IMPORTANT NOTE:
This is my smut chapter. Needless to say, things get a bit...dare I say...adult in this upcoming part. I tried to keep things pg-13, so if you are under 13 or you don't like to read this kind of stuff you can skip this chapter as not much plot development happens. Not to say that I didn't read this kind of thing when I was a curious 13 year old. But, you have been warned!
Also, this is probably my third to last chapter in this story. I really appreciate all the wonderful feedback and I'm glad that people are reading and enjoying the random babblings of my mind!
As soon as Churchill had said his last word, Alek turned to speak with Deryn and grabbed her shoulder. When she looked up at him there was no fear in her eyes, only a deep sadness. He wanted to comfort her then but someone yanked her away from him and out of the courtroom before he even had a chance to say goodbye.
They let him sit in silence for a few minutes as the people slowly exited the courtroom. Various people would call out to him from the crowd.
"Don't give up son!" Said a middle aged soldier. He gave Alek a warm smile before someone shoved him out of the way.
"Retched Clanker!" Shouted an elderly woman behind him, "That poor girl doesn't deserve the likes of you!"
"Shut it granny! He just tried to save her life!"
"I highly doubt that. Seems like he just used her like any man would. Poor thing won't ever see the light of day again thanks to him!"
Alek tried to ignore the jeers and was grateful when someone returned with the wheelchair. He didn't even notice that it was Newkirk until he was pushing him outside and away from the noisy swarm of Londoners.
Newkirk didn't speak and Alek didn't feel like talking anyway so they both remained quiet. The midshipman led the wheelchair back toward the bus and several other soldiers helped tie the chair down before the vehicle began to move.
He didn't pay attention to his surroundings or spoke to anyone throughout the ride. The strange saber tooth tiger pulled the carriage down a road beside a large river. Alek found that he didn't care where they took him next. He was too busy thinking about what had just happened.
Where had he gotten the courage to say such a ridiculous statement? Did he really expect them to believe that Deryn was pregnant? He was a horrible liar, and Winston Churchill obviously knew he was lying. But what else could he have done?
His mind drifted back to what the old woman had yelled at him before he left. She was right; Deryn would never see the light of day again because of him. They would find out soon enough that she wasn't pregnant and then execute her. He imagined her hanging from the gallows, her slim form swaying in the breeze. It made him nauseous and he dropped his head into his hands with a soft whimper.
The bus pulled to a stop and he was roughly wheeled outside and down a rickety path toward a medieval looking building. Inside they passed through dark eerie hallways lit with kerosene lamps. Voices would echo from the dark but Alek saw no other people in the building. They turned into a narrow corridor and Alek wrapped his arms around himself, suddenly very cold.
Instead of the elegant marble and wood trim of the courtroom, the hallway was lined with stone bricks and a worn cobblestone floor. Eventually they began to pass doorways. These were solid wood and immensely old. Alek noticed that they didn't have door handles and a few were secured with iron chains.
"This is a dungeon, isn't it?" He asked Newkirk. The middie didn't answer for a few moments and Alek thought he wasn't going to say anything until he finally responded.
"Aye sir, this would be the Tower of London." He sounded scared himself if not awestruck.
They passed several more doors before stopping in front of short one off to the side and in a corner. The doorframe was barely four feet tall and there was a small window toward the top lined with bars.
Newkirk removed a ring of keys from his pocket and moved to unlock the door. When he turned back to Alek his face was grave and serious.
"You have an hour." He said, then grabbed Alek by the forearm and shoved him inside before slamming and locking the door behind him.
"Wait!" Alek shouted back. He pushed his face to the barred window and saw Newkirk run off with the wheelchair, alone, back down the narrow hallway. "An hour for what?" He yelled again, but Newkirk was long gone.
"Alek?" Said a soft voice from behind him. He jumped and banged his head on the low ceiling. The voice was Deryn's.
An hour to say goodbye. Alek thought miserably. He couldn't see in the little cell he was locked in, but he was sure that Deryn was in there with him. Crouching so he didn't hit his head again, Alek fumbled around in the darkness until he found her lying down in a bed of straw toward the back of the cell.
"Deryn! Are you alright? I didn't think…." She didn't let him finish and instead pulled him down into her arms and kissed him.
Alek had not been expecting that. In fact he was more expecting her to punch him after what he had just said in the courtroom about her. He sat there motionless, not knowing what to do as she pressed her lips against his. She held him there for a moment then seemed to notice he was shivering and let go.
"Alek, relax, if you don't want to, I'll stop." She sounded sad and hurt.
"NO! I mean…. God's wounds Deryn I hadn't thought you felt that way. I'm just a bit shocked is all."
So she had feelings for him. He didn't really know what to think of that. A part of him was ecstatic, although he couldn't understand why. Did he have feelings for her as well? He obviously couldn't stop thinking about her these past few weeks and he couldn't deny the strange desire he had to kiss her back.
He felt her hands inch up his spine and stop at the base of his neck. With the smallest tug she was desperately trying to pull him back toward her again. Alek could feel the need in her touch and without thinking about it anymore swooped down and kissed her.
It was passionate and long and he shuddered when she let out an aching moan.
So this is what kissing is like, he thought. It was even more enjoyable then he had imagined. His heart was beating in his throat and he was terrified he'd somehow mess up and make a fool of himself but Deryn didn't notice. She seemed to be enjoying it as much as he was which just made Alek more excited.
When she put her tongue in his mouth he almost pulled away he was so startled. He had never heard of anyone doing that before. Although shocking and a bit vulgar he had to admit that it was quite nice. Gradually he even slipped his own tongue into her mouth which she awarded him with another soft moan. But when she began to unbutton his pants he had to stop her.
"Deryn…I… I can't." He gasped and pushed her hands away. His eyes had become adjusted to the dim light that shown through the door window so he could see the disappointment on her face.
"Alek," She whispered. Gently she brushed the bangs off his brow and kissed him there. "Please Alek, this is my last chance."
Dread and shame filled his heart. Of course she wanted to continue, they were going to kill her once they found out she wasn't pregnant. Unless….
"You want me to impregnate you, is that it?" Suddenly disgusted he unwrapped her legs which were twisted around his waist and tried to shove away from her.
"Don't be ridiculous, you ninny. A pregnancy test won't work after one night! And besides, I would never do it for that reason!" He saw the pain in her eyes and realized the mistake he had just made. They really only had this short amount of time before Newkirk came back a dragged Alek away from her forever. Why was he wasting it with these petty arguments?
"I'm sorry." He mumbled. "I'm just, I'm scared Deryn. I've never done any of this before and…and I don't want them to kill you."
She looked at him with the saddest and prettiest eyes he had ever seen. She really was pretty, why had he never noticed it before? The soft skin, golden hair and those steel blue eyes, it was enough to drive him crazy.
He wrapped his arms around her and she complied with delicate kisses down his cheek and neck. Before long she pulled him on top of her in the pile of straw. Between the kisses she had undone his belt and pants and began touching him in places that made Alek gasp and flush. Meanwhile she was whispering in his ear, begging him to do things to her that caused him to gulp and shudder.
I'm a Prince! he thought to himself, Not some lovesick farm boy after a drunken village dance! But there was no use in trying to stop himself now. He sighed and gently lifted up the skirts of her dress.