Something heavy and warm was lying on her. A welcome heat after two days of misery in the snow and warmth she burrowed further trying to tuck her throbbing feet against that same warmth. Her fingers tightened and relaxed almost kneading the coarse material pressed against her cheek and palms as she attempted to slip back into blissful oblivion. The throbbing of her feet kept her from achieving that small escape.
The pain, dull and constant, pulled her back towards the waking world. The warm thing she was trying to wrap her body around? A very large and very unamused warlord prince. Reluctantly she sat up, releasing her hold on Alessi, and slipped her feet under the blanket instead of trying to force them between his warm calves. She felt the heat of his body move along with hers, mirroring her seated position, keeping some part of his body in contact with hers.
Her tongue wet her lips as she tried to find the courage to meet Alessi's gaze. She could scent the heavy presence of anger radiating off him. Finally, she lifted her eyes to meet his; uncertain what to say in the harsh light of day. Kiera felt filthy and ashamed; that she had been kidnapped on top of the rank smell that wafted up from her gown. The harsh lines of anger faded from his expression in their wordless exchange. Tenderly his hand rose to cup along her uninjured cheek stroking a fingertip along her cheekbone until she nuzzled against his touch.
"Are you?"
"How do you feel?"
Their questions overlapped with each other. Alessi made a soft noise of amusement as he paused waiting for Kiera to finish her question. One eyebrow lifted in mock challenge until she was forced to take a deep breath and force the question out fully.
"Is your rut?" She cut off the question uncertain if it was polite to inquire about that particular issue directly. "Are you well?" Her voice squeaked at that last portion of the question. He had hiked however far she had fled in the snow, held her close to keep her from freezing, and had yet to show any disgust for how foul she had to look and smell and the first thing she asked about was his sex drive.
"For now." He kept his tone neutral as he tried to hide the lingering effects of having pushed his body harder from a combination of venting the anger and his effort spent retrieving her. Alessi could go for a long nap on a comfortable bed, but that would require getting them to civilization. "And you? Are you alright?" He knew the answer the moment she had warmed enough for the bandages on her feet to thaw until he could smell the foul mixture of blood, lymph, and the beginning of infection.
"I am whole, hurting but whole." She answered the question as best she could. Her eyes cast down at the grime-covered cloth wrapped around her feet. The dull throbbing turned into a hard bite of pain, as if looking at them reminded her body that she was injured. A soft hiss escaped her as she tried to banish the pain to the back of her mind.
"Your cousin is waiting back at the road. Not much of woodmen the pair of you." Alessi reluctantly released his hold on her to start breaking down their camp. In the light of day, he could see the toil the day had taken on her. How her cheeks were just a little more hollow than they had been, her collar bones a bit more prominent as her body cannibalized itself to fuel her jewels. He wished there were the correct lines of the winds instead of the void where none of those tethering lines crossed. Without those, the only option was to make the grueling hike out.
"Not much need of it since landscapers kept the garden from being too wild" She couldn't help but needle him slightly. She felt off center after waking up plastered against him; nuzzling into him despite her condition as she tried to bathe in the rich spicy scent of him. That unspoken pull between them made her feel awkward and uncertain whereas with Luca she would have laughed and he would have teased her about those icy toes of hers.
"True enough. Spoiled little witch." Alessi folded up and vanished the canvas that made up the tent leaving the blanket they had slept on behind. Internally he worked on a solution to the issue of getting her out of the woods and to a healer as soon as possible. The cliff face was the only obstacle he could think of that would prove a logistical challenge. He couldn't climb carrying her and she was in no condition to attempt the climb. It was close enough to the coaching house that he could call Luca to assist but the idea of another male touching her, even her cousin, threatened to bring back all the possessive rage he had bottled up when he found her.
"Help me rise, please Prince.." Kiera voiced the request bravely, facing the idea of standing with the same stoic terror of a prisoner before an execution. When he didn't respond Kiera took another breath. "Please, I need to pee, and I.." He remembered the smell in the hay and knew her need to stand and relieve herself in privacy was more about restoring a little dignity than rejecting any aid he would have offered.
"Just for this. After I will carry you." He could shield her feet to stop further damage but it wouldn't remove the weight of walking and the pain that would cause. Alessi ground his teeth together in frustration as he helped her to her feet. He strangled down a wave of helpless anger at the pain she stubbornly tried to hide.
"Why is it always my feet and not someplace less tender?" Her voice was wispy as she worked to catch her breath through the pain. With as much dignity as she could muster Kiera let go of the blanket and limped towards a particularly wide tree trunk to hide behind and attend her business. Dehydrated as she was it didn't take her long to finish before biting off another groan and stagger back.
Efficient as always, Alessi had removed any evidence of their camp from the earth. The only thing left was the thick blanket he held out, waiting for her to walk to him. His silent request would turn into a demand if he felt she needed to be protected from even herself. Kiera didn't pause on her path back to him, letting him wrap the blanket around her before scooping her up in his arms. He only took a moment to settle her weight between physical strength and craft.
" I can walk." Kiera gave a half-hearted attempt to protest his carrying her. He was warm, her feet hurt, and he smelled so very nice.
"If I wanted to wait until spring to return." Alessi's reply lacked any bite; just a statement of fact. Kiera huffed, unable to protest that truthfully. His longer legs and boot-covered feet crossed the distance faster than her limped steps. For the first half hour, Kiera let the uncomfortable silence stretch between them. The almost angry stomp of his feet against the ground as he carried her across the terrain, doing his best to spare her from any jostling or disturbance that would add to her discomfort.
"How long does a rut last?" Kiera finally voiced the question that had cycled her thoughts since her brother's crass statement of Alessi's location. A question that shouldn't have bothered her as much as it did. Alessi was his own man, Master of her Guard; not consort, not first escort. She had no claim to his bedroom and no reason to be jealous of the mere idea of him being with another witch.
"Usually around three days" Alessi had managed not to stumble at the sudden question from the normally reserved queen. He slowed his pace for a second to work over a particularly tricky bit of ground covered in a mixture of fallen branches, frozen puddles, and uneven ground.
"So you were probably still.." Kiera paused as she tried to swallow down her sudden jealousy just the thought of him being with someone else brought. A tiny feral part of her wanted to hiss and growl at anyone that he was hers. A part that she did her best to squash was uncertain if she should be ashamed of feeling that way about the male who had initially abducted her. 'Master of Guard; yours but not yours' she mentally reminded herself.
"Still? In rut- yes" Alessi was curious about what thoughts caused that sudden change in her body language. "Kiera, how much do you know about the rut?" The fact that she was suddenly finding the snow-covered ground extremely fascinating was all the answer he needed. Of course, Leona would not have educated Kiera in handling warlord princes; or anything beyond the basic craft required for a queen to commune with the land.
"I am sorry if you were interrupted during..." There it was, that note of jealousy again. Kiera didn't question the hypocrisy behind it when she was supposed to have completed her virgin night while he was away. Hers was a basic need of biology; the same as his. A little huff of breath escaped her as he held her slightly tighter as he sped up his pace.
"Interrupted during what?" Alessi could not resist asking. He wasn't certain he wanted the answer, but the way she stumbled over her words was easy entertainment to fill the hours of walking.
"Finding your relief?" When he didn't respond Kiera gave a soft cough before adding "Kyros said something about pleasure houses." Kiera gave a soft yip of alarm when Alessi stumbled over part of the path, jolting her forward. A reaction born more of surprise than fear he would drop her.
"Kiera, are you asking me if I was " He paused looking for a word that wasn't too vulgar and still conveyed the transactional nature that came with pleasure houses. " visiting a brothel?" There that seemed to be delicate enough to avoid offending her and still to the point.
"No. I was apologizing if you were interrupted during your activities." Kiera huffed. Her eyes narrowed as she looked up at him, studying his expression for any hint of laughter. With a little snort, she looked away to examine the landscape again.
"Lady, I don't think that is a line of questioning you are ready to pursue." Alessi's tone was sharper than intended. His attempt to cut off the conversation before it turned into something she wasn't ready to hear. Something he wasn't certain she would ever be receptive to hearing. Could she forgive him for the blood on his hands? For those cruel first days where all he saw was her social class and everything he hated about it; from the casual display of wealth to just how soft she was.
"But.." Kiera stopped at his glare at her. Mulishly she pressed her lips closed before looking away. " I'm not a child, Prince."
"I am well aware, Lady." Alessi's teeth ground together at her stubborn refusal to let the subject drop. She had been abducted, subjected to a horrific ordeal, and wanted to apologize to him because she thought he was interrupted mid-thrust to find her. Just when Alessi was certain he understood the distaff mind they found a new way to confound him.
Kiera fell to silence, uncertain how to retort to that final statement. It wasn't like she could put distance between them; between the cold and her feet, she would only make it a few steps before she would be forced to stop. The silence between them stretched until she wanted to talk about something, anything to fill the air with noise beyond the crunch of his steps and the few sharp trills of the remaining birds.
"I am sorry, I didn't mean to offend you, Prince. I was trying to distract.." She looked up at the stormy expression written across his face and decided that her apology would not make him feel better.
"We are not using my cock as a distraction." Alessi snapped. He knew she didn't mean anything vulgar or cruel by her comments. Hell, he even understood her lack of common sense as she tried to find some balance after the experience she just went through. Darkness, be merciful he did want to use his cock as a distraction just not in conversation. Thoughts and desires that he thought of as wrong for the power dynamic between them.
"That is not what I was trying to imply." Kiera huffed before muttering something that sounded roughly like 'prick'. She fell silent doing anything she could to avoid looking or thinking about her feet. They were there; she knew that from the constant ache that occasionally swung into a sharp piercing thing.
"You need to learn how to shield." Alessi broke the tension between them first.
"I know how, but I had to choose between warmth or protecting my feet." Irritated she glared up at him. His implication that she couldn't protect herself stung. She had escaped her brother, hadn't she? Eventually, she would have found a patrol or some way back to the rebellion; maybe. She wasn't stupid and knew her odds of survival for another day were slim. Absently she used her free hand to toy with her Rose pendant. Only a few drops of power remained as she had walked the line between breaking her jewel and keeping enough warmth wrapped around her to keep her blood moving.
"Before that" He looked pointedly at the swollen and bruised side of her face and hated himself for how she turned to try and hide her injuries from his gaze. "We ran across your brother and Prince Ayers yesterday." He had been so close to turning around to search a different direction.
"I see. Prince, did you deliver justice?" Her voice shifted, a small thing, but enough to indicate he wasn't talking to Kiera. A tone that in any other woman would have drawn out the predatory side of his nature. He looked down at her expression, focused and composed; she was a queen who had been wronged and now asked if justice for that harm was given.
"Only part of the price has been paid, Lady. I had to make a choice." He didn't regret not taking his time to exact the full punishment on Kyros; not when she had needed him more than she needed justice.
"I see and now you are warning me I might not like what I see?" Her hand fell from her jewel to press flat against his chest; the gesturing as reassuring as she could make it. Even with his using craft to support her weight he had to be tiring; yet he hadn't uttered a single complaint.
"That was the idea. The offense was to you and your court but the honor is mine to extract the payment." He paused in his trek, altering the distribution of her weight and the way she was settled, adding a bit more craft to bear her weight. Alessi waited for hate or contempt to fill her solemn expression. He would be killing another member of her family; erasing the aristo clan further from Hayllian history. She didn't say anything; didn't need to as she sighed softly and rested her cheek against his shoulder.
Alessi forced himself to maintain his pace despite exhaustion wearing on both of them. Each audible growl of her stomach felt like an accusation lashed at him; even if Kiera didn't complain. A few times she was still and quiet enough that he believed her asleep only to see her staring into some distance as she tried to hide from the reality of the past several days.
"Oh.." Kiera looked forward at the soft sound of running water. The brook nearly overran its banks, the rocks she had used to cross the previous night were obscured by swiftly moving water and chunks of ice. The frigid water lapped right up against the cliff face. "Darkness be merciful.." The place where she had hidden that first night was completely gone. Splashes of water further eroded the earth overhang sending large clods into the water.
Alessi's hope of getting her out of the woods on his own ended with that water. Scaling the cliff was one thing but risking her falling into that cold water when she was already so fragile; he took a steadying breath before offering a grin that was more a grimace. He took a moment to look around before selecting a fairly flat rock as a seat for her.
"Your cousin will be needed. Sit here, I will get a fire going and see what can be done about that growling stomach of yours." She wasn't given time to protest as Alessi sat her down, fussing only for a moment about the drape of the blanket wrapped around her. Kiera wiggled her toes, wincing as the flesh of her feet protested even that slight movement. The water was cold, but she knew the filthy cloth had to come off and Alessi already had so many other things to contend with.
Kiera stared at the frigid water as she tried to summon the courage to make the short trek. 'Coward' The internal accusation hung with her. Useless as a queen, she was a hindrance to Alessi and the rest of her court. Even now she couldn't get past her weakness to handle one physical need of her own. Her fingers loosened on the edges of the blanket, letting the material slide down to pool on the rock as she wiggled closer to the edge.
"What are you doing?" How in the name of hell did he move so silently? A little gasp escaped her as she turned towards the voice as Alessi stormed towards her, dumping the armload of wood he carried onto the ground. Kiera wobbled on her seat before wiggling backward to reseat herself fully. " Good, now stay there. Your cousin is on his way" Alessi could not resist the urge to touch her, fussing with the blanket again as he looked at her battered feet. They needed tending soon before frostbite could set in.
"I was going to wash..." Kiera fought to keep her protest down. The look on his face was enough to silence witches far stronger than her. Quietly she submitted to his fussing, allowing him to resettle the blanket around her, ensuring it draped just right. Not an experienced queen, but at least somewhat intelligent she pretended to ignore the barely audible curse that escaped Alessi before he turned to getting a fire started.
"Or not.." The grumble was half-hearted as she curled into the blanket trying to ignore the gnawing pain in her stomach. Food and a bath, preferably both, were the first things she was doing when she got home. Her eyes narrowed as she caught the faint quirk of the warlord prince's lips; smug bastard. He was the one who had to deal with her smell on the way back home.
Once a good amount of flame and embers were generated, Kiera was thankful for the heat, and being off the frozen ground helped her conserve body heat enough that she wasn't shivering even without Alessi holding her. In the time they waited she had watched him pace between their little rest point and the brook no less than six times. Just as it seemed Alessi was going to do something rash Luca's head appeared over the ravine edge.
"Took you long enough" Kiera rolled her eyes at the warlord prince's tone. Prickly male.
"Luke! Good of you to join us.." She at least, sounded happy to see her cousin and first escort. Home; the promise of warmth, food, and pain relief had just gotten a bit closer. At least, that is what she had hoped for while the men spent the better part of an hour debating various methods of getting her back up the cliff. In the end, they used a mixture of craft and desperate engineering to run a length of rope from a tree at the top to the bottom and fashioned a sort sling for her to sit on while they used a mixture of muscle and craft to get her and Alessi up the cliff.
The stricken look on her cousin's face told Kiera how bad she looked and smelled. The pain in his expression weighed her heart down with guilt for putting that look on his face. Even if none of this was her fault she should have been more careful, more assertive, and just more. Weak, ineffectual, spineless, and stupid; all the insults lobbed at her over the centuries tore at her during those quiet moments of the men cleaning up before starting the trek back.
"Thank the darkness, you are alive." Luca went to embrace her, mistaking her expression as exhaustion, only to pause at the dark throb of menace coming from an equally bedraggled warlord prince. Glazed eyes and posture predatory Alessi's posture shifted just enough to indicate he stood on the killing edge; he wasn't seeing a member of their court or her cousin, but another male and potential threat near his vulnerable queen.
"Prince Gerodi?" Kiera kept her voice soft. The oppressive feeling of him holding and pulling that sapphire power continued to thicken the air around them. In the few moments that had passed the warlord prince had managed to get her behind him; not that Kiera was mobile.
"Alessi, stand down. My ass is freezing on this ground and if I have to stand up to break up your pissing match none of us are going to be happy." Her temper finally flared, snapping as she tried to pull the warlord prince's attention off her cousin and back to her. He wouldn't hurt her, Kiera knew that deep in her soul. She was the safer target of that intense focus. Luca wisely remained silent, taking a few steps back before giving enough of a bow that ceded any authority over to the darker jeweled male.
Kiera braced herself for the inevitable mixture of lust and embarrassment when the agitated male turned to collect her off the ground. A little grunt escaped her as she half draped over his shoulder. When Luca moved to step forward she just gave a subtle shake of her head. Something was riding the warlord prince and until he worked through the internal issue no one was safe.
"Alessi, what is this about? Luca is my cousin, part of my court..." She kept her voice low, as she braced her hands against his back to lift her chest off his shoulder just slightly.
"I'm not in the mood to talk, Lady" The rumbled reply was followed with enough of a shift that her stomach and ribs were no longer pressed against his shoulder.
"A pity I am. You were riding the killing edge, what brought that on?" Kiera would have preferred some dignity when addressing the Master of her Guard instead of being hauled around like an unruly toddler. She would take what she could though; anything to keep pissy male tempers from boiling over to decisions they would later regret.
"You want to know what is wrong?" His harshly whispered words told her she was about to find out. Kiera braced herself for the verbal barrage; was willing to take any yelling or scolding as long as it allowed him to vent enough that his control was firmly established.
"Luca, Matteo, and all the rest of the first circle invited an enemy into our home camp and allowed you to be stolen away. They let someone close enough that you could have been killed and I have to take you back to them; work with them and remember all the different scenarios I imagined before finding you freezing in the snow." His hands tightened against the back of her thighs where he held her. Kiera bit her cheek to keep from whimpering knowing there would be bruises by the morning.
"And the reason? Me, they were afraid of my entering the rut again. We almost lost you because they feared my control would finally snap." Kiera didn't pull away, she didn't dare, didn't speak as she waited for him to finish. His pace and gait never left the smooth steady walk that kept from jostling her too much. No matter the anger that rode him he was careful of her.
"They had every right to fear, Gattina. Eventually, that control would slip and every instinct I have to possess would..." He stopped speaking, and walking, and just stood there breathing heavily as he looked at her. Kiera had raised one palm to press against his lips. Her eyes wide, the pale gold of them not horrified or pitying; something else peered out that had the potential to match the passion that threatened the lives of anyone who tried to separate them.
"Don't, don't blame yourself for their fears. I am not afraid; not in your care." The moment passed as she quirked her lips in a fleeting smile. "When I don't smell like I rolled in a manure pile " The tension he held relaxed at her words. The words weren't protocol perfect but they were what he needed. Fear ruled everyone for the past several days until the stench had permeated everything they wore, but somehow that little smile erased it.
Alessi fought a more manageable form of irritation at the soft cough behind them. Luca finally caught up to walk at Alessi's right; the puff of their breath was visible in the air even if the exertion kept them warm. "Your guest.." Luca looked up at Kiera, trying to judge how much she knew of what occurred. "didn't make it overnight." A flash of grief in her pale yellow eyes then she blinked and it was gone.
"How?" Alessi would be angry later that the worm had escaped the suffering he had planned to heap on the summer-sky prince. Everything had a price; he had chosen to forgo punishing the male to find Kiera. Vengeance didn't matter as much as the witch in his arms.
"Injuries sustained, broke his damn neck trying to escape.. take your pick" Luca sounded evasive; not lying but not telling the whole truth. Later, Kiera vowed, she would find out exactly what happened; for now she was too tired to think. Too tired to reflect on the promises she had just made to Alessi.
"Just as well, he would have slowed us down." The rough building was in view now; with lazy curls of smoke rising from the crumbling chimney. He looked down at Kiera and the toll exhaustion was taking on her. "No sleeping just yet little queen."
"Tell me you kept hot water running." The ground turned almost level and packed down at an invisible boundary between wilderness and the tiny walk.
"Of course." Luca jogged ahead to push the door open. The interior was as shabby as the exterior with the furniture inside listing dangerously, covered in dust; or a combination of both. The least abused chair sat in front of the hearth covered with another thick wool blanket Kiera was beginning to recognize as part of the rebellion camping kit.
Stepping over the threshold and into the warm interior was almost paradise. She hadn't realized how cold she was until that warmth enveloped her. Carefully Alessi sat her down on the chair, again adjusting her blanket to preserve her modesty.
"Just a little longer then you can sleep." The kiss he pressed to her brow warned her what came next would not be events she would enjoy. "Domani, we need to get these wounds tended and she needs something to eat after." There was the bossy warlord prince. This time when he stepped away to rummage for any container to hold water she didn't grab after him.
Her cheeks burned from where the cold chapped them, her lips threatened to crack as she ran her tongue over them, and even her fingers ached down to the bone as the warmth of the fire started to draw the cold out. Just a small nap; she reasoned with herself. Her eyes dipped closed before jerking slightly as she fought drifting off, only to sigh giving up that small fight.
"Is she?" Luca whispered when it became clear his cousin had fallen asleep.
"Exhausted, half-starved, and injured; but whole." Alessi looked over at her slumped form. She looked uncomfortable and he hated that they would be waking her up shortly. "The bandages on her feet need to come off and she will need a healer." He continued after finally finding a large shallow pan stuffed in a crate underneath the sink. The pot of water suspended over the fire supplied the near boiling hot and a couple handfuls of snow cooled it to a tolerable temperature.
"There should be some jerky in the saddle packs. Take a couple of pieces and boil them down. Not as good as real broth but it will do for now." His voice remained at a whisper. Loathe to wake her Alessi sat the pan on the ground and watched her for a second longer. His poor little aristo; Alessi would never have thought to have found even one that he could tolerate; much less two.
"Lady..." He spoke softly, running a fingertip down the back of her hand to help rouse her. "As much as I would like to let you sleep I need you awake." Her lashes fluttered open sleep foggy before she focused on him.
"That time?" Kiera shifted herself on the chair to make it easier for each foot to be tended.
"Afraid so. If we need to pause we will pause, but.." HIs solemn expression told her the mess of bandages looked worse than it felt.
"It needs to be done." She finished for him. A sense of irony was found in that moment as he knelt at her feet, even if it was to tend to her injuries. Her leg jerked and a hiss escaped her as the hot water surrounded her feet. At his appraising look, she shook her head; the pain she could manage.
"Who would believe me if I told them I had the Warlord Prince of Eastern Hayll on his knees before me?" She couldn't help but tease. The rough warmth of his hand as his fingers curled around her ankle, holding her in place was a much more pleasant sensation to focus on than the scalding water.
"If that was what you wanted you could have just asked little queen rather than be so dramatic." Alessi teased back. following her lead as she tried to use humor to shore up her nerves. He tried to hide his reaction at how fast the water grew cloudy as the bandages were permeated and slowly started to loosen from her skin.
"I will remember that next time.." Her teeth bared as she hissed in pain. Her nails curled against the arms of the chair threatening to leave permanent gouges in the wood. Somehow, Kiera managed to keep her foot still as Alessi started unwrapping them. The Warlord Prince wasn't a healer but he had experienced enough wounds to know better than to try to be overly gentle.
"I will be back in a second. I am going to dump this out." He forced his tone and expression to be neutral. He left the strips of cloth in the filthy water before walking outside. Quickly he dumped out the water, leaving a steaming puddle on the ground as he fought through his urge to vomit. The grimaces of pain, knowing he was hurting her, and the torn shreds of skin that she had somehow walked on.
"Do you need me to take over?" Luca waited a few feet away; understanding written on his face. He wouldn't relish the task either, but they would do what needed to be done until they could get her to a healer.
"No, I will field dress them. Wash and place a shield around them until we can get to a healer." Alessi debated abandoning the horses and taking the winds. A few hours of rest and he would be strong enough to transport the both of them back to the manor.
"It would be faster to take the winds than the horses." Luca mused; vocalizing the thoughts that Alessi had left unspoken. "Do you have enough to ride the sapphire there?"
"I do." He looked back toward the hut, bracing himself for the task inside.
"Go then, I will bring the horses back." He could sense the male needed some time alone. Time to process whatever happened in the coaching stop overnight. Alessi wouldn't ask how Kyros broke his neck even if he had his suspicions. The two men looked at each other as they both came to a silent understanding of the other.
"Darkness be merciful..." Kiera had finally summoned the courage to look at her feet. Swollen and bruised the arch of her foot was nearly indistinguishable from the rest; turning the appendage into a nearly shapeless blob at the end of her leg. Punctures of varying shapes were punctuated with long scrapes and shorter nicks leaving a raw landscape behind.
At the sound of the opening door, she looked up to wordlessly watch Alessi and Luca file back in. The tension between the two males appeared to have disappeared while they were outside. Now they seemed to have an understanding between the two of them.
" They look worse than they feel." Surprised she let her foot dangle back down from the chair while pulling the edge of her blanket back up over her shoulder.
"Kiera, Prince Gerodi is going to take you back on the winds. I will need to bring the horses back on their own." Luca's voice sounded odd; distracted. Kiera gave him a questioning look. A slight shake of his head and the silent exchange was ended. They would talk about it later.
"Prince, do you need to rest before we go? You have been bearing the cost of keeping us both alive plus.." Kiera frowned as she played with her depleted Rose. Even the Sapphire had to feel the effects of the past several days combined with the rut. Alessi didn't reply right off. He knelt in front of her as he looked at her wounded feet and chafed skin. Relief and adrenaline had her running now, but that would run out soon and she would need a healer.
"If I have to drop us to my birthright I will, but it will be faster than going horseback. You need a healer before infection sets in and to repair the damage from the cold." She flinched at the feeling of warm water running over her feet before she was aware he had started to minister to her wounds. A soft hiss of displeasure and pain escaped her as she instinctively jerked her foot back.
"Done." He hesitated, tempted to call in the clothing he packed for her and shove it on her. He bristled at the idea of anyone else seeing her in the nearly sheer chemise but the time it would take for her to dress and she would need to bathe. "Last time little queen, then you can rest."
"Let's get this over with then so we both can rest." She placed a hand on his shoulder letting the blanket slide just enough that he could get a grip on her once more. 'Later' she mouthed at Luca as she peered over Alessi's shoulder as they stepped outside the little hut. Only seconds later they winked out as Alessi pulled them into the winds and the fastest route home.
The moment they dropped from the winds whatever force of will that fuelled Kiera through the ordeal disappeared. What happened next was a blur. She faintly recognized Alessi's voice as he shouted for, or at, the healer. She could remember the foul taste of some brew or another before everything turned to darkness and deep uninterrupted sleep. She slept through being bathed and dressed. Only when placed in her bed with an equally drained Alessi did she stir just enough to curl against him, tucking herself into his side before breathing a soft sigh and sinking further into sleep.
No one was surprised when the queen and warlord prince slept through what remained of the day and into the night. The healing brew released its hold on Kiera sometime in the gloaming pre-dawn twilight. She stirred just enough to register the rich spicy scent unique to her warlord prince. Sleep claimed her again for a few more fitful hours before she was pulled from her sleep. Her rest was interrupted because she was too warm. Someone had bundled her into her thickest nightgown, and two layers of socks, and then had covered both Kiera and Alessi under the heavy quilt bedspread; all this combined with Alessi's body heat was too much.
The drape of his arm around her waist limited her movement, his grip tightening slightly when she attempted to wiggle out of the bed. The unspoken message taken Kiera used a small bit of craft to remove her socks, a breath of relief escaped her as she wiggled her now bare toes outside the blanket. Slowly she rolled over to her other side, facing Alessi as he slept. Her fingers twitched in longing to smooth away the stray strand of hair that fell over his face.
Asleep, the harsh lines on his face softened making him look peaceful. He would never be a beautiful man, his jawline was too strong for that, his nose had been broken at least once and healed slightly crooked, and his lips were just a touch too full. The combination of features and personality made him handsome even beyond the lure of his jewel strength. Kiera lay there, staring at him, wondering what it would feel like to touch her lips to his. His breathing remained even and his body relaxed in sleep as she wondered what harm could come from an innocent kiss stolen while he slept.
Slowly she shifted just enough to bring their mouths about even before moving closer to steal that covetted kiss. "Go to sleep Kiera.." Startled she jerked her head back as his eyes slitted open. Embarrassment colored her cheeks as she was caught in the act; embarrassment that threatened to turn her into a sullen child.
"It's too warm" The complaint left her as she tried to wiggle to her side of the bed; realizing the whole damn mattress was hers and here he was taking up at least two-thirds of the thing. Annoyed she rolled to her back as his arm lifted enough to allow her that freedom of movement.
"Are you laughing at me, Prince?" She turned her head to face him, looking for any signs of amusement to cross his features. His eyes were open now, the deep gold that was a trait of their race. He was hers and she had yet to indicate her willingness to cross the line; a willingness that would be rebuffed as long as she remained vulnerable.
"I wouldn't dream of it, Lady." His sleep-ridden voice was husky, and the sensual heat that being a warlord prince put out was affecting her more than she would like to admit. Or was it that it was Alessi holding her in her bed? She barely noticed the heat with Matteo or any of the other warlord princes who served in her first circle. Did she feel safe with him? Absolutely, but she felt more than just that and the imaging changed her scent closer towards lust and awareness as her mind wandered to them doing the things found in her steamy books.
"Oh good, keep it that way then." Did her voice sound that breathless to him? The chafe of her nightgown was almost too much against her sensitive skin and she tried to tell herself it was due to whatever healing had been done while she slept. If he was aware of her discomfort the warlord prince did not indicate it. At a casual glance, he appeared oblivious as he propped himself up on one arm before using his free hand to brush a stray piece of hair away from her face.
Before either could say anything a polite knock on her door jerked Kiera upright as she looked around guiltily. Was this even allowed? Alessi was her Master of Guard; not escort or consort and she wasn't certain that protocol allowed for him to be snuggled in her bed. At her panicked expression, the beast had the nerve to chuckle, making the person on the other side of the door wait just a bit longer before releasing the sapphire locks.
"She's awake, come in Mirella." Who was this male who draped himself comfortably across her mattress and invited people in and out of her room? Kiera wasn't certain if she liked it, or perhaps liked it too much. Kiera hid her discomfort by turning to slide from the bed, ready to head to her sitting room as soon as she was brave enough to put weight back on her feet.
"About time the both of you woke up. You have to be starving.." The hearth witch's industry broke any lingering awkwardness that hung in the air. The smell of food also diffused any interest Kiera may have had in sex and the embarrassment that came with her awkward approach. Kiera pressed her palm against her suddenly rolling stomach.
"How long?" The queen in her had the presence of mind to ask. How long had her court been without a portion of its leadership? Just how long had the healer needed to put her under to repair the damage she did to herself? Kiera took a breath before sliding to the floor surprised when her feet just ached but there wasn't any sharp or stabbing pain.
"Almost two days." Mirella kept her tone neutral in its pitch giving no more inflection than if they were discussing the weather. The housekeeper breezed through the room to the small table near the window before settling the simple meal there.
"That long?" Kiera prepared to hobble to the table on her own, only to pause when a large hand slipped under her forearm to help her balance on wobbly legs. Together they made their way to the reading area with Alessi fussing just slightly over her getting settled in her preferred spot before he sat across from her.
"I am surprised it wasn't longer." Alessi's tone was mild. Confident and composed before nearly whimpering when he lifted the domed lid off the serving dish. Hot steaming broth, with just tiny flecks of meat in it. The only redeeming portions of the meal were the two thick slices of bread, still warm enough that the butter smeared over the top had started to melt.
"Healer's orders Prince Gerodi." Mirella tried to hide any amusement at the almost boyish expression of disappointment on the man's face. Kiera looked at the offered food before picking up her spoon to take a careful sip. Her face scrunched up for a moment as her stomach twisted and protested the offering before relaxing.
"It tastes lovely Mirella. Thank you." Keira put her spoon down uncertain if she should continue eating or if she was about to be violently ill. One look from the warlord prince across from her had her picking up that spoon again and braving another slow bite after another. The soup slowly settled on her stomach until she felt brave enough to start picking at the bread.
It didn't take long for her shrunken stomach to feel full and despite the temptation to continue eating Kiera stopped there. Feed and no longer boiling from their combined body heat she was tired, suddenly ready to curl up again. Mirella had taken the time while Kiera and Alessi ate to tidy the bed and collect the socks Kiera had managed to peel off.
The familiar sounds and scents of her room lulled Kiera until she found herself nodding off randomly before slipping back to sleep. Daylight woke her the next time she opened her eyes. Groggy from sleep, Keira rolled over searching for Alessi finding her bed empty except for her. Jolted awake by the flaccid bedding and fading psychic residue Kiera shot upright. Panic curled its cruel fist around her thoughts; her heart racing as she stared over the room.
"I'm home. I'm home, safe.." She whispered into the dim interior. Bright lines of light escaped around the edges of her curtains telling her it was at least mid-morning. Safe and warm, she continued her mantra as she slipped from the bed. She winced more out of habit than pain as her tender feet accepted her body weight.
Slowly she battled down panic as she crossed the room to fling open the curtains. Bright winter sunlight filled the room chasing any shadows. Pristinely clean with everything put away and in its proper place. Even her half-read book sat on the small table next to her favorite chair. She hated how her heart raced and even the sound of voices in the hallway caused her to jump. Loathed how she was scared to be alone in her room; her own home.
"Illario? Orion?" She didn't give the pretense of polite manners; she just wanted to know someone was there. Guards she had resented before she now prayed stood close. Kiera could feel panic rising in her throat, threatening to choke her breath from her as her call went unanswered.
"Illario? Orion?" Kiera leaned against the wooden door of her wardrobe; ready to throw on a dressing gown to flee the empty room.
"We're here Kiera." Illario's voice was calm and steady. A breath of relief escaped her as she sagged against the piece of furniture. Tears of frustration pooled behind her eyes as she chastised herself for being frightened simply at being alone. "When you are ready we are here." His voice was pitched to a crooning calm.
"Thank you." She whispered her gratitude as she blindly searched through the wardrobe as she dressed herself. The outfit was pure comfort. A soft well-washed cotton skirt in a muted gray-blue and cream colored knit sweater that was at least one size too big. Her shoes were a pair of thin house shoes. She didn't do much with her hair, braiding it and pinning it in a coil around her head; the entire style crooked from the trembling in her hands.
Unable to remain in the room a moment longer she bolted out of the room surprising both warlords with her sudden emergence. At seeing them she gave a shuddering breath as the older of the two circled her shoulders in an awkward half hug. Orion shifted uncomfortably; not certain how he should react to Alessi's current fixation. Her stomach growled and it broke his uncertainty.
"I bet Mirella has something tasty waiting for you. If you are up to it?" Orion suggested carefully. She needed to be seen; for those not part of her first circle to assure themselves that the queen they were backing was alive and whole.
"Food is good." A hard swallow before she could find her voice. Somehow Kiera kept from asking about Alessi's whereabouts; afraid of sounding like a jilted lover. Illario's hug ended as he shifted to offer his arm as a proper escort. Habit had her placing her fingers along his forearm as they started their walk through the home.
Somehow as they moved through the corridors more of her first circle appeared and joined their little party. Each male gave the excuse of being hungry and wanting a late breakfast. Kiera didn't voice her disbelief that the nine males around her were suddenly hungry. Their presence was reassurance that she was safe; that no one would take her away again.
When she entered the dining room Prince Matteo rose, his head bowed in silent apology and shame. Across from him sat Alessi with his uneaten breakfast in front of him and the expression on his face told her the conversation she walked into was not a polite one. Kiera shored up the brittle parts of her as she forced herself to walk forward and offer her hands to Matteo.
"It wasn't your fault, Draco. " Kiera spoke firmly, breaking whatever tension rode the room. Kiera offered her hand to her Steward; a tentative offering to ease the guilt the older man so clearly wore. If it wasn't for the bristling warlord prince behind her Kiera would have offered a hug to the man who had treated her with nothing but respect and avuncular affection.
A shuddering sigh escaped the Warlord prince in front of her as he met her gaze. Shadows and hurt must have lingered there, but no blame or anger was directed at him. His hand closed around hers with a gentle squeeze before he guided her to the table, seating her close to Alessi out of deference to the unspoken claim made on the queen.
"Prince Gerodi." Kiera finally acknowledged him, her smile timid as she waited for any sort of tease or reprimand for her nearly stolen kiss. Instead, he pushed a bowl of porridge toward her. The tension in his shoulders and face told her that he was barely holding his control around so many males near her.
"Prince Gerodi " Her voice came out firmer as she tried to pull him out of whatever emotion gripped his mind. "Would you mind asking Mirella for some fresh coffee?" A task, he needed a task that would send him out of the room until he could walk himself back from the edge of his temper.
"At your pleasure, Lady." His hands nearly slammed against the table before he rose. Out of instinct, her hand reached out, her fingers unable to circle his wrist and her touch light. Her hold fell until they held hands for a brief second. He looked down on her, searching for some unspoken answer. Whatever he saw must have satisfied him because he released her hand and left the room to get her coffee and take the unspoken breather.
"What has happened while I was gone?" Kiera picked up her spoon before taking a bite of the honey-sweetened cereal. Her nose wrinkled in distaste but she kept eating. Her stomach demanded the nutrition it offered. She ate while they spoke, silently absorbing what was said and what wasn't. If her abduction told her anything, it was time for her to have a more active and assertive role with her court.
Alessi returned and the conversation died out; as if they were uncertain she was allowed to know any of the information. Attentively he placed the cup of coffee next to her nearly empty bowl. Once he settled beside her again and started eating the conversation started flowing again.
Kiera turned slightly in her seat to address the two parts of her triangle. "We need to discuss the fallout of the recent events for both us and the Queen in Draega's court." Silently she cursed the politics of aristos and the Hundred Families that had managed to continue even through the Witchstorm that had ripped apart their lives.
"Losing both Prince Domani, and Lord Ayers would be a significant blow.." Kiera focused her attention on the warlord speaking. He wasn't an entirely familiar face and she struggled to remember his name.
"Lord Rhoekos, the loss is not in equal value to the insult and injuries done to our queen." Another warlord prince spoke up. His temper leashed and shored up primarily because she still lived and two other dominate jeweled warlord princes were sitting at her side.
"Prince Urian " Kiera remembered this one. He had been a surprising addition to the court volunteers, adding another warlord prince to her first circle. Four mid to dark jeweled warlord princes had seemed excessive but each had signed the contract surrendering themselves to her. "What would you suggest then?"
"We take their queen. Bring her here, away from Draega and the Traditionalists" Kiera's stomach sank at the vision of a never-ending circle of abductions between the various courts. Every report she had heard indicated that the queen was a puppet as much Alessi had intended her to be.
"No, if we do that it sets precedence that we can ill afford." Kiera sighed as she leaned back in her chair ever so slightly. Her hands curled around the coffee as she carefully sipped the strong brew. "Besides I need other queens willing to step from their hiding places come Spring to start blessing the ground."
She looked at Matteo and Alessi in particular. "They won't if they think it isn't safe. Those of us who survived were running scared or were already broken in body or mind."
"Then we will make it safe" Illario's voice sounded confident and calm. Old enough to have experienced the worst that Dorothea and her corrupted courts had to offer, he understood the fears of those who had been damaged and trampled beneath the uncaring cruelty of the corrupted witches.
"And let Draega think their court can attack ours without penalty?" Kiera listened to the assorted voices of her first circle give their protests at her willingness to let Draega escape without penalty. All Kiera could think of was the desolate land where Craft had been unleashed in open war.
"They won't. They will pay for the harm caused but it will be in a way that won't damage Hayll further." Alessi interrupted the cacophony of voices. The discussion ended with his statement. Habit and training had the men deferring to Alessi where they would have pushed at Kiera.
The conversation shifted to Winsol with a few members of her first circle requesting leave to cycle back to their homes to spend time with their families. Prince Matteo would be among the numbers leaving for the holiday. Kiera was surprised to learn that he had a wife at home and a fairly young son and daughter back in his home village.
Glad for the change of topic Kiera focused on drinking her coffee. Her pleasure diminished as the men started to leave the dining room at some unspoken signal. Only Matteo and Alessi remained behind, both of whom were too silent and composed for whatever they had planned to be a pleasant conversation.
"Was there something else Princes?" Kiera realized she couldn't nurse that cup of coffee longer than they were determined to sit there. Patiently she folded her hands on her lap and sat straighter in her chair. The flash of discomfort across Matteo's face gave her a hint of what the conversation pointed toward.
"Lady, in light of the events it is clear that it is not safe for someone outside of your first circle to see you through your virgin night." Kiera forced herself to breathe as Matteo continued the conversation. "Prince Gerodi.."
"No" "The word escaped her in a rushed his. "No, not Prince Gerodi." Her thoughts were whirling too much, lost too much in her pain to notice how the rejection struck the male beside her. He managed to keep his posture steady and expression blank.
"I won't be a pity or duty for anyone." Her hands shook as she pushed them against the top of the table to leverage herself to her feet. Kiera wobbled for a second as she fought back tears of humiliation. She knew that Alessi hadn't made the offer easily, but the idea of him seeing her as a duty after everything else he had suffered at the hands of aristos was unbearable.
"Lady Domani.." Matteo's voice pitched to the same calming tone she had heard the stablehands use on frightened horses. Kiera had risen but hadn't fled the room. As much as she wanted to run from the conversation and pretend it never had, training kept her in place. Her arms wrapped around her middle and the stricken expression on her face clued in both males that something else was running through her mind than simply not wanting to deal with that constant issue.
"Draco, give us some privacy." Alessi pushed past his hurt and the sting of rejection. Her reasoning behind the refusal soothed away stung pride as he waited for the other warlord prince to leave. Once the room was empty of everyone but them Alessi rose from his seat. His approach was slow enough to give her time to withdraw and despite saying she didn't want him for sex she didn't retreat from his presence either.
"It's just us now little queen." He reached a hand out to brush against her cheek. Tender enough that she nearly crumpled into him. "Talk to me, tell me what you are thinking." A shuddering breath escaped her as she looked up at him for a moment her heart there in her eyes before she turned away to focus on the worn sideboard in the back of the room.
"I just don't want anyone to feel forced into service, most of all you." Kiera's hands fell to her waist as she twisted her fingers through the hem of her sweater; worrying at the fabric. "You have done enough. Perhaps I like pretending there is something between us besides duty to Hayll." The truth was out. Words that she wished to take back the moment she said them.
"Oh Gattina, there is little you could do to make me feel forced." Slowly he pulled her against him, giving her the chance to pull away. Alessi was ready to release her at the first display of resistance, only drawing her against him as she seemed to melt against him. His hand moved down her cheek to cup her chin, tipping her head back as he lowered his mouth to hers.
Kiera's heart threatened to thunder straight from her chest as his lips touched hers. Tender, sweet, and teasing the kiss wasn't meant to stir passion but to instill longing. A promise and seduction wrapped into one. Alessi's other arm tightened around her waist, pulling her just a bit closer until her breasts pressed against his chest. At her soft little noise of surprised pleasure, when her hands rose to press against his shoulders the kiss changed. His mouth nipped and teased until she uncertainly opened her lips to his. A kiss that continued until she clung to him because her knees wouldn't support her and her body burned with a longing she yearned to name.
A sense of satisfaction filled Alessi as he looked down at her expression. Confusion warred with desire as she struggled to breathe through the sensations. He could feel the subtle arch of her back as she pressed closer against him and the scent of her desire was the sweetest perfume. Carefully he pulled away, steadying her as he put distance between their bodies. His cock ached from unfulfilled desire and Alessi fought his body's reaction to play the long game.
"Did that feel like just duty to you?" Alessi crooned as she blinked her vision back into focus.
"Ummm, no?" Her tongue wet her lips as Kiera tried to puzzle through what had occurred between them. She wasn't certain if she should be angry or mortified. Her emotions seemed to settle somewhere around bewildered.
"If you had to think about it, perhaps I should kiss you again." The words jerked her thoughts back to the present. Her lips parted before closing without speaking a word. "What speechless? I should have kissed you sooner and saved us both some grief."
"You.. that.." Kiera stopped trying to put words together and just made a wordless sound of frustration. She took a few steadying breaths before trying again. "Are you certain?"
"As I can be. Do you trust me to keep you safe?" Alessi hadn't seen many witches through their virgin nights. They were mostly girls related to the rebellion running along the undercurrent of Hayll and none queens. It wasn't experience that kept him confident he could get her across the battlefield undiminished; it was her. That it would be her body beneath his and her quiet gentle touch along his skin was assurance that he would safeguard her with everything he had.
"If you trust me not to hurt you.." Kiera whispered, giving in to the demand and question that she finally end that particular vulnerability. "As long as you are certain you are not doing this just for my safety. I don't want my Captain of Guard with me or the Warlord Prince; I want you.." She gave words he hadn't ever thought to hear so genuinely spoken. The knowledge her desire for him wasn't the power he could bring her or status, but just himself was a humbling thing.
"Then you will have me. Now if that is settled we should join Matteo in the hallway before the good Prince expires from a heart attack." He couldn't resist one more light teasing peck to her lips before straightening and offering his arm to her as a proper escort.
"We should, we would be hard-pressed to find as organized a court steward on short notice." Kiera teased as she attempted to ignore the fluttering of nerves in her stomach. With a quirk of a smile, she stepped out of the dining room and back into the rhythm of daily life.