The King's Bride: Part Five
A/AN: Thank your for all the reviews and support! In this chapter William and Belle have a brief encounter. I hope you enjoy it!
For five long years the war between Albannach and Aginard raged on. Cora was merciless in her war tactics, and .Albannach suffered a great loss of soldiers and supplies, but so did Aginard. The war had began with an affair, a quest for petty revenge, but quickly descended into a battle for lands and titles, all of it fueled by greed. War tore through every province, and eventually each kingdom had to ally forces with one of them. William had placed his younger brother James in charge until he was able to return. He always fought alongside his men, and led his troops into countless battles. After winning a tremendous victory in Avonlea, he and his men rode through town seeking refuge for the night.
It was the first time his feet had touched the soil of his beloved's homeland since they'd parted. He wondered if he would see her there, but then his heart plummeted in his chest at the thought of her being dead, another loss in a pointless bid for power. Was she even still alive, or had she fled the country like many others? He wasn't sure what provoked him to ride his horse through one of the local field hospitals the village used to treat the wounded and the dying, but he couldn't resist the magnetic pull. Dozens of medical tents dotted the area, and he felt it his duty to pay homage to the injured, the crippled and the dying. He was their king, and it would not do to have them think he didn't appreciate their sacrifice.
His breath hitched in his throat when she emerged from one. Dirt caked her face, and blood stained her apron, but she'd never looked more beautiful to him in all his years. He spurred his horse forward in her direction. He didn't know why she would be out so late, unless she were offering her services as nurse to the fallen soldiers, and in that moment he couldn't find it within himself to care. She was alive! She was alive and she was here … almost close enough to touch. "Belle!" he called out, the horse increasing its pace towards her.
She turned around, her face paling significantly when she heard her name, a look of flabbergast transforming her features as she took in his scraggly appearance. His hair was longer and so was his beard, but she would've recognized him anywhere. "Liam?" she gasped, running towards him. He hurriedly dismounted, and opened his arms to embrace her. She dove into his wiry arms, holding onto him tightly as she sobbed into the crook of his neck.
"Belle … " he croaked, his brogue thick as joy overwhelmed him.
"Liam I can't believe this! What are you doing here?" she inquired, clasping his beloved face in her warm palms.
"We fought a battle north of here, and we're in town to rest ourselves for the night. Tomorrow morning we are going to close in on Aginard, and make them surrender, hopefully. We've got the upper hand, and we're going to end this war!" he proclaimed, and she smiled brokenly pulling away from him slightly. She carded her fingers through his tangled hair, tears diminishing the light in her eyes.
"I've missed you so much, Liam. I never thought I would see you again!" she revealed, and he couldn't help but crush her against his chest.
"And I've missed you more than you can know, my Belle." He pulled away, their clasped hands between them. "Is there some place private we can converse?" he queried.
Her gaze flickered to his horse and back to him. "Yes let's go down by the river. There shouldn't be anyone there this time of day," she proposed. He helped her onto his steed, mounting behind her to slip his arms about her waist, and they rode down to the bank. It felt so good, so right, to have her in his arms again. If he closed his eyes, he could almost imagine the horror of the past years melting away as if they'd never come to pass.
He looped the reins over a sturdy branch of an oak near the bank of the river where they stopped and dismounted. They sat down by the water's edge, and he tore a piece of his shirt, dipping it in the water. He gently dabbed the cloth on her face, rinsing away the dirt. "Much better," he smiled, cradling her face in his hands as he gazed deeply into her azure depths.
"Liam..." she respired, reaching up to caress his face tenderly. He relished the feeling of her work worn digits dusting his weathered features.
"My Belle..." he returned, admiring her lovely face, one he'd longed to gaze upon for so many years. "Belle, I want you to come back to Albannach with me after the war is over. I want us to finally be together and start a family. I want us to officially marry and for you to rule by my side the remainder of our years. I want you to come home to me, Belle," he confessed, his lips crashing against hers in a searing kiss. He unbound her chestnut tresses, carding his fingers through them. They breathlessly broke the kiss. She stared shyly into his ocher depths. "I want that too," she affirmed. "But I just don't see how it would be possible."
"Oh Belle! You have no idea how happy it makes me to hear you say that!" he lilted, his eyes filling up with fresh tears. "Don't worry, we'll find a way. There's nothing standing in our way anymore … unless you've … moved on."
She shivered, fear creeping along her spine as she pulled her shawl more securely about her shoulders. Her discomfort didn't escape his notice.
"You're cold and it's getting late, but I can't bear to let you go. Come … spend the night with me." he proposed. "We'll continue this conversation in more palatable surroundings."
Belle's mind flashed to her aunt who was watching over Baden while she tended to the wounded. Sometimes she worked late shifts, so she knew Agnes wouldn't miss her if she didn't come home. Guilt washed over her when she met his gaze, his warm sable eyes reminding her of their son. She longed to tell him about Bae, but the time wasn't right. She needed for the war to end so she could safely introduce them without any danger. She'd already lost Gaston to this treacherous war, and she wasn't about to risk losing anyone else she loved. If William's enemies discovered the truth about their son, they wouldn't hesitate to use the boy against him. Then all would be lost.
"I want to, but it wouldn't be right, Liam. You're a married man," she stated, and he sighed at the remembrance of Milah. "Milah is gone. I divorced her. She was a vile woman, and since she couldn't produce any heirs, there wasn't any reason to continue the marriage," he revealed, and she felt her stomach knot at the thought of him bedding another woman.
"Well we aren't married either, and it wouldn't be right," she objected, and he could feel the frustration building inside him from her technicality.
"Belle, my marriage to Milah may have been binding according to Parliament's regulations but in my heart it wasn't. In my heart we never divorced … even though I had to consummate my relationship with Milah," he admitted, refusing to hide the truth from her. "It was only for political reasons. I never wanted to hurt or betray you, but I had to fulfill my duty as king and that included siring children," he sighed dejectedly.
"I understand, Liam, and I forgive you, but I just don't know if I'm ready to do this or not. What if I get pregnant, and you never return home from the war? What then?" she interrogated as thoughts of Baden appeared in her mind. He didn't know about his son, but rearing children on your own was a challenge.
"Please, Belle … Just trust me … I promise you everything will work out," he vowed before ravishing her mouth again with his lips. She could feel the sincerity in his words, and the magnetic pull he had on her kept her from resisting. It had been so long, and she desired him so much it pained her.
"All right … I trust you," she obliged, breaking the kiss, her eyes glazing over with desire for the man whose touch she'd craved for so long.
"Then let's be on our way," he crooned happily, untying the horse. He lifted her into the air, gently placing her onto his steed before joining her and heading towards the inn.
When they arrived at the inn, William pressed a couple of gold coins in the stable boy's hand to watch over his horse for the night. The stable boy looked flummoxed when he noticed the amount of gold he was holding. "Take good care of him and there will be more," he informed the boy who nodded exuberantly, leading the stallion away.
He led Belle into the inn, and they quietly excused themselves to the room his squire had procured for his use. He pulled out a skeleton key, and plunged it in the lock, pushing open the door to reveal a simple straw bed, dirty looking glass and chamber pot. The walls were bare and undecorated, but with Belle there it made everything appear magnificent. He turned to her, her hands clasped tightly at her waist. Blood stained her white apron which was tied around her blue muslin dress. He walked behind her and loosened the sash. It fell to the ground, and he kicked it away.
"You're more beautiful than any other in the entire realm. Peacocks in all their finery and silks and jewels as they prance about my court, and you outshine them all," he whispered in her ear, snaking his hands around her waist. He nipped tenderly at the skin below her ear, that one secret place which always caused her to melt and moan in his arms. A soft moan escaped her lips, this time being no different. He felt all of the blood rush to his groin as he continued worship her flesh with his mouth.
"Liam … " she whimpered as he pulled the dress down, exposing her bare shoulder. He feathered her neck with kisses, tearing at the fabric.
"I need to feel you, my Belle … Please," he pleaded. She tore away from him momentarily to pull the dress over her head, casting it to the floor. He felt himself become aroused with desire as his eyes roamed over her soft curves shrouded by her thin shift.
He lifted her, cradling her in his arms for a long moment before placing her gingerly on the bed. He hovered over her, his body barely brushing hers as he sought out her lips once more. She pulled at the lapels of his shirt, willing him to be free of it. She needed to touch him, to have his bare skin beneath her fingertips. He stopped kissing her briefly to pull it over his head, along with her shift, leaving her fully exposed to him.
Tears gathered in her eyes as a broken sob tore loose from her throat. Did she dare to hope this was more than just another dream? She touched his face tenderly, and he sighed pleasantly, leaning into her touch. He undid his trousers and tossed them aside so there were no barriers left between them, his own moan echoing through the room as they were pressed flesh to flesh. "I love you, Liam," she whispered softly as he cradled her face in his large hands, their gazes locked with more than passion, more than need, but everlasting love. He pressed himself against her, and she shuddered in delight, relishing the fact they had found one another again.
"I love you too, Belle. I've missed this so much," he murmured, his voice reverberating in her ear as he joined himself to her. They fit together like two beautifully missing puzzle pieces. She shivered as he remained still, his fingers trailing a delicious path over the sensitive skin of her inner thigh. Her Liam, her love. No man had nor would ever make her feel so cherished. Belle wrapped her legs around his waist and kissed him with all the emotion coursing through her. She'd never felt more complete in the prior five years of their separation, as though a part of her were missing. He urgently returned her kisses as they moved together. William felt like the thirst in his soul was finally sated with the return of her loving touch, forever washing away the grime that was hoarded there from Milah's loveless manipulation.
He held her face delicately in his hands as her body quivered around him, welcoming him home and drawing every last drop of his essence into her warm center. He rolled over on the bed, pulling her flush against him, his arms a vise about her. He couldn't bear to let her go. She was his. She held his heart, his life, and his soul within her delicate hands. He buried his face in her hair, sighing contentedly, at peace for the first time in years. "Don't leave me, Belle. Stay here with me," he pleaded groggily fighting the sleep his body craved, but which would steal precious moments away from them.
She turned to face him, snuggling closer to his body for warmth. "I promise," she assured him before falling into a peaceful slumber.
~X~
Belle awoke later during the night to feel William spooned behind her. He held onto her body loosely, and she pulled away as gently as possible so as not to wake him. She knew it would be dangerous for them to leave the inn together in the morning, and she couldn't risk him discovering Baden. The time wasn't right yet. She soundlessly slipped out of bed and donned her wrinkled clothes. After she was dressed she turned to face him one last time, regretfully tearing her eyes away as she quietly exited the room. They would be together soon, but now wasn't the time. She truly wanted to go with him now, but she had to think of their son and protect him at all costs.
The autumn night air was nippy, and she rubbed her shoulders for warmth. She walked in the direction of the hovel, unaware she was being followed. She was caught off guard when a burly arm wrapped around her neck. She tried to scream, to alert some bystander, but the streets were deserted. Her captor shoved a rough gag into her mouth, and bound her arms and legs with rope. She felt herself being carelessly tossed into the back of a wagon. She cried and screamed for help, but the gag muffled the sound. She felt tears cascade down her cheeks as she wondered what lay in store for her, and what anyone would possibly hope to gain by abducting her.
~X~
William sleepily reached for his beloved only to be met by cool empty sheets. He immediately jumped up, scanning the room for any sign of her, but she was gone except for her bloody apron. What had made her decide to leave? She'd promised to stay with him. He felt his insecurity begin to rear its ugly head. Maybe she'd had second thoughts, and regretted her decision to sleep with him the previous night. She had been hesitant at first. A new thought entered his mind; what if she had another lover at home or a husband off at war? They'd never had the chance to finish their conversation, too overwhelmed with desire for one another. He cursed inwardly, standing up to grab his garments. He dressed quickly before rushing down the stairs only to be intercepted by the innkeeper, a frail looking old man with missing teeth.
"I'm sorry to bother you, but someone left this letter for me to give you," he supplied, handing him an envelope with a familiar looking seal on it. He felt his blood run cold when he noticed the Mills family wax crest. He tore open the letter, raking his eyes over the contents.
Dear William,
I have something very precious to you currently in my possession. I don't know what your affiliation with her is, but if you ever want to see her again, then I suggest you send an adequate amount of gold and supplies for our troops. You have three days from sundown to make your decision, and if you fail to comply to my wishes, then I'll cut out her heart myself and mount it above the hearth in my sitting room! I'll be waiting.
Cora Mills
He tore out of the inn like a madman, racing towards the barn to retrieve his steed. He had three days time to rescue Belle. He knew Albannach's rations were running dry, but there was no price too high when it came to saving his beloved. He mounted his horse, and galloped off to rally his troops. The war would end tonight even if it cost him his own life.
A/AN: Thank you for reading and reviewing! In the the next installment, Liam sets off to rescue Belle, and we get an introduction to the vile queen of Aginard.