The sun was high in the sky when we arrived at the French encampment. I don't know quite what I had been expecting, but what greeted my eyes was a surprise. In the center of the protected clearing were five tents. They were large, but experience told me that they could be set up or struck quickly at a moment's notice.
Around them, men sat or stood in small groups among an arsenal of various neatly stacked weapons. The men started excitedly whispering among themselves as we dismounted. Apparently, my appearance with Arnaut was causing quite a stir. Arnaut ignored the questioning stares of his men and called for his squire to attend the horse.
As the boy lead the massive animal away, what I at first took to be another squire approached. He was dressed in trewes and a hooded tunic and looked as if he'd been scrounging about the woods for a week, so grubby was he. Under the dirt, though, lay delicate features. The youth couldn't be much more than twelve years old, I thought, judging by the lack of developed muscles or facial hair.
Arnaut greeted him with a joyful embrace. It was obvious that the boy was close to him. The whispered a few furtive words to each other. The boy seemed rather agitated. I began to suspect that perhaps they shared an affair of the heart, as knights' using young boys to slake their carnal desires was quite common in this day and age. Finally, Arnaut turned to me and extended his arm in an invitation for me to join them.
As I stepped forward, he performed introductions. "Lady Philippa, may I present my sister, Claire. Claire, Lady Philippa Mortimer of…" He trailed off, obviously expecting me to supply my place of origin.
Not willing to supply him with the name of a country that wouldn't be even dreamed of for more than four hundred years, I gave him the name "Land across the Vast Sea". It was the best I could come up with, considering my surprise at discovering what I thought was a rather grubby boy was, in fact, Lady Claire, the martyr of La Rocque. It would be her death at Lord Oliver's hands that would inspire the French into such berserker style battle frenzy that they'd take La Rocque in one night. And I stood, face to face with her.
I dropped into a deep curtsy before her. She turned her gaze to me. I felt as if I were being inspected and was just shy of passing. She gave me a quick nod and turned her attention back to Arnaut.
"I meant it, Arnaut. She will be a distraction to the men. Not to mention the danger to her."
"You're being ridiculous, Claire. You live here and the men are not distracted by you. Nor has your safety among them ever been in question." Arnaut argued.
"I'm hardly a distraction looking like this. Besides, I'm your sister. Every last one of them knows what the penalty would be for accosting me. This lady has no such protection. You must either send her away or give her the protection she needs."
"She has no place else to go, Claire."
"Then you have no choice, Arnaut. I'll go fetch Father Louis."
She quickly turned and ran off toward one of the tents. Arnaut turned to me and took my hands in his. His eyes gazed tenderly into mine. "Mam'selle, I must apologize. Claire says that I don't think things through properly. A character flaw of a warrior. It seems that in order to offer you my protection, I must also offer you my name. We are to be married as soon as Father Louis is prepared."
"What?" I was shocked. "You can't be serious. There must be another way."
"I understand your reticence. Assuredly, I am nowhere near your rank. But, I assure you that it is necessary. As my wife, no man will dare to touch you."
"My Lord Arnaut, your rank or standing is of no consequence to me. I simply cannot marry a man I only met a few hours ago."
"My Lady, I have no place safe to send you. To remain here in safety, this must be done. I'll not have the men thinking that you are my mistress. Besides, you're not French and if we are not joined in marriage, some may suspect you of spying. I'll not have any harm come to you in my camp. Please accept the protection that I offer you, for my sake?" He knelt on one knee before me. "Lady Philippa, please consent to be my bride." He continued to hold my hands as his deep green eyes held my own eyes.
How could any woman resist a proposal like that? It was the kind of thing we read about in cheap, trashy, historical romance novels, and then dream about it really happening. I couldn't think rationally. All my mind and heart and soul and body were focused on the incredibly sexy man kneeling in front of me. Before I could even form the thought, I heard myself whisper "Yes."
Yes? Oh, God, what have I done? He's medieval; I'm modern. I'm hoping to be rescued and leave this place and time. And will he expect it to be a real marriage? I mean I can see myself easily falling in love with him. Who wouldn't? But how does he feel about me? How could either of us know how we feel? We only met a few hours ago.
But some sort of women's intuition told me he'd keep me safe and that all would be as it should. I somehow knew that he'd never mistreat me. Something inside me just knew that inside the battle-hardened warrior was a tender, gentle and loving heart. I had seen how he was with his sister. I was convinced that he'd be that way with me.
As he rose to his feet, I saw Lady Claire returning with a slightly pudgy middle-aged man in friar's robes. Arnaut laid a hand on my shoulder as Claire and the priest joined us. The weight of his hand was reassuring. It had the effect of calming my nerves.
Arnaut introduced me to Father Louis. I dipped a small curtsey to him, as was proper for the time period.
We moved into the large center pavilion. A few men were called to join us as witnesses. The ceremony itself didn't take long. Arnaut spoke his vows clearly and firmly in his deep voice. I repeated mine softly, with a slight tremor. It was all rather surreal. Before I knew it, Father Louis was telling Arnaut that he may kiss his bride.
Hadn't I wondered about exactly this in the woods near Castleguard? Arnaut's
Lips gently touched mine. It was the tenderest caress I'd ever known. It was like drinking cool, clear, sweet water after a long day in the desert. I lost my heart to him in that very instant. I kissed him back with wild abandon. There was a moment that he seemed a bit surprised, and then he wrapped his strong arms around me and deepened our kiss. I felt his tongue brush across my upper lip tentatively asking admittance. My lips parted slightly under his and our tongues met in the ancient dance of seduction.
We were lost in our own little world of sensual sensation when the sound of Father Louis' exaggerated coughing brought us back to reality. Arnaut reluctantly released me. But he stayed next to me and laid his arm across my shoulders as Father Louis offered us his congratulations. Next, Claire stepped up to me and kissed me on my cheeks.
"Welcome to our family, my sister." She smiled.
"Thank you, Lady Claire. You are most kind to me."
"We will have your wedding supper at sunset. Until then, I'll leave you and Arnaut alone. I have many things to see to concerning the food." Claire kissed Arnaut on his cheeks and warned him to be kind and gentle with me. I blushed deeply and she turned and winked at me before she strode off to see to the supper preparations.
Arnaut guided me to the edge of the camp where a narrow path led into the woods. "Shall we walk and get better acquainted?" He asked me.
"Please." I answered.
Hand in hand, we followed the path for a while in companionable silence. After a short time, we entered a small grassy clearing. Wild flowers splashed their vibrant colors among the green of the grass. The sun dappled the ground through the leaves of the trees around the small meadow. I inhaled a deep breath of the fresh, unpolluted, springtime air and sighed contentedly.
Arnaut removed his cloak and spread it on the ground for us to sit on. Following the chivalrous code of good manners, he didn't lower himself to the ground beside me until I was comfortably seated with the skirts of my gown spread around me.
"Lady Philippa," he began.
I held up a hand to stop him. If we were married, then he may as well call me by my real name. "Please, call me Pippin."
"Pippin?"
"Yes, it's like a pet name that my mother called me. I rather prefer it to Philippa."
"Very well. As you wish." He agreed. "I know that this has been unusual in the complete lack of courtship. I know that for myself, I would not have wished such a hasty marriage. But I will do my best to be a good husband to you. I protect what is mine."
"Thank you, milord. I truly appreciate your protection and the great sacrifice that you were compelled to make to give it to me. I will do my best to be a good wife to you, but you'd best be warned, I can think for myself. I know that I promised to obey you, but I can obey no one blindly. If there is something you wish or need of me, I would know the reason before I can agree. And sometimes, I may disagree. Can you live with a woman who has a mind and a will of her own?" It was a lot to ask of a medieval man used to being obeyed without question. I wouldn't have been surprised if he balked and insisted on his noble rights. I anxiously awaited his reply.
He intently looked me over from my skirt covered feet to my head. When his green eyes met the straightforward, unyielding gaze of my own blue ones, he smiled and began to chuckle.
"I see that my sister's instincts are better than my own. Madam, I knew that you were no wilting flower when I saw you at Castleguard. I watched you cleverly make your way out of the village so that you wouldn't arouse suspicion. I knew that you were brave because you showed no fear of me. I would not have you any way other than the way you are. I am used to women who think and argue. You did meet my sister, did you not?"
I smiled remembering my meeting with Claire a scant few hours ago. She was definitely a force to be reckoned with. Her tiny body and delicate features cleverly hid a will of iron. Somehow she had bullied Arnaut into marriage with a woman he barely knew.
"You have a beautiful smile, Pippin." Arnaut reached out and gently stroked my cheek. He had removed his gloves while my mind was wandering and the touch of his bare skin on mine was electrifying. I sighed contentedly. His hand was warm on my face. I wanted to touch him in return. I tentatively reached out and laid my hand against his face. He clasped his hand over mine and held it there for a moment. When he released my hand, he kissed me. It was soft, tender and gentle, yet seeking and yearning. I returned it and passion flared between us.
Our kiss became more demanding. Our tongues danced together as Arnaut's hand brushed down my neck to stroke and cup my breasts through my gown. My nipples became immediately erect as the strangest feeling of want and desire settled into the pit of my stomach and lower. I moaned in ecstasy as Arnaut pressed my back against the ground. My arms snaked around his neck as my hips pressed against his thigh.
Arnaut broke our kiss. His breathing was as ragged as mine as he gazed intently into my eyes. He seemed to be searching for something, seeking an answer to some deep, dark question in his heart or soul. Finally, he spoke, "Will you be my wife, Pippin?"
I was a bit confused. Hadn't we been married only an hour or so before? "I am your wife," I answered him.
"'Tis true that we are joined in the eyes of God, but I would know if you would be my true wife, in every way. Would you give me your heart and take mine into your keeping in return? Will you allow our souls and bodies to become as one? Will you be my wife, not just in name, but in truth?"
"Arnaut," I whispered, "You have had my heart since the moment that I first gazed upon your face. I became yours to command at that very instant. I never in my life believed in love at first sight. I always thought it a terrible cliché. But I'm sure now that it's possible and that it's happened. I hope that I haven't offended you, but everything I've observed about you has touched my heart and soul. I cannot help but long for you to touch my body."
"I must admit it was so with me, also. I had begun to despair of ever finding a woman worthy of my love and my name. Claire always told me that she was out there somewhere and when I found her I would know in an instant. I knew it today. Claire apparently knew it, too. You are my woman. You are my heart. You are the missing piece of my soul. I've felt complete and at peace ever since I met you."
He kissed me again and the passion reignited. All I wanted, all I could think of was Arnaut and how he could complete me. I wanted it more than I wanted anything in my entire life. My mind went blank and my body took over. I pressed myself wantonly against Arnaut, wishing desperately that he weren't wearing armor. I wanted everything that he was offering and I wanted it now.
Arnaut seemed to understand. He leisurely dragged his hand down my body to gather the skirts of my gown in his hand. He raised them up so that he had free access to the hidden secrets that lay between my thighs. (At last I saw the sense in the lack of panties.) And yet, his touch first went to my stomach. His fingertips brushed across my navel. I burned with the flame of desire as his hand slid down to the triangle of dark hair at the apex of my thighs. His hand gently cupped my privates and I gasped in anticipation of what was to come.
"Ah, my Pippin. You are so beautiful, so passionate. I am truly blessed this day." Arnaut whispered in my ear.
His fingers began to stroke the inside of my thigh. My skin tingled as I felt sensations I'd never felt before. The pit of my stomach felt heavy. My privates ached. My head felt as if it were swimming. The entire world had disappeared except for this man and what he was doing to me. I felt the first touch of his hand against the nub of my womanhood and almost came up off the cloak I was laying on. I'd never been touched this way in my life, and yet it felt so right. Arnaut's finger dipped inside my passage, gathering my body's natural lubricant and returned to my clitoris.
"Oh, my love, you're so tight. I can't wait until I can fully make you mine."
"Oh, God, Arnaut. Now, please now."
"No, my love. There are rules we must observe. I can have you tonight. For now, I just give you your woman's pleasure."
His fingers left my body and I felt a terrible sense of loss. I was staring up at the blue sky, but not really seeing anything. Suddenly, I felt a new sensation. I looked down to see Arnaut's head between my thighs. I realized that the rough yet gentle touch on my clitoris was his tongue. Oh, heavens! I was dying. Could one die of pleasure? I felt on the edge of fainting when my vision went black for a second as the dam burst and I experienced my first orgasm. My hips bucked against Arnaut's face uncontrollably and I screamed my pleasure to the trees.
Arnaut sat up and wiped his beard. He lay down next to me and held me close as I slowly began to calm. I lay trembling in his arms for some time while he stroked my hair and whispered endearments.
"Is that what it will be like tonight?" I asked when I was finally able to speak.
"I shall do my best to make it so," he smiled.
"I've always heard that it hurts terribly."
"Ah," he said, understanding my true question. "It will be your first time, Pippin?"
"Yes," I nodded.
"I will not lie to you. There probably will be some pain. But, I will take care to prepare you and please you first. That will make the pain less. And later, once you're used to me, you will feel pleasure again."
Neither of us wanted to move, but the sun was beginning to sink. It was time for us to return to the camp for our wedding supper. Arnaut stood and helped me to rise from the ground. As soon as I was standing, I threw my arms around him and kissed him deeply. He held me to him and returned my kiss. When our embrace broke, he picked up his cloak and gently wrapped it around me. I leaned against him and he laid his arm around my shoulders. Reluctantly, we left our private sanctuary and returned down the path to the camp.