I knew when I looked at my wife that she felt it, too.

Alexandra moaned as we merged as one, and she closed her eyes as she came to rest with me completely inside of her.  I held her hips underneath her dress and angled myself backwards a bit more.  The throne was not completely comfortable on my rear, but I barely noticed.  I was far more interested in the tight channel of my wife’s body and the seductive way her breasts moved underneath the bodice of her dress.

I brought myself into a better sitting position as Alexandra began to move up and down over me.  I placed my hands over her breasts and lifted them up through the material.  I could feel how much heavier they were, not just larger.  I moaned and placed my lips over where her nipples were hidden—moving quickly from one to the other and blowing hot air against them.

Alexandra shuddered and began to move faster against me, bringing forth more groans from us both.  Leaning back again, I arched my body to meet her movements as she began to pick up speed.  I reached up and twisted my fingers through her hair as she rode on top of me.  With her nails digging into the top of my shoulders, I could hear the subtle sounds in her throat which always informed me of her impending pleasure.  I closed my eyes because the sight of her above me with her head tilted back was just too much.  I moved my hands to her thighs, under her dress, and I wished I had taken the time to completely remove her clothing.

Next time…oh yes, there would be a next time…

Just the thought made my muscles clench, and I had to try to breathe slower to control myself.  Words still spilled from my mouth, unbidden.

“Alexandra…oh, my wife…I love you…so much…”

“Branford!” she cried out and seemed about to say something else, but her words turned into unintelligible grunts as she rocked faster against me and wrapped her arms tightly around my head.  She called out again, and I felt her tense around me.  The sensation was all I needed to release the tension inside of me, and I felt my thighs tremble as the wave of pleasure swept over me.

With my face buried against her chest, I cried out her name again and again as I tilted my hips to meet her.  I felt my seed travel up and into her, and I silently thanked God for the child He had already given me.

If He wanted to grant me more, I would not argue with Him.

I continued to push up against her even as my body relaxed against the back of the throne.  I looked up into her eyes and saw her looking down at me with a slight smile on her lips and her teeth firmly planted on her lower lip.  She rocked forward once more and sighed.

I could not take my eyes off of her as I moved her back off of my lap, helped her smooth down her dress, and then stood before her, fastening my own trousers around me.  Her hair was lying around her shoulders in haphazard strands where I had run my hands through it.  Her eyes were bright, and there was still a glistening sheen around her forehead.

She was glorious.  I had no other word for her.

“I do not think I have told you how in awe I am of you,” I whispered into Alexandra’s ear as we made our way up the staircase.  “So beautiful and brave.  You have endured so much, yet you are still my sweet, innocent Alexandra.”

“I did not feel brave,” she replied.  “If it had not been for Branny, I am not so sure I would have fared as well.”

“You protected my son.”

“I knew I loved him before he was even born,” Alexandra said.  She pushed herself against my side.  I wrapped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her against me as we walked.

“I was far more afraid for him than I was for myself.”

“You are safe now,” I said, reminding her as I felt her shudder from her memories.  “We are all safe.”

“I know,” she replied.

We returned to our rooms, and Alexandra blushed at Samantha’s knowing look as she handed the babe back into my wife’s arms.  Alexandra’s embarrassment was quickly forgotten as she sat down near the fire and held the little prince to her breast.

As I watched my son’s mother nourish him as only she could, I began to consider my own role in the child’s life.  He would look to me for guidance, just as I had looked to my father and to Camden.  He would model himself after what he saw from me, and I thought of the years I spent hell-bent on revenge in a new light.  With my eyes on my family, I knew how much more important they were than anything else that had previously seemed significant, and I thought of ways I could make sure my son learned from my mistakes.

Still, I could not completely regret how I had arrived where I was because…well, because I was here.  Alexandra’s face was lit up with her smile as she made soft cooing noises and sang to our son, who looked up at me with his eyes wide and his mouth full of milk.  With his tiny hand, he gripped at his mother’s breast and he sighed, completely content with his lot in life thus far.

I had to swallow and blink rapidly a few times to keep myself in check.

“It is strange,” I said to Alexandra as I reached out and stroked Branny’s tiny hand with my fingers, “how quickly we take to our children.”

“How could I not love him when he looks so much like his father?”

“I am sure it is
your
looks in him that make it obvious to me,” I told her.  “It is as obvious as when I knew about you.”

“When
did
you know about me?” she asked.  She turned her eyes from the babe to look at me over her shoulder.  “I mean, when did you know that you…you loved me?”

“At the tournament in Sawyer,” I said without hesitation.  “It was the first tournament you came to watch as my wife.  When Sir Leland knocked me from my horse, and you were so upset…fawning over such a small wound.  I was sitting on the bench near the entrance to the gardens, and you were in front of me, looking over my hand and worrying.  I just looked down at you and I knew…I knew I loved you.”

Alexandra’s smile encompassed my heart as she wrapped her arm around my neck.  She pressed her lips against mine, and I held her body close to me.

All the years I spent preparing for my role as leader of Silverhelm, I had thought of many things.  I thought of my duty as the leader of my army, my loyalty to my family, lands, and people, as well as my responsibilities to govern those around me.  It was strange that when growing up, I had never considered my role as husband and father.  Perhaps I thought such things would simply not matter as much as my other duties, or perhaps I never watched carefully the relationship between Camden and Sunniva, but I knew now that there was nothing more important than the woman in my arms and the child who slept next to our bed.

It was my wife—her kindness, generosity, and loving nature—that saved my kingdom, not my sword.  She showed me how caring for our people and treating them with respect was also part of my duty to Silverhelm.  She was the one who taught me that every life—regardless of station—was important.  She showed me how each and every subject was once like the babe she birthed for me—with a mother and father to raise the child, and then later a man or a woman with a family of their own.  They had brothers and sisters, aunts and cousins—just as the nobles and royals did.

In the end, my people proved more important to me than any of the other royals and nobles with their own agendas and desires.  Without them, I might not have this beautiful woman and healthy child in my castle.  Without Alexandra, they would have had no one to speak for them and make sure their needs were met.  I had let them down—used them for my own gain without considering them—and I knew I would never do that again.  Like my own wife, son, and children to come, each and every one of the citizens of Silverhelm was my responsibility, and I would not disappoint them once more.

And that is when I truly understood my role as the King of Silverhelm.

With my eyes closed, I felt the sun warm my face as I left the dense spring coverage of the forest surrounding Silverhelm Castle.  The steady thuds of Romero’s hooves against the barren trail had lulled me into complacent thought, and I had not even realized I was at the edge of the woods.  When I looked ahead, I could see through the trees the very top of the wall surrounding Silverhelm Castle.  A moment later, a low bark alerted me to Amarra’s presence.  She must have come from the field when she heard my approach.

Amarra followed Romero and me back to the stables and sat patiently scratching as I removed Romero’s saddle and placed him back in his stall with straw and a small sum of oats.  There were few left, for the crops had not been good the previous year, and I decided to lower the tributes from farmers.

They had to feed their families first.

“You may not be in your prime any more, but you are still my trusted friend.”  I patted the old stallion’s flank.

Romero shook his head and whinnied.

Amarra walked at my heel as we headed out of the practice field and toward the castle.  Like Romero, Amarra was a little slower after this winter, and I wondered if her bones ached as Sunniva claimed hers did in the colder months.  The dog certainly preferred being indoors over being outside in the dog run with the rest of the hunting pack.  I noticed she now spurned the advances of the male dogs as well and wondered if I should start looking for another pup for breeding this summer.

Many people stopped and bowed their heads to me as we approached the Gathering Place right outside the walls and adjacent to the market.  The area was designed completely by my wife and was a place where commoners and nobility alike could sit, work, and play together.  There was a large open field for children to play, stone benches nearby where their parents could watch after them, and also fire pits to keep people warm and to use for cooking.  The nobles of the court had frowned on the whole concept, but Alexandra did it anyway.  Once the area was complete, the commoners came first, but the nobles quickly acquiesced because it was such a nice place to be.  I had also thought Alexandra insane when she first mentioned it a year ago, but since then, it had proven a popular place for all families to bring their children.  They all played together with little fuss, regardless of their station in life.

I spotted my own children immediately.

In the field, eight-year-old Prince Branford led his new pony around—a gift from Sawyer—for the other children to see, while his young cousin Claire and brother Camden followed after him.  Emma, who was the oldest of the group at nearly twelve years, refused to play with the youngsters—preferring to sit with Ida and Alexandra on the benches as they embroidered and spoke of the Sawyer’s hope for a son this time around.

“It is hard to believe with everything else that happened,” Ida said, “that you and Branford end up with three sons while Parnell and I have only daughters!”

“Branford says you are having a boy,” Alexandra said with a smile.  “He has always been right about ours.”

“Humph!” Ida huffed.  “He always says every baby is going to be a boy!”

“He’s never commented on yours before, though,” Alexandra said.  “Perhaps he will be right again.”

Ida seemed to ponder this for a moment and was about to comment when she finally noticed me standing near their bench.

“Branny seems to be enjoying his gift,” I said with a smile.  I had long since given up on discouraging the nickname of my eldest son and heir.  When one cannot win, one might as well join.  “Thank you again.”

“I have three ponies,” Emma pointed out before Ida hushed her.

“Do not speak out of turn.”  Ida scolded the child.

“But it is only Uncle Branford,” Emma protested.

“He may be your uncle, but he is also your king.  Do not forget that, and always treat him with respect.”

“She said nothing wrong, Ida,” I replied.  I leaned over to kiss the forehead of my wife, quickly followed by the month-old baby up on her shoulder—our third son, Liam.  I turned to my oldest niece and smiled.  “I have seen your ponies.  They are almost as fine as the war horses your family raises.  Do you ever ride the larger horses?”

“Oh yes!” she exclaimed, and the embroidery was quickly forgotten as she went into stories of riding, watching the colts in the spring, and feeding the mares pieces of apple from her hands.  We all listened to her tales for a while until Ida informed her it was time to head back home.

Alexandra stood, handed Liam to me, and went to help Ida gather her sewing and the children’s toys into a basket, which fit neatly on top of Ida’s swollen belly.  She groaned in protest and rubbed at her back for a moment.

“This one better be a boy,” she mumbled, “because there is no way I am going to do this again!”

Alexandra stifled a laugh.  When she glanced up at me, I raised an eyebrow, silently reminding her how miserable she was just last season when Liam was due to be born.  Before those last few weeks, I would have sworn my wife never complained about a single thing a day in her life.

Well, except maybe about her husband when he was being an ass.  Thankfully that didn’t happen too often these days.

Parnell gathered up his daughters, and we bid my sister’s family goodbye.  We would not see them again until after their next child was born since travel was becoming difficult for Ida.  Once they were off down the road, Alexandra and I headed back inside to prepare for the night.

Sunniva was waiting for us when we entered, and she fussed over the babe for a few minutes before she tired herself out and had to hand him back to his mother.  I worried for my adoptive mother and knew in my heart she had no more than a few seasons left in her.  In some ways I was surprised she had lasted so long without Camden at her side.  I wondered if I would be able to survive a decade without Alexandra and quickly determined that I would not.

Prince Branford and Prince Camden ran up to their grandmother and hugged her tightly before they were ushered off by Edith to their own bedrooms.  Greysen was still out in the barracks with the new recruits and would train them well into the night, so Edith would have a while to get the children to sleep before her husband returned to her.  The leader of my army had his work cut out for him even without the threat of war upon us.

While Edith tended to the older children, Alexandra and I took our newborn to our own room and laid him down in his basket near our bed.  He was certainly the loudest of all our sons and had not yet learned that those around him needed their sleep on occasion.  We had barely had more than a couple hours of sleep at a time since he was born.

Alexandra changed her clothing quickly and crawled into bed.  I knew we would soon be able to come together again, but I wondered if she would have the energy if Liam did not begin to sleep longer.  Perhaps if I was better about getting up when he woke, she would not be so tired.

After tossing enough logs on the fire to keep away the chill of the night, I slid under the blankets and pulled my wife close to me.  Though I would always want more if given my choice, I was also content with holding her against me and running my hand through her hair.  Just having her close to me and safe was all that I needed.

I kissed Alexandra’s temple and sighed.  Maybe Father Tucker was right after all.  Maybe I had paid for my sins, and now I did deserve what I had attained.  I strived to be a man, in every sense of the word, who deserved a woman like Alexandra, and though I still made stupid, insensitive mistakes, they were much fewer and further between.

More importantly, they tended to only impact me, and even then, it usually came down to whether or not Alexandra was too angry with me to share my bed.  That in itself was deterrent enough to change my behavior, and I was still quite upset to hear that my own sister had suggested such a “punishment” after I had backhanded one of the men for taking too long carving the stone benches for Alexandra’s Gathering Place.

I supposed I deserved it.  I rarely let such things get to me now, but the habits of my former years were difficult to break.  I tried, and when I failed, Alexandra was there to remind me how important our people were to us.

As if I could forget such a thing.

Tonight she was not upset with me but only exhausted from a long day and frequent sleepless nights.  With smooth motions, I gently massaged her shoulders, and she let out a long, cleansing breath as I silently thanked God for everything and nothing in particular.

I touched her forehead with my mouth, and I held her close to me as a small grin refused to leave my lips.  Before long, Alexandra’s breathing slowed into a steady rhythm, indicating her slumber.  She was peaceful, safe, and loved, which is all I really wanted for her.  I understood that now and did my best to meet those goals.

Having my people content, well-fed, and happy gave my wife peace.

Making sure the kingdom was serene kept her safe.

Holding her close to me as she slept told her she was loved.

Just as she relaxed into me fully, I heard a slight stirring from the edge of the bed and Liam’s cries echoed through the room.  Alexandra startled at the sound and then let out a groan.

“I have him,” I whispered into her hair.  I slipped out of bed and picked up my youngest son, cradling him against my chest as I brought him back to our bed and laid him between us.  Alexandra rolled to her side, and I placed the babe next to her breast.  He took the nipple in his mouth and sucked greedily for a minute before he closed his eyes again.

Alexandra curled her arm underneath her head to give Liam the room he needed before she closed her eyes as well.  I reached out and placed my hand on her side, effectively wrapping my arm around them both as I smiled at my wife and my newest child.  I was quite positive there was nothing in the world more beautiful.

And that is when I knew peace.

~~The End~~