Page 6 of Bride of the King
“Tonight is. . .” I trailed off while emotions warred within me. Part of me was relieved it would not be tonight, but I couldn’t help the slight pinch of disappointment. I’d imagined, time and again, what it would be like to experience the throes of passion, for I’d heard tales that made my cheeks warm and my ears tingle. Arranged marriages were common, but I wished for love. Was it wrong to desire such a thing?
Zander slid his arms around my waist, pulling me against his warmth. When his lips pressed against my ear, my heart raced. “Trust me when I say, I will take you. I will make you writhe with desire. I’ll make you hot and wet until you long for me, and me alone. You’ll taste pleasure like you’ve tasted nothing before, and your cries of pleasure will be loud enough to wake the dead.”
My face flamed with heat, and a warm and achy feeling crept over me. My limbs trembled as he stroked my bare skin and weaved his fingers through the laces of the dress, loosening them further. I clung to my dress, unsure if I was ready to be naked in front of him. Sensing my hesitation, he gently threaded his fingers through my hair and angled his head toward mine. His gaze flickered to my lips. “Should I make you wait?” he asked, a dark shadow passing over his face. Gone was the kindness, replaced by desire and dominance, and yet he restrained himself. “Or shall I give you a glimpse of pleasure to come?”
I could scarcely draw a breath. Who was I to deny the kiss of a king who looked like the sun god himself? Arousal stirred in my belly but I held myself still, very still, sure if I moved I’d break the spell. “Please,” I murmured.
When his lips brushed mine, a tingling sensation went from my toes all the way to my fingertips. My head lolled to the side, and a sigh escaped my parted lips. It was both heady and delicious, and I felt as though his kiss awoke something inside of me. A deep carnal lust with a poignant desire for me. He tasted like sweet fruit and dark wine. Just as suddenly the kiss faded. I opened my eyes, and the room seemed to spin and dance.
Speech forsook my tongue, and my fingers trembled. Was this how it was supposed to be?
Zander released me and stepped back, his chest rising and falling. Raising my open palm to his lips, he kissed it. “I look forward to getting to know you. Nesrin.”
It was the third time he’d said my name, but this time it burned on his lips, along with the faint glow of the kiss, as though something had changed. I wanted another kiss, but he pivoted away. “Change. Sleep, and we shall see what daylight brings.”
5
I expectedto lie awake that night, but the events of the day had worn me out. As soon as I climbed into the bed, it swallowed me whole. I lay in a sweet sleep until a soft light and the scent of wild roses made me open my eyes. I stiffened, then recalled I no longer slept in the stifling attic on a lumpy mattress of prickly hay. I was wed to the king of the Rovers. Turning, I hoped to glimpse him, recalling the faint echo of his heated kiss. He hadn’t returned by the time I’d changed into a soft white nightgown and lain down. My sleep had been so undisturbed, I was unsure if he’d slept on the other side of the bed at all. Sitting up, I folded my hands in my lap as I determined what to do. Zander—I assumed—controlled my destiny now, and uncertainty lay before me.
The tent flapped opened, sending a breeze of warm air into the tent. Zander walked in, dressed in simple clothing. Gray pants, leather boots, and a plain blue shirt. The colors looked rich and only complimented his sandy blond hair and gray eyes. He smiled. “My lady, did you sleep well?”
I returned the smile. “I can’t recall the last time I slept so well.”
“Good. While you dress, I will find some breakfast.” He ducked out again before I could say another word.
The trunk overflowed with dresses, and I couldn't believe all the beautiful clothing was my own. I slid into a pale yellow dress the color of daffodils blooming in the spring, and brushed my hair, leaving it loose as I waited for Zander. He returned promptly, a tray in hand, and set it down on the table. My eyebrows lifted as he sat in one chair and gestured for me to sit at the other. I knew nothing of the ways of Rovers, yet I found it disconcerting that he served me. Weren’t kings and queens supposed to have servants to do their bidding?
“You don’t have to wait on me,” I said as I sat across from him.
He looked relaxed in the daylight, as though he did not have a care in the world. The formality of our marriage had faded away, and he looked more like the young man I’d met in the forest, and less like an intimidating king. I thought of the kiss we’d shared the evening before and hoped there would be more to come.
“I do,” he said, taking a plate off the tray and filling it with bread, smoked meat, and fruit. “People assume being a king means I sit and wait for others to serve me. But that’s not what it means at all, and if a king assumes such a position of privilege, he is mistaken. Being king means I serve the interests of my people, I protect them, provide for them, and do whatever I can to ensure their happiness. As my queen, I shall do the same for you.”
I stared as his words sunk in. What a view he had of his duty as a king. “It sounds like servitude,” I said, thinking of the way my step-mother had treated me.
Propping his elbows on the table, he tore apart a piece of meat and chewed it thoughtfully. “It is. And it isn’t. Everyone here is well-treated, we are, mostly, equals, and if one has a complaint, it is brought before me and how to handle it discussed among the elders and voted on. But as king, I lead, as long as it is in the best interest of those who follow me. Say, for example, I choose to relocate the camp to the foothills of the firedrake mountains. It would be foolhardy, since winter is coming, and the elders would veto that choice. Unless I gave a compelling reason, for example, the caves there are warm and stay dry. We would be protected from the winter snows. Then a vote would take place and we would go.”
I considered his words as I took a bite of fruit. The sweet juices burst in my mouth. “It sounds like it takes a long time to decide anything, and the people choose.”
“Indeed, but I am well respected for making good choices for the Rovers. Besides, if anyone dislikes the direction I take my people, they are free to leave. However, leaving is not without its perils.”
“What perils?” I tilted my head and studied his relaxed attitude. He mentioned leaving. Would I be able to leave, should I choose?
“The enchanted wildwood is nearby, and we usually make camp close to it. It’s rare, but sometimes the creatures of the wildwood attack. To wander alone is to make yourself vulnerable to the spirts.”
I shivered and focused on my breakfast, wondering if he was warning me against running. “Why live so close to danger?”
“Land near the wildwood is free, and we are seldom welcome in the kingdom or the outer lands which are often the hold of nobles. Since there isn’t a place for us, we take what we can get. Personally, I don’t mind. The wildwood has its own kind of enchantment.” He leaned forward and his voice softened. “When I first met you, you were in the wood, and I thought. . .” His gaze flickered to my pointed ears.
A flush crept up my neck. “What did you think?”
His hand crossed the small space between us, and his fingers rested on my wrist. “I thought you might be a wood nymph come to bless mere mortals with your magic.”
I would have laughed if he hadn’t said the forbidden word:magic. My thoughts went to the river goddess, and a lump swelled in my throat. Three wishes. Two had already come true. What price would she demand? Would I be able to pay it?
He pulled away. “You look upset.”
“No,” I snapped, taking a breath to calm myself. “It’s just. . .” I fished for an answer that would satisfy him. “My father always spoke out against using magic and the consequences of it.”
