Chapter 30.2

Eirwen stood on top of the wall, still panting from her run there, while several knights were trying to catch their breath as they took position around her to keep her safe. Her eyes scanned the battlefield, ignoring the Flameheart and Verglas combat lines. She found what she was looking for near a grove overseeing the nearby bridge across the river. Aodhán and his guard, already clashing with almost twice their number in Verglas knights.

The Verglas troops had set a trap in secret, refusing to tell Eirwen, their Duchess, because they didn't trust her judgement. Now too late to intervene, Eirwen sharpened her eyesight and senses as much as she could, attempting to perceive what was far beyond her reach. All she could do was observe and pray. She had little hope for their success, so instead she hoped they would be taken captive without fatal injuries.

Eight Verglassed spears thrust at Aodhán, who used a knotted branch shield to take the hit. What he did, she couldn't properly tell at this distance, but his opponents lost control of their spears. A few quick attacks later, and two of them already were on the ground, likely with broken ribs that would take them out of the fight.

They all were going to fail, get captured and cost a fortune in ransom. An utter waste of resources in a war they already were losing. Their only fortune was that Aodhán was merciful on the battlefield.

She caught a wicked grin from him, one that didn't suit him. A blue flash and suddenly two heads rolled. No, this was wrong. He never had used the Verglas technique in the war. Never had willingly killed his opponents, unless absolutely necessary. While she thought that, his sword flashed out more, remorselessly cutting through necks and torsos. Eirwen's mind went blank as she witnessed them die. He didn't spare a single person, heads flying left and right, until none but one of his opponents remained alive. No, nonono, this was wrong, this wasn't how it had gone. Three had been crippled, but all had lived. This wasn't right.

He grinned her way, wickedly, as his blade shone blue, aimed at the last defenceless Verglas knight lying at his feet. He brought it down slowly, piercing the man's head, then let go of the blade and began walking her way, a hundred strides per step.

She turned and fled.

She was sitting on her throne back home at the Verglas estate, her hands clenching the armrests. The peace-bonds on his weapons hadn't stopped him from drawing them and striking down her defenders. And all she could do was watch. 

"Eirwen."

So many already dead, others laying dying, only a few left on their knees, injuries grievous. If she surrendered, maybe he would spare them. He grinned at her, teeth bared like his father's, and her words froze in her throat. He wasn't going to spare any of them. She was the only one that could stop him, but she knew it never would have worked.

"Eirwen."

Pertrellan was on her knees, leaning on her sword with one hand, the other desperately clenching her side as blood seeped through her fingers. He shook his head. "They all die for you in the end." Before she could respond, his sword thrust forward and pierced Seren's heart. As he pulled his weapon back, she fell in silence. He hadn't even looked at her as he murdered her. His eyes had never left Eirwen's.

"Eirwen!"

He walked up the steps and leaned over her, his sword touching her throat and drawing blood as he smiled. "Such a waste, your Grace. If you had simply surrendered, none of them would have died. All you had to do was marry me. But well, I don't think anyone will object now." He leaned towards her for a kiss and all she could do, paralysed in fear, was close her eyes.

"EIRWEN!"

Her eyes shot open and she saw his face, eyes filled with worry and fear. Her hand almost lashed out at him, before she remembered where they were. Over his left shoulder, she saw her doorguards in the doorway, looking at her with great concern, his body blocking their view just enough that they only saw her head and arm, not her naked chest.

Red sighed a breath of relief and she now saw his hands and posture. Ready to intercept her if she startled and attacked him. She recalled the dream. "You called out to me, to try to wake me."

"I did. I didn't dare intervene, since your nightmare might make you think I was attacking you." He withdrew his hands from her, no longer having to fear her.

She barked out a laugh, then rested her head on his chest, muttering without the ability to face him directly. "You already were. Murdering my people while looking me in the eyes. So good thinking on not stepping in."

With her senses, she observed her doorguards giving a nod before they retreated, leaving the two of them alone again. She idly noted her senses were only focused on their direct surroundings, though his stretched far and wide. It made her smile, how even after such a nightmare, she now felt enough at rest to not immediately scan all around.

Eirwen leaned back, allowing her to look him in the eye again. His guilt was already subsiding, as obviously it wasn't his fault that his dream self did what he had never done himself. He blinked as he observed her, a question going through his mind and a careful conclusion reached. She smiled and answered what he was about to ask. "You're right, I'm not in shock right now. That is new. A discovery almost worth the price of still having to deal with nightmares."

He nodded. "Is there anything I can do for you right now? Hold you?"

She tilted her head as she thought that through. That would be nice, yes, but no, not what she needed right now. What she wanted didn't make sense, so she thought it through until she understood herself.

Her eyes turned her focus back on his face, as a seductive smile reached her face. "Take me. Devour me. Your dream self wanted to force himself upon me and take my lips against my will. So take them with my consent, as well as the rest of me. Every piece of skin is yours to touch. Show me that hunger that you so admirably suppressed tonight. Don't get me wrong, I loved the way you tormented me as you pleased me slowly and gently. But I need you the way you were years ago, when I was the only thing in your mind and we were both starving animals. So feed on me, to make me forget everything but your flesh against mine."

His breath hitched and his eyes turned dark, the madness stirring within them. Ah yes, he had indeed been holding back tonight. Wanting to take it slow. But right now, she needed him to mark her as his, and in turn she'd mark him as hers. His lips moved closer to hers, still careful, but not gentle, not this time. As his mouth devoured hers, she could feel his body already ready for what was next. Blazes, it felt good to be so desired. She answered his hunger with her own and let all other thoughts fade away.

By the time he collapsed in her arms, her body's need for sleep suggested it was already well over an hour later. She kissed his neck and whispered sweet nothings in his ear, while he returned the same, still out of breath. If they really wanted to, they could push on, but both their desires were properly sated for now. As she ran her hand through his hair, she idly muttered. "I guess a bastard does sound nice."

She felt him stiffen in shock. "Your Grace?!" The surprise and sudden relapse in address just made her laugh. She wrapped her arms around him and pulled him against her neck, to make clear he didn't have to speak. He let his tension go, sinking into her arms as she spoke softly.

"It's okay. I don't mean now. But I do like the idea of raising a family with you. Watch you take care of your own blood, with love and pride. Grow old together with you as we send our children off into the world, having done all we could to ensure they get a better fate than us. Take a step back and let the next generation take over, but only after they got the chance to be young. Know that they are loved."

She turned over so they were both on their side, looking him in the eyes. "We're still young, so let's take our time. But while we may be alone now, we don't have to be. So give it some thought. And don't worry about the obstacles. I won't let anything get in our way."

Not even his damned pride and guilt, or the entirety of the kingdom. He was hers and she refused to let him go. He nodded silently, clearly not trusting his voice not to break. It was okay. He needed time to heal from the wounds he had inflicted upon her. These past months had been well spent, healing their hearts enough to be together again. The next years would work to heal more, until he properly realised it was okay for him to stand by her side.

It took him a while to gather himself. "Not sure how that would work while I'm nameless, though." He smiled as he said that, a twinkle in his eyes showing he was speaking in jest, not in guilt. "I like having you call me Red, but an alias doesn't work for any formal paperwork."

She returned his smile. "I'll just knight you Sir Bedchamber then. Or have Seren adopt you. She and Bethan suggested having me knight you just to bed you ages ago. In fact, I was still utterly angry at you back then."

He raised an eyebrow at her. "Oh? When was this then... Ah." He had managed to connect the threads. "Was this before or after you discovered my spy reports?"

"After. I showed them the reports and they just shrugged them off and told me to forgive you. I called them mad, of course, but then they actually made sense."

He nodded at that. "That explains how quickly you switched. I'm glad they did, like how Llywelyn talked me into being more open with you. If it wasn't for that, I don't think we'd have managed to get back together."

Why not? She had always loved him. But no, he was right. She remembered the hurt she had felt every time she had discovered another secret of his, another hidden preparation. And how happy she had been when he had finally opened up to her. She did owe them all a lifetime of gratitude.

She gave him a kiss on his forehead. "Go to sleep, Mo Cuishle. We have a lifetime ahead of us tomorrow." He gave her a quick kiss in turn, then closed his eyes, his arm still wrapped around her. She looked at his eyebrows, now relaxing as he drifted off to sleep. As she did the same, her last conscious thought was that she needed to get him a name.