A Dance Of Twilight: (A Fae Dark Fantasy Romance Stand-Alone )

Chapter 38

After we dried ourselves off, I wrapped Ornella in a warm bathrobe. I carried her into the bedroom and set her gently on the bed. Her legs were shaky and weak from our first moment together.

I couldn’t take my eyes off her as she tried desperately to keep her eyes open. We still needed to finish the rites with the candle ritual, but I understood how tired she already was. A lot of rigorous activity did that to you. I thought it best to let her rest for a while, we had a few hours until sunrise—plenty of time left.

I pushed open the balcony doors with a glass of wine in my hand. I wrapped my bathrobe around my body tightly thinking I was going to be hit with cold air, but none arrived. The air was warm, like a summer evening and I guess I had my sister to thank for that.

There were a few gardeners watering the moon flowers, preparing for tomorrow”s festivities. Leaning against the railing, I couldn’t believe Ornella willingly gave herself to me. I surely would never forget that.

Sipping my drink, I turned slightly back towards the room, as the sheer curtains blew lightly in the wind. Seeing her sleeping peacefully made me wonder what tomorrow would bring.

She would become my wife.

And unbeknownst to her, I hoped to have her crowned a few weeks afterwards. I hoped every detail went as planned. I may not be romantic at heart, but I knew Ornella. I knew what she would like.

I just hoped my intel from this evening”s meeting was wrong and Ornella’s family hadn’t arrived at our borders, trying to break through our barrier spells to get in and take her from me.

I’d still not found out how her two friends made it through. Someone in Ornella’s family was hiding something. Either that, or they had someone who possessed great magic. I wasn’t going to allow them to come here and destroy the life she was just starting.

Hearing the clatter from out in the gardens, I wondered how deeply Ornella would sleep through the noise as the gardeners brought through more chairs. I would normally shout at them for making such noise late at night. But for tonight, I wouldn’t.

I wasn’t sure how long I stood outside watching the world around me settle deep into the night, the gardeners leave and head to their warm beds. When soft arms wrapped around my waist, I placed my hands on top of hers.

“I expected to find you next to me, my king.” Her voice sang to me like a love bird’s serenade, soft and sweet.

“I didn’t intend to stay out here long, I lost myself in my thoughts.”

As she let go of me, she placed herself in between me and the balcony rail. She pressed up on her toes, bringing her lips up to mine as I placed my hands tenderly on her hips, keeping her steady on her toes. I wondered if I should tell her of her family”s movements and how my spies within her old court continued to watch—reporting back. I also wondered if she should know the news of her family fighting amongst themselves.

But she continued to kiss me, bringing her body closer to mine. She brought her arms up, wrapping them around my neck and pulling me down for her to flatten her feet again. The sash around her bathrobe loosened as it dropped off her shoulders. The robe soon fell off, exposing her completely and a growl crawled its way up my throat.

Lifting her up, she wrapped her legs around me as her kiss deepened. I could feel myself grow hard as she fumbled with the sash on my robe and pushed it off my body as soon as she was able.

Her hot, wet centre pressed against me as I walked us back towards the bedroom and collided with the balcony doors. I pressed her back against the glass as she deepened her kiss. She ran her nails down my back while tightening her legs around my waist..

I couldn’t get enough of her.

I found her entrance within seconds—ready and waiting for me—and thrust deep inside her.

She sighed a happy, pleasurable sound, which only made me grow harder. My cock ached to fill her entirely. I didn’t expect her to want it so soon but once the door was open, I guessed it would be hard for us to close it.

Months of wanting, of trying to seduce her with words. She and I would become one soon enough and I knew I’d come undone under her touch.

As I pounded deep inside her, she screamed, moaned, and cried out in pleasure and pain. Nipping at my bottom lip, Ornella lifted herself up more, wrapping her arms around my neck.

“Yes, yes,” she moaned.

I was sure we were alone while I fucked her hard against the balcony doors, but even if the garden was still filled with staff, I’d still want to hear my Annwyl scream my name.

“Oh. Nic. Yes! Yes!”

Crushing my lips against hers, I swallowed her need and eagerness. Her wet centre covered me as she came under my touch, and I joined her in the excitement of her noises. Losing myself completely inside her.

As she shuddered and shook, unable to hold herself up fully, I kept one arm tightly around her waist and the other on her ass. Holding her against me, I walked back into the room and settled her down on the chair in front of the now dying fire.

Pouring another drink for her and me, she smiled sweetly at me as I settled down beside her. Resting her head on my shoulder, she laughed softly and finished her drink.

“I am famished.”

“Well, Annwyl it is very late, and I doubt the kitchen staff will be there. We can, of course, go and explore,” I mentioned and laughed even at my own words.

“You? The king in the kitchen? Don’t be ridiculous. We shall drink the rest of this wine, finish our rituals and then you are to take me to our bed.”

She kissed me lightly on the cheek and then poured herself another drink. She seemed gleeful, happy even, and I didn’t want to burst her bubble. Her family”s arrival could wait.

After many more glasses of wine, we got to the point where I had to pull out another bottle of red. One of which I’d hidden for special occasions in the bathroom cabinets. We sat together enjoying each other’s company and filling in some of Ornella’s memory gaps.

She wrapped herself neatly in my arms as she laid between my legs with a lightweight blanket over us both as the fire burned to cinders. The sun would start to rise soon, but we had the option to sleep in as the festivities wouldn’t begin till later in the day, and we would have to get some much-needed shut eye.

“Shall we burn our promises to each other and then get some rest?” I asked, playing with some of her long hair.

She nodded sleepily and as much as I didn’t want to move, I shifted from beneath her as she sat upright. Heading towards a cabinet across the bedroom, I pulled out two small pieces of parchment paper and the red candle.

“We use a red candle in this type of magic as it symbolises love, protection, prosperity, and strength. It has also been anointed with sacred oils.”

“What type of oils?” Ornella asked curiously.

Placing the items on the small table, I sat down on the fur rug in front of the fire and poked at the small flames to light the candle. Once lit, I placed it into the candlestick.

“It has been anointed with rosemary for protection and amyris for love and healing. Clove oil for prosperity and grapeseed oil for strength. This spell is from the very first Obsidian rulers. It is believed that by lighting this candle and declaring our vows to the Goddess, we invite her into our marriage to bless us.”

She sat in front of me listening to each and every word, looking intrigued. It annoyed me how magic had been forgotten and removed from her family and her way of life. Especially when it was something I lived and breathed.

“We each write down the promises we wish to make to one another and then burn the parchments in the flame. After releasing our vows to the Goddess, we will then go to bed.. This same candle will then be used in our ceremony.”

“Did you remember to bring a quill and ink?” She smiled at me as she looked at the table and then watched the candle closely, just as she did that day in my room.

“Yes, I will fetch it now.”

Once I finally gathered the ink pot and quill, I passed her all the items first, so she may write down her promises. Once she was done, she handed it back to me. My mind went blank as soon as the ink hit the paper. I hadn’t really thought about what promises I should make. I’d already been a dick as it was, and I was still shocked how she opened herself up to me already.

“Will we get to read each other’s promises?”

“No, we must leave them to the Goddess. Only when we exchange our vows will we say them again in front of the court.”

Her bottom lip protruded in a pout as she proceeded to fold her parchment, to conceal her text no doubt. I tried not to laugh as she sulked across from me. Finally, after she stared at me for a few minutes I turned away to write my answers, making sure she didn’t peek over my shoulder.

Once we were ready, I took hold of her free hand and kissed her knuckles gently. We then held the parchments in the flame, watching as they burned before sticking them in the fire where they turned to ash.

“To bed it is then.”

With a hint of a teasing grin, she peaked a kiss on my cheek as I wrapped an arm around her body tightly. Lifting her up her legs wrapped around my waist, and we soon found the bed where I happily and hungrily took her again.

With every thrust inside of her, I drove her closer and closer to delirium. Nothing mattered as long as I could hear my name gracing her lips with every breathy moan. If we did this every night, I would possibly never get any sleep. Soon, with her tucked into my arms, we fell asleep and would greet the morning together, when we were both ready.