Author: Triane
Disclaimer: Not. Mine. Except Iona. Everything else belongs to someone else.
Summary: Iona finds what she was looking for.
A warm west wind was blowing as Dagonet and Iona stepped out the back door of the tavern, and it pushed them in a meandering, leisurely path around the compound; through the square, to the top of the wall, around the stables. Dagonet had hesitantly reached out and taken Iona's hand, linking their fingers together when she surrendered it willingly, which sent the butterflies in her stomach into an enthusiastic cheerleading routine. Iona was studiously looking everywhere except at Dagonet, otherwise she would have seen the goofiest grin on his face as they strolled around the fort.
The stables were dark and warm as they entered, lit only by a single lamp in the middle of the long room. Both ends of the building were open doors, and the long walls were a series of large stalls that each housed a knights' horse and all his equipment. Dagonet's warhorse, Agravain, nickered softly and stared at Iona with one dark eye as they entered the stall, and she pressed back against Dagonet instead of moving forward, not wanting to do anything to spook the big stallion. She didn't know a lot about horses, but did know that they could be dangerous – especially these horses, who routinely carried their masters into battle.
"Here. Let him smell you." Dagonet stood behind Iona and cupped her hand in his, placing it near Agravain's soft muzzle so the dark horse could breath in her scent as Dagonet spoke softly to him in Sarmatian. The horse huffed his approval and nudged Iona's arm so she would scratch his head. She obliged, smiling as the big horse groaned in contentment and rested his forehead against her shoulder. She laughed and looked up at Dagonet with shining eyes, her hand rubbing Agravain's forelock. Dagonet looked at her, with her dark hair coming loose and her brown eyes sparkling, and felt his heart expand. In one smooth motion, he bent and captured the back of her head in his big hand, pressing a kiss to her lips.
Iona gasped in surprise, but forgot everything else as she kissed Dagonet back, loving the feeling of his strong arms around her and his broad shoulders under her hands. How are his lips so…soft? They broke apart for breath a few minutes later, and Dagonet pressed his forehead to Iona's, rubbing her back in relaxed circles with his calloused hands.
A sudden movement caught their attention, and they looked up to see Tristan standing outside the stall with his eyebrows raised. Iona squeaked in surprise and embarrassment, shrinking to stand behind Dagonet. The big man looked unashamedly at the scout, who just shook his head.
"About time." Then he was gone as silently as he came. Dagonet turned to see Iona standing with her hands knotted in front of her, her bottom lip caught between her teeth. She looked so adorable that Dagonet grinned and reached for her, but she pursed her lips at him, started to speak, stopped, and then started again with her eyes glued to the floor.
"I do not know… Dag, I was married, but it was to someone I had known all my life. There was no courtship, no romance…it was just expected that we would be married, and so we were. He was the only one I have ever known. I do not know how to do…this…" Iona looked up hesitantly, and saw that Dagonet had somehow moved right in front of her, close enough that she had to tip her head way up to see his face. His voice was soft.
"I don't know how a man could have a woman like you and not worship her...how he could have even thought about another woman with you as his wife." Iona looked down in humiliation.
"Well…maybe I…well…" Dagonet's brow lowered, and he bent so he could look Iona in the eye, tipping her chin up so she would meet his gaze.
"Some men...like Lancelot...don't want to be faithful. Don't want just one woman. But the difference between him and your dog of a husband is that he doesn't pretend. He doesn't lead the tavern girls on. They know not to expect more from him." Iona's eyes were so sad that Dagonet cupped her face in his hands and kissed her forehead gently.
"You are amazing, Iona. You are intelligent, warm, caring, beautiful, and enchanting to watch. And so tempting that these last seven months have been very hard." Iona's cheeks flushed in embarrassment, and Dagonet's brow lowered again, but this time with a devilish look in his eye.
"You just need to know what it is to be appreciated by someone who cares for you." Iona noticed the change in his voice and looked up, mesmerized by the fire in his gaze.
"I-I do?" Dagonet nodded slowly, running his calloused thumb over her bottom lip with a feather-light touch.
"Your heart needs to race and your skin needs to prickle when someone touches you." Iona blinked owlishly, feeling her heart pounding in her ears and under Dagonet's gentle fingers at her throat. His hands slid down her back to her waist and back up again.
"Your throat and lips need to go dry when you're waiting for a kiss." Iona's tongue slipped out to moisten her lips, and Dagonet groaned softly.
"And then you need to feel the frustration when that kiss doesn't come." Iona sighed.
"But…but why?" Dagonet dipped his head, his voice just a rumble.
"So that when it does come, it's even sweeter." Dagonet moved the last few centimetres separating them and pressed his lips to hers; Iona melted into him, her eyes fluttering closed and her hands sliding up his strong arms to his shoulders and neck. Dagonet wrapped his arms around her and picked her up so that she was pressed against the whole solid length of him, her arms around his shoulders and one small hand at the back of his head.
Iona didn't know if the kiss lasted for seconds or hours - she only knew that she never wanted it to end. So when she felt solid ground beneath her feet again, she groaned in frustration and pressed more insistently against Dagonet. He chuckled deep in his throat and pulled back slightly, his eyes velvety in the lamplight.
"Iona?" The soberness in his voice cut through the fog in her mind and she looked up at him in surprise.
"I'm not your husband." She frowned slightly, not knowing what he was getting at.
"I know." He nodded, tracing the smooth line of her chin with his fingers.
"And I'm never going to intentionally hurt you in any way." Iona's heart flushed with warmth and the butterflies in her stomach did back flips.
"I know, Dagonet." He smiled down at her and kissed her again softly.
"Come with me?" Iona searched his gaze for a long moment, knowing what he was asking, thinking about everything she knew about Alex, and everything she knew about Dagonet. Night and day, the two of them. Or knight and day. He is nothing like Alexander.
And then she smiled.