Disclaimer: Sookie Stackhouse - Southern Vampire Mysteries belong to Charlaine Harris.
Chapter 12
Mixed Points of View
Eric knew that the foolish Crawford man had returned. He kept a strong protective arm around Sookie, knowing that they looked like they'd just had hot sex. He could still feel the little water droplets running down his chest and he could feel and see that Sookie looked like a woman who'd been thoroughly pleasured.
Her hair was all messed up and sexy and her skin held that beautiful afterglow and he was sure that he himself had the same glow about him. He'd never done that before, had sex on his throne; but with Sookie, he felt things he'd never felt before - he felt more adventurous sexually and wanted to experience more with Sookie than just a bed, a floor, or a wall.
Eric walked over to the huge doors - keeping his arm around Sookie, and opened them up, causing a few of the guards and Lord Nickolas to topple slightly. Clearly, the guards had been holding him off from storming through the doors.
"Shut them." Eric said in Swedish to the guards. He felt Sookie tense next to him and he thought, he'll have to teach her Swedish. He knew if he was in her shoes and there were people all around her talking a different language, he'd feel awkward and out of place and he didn't want her to feel that. No, he wanted Sookie to feel welcome and at home here.
"Lord Nicoklas, I trust you had time to calm yourself down and clear your head by now." Eric said. The man in question fought hard not to glare, but failed.
"I see you most certainly have." The foolish twit snapped irritably.
Eric got right in his face, letting go of Sookie. "I'll warn you now Crawford, neither what I do nor what the Princess does is any of your concern." Eric's tone was dangerous and full of ice. He continued before Lord Nickolas could utter one word, "We have it from an inside source that what you accused my brother of is wrong information. You've lied and accused a member of the royal family of a very serious crime. You've got your daughter locked up in a room at your home. She has no notion of your vile mouth or what you have been planning. I must warn you that if my brother and Lady Isabelle reconcile their past relationship as lovers, you'll have no part of their coupling; or any part of the throne, or royal titles." They both watched as Lord Nickolas' face took on an ugly expression.
At long last, he brought his facial façade under control, and spoke in a controlled voice, "Your informant is full of lies, your Majesty. How can the man have found all that supposed information within one hour, sir?" He had a good point Sookie thought, but she read him loud and clear, with flashes of Isabelle in his mind. Eric smirked.
"Crawford. You really are a fool, aren't you?" He laughed in a slightly menacing way that had even the hairs on the back of Sookie's neck stand on end.
"We royals have spies in every household in our realm."
They both watched the color drain from Lord Nickolas's face as he struggled to gain control of himself.
"Lost for words, Crawford?" Eric asked in a patronizing tone.
"Where is Prince Northman?" Crawford asked, looking around the room, Sookie knew he was desperate for a change of conversation and had just noticed that someone was missing from the usual contingent. He'd been too wrapped up in his argument with Eric and their appearance to notice that Christian wasn't there.
"It is none of your business where my brother is, Nickolas Crawford." The man in question flinched at not being addressed as 'Lord' Crawford. The lack of title was unsettling.
"Well he's not here, then why do I have to be here? After all, the complaint involves him and my daughter."
Eric smirked smugly, he couldn't help it. Crawford's color drained completely upon seeing the look on his King's face. He glanced at the supposed princess who had a blank expression and was staring off into the distance as if she wasn't even listening.
Eric followed the man's gaze and he hissed, drawing the man's attention back to him.
"Don't you dare rest your eyes on our princess, Crawford, you've no rights to seek her help; plus she has nothing to do with this."
The foolish fool spoke his mind again, "She is involved if she's being courted by you Northman," he said angrily.
Eric got really angry then and grabbed Crawford by the throat and lifted him up, getting right in his face. "Don't… don't ever call me 'Northman,' address me as Sir, Sire, or Your Majesty." He paused deliberately; squeezing the wriggling mans neck whose hands were scrabbling desperately, trying to loosen the hold his King had around his neck. Eric's tone of voice took an even scarier tone.
"Never, suggest whomever I court is involved in my business as king, or my ruling. I am king and if our princess was involved, again, it would be none of your concern or business, Crawford. How would she know what is going on, as she has only just arrived here herself?"
Crawford looked like a cat that just caught the canary. Eric started circling the man like a bird of prey would catch his meal for the day.
"So tell me the truth Crawford as my princess as a witness for your vile mouth, what was it you accused my brother of again?" Eric said pausing directly in front of the man, who looked like he was heading for an early grave. Hell, for all she knew, he could be.
The stupid fool chose to ignore Eric's question.
"Where is Prince Northman"
Eric leaned right in his face and was about to speak before a small, feminine hand touched his lower arm.
"Eric..." Sookie said quietly in a soft soothing voice. It was the first time Nickolas had heard her voice and it sounded like gentle music, soothing a sleeping child. Soft and gentle.
Nickolas watched the king's cold façade change slightly at the sound of her voice as he turned around slightly to face the woman who the brothers claim to be a princess. He watched as the king leaned in to hear what she had to say, he saw the king's hand rest intimately on the woman's hip, whilst his other rested over the top of her hand that was resting on his lower arm.
It felt like he as interrupting a private moment between two lovers. He thought they must be lovers if the girl was allowed to address his king by first name and not get scolded for it. The king turned around with his hands still holding the girl's hands.
"Crawford. My brother has gone to your home, to find and bring back the Lady Isabelle, to court. If she consents to whatever he suggests, she'll return here on his arm." Eric saw the twit's face start to change color yet again and interrupted him before he could get one letter out.
"You're lucky the princess is here, Crawford. I'm not going to have my sword meet your neck." Eric sounded awfully disappointed at this. "Instead, I am going to strip you of your titles and privileges and you'll have to start from scratch and work your way up, proving you can change and earn my trust legitimately."
"Yo-you mean I ha-have to liv-live as o-one of th-them?" He asked his eyes wide.
"You and your family, yes. Your eldest daughter's marriage will still go ahead to the Emerald boy, but only because she wasn't part of your evil schemes and plans. Even so, you'll have absolutely no access to the Emerald family's fortune; only your daughter will. Your wife will be subjected to your punishment, as she is your property, and is in your care. You will no longer be able to control what your daughters decide to do, and you may no longer attempt to use them to advance your political power."
Eric walked over to the main doors as the man crumpled to the floor; Sookie knew that what Eric was saying was starting to catch up with the man. He was all but ruined and barely spared from losing the pathetic life of a hanger-on his mind had created while enthralled with the excitement of his daughter catching the eye of a royal.
As Eric spoke with the guards outside the open doors, neither she nor Eric looked back at the man. As the guards went in, Eric led her away from whatever scene they'd left behind. He showed her the castle, pointing things out, telling her about certain items, nodding to certain people as they passed and ignoring others.
They reached the gardens last and they were so beautiful, it took her breath away. The lush green grass was neatly trimmed and flowers bloomed and the stone walkways were swept clean of any stray leaves or bird droppings. There was a lake, and a stream.
Eric led her along one of the many paths, through a secret-looking doorway in a hedge that reminded her of a book she'd read called: The Secret Garden. She never expected anything like this to be in the time of the Vikings.
When the door closed shut behind them, she gasped with awe and surprise at what she saw. It was a beautiful summer house surrounded by tall trees and overgrown hedges, like the one they'd walked through. Eric led her along another little pebbled path and up the wooden steps to the house.
They didn't speak until Eric had led her inside and laid her down on a longish couch, and he hovered over her, resting his weight on his hands that were braced on either side of her head.
"Amazing," Eric whispered as he kissed every inch of her skin, with soft and gentle kisses before he reached her lips.
"Only you, lover, would be able to stop me from using my sword." He whispered against her lips.
Sookie remained silent throughout all of this and only her body responded to his every touch of her skin; and as he kissed her, he poured everything he felt into that kiss and he felt her respond - showing him how she felt. They made love in the summer house that he'd had built for his mother to have a quiet place to come to with their father away from the prying eyes and ears of court and the castle in general. It had become a family escape and now he was going to share it with Sookie.
This felt like a new opening for them both as they made love that day, neither knowing what the future would hold - just drinking in the bubble they created around them through their lovemaking and the peace and love that enveloped them.
For the first time in a long time Eric felt relaxed and was feeling things he hadn't felt before.
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