Page 36 of Knight of Darkness
“How so?”
“’Tis war, Ceridwen. You are certainly aware what happens during a siege and what becomes of those closest to those they serve.”
“Are you trying to tell me they have been beheaded?”
“Aye, I am afraid so.”
“And my father?” she asked with tear-filled eyes.
“The reason I sent one of your own men to scout ahead is because he would be familiar with the workings of Norwich and those he served. He confirmed my worst fears. I am so sorry, my lady.” Wymar hung his head with his words.
A low wail escaped her parted lips. “No!” she screamed and jumped from the ground even whilst Wymar called out her name, begging her to stop.
She ran as fast as her feet would carry her, jumped upon her horse before anyone could stop her, and galloped to the edges of the forest. She slid from the saddle to peer upon the keep all the while holding onto the trunk of a tree for support.
She was close enough to see them all and ’twas a sight she would never forget. One could not go back after seeing your father’s head sitting on a pike along with his most trusted knights. She fell to the ground as a cry of anguish sprang forth from the very depth of her soul. She only realized she was no longer alone when she felt Wymar’s arms go around her, pulling her into his embrace.
“My lord… how may I help her?” Arthur choked out. His tone held his own sorrow of what he, too, had witnessed. Ceridwen barely heard Arthur come upon them whilst she was clinging to Wymar.
“She will need time, Chamberlayn. I will keep her safe,” Wymar vowed, dismissing him. Arthur quietly left.
Wymar muttered words of comfort and somewhere they registered into Ceridwen’s broken heart. They could not take away the pain or the scars that would be left behind but somehow, they erased a small part of what she had lost. Regret once more consumed her for not being there for her father and people. She cried in earnest of what would never be far into the night. When she found some form of solace from her despair by falling asleep, she was safely wrapped in the arms of her knight.
Chapter Twenty-One
The night wasstill, almost too still. Not a sound disturbed the forest, causing Wymar to continue searching the dark for enemies that would attack. But all was quiet and he began to relax for the first time since Ceridwen had fallen into his arms in despair. Her cries of anguish over the loss of her father had torn at his heart, breaking down the barriers he had erected to protect it for the past several days. He had no idea where their relationship was going, if he could call what was between them some sort of bond. He only knew he needed her in his life.
She had clung to him in her sleep, wrapping herself around him so closely that it felt as though he had a second skin. At times she would cry out her for her father and he would soothe her with words of comfort until she calmed again. At other times, she would murmur out his name as if they were lovers and Wymar would pull up every bit of strength within him to not make her his in every way.
She stirred again and he pulled more of the blanket around her when he felt her shiver from the cold.Cold…God’s Blood… how could she be cold when having this woman this close to him was causing him to burn? Aye… he wanted her more than any other woman he had ever desired but now was not the time to give in to this constant craving for her. He needed her as much as she needed him, but protecting her was far more important than slaking his lusts. He leaned his head back to stare up into the stars. When had he become so drawn to her? Mayhap when she first revealed herself as a woman instead of the knight he had thought her to be.
“Kiss me…”
Wymar smiled as he pulled her closer and her hand wound its way around his neck. She was dreaming again and flashes of memory of their all-too-brief encounters swiftly ran through his mind. Ceridwen was a fiery vixen one moment and a calm, determined woman the next. He gave a small chuckle, thinking of the woman he was becoming to know.
“Wymar… kiss me… please…” she whispered into the night.
He gave a heavy sigh and restrained himself in fulfilling her demand. He could not take advantage of her plea whilst she slumbered, much to his dismay. She would never forgive him and he no longer wished to have disagreements driving them apart. He was tired of the fighting for what was right, tired from the years of trying to restore his family name, and tired of trying to figure out this complicated woman who tore at his heart. He might as well confess his feeling for her come the morn. He cared for her. That much was true but he was unsure if he was truly capable of loving anyone. She deserved better. She deserved someone who could stay with her, give her the future that she wanted.
Her captain’s words echoed in his mind. Aye, she deserved better than what Wymar could offer her. He had no idea what awaited him at this own home, only that he must return there. And he still had the matter of taking back the castle for Ceridwen and his queen. There was still much to do before he could ever begin to think of offering for the woman who unknowingly owned his heart.
“Why will you not kiss me, Wymar?”
He stole a look at the woman in his arms and realized she had been watching him and was very much awake. Wymar could only assume her profound grief was the driving force for her request. She required some form of comfort from him. But surely he could give her the comfort she needed without crossing any lines. As if to contradict his thoughts, she swiftly moved to sit in his lap causing a part of him to spring to life at her nearness. Wymar swore he could feel the very heat of her through their garments.
“Ceridwen, you need your rest. Go back to sleep,” he urged as he attempted to pull her from his lap. Instead, she pulled herself even closer and he nearly unmanned himself to feel her entire body intimately claim his own.
“Always telling me what to do,” she teased. “Can you not throw caution to the wind and justfeelfor a change? You do not always have to be in control, Wymar.”
A low moan caught in his throat. “I will not have you hate me come the morn, Ceridwen. You have no idea how much I want you at this moment. And yet, I will not take advantage of you during your grief and give in to my desires to claim you.”
She looked around where he had taken her to slumber only to realize they were very much alone. “If you wished for us to remain chaste, then you should have picked a better spot where we would be close to the others, Norwood,” she said with a laugh.
“We thought it best, out of respect, to allow you some privacy in order to grieve,” he whispered.
“We?” she asked.
“Chamberlayn and I discussed it and reached the decision, along with the rest of your men,” he answered.
