Chapter 18 – Reunion Part 2

Recommended for mature audiences only. Some content is not suitable for young readers.

(Updated for errors & minor content - 11-Mar-2019)

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The Huntsman left Snow's room and hurried down the stairs. Instead of going straight to the dining room where everyone was waiting for him, he stopped at the base of the stairs and thumped the wall, swearing under his breath. Snow thought he didn't want her, and he felt like the world's greatest fool for making her think it. He'd left because of his own selfish reasons and it had torn her to pieces.

Eric sat on the bottom step and put his head in his hands. He'd sworn to her he'd never leave, and he broke that promise. He'd broken her in doing so.

He'd wanted to fall to his knees and beg for her forgiveness when he saw her, but she clearly didn't want to see him. She was angry and upset, which he understood, and he deserved everything she threw at him.

Eric heard Bane call for him from the dining room. He was supposed to be helping the others come up with a plan for Argus, but the need to talk to Snow was keeping him from thinking straight. He wanted to go back to her, but what good would it do – she didn't want to see him.

He stood and looked up the stairs to her room. He had to go back. He had to at least try. Even if she never forgave him, he would fight for her – as her huntsman, as her soldier, as her guard or her man, he would protect her until the day he died.

And it might just be sooner than she realised.

Snow stared at the empty doorway as she sat on the floor of her room and felt the blood drain from her face. What had she done? Why had she told him to go? She hadn't meant any of those things she'd said.

She began to panic. "Eric!" she stood and ran to the door. "Eric!" she called in a strangled, desperate voice. For a few aching moments, all she could hear was the sound of her own shaky breath. Then, she caught sight of him racing up the stairs. The look on his face matched hers; his eyes full of yearning.

"I don't want you to go," she managed to choke out when he reached her.

"Nor I," he replied. His arms went around her before she could blink, and his mouth crushed onto hers with such force that they stumbled backwards into her room. They fell to the floor, entwined in each other.

Snow breathed him in and relished in his powerful kiss. It was her salvation and undoing all at once. It was wet with her tears and his stubble scratched her face, making her lips hot and swollen. His uneven breathing echoed her own. She studied the contours of his body with her hands and he did the same, neither of them wanting to let the other go.

Their kiss slowed and lingered. "I love ye," Eric said hoarsely. "I've loved ye from the moment ye saved me from that stupid troll, possibly even before that." He touched her cheek and kissed her again, softly. "I've been an idiot. I'm sorry."

Snow swallowed, studying his blue eyes. "You love me?" her voice was a whisper as Eric stood and pulled her to her feet as well. Secretly, she had always wondered if he'd say it, but she never dwelled on it too much. She always thought she knew how he felt, and words wouldn't matter. She didn't know she had wanted to hear it so badly until now.

"Aye, I love ye and I always will. I told ye the very first mornin' after I returned to the palace. My only regret is that I havnae told ye every damned day since then."

"I don't remember that," Snow said, still trying to grasp the words coming out of his mouth.

"Ye may have been asleep," he said and a playful smile spread across his mouth.

Snow's heart leaped; it was her favourite smile. The way it reached his eyes and made them sparkle. She touched her hand to his face, making sure he wasn't a fragment of her imagination, although her swollen, burning lips already told her otherwise.

"I can't believe you're here," she whispered and her voice broke a little. "I thought you didn't want me."

"Dinnae ever think that," he replied. "I had my reason's for leavin' but it wasnae because I dinnae want ye. It was because I wanted ye too badly, and I couldnae sit by and watch yer council marry ye off to some fat lord." He grabbed both her hands and squeezed them.

A cough from the doorway startled both of them.

Bane's cheeks were slightly pink and he shifted from foot to foot, evidently feeling guilty for interrupting. "I still think ye're a bastard for leavin', but one good thing came out of it. If ye hadnae left, ye wouldnae spotted Argus until it was too late."

Eric just glared at him. "What do ye want, Bane? We're in the middle of somethin'."

"Dinner is ready," Bane pointed out gruffly. "And in case ye've forgotten, we were in the middle of somethin' as well. This battle isn't goin' to plan itself."

Snow's eyes shot to Eric. "Battle? What battle?"

Eric's jaw tightened and he glared at Bane again. "Get out," he shot at the large man.

Bane just rolled his eyes, immune to his friend's temper. "I'll be waitin' downstairs. Hurry up," he said and disappeared.

"Snow," Eric started to explain when Bane had gone. "Argus will be here soon, we have to prepare ourselves. The wall will buy us some time, but it willnae hold forever. We're goin' to have to fight him, sooner or later."

Snow frowned. There was going to be a battle? They were going to just sit here and wait for Argus to arrive? "Eric, why are we waiting? We can reach Stonehill before they find us, there doesn't need to be a battle at all!" Snow said.

Eric took her delicate, flustered face in his hands. "We cannae leave," he whispered, trying to make her understand. "They'll catch us. We have a better chance if we trap him here." Eric kissed her, trying not to dwell on what lay ahead for them both. For now, he wanted to enjoy what precious time he had with her.

Snow kissed him back, her hands tangling in his hair. She moaned into his mouth when he pulled her into him. "I missed you so much," she whispered against his mouth, then deepened their kiss, pressing her hips against his own.

The movement made Eric pull his mouth from hers. One question stuck in his thoughts, and he had to make sure, before he did anything else. "Are ye…" his words stuck in his throat. "William told me… Is it true?"

Snow's eyes filled with worry and bile rose in her throat. He wanted to know if she was really with child. She felt sick. What if he didn't want it?

"Ye look upset," Eric said. "I'm sorry, Snow; this is the worst thing that could have happened to ye right now."

A few days ago, she might have agreed, but Snow couldn't help but be a little hurt by his words. The worst thing that could have happened. "I'm sorry if this isn't what you wanted."

Her words confused him. It isn't what he wanted? "Ye're sorry?" he questioned. He studied her face. She wasn't angry or upset at all. She was worried. Worried about his reaction. "Snow, are ye happy about the babe?

"I wasn't at first," Snow confessed. "I knew you'd be angry and I thought you'd never come back if you found out. It made me resentful, and I tried to hate him for it." A tear rolled down her cheek and she quickly wiped it away. "But, I couldn't. I tried so hard not to want him, but I do! It's not the worst thing that could've happened, Eric. It's the best thing that has ever happened to me."

"Snow," Eric said, gripping her shoulders. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. "Ye want this? Ye really want this?"

"Of course," she said, her breath catching. "We made him."

Eric laughed once, relief flooding his face. He'd been so worried about what Snow thought, he hadn't even considered his own feelings. A child. Their child. Joy coursed through his veins,and his eyes burned. "Snow," he whispered. He took her face with both his hands, but he didn't know what to say, how to tell her what he was thinking.

Tears prickled in Snow's eyes as she studied him. He didn't look mad. Could he truly be happy? "Tell me," she pleaded. "Tell me you want this as much as I do. I need to hear you say it."

"I do," the hunter replied, his voice so deep and lovely. "I want all of it, more than ye could imagine."

Snow cried and flung her arms around his neck.

He hugged her back, never wanting to let her go. Never wanting to let both of them go. "Ye keep saying him," Eric realised. "Why?"

Snow drew back. Her eyes sparkled and she gave him a shy smile. "I'm not sure exactly. It's just… I had a dream. I imagine him to be a boy because in the dream he had your blue eyes."

It was enough to strike pain into his heart. A son or daughter, he didn't care - but he knew it was unwise to become attached. There was a battle coming, and he wasn't foolish enough to believe he was invincible. He could very well perish in the next couple of days, and he'd never get to hold his child.

Eric let out a shaking breath. He'd never particularly cared for his own life, but when he'd met Snow, that carelessness seemed to intensify. His own life didn't matter when it came to her. He would sacrifice himself a million times over if it meant that she was safe. But now that she was carrying his child, that need, that drive to protect her – it was fierce and unyielding.

There was a knock on the door, and the two pulled apart. It was hard, dragging their attention away from each other. Snow blinked a few times and shook her head before she could acknowledge the girl in the doorway.

"Your Majesty," Greta said, looking guilty for interrupting. "Will you be eating downstairs or shall I bring a tray up for you?"

"She'll stay here," Eric answered for her, regaining his composure. "I better go, Bane will be gettin' impatient." He kissed Snow on the forehead and left the room.

When he'd gone, Greta smiled at Snow, who turned pink. "Is everything alright, milady?"

"Yes," breathed Snow and she almost really meant it. Eric was back, he loved her, and he wanted their child as much as she did.

But as much as it all seemed perfect, Snow knew it wasn't. Eric was about to plan a battle. A battle that could bring an end to Argus once and for all.

"Don't bother about bringing me food, Greta," Snow said. "I believe there is a war council happening downstairs, and I intend to be there."

When Eric got downstairs, there was a crowd of about fourteen men in the back of the dining room. Several tables had been crammed together to make room for the chatting group. Bane, William, all seven of the dwarves and a handful of men from the village all looked up from their food and conversations as the hunter pulled up a chair.

"Eric!" Bane chimed sarcastically with a mouth full of mutton. "How nice of ye to join us."

Eric crossed his arms and balanced on the two back legs of his chair. He knew he'd kept them all waiting, but he responded to his friend's banter with a smug glare.

"Alright men," Bane said, calling the meeting to order. "Now that Eric's decided show his face, let's get to it."

"What's the plan so far?" asked Beith the head dwarf, and old Muir's son.

"Our main priority is holdin' the-" Bane stopped halfway through his sentence and stood to attention. Everyone else around the table followed his lead, except Eric.

He wondered what everyone was doing at until he heard her voice from behind him and froze.

"Good evening, gentlemen," Snow spoke.

Eric put his chair back on all fours and stood slowly, turning to face her like everyone else. He didn't want her here for this. He didn't want her to hear what he had planned for her. Not yet.

"My Queen, will you be joining us?" Muir, the blind old dwarf asked.

"I thought I might," Snow said, smiling. "If that's alright with everyone?"

"Ye dinnae need to be here," Eric said. "We have it under control; ye dinnae need to strain yer'self."

"I'm not made of glass, Eric."

Eric's mouth formed a hard line and he muttered something inaudible beneath his breath. He turned his back to her and sat in his chair shaking his head, while the others remained standing. He should have known Snow wouldn't stay in her room. She never did listen to him.

The villagers at the table looked at each other, unsure of what to say. They wondered why the queen let the man get away with such informalities. Unlike Bane, William and the dwarves, the villagers weren't accustomed to Eric's behaviour, nor his relationship with their queen. A few of them were still trying to figure out what exactly it was that he did for her. He seemed more than just her loyal servant. In fact, he didn't seem like a servant at all. Loyal yes, but he didn't have the etiquette of a servant.

Some of the villagers had observed of the pair training near the stables several days ago, and thought perhaps he was her combat instructor, but something about the way he trained her... it was more daring and brutal than any of them would have trained a woman, let alone a queen. She looked so small and fragile, and yet Eric hadn't been afraid to knock her on her back. To her credit though, she'd given it back twice as hard.

"Yer Majesty, we'd be honoured if ye joined us," Bane said, breaking the silence. "Please, sit."

Beith, who was sitting next to Eric, gladly offered his chair to the Queen and moved to the opposite side of the table.

"Alright," Bane went on when Snow took her seat next to Eric. "Now that everyone is comfortable, let's continue."

"I think we're going about this too slowly," William spoke up, and everyone looked at him. "Argus was only a day or so behind us when we saw him. He could be here before we know it. We need to start making preparations tonight."

"I agree," said Eric, taking a plate and filling it full of food. He slid it in front of Snow and then did the same for himself, ignoring the curious stares from the village men. "But I very much doubt they will find us before tomorrow night. We managed to get here a lot quicker than we first thought," he nodded at William, "and the blizzard is only gettin' worse. They willnae be able to ride through it, and our tracks would have been covered long ago."

"We still need to take advantage of the head start," Bane said. "Get the women and children out as soon as possible."

"You're all stuck here until the storm eases," said one of the men from town. "Just like the rebels, you won't make it very far out in that."

"You said you found tunnels?" Snow asked Beith. Everyone looked at her, but she held his stare. "Are you sure we can't all disappear before Argus gets here?"

Beith shook his head. "They're half a day's walk. By the time the weather settles, it might be too late."

"So we're just going to sit here and wait?" Snow exclaimed. "There are people here, young children."

"Snow," Eric started. "We'll get them out. We'll send the women and children as soon as the storm clears."

Snow frowned, exasperated. It just wasn't good enough. "And what of the men?" No one replied. "I can't ask these men to stay behind and die while their women flee into the mountains." Snow looked around the table, at each of the villagers. "I can't ask you all to fight for me."

Everyone was quiet as they all stared at each other. Eric wasn't moving beside her, and she knew this was why he hadn't wanted her here. He hadn't wanted her to mess with their plans.

"Your Majesty," a village man spoke up. He was middle aged, and slightly greying. He was a tough looking man, but he had kind eyes. "Talin is a proud village. We suffered greatly through Ravenna's reign and we lost a lot of people, but we never lost our dignity. She couldn't take that from us, no matter how hard she tried. These rebels Bane speaks of are coming either way, and they will pillage our home whether we are here or not. Asking us to run is like asking us to surrender, and our people do not surrender." A few of his companions nodded their heads in agreement. "You say you cannot ask us to fight for you, so be it then, but please let us fight for ourselves and for our home."

Snow swallowed. Even if she ran, this town would be torn apart. She felt her chest tighten, but their plea to let them fight struck her to her core. Fighting for something, fighting for their home, their dignity and freedom – it was all these people had left in some ways. Who would she be if she denied them that? She nodded, hesitantly. "We fight on one condition," she glanced at each of the men, but she couldn't look at Eric. "If you choose to fight, then I will fight beside you."

Disagreement erupted around the table, but it was William who stood, a look of pure shock on his face. "Absolutely not!"

"Sit down, William," Eric said, irritated. He turned to Snow, anger and disbelief in his eyes. "Yer no' fightin', do ye hear me?"

"Fine," Snow linked her hands and put them in her lap calmly. "I won't fight, but then neither are you."

Eric's jaw set. "Dinnae be difficult," he said tightly.

"You don't control me, Eric," Snow said coolly, trying not to get angry in front of the rest of the table. "I killed Ravenna, remember? I can hold my own."

Eric huffed and shook his head. Standing abruptly, he took Snow's wrist and pulled her to her feet. "Excuse us," he said to the table. "I'll be back in a moment."

Snow didn't object as he dragged her upstairs and into her room. She'd known he would react this way but she knew he was just worried. Getting angry was his way of dealing with fear, it was his instinct to attack rather than retreat when he was faced with a threatening situation.

Eric closed the door roughly and turned to her. "What are ye doin'?" He asked pointedly.

Snow shrugged but kept her composure. "I'm staying with you, Eric. It's me Argus wants, so use me. I can draw him in-"

"Ye're outta' yer mind!"

"Don't yell," she said quietly.

Eric was livid, his eyes burning red, but he made an effort to lower his voice. "Ye're no' stayin' here, do ye understand me? Christ above," he swore. "Ye're carryin' a babe, woman, or have ye forgotten that lil' fact?"

Snow felt the blood drain from her face. She had. She'd completely forgotten about it.

Eric saw her face fall, and his own face softened. "I know ye mean well," he said, taking her hands. "I know ye just want to help, but ye cannae fight."

Snow clenched her teeth. She felt like a fool. "So much for being a warrior queen," she whispered, and felt her eyes prickle.

"Snow," Eric said, trying to comfort her. "Ye dinnae need to be in the front line fightin' with yer men in every battle."

"I just want to be involved. I don't want my people to fight for me, I should be the one fighting for them – proving to them that I earned my crown, not just inherited it."

Eric took her face in his hands and made her look into his eyes. They were unrelenting but understanding. "Ye dinnae need to prove yer'self. Ye're strong, ye're smart, and ye can knock me on my arse without a second thought. Everyone downstairs knows ye would fight for them, but now's no' the time to be virtuous. Ye need to be selfish for the babe."

He was right, and Snow knew it. "Everything will be okay, won't it?" she asked, unsure if she wanted to hear the answer.

Eric kissed her forehead and stroked her hair. "I willane let anythin' bad happen to ye," he promised.

Snow wrapped her arms around him. "I don't mean me," she said on the brink of tears. "I can't lose you."

Eric was quiet. He didn't have the strength to tell her everything was going to be alright. He didn't know if it was true. "Enough of that," and he kissed her gently. She tasted so sweet and her lips were so soft. It took everything in him to pull away. "I have to go," he whispered. "I've wasted enough of their time, I think."

"I'm sorry this is happening. He's hurt so many people."

"It's no' yer fault," he hushed her. "He's not going to win. I'll make sure of it."

Snow kissed him again, not wanting to let him go. "Stay with me," she whispered in between kisses. She wrapped her arms around him and pulled him closer, falling back onto the bed.

Getting caught up in her deep kiss, Eric cupped her breast with a roaming hand. He pulled down the top of her dress, making them spill over the edge. He kissed the soft flesh, teasing, sucking and biting them to a point.

Snow almost convulsed under him. She arched her back, forcing her breasts harder against his unforgiving mouth.

Eric's lips made their way up her neck and to her waiting mouth. He kissed her fiercely and she kissed him back just the same. She tugged at his shirt, desperate for the feeling of his skin against hers, but the hunter seized her hands and broke their kiss.

"What?" Snow asked, breathless.

"It's no' a good time," he replied, no matter how much his body disagreed.

Snow groaned, "I know." There were people waiting for him, and they were probably already getting suspicious.

Eric climbed off the bed and pulled the covers over Snow, making sure her hands were safely secured. If she grabbed him again, he wasn't quite sure he'd have the strength to resist. "I'll be back later," he said.

Snow nodded and watched him walk out of the room before she rolled over and growled in her pillow.