Kiera woke first the next morning and for the first time in weeks, it wasn't due to a night terror having sunken its claws into her. No, it was the sensation of being wet and sticky along her inner thighs and groin that pulled her out of her well-deserved sleep. The subtle movements of her waking earned the gentle flex of Alessi's fingers as he pulled her closer; keeping their bodies nearly flush. His hand shifted, moving lower to press just over her pelvis and dangerously low.
It was the touch of his mouth against her neck that made her aware he was awake. The kiss was tender as his hands roamed lower to stroke against the sensitive flesh of her thighs until she arched into his touch; seeking those damned fingers to reach higher. Another kiss was pressed to the juncture of her neck and shoulder. His face buried there as his fingers stroked along her thighs before traveling up her belly and down again in lazy circles.
"The sun is rising." Kiera was curious if she was encouraging him to move it along, or warning him that the household would be up and moving soon. The household could not bother them with the Sapphire shield he had around the room. His sleepy chuckle was her only reply as he continued to pet her; seeming to find pleasure in just touching her until she squirmed with arousal.
"Alessi, I need to bathe" She hissed softly as embarrassment heated her cheeks. The stroking paused and his hold relaxed enough for her to turn and face him. Satisfied and relaxed his features were softer first thing in the morning, with his black hair sticking up in inky spikes; completely in disarray from where she had caught her fingers in the thick tresses. She couldn't contain the blush that heated along her cheeks as she remembered exactly what he had been doing with those skilled fingers and mouth that had her fingers buried in his hair.
"Bath or shower?" His question surprised her as he rolled to his feet faster than she would have thought possible. His nudity in the first rays of daylight was striking. All smooth brown Hayllian skin, with a few thin lighter lines that traced between his shoulders, a raised scar ran along his ribs; faded and old but still paler than the rest of him. His body was lean and toned; indicating the activity level found in his life. Even with his hair in disarray and his expression still soft from sleep, he was a fierce creature. Kiera tamped down the urge to call him back under the blankets for a second round.
"Huh?" Her lust-addled brain hadn't fully processed the question as she blinked inanely. His amused snort had her working to decipher the very clearly enunciated question. "Umm, sorry shower I think." Self-consciously she lifted a hand to the frizzy and unraveling braid that trailed over her pillow. A little groan escaped her as she found sore muscles from the night prior.
"Up we go then." He waited for her to slip from the bed. Suddenly self-conscious Kiera drug the sheet with her, almost tumbling to the floor when the fabric snagged on something and refused to budge. She gave another hard tug which only sent her tumbling from the bed to land naked at Alessi's feet.
"Don't.." She pushed the loose strands of her hair back from her face. Alessi just shook his head, lips pressed tightly together to keep from laughing at the moment. He offered his hand waiting for her to take it before helping pull her back to her feet. The poor top sheet lay draped half on the floor with the stubborn corner clinging to the bottom of the opposite side.
"I didn't say a thing." His lips twitched at the sour look she cast him as she rose to her feet. Kiera just gave a huffed breath before turning to march towards the shower. A moment later the sound of running water striking tile came from the bathroom followed by a relieved sigh as Kiera stepped into the heated water. Alessi took one last look at the once pristine sheets now stained with a pale streak of blood. Evidence of their evening together and that the greatest threat to her safety was gone.
He released a shaky breath allowing himself to rejoice that they had been successful. The fact that his hands were shaking as he pulled the top sheet back into place went unnoticed as he listened for his queen to finish her shower. The forgotten wine and snacks were a temptation for his growling stomach.
~Is a healer needed?~ Orion's mental thread touched at his outer shield touching only the surface part of his thoughts. Unobtrusive, his cousin managed to keep his tone neutral. Alessi and Kiera had not been the only ones nervous about how the night went. The males bonded to their timid queen were waiting for news of everyone's welfare.
~No, thank the Darkness~ Alessi let his cousin read the relief that he was feeling. The shakey emotional state he was in after having guided her through. The unspoken fear that she would not welcome him back after the night spent together; that he would be bound by protocol to allow another male to touch and see her as he had. It wasn't uncommon for witches to turn away from the male who saw them through their virgin night and take other lovers.
The water turned off and Alessi turned from his inner musings to take his turn in the shower. As he went to walk past Kiera she paused him with a soft touch to his wrist. Her face tipped up to read his expression; she was short compared to most Hayllian women which only added to the appearance of youth. The soft pale yellow of her eyes studied his expression quietly before she offered a little smile.
"Thank you. It was nice not waking up alone." Kiera wasn't bold enough to completely express her sentiments. She was glad to wake up with him. She knew what Alessi was and wasn't. He was not the pristine and perfect hero featured in the stories she had read before the Witchstorm. He wasn't a wicked evil either, but he was a warlord prince and hers. She had every faith that anyone who tried to get through her wouldn't have enough remaining to become demon-dead with Alessi there.
"You mean, wake up with your cold fingers kept warm?" He teased, reading the intent on her face. The words that remained unspoken between them were just as poignant as anything spoken. Kiera shook her head, the loose curls of her hair bobbed down her back in wet ringlets that stopped just above the swell of her hips. Lust stabbed at him again, swatching the graceful sway of her body as she walked into the bedroom.
Palming his groin Alessi turned away to hide the very visible sign of his attraction. Quickly he turned the water on, not bothering to wrap a heating spell around the showerhead which meant a very cold shower to help him suppress any remaining lust. For the moment he allowed himself to forget what waited for them outside those doors. He let the unspoken fantasy of her time just belonging to them with no other duties, but that wasn't the fate they were bound to.
In the weeks that passed Kiera was certain she had written thousands of letters politely exchanging empty conversations with the various courts that had started to form across Hayll. Each one had a common theme- a distrust for the Hundred Families and Queens in general. Some had agreed to send a representative; barely more than half of the districts and provinces but more than she had expected.
When not writing she worked with Mirella on furnishing the needed rooms. Airing and removing any fabrics that were stained with unpleasant psychic residue helped improve the livability of the guest wing. Combined craft, temper, and determination had peeling wallpaper removed and the walls repainted into a pleasant sage green color that matched the warm honey-colored wood floors. Once expensive rugs that were worn and stained beyond repair were replaced with simpler handmade rugs made by sewing braided strips of scrap fabric together.
The walls were decorated with swags of fresh-cut fragrant evergreen boughs. In a stroke of luck they found hundreds of clear crystal ball ornaments that, with a touch of craft, they suspended from the ceiling in varying heights, small bits of spelled glass were stuck inside the globes in random intervals so at sundown the ceiling seemed to flicker in a thousand tiny lights.
The main entryway and ballroom were given similar treatment, with a large tree set up and brightly decorated with found decorations and made ones. The ornaments that Kiera had made were obvious in their clumsy stitching and one of them that she swore was a horse looked more like a strangely shaped goat; not that she minded the teasing having enjoyed learning how to sew the felt and decorate it.
Food became the next obstacle to cross. They would be feeding extra mouths for a week on an already strictly rationed household. A problem that had Alessi and a small contingent of guards foraging through the countryside for any wildlife as well as attempting trade with the short-lived territories. Food would come at three times the fair price due to the hate the other territories held for Hayll and their desperation. It was another issue that Kiera and her court would have to start resolving; though it would depend on if they could retake Draega from the Traditionalists.
Somehow, amid all that activity Kiera had started to regain weight as her nightmares tapered off due to Alessi's presence in her bed most nights. Their relationship an unspoken secret in the court that only the queen and the master of guard seemed unaware of was something of a running amusement. With his position as First Escort mostly ceremonial when Alessi was in residence he had taken over as an ambassador of sorts with the nearby villages and traveling merchants.
All of the preparations came to their culmination the day before the public celebrations when the representatives started to arrive. Kiera wouldn't claim to be calm as the first of the males started to arrive. She had agonized over her outfit that morning as well as how to style her hair. Her paler skin could be explained as winter pallor but the pale color of her eyes and the loose curls indicated an inferior bloodline somewhere in the past generations.
"You look lovely, stop fussing." Luca sighed at her third hair styling of the morning before she gave up and stuffed it into a snood made of thin black cord and little obsidian beads. Her dress had been easier with her limited wardrobe and winter. The wool dress was a lovely gray-blue color and decorated only by the delicate embroidery of spring blossoms around the neckline and sleeves.
"I am not worried about looking pretty. I am worried about looking right. Like a proper queen" Kiera sighed as she rose, her stomach knotted and coiled as she worked through her nervousness. Luca watched her pace before he rose to stop her.
"Calm down, you are making me dizzy. You could wear a feed sack and still be a proper queen." Luca captured her hands, squeezing them gently as he looked down at her bowed head. Her insecurities threatened to overcome her emotions and that was a recipe for disaster if it triggered Alessi's temper.
"Whatever those men out there think doesn't matter. You have the loyalty of twelve men, including four warlord princes. Every man in your circle outside of me, has fought on a killing field and proven themselves. They believe in you so you need to as well" His fingers caressed the back of her hands as he waited for his words to sink in.
"Sorry, it just feels like that day." Kiera leaned on the words so he understood what she was referencing. Months had passed and oddly enough her life had improved greatly since being pulled from everything she had known in the past. Even the improvements could not erase the trauma caused in those first few days when she believed herself a knife's edge from death.
"Kiera, you know perfectly well that none of us are dressing you up to be a sacrificial goat. I am pretty certain Alessi would rip a man's balls off if they even suggested it and that is before he would employ craft for more specific abuse." Luca pulled her into a hug, holding her close until she sighed a soft breath of acceptance. Once assured that she was emotionally put together he led his queen out of the room and down to where they would start receiving guests.
Three of her second circle guards formed around them, ready to protect and serve. Each man had been chosen by the General and each had it impressed upon them on how important the General found keeping her safe. For the first parts of the celebrations, it had been determined that the Generals of the Rebellion needed to seem separate from her so the representatives could see that she was their choice and not controlling them in any way.
Now, as she descended the stairs to the voices of the first arrives Kiera wished that Alessi was lurking behind her. Her stomach twisted in nervous butterflies and only Luca's arm under her hand kept her from stumbling down the stairs. Each step down was a descent into her centuries-old training into the practiced grace and composure expected of an aristo-born witch. She knew these dances, even if she had only watched from the sidelines. She needed to dazzle the men and women who had come; needed to show that her court was different and that they were trying to find their way back from the corruption.
"Gentlemen, may I present Lady Domani. Our Rose queen." Matteo's voice was in good humor and disguised any nerves the man might have felt about this week and the invitation of his wife and daughters to court from their village. For some reason her normally unflappable Steward had been very twitchy over the offer to host them. Kiera jerked her attention back to the assembly before them.
A glance saw eyes staring at her in predatory hunger. They were all Haylian but not aristo-born; not with the darkness to their skin tone, or irregular features, and their posture lacked the polish of those in her social class. They held themselves like fighters and their bulky forms were only further evidence. The current dominant cock of the group was a warlord prince whose lower jewels resonated with her birth rose but the flash of opal in the gold ring he wore told her his birth descent was lower than hers.
"A pleasure to meet all of you." Kiera forced her voice to remain steady as she took that last step down before giving the proper bob of her head towards the male taking point in front of the other representatives. Opal Warlord Prince to Rose Queen; though she took into account that she was a ruling queen. "Please though, call me Kiera or if you must Lady Kiera."
"So you are General Gerodi's pet queen?" The man's voice was deep and surprisingly pleasant. While the scar that ran from the top right of his brown down to his upper lip made him appear to be sneering there was something vulnerable in his expression. The way he held himself in careful neutrality told her that this meeting was just as important to this male as it was to her court.
"Depends on the day I suppose. Some days it is more pest than a pet, but I do make a lovely goat I think." Her playful quip earned a choked laugh from Matteo. Point to her; Kiera smiled slightly as she stepped further into the foyer. "May I present my cousin and first escort, Prince Luca." The short bow Luca gave was appropriate for jewel and caste rankings while still allowing for his presence at Kiera's side.
"A goat?" Surprise ran over the warlord prince's expression as for a moment he was thrown back by her comparing herself to a farm animal. " Prince Stavros Galanelis, current leader of Sares and Betri." The introduction was rather abrupt as the warlord prince remembered to finally offer his name. Absently he returned the nod of recognition to Luca.
"Mmhmmm, anyways welcome to Murtos. I hope you have an enjoyable visit." The interaction was brief and she moved to the next. The Prince was young, closer to her age than Alessi's, and looked on edge. His clothing was well mended but did little to disguise how thin the male was; too thin even for this deep into winter. Another was an older woman, her eyes dulled by age, and her thick hair almost fully silver. Hunched and slender the woman's caste screamed clearly as a witch and with her strong summer-sky offering jewel was a solid strength.
The theme overall was hunger, wary hope, and suspicion. Kiera certainly wasn't what they were expecting when rumors of the captured queen had started circling. They had expected a cowering and terrified child who was still weepy-eyed; instead of a somewhat awkward and shy woman.
Then Alessi entered and the attention of the visitors shifted from Kiera to the General. She could feel the tension rise in the air as they waited to see the dynamic between their general and this queen being propped up as the next potential ruler of Hayll. Alessi cast a quick look at Luca; silently questioning before deciding that the escort had the queen just fine.
"Good, you all met Lady Kiera. Perfectly in time for lunch," Alessi took charge and offered Kiera his arm, seamlessly switching her from Luca to himself as an escort. The tension that she wasn't aware of carrying released as the familiar feel of Alessi's strength enveloped her. Luca would protect her; and would die doing so, but the mixture of strength, temper, and passion that made up Alessi made her feel more secure.
"We heard about the attempt on her. It seems it was exaggerated." Prince Stavros was the first to talk as they made their way into the meeting room where tables had been set for lunch. The buffet-style spread featured foods they were able to grow during the winter or had stored over. Small things she had been able to coax more abundance from in the manor greenhouse were luxurious treats for their visitors. Slices of fresh citrus fruits dotted with pomegranate seeds were arranged artfully to hide the lack of excess.
Cheap filler grains were spiced carefully with fresh herbs from the greenhouse to be served under the wine-braised chicken - a rooster that had outlived his usefulness earlier that week. The smell distracted from the conversation between the two warlord princes. A good thing as Alessi's mood turned and that infamous warlord prince temper rose until Kiera gently squeezed his hand in reminder. She was there, she was safe, and hadn't sent her back into hiding.
"Very much. Lady Kiera is very dear to our court." A subtle warning that she was what queens were supposed to be; the living and breathing heart of the court. Matteo wandered through the representatives as well, greeting the old woman with a familiarity that told Kiera they knew each other from before the Witchstorm. Kiera watched the play between the visitors and members of her court. As always there was the usual sizing up and posturing as so many strangers coming in contact with a recently endangered queen brought out the worst of the instincts in even the mildest-mannered warlords.
"Lady Kiera is right here and can speak for herself," Kiera interjected in mild annoyance. When Alessi looked down at her with a raised eyebrow she pursed her lips and narrowed her eyes in annoyance before 'baaing' in soft protest. The animal noise earned a bark of laughter from her warlord prince and broke any rising pissing match between the two men.
"My apologies, Lady" Starvos inclined his head respectfully. The slight bite of her temper hadn't spiked any anxiety in any of her males; something that had often had courts scattering or scraping to soothe away. None of the males even turned to look at what had caused her annoyance. It spoke loudly of their trust in the rose queen.
"None needed. Rumors are awful things. I used to believe them too, like the fact that Prince Gerodi here was lacking any sense of humor, but he seems to find amusement in annoying me." Kiera kept the tone light, thankful for her experience in keeping things playful and only to surface gossip. She didn't pat or cling to Alessi but kept proper posture for escort and queen; she also tactfully pretended to ignore the look that was exchanged between the two males.
The rest of lunch progressed with Kiera getting a chance to chatter with the three women who had come. One of them was from the towns that bordered Draega and the other queen contested Kiera's right to claim Hayll. A careful exchange of domestic things and light surface gossip was weighed between the group during lunch before the visitors split off to find their assigned rooms and visit the town before formal dinners took place.
As the last of the visitors left the manor to do their shopping and recon in the town Kiera was ready for a nap. Later she would probe Alessi for any insights as well as share her own from the mingling she had managed separate from him or her male escorts. They had taken their first steps towards unifying Hayll and only strengthened her conviction.