THE COURTSHIP OF THE SPARROW-HAWK

by Cassandrala

Kili and his new bride have found happiness quicker than most, but circumstances begin to come against them, such as an abusive father, a long-forgotten seductress, and the diplomacy of the court interfering with the legalities of their marriage. But even the small sparrow-hawk is a ferocious predator, and Eila is willing to protect her husband with her life! Kili/OC Fili/OC

6. Chapter 6 - Invitation

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THE COURTSHIP OF THE SPARROW-HAWK

Chapter 6 – Invitation

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"Stay With Me" Jasmine Thompson

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Though their encounter in the hallway had not ended in the way Eila thought it would—in tears instead of kisses, in confessions instead of loving whisperings, and in hurt instead of happiness—Kili seemed determined to make her comfortable and promised her he would stay with her until the evening.

Eila could see the last rays of sun peeking through the window as it set and took a deep breath in. Though her secret had been long kept, the tears she shed over it were finished, having processed her remorse and fear while steeling herself in the confidence that her husband was not a dwarf to be crossed and would not let her father hurt her anymore.

Somehow, a harp had made it into her hands—probably handed to her by the handsome dwarf who sat behind her in a chair as she sat on the floor in front of the fireplace—and she plucked at it while he ran a brush through her hair. His fingers were sending wondrous sensations through her scalp and spine, making her skin to prickle as he carefully divided her dark brown locks to braid them.

They said nothing while she strummed the harp, but Eila's thoughts were loud in her head. There was no longer any battle over what she should say or do—Kili had already won that war for her.

"Kili," Eila finally spoke, using his name instead of his rank for the first time. "Will you stay with me tonight?"

The fingers stopped moving through her hair and paused around her neck. "Yes."

And if he had any doubt as to what she meant by asking him to stay, Eila confirmed her meaning by twisting around and kneeling between his knees while she claimed his lips with a heated kiss, hands roaming over his shoulders until her fingers found his beard. Kili was startled by how abruptly she had kissed him, and with so much passion, but his hands wound around her waist and pulled her closer as soon as he took the hint: Gone was the tentative lass who blushed at the small pecks Kili gave her cheeks, replaced by a bolder female who knew what she wanted and was unashamed of it.