Another day, another banquet. Smaller this time, but her feet ached no less. It was a good excuse to wear her dress all the same, and it made her feel far more confident as she ran herself ragged.
From across the hall, she caught Suzana smiling at her. She looked stunning in pale green, and had left her hair mostly free. Thanks to her coercion, Rowan had done the same, only tying back the foremost section. But where Suzana looked pretty, she felt untidy. When she found herself alone, she ended up brushing her fingers through the frizzy ends, wishing she had been blessed with smoother locks.
The Hound stood in his usual spot by the high table, eyes watching all under the shadow of his helm. Had he seen her? Did he note the colour of the dress? She found herself glancing at him all evening, trying to read his mind, but he yielded nothing.
With most of the guests finally gone to bed. She trudged down the stairs to the kitchen. As usual, she was one of the last on duty, and was appropriately weary. She dumped her trayful of dirty dishes onto the counter for one of the boys, intending to go to bed if no-one stopped her.
The Hound met her in the hallway, dragging her out of sight into a secluded passage, one huge hand clamped over her mouth. He pressed her bodily up against the wall. With the cold stone in front, and his cold armor behind her, she could not move as he pawed at her. He pressed his lips to her neck, nibbling at the soft flesh of her earlobe. Not a word passed between them, not as he tugged at the ties of her dress, not when he shoved a hand down her neckline to cup her breast. She gasped slightly as he pinched her nipple, but that was all.
The telltale jingle of his buckle in the dark, and he removed her hand from the wall to wrap it tightly around his growing erection. She understood, and stroked him eagerly, breath catching as he nuzzled her, palms kneading her exposed teats.
He began to pull up her skirts, and she reached with him, not caring that anyone might come upon them here. That was part of the fun. He didn't want much, she knew, only to touch her. Her hand around him was enough, but she treated him to the soft flesh of her thighs in a way that made him shiver and buck. His hands traced all the lines of skin he could find, even venturing close to her smallclothes. She wondered if he knew how wet he was making her.
As though reading her mind, he pushed one hand into the flimsy shorts, touching her clumsily. Did he know how to…? She placed her hand over his and guided him, whimpering when he touched her right.
Without warning, he shuddered and came on her leg. Too soon, too soon, she almost wept with disappointment. He kissed her cheek and she met him with her lips, willing him to stay, to touch her a little more. Which he appeared glad to do.
As he claimed her mouth with his, he pushed a finger into her. Desperately, she held his wrist there. Just like that. Don't stop.
He did, but only to turn her to him. Returning his hand to its place, she saw him smile when she gasped. He likes this. Well she did too, so she met his gaze as he pleasured her, letting him know he was doing right in hushed tones, showing how to tease her nub so that she near moaned aloud. She was close, so deliciously close. No doubt he could feel it, as he clapped his hand over her mouth. Her fingers curled against his breastplate as he worked her to her peak, moaning wantonly into his palm.
Only when she was completely silent once more did he dare to kiss her, removing his hand and righting her skirt. A fleeting, soft kiss during which five coins clinked into her pocket, and he was backing away. They had had enough of these encounters for her to know that she should wait behind, lest they be seen together, but she still hated to watch him go, his huge figure referring into the shadows. She fancied she saw him raise his fingers to his face and giggled to herself.
