As the days passed Fann grew tired of sitting in the library watching his wife. Sometimes, with Uilleam at the door, he would leave her in the room by herself, but she got lonely that way. He didn’t want her to grow sad again, so much of the day he was the one locked in her library with her. He hoped the murder of crows would arrive soon for there was nothing in this room full of books and gadgets that held his attention for any length of time. The first few days they had spent arranging the room. A little bit of time every day was spent helping him improve his reading, but mostly he just watched her work and listened to her talk about it. He had considered asking her to do her work naked so at least he’d have something he enjoyed looking at, but if she did that he probably wouldn’t be able to let her get much work done. He interrupted her for his pleasure often enough as it was. They had just enjoyed a bit of coupling and he had fallen asleep. He thought she had too, but when he op
The cold, dreary weather had put an unfortunate damper on the mood in the Great Hall. Fann had brought Eleanor down for dinner, hoping the company of some of the children and women folk would cheer her, but nobody was in a very cheery mood. Even little Siofra couldn’t seem to come up with a happy ending to any of her fairy tales. The dinner had been good and the company was welcome, but all were quieter than normal and seemed to just be waiting for Eleanor to retire so they could go home to bed.Eleanor swirled the steaming tankard under her nose, then put it on the table and pushed it away. It didn’t smell bad, it just didn’t smell quite right. She waved her hand over it and the serving boy jumped up to grab it. She’d have to go back to brewing the tea herself. Yarrow flowers seemed to be particularly difficult for the kitchen staff.“You are still an overly picky my wee little harlot. Drink your brew, daughter, and quit giving my staff extra work.” Fann leaped to his feet and knock
The doors to the great hall closed with a loud bang and Eleanor spun around to see an older woman in an elegant gown standing in the doorway, surrounded by guards dressed in the same uniform that the King’s men wore. “Those are complicated questions to answer young one,” the woman said, “but also very simple if you know the story of how you came to be.”“Sister Grace!”Oblivious to the gasps of the others in the room, Eleanor ran and launched herself into the open arms of the woman. It was only when she let go that she noticed everyone else was silent and bowing low. Stepping out of the woman’s arms she looked around nervously, then back at the woman who had cared for her for the past eight years. “Sister Grace? Why are you dressed like that?”“This is who I am.”“Who?”“The name you know me by was a fabrication. The word sister was used to make me seem more like a nun, and Grace was from the title ‘your grace’ as a noble would sometimes be addressed in an abbey. This is why you know
“You were going to be gone without saying goodbye.” Fann froze, dropping his head. “I thought it would be easier.”“You thought wrong. Anything can happen, husband. Anytime. Especially given what you are going to do.”“I’m sure it is not as grave as that.”“Never leave me without letting me tell you one last time how much I love you.” Guilt prickled at him. He knew how much she wished she had been given a chance to say goodbye to her mother and sister when she went to the abbey. And to some of the nuns when she’d left there. He should not have considered leaving her this way.“I’m sorry. Clearly, I wasn’t thinking.”“Since I am a good, kind wife, and I love you, I will forgive you. I think you’re going to want to punish me though.” Fann wrinkled his brow. What on earth was she talking about?“Punish you?”“Well, it isn’t very safe for me to go riding at night. Alone. On Storm. Is it?” His head snapped up to look at her for the first time. She was standing by the gate of an empty stall
“Where is my bride!” Fann's demand was so loud it drowned out the music and stopped the giggling chatter of the courtesans. Every person in the room turned to stare at him as the entire throne room fell silent. His dark eyes scanned the massive space from the grand hall on his right, over the groups of people milling around dressed in overly cumbersome clothing, past the empty throne, and all the way around to the hallway off to his left. “The chit was to be here, ready for me to wed upon my return but there is no one in the chamber adjoining mine. Where is she!” His voice echoed like thunder in the silence.He stood tall, sword at his side while he surveyed all in the room, knowing that even in the king’s absence, someone here had the answers he sought. Most in the room would not meet his eye. He scoffed inwardly. Cowards of wealthy nobles the lot of them. One girl peered out at him with a coy smile, glancing down at her ample bosom and then back up at him. He turned away from her, un
Eleanor’s eyes shot open and her breath caught in her throat, her body stiff and her heart pounding. She stared up at the face of a stranger, only inches from hers, and wondered if she were awake or dreaming. She wasn't even sure if it were a dream or a nightmare. The face above her was so elegantly chiseled that it stole her breath, more beauty than she had ever seen on a man. So perfect she believed it must belong in the heavens. But his jet black hair was pulled tight on his head and the scruff of dark whiskers shadowed his face making it look as though he could fade into the shadows if she weren't looking closely. His eyes were such a piercing pure black that looking into them sent an icy chill through her, as though she were looking into the eyes of the devil himself. His large hand pressed tightly across her mouth, but it was the size and weight of his solid body covering hers that frightened her the most. He was a large, powerfully built man. She knew she had no chance against h
Between the rocking of the boat, the pressure on her back, the rag in her mouth and the backwards curve to her spine it did not take long for Eleanor to become nauseous. Her fear shifted from drowning to the more imminent possibility of vomiting with a cloth shoved in her mouth and choking to death. She moved her jaw and tongue, trying desperately to dislodge the fabric, but it only made her feel worse. Her stomach heaved and her body spasmed, causing her face to smack into the wooden boards beneath her. She heard the man curse. His foot lifted off her back, then his hand grabbed her side and rolled her over onto her back. “If you promise not to scream, I’ll free your mouth and sit you upright.” She nodded. Screaming would do her no good in the middle of the sea anyways. He settled her on the floor at his feet and pulled the fabric from her face. Eleanor took a deep breath of the cool salty air and closed her eyes before letting the air back out again. Instantly she felt better, thoug
Fann turned the boat to aim them more towards the north. A wave rocked the hull more than it had in the previous direction. Eleanor, her arms still pinned in the shawl, squeaked as she pitched forward, her face landing on his kilt. The fabric of it slid over his legs and her face sunk between his thighs. He looked down at the top of her head, the image of what she could do there had his member stiffening so quickly that Fann cursed and dropped the oars into the boat so he could sit her back up before his member made itself visible to her. Silken waves of her hair slid over his hands and arms as he grasped her shoulders to lift her away from him. In the same movement, he tugged at the knot he'd put in the shawl behind her so that the garment came loose around her. "Next time, catch yourself." She flinched away from his gruff tone and Fann ground his teeth. He watched her stretch her arms and rotate the knots out of her shoulders before drawing the shawl protectively around herself agai