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Chapter 2

Four years had passed since Serina and Tristan first kissed inside the Knights stables. Tristan had kept the hawk and named her Serenity. She was a moody bird sometimes that didn't like when Serina was around Tristan.
Tristan true to his word to not only show Serina sides of him he never wished for anyone to see, but to also make others fear him. And he had. Eight years into his service to Rome Tristan was known for his expert skills with a sword, knives, and a bow but he also honed his scouting skills so well that Arthur made Tristan his number one scout. After much pleading and begging and, eventually, pouting, Tristan agreed to teach Serina how to fire an arrow properly and the basics on how to protect herself with a dagger and sword.

Of course what Serina never knew was that he only agreed to teach her after gaining permission from Arthur and Jols. Serina still helped out at the Knights stable every now and then, other than tending to Kalo everyday, but helped out more at the tavern than anywhere else. Vanora and Bors finally got their own home after Vanora got pregnant for the first time four years ago.

Vanora was due to have their fourth child any day now, so Serina commanded that Vanora do nothing more than clear and wipe off the tables while Serina take care of everything else. Many called Serina brave to boss around a spitfire like Vanora, but then again Vanora knew that if she pushed Serina too far that Serina would take her home under the guise of helping her to take a short rest and tie her to her bed while she napped. She had done it when Vanora had almost made herself sick refusing to take it easy after Serina had told her to multiple times.

Not many knew it but Serina had a bit of a wicked streak in her. Serina's little group of Knights walked into the tavern for their midday meal. Serina looked up and found the beautiful hazel eyes that made her heart stop every time looking back at her. She gave him a smile and he gave her a small smile back. Tristan and Serina never showed affection for each other around others.

It wasn't that they didn't want others to know about them, it was just that Tristan was a very private person and Serina respected that and only the only time that Tristan ever allowed Serina to show affection for him in public was if they wouldn't get caught. There had been a couple of times over the years that Serina had gotten too excited to remember the rule and grabbed Tristan's hand and dragged him through the fort to whatever it was that had caused her excitement in the first place, but Tristan allowed times like those.

Over the years Tristan decided to let his face hair grow and now had a mustache and beard that he kept tamed. He also let his hair grow to his shoulders and it was always loose except for a few sections that he kept in braids. One night in Tristan's room after he had been cut badly on his left shoulder blade, Serina was in his room keeping in company since he would allow no one else to enter his room.

She had been sitting behind him gently washing his would and then applied a healing ointment she had made before re-wrapping the wound. She sat there for a moment and played with his hair. It was funny to think that such a big, frightening man capable of kills dozens at a time, had such an intimate weakness. Serina would play with his hair and the frightening scout became like soft clay in her hands. She had asked Tristan if she could try something with his hair and he reluctantly agreed.

She had placed a couple of braids in different places all over his head and had agreed to let them stay. That had been almost two years ago. Now, he walked into the tavern with Lancelot, Galahad, Gawain, Arthur, Dagonet, and Bors. Serina stood behind the bar holding Three, Vanora and Bors latest child, on her hip while she fixed each man a cup of ale and put it on a serving tray. Picking up the tray in one hand and a full pitcher of ale with the hand attached to the arm that was holding Three, Serina walked towards their table and placed the tray on the table.

"Bors, if you grab that pitcher full of ale you shall find it broken over your thick skull. Besides, after you have finished your meal, you are taking Vanora and your children home." Serina said in a commanding voice that had Bors' hand stopping in midair from grabbing the pitcher. "I am?" Bors said in a tone really hoping she was joking. "Yes, you are. And if I find out that you took Vanora home and left her there with the children, I shall personally shoot you in the ass with my new bow. And I shall have Dagonet pull it out. Painfully." Serina said giving him a look that said she meant business while passing out cups and placing the pitcher in the middle of the table for the men.

Serina handed Bors youngest child to him and walked back to the bar to fix their meals. Cutting up a freshly baked loaf of bread, thick slices of cheese, and some re-heated chicken that was cooked the night before and placed it all on plates and took the serving tray back to the Knights table and passed out plates.

"Serina, you are too good to us." Lancelot said after biting into each item on his plate. "Be sure to remember that next time I need a favor from you." Serina said smiling at Lancelot. "But I offer you favors all the time and you always refuse." Lancelot said with a charming grin on his face. As the years went Lancelot's offers to warm his bed went from joking to genuine. After a couple of years Lancelot stopped seeing her as a sister and more of a beautiful woman.

"And you can keep your whoring favors, where I am concerned. I know who all has warmed your bed lately, and let me just tell you, you should be ashamed of yourself. Whores don't keep quiet about what goes on behind the door at night." Serina said with a serious face as she took Three from Bors so he could eat and picked up the serving tray and headed back towards the bar.

Even during the midday meal, Tristan would sit in his corner with just his chair, stool, and small table. "Vanora, when Bors takes you and the children home, I expect you to behave yourself. Don't go giving Bors a hard time. I know you are ready to have that baby, but complaining about it will get you nowhere but upset and the healer said it is not good for the baby." Serina said while fixing Tristan's plate and cup.
Picking up the plate in one hand and cup in the other, Serina walked towards Tristan when Vanora responded.

"Wait until you start having children, you little spitfire you, and then we will see who gets to make the rules around here." Vanora said in a tone that sounded like a threat. "Yes, well hopefully when I start having my own children, I will have a man that will not be afraid to make me do what is best for our baby and take care of me." Serina said walking up to Tristan. Tristan grabbed his cup from the hand that was holding Three up and made sure to cover her hand with his while she put his plate on the small table. Looking up into Serina's eyes, Tristan had a smirk on his face.

"What?" Serina asked in a low voice so as to not draw attention to themselves. "Motherhood becomes you. Three looks right at home on your hip." Tristan also said in a low voice watching her pulse beat faster at the base of her neck. "Alright woman, hand me my child. We have a mission in the morning and Vanora is rather fond of my ass." Bors said loudly from a table away making Serina jump in surprise.

Serina slowly slid her hand out from under Tristan's and turned to hand Bors his youngest child.

That night after closing down the tavern for the night, Serina was utterly tired. Commanding the tavern maids to work instead of flirt with the customers was hard enough since almost every single one of them acted like a cat in heat, but then fixing and serving supper plates and serving and refilling cups of ale on a night where it seemed packed from wall to wall, Serina was exhausted.

She didn't see Tristan in his corner and sadly assumed that he returned to his room for the night. Serina locked up and headed in the direction of her Uncle's house. A year and a half ago Arthur requested that Jols take a room close to his in the fortress that way Jols would be close at hand in case Arthur needed him. Arthur said that Jols could keep his small home and left Serina to live and care for it. Young, unmarried women didn't normally have their own homes, but then again, young, unmarried women didn't do alot of things that she did. After reaching her home safely, Serina let herself in to see a fire burning in the fireplace. It was in that moment that someone reached out and grabbed her.

One arm captured her waist and rested on her soft stomach, pushing her back tightly against the intruders front, while the other covered her mouth and trapped the scared scream she let out. "You should learn to secure your home properly, my little temptress." Tristan said in a soft deep voice against her ear.
Feeling her relax Tristan removed his hand from her mouth and slid it down the colum of her throat until just his thumb and forefinger encircled her neck, feeling her pulse go wild, while the rest of his hand rested against her chest just above her breasts. Tristan had to admit that over the past four years that Serina's body had filled out to his liking.

Her hips and breasts had filled out, and while her stomach was still flat, it was soft, as a woman should be in his opinion. It was at moments like this that Tristan told himself that kissing her all those years ago was the right thing to do. He had especially told himself that the first time he had gotten her into his bed.

Technically it had been him in her bed since it had been the bed available. He only half meant to do it, while the other half told him he shouldn't. His darker side had won and he had enjoyed every moment with Serina's lovely body in that bed. It had been a month after Jols had moved out and into the fortress and he had ended staying the night with her, having been too tired to leave the warm bed to walk back to his cold one.

"I do secure my house properly, my dear Knight, but you still keep breaking into my house." Serina said in a breathless voice due to her fast breathing. "It is to let you know that you can never lock me out, no matter how hard you try." Tristan said nuzzling her behind the ear he was talking into.

"Your daisy was missing today. I noticed it when I walked into the tavern at midday." Tristan said still behind her ear. "Three ate it not long before you came in for your midday meal." Serina said her voice returning to normal.
" Did I mention that you looked good with a baby in your arms?" Tristan said knowing he shouldn't start the topic but wanting to tell her anyway. "No you didn't. But maybe someday I will hold a baby of my own in my arms. And I also hope that the baby will be not only mine, but yours as well." Serina said in a hopeful tone that didn't really hold any hope in it. "You know how I feel about children. Especially sons. I would never wish my life on any of my sons." Tristan said in a voice saying that he didn't want to have that discussion again.

"I know, Tristan. But I can always wish that you would change your mind." Serina said in a sad voice that Tristan hated to hear. That tone always managed to chip at the soft spots in his rock hard four years of secretly being together, Serina wished to settle down and get married and have children of her own with Tristan. Tristan, on the other hand, had no desire to marry and have children.

After four years of being with Serina, Tristan knew he loved her. He had never told Serina that, not wanting to give her false hope in thinking that her dreams of a marriage and a family might come true. Tristan hated to deny Serina anything that was within his power to give and after the fourth argument of the subject, Serina stopped bringing up the topic. He could tell she was mildly unhappy with the way things were, and he really tried to make up for it when and where he could.

Tristan let go of Serina and led her to a table with a plate with some bread, cheese, cold chicken, and a small apple tart that Tristan had snatched from the fortress kitchen. After sitting an exhausted Serina down into a chair and ordering her to eat, Tristan checked every dark corner and hiding place he could think of to make sure they were the only two in the house. Satisfied with his search, Tristan returned to the front room of the house to see Serina had finished her plate of food and was now fighting to not fall asleep in her chair.

Sighing with a small smile on his face, Tristan walked to Serina and started to help her out of her dress and into her night dress. After accomplishing that task, Tristan picked Serina up and cradled her in his arms. Tristan placed Serina in the middle of her bed and pulled the blankets up to her shoulders after she turned onto her side facing him. "Will you stay tonight?" Serina mumbled with her eyes closed.

"I wish I could, Temptress, but I have to wake at dawn and scout ahead before the rest of the knights start out on the mission tomorrow. We shall only be gone a couple of days. Rumors have been heard that large numbers of Woads have been spotted near a village a few day ride from here." Tristan said petting her hair the way he knew she liked.

"Please be safe, Tristan. I do not know what I would do if something happened to you." Serina said opening up her tired eyes to look up at Tristan's face. "I will have Serenity bring you something every day to let you know I am coming back." Tristan said laughing at how she would take that news. "I wish I had never given you that demon bird. I should have let the stable cats eat her." Serina said closing her eyes again.

"Sleep, Serina. You have had a very tiring day. I will be back before you have enough spare time to miss me." Tristan said placing a kiss on her temple and then her soft parted lips. After hearing her breathing change to let him know she was now sleeping, Tristan got up, put a few extra logs in the fire, and left her house, making sure the door was secure for he walked off in the direction of the building containing the rooms of Arthur Castus's Sarmatian Knights.

Serina woke the next morning wondering how she had gotten out of her dress, into her night dress, and into bed the night before. Looking towards her table, Serina smiled remembering.

Tristan had broke into her house and waited for her there, as he sometimes did. Like he must have done before he left for his scouting mission because there was a fresh apple sitting on her table. Serina reluctantly got out of bed and went to the trunk at the end of her bed. Flipping open the lid she dug out a dark green and put it on.
Serina washed up with the cold water in her corner basin, brushed and pinned up her hair.

Grabbing the apple from her table, Serina walked out of her house and towards the stable to tend to Kalo. Walking into the stable Serina noticed that all of the Knights horses were gone. Walking up to Kalo's stall Serina fed him a slice of apple that she had carved out. "I see Tristan's mission this morning was a success, considering that you are in here all alone." Serina said leading him from his stall to feed and brush him down.

After brushing Kalo down Serina decided to take him out for a ride. Serina saddled Kalo and grabbed her travel packs, deciding to ride out to the forest to gather some fresh apples and herbs. Serina had been out for about three hours and was taking a short break when she heard a familiar screech. Serina smiled looking up at the sky and gave a whistle Tristan had taught her to call out to his hawk, Serenity.

After whistling two more times the hawk landed on a branch a few feet from where Serina was standing. Walking over to the devil bird, Serina took the slightly wilted daisy from its mouth and gave it a small lock of raven black hair tied together. "Please give this to Tristan so he knows I got his gift." Serina said. The hawk gave an annoyed screech and took off through the trees.

Serina watched the bird fly off and then looked down at the wilted daisy in her hands. Smiling down at the flower, Serina remembered the first time Tristan had given her one.

~Flashback~

Serina was in the forest picking wild herbs for Dagonet, the healing rooms, and herself and had been at it for a few hours. Kalo was eating grass by the pond of clear, blue water when Serina heard him whinny suddenly. Serina straightened and looked around for what had caused Kalo's unease.

Tristan had warned her to be careful when she was in the forest. It wasn't so much the animals that he was worried about as the Woads. Tristan had told her that his past few scouting missions he had discovered a number of different footprints a few miles within reach of Hadrian's Wall. It had been a year since Serina and Tristan had kissed in the Knights stables and secretly started seeing each other.

They didn't get to spend much time together but made as much time for each other as they could, even if it wasn't much. Serina didn't see anything after a few minutes and went back to picking some sage and mint she had found. "If I was a Woad, you would already be either dead or kidnaped." Said a deep voice from behind her. Serina jumped and spun around pointing her herbal knife at the man standing behind her.

Seeing Tristan leaning against a tree behind her made her relax quickly. "Tristan! You nearly scared the life out of me." Serina putting her knife down with the herbs she had collected. "And if you had been a Woad, I believe they would kill me before they would spirit me away, Sir Knight" Serina said with a smile.

"They have been known to take beautiful women now and then. If they truly desire them." Tristan said pushing from the tree and slowly walking towards her. "I thought the scouting party was out on a mission and might not be back until tomorrow." Serina said as Tristan stood right in front of her.

"We finished sooner than expected. I reported back to Arthur and when I stopped by the tavern for a drink Vanora told me you were out gathering herbs." Tristan said giving her a look she had seen on his face many times over the past year. Serina sighed.

"Alright. What have I done to deserve the disapproving look?" Serina asked. "I asked you to be careful when you come to collect herbs. I believe I told you to start bringing a stable lad or someone with you when you come out here." Tristan said with annoyance.

"I cannot just drag a poor stable boy, who has enough of his own work to do, out here in the forest to watch me pick herbs. And he certainly cannot help me pick anything because he might pick something poisonous by mistake." Serina said giving him a look that said 'now-counter-that-argument'.

"Then bring one of the young boys that work with a healer. Surely the Healer can tell you no if he is coming to help you pick herbs he will have to recognize and use." Tristan said back. Serina huffed and placed her fists against her waist. 'Now why did I not think something like that?' Serina thought to herself. "Okay. The next time I come to pick herbs and you are away I shall ask Naley if I may borrow one of her lads to come with me. Are you satisfied now?" Serina asked lifting her chin at Tristan.

Tristan looked down at her with a smirk on his handsomely rugged face. Leaning down, Tristan placed a soft kiss on her lips. What she didn't feel was the small daisy that he gently placed in her hair above her ear. Serina had told him once when he had accompanied her to the forest that she loved daisies. They weren't the prettiest of flowers but they had a simple beauty that she thought made her like them. Tristan had been tracking her when he spotted the white flower out of the corner of his eye.

He had looked at it for a second before he decided to bring it to Serina. Not that he knew how he was to give it to her. Even after a year, Tristan still had a problem telling or showing her how he really felt for her. He knew that she knew that he liked her and that she liked him, but he had a problem showing or telling her that.

For the past five years Tristan had been burying friends who had died on the battlefield and had killed even more men on the battlefield as well. Because of that he had learned to control his emotions and showed very little. But for the last year, because of Serina, he had tried to show her a little bit more behind his stone cold killers mask. He was not always successful the way he wanted to be, but Serina seemed to enjoy what she could get.

Leaning back from the kiss, Tristan looked down at Serina and still wondered what a beautiful woman like her saw in a black hearted killer like him. But in that moment, with her looking up at him with those beautiful dazed blue eyes, flowing black hair, pink cheeks, and glossy lips, he didn't care what had made her have feelings for him, he was just glad that she did. It almost made him feel worthy of her feelings towards him.

Tristan had stayed with her for a while longer before making her pack up and go back to the Wall. Although not happy about it, Serina did as Tristan had said and went back. Tristan had stayed a while longer to check out around the area where Serina usually picked her herbs. Only to find something that had disturbed him greatly. Old and new of what appeared to be the footprints of a man. A man hiding in the shadows watching Serina.

Footprints belonging to a Woad.

~End Flashback~

Serina tucked the flower into one of her locks of hair that she had pinned up and continued to pick more herbs. Serina had just finished peeling off some bark off of a willow tree when she heard a twig snap. Quickly turning in the direction of the noise, Serina grabbed a knife she kept in her boot and got ready to throw it if need be.

A minute later a tall lanky blonde boy walked into the clearing leading a young horse. Recognizing the boy Serina let out a breath she hadn't known she had been holding. "Jonas, what in the blazes are you doing here? I could have hurt you." Serina said replacing the knife in her boot.

Jonas was a tall boy of sixteen years and worked as an apprentice in the healing rooms with the old female healer, Naley. "Naley sent me to fetch you. She heard you were coming to collect herbs and such today and asked me to bring you back to her. She said that Vanora has went into labor and is in need of large amounts of white willow bark for tea. She wishes you to come back as soon as you can with as much as you can collect because there are a number of women who are close to giving birth at the Wall." Jonas said just a tad nervous.

Serina started at the news that Vanora had went into labor. Jump starting into action Serina told Jonas to come close and hold her bag open so she could just peel it off and throw it in her bag as quickly as possible. After 30 minutes Serina and Jonas had collected at least three pounds of white willow bark and were galloping back towards the Wall.

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Three days later Arthur and the Knights had returned to Hadrian's Wall with only some cuts and bruises. The Knights had heard of the birth of Bors and Vanora's new baby daughter, named Four. Vanora had delivered Four two days before and Serina had been helping Vanora out with One, Two, and Three.

Serina would take the children to the stables and to the tavern with her so Vanora could focus on Four. Before her night shift at the tavern, Serina would take the children back to Vanora and stay at Vanora and Bors' house to help as much as she could after her night shifts. Vanora told her that she didn't have to go through all of the trouble, but if she were being honest with herself, Serina did it so she wouldn't miss Tristan so much.

The day the Knights had gotten home they each had stopped by to see the new baby and had decided to go out and celebrate. That had been around mid-afternoon. That had been eight hours ago. Serina was sitting in a rocking chair in front of a fire, holding Four while she slept. Serina had helped Vanora put the first three to bed and seeing how tired Vanora was, Serina told her to get some sleep, as it was unlikely that Bors' would be coming home that night.

'He is probably passed out in a empty stall again. It seems to be the place the other knights always put him after he has had too much to drink after each new baby.' Serina thought not understanding how Vanora put up with all of his drinking. Serina had her head leaned against the back of the chair with her eyes closed when she felt a warm calloused hand on the side of her bare neck. Smiling Serina kept her eyes closed, knowing it was Tristan.

"It is rude to break into the home of others, my dear knight." Serina whispered, keeping her eyes closed and just enjoying the feel of his hand on her neck. "It is not breaking in if the door is not locked properly." Tristan said in a soft voice. 'Gods, she's beautiful.' Tristan thought looking down at her.

She was sitting in a straight backed rocking chair holding Vanora and Bors' newest addition in her arms. She wore a white linen dress that had a slightly low cut neck and her raven black curls were all pinned up, with the daisy he had sent before their arrival at the Wall that morning.

The firelight that played across her pale skin made her look like some sort of exotic goddess. He could barely make out the mass of pale freckles that spanned across her nose and cheeks. Seeing her holding that baby girl in front of the fire with a content smile on her face almost made him wish he would change his mind about giving her the baby she so badly wanted from him.

He couldn't deny that he would love her give her the family and children she desired from him, he knew it was the one thing she wished above all others from him, knew that in granting it it would put a glow in her eyes that he only ever seen when she was holding or playing with one of Vanora and Bors' brood. But he also seen sadness mixed with that glow. He knew it was his fault that that sadness was there.

But that sadness would be nothing compared to when the Romans came to take their eldest son away and lead a life like the one he was currently living. In his own twisted way, he was protecting her from more sadness that would come in the future. "Is there a reason you tracked me down at Vanora's?" Serina said finally opening her beautiful blue eyes and looking up at Tristan. When she looked at him like that it he felt desire punch him in the gut.

It made him want to demand Vanora care for her own child and carry her off to her house, strip her out of her dress, throw her on her bed, and completely ravage her for the remainder of the night. He knew he wouldn't do it though. Maybe he wouldn't do it.

"I went by your house and it was cold and dark inside. I knew if you were not there, then you had to be here." Tristan said still stroking her bare neck. "Dear Knight, it is most un-gentlemanly of you to break into my home. Especially when I am not there." Serina said with a teasing smile. Tristan's eyes darkened as he looked down at her. "I am no gentleman, Temptress." Tristan said in a deep voice.

Serina's eyes darkened just a shade and her skin flushed slightly thinking about just how un-gentlemanly he could be. "You most certainly are not, my dear Knight." Serina said with a tone laced with desire. "Serina." Tristan said in warning. Serina got up and disappeared into Vanora's room and came back empty handed.

"I suppose I am going to go home now. I assume you lit a fire in my fireplace?" Serina asked Tristan with the same tone she had used with him before she had returned the baby. "Yes. Serina, I am waring you." Tristan warned her again, knowing full well when she got that look in her eyes, there was next to no stopping her. 'That is not the only place you have set a fire, my love.' Serina thought looking at him with lust in her eyes.

She knew that he was warning her that he was in no teasing mood but she also knew he wanted her as bad, if not more, than she wanted him.

And if that was the case, she would not be denied. Serina walked up to Tristan, placed her hand on his cheek, pulled his head down, and gave him a passionate, but simple kiss. Pulling back, Serina knew she would have him in her bed that night when she looked into his eyes.

"I shall see you when I see you, my dear Knight." Serina said walking out of Vanora and Bors' home.

Serina's house was a five minute walk from Vanora's home and Serina walked as calmly as she could manage. Which was quite a feat considering that she had wanted to bolt straight to her house as soon as she had closed Vanora's door.

Serina reached her house and walked inside to see a large fire burning in her fireplace. The fire in the fireplace almost matched the fire within Serina at that moment. Serina heard the door bolt shut and the next thing she knew she was slammed against the cool wood. Serina's body was pinned to her door by a taller, firmer body than her own. Both of her wrists were captured and pinned against the door above her head.

Serina felt her dress pulled up to her knees and a strong arm reach underneath her bottom and was lifted up and against the body in front of her. Serina wrapped her legs around Tristan's waist at the same time his lips came crashing down onto hers. Serina wasn't scared of Tristan being so aggressive, but became more excited than she had been before she had walked through her door.

She didn't know how Tristan had beaten her to her house, and she didn't care. Serina lifted her hips just enough to rub against the bulge in Tristan's pants, starting to ache just slightly. She knew, that before Tristan was through with her, she would ache much more than she was now. Feeling her rub against him, Tristan completely pinned her against the door. 'The things this woman does to me.' Tristan thought as he completely ravaged Serina's mouth.

She made him burn hotter than anything he had ever felt and she could do it in a matter of minutes. He had known she was tired and he wanted to let her sleep, but then her eyes had darkened with desire and her voice laced with lust and he knew she meant to seduce him this night.

He had tried to warn her that he had been too long without her but she didn't seem to care. He knew that if he didn't watch himself her might get too rough with her, but she never seemed to mind the few times he had. She had actually seemed to like it.

Tristan released her wrists and she instantly buried them into his hair. Tristan's free hand went to her hair as well, to free it from the many pins that held her beautiful silky hair captive. Tristan didn't bother with putting them in a proper place but just let them fall to the floor with a slight tink. Their breathing had become short and choppy rather quickly and Tristan was in no mood to play.

With her hair now free from its pins, Tristan placed his hand between her shoulder-blades and pushed them off of her door and walked to her bedroom. Tristan placed her on her bed non-to-gently and fell down with her. Tristan kicked off his boots as his mouth attacked Serina's neck, and she was more than happy to give him access to it. Serina wanted to touch and taste his skin so badly she could almost taste it.

Serina grabbed handfuls of his shirt and started to pull it over his head while he was still giving her sensitive neck wonderfully wicked attention. Forced to stop so she could remove his shirt, Tristan looked down at his beautifully wicked, seductive, and passionate lover. Serina was always beautiful to him but when her skin glowed with desire, it made her more beautiful than anything he had ever seen.

More beautiful than any jewels or treasure or creature or weaponry he had ever laid eyes on. Even more beautiful than what he could remember of his homeland. Serina got Tristan's shirt off and pulled him back down to her. She reached around his shoulders and slightly dug her nails into his back as her tongue ran up the length of his neck.
"That's very wicked of you Serina." Tristan growled against Serina's shoulder.

'And I would have you no other way.' Tristan thought and he sat up and torn Serina's dress over her shoulder and onto the floor. Tristan, very awkwardly and with Serina's help, got his pants off and onto the floor right after her dress.

Even though he would have liked to enjoy her with his hands and mouth just a bit longer, he was at his limit. Serina welcomed Tristan into her more-than-willing body and enjoyed every moment of it. Tristan made her body feel as if it was on fire. Serina was sure that no other man alive could make her feel the way Tristan when she was in his arms.
And she never intended to find out. If she were to ever loose Tristan, she would never love another man again.

Tristan would tell her to move on with her life, but he was her life and the only reason she would keep living was because she knew Tristan would never be able to look at her in the afterlife knowing that she had died because he was no longer alive.

Serina was snuggled into Tristan's side, head on his shoulder, hand on his chest, and her leg thrown over his. The blanket was tangled around their hips, how or when it had gotten there, they had no idea. Tristan had one hand behind his head and the other wrapped around Serina, slowly running a finger up and down her spine.

"Will you stay the night, Tristan?" Serina whispered while drawing invisible symbols on his chest. "Yes. I might be able to stay for a few nights, if we are careful. But Arthur wants me to lead a scouting party and check the surrounding areas for Woads. We tracked most of them not far from the village we traveled to, but a small number of them fled in this direction. Promise me you will not go out into the forest without me or Jonas, if I am not available. Promise me,Serina." Tristan said in a tone of voice that demanded total obedience.

Normally she had a bit of a problem with that tone, but she knew it was because he cared for her. "I promise, my love. I plan to stay as close as I can while you and the Knights are back at the Wall." Serina said looking up towards Tristan's, which was now looking down at her.

Tristan untangled the blanket from around their waists and pulled it up to Serina's shoulders. "Sleep now, Temptress. I know you are tired. I will be here when you wake." Tristan said placing a gentle kiss on top of her head.

Shortly after, Tristan felt Serina's breathing slow down and knew she was now asleep. He followed her shortly after.