"Captain?" she questioned."I am here on business, Arden, and you must not breathe a word of it even in your sleep," he said quietly. She nodded. "For your co-operation, I will return to you your freedom from this hell if you will make me one other promise.""What would you have of me?" the look on her face was almost hopeful."You must promise that you will never again sell yourself into such slavery. Find a job as a cook, marry for love, and raise children whom you will devote your life to.""I promise I will never again sell my body in such a manner," she replied to him breathlessly. Her bosom almost did jump from between her laces before he pulled them back together. It startled her, but only for a split second. Then she startled him by hugging him. She stepped

"Apparently a hunter was out looking for fresh meat and found a pack of wolves around the body," answered Ian. Mikail winced. He could barely find the strength to ask what he desperately wanted to know."Ian ... How did they identify the body if the wolves had torn - ?" he broke off thinking of Sylvia’s body being torn and wondering what could have killed her."By the sword protruding from the chest of Victor’s clothes – the last things he was known to be wearing." Ian watched as Mikail tried to digest what he had heard."Then it could not have been her that they found," he said slowly. Ian shook his head with a slight smile. "What are we waiting for, Ian get this place moving!" He turned to Arden, "I think it would be a good idea if you come with us and settle in another town."

She called to him and when he did not come to her, she went to him. Her kiss was intoxicating. He lost himself in her arms. When she said to him that she would eagerly become his lover and make certain that no one would ever know about their rendezvous, he stopped dead."That is what honor is, Sylvia, doing what is right even when no one would ever know the difference," he told her, "Put your clothes back on properly." She backed up slowly and started to pull her laces in full view as he wondered to himself if his honor would lead to his demise. His only consolation was that he hoped to make her his wife. "May I die a chaste man before taking any woman to my bed outside of the bonds of marriage," he said to himself. He refused dinner. Listening to her talk about what they could do or what she would do to him if he would let her was causing more pain than he thought any

"Of course!" he grinned, "That is why I stationed him for guard duty right then. It won’t take long for that to get out into the public and from then on you will be treated with the respect given a queen. Your father was the brother of the king and framed for an assassination attempt and the two of you fled for your lives. You don’t like to talk about it because the memories are painful. You took up lives as peasants and came to me seeking refuge, that is when I fell in love with you," he smiled, drew her close to him, and kissed her deeply.Ian walked in and they slowly parted, "I heard that your bride had arrived, but Gower tells me that she is also a royal.""Yes, Ian, you should sit down and I will ... fill you in," Mikail said to him. Mikail told him about the history he and Kollin had devised for Sylvia and her ... father. Sylvia only smiled. Mikail had learned much in th

As the five of them started back to camp, Mikail told Sylvia how impressed he was and Ian tried to keep his mouth from hanging open. "I knew you held back, even in battles, to keep from revealing your true identity but I did not know you were that good," Mikail said to her. She stepped in front of him and pulled his face down so she could kiss him."Am I ‘that good’ to you when I visit your bed?" she whispered sensuously. She slipped Veritás out of his hand and back into its sheath."You are better than that," he replied huskily. Their three companions forgotten, he picked her up and began carrying her to his tent. His thoughts were only on getting her back out of the leather scouting outfit. Mora cleared her throat. Mikail spun around to face her, "Mora, you know we are already wed.""The five of us are the only ones who know