Chapter 14

Snow awoke slowly, stretching her muscles and finding them sore. The memory of the previous night came rushing back to her and she turned quickly to find Eric asleep in the bed next to her. The early morning rays of light played across the pillow, alighting on his hair and eyelashes making them glimmer. She smiled to herself as she turned and propped her head in her hands as she watched him sleep with a small smile on her face. He looked much younger without his ever present scowl marring his features. Snow reached out and traced his lips with the tip of her finger, then blushed as she thought about his lips tracing across her skin.

Snow continued to take advantage of the still sleeping Eric, and lightly ran her fingers down his chest until they were thwarted by the covers. She glanced up to see if he was still sleeping and when he gave a light snore she carefully lifted the edge of the blanket so she could peek below his waist without interruption. As she stared, that very male part of him stirred in its nest of dark gold curls as if it knew it had an audience. Gasping, Snow looked up and Eric's blue eyes glittered back making her own emerald ones widen in embarrassment at having been caught. She flung herself under the covers as her face turned a multitude of shades from pink to crimson.

Eric's rich laughter followed her beneath the blanket, "I can think of things for you to do under those blankets my immodest queen." The warm timbre of his voice was rich with hidden meaning and mirth.

Snow's sudden sharp intake of breath only brought on a new bought of laughter from Eric and he reached under the covers to pull her blushing from beneath them. A loud rapping interrupted his next actions while a look of consternation crossed his face but was quickly wiped away as Snow called out, "Who is it?"

"It is Perry, yer Highness, yer night guard… I … I was on me way to the soldiers barracks after being relieved this morning and I saw evidence of a horse and carriage behind the wall. It isn't from any of ours. I thought master Eric would want to investigate along with Prince William but I can't seem to find him this mornin' and seeing as … uh… well that last I knew of Master Eric's whereabouts he was… well… that is..." Perry cleared his throat, "I am sorry ta bother ye at such an early hour your highness but with things so precarious, I thought anything out of the ordinary would warrant looking into."

Snow glanced at the look of concentration on Eric's face and she knew their morning of leisure was over. "Thank you Perry, you did right by informing me right away. I will see that the Captain is made aware of your vigilance and good deed this morning."

"Thank ye, your Highness." Perry turned away glad to have his duty done for the day. He was tired and frustrated from a long night of guarding her majesties door. Last night had not been an easy time of it. I mean a man can only hear so much frolicking before his own needs begin to stir and he was glad when the queen's room had finally gone quiet. The vision of a lovely girl with auburn curls framing her face flashed in his mind's eye. Perry chuckled to himself as he pondered what his chances would be if he asked to court a hellcat like Greta. Well there was only one way to find out, but right now he needed some sleep and sustenance before he took on a task that big, the first of which he would find in the kitchen.

Eric reluctantly climbed from the bed and pulled on his crumpled breeches and realized that was the only article of clothing he had in the room. He smiled ruefully, "Well it looks like the castle is going to get an eyeful of me this morning. I will go and dress and check out the tracks and see if I can find William, Lord only knows where he is or what he is up to."

Eric strode to Snow and pulled her up from the pile of covers to kiss her soundly before lightly kissing the tip of her nose and without another word, strode out to start the day, leaving a breathless Snow White behind.

Snow dressed quickly with Greta's help when she arrived a few minutes later. It amazed her how Greta seemed to automatically know when she was awake and what she needed or wanted almost before she herself did. This morning Greta seemed unusually quiet and withdrawn and Snow wondered if she was sleeping well with everything going on. When she questioned her about it, Greta smiled and told her it was nothing she needed to worry about, she just had a slight headache and would be right as rain in no time. Snow having other things to worry about let it go and went off hoping Eric had found William and nothing had happened to him.

Snow was tired of always having to worry about everything. She just wanted peace and the ability to look forward to the days ahead without the dread of more bad things happening. As she reached the top of the staircase, a light flutter in her abdomen brought her up short. Her hands flew to her belly and she froze waiting to see if she would feel it again. Just when she was sure she had imagined the sensation, the tiny tap… tap… tapping… came again. It felt like the fluttering of butterfly wings. Snow had never known anything before compared to the thrall she found herself in as she cradled her belly in her palms, wishing she could hold him for real.

"Snow… Are you ok?" William's voice called her from her reverie from the bottom of the steps.

"William! It's amazing! I can feel him!" Her smile dazzled him where he stood.

William rushed up to her, "Are you ok? Does it hurt?" He had no experience with pregnant women and didn't know what he should do if anything.

"NO! Silly! Look, here feel!" Snow grabbed his hand and placed it on her belly, her smile spreading impossibly wider. "You have to be really still, it's so easy to miss yet."

"Uh…. I… OH!" William froze as across the pad of his palm a tiny beating, like that of the heartbeat of a hummingbird came and went, tickling his palm.

William stared at his hand as if it belonged to someone else. He didn't know how he was supposed to feel. On one hand he was elated to feel the life growing inside Snow, but he also knew he would not be the one with her and raising the child as his, making the moment bitter sweet indeed. He let his hand drop away as his mouth filled with that same bitterness. He couldn't help the expression of pain that crossed his features.

"William? What's wrong?" Snow asked before the realization of what he must be going through hit her. She had been so wrapped up in her own happiness she hadn't stopped to think about how this all had to be affecting William.

"William, I… I don't know what to say… you know I will always love you. I have known you my whole life and you mean so much to me, but…" she looked at him helplessly unable or unwilling to say the words she knew would devastate him.

"Snow… It is alright. I am after all a grown man. I am just glad to see you happy. You have been through so much and no one deserves some happiness more than you."

"You deserve happiness too William." The words were barely more than a whisper across her lips.

"Perhaps someday I will find a special someone to make me smile again the way you are this morning," William leaned and kissed her cheek, then turned to whisper in her ear, "Although, you will always be the first love of my heart."

William stood back and looked at her for a moment, then turned and went back downstairs heading toward the great room. Snow stared after him her heart tightening in her chest and only after he was gone did she remember that Eric was looking for him and she had been so sidetracked she forgot to tell him. Hurrying after him she thought she might be able to catch him before he went outside. She had just reached the bend of the great hall when hushed whispers caught her attention, freezing her in her tracks.

"I cannot do what you be ask'in of me!" a low female voice whispered.

"You will or you know what the consequences will be!" A hushed, gravelly male voice answered.

Snow flattened herself against the wall trying to ease closer to the corner to see if she could make out who was speaking. The voices were moving away and she couldn't make out what they were saying anymore. She slipped to the corners edge trying to peek around it without being seen. She felt ridiculous slinking around her own castle but the tone of the voices she heard had immediately set her on the defense with everything that had happened of late. Moving as quietly as she could she slowly peeked around the edge trying to see who was in the galley hall.

The space was empty. Whomever had been there was now gone and she wasn't sure she wanted to follow them. She had better find Eric and William. They would deal with this threat, if there was one, readily enough. Snow didn't feel very brave anymore. Not with the life of her unborn child at stake. She would take whatever precautions were necessary to ensure that her son or daughter was kept from harm. Why was life still so hard? She had though that getting out of that tower after so many years meant she was supposed to live a happy life eventually. Had she not suffered enough in her life that she didn't deserve a small measure of peace and happiness.

No, one mustn't feel self-pity. Snow shook herself mentally and strode off to find Eric, she needed to tell him she had seen William if he hadn't already found him himself anyway. She would tell them about the whispered conversation and they would know what to do. For once she was willing to let them take the lead and she would rely on them to take the bull by the horns and do what needed to be done.

Snow found Eric at the draw bridge questioning the guards about anything they had seen or heard from the night before. The sight of him in the full light of day, clean and so full of life nearly took her breath away. She found herself just staring at him at a loss for words. He had dressed in his usual Huntsman garb, although it was much cleaner now. His battle axe hung on a loop at his waist, promising any who would challenge him a sudden and quick death.

Eric caught sight of Snow and excused himself from the presence of the night guards. They had proven a waste of his time anyway as they had neither heard nor saw anything out of the ordinary last night, although he had seen the tracks himself that belied that fact. His frustration for having no answers but only more questions was put on hold as he strode to Snow. Coming up just in front of her he stared down into her upturned face, her emerald eyes shining up at him with awe.

Eric was taken aback by the look of devotion in those eyes. His own breath hitched in his chest as he looked upon the most beautiful woman in the land and realized she belonged to him. The overwhelming feelings that seemed to always sweep through him in her presence rushed over his soul again. Would she always have this powerful of an effect on him? Was he destined to become a besotted fool? Gazing at her now, he didn't really much care if he did.

White hot desire tore through him and before he even thought about his actions he swept Snow up in his arms and strode quickly and purposely to the nearest structure which just happened to be the stables.

The sight of the Huntsman bursting into the stables with the queen in his arms sent the gathered stable hands in a tizzy. They fell over each other, each trying to rush to do the bidding of their queen and not having any idea what she would bid them do.

Snow's laughter rang out bringing the stumbling and fumbling crew to a sudden halt. However, before she could put their minds at ease, Eric bellowed for them all to vacate the premises immediately. The unspoken demand was they were not to be disturbed, and only one young lad was left standing his ground as the others rushed from the smell of hay and horses, glad to put the Huntsman and his axe behind them.

"I said get out!" Eric hollered at the boy who stood, looking like he was about to tremble out of his worn and dirty boots.

For all the fear that was clearly etched on his face, the young lad raised his chin and spoke in a clear voice just beginning to deepen with adolescents, "I'll not be taken orders from the likes o'ye! I serve me queen, and it be her requests I'll be answering to, not yers." His chin shot up another notch just to prove he wasn't to be intimidated.

"I'll tan yer hide, you mealy mouthed upstart!" The harshness of Eric's words was softened by the barely concealed mirth at the audacity of such a whelp of a boy.

"Nay sir, and it ain't proper you manhandling her majesty in such a way. " The boys face paled as the next words spilled from his lips as though he was afraid if he stopped to think he would lose the courage to say them, "My queen deserves the utmost care and respect and… and I be afraid I have to call you out sir!" His voice rose to a near squeak before cracking on the word sir and Eric stood staring at the utter foolish bravery of the boy.

Snow realizing that the boy was serious quickly made a decision.

"Eric, would you please be so kind as to put me down now as this brave young man has requested?" Snow stared at Eric hoping he would not ruin her plan to salvage the young boy's sense of honor and shame him.

Eric, having never been faced down by a boy whose dingles had barely dropped, eased Snow to her feet and could only stare in wonder at the would be rescuer who was nothing more than skin on bone. He had near platinum hair but it was dirty and hung in lumps around his grimy face. Eyes the color of the sea, not blue or green, but somewhere in between stared up at him, wide with fear, but a look of pure determination on his face.

"Fine sir, what is your name?" Snow asked the lad formally and cordially, giving the lad a curtsey and folding her hands at her waist and looking him full in the eyes.

Looking at her with those same seafoam wide eyes the boy replied, "Mal… Malcolm, majesty, my name is Malcolm, after my father."

"Well Malcolm, where is your father so I can thank him for raising such a brave young man as yourself. Not many would face the anger of the Huntsman."

"He died… last winter… before you were restored to the throne. The witch, Ravenna… was not so kind as ye, and she had his head because she blamed him for a horse going lame. Although it was she who near rode it to death and my father had to put it down to save it from sufferin. I be the man o'the house now, and my mother told me I was to be faithful to ye as it were you who rid our lands of that hateful woman. I… I would face the wrath of a hundred just like him for you… m'lady" The boys face grew redder with each word he spoke and he stared in awe at the lovely young queen before him and his heart skipped a beat. He thought perhaps he would have stood up to a Troll for her as well.

Eric laughed out loud, was he not just thinking to himself only moments before this strange encounter about the effect this slip of a girl had on him. Of course an inexperienced young boy would fall helplessly under her spell. Poor thing, he'd never be the same now. Eric just shook his head waiting to see what Snow had planned for the whelp.

Snow's heart clenched in her chest for the plight of the brave and beautiful young lad before her. She could only imagine what his life was like under the reign of Ravenna and the fact that he was still brave enough to stand up to a man like Eric proved there was more to this one than met the eye. She thought quickly and making her decision stepped forward and placed a chaste kiss on the boy's cheek.

"My young knight in shining armor, I cannot have one so brave as you wasting away in my stable. How would you like to be the page to the captain of my knights? Perhaps if you work hard, you will one day be a knight of the queen as well. What do you think, is that something that would be of interest to you Malcolm?" Snow stared solemnly at the boy waiting for the gravity of the reality of the opportunity to which she had just given him set in.

Malcolm stared dumbfounded at her majesty. He could swear a halo of light was shining all around her and he shook his head as if to clear it. Had he heard her right? Surely the queen had not just given him, a lowly stable boy, a chance to become a knight of the realm. His station in life would never allow such an opportunity. To become a knight you had to be noble born. Only the second and third sons of the lords became her majesties knights. He saw a flash of himself in regal armor with the queen's emblem blazing upon his shield and he could have worshipped at the new queens feet happily for the rest of his life. Not to put himself to shame, he lifted his head with pride and spoke as steadily as his racing heart would allow.

"M..m… majesty, I would not let you down. You will always be safe with me at your side. I would gladly lay my own life at your feet. It would be the greatest honor I would ever hope to achieve."

Snow couldn't help smiling but quickly quelled it lest the boy think she was laughing at him. "Well Malcolm, that is as grand a pledge as any knight has given me, but I think we have a few years before we ever have to worry about that. Go now, to my captain, tell him I sent you and that you are to be immediately instated in his service and care."

"I will majesty. Of course, whatever you wish, it will be done." Malcolm hurried off, stumbling over his feet to be stopped short at the door by the queen calling to him. Fear that she had changed her mind or was jesting with him seized his heart but he turned slowly ready to face the truth.

"By and by Malcolm, what is your age?" Snow couldn't help asking of the beautiful boy.

Malcolm puffed up his chest with pride while answering, "I am nine and three-quarters majesty. Only three months and I will be a whole ten years old." He stressed the ten as though it were an ancient number.

"My, such a brave young man you are, my knights will surely be the most feared in the land with the likes of you among their ranks. Work hard my young Malcolm, do not my expectations of you go unwarranted."

"Never your majesty. I will work hard and prove to you I will be the greatest knight in the kingdom." He grinned for the first time before turning to run in the direction of the knights quarters revealing white teeth in his dirty face and a deep dimple in his right cheek.

Snow glanced at Eric, "I do believe sir, you have competition for my affection." She teased him.

Eric closed in on Snow, "Do I now? Well perhaps I'll just have to prove to you again I am more than enough man for you, your majesty."

Eric had slowly backed Snow against the wall of one of the stalls in the stable as he spoke, his eyes darkening to a stormy shade of blue velvet. He raised his hand and slipped a single finger into the bodice of her gown, letting the back of his knuckle graze the plump flesh encased there.

Snow's breath caught at the first touch of his skin on hers as the mood went from light and teasing to dark and sensuous in an instant. She stared up into Eric's face as he continued to trail his finger across the tops of her breasts, his eyes traveling the same path as his finger, inching the material down slowly. She pressed her back against the wall to steady herself as her legs turned to jelly beneath her.

Eric suddenly clenched the front of her dress in both is hand and yanked the dress and chemise down to reveal the creamy flesh of her breasts. The mounds pushed up and forward by the bunching of the material beneath them. Eric groaned as he lowered his head and buried his face between them and breathed deeply of the scent of her skin then began to trail his tongue across the sensitized skin until he captured the darkening nipple of her breast in his mouth sucking powerfully at it.

Snow bit her lip and arched her back, pushing her chest instinctively into the warmth of Eric's lips. The pleasure was almost painful in its intensity.

Eric became a man incensed as he bunched the material of Snow's dress up around her waist as he continued to suckle and nip at her breasts making them swell and harden beneath his expert tongue. He made quick work of the laces of his breeches freeing his already ridged member.

Snow was gasping for air as she clung to Eric's shoulders in order to keep herself upright. Eric's hand swept up the inside of her thigh and nestled his fingers between her legs groaning when he thankfully found her already wet and ready for him. He gripped her thighs and commanded her to wrap her legs around his waist which she did without hesitation. Quickly positioning himself between the searing heat of the apex of her thighs he plunged into her without hesitation, grunting in pleasure or agony, he couldn't really tell which, as he did.

Snow cried out as he thrust into her, her walls stretching to accommodate him in this new position. He went deeper than ever before and she clung to him as he pounded into her soft flesh. Eric gripped her beneath her buttocks and lifted her and thrust her down on him as he used his hips to thrust upward. All she could do was cling to him as sensation after sensation swept over her as the tension in her belly began to grow and tighten.

Eric knew he wouldn't last long, he began to whisper in Snow's ear, "come for me my sweet Snow, please… come for me" and as if his words commanded her body a shower of sparks flashed before Snow's eyes as her body convulsed around him and Eric cried out thankfully as he pumped his own release into her welcoming body.

Snow came to her senses with her legs still wrapped around Eric as his weight pressed her into the hard wood behind her. Her breath came in gasps as she waited for her heart to slow to a more normal pace. Her forehead rested against Eric's chin and he kissed it as he slowly eased out of her to gently set her on her feet. Snow could only lean against the wall as Eric went about setting his and her clothes to rights. She gazed at him from half lidded eyes as he laced his manhood back into the cage of his pants. She grinned as she thought of a caged mountain lion her father had captured when she was a young girl. Eric definitely had the stamina of a great cat. A giggle escaped her lips before she could stop it.

"Just what is so funny, my queen?" Eric's satisfied grin matched her own.

"Oh nothing, I was just thinking of a glorious lion my father once captured when I was a girl. You reminded me of him."

"Hmm… Not sure how I feel being compared to a big pussy cat."

"Oh I promise, there was nothing pussy-like about this animal." Snow challenged him with a wicked grin.

"Why… Madam! I am shocked at such language from a lady!" Eric feigned astonishment. After being on the road with Snow for so long before they fought the war, he knew she could hold her own on a ship of sailors.

"Stick around Huntsman, and I may just have a few things more up my sleeve to shock you with." Snow kicked out her foot taking Eric by surprise as he ended up flat on his back in a pile of straw. Snow straddled his waist and kissed him soundly, her fingers spreading in his hair.

A long time later, a very rumpled Snow and Eric made their way back to the castle's kitchen for a much needed afternoon snack. William came in as they were finishing up their meal to report that he had reached a dead end on the tracks outside the walls. He joined them and after a few minutes they each began to relax and enjoy each other's company.

Snow watched as William and Eric exchanged light banter and maintained easy conversation with one another. She was content to let them talk since next to protecting her child, having both Eric and William in her life was high on her priority list. This would be a much easier task to accomplish if the two could remain friends on any level. Their relationship might seem strange to outsiders but that didn't matter to her. Eric and William were her only family, both of who could be the father of her child.

The rest of the evening went without event and Snow became aware of Eric sending her heated looks across the parlor as he played cards with William and she worked on sewing clothes for her little one. She stared back and felt the blood in her veins heat.

William was not blind to the looks between Snow and Eric and rather than torture himself any longer he feigned being tired and excused himself for the evening and made his way to his own room.

Eric wasted no time sweeping Snow up and carrying her up to her chamber. As he slowly undressed her he took his time making love to her this time. Savoring each breath, touch, and kiss. The sound of her soft moans and the caress of her skin against his only served to bind him to her all the more.

Afterword, as Snow was drifting off, a small frown flitted across her brow as she had the sudden fear she had forgotten something important. It was then she remembered the whispered conversation in the hall. Loath to wake Eric and their perfect cocoon of happiness, Snow convinced herself she had been overreacting to a disagreement among the servants. Content in her reasoning, she drifted off to sleep.

A/N Thank you so much for all the continued support and pm's that kept me feeling guilty about how long this was taking to update! I love you all for hounding me and kicking my butt into shape to get back to this story. I have the utmost fondness for those of you who have been so taken with my story as to not let me snooze on the job. I hope you enjoy this long awaited update!