No time to translate, and so I have to thank you for translating again, Bellydancer. A great thank you to everyone who reviewed. I hope I replied to everyone.
Illusions 41
His eyes were open, but it was too dark in the room for her to perceive an expression in them or to see whether he had really noticed her. Marian did not dare moving and felt the blood rising in her cheeks. Presently she was grateful that the room was only being lit by a pair of torches. For a brief moment Guy seemed to stare at her, and his lips moved but she could not hear anything. Then his eyes closed again slowly.
Guy!Was he…?Had Gwyneth erred? In a hurry, Marian slid from the stool and bent over Guy's motionless figure. No, he was breathing… She saw his chest moving up and down. He had wanted to say something. Maybe he had recognized her, and maybe he would wake up soon. Marian waited, but Guy did not move again and he was breathing calmly. He was asleep.
Marian settled back on the stool and waited. A few times she heard a low groan, but nothing else. The hours went by and the torches started to go out. It was even darker in the room now, and on the little table only one candle still burned. Next to it stood a jar with water and an earthen mug. Marian's back hurt, and she pushed the stool to the wall directly beside Guy's bed so that she could lean against the wall and shove the small fur from the stool behind her back. Again and again, her eyes threatened to close. No, she could not keep sitting like this, she would fall asleep, and if Guy needed her… Marian rubbed her forehead and her neck and rose. He was still lying there, asleep. By now, the bandage that Gwyneth had used to dress his wounds showed dark spots but it wasn't soaked with blood. The young woman had been right. Hopefully, there wouldn't be a fever… but Gwyneth seemed to be confident in this matter as well. The wound would heal; it was only skin-deep, Gwyneth had said.
Marian took a deep breath. This would be the last night for her to be close to Guy; tomorrow she would have to go. She wanted to pretend – if only once – as if everything was allright, as if she could turn back time. Marian knelt down beside the bed and rested her head on it. His face was so close before her, his mouth slightly open, his nose – being ever so slightly too big but nevertheless just perfect with him – that, when she saw his profile... Marian swallowed. What she was doing was crazy, but what did it matter now? It was only one last small dream she had, and which she would keep in her heart when she left. She touched his arm but he did not notice, and maybe it was better that way. When he woke up he would not want her being with him anyway. His words last evening had been clear. It was over, even if Marian was aware that she had lied to herself when she thought that she didn't want him anymore. She would probably always want him. Tears welled up in her eyes, and she hastily wiped them away. You are only sorry for yourself, it's your own fault!
This should have been the best day of their lives, a day just for them, but things had turned out differently. A fire crackled in the fireplace of the chamber that had been prepared for Gwyneth and Rhobert, and soft furs were lying on the carved bed. The door had closed behind them and they were alone. But Gwyneth noticed that Rhobert's thoughts were still with the dastardly attack on Guy. She almost wanted to smile – and this in a moment where any other bride would probably have been hurt if her groom's thoughts were not with her. I almost love him even more for that! She nestled up against him and his arms closed around her while she rested her head on his chest. "I am sure that he will be well soon", she said in a low voice. "Trust me, I have a lot of experience with wounds and would not have left him alone with Marian if I hadn't known that it wouldn't really be dangerous."
"I believe you..." Then he shook his head while he tenderly pushed her away from him and looked in her face. "I love you, Gwyneth." Rhobert's green eyes seemed to penetrate her. She felt his lips on hers, first tenderly, then more demanding, urgent. "Gwyneth!", he gasped. His hands stroked her hair, her arms and then, rather hesitantly at first, her breasts. He caressed her hips and pulled her towards him. Gwyneth unmistakably felt how much he desired her. "You are gorgeous", Rhobert said in a low voice. Suddenly she felt being lifted and laid down on the bed. She never expected anything like this, the shivers that ran down her back, and the joy that almost made her bubble over. She could feel Rhobert's admiring glances, and as sudden as the joy had come, it disappeared. If he saw her legs later on, he would probably not look at her like that any more – and his desire would fade abruptly.
"What's wrong?", asked Rhobert, who had noticed that the light in her eyes was fading away. "I will be careful, you know I will. And…" He swallowed, and his lips puckered into a shy grin. "I haven't got much expe…" He fell silent, knelt down beside the bed and took her in his arms. "I know", Gwyneth replied hesitantly. "...Can't we… turn off the light?"
"Why should we…?", Rhobert asked incredulously. Then his expression changed. "Gwyneth…" he stroked his young wife fondly. "Don't question my loving you. That what happened to you when you were small, your scars…" She flinched, because up to now, everybody had avoided talking about it at all costs. "… your scars", he repeated, and continued caressing her. "... do not change you. I have been a monk and therefore I was lucky not to have been wounded. But almost every soldier in your father's service has suffered from injuries that left scars behind. My brother Griffin once said that Morared must be blind to think him good-looking, and I myself have a long and profound scar that I sustained when I was hunting as a boy. …you will discover it soon enough… And now we will not talk about it any more – and not about turning the light off, either."
Having said that, he kissed her, and she forgot everything she wanted to reply. "Let me look at you", Rhobert said breathing heavily, and reached out for her belt. She had chosen her dress with care and had embellished it with fine embroideries, but now she asked herself why she had bothered – perhaps to draw the attention off her legs – but now she saw that it had not been necessary at all. Rhobert blinked. "Take it off", he exclaimed with a throaty voice. "Please!"
Then he rose and fiddled with his own garment that he carlessly threw on the floor. "Gwyneth!"
Rhobert was no experienced lover, and Gwyneth was almost glad about it. He was careful and gentle, and they started to discover one another. He felt her hands tenderly moving over his naked skin discovering him, he heard her groaning when he kissed and licked her breast. And he realised that she wanted him just as much as he wanted her, and then every conscious thinking stopped.
Pain, a throbbing in his temple, a sharp pang in his shoulder… What had…? He realised that he was lying on a bed, and his lids were leaden as he tried to open his eyes. He noticed something heavy on his arm and turned his head sideways.
It was still dark, and only the moonlight shone through the window; there were no candles or torches lighting the room, but without doubt there was someone lying next to him – or rather kneeling beside the bed, a woman... He could not see her face for it was covered by long dark hair. It was one of her hands that was lying on his arm, and he heard her breathing, then she slightly moved her head so that the hair fell off her face – Marian!
Then he remembered… the fight with Marian and then Morgan attacking him from behind. Aaahh, the shoulder… but obviously he had survived and Marian had stayed at his bed.
Guy's lids closed again, he would… He slid back into a deep sleep.
Had she really fallen asleep? It must have been for quite a while because the candles and the torches had gone out. Her legs had gone numb, and with a low groan Marian rose; every bone in her body was aching. Guy was still asleep. She saw his chest moving up and down and heard his regular breathing. She lightly put her hand on his forehead – no sign of a fever. Gwyneth had been right, he would soon be back on his feet again.
It was time for her to go before he woke up and found her beside his bed. She knew that he would not react well to this. Tonight she had realised something that had never crossed her mind before. Obviously, Guy had found new friends and a new home here, and she was someone who reminded him of a time he did not want to be reminded of.
She closed the door behind her quietly. Two guards were standing at the entrance of the building. "Guy!" said Marian and indicated one of them to follow her. Apparently, he realised what she wanted but he shook his head and said something in Welsh she did not unterstand. He grimaced and then went away across the courtyard, but he returned after a few minutes with a servant who accompanied her and who obviously understood enough English to make out that he was supposed to stay with Guy.
Then she returned to her rooms. Tomorrow – tomorrow she would leave to reach the ship that would take her away from Wales.
Rhobert drowsily opened his eyes as the rays of the morning sun tickled his nose, and he looked at his sleeping wife. It had been just as he had dreamt it would be. She had not even been shy but seemed to know that her body also belonged to him… He had gathered some experience with women before he had become a monk, but that was merely because it was a given thing. It resolved strain and it had sometimes been rather nice, but to sleep wit Gwyneth... Who in Heaven's name had come up with this stupid expression? He smirked and tenderly stroked Gwyneth's hand that lay on his leg. Would she be asleep for much longer? He would... At a stroke he was awake and sat up with a jerk – Guy!
His heartbeat slowed down a bit when he realised that Lady Marian would have informed them long ago if anything had happened. Nevertheless…
His abrupt movements had woken Gwyneth, who blinked tiredly first and then smiled. "Rhobert…" The happy smile let her eyes sparkle, until she saw the worry in Rhobert's face. She stroked his hand. "I think I know who you are thinking of at the moment… We should check how he is."
Rhobert bent down to his wife and kissed her cheek tenderly. "I have the most wonderful wife in the world! Any other would have told me off for having my thoughts elsewhere on the first day after the wedding, but not you."