This is it folks! This chapter is very steamy, so back away if not your thing! I hope you have enjoyed reading this story as much as I enjoyed writing it; it was a birthday present for my darling sister to celebrate 20 years of reading this series. I would very much appreciate any reviews for this labour of love, but mostly I hope you had a wonderful time immersing yourself in the wonderful world of Green Rider! I very much appreciate and thank you for your precious time.
She closed the door softly behind her as a voice said, "Enter. I need a moment please."
She walked slowly towards him and watched with hunger. His head was bent over the documents he was reading in front of him, his quill at the ready to sign. He looked beautiful with the sun shining on his strong, handsome person, and the deep stillness and steadiness he always managed to convey was ever present as he conducted his business. She noticed he had gained weight and was no longer wraith like, instead returning to the picture of health that befit a ruler. But she detected a sadness to him, and his movements seemed to hold a quiet sense of resignation. She breathed out slowly and watched as he signed the parchment and capped his quill, gazing up.
"Sorry, I was….."
Zachary's mind was far away as he signed his approval of the cotton trade agreement. His mind moved mechanically from managing that affair to preparing for his next call of business as someone entered his office. He looked up to make his apologies and froze, dropping the quill.
"Hi," she said softly in an echo of the moment three years ago when she had arrived in the middle of that fateful battle, a spectre for no more than a moment. She stood in all her glory and beauty, her figure draped in the most becoming blue gown and her long, brown hair falling around her face. Her eyes stared at him, afire with love and uncertainty and affection.
"No," he whispered, unable to move. "This isn't real. You aren't real." He couldn't shift. His mind screamed at him to get up and he just sat there, dumb.
"I feel real," she said at him with a smile on her face and tears in her eyes. "Definitely feel mostly real, after Donal made me crawl through that blasted passage." She put her arms on her lower back and massaged, clearly feeling self-conscious as he continued to just sit there and stare at her. Had she misread the situation? Had he moved on? She panicked and dropped into a deep courtesy to her monarch, unsure if familiarity was still permitted between them.
Within a second he had leapt to his feet and strode around the table. She rose and stood just outside his reach with a wary expression on her face.
"This can't be," he said with a quiver in his voice. He reached out, not aware that his hand was shaking as he leant towards her and finally placed his fingertips on her face. Her eyes closed and a cry escaped her lips at his touch, yet still he didn't move. He had dreamt this too many times and was sure in his heart of hearts, if this wasn't real, it would break him and he would never recover.
"I cannot. I cannot do this again. I cannot watch my Karigan, my beloved, leave me again. You must go."
For some reason the apparition in front of him smiled impishly.
"Don't be silly," she said with false confidence. "If I was an apparition the sun would be shining through me." She paused. "Which, if I do say so myself, I am somewhat of an authority on. As it happens, I am a warm blooded woman." She dropped her bravado and whispered. "I'm me and I'm here, never to leave you if you wish it."
She closed the gap between them and with her eyes on his, placed her hands on his chest and leant in to kiss his lips. The touch of her soft skin against his broke the chasm he had been holding back for years as he had tried to continue his role as king without her in his world. He broke the kiss and dropped to the ground as tears of anguish engulfed him and huge, racking sobs passed through his body. The torment, worry, hollowness and sadness, the helplessness; it all came to the front as he felt his humanity return to him. She held him tightly as his grief told her in the most visceral of terms how deeply she mattered to him and how much he loved her. His sobs eventually subsided and she rose to her feet, guiding him up urgently. She placed her hands on his chest again and frantically searched for his mouth, overcome with every sensation in her body.
The dam had broken in his body and for the first time in many years he could feel. He felt her warm mouth on his and his loins responded as the woman he loved more than anything in the world stood in his arms. "Karigan, I love you, my dearest, dearest love," he moaned into her mouth, exploring her every warm, wet spot.
She made a choice that was never really a choice. She was his. She broke off their kiss and took a deep breath before placing her mouth near his ear, "Zachary, sweetheart, I love you too."
He could barely contain himself and pulled her back roughly to stare into her smiling eyes, his expression bordering on frantic. "You won't leave me? Ever again?"
She shook her head and paused, cocking it on the side in that manner he loved so dearly. "Well, in my case it goes without saying, god willing."
He didn't have the time to bark out a laugh because that would have been time spent not folding her into his arms. His mouth crushed hers and she was absorbed into the passion of their kiss as her hands touched every piece of flesh she could find as his did the same. He broke it off only to place kisses all over her face as he intermittently murmured, "I love you." His kisses continued, down her temples and over her ear lobes. She moaned as her passion stirred and the first hint of warm wetness began to creep between her legs. He heard the desire in her sweet moans and trailed kisses down her throat and onto the edge of her bust line. He felt himself grow hard as he felt the milky flesh of her warm skin under his fingers, and the way her back arched under his hands. He stopped being able to think and just absorbed himself in her, darting his tongue around her bosom and placing kisses on her shoulder as he pushed the edge of her dress down. He fought for control and stopped for a moment, panting. This wasn't fair to her although he couldn't remember why. He just knew he needed to be wholly absorbed by her, to forget the last 6 years of separation.
"Don't stop," he heard faintly, and opened his eyes to see her breathing hard with a dreamy gaze, her breasts moving underneath his gentle touch. He could have exploded just looking at her, his desire was so strong. He was a seasoned man and had taken lovers before and had always managed to satisfy them both. There was nothing like this however, nothing so erotic as their deep connection founded on immeasurable love.
"Kari," he whispered weakly, and she shivered at hearing her nickname fall from his lips. He was desperately trying to think of the reasons he should stop but they weren't coming to him. She watched him struggle and decided to take matters into her own hands. She moved closer and leant against him and his cock pressed into her, causing them both to groan. She ran her fingers lightly along his collarbone and pressed gentle kisses over his chest, slowly moving clothing out of her way until finally his shirt was off and she could feel his magnificent, bare chest. He was hers.
She was filled with hunger and grabbed his shoulders to kiss under his throat, licking and biting in places that no one but her would see. He leant his head back and groaned loudly. With a small smile she took the opportunity whilst he was distracted to undress herself further and when her kisses stopped and he looked up, ready for his turn in the dance to lavish her with affection, he was stunned to see her torso bare and her breasts beautifully pressed against his chest.
"Kari, we shouldn't," he said one final time, offering her the chance to move away although he couldn't bear the thought. He leant heavily on his desk for support. She placed a hand on his chest and tears came to her eyes.
"Please don't," she whispered. "We have been through so much and I love you. I want you. Besides I'm a rider, and I'm protected."
He grasped her to him, feeling her breasts swell into his chest and wrapped his arms around her waist, unable to grasp how this could be happening and what he had done to deserve such a blessing. His moment of true happiness was shifted into pure desire as she began kissing his throat again. He stopped her, desperate to lavish pleasure and devotion on her. He drew her to the couch so she could sit and he kneeled in front of her, darting his wet tongue around her nipples. Her head fell back and he could feel the ends of her long, luscious hair tickle his knuckles that were dug into the beautiful flesh of her hips. When he thought he couldn't bear it a minute longer he moved to kiss between her breasts and trailed his hot mouth down her toned stomach until his head was at her naval. He felt her legs widen underneath his chest and he groaned, standing for a moment to gain more control.
He breathed slowly and then felt a hand slide around the fabric bulging over his erect manhood. He thrust himself forward as she softly learnt the shape of his body and his hands clasped the sides of her head. He was completely lost in her. Her hands moved and he felt her shift to standing and his eyes opened in a haze to watch her as she undid his pants with shaking hands. All of a sudden he was naked in his office, standing before the most precious woman in his life. He waited and watched as she took all of him in and it was almost the most erotic thing he had ever felt. She finished with her lips touching his ever so gently as her warm hands reached down and clasped his cock.
"Gods, Karigan," he whispered as he leant his forehead against hers and gripped her shoulders. He heard her lick her lips and his cock spasmed in her hands. "I want you," he said hoarsely. She shivered and he waited, still giving her an out if she wanted one although he could barely contain himself. She let him go and slowly dropped her dress and silk knickers to the floor and he stepped back to look at her glorious body, all plump, toned womanly curves, with the softest of flesh, flushed with need. Her eyes were on his and he saw her expression become vulnerable. "You're so beautiful," he whispered and her forehead creased. She slowly turned around without a word and for the first time since he saw her naked and ravaged in the hot waters of the north, he saw her back.
It had healed beautifully under the care of the Eletians. Her scars, still bulging along her flesh were heavily faded and shiny. The muscle underneath had gained a lot of tone although there were still pockets where the metal thongs had taken out chunks that would never heal. His heart was filled with tenderness and love and as she turned back with tears down her face, realised that this was her moment to show him her fullness and await judgement.
"I love you, so much, my darling Karigan," he said to her and she smiled, holding out her arms. He walked forward and felt himself slide against her and they both groaned. He rubbed himself against her softly as he held her up in his arms. He ran his fingers gently down her back, around her shoulder, then down her breasts and her tummy until very slowly he moved his fingers into her soft, curly hair and to the wet, warm mound between her legs.
He watched through hooded eyes as her lips parted and pleasure pulsed through her body. She thought she was going to die from pleasure as his warm, strong fingers explored her feminine centre. She was not experienced; her memories of a previous lover had disappeared when she had returned to the present. But she knew she was close as waves of warmth moved between her vagina and her belly. She opened her eyes and felt a thrill course through her and harden her nipples at the open love and hunger on her king's face.
She stopped him before he brought her over the edge and clasped his hand, kissing the fingers that had been inside of her. He moaned deeply and she glanced down and moved a pillow before lying herself on the couch, admiring his erect and gorgeous body. He very gently laid himself along her and held his weight off so as not to hurt her back. She gasped as she felt his cock lay its length along her but instead of moving he gently kissed her ear lobes and throat.
Then all of a sudden she couldn't take it any longer and shifted her hands to stroke him. "I want you, Zachary, I need to feel you," and he thought he would die. He grabbed his cock and ran it along her female mound to prepare her before slowly pushing his way inside. She gasped and involuntarily dug her hands into his back, wrapping her feet around him so he would go in deeper. He held his breath, desperately trying not to finish in two strokes but oh gods he wanted her so badly. He paused and fumbled around and felt for her clitoris, listening to her exhales of happiness as his fingers pleasured her.
"Oh gods," she breathed, jerking herself around him. Knowing she had reached the beginning of her climax, he began to thrust and then she was crying out with pleasure as waves of intense feeling pulsed up and down her body and he grunted and thrust deeper as she clenched around him and his body spilled itself into her. They both lay panting and he carefully moved to collapse next to her, trying to make sure he didn't hurt her. After a few seconds of recovery he couldn't bear to not be entwined with her and so she turned to face him as his arm snaked around her back. She smiled at him drowsily and he thought his heart might explode with love and happiness.
"Welcome back, Karigan. I hope you had a nice trip," he teased. She laughed.
"It's good to be back, sire."
His smiled faded into seriousness and he pulled her closer towards him. "Karigan, the last 6 years have been almost unbearable without you here, by my side. I have never stopped loving you, not for one minute. The war was awful enough, and then Estora died along with the child. I thought there was no hope left in the world and yet now I find you in my arms. It is almost too much. But now we have a problem, because I don't think I can bear to be parted from you ever again."
She smiled at him with all the love her heart could muster. "You don't need to."
He smoothed her hair and cupped her face. "I don't want to. Marry me, sweetheart?"
She leant forward and kissed him softly on the mouth, and their languid kissing continued for some time until she broke it off. With a final, gentle kiss on the tip of his nose, she replied, "do you even need to ask that?"
He pinned her next to him, desperately wanting to hear from her lips her words of love and comfort, to settle his soul. "Yes," he replied simply.
"Well then," she said, kissing him once more on the mouth, "I accept, and what's more, I promise to love you and hold you to the day we die."
He grabbed her into a hug and thanked all the gods he could think of for returning his one greatest love, ever grateful for the privilege of loving this beautiful soul.
"I love you too," he murmured.
They sighed together in complete happiness and snuggled down onto the couch, the problems of the kingdom and their path together forgotten for the moment. They were complete again.