Working Out the Kinks

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"Ow, ow, ow." Each step DG took shot pulses of pain rocketing from her feet to her thighs. She had begged Cain to take her riding. He warned what a day in the saddle could do to one's body if they weren't used to it, but she had insisted. Boy, was she paying for her stubbornness now.

They'd left early that morning, just as the first sun was breaking over the horizon. Four hours later they arrived at a place Cain had chosen, and no doubt pre-approved with her parents earlier in the week. It was picturesque with a small waterfall splashing down into a fairly large lake. DG took a few mental pictures so she would be able to sketch the place when they returned to the palace.

The cooks had packed them a picnic lunch which they enjoyed on the bank of the lake atop a large blanket. Once the remaining food had been put away they put the blanket to good use, making love multiple times in the warm sunlight. Lying naked wrapped in each other's arms afterwards, DG felt more at peace than she had in weeks, even before she had left Kansas. There was nothing wrong with her life at that point, except the imminent return to the palace and propriety.

"Can't we just stay here forever? Just like this?" she had asked Cain.

He laughed. "We could but the guards will come looking eventually. Do you really want them to find us like this?"

"Maybe they would enjoy a little show."

Unfortunately they had packed up their supplies a few hours later. DG bid a final farewell to the little piece of paradise, making Cain promise to bring her back at some point, and saddled up her mare. They'd only been riding for twenty minutes when she felt the muscles in her thighs screaming. Knowing there was little she could do about the situation, DG gritted her teeth the whole way home.

"What happened to you?" Az laughed, passing DG and Cain in the hallway. Her sister was leaning heavily against Cain who seemed to be all but carrying her back to her room.

"Went riding. God my legs are killing me," DG groaned.

Az laughed again, lying her hand on her gently swelling belly. "I seem to remember both mother and father warning you of such things." DG groaned and glared at her sister. "Try a hot bath," Az suggested. "It'll help your muscles relax. I have some bath salts you can try. They might help you relax some."

"Thanks Az."

"Sure thing. I'll bring them right over." She continued down the hall to the suite she and Ambrose shared as Cain and DG made their way into her room.

DG limped over to the bed and sat down with another groan. "I hate you."

Cain closed the door softly behind him and smiled at the youngest princess. "Don't try to blame this on me. You're the one that begged me to take you riding. You said you could handle it."

"It wasn't the riding that did this and you know it," she snapped half heartedly.

Cain fought back a smile as he caught her drift. "Well that can hardly be considered my fault."

"Right. And I'm just supposed to ignore those beautiful eyes and that sexy smile and that body. I'm only human Cain."

He wasn't sure if she was yelling at him or trying to seduce him. Leave it to DG to be thinking about sex even when she was in pain. "I'll go run you a bath," he said quickly leaving the room.

Az knocked on the door and entered carrying an armful of vials. "I have lavender, Papay fruit, malina-blossom, and citrus. Which do you prefer?"

DG sniffed each and decided to combine the Papay fruit and malina-blossom, which had a faint vanilla scent. "Thanks Az."

"You're welcome, Deeg." She collected the remaining bottles and walked to the door. "Would you like another piece of advice?"

DG looked at her sister warily. "Sure?"

Azkadellia smiled mischievously, "You should probably rest those muscles. I'm sure they got quite a work out today." She winked and left her sister with a shocked look on her face.

Mouth still agape, DG hobbled into the bathroom to find Cain testing the bathwater. "It might be a little hot but you'll want it that way," he said. Noticing the look on her face Cain ventured, "What's wrong?"

"Az knows," she said. When the light bulb didn't flicker above Cain's head DG elaborated. "She knows we've been…you know, what we've been doing."

Cain raised an eyebrow, "What exactly have we been doing, DG?"

DG felt a blush rise to her cheeks. "We've been sleeping together. Haven't we?"

"Yes we have," Cain said stalking toward her. Slipping his hands around her waist, he pulled her body flush against his. "But it's much more than that."

"Really?"

Cain looked deep into her eyes. "I love you, DG. I'll tell anyone that'll hear me."

"I love you too Wyatt." They shared brief but passionate kiss, breaking to stare into each other's eyes. "So what do we do now?"

"We tell them," Cain sighed resting his forehead against hers.

DG smiled and pecked his lips. "We tell them."

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I've been posting a lot of random stories lately, but I blame my muse. She gets inspired by the weirdest things.