Page 68 of Tristan
I take advantage of the uncharacteristically playful mood I find my Elf in today. “No. It’s been quite exhausting looking after your cock day after day.”
“Hogwash. You said, and I quote, ‘it seems like we left yesterday.’” He attempts an impression of me. “I think you like living with me.”
“It has its moments,” I say.
He looks at me a long time, like he’s trying to read my mind and is frustrated because he can’t. There is real fear present in what he’s about to share. “Tristan, do you think you could ever love me? I’ve shown you some of who I am, who I really am, and what I mean us to be. Could you love acreaturelike me? I know I’ll never deserve you. I know I took you away from your family. I know I bar you from the destiny you wanted. I’ve no right to ask you to love me, but I still want it.”
The Elf is in pain and he’s babbling. I want to make him feel better, and tell him I love him, but I don’t know. I’ve come to care for him a great deal, but only the Gods know what the future will bring. I brush the shimmery gold hair out of his violet eyes and kiss his forehead. “I shouldn’t even like you after what you’ve done, but I find it harder every day to hold that against you. But love? I’d say that it’s not impossible now. I already care for you a great deal, Corrik Cyredanthem.”
His smile returns, brighter than I’ve ever seen it. He sighs, contented. “If that is all you ever give me, I can live with that. I love you, Tristan, no matter what. Never doubt it.” He presses his thumb to my lower lip and peels it down, I move toward him, and we meet in a wild kiss that sends my groin pressing into his belly.
We’re interrupted by a knock at the door.
“Enter.”
“Prince Corrik, your father has requested your presence immediately. There’s been another attack on the top deck.”
Impossible, the ship was searched several times over.No. Not impossible—I remember the dream that was maybe not a dream.
The prince and I both look at each other. I wonder if he’ll leave me here with a babysitter and he wonders if I’ll argue.
“Have they apprehended the criminal?”
“He is dead, Sire, but we do not yet know if there are others.”
“Come along then, Tristan,” he says, pushing me off his lap. “You’re not leaving my sight.”
I can barely believe he’s going to take me with him. I stay close, grab his hand and together we rush headlong into whatever we’re about to meet.
“How do they keep getting on board?” Corrik growls and slams his hand on the table at the row of guards before him. They are his royal guard. Diekin is not among them.
“We don’t know, Sire,” says a large male Elf with black hair.
“Well, find out!”
The Elf scurries out with six others behind him and Corrik is left glaring at the wall, immobile as a statue. I’m the only one brave enough to approach him.
“Corrik—”
He whips around, fury burning through him, his body coiled with restraint.
“Take him away,” he shouts at the remaining guards and it’s my turn to glower. I struggle in vain as two guards grab me roughly.
I know better than to say anything in front of everyone, but I make my feelings clear enough without a word. He’s locking me up again.I wonder if Ando would lock me up?Probably.
“Corrik, wait,” the king says. He hasn’t spoken in all the timeCorrik raged over the events of this morning. At the king’s words the guards freeze, but they still hold me tight.
“I know they have killed Emmery, this is grievous, but we cannot lose our heads. You cannot simply lock up your husband—the time has come for him to be armed.”
“No.”
“I have been far too lenient if you think you may tell me, no,” the king says, letting his words fall upon Corrik, daring him to say more. He doesn’t.
“Good then. Tristan. Come before me.”
The guards release me, and I go to kneel before the king. Even when Corrik is acting like a bull-headed arse, I still desire to make him proud of me.
“Purinettira—pass me that over there.”
