Lemony goodness on the horizon. You have been warned.

Follow Up

The couple ended up sleeping through the two hour deadline, neither wanting to wake up. Then Rachel came by to invite them to their housewarming party upstairs.

"Rachel! How is it my housewarming party if a) it's not a house, and b) it's not at my place?" The woman laughed the question away, going into her closet for something appropriate to wear. She hit on it; a light and airy sleeveless floral dress with a pair of low-heeled sandals. Now that Fall was right around the corner but the heat still persisted, it was the perfect outfit for the party.

"Come on," the economics teacher said, ignoring her grumbling friend. "You haven't seen the guest list. You want to know how to party, you need to hang out with Sinclair Bourland! And then there's-"

"You got Sinclair Bourland to show up for a-"

"Yes! Now hurry up and get dressed. Tyr too. I'm thinking that this will complement your outfit nicely," she said, holding up a casual shirt and pants combo from his closet that made the bride blush just thinking about him in it.

"Just what is my little Alhamia thinking about?" Tyr asked curiously. Before Alandra could come up with a lie, he was kissing the mouth off of her, turning so that he was on top and chuckling at her gasp and moan. (Protectress)

"There'll be plenty of time for that later, you two! Come on. It's time to shower and dress." Landi reluctantly climbed out from under the covers; even the thought of seeing the almost socially reclusive Sinclair couldn't make her run to get dressed. A quick shower later and the two were dressed in the clothes Rachel picked out for them. Tyr looked just as devastating in his as she thought he would. An image of eating his cock while he stood in front of her put color and a great deal of heat in her cheeks. The Asian woman escorted the couple up to the party.

"About time you two showed," Whitney said with no small amount of bitterness in her voice. "How are you doing, Tyr?" Landi ignored the woman, walking in the festive-looking apartment. Women immediately attached themselves to her husband, flirting shamelessly with him. Landi disengaged from the popular man, going in search of food.

"Wow, you're taking a chance," Fran said lightly, coming to talk to her at the snack table. The lawyer sighed and finished chewing her tempura shrimp appetizer before answering her friend.

"He ain't got his hands tied," she shrugged. "I refuse to spend the rest of our lives together second-guessing myself and my decision to marry him. Life is way too short to expend that amount of energy all the time. Honestly, I've never understood that part of marriage. If you don't trust him to keep it in his pants, why the hell did you agree to be his one and only?" The woman stared at her long enough to make the woman uncomfortable. "What?"

"That is the most powerful, profound thing I've ever heard," Fran said in awe.

"Or the most naïve," Patty interjected, popping a duck-based appetizer in her mouth. "Sure, that 'I trust him' crap sounds good, but the truth is men are dogs. They'll mount anything that stays still long enough. If you don't keep an eye out, you will lose him, guaranteed." Patty had just finalized a bitter divorce. She found her husband in bed with teenage twins after nineteen years of marriage. Neither woman was surprised by her statement.

"There has to be some element of trust in a marriage, Patricia. You say that all men are dogs, but I can't believe that. It's just a matter of finding the right man."

"And you honestly believe that Tyr Anasazi is the right man? That jackass went through half the female population of New York in the last decade! I mean, you do realize that almost every woman here tonight has slept with your husband, right? I hear he's a beast in bed. You expect him to remain faithful to you?"

"Yes," she said with confidence. Warm, familiar hands seized her by the shoulders before his lips descended on hers. She surrendered to her husband's assault, moaning happily into his mouth as he explored her orifice with his tongue. Patty and Fran stood by awkwardly as this happened, looking around the brightly lit room for someone to intervene. No one did and the couple finished their kiss in peace.

Landi was breathing heavily by the time the kiss ended. Tyr simply supported his wife as she recovered, facing his accusers directly.

"I'm not an animal, ladies. While it's true that I have slept with a lot of women, each of them was picked with great care. I have standards and I won't just sleep with anyone. Alandra is something very special. I don't just want her loins. Unlike every other woman I've ever been with, she challenges me. I want her, all of her. Even before sex was introduced into our relationship, I wanted her. I will not have you introduce doubt into our relationship for the sake of your spite and jealousy. She is my one and only." The two women practically had hearts in their eyes from his romantic turn of phrase. The prince spent the rest of the party attached to his wife's hip, challenging anyone who attempted to shake up his woman.

Landi was hardly paying attention to the party after that. She was just counting the minutes until she could get her man alone and try to ravage him for once. She was planning her seduction strategy while Tyr interacted with the guests. He left her to get a plate of food for them near the end of the night. So when Sinclair Bourland came up to her, she was taken by surprise.

"You seem distracted, dear lady," he said flirtatiously. Tyr picked up on the seduction tactic immediately as he returned to her, but his innocent wife only looked up in confusion. Smiling at her innocence, he slowed his approach, wanting to see how she would handle herself.

"Do I? Sorry, it's been a long day. I was really looking forward to sleeping the night away before Rachel dragged me to this party." She yawned to emphasize the point.

"Well, I'm glad that I caught you before you retired for the night. I'm Sinclair. You are?"

"I know who you are, Mr. Bourland. I'm sure everyone does. One of the New York Times' ten most interesting people in the country. It's an honor to meet you. I'm Alandra Anasazi. But everyone just calls me Landi." She blinked when he attempted to grab her hand, backing away from him slightly. The man looked annoyed briefly, but recovered quickly.

"You must be parched in this hot room. Allow me to get you a drink," Sinclair offered charmingly.

"Oh… Um… I don't drink. Sorry. Besides, I'd much rather hear about your latest adventure in Europe. It must have been so exciting! I've never left the continent."

"You really must, Landi. It's an exciting place to go. You would either know all of the languages, or you would be completely lost with all the dialects out there." The woman jerked in surprise at the reference to her hobby.

"How did you know about my hobby with languages?" At this, he smiled to have the conversation back on track. He stepped closer and was once again annoyed to have her back away.

"Hobby, my dear? I'd venture a guess that your language skills make you one of the most sought-after lawyers in the city. Didn't I read somewhere that Myers and Myers recently acquired a business in California?" Rather than look flattered at his research, the woman looked disturbed and alarmed. He was frustrated that he wasn't putting her at ease, but upsetting her. She looked seconds from excusing herself altogether. This wasn't the usual reaction to his interest. In fact, his conquests were usually so flattered that he was who he was and yet showed interest in them that it was easy to invite them to his bed. What was wrong with her?

Tyr could emphasize with the man, thinking back to his first disastrous conversation with the woman. She wasn't like other women who were flattered by a little research into them but seemed to count it as a violation of her privacy. Remembering the plate of food he'd gathered for his lady, he decided to intercede.

"Excuse me, Mr. Bourland. I see our hostess calling- Tyr!" she squeaked, looking relieved. She crashed into his arms happily. Tyr smiled at her fondly, holding her plate carefully so that he wouldn't spill. "Tyr Anasazi, I'd like you to meet Sinclair Bourland, one of the New York Times' ten most interesting people in the country. This is my husband, the future king of Alibhai." The two men shook hands, hostility in Sinclair's gaze while Tyr's was full of smug satisfaction. Landi noticed none of this, of course. She was too busy eating off the plate Tyr made for her. "Oh, thank you, baby. I was so hungry!"

"Alibhai, huh? That small African country?"

"Yes, Alibhai is a nice small country, dripping with resources and possessing one of the most elite armies in Africa," Tyr smiled. That shut the man up. Deciding to be gracious in victory, the prince asked about his title. Sinclair was quick to direct attention to himself, mentioning his many travels and keen mind. He seemed to be trying to entice Tyr's woman, but Landi only finished her plate while listening with polite interest.

"I must say that this is a little awkward for me," he said after a while of tooting his own horn. "I meant to seduce you with my quick wit and charm, Alandra. It seems that I failed."

"I'm a married woman, Mr. Bourland. Why would I be seduced by you?" He looked deep into her confused eyes and admitted defeat. He turned to the prince with a wry chuckle.

"You've found yourself a good woman, Tyr. Should you ever mistreat her, I'm not the least of those in line to pick up the pieces."

"Understood," he said firmly, squeezing the woman to his side. Rachel came by just then, giving both parties the chance to beg off for the night.

"Do you have to go so soon?"

"I'm afraid so, my dear. My flight leaves first thing in the morning. It has been a true pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Anasazi. Rarely has a female presented me with such a challenge. Perhaps we will meet again."

"God be with you until then," Landi said casually, snuggling against her man.

"Indeed," he said, before taking his leave without another word.

"What did you think of him?" Rachel prodded her friend.

"I think that the country's most interesting man is kind of a slimy dick," she said forcefully. "Guess it's true what they say; never meet your heroes." Rachel and Tyr started laughing hysterically. "No, seriously! You know, I think he might have been hitting on me at one point. Lord knows why… And what was that nonsense about Tyr hurting me near the end? What a presumptuous shithead! How did he know about my habits and hobbies anyway? Stalker much?" The prince crushed her lips to his hungrily, only letting up when she went pliant against him.

"And people wonder what I see in you! My humble, wonderful lady. I love you so much. Let's go home, my precious Alhamia. You mentioned being tired earlier this evening." Hoping that this was somehow code for sex, Landi followed her husband to the elevators, bodyguards trailing behind them. (Protectress)

Once they were back in their bedroom, Tyr started suckling her breasts through her dress. She was tempted to just go along with the seduction, but she had been dreaming of suckling his dick all evening, and she'd be damned if she didn't at least try. With this goal in mind, she backed out of his warm embrace and led him to the bed. Landi then undid his trousers and pulled out his amazing foot-long cock. Her face heated up at how it throbbed and twitched in her hands.

"Something you want, little one?" he asked smugly, seeing her standing and holding his penis with a dazed look on her face. The woman remembered herself and sat him down on the edge of the bed. She quickly sank to her knees without a word and slid him into her mouth. She sighed in satisfaction at the taste of him in her mouth, turning on her necklace as she hummed and swallowed his meat. She moaned as she licked his head, swirling her tongue around it as she started massaging the shaft of his phallus with her hands. It didn't take long for him to be soaked in her saliva as she attacked him with her desperate mouth.

Tyr could only wonder at her boldness before succumbing to her innocent seduction. Having been sucked off like this by nearly every single female he'd ever had, the motion was very familiar. However, something about the fact that his wonderful woman was on her knees satisfying him had his entire body throbbing for her. And apparently he wasn't the only one getting hot and bothered by this little display. She was moaning and gasping as she gave him head, rubbing herself against him as she licked him, occasionally creating an amazing suction on his head that had him thrusting into her mouth. Soon he was gasping as he violated her. He'd been thinking about fucking her all night, just not like this. His wife was sweetly proficient with her tongue, rubbing it the right way all over the parts of him she could reach. And her hands were helping her case, roughly squeezing him in tandem with her wonderful mouth. He just sat there, in awe of her skills, and let her suck him off.

It took time to get him to cum for her. She wasn't sure if it was her inexperience or the fact that he was enjoying himself so damn much, gasping and whispering encouragement to her on how best to please him. Either way, her jaw was starting to ache when he finally thrust himself down her throat and squirted his thick seed into her. She didn't have time to panic about it; she just opened her throat and swallowed his love back like a large shot. Afterward, she released him, coughing a little bit from the sensation.

"Are you okay, Alhamia?" he asked, wondering how she was taking the fact that he'd just used her mouth and throat like a toilet. The man was once again surprised when she climbed into his lap and impaled herself on his still-hard member, immediately surrendering her upper body to him. He growled as her soaked insides clamped onto him definitively and she shivered at his dominance. And even though she was on top, she didn't hesitate to let him have all the control as he thrust up into her over and over again. He felt her give in, not hesitating to show how much she loved him. It was strangely humbling to realize just how much she loved him. The woman was soaked through and through, her mouth hanging open as she presumably screamed her lungs out for him. (Protectress)

He finally gave in and turned them so that he was on top, moving them up the bed so he could reach his earbuds. Once they were in, the prince sat up and pressed both of her hands into the bed so that they were palm to palm. Sweat beaded on both of their brows as he lifted her legs and possessed her as only he could. Her legs went from being wrapped around her lord's waist, almost crushing him as she squeezed him and yelled for more, to being up in the air while she undulated and came again against him. It was a singularly erotic encounter between the couple. He rode her hard as she begged him for it, shrieking praise of his giant, oversized cock and his masterful use of it on her.

"Oh God, oh God, Big Daddy. Don't stop fucking me! Never stop fucking me! It feels so good," she groaned, eyes shut as he pushed into her womb. He kept whispering the filthiest suggestions and instructions in her ear that kept her orgasming nigh constantly. She was breathing hard while he took her to Heaven, breathing in that pattern that said she was about to pass out. He sped up to try again to give her one last climax before she succumbed, but he only pushed her over the edge. Once she was out, he rode her furiously for his own gratification. When he was empty, he slowed down at last.

When he had his breath back, Tyr started cleaning up his sleeping lady and unmuted her, divesting her of her cum-stained dress. He threw it into the dirty clothes hamper, absently wondering when she would notice her framed red banner over the bed. The small, interesting design it made on the towel was quite asymmetrical and artsy, but it was very clear what it was. His thoughts continued to drift as he undressed himself. There was still so much he didn't know about the woman he loved. It was frustrating to him! Especially since it wasn't a question of her holding out on him, but a question of him not knowing what to ask. Everything he learned - for example, her complete trust in him or just how amazing she was at giving head - was a surprising delight. But at this rate, he felt that he would be eighty before he fully understood his woman. The thought was both terrifying and gratifying. There was nothing to really do tomorrow or the next day, and honestly, he intended to be naked and sweaty with her all weekend if possible. His dick jumped at the prospect and he smiled at how eager and insatiable he'd become for his wife since their marriage a week ago. He constantly wanted to see her naked and sweating under him.

"Stop exciting yourself and go to bed," he told himself sternly before doing just that. He pulled his purring bride into his arms and arranged her against him out of the wet spot and settled down to sleep.

… …

Landi shivered as she woke up, not sure how her husband would react to such a lewd display. Would he be angry? Smug? Grateful? Would he demand that she do it all the time? She honestly wouldn't mind that last one, but her jaw had been so sore before he gave into her mouth's demands… Was she truly up for that every night? She squealed softly and snuggled against him at the prospect of trying. Honestly, she felt that she'd taken the long boat to China rather than a well-deserved shortcut when it came to pleasuring him. What was she missing?

"Good morning, kitten. You seem excited. What are you thinking about?"

"Sucking your dick again before breakfast," she said in a low, hungry voice she didn't really recognize.

"Really?" he smirked. "You want to have me thick and throbbing in your wonderful mouth again?" She whimpered and nodded. "Okay, little girl. But I would suggest you explore my private parts this time. I'm a man who gets very excited over being admired." Landi blushed prettily but refused to squander the opportunity to get him back in her mouth. She shimmied down in the bed until she was face to face with his giant phallus. This time, she took the time to really look at her man's member. It was so veiny and thick.

"How do you get muscles down here?" she asked curiously. Warm laughter floated down from above her. "Sorry…" Tyr leaned down and captured her attention with a finger under her chin.

"No, love. Don't ever be sorry during our time together. You were made for me and I love your innocence. Never think that I would laugh at you maliciously. As to your question, I have a lot of experience that has molded me into the glorious specimen I am today. Explore, little love. I find your regard fascinating." Landi felt her curiosity override her shame and smiled beautifully.

"Okay," she grinned before turning her attention back to the quivering flesh in front of her. She looked him up and down worshipfully, having no words for her first real-life penis. The woman watched as it seemed to grow with her inspection, a single pearl of milky-white liquid forming on the tip. She smiled happily and licked it away before bathing his scrotum with her tongue. Once again, she had to mute herself, unable to believe how good the man tasted. She slowly made her way up the underside of his hard, waving member, tracing every vein with her nimble tongue. As she got more into her task, she started massaging the area she'd marked already, squeezing him while she lapped at him like a lollipop.

"That's right, baby. Just like that. A little… Mmmm… Now squeeze me… Oh my God, woman! Suck it, Mama…" He had to marvel at her ability to take direction, even with how loud she was being. He released with a pleasant groan, shooting his considerable load down her throat. And just like yesterday, she accepted his semen without choking on him. She really was the perfect woman. He pulled his panting wife up his body and kissed her thoroughly, heedless of the taste of him on her as he speared her leaking body.

"Never doubt my love for you, Alhamia," he murmured against her cheek as he pumped into her. "You are my life, and my perfect match, Little Landi. I can't seem to get enough of being inside of you. I want to father your children." His sweet words were cut off with a feral growl as she squeezed him with her impossibly tight inner walls and screamed her climax. The two loved this way until she couldn't go on and collapsed against his perfect, glistening body. Her breasts were covered in hickeys and love-bites from her enthusiastic husband. He ran his hands through her ridiculously long hair, coaxing her to sleep. It didn't take long for Landi to drift off to dreamland, leaving a panting, sweaty prince to ponder his life so far. Four months ago he'd been footloose and fancy free. Now he was bound to this amazing woman, beholden to her crazy, violent family and counting down to his reign as King Tyr Anasazi of Alibhai, answerable only to his father and grandfather. 'Not to mention this little firecracker,' he thought with a fond look at his woman sleeping peacefully on top of him. As if to prove the point, she snuggled against him suddenly and purred. (Protectress)

"I suspect you will ensure that I am a good king," he whispered against her ear. The woman shivered and snuggled against him again. "Perhaps you are right, little one. A nap is preferable to these musings." With that, he held her close and breathed her in, letting her relaxation ease him into a restful sleep.

The weekend passed slowly by in a blur of phenomenal sex and food. By the time Sunday night rolled around, his wife was drunk off his seed and he was certain that she was going to drain him dry one of these days.

"How are you feeling, love?" he asked tiredly, his hand massaging the back of her neck as she lay quietly in his arms. The woman sighed contentedly and snuggled against him.

"I forgot to call my mom yesterday," she said ruefully. "She's gonna know what we're doing."

"Oh my dear, everyone knows what we're doing," he told her haughtily. "We are a power couple. It's why the press follows you around, looking for a statement. Your new bodyguard will appreciate this and keep you safe from them starting first thing Monday morning. You're in the office tomorrow, right?" Landi nodded.

"I've got all the paperwork from those two trials to file. Along with my notes and the Myers brothers wanting to meet, I'll be very surprised if I make it out of the office by- Did you say I'm getting a new bodyguard tomorrow?"

"Yes, I did," he said firmly. "It would have been today but I was too busy thrusting inside of you to be bothered. Sleep, Alhamia. You're going to need it!" Despite his words, her man immediately started licking her bruised breasts, which inevitably led to more sexual shenanigans. Landi was proud not to pass out this time, panting heavily as her exhausted form recovered. (Protectress)

… …

Five in the morning came and saw a freshly exercised, fully showered, and dressed lawyer waiting for her new bodyguard so she could get to work.

"Tyr!, this is ridiculous! I'll just take Hazma with me today - Mr. Richter isn't here. I can't be late for work! There's only-"

"Sorry I'm late. Traffic was terrible this morning." The man that sauntered in had a mid-west drawl. He was dressed in a casual suit that barely concealed his gun holsters. Something about him rubbed Landi the wrong way.

"Traffic is terrible every morning, sir, which is why I leave early to get where I'm going." The man looked at her arrogantly before turning back to his employer.

"So, where's the little princess I'm supposed to be looking after?"

"I'm not little," she said forcefully. The two sized each other up and both came away disappointed.

"Wait, you're that gold-"

"Tyr, I've got to get to work now. Being late gives a bad impression. And your new bodyguard is going to be sporting a black eye similar to mine if he calls me a gold-digger. I'll see you tonight. Hazma!" The guard looked to his prince, who nodded. Landi glided out of the room, looking every inch a queen to the thirsty prince. Once she was gone, Tyr turned to his latest employee.

"I asked you to be here at four-thirty for an introduction to your charge. You said that this wasn't a problem. Yet you come sauntering in at five after five as if nothing were wrong and proceed to gravely insult my wife. You may go now. This is obviously not going to work out."

"Wait! Give me another chance, Mr. Anasazi. I honestly didn't know that traffic to this part of town would be so bad and I didn't mean to insult your wife. You hired me because I'm the best-"

"One of the best," Tyr interrupted, his voice still hard and very serious. "I barely sold my wife and her family on the idea of her own bodyguard as it is, then you waltz in here and ruin all my hard work. I don't appreciate having my time wasted. Escort Mr. Richter out of the building, Omar." The bodyguards tussled, the new one coming out on top, but not by much. David was desperate. He had never been rejected by a client, especially one of such notable repute. This job was his ticket. Especially if he could get them to extend it past the three-year contract.

"Please reconsider, Mr. Anasazi. I want to work for you."

"It's not me you need to convince," the man said smugly. David's bottle-green eyes widened, then he nodded in resignation. Of course, he'd have to convince the little lady of his worth. "You have until the end of the workday to convince her. Otherwise, I'm getting someone else." Thus permitted to try, David turned on his heel and marched towards his car. He stopped at the threshold.

"What is her favorite food?" he asked out of the blue. Tyr and Omar exchanged looks before his boss answered.

"She loves ham and cheese crepes from Ray's in Greenwich Village."

"Thank you," David said, heading out.

Landi was furious in the meantime. Talk about the wrong first impression! If that asshole had been on time, he would have caught her finishing her morning rituals. As it was, she was going to be five minutes late for work, something that just wasn't acceptable to her now that she was a princess. She got to work without incident, filing paperwork and starting work on new clients. At ten o'clock, Zachary stormed into her office without an appointment.

"Mr. Davenport? What are you doing here?"

"Have you heard the latest? Sandra is appealing the case! That bitch is trying to-"

"Regardless of what your former business partner is planning to do, it is highly inappropriate for you to storm into my office unannounced." Zachary reined in his temper, straightening his suit jacket. He closed the doors to her office, paying no mind to the fact that they didn't lock.

"Forgive me, Mrs. Anasazi. I just thought that my lawyer would be interested in my continuing case." Landi looked at him strangely, standing up when her former client continued to loom over her. He wasn't as tall as her husband, so she wasn't intimidated.

"I believe you misunderstood our relationship, Mr. Davenport. Ours is a purely professional relationship, based on what you've paid the Myers brothers for my services. My lawyer services ended when the trial was over on Friday. You are no longer my client. Should you want to engage my services again, you can talk to my bosses again. Provided that I'm willing to work with you again, which I'm not. And even if none of that mattered, if your ex-wife is appealing the case, that makes you the defendant. Therefore you will need a defense attorney. I don't do defense." The man came around the desk and grabbed her arm in a tight grip that would have left bruises if her skin was any lighter. "Release my arm immediately, Mr. Davenport."

"Shut up."

"You're hurting me. Let go." The man twisted her arm a little in response, an ugly look passing over his normally handsome features.

"I said shut up. You're a little uppity for my tastes, but I think I can get my point across. See, you are going to represent me in the appeal. Having you by my side is practically a declaration of my innocence. You will represent me and you will represent me well, or you'll have more to worry about than a healing black eye. Ask my ex-wife; there are many ways and places to hit a woman that don't leave a mark."

"I'll tell somebody," she said weakly. He smiled a sinister smile and grasped her arm even harder.

"And who's going to believe you, little girl? You've helped to establish my reputation as a good man. If you suddenly change your story, people are going to think you're either crazy or lying, like that bitch I married."

"So Sandra was telling the truth all along. You really did manipulate her into buying all that stuff over the years." Again, that evil smile. He leaned in close as if sharing confidence.

"I did. I have rather… exotic tastes. And she was quite a nice plaything for a while. Especially after I taught her to keep that stupid woman mouth of hers shut." He pulled her close by her trapped arm. "Much like you're learning, wouldn't you agree, pet?"

"Okay. That's enough of that," she suddenly said in her own strong voice. Before Zachary could react, she punched the arm that had her trapped. He instantly released her. She finished her move with an uppercut to his solar plexus that dropped him to his knees.

"I told you to take your fucking hands off of me! You think this is a game? You think I'm playing with you?"

"You broke my arm," the man gasped, still recovering from having the wind knocked out of him. His supposed victim smirked at him.

"Oh no. Your arm isn't broken, it's just numb. I know a lot about pressure points. What did you call me? 'Uppity'? Honey, you have no idea. I don't represent scum like you. Ever. And thinking that I could be shamed into silence like your other victims was your first mistake. We're not all alike, you know!" Zachary had managed to gain his feet by this time.

"You ungrateful whore! I'm going to sue you for everything you're worth!"

"Bring it on, bitch," Landi said casually. "I ain't your ex-wife. You'll find me a bigger challenge than she ever was." Out of patience with the woman in front of him, Zachary rushed her, only for her bodyguards to throw the doors to her office open and physically restrain him before he could wipe the smug grin off of her face.

"Your timing has improved, Mr. Richter," she smiled happily. Zachary growled loudly and tried to attack her again, but being in a headlock with only one arm, he had no chance. "Ms. Scryer, please call security. We have some trash that needs to be taken out."

"Of course, Mrs. Anasazi."

It didn't take long for the story to come out through the same media machine Landi had reprimanded not three days ago. Mr. Davenport was led away in disgrace, the security footage from his former lawyer's office not only proving her innocence but exonerating his ex-wife in the process. Sandra's appeal turned out to be unnecessary when the truth came out a few days later. The publicly shamed CEO was forced to turn over controlling interest in his company back to his ex-wife, not to mention pay a hefty sum of money to both women for assault and emotional damage. The whole thing bankrupted Zachary in the end.

"I am very grateful that the truth has come out," Sandra grinned during a press conference after the security footage was released. "And it seems that I have Mrs. Anasazi to thank for the way things turned out for me."

"How do ya figure?" one of the slicker PR people asked with a Texan accent. Ms. Turner gathered her thoughts carefully, unintimidated by the crowd after so many days of having cameras and microphones in her face. "Did you see the tape? Mrs. Anasazi knew that she was on tape; she could have simply gotten justice for herself. But she took the time to specifically ask about my years of torment, undoing the case she'd just won three days ago. Because of her, I didn't have to go through with the appeal. I owe her for that."

"You owe me nothing," Landi hijacked the woman's press conference, David Richter by her side. Some of the microphones were adjusted to include the princess in the conference. "I messed up. I feel that I failed you that day. The abuse thing just came right out of the blue, and I dismissed it out of hand. I realize now that I never asked if it was true; never looked him in the eye to test his veracity. I should have and I didn't. And for that, I am so sorry." Sandra made her way through the crowd and hugged her tightly. This opened the floodgates for the lawyer and tears of remorse started trickling down her cheeks. The crowd was quietly eating this up, the cameras rolling to catch the tender moment.

"It doesn't matter. You were there later when it really counted. I'm grateful for that." Both women were teary-eyed by now. But it was clear that these were not tears of hopelessness and sorrow. Tyr finally broke up the touching scene by gently leading his woman away.

"I'm still not sure if I like you putting yourself in danger for information like you did, Alhamia," he whispered against her lips once they were safely in the limo. Landi rolled her eyes at his blatant protectiveness but settled against him nonetheless. (Protectress)

"Oh, Jaguar. You saw the video; I was never in danger from such a rank amateur. He literally tried to strong-arm me and it didn't work. You worry too much."

"Only when it comes to you, my darling wife, only when it comes to you."