Once she was safely in her room Virika threw the door shut and slid down so that her back scraped the rough wood. Huddled on the floor she raised her hand to her lips again—they were still swollen with Murtagh's kisses. She held her hand there for a moment hardly daring to believe what happened.
The more she thought about it, the angrier she got. How could she have responded to that—that monster? He manipulated and used her for his own selfish means! Virika was furious now and stood up her eyes flashing with irate anger.
She let out a soundless scream of rage and picking up the chest that sat on one side of the wall hurled it with all her might at the stone walls of her room. The chest hit the wall with such force that it shattered into pieces with an echoing crash. Splinters of wood from the chest flew across the room and assaulted Virika with their sharpness. Hardly feeling the pin-pricks of pain Virika let out another howl of anger before sinking back to the floor in tears.
She cried for what she had become. For letting the Queen down. For everything that had happened to her. Virika cried for all her misfortune and sobbing fell asleep.
"Why are you crying Rika?" Tanlin asked her.
13 year old Virika was crouched high in a tree her hands in her face trying to muffle her sobs. She stayed silent hoping that Tanlin would go away and leave her alone to her pity.
There was soft rustling behind Virika.
"Rika, why are you crying?" Tanlin's voice much closer now. He had scaled the tree and was sitting on a branch to the right of Virika. She sniffed trying to appear as though she hadn't been crying.
"I—I'm not crying," she said wiping her eyes.
Tanlin's bright blue eyes bored into her uneven ones. He could tell she was lying and Virika knew this. Realizing Tanlin knew brought fresh tears and Virika's sobs started again.
A soft hand on her shoulder calmed her.
"Rika," he said softly, "what's wrong?"
"I-I-I don't b-belong anywhere!" she wailed.
Tanlin's face furrowed. "Of course you do. You belong wherever you want to belong."
"N-no, I mean . . ." she broke off into sobs again, "I mean no one w-will ever l-l-love me! I'm all a-a-alone! I'll n-never get married and h-have children o-or any of that!"
"Is that why you're crying?" Tanlin asked her realization dawning on him. He cupped her small face with his large hands forcing her to look at him. "Don't worry Rika; there is someone out there for you. Don't worry. And you are loved. I love you; Geldor and Relsa love you because you're their daughter. Don't let anyone ever tell you differently."
Virika wiped her nose with her hand. "Really? You love me?"
Tanlin looked into the child's eyes and placed his hands in hers. "Of course."
"Always and forever?" she asked in child-like innocence as though nothing bad could ever happen in the world and Tanlin would be there for her.
"As long as I'm living," he said smiling at her. He tickled her arm and she giggled. "Now, what started all this?"
Virika dropped her eyes and stared at the brown bark of the branch she was sitting on. A light blush of pink spread across her cheeks. "I-I saw . . . someone with someone else . . ."
Tanlin's high bell like laughter bounced off the forest. Virika's head snapped up at the sound of his mirth. Rarely did he laugh like that.
"Is that all?" he asked her his blue eyes twinkling with amusement, "well, I can assure you that some day, you'll be those 'someone's."
Virika's blush deepened. "I'm not sure if I want to be like that!" She told him haughtily upset that he was purposely embarrassing her. "I'm never going to do anything like that where anyone can see me!"
"I think that'll change one day, when you're caught up in the moment."
"Never!" she said offended. Virika scrambled up the tree to reach a higher branch. She was smaller than Tanlin but not as quick so he was soon level with her.
"Running away, Rika?" he chuckled.
She turned to look at him, her eyes bright her tears forgotten. "No, I'm just beating you!"
Tanlin's smile grew wider. "Oh, a challenge? Well then. We'll need a wager . . . first to the top receives a kiss."
Virika watched his face for a moment to see if he was serious. Satisfied that he was she screwed her face up. "A kiss? From you? Why would I want that?"
Tanlin leaned forward so that his elfin face was only inches from her human one. "Because, then I will have stolen your first kiss, and you'll never get it back!"
Virika's face took on a look of determination. "No man, elfin or not, shall ever take my first kiss from me without permission!"
He laughed at her and without another word leapt up climbing through the branches. Virika started after him with fierce determination on her face. Faster and faster she climbed until she burst out the top of the tree.
She looked around for Tanlin but he was nowhere to be found. Virika let out a triumphant laugh. She had won! Tanlin wouldn't be taking her first kiss! She dropped down back under the cover of the foliage and sat on a branch waiting for Tanlin to come up so that she could scoff in his face about how she had won and he hadn't.
There was a rustling of leaves above her but when Virika looked there was nothing. She turned her attention back to the area in front of her and there crouched Tanlin.
Virika jumped frightened by his silent appearance but didn't lose her grip on the tree. She started to open her mouth to tell him about her victory when he suddenly leaned forward and for one soft second his smooth lips brushed hers. And then he was gone.
Virika woke from her stress induced slumber. Her face was pressed into the cold floor. Scattered around her were splinters from the chest that she had smashed against the stone walls.
There in her view was a sliver of stone about the length of her hand lying on the floor. It had obviously chipped off of the walls when she had thrown the wooden structure against it.
The piece was small, but it was triangular shaped. Virika sat up and picked it up with her hand. The edges of the stone were sharp—with a little more working it could become a weapon. Virika went into overdrive.
Searching her room she finally decided to rip the single sheet that covered her bed. Ripping of a strip of the cloth she bound the stone dagger to her thigh. She took out her long hair and dressed in a different outfit before heading to her favorite place in the castle.
In her Enchanted Forest Virika looked long and hard for another rounder stone to work her little dagger into a more dangerous shape. She finally found it by the glass-like pond. Checking around her Virika started to ply the small stone into a shape.
By late afternoon she had finished. In her hands she held a piece of stone that came to a point and had sharp serrated edges. When she drew her hand over the side of it she drew a thin pin-prick of blood from her palm. Virika smiled to herself.
She wrapped the dagger around her thigh with the bit of cloth from her blanket hoping that she would be able to keep it hidden. She was on her way back to her room when she felt that familiar burning on her ankle.
She changed her course and went to Murtagh's rooms. The door opened for her and she entered the room. Murtagh was standing at his window looking out at the sunset. Virika's hand twitched towards her newly made dagger but she held back. It wouldn't do to kill him now—not before she had found an exit.
"Come here," he said authoritatively not turning to look at her.
Virika snorted at his command but walked forward until she was standing by his side. Murtagh motioned to the scene outside of his window.
"Lovely, is it not?" he murmured.
Virika's eyes looked out on his view—this was the first chance she had at seeing where the castle was located. What she saw made her gasp.
There was nothing but sky outside his window. The setting sun dipped so low that only its dying rays were visible outside of the window. Wisps of clouds floated by in the open air.
Virika couldn't contain the gasp as all her hope of escape flew out that high window. Murtagh pulled Virika into an embrace, wrapping his arms around her body.
"Oh? Did that just ruin your plans of escape?" Murtagh muttered his mouth on her hair. Virika placed her hands on his chest to try to push away from him determined not to cry in front of him.
His arms tightened around her pinning her arms to her sides. One of Murtagh's arms draped lower on Virika his hand reaching for her dress, pulling it up and revealing her creamy thigh. Virika held in a sigh of relief as it wasn't the leg that her weapon was on.
Murtagh's hand skimmed up Virika's thigh leaving tingling trails along it. Virika's breath caught in her throat and her heart beat sped up. A low chuckled rumbled in Murtagh's chest.
Virika moved to try to pull away but Murtagh's superior strength held her against him. Her nails dug into his chest as he moved his lips from her hair to the sensitive spot behind her ear. She involuntarily arched her back pressing her hips into his.
Murtagh kissed down her neck and nipped her collar bone before covering it with his tongue. This time Virika couldn't contain her moan and Murtagh's mouth curved into a smile.
Virika's eyes drifted closed as Murtagh's mouth worked wonders on her neck and mouth while his hand on her thigh moved her back towards a wall. She sucked in a breath as her back hit the stone wall.
Murtagh released the hold on her leg and instead it traveled up her back to tangle in her hair. His lips moved from her neck to capture her lower lip in his teeth. She let out a whimper of lust as he started to suck on her lip.
Virika tried to fight the feelings that were coursing through her but her body rebelled. Thoughts swirled in her head. Hatred and lust mixed together with confusion. Murtagh's tongue entered her mouth and she gasped against him her hands tightening on his chest raking deep nail marks.
Virika's leg that didn't have the dagger came up and wrapped around Murtagh's legs pulling him closer to her. Murtagh was like a dangerous drug—her mind was telling her no, but her body seemed to want more of him.
Suddenly, Murtagh's head snapped up away from Virika. He looked down at her face, at her eyes that were shut and the way she clung to him for support. But he couldn't ignore the summons that rang in his head. The King wanted him.
He bit down on Virika's neck just hard enough to draw a tiny droplet of blood. He licked up the spot before moving away from her.
"I've claimed you as mine," he said with a smirk. "Wait here."
And then he exited the room leaving Virika to slide down the wall and hug her arms to herself wondering what brought out this—this harlot side of herself.
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Oh snap! It's starting to get steamy, no? Review please! :)