Epic Knights of Legend and Steel

Chapter Thirteen

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

The next day

I t was mid-morning in Oxford as Maximus and Courtly, both of them upon Maximus’ black and white jennet, made their way to St. Clement’s Church. Courtly, exhausted from the events of the past two days and having very little sleep, was sitting across Maximus’ lap, sleeping quite soundly against him. He held her with one hand and controlled the horse with the other. Even when he pulled the horse to a halt at the livery they had been using when in Oxford, he still didn’t have the heart to wake her. But it was necessary.

“Courtly?” he whispered, giving her a gentle shake. “Wake up, love. We have arrived.”

It took Courtly one or two more shakes before she roused. Yawning, she sat up, rubbing her eyes and looking at her surroundings. It took her a moment to recognize their location.

“We are back in Oxford,” she said as Maximus dismounted his steed and lifted her off the horse, setting her carefully to the ground. “Why did you choose to come back here? It is too close to my father, Max.”

He shook his head. “I would not worry about it,” he said. “In any case, I do not see him coming to this section of Oxford and, more specifically, St. Clement’s any time soon.”

She looked up at him with her sleepy eyes. “Is that where we are going?”

“Aye.”

“Why?”

“To get married.”

She gave him a half-grin. “We may as well,” she said, feigning sarcasm. “We have gone through an awful lot of trouble in order to be together. You had better marry me if you know what’s good for you.”

Maximus laughed softly. “I would have told you this at The Buck and Bounty last night only you came in the door, threw yourself into my arms, and promptly fell asleep.”

Courtly yawned again. “That is because I was up the entire night before and all day, too,” she said. “I am still so sleepy that I could lay down right here on the hay and go back to sleep.”

He put his arm around her. “I know, love,” he said quietly. “But let us be done with our business this morning and then you can sleep.”

Maximus gathered his saddlebags and weapons before allowing a stable boy to take his horse away. With his weaponry and bags slung over his left shoulder, he took Courtly with his right hand and led her from the strong-smelling livery and out into the cool, bright day beyond.

The Street of the Merchants was immediately to their right and St. Clement’s to their left as they emerged from the yard. Before he went to the church, however, Maximus returned to his favorite merchant to see if the man had any manner of gift to give his bride on the event of their wedding. Maximus’ mother, Honey, had been given a beautiful necklace from their father at the wedding and she wore it always, but in later years, Antoninus de Shera had given his wife a ring. Maximus liked that symbol very much because, to him, it looked like a golden shackle by which to keep his wife bound to him. Therefore, he was specifically looking for a ring, which the white-haired merchant was more than happy to sell him.

After a looking at several choices, Courtly selected a golden ring with a beautiful, yellow stone in the center. A yellow diamond, the merchant had said, and Maximus had paid handsomely for the thick-banded ring. He also paid for a well-made, dark blue cloak for her also, as she had nothing of warmth to wear. The cloak, lined with gray rabbit, was warm and beautiful, and with that, Maximus and Courtly headed over to St. Clement’s.

The morning mass had come and gone, and the church was relatively empty as Maximus went in search of a priest. He found two of them in the back of the church, behind the screen that separated the rear of the church from the major part of the sanctuary. As Courtly wait patiently on the main floor of the sanctuary, watching an occasional worshiper move past her, Maximus conducted business behind the screen.

Courtly could hear muted voices, at least two unfamiliar ones and then Maximus’ deep tone. She couldn’t quite hear what was being said but she was sure, much like any other type of obstacle Maximus de Shera faced, he was beating the priests down stone by stone by sheer force of will. She smiled as she thought of the man who was to be her husband, thrilled beyond measure that the stars had aligned enough so that she was able to marry the man without immediate fear of her father. It was almost too good to believe.

My father . Courtly tried not to think too much of Kellen and what his reaction would be when he discovered what she had done. Ellice had been so instrumental in making sure Courtly and Maximus were together that she seriously worried about the safety of her aunt, wondering if her father would somehow find out the extent of what she had done and punish her.

Courtly had never particularly had any use for her normally-taciturn aunt, but the situation with Maximus had changed that opinion. Ellice would not let the same thing happen to Courtly that had happened to her. She had been most determined that her niece not be a spinster. Perhaps in some way, she would share in Courtly’s happiness, knowing she had contributed to it. Courtly certainly hoped so. Many people had risked many things in order to see her and Maximus joined, not the least of which was Kirk St. Héver.

As Maximus and a priest emerged from behind the carefully-carved screen made from Yew, Courtly briefly reflected on St. Héver and his selfless act of disobedience. Courtly remembered back to the previous year when St. Héver had impressed upon her his feelings for her and she clearly remembered, with some sadness, how she could not reciprocate them. St. Héver had been disappointed but he’d take it in stride and had never mentioned it again.

Even last night, when their party had reached Woodstock and, under the guise of helping bed down Isadora, he’d hypothetically presented a story to Courtly about a young woman who ran off from her escort and ended up at The Buck and Bounty Inn to rendezvous with her lover and had made no mention of his past feelings for her. All he had said was that he hoped she was finally happy. St. Héver was taking an enormous chance incurring her father’s wrath and they both knew it, but St. Héver didn’t seem to care. He simply opened the rear door to the inn they happened to have been staying at and told her that The Buck and Bounty was down the avenue. Stunned, Courtly had kissed him on the cheek before running like the wind.

But thoughts of Kirk St. Héver faded as she focused on Maximus, who was smiling at her as he approached with a short, thin man in heavy, woolen robes. The priest took them both back behind the screen and, with Maximus’ generous payment of five gold crowns, performed a marriage mass, the end of which saw Lady Courtly Love de Lara become Lady Courtly de Lara de Shera.

It all seemed so surreal and dream-like as Maximus put the beautiful, golden ring on her finger, the big stone glistening in the weak light. Once the mass was complete and the marriage recorded in the big book that the priests kept of births, marriages, and deaths, Maximus took his new wife out of the church and headed back to the livery to collect his horse. And with that, a whirlwind courtship had finally become a marriage. It was done.

But there were no thoughts of consequences or angry fathers after that. There was only joy. As they crossed the busy road towards the livery, Maximus held Courtly’s hand tightly, so tightly, in fact, that he was cutting off her circulation. By the time they reached the stable, she was forced to extract her hand from his grasp. When he looked at her, questioningly, she grinned and held up her hand.

“I was losing feeling in it because you were holding on so tightly,” she said, showing him the red-marked fingers. “What are you afraid of? That I’m going to run away?”

He grinned. “Nay,” he said. “I apologize, love. I did not realize I was trying to crush your hand.”

Courtly laughed, watching as Maximus sent a stable boy on the run for his horse. When the boy fled, she spoke.

“You did not,” she said. “In fact, I welcome the way you hold me. It tells me that you will never let me go away again, no matter what.”

Maximus turned to her, pulling her into his arms and gazing down into her sweet face. “I will always be with you,” he said softly. “Just as you shall always be with me, until the end of time. We are forever joined, you and I. Not even your father can separate us.”

Courtly relished the feel of his arms around her, the power and majesty that was Maximus de Shera. “I consider myself the most fortunate woman on the face of the earth,” she cooed. “I was a fool to run from you, Max. I hope you understand that my motives were true.”

He nodded, bending over to kiss her on the nose although he wanted to do much more than that. She was his wife now and with her warm, soft body pressed against him, the arousal was instant. Everything about her was consuming him already.

“I know,” he whispered. “I told you on the road outside of Begbroke that I was going to tell you just what I thought of your running off, but now I find that it is wholly inconsequential. There were a great many things I was going to tell you after I spanked you soundly for such a thing, but I have you back now and nothing else seems to matter.”

Courtly bit her lip to keep from grinning. “Not even spanking me?”

“Not even that.”

“Are you prone to spanking women, then?”

“Do you intend to test me and find out?”

She broke down into giggles, hugging the man tightly with her head against his broad chest. Maximus held her snuggly, savoring the moment as he had never savored anything so sweet in his entire life. He was very correct. Now that he had her back, things like spanking and fear and even Kellen de Lara had little meaning. As long as he had Courtly, he could move mountains.

The stable boy brought the distinctive black and white charger around and Maximus lifted his wife to the saddle before swinging on behind her. Paying the boy a few pences, he spurred his horse out onto the busy avenue.

The morning was late and the time was bearing down on noon as Maximus directed his horse towards The One-Eyed Raven. As they took a side street and ended up on a wider avenue, they came face to face with the burned-down hostel that had brought them together. There were scavengers picking through the ruins and Courtly seemed very interested in the activity as they rode by. Maximus sensed her concerned focus.

“Do you want to see if any of your possessions are left?” he asked her. “I can stop and we can go through the ruins. Mayhap something is still there.”

Courtly shook her head, although there was longing in her expression. “Nay,” she said. “If there was anything left, I am sure it is gone by now. I am sure the vultures have been going through everything since the embers were cool enough to touch.”

Maximus wasn’t hard-pressed to agree with her so he continued on, noting that she remained focused on the hostel until they had passed well out of range and she was forced to turn around.

“You said it best,” she sighed, watching the city around them as it passed by. “Although I should not be thankful for a fire such as that, I am grateful that it brought us together. Every time I see a fire I shall think of you.”

He snorted. “It will remind you of how scorching and consuming I am.”

She laughed, snuggling against him as they rode along. “You are indeed scorching and consuming,” she said, turning to grin up at him. But her grin soon faded. “Please tell me what will happen now. Where will we go from here?”

He didn’t even want to think about the separation that was coming but he had little choice. Moreover, he had to tell her what was to come. A gloved hand came up, touching her head tenderly.

“Now that I have you, I do not want to leave you,” he said softly. “That does not please me, not in the least.”

Courtly cocked her head curiously. “Leave me?” she repeated. “Where are you going?”

He sighed heavily, thinking on the events to come. He was quite certain she knew nothing about de Montfort other than the cursory information she had heard because of her father, and she more than likely was still under the impression that de Montfort and his barons, including de Lara, were in Oxford for a great gathering. She would have no way of knowing that those plans had changed. There had never been the opportunity to tell her.

“Yesterday, after we left you and St. Héver outside of Begbroke, I went on to The Buck and Bounty to wait for you while my brothers returned to Oxford,” he began softly. “Even now, my brothers are preparing our men to move to London. We have been ordered to be there by next week. Since I will go to London purely on business, and I do not want you there in the midst of many different and opposing houses, you will be returning to Isenhall Castle with Jeniver. It will be safer for you there.”

Courtly was extremely disappointed to hear what the immediate future would entail, but she didn’t argue or cry about it. She wasn’t the type. She simply accepted it, stoically. There wasn’t much else she could do.

“What is happening in London?” she asked softly. “Can you tell me?”

Maximus thought on how to simplify things. “Last month, de Montfort wrested most of the power away from the king,” he said. “The king was presented with a series of provisions, one of which outlined the manner of government we would have from now on. It is meant to be a more fair and autonomous way of governing. De Montfort will select twelve men and the king will select twelve men, and together that group of twenty-four men will form a council to govern England. We have received word that the king is prematurely convening his half of the council and de Montfort wants to be there when they do as a show of force.”

Courtly understood quite a bit about politics, purely from her father. The man didn’t have many people to talk to so, consequently, he talked to his daughter a good deal about the winds of political change currently enveloping England. She understood what Maximus was telling her and she also knew that this was a volatile situation. Wars had begun for less reason than this. But any war that started, her sweet Maximus would be at the head of it and she dreaded that thought. It punched holes in her belly, making her nauseous simply to think on it.

“My father did not say anything about going to London,” she said after a moment. “I wonder if he even knows?”

Maximus shrugged. “He should know by now,” he said. “As of yesterday, de Montfort was sending out messengers to all of his barons, telling them to congregate in London next week. That is another reason I will not take you to London. If your father is there, I do not want to chance you crossing paths with him.”

Courtly was forced to agree. “Nor do I,” she said. “But this council… are you sitting upon it?”

Maximus shook his head. “Gallus is,” he said. “And many other great barons. It will truly be a sight to behold once convened.”

Courtly thought on that scenario as they passed onto a street that would take them to The One-Eyed Raven. In fact, she could see the structure in the distance and her heart began to ache. Things were happening so quickly that it was difficult to grasp. But she knew one thing– she had married a warrior, the Thunder Warrior, and he would be fighting wherever there was a battle that involved him, or wherever de Montfort told him he should fight. She knew that when she met him, but the reality of it was still disheartening.

“When will you be leaving?” she asked.

His grip tightened on her, hearing the longing in her voice. “We should have left this morning,” he said. “There will be a full moon tonight so it is my suspicion that we will move out under the cover of darkness. You and Jeniver will return to Isenhall in the morning after you have had a night’s sleep.”

Courtly struggled not to let depression overwhelm her. She clutched at Maximus’ arm, the one he was holding her with, already missing the man tremendously. She simply couldn’t help it.

“Tell me of Isenhall,” she said to distract herself from the tears that were threatening. “What is it like?”

Maximus thought on his home in Coventry, feeling comforted knowing that Courtly would soon be within the massive, protective walls. “I was born there,” he said. “It is an oddly shaped fortress. You will see for yourself. It is round and the keep and great hall are all jammed into the middle of it. The bailey is quite small but the keep is enormous. As a child, there were many places to hide. We used to torment my mother constantly with our disappearances.”

Courtly smiled happily as she thought of Maximus as a devious child. “Please tell me about your mother,” she said. “I know she is very ill. Would it be too much for you to tell me something of her?”

Speaking on Honey these days was much of a strain, but he found that he wanted his new wife to know about his mother, the woman he loved best in the world. At least, the woman he had loved best until Courtly came into his life. He wanted his wife to see the woman through his eyes.

“My mother is a de Lohr,” he said. “She is the youngest daughter of Christopher and Dustin. Although my grandfather passed away some years ago, my grandmother is still alive. My mother is much like her, actually; feisty, strong, fearless, compassionate. Her given name is Charlotte but my father started calling her ‘honey’ early in their relationship, so that is what everyone calls her. She rules with an iron fist and loves beyond reason. She is a warm and wonderful woman and her illness has been very difficult for us.”

Courtly digested the description of the Lady Honey de Shera. “May I ask you to tell me what ails her?”

Maximus grunted. “A cancer in her belly,” he said. “She fell ill last fall and it has grown progressively worse. The physic believed she would be dead last month but still, she has lingered. My brothers and I were hoping to see her after de Montfort’s meeting but, unfortunately, that will not be the case. I must go to London and you must go introduce yourself to her as my wife.”

He said it with some humor, causing Courtly to turn and look at him. She smiled at the man, seeing in his eyes how sorrowful he was about his mother. She put a soft hand to his bearded cheek.

“I will introduce myself happily,” she said. “I can only pray she finds me acceptable to be a member of the House of de Shera.”

Maximus kissed the hand that was on his face. “She will,” he murmured. “She will love you as I do.”

The smile faded from Courtly’s face and she tipped her head up, kissing him gently on his soft lips. Maximus leaned in and kissed her hungrily, suckling on her lower lips, struggling not to let his passion and arousal overwhelm him out in public for all to see. It was an effort to pull away as they came upon The One-Eyed Raven, but his thoughts turned to the inn itself and the bedchambers on the second floor. He fully intended to consummate his marriage before he left for London. In fact, it was nearly the only thing on his mind.

The livery behind the inn was crowded with de Shera horses and the big yard surrounding the livery was also jammed with them. Horses spilled out into the street, tethered, and being tended to by overworked stable boys. Maximus’ attention was diverted from his luscious wife for a moment as he entered the livery yard and realized just how many de Shera men were present. His brother had brought fifty men with them to Oxford, men that had been spread out somewhat because they couldn’t all fit in one tavern, but it was clear that all of them had now gathered.

Maximus tethered his jennet personally inside the livery so the stable boys could tend the sometimes snappish animal. Taking his wife with him, he proceeded into the rear of the tavern, noting that it was a hugely busy and crowded place inside. Men were eating, talking, yelling, and in general creating a bit of a ruckus. Over near the barkeep’s station, he saw Tiberius and Gallus around the usual de Shera table and he made his way towards them, shoving aside a soldier who came too close to Courtly. The man went flying, bashing into a leaning table, which collapsed onto the floor.

Gallus and Tiberius looked over when they heard the crash, seeing Maximus and Courtly approach. The both rose from their seats, varied expressions of pleasure on their faces.

“Ah,” Gallus said. “Maximus enters a room as only Maximus can. So you have returned, my prodigal brother?”

Maximus gave him a half-grin, glancing over his shoulder at the soldier picking himself up off of the broken table. “He is lucky I only shoved him when he came near my wife,” he said. “Next time, I will break his neck.”

Gallus and Tiberius looked straight to Courtly, the smiles fading from their faces as the reality of Maximus’ words hit home.

“Wife,” Gallus repeated softly. Then, he reached out to Courtly and placed a very brotherly kiss on her cheek. “Welcome to the family, Lady Courtly. We are very honored to have you.”

Courtly smiled timidly at Gallus, thinking that the man was perhaps lying. All she brought with her was uncertainty and discord into a family that was strong and relatively peaceful. She could only imagine that Gallus was already thinking of the long-reaching implications with her father.

“Thank you, my lord,” she said. “I am deeply honored to be a member of the House of de Shera. I shall do my best to always be worthy of my station.”

Gallus’ smile was back. “You are Lady Allesley now,” he said. “You are a baroness and most worthy of that title. My brother is a very fortunate man.”

Courtly looked at Maximus, surprise registering on her features. “I had completely forgotten about your title,” she said. Then, she teased him. “Be assured I did not marry you for your rank.”

Tiberius entered the conversation. “Or his comely looks.”

As Maximus scowled at his younger brother, Courtly laughed. “I did indeed marry him because he is the handsomest brother,” she said. “No offense, my lords, but I am rather partial to him.”

Tiberius kissed her on the cheek. “You have no taste in men,” he said, “but I am happy to call you my sister.”

Courtly accepted Tiberius’ kiss, watching Maximus push his brother away when he thought the man lingered too long around Courtly. But she could also see that it was in good-natured fun. The brothers clearly adored and supported one another, as she’d seen from the beginning. It was heart-warming to see such interaction from a powerful family that not only worked well together out of sheer family loyalty, but also liked one another. That was rare. Courtly grinned at Tiberius as the man made faces at Maximus, but Maximus was content to ignore the man soundly, at least for the moment.

“We were just married at St. Clements,” he told Gallus. “It is my intention to send my wife back to Isenhall with Jeniver while we continue on to London.”

Gallus nodded, watching Tiberius as the man continued to act the fool behind Maximus’ back, much to Courtly’s amusement.

“Agreed,” Gallus said. “She will be safe there. As you can see, we have accomplished a great deal since we arrived back in Oxford yesterday. All of the men we brought with us to Oxford are mobilized and I have sent word to Isenhall for another four hundred. They have orders to move swiftly and meet us at Braidwood Manor in London, de Russe’s place.”

Maximus nodded. Hughston de Russe was part of the de Montfort ally network and his home outside of London, big and fortified, was usually where de Montfort’s supporters gathered. It had become their unofficial headquarters. It was clear that the entire de Shera contingent was ready and waiting for Maximus. He was the lone straggler when usually, he was the first one ready to move.

Today, however, he didn’t care about that. He could only think about the fact that he was soon to leave his new wife. Even though he knew he had to go, and he’d known it for some time, it wasn’t sitting well with him.

“When do we leave?” Maximus asked reluctantly.

Gallus eyed Courtly, but now for a different reason. He cleared his throat softly. “How soon can you be ready?”

Maximus knew what he meant. He glanced at Courtly, seeing her laughing at Tiberius, and he sighed faintly.

“Give me an hour,” he said softly.

Gallus nodded, watching as Maximus, aware of Tiberius’ antics behind him, lashed out a big fist and caught his brother squarely in the chest. As Tiberius grunted and, laughing, nearly fell to the floor, Maximus took his wife by the elbow.

“I will meet you down here in an hour,” he told Gallus. Then, he turned to Tiberius who was rubbing his chest where his brother had slugged him. “When my wife left last night, she left her possessions behind. They should be in Gallus and Jeniver’s chamber. Will you please retrieve them and bring them to me?”

Tiberius nodded but Gallus spoke. “Jeni is sleeping right now,” he said. “She has not been feeling well since yesterday. Can it wait until she awakens?”

Maximus nodded, as did Courtly. “Please do not disturb her, Lord de Shera,” she said. “I can wait.”

Gallus smiled at Courtly. “You will please address me as Gallus,” he said. “You needn’t be so formal with me. We are family now, after all.”

Courtly nodded her head gratefully, humbled by the acceptance she was being given by these men who, quite possibly, would have to defend that acceptance against her crazed father when he found out what she had done. But no one seemed to care, and certainly no one had mentioned it. As Gallus had said, they were family now. And family defended and protected family, no matter what the circumstances.

With that, Maximus took his wife to the second floor chamber he had shared with Tiberius. It was the very first door at the top of the stairs and he shoved the sticky door open, revealing a rather small and messy chamber. There were two small beds, both of them jumbled and messy, and there were various things on the floor– a worn tunic, dirty hose, a pair of boots. In fact, Courtly tripped over a boot as she entered the room and Maximus kicked it away from her.

“Ty lives like an animal,” he said. “I apologize for the state of the room.”

Courtly grinned at him. “Isadora lives the same way,” she said. “You should see our chamber at home– clothes, poppets– all manner of clutter. She likes to pick flowers but she feels terrible for throwing out old, dead flowers, so we have that issue to deal with as well. There are dried weeds everywhere.”

Maximus smiled as he reached out and unfastened her cloak, pulling it off and revealing the lovely lavender dress beneath, which, in spite of all of the travel it had seen, was wearing very well. It also hugged her figure quite deliciously which reminded Maximus why they had come to the chamber to begin with. He had something to accomplish and not a lot of time with which to do it. As he lay the cloak on one of the beds, he spoke.

“I am afraid there is no tactful way to approach this subject, so I hope you will not be upset if I simply come out with it,” he said as he turned to her. “Since I am leaving for London very shortly, there is the matter of consummating our marriage. We must do this so your father cannot ever separate us and if we do not consummate it now, I do not know when we will be able to. Therefore, it must be done before I leave Oxford. I wish I could take all of the time in the world with this, Courtly, and not rush it or make it seem so… cold… but the fact is that it must be done now. I am sorry if that seems uncaring.”

Courtly wasn’t upset by the realities of marriage. In fact, she was rather curious about the entire process. She was also a woman not given to ridiculous fears and had already shown her mettle for bravery. Therefore, she simply nodded her head as she sat down on the bed behind her.

“I understand,” she said. “You needn’t apologize. But I will admit that I know very little about what to do. My name may be Courtly Love, but the truth is that I am a virgin in every sense of the word. The first time a man kissed me was when you did it yesterday. Of course, I know the mechanics of mating. That is to say I know what is supposed to happen and what the results are, as Lady d’Umfraville made sure to educate her wards on such things, but beyond that… I will have to depend on you to tell me what to do.”

Maximus was rather relieved that she was looking at the situation so calmly, but on the other hand, he wasn’t surprised. Courtly had proven herself to be calm and resourceful since he first met her, something he was very much coming to appreciate about his new wife. The fact that she wasn’t a hysterical female spoke volumes to him. He sat down on the bed beside her and began removing his boots.

“Well,” he said thoughtfully. “It is one of those situations where you let instincts take the lead. I think your body will know what to do even if your mind does not.”

Courtly pulled off her slippers because he was removing his shoes. It seemed like something she should do. “You have done this before?”

Maximus cleared his throat somewhat nervously. “Aye,” he said. “I have had to. It would not do if neither of us knew what to do, would it?”

Courtly thought it humorous to see the man uncomfortable. “Who has taught you what you should know?”

He lifted his eyebrows, hoping he could bluff his way out of the question. “Too many women to count,” he said flippantly. “Why do you ask such questions, anyway? Do you really want to talk about my experiences with other women?”

Her smile faded. “ Have there been other women?” she asked. “Someone… like me? Someone you were fond of?”

Maximus thought back to his first love, that flame-haired lass of fourteen he had been so very caring of. He shrugged. “She was fourteen,” he said. “I was seventeen. It was a very long time ago.”

Courtly smiled at the thought of young Maximus in love with a sweet young girl. “Why did you not marry her?”

He shook his head. “My father sent her away,” he said. “She was not of my station. It was not meant to be.”

Courtly thought she detected something sad in those words. “I am sorry,” she said softly. “It must have been painful.”

Maximus looked at her, studying her face, the delicate lines of her jaw. He drew in a long, contemplative breath. “At the time, it was,” he said. “I was young and impressionable. But it was a young love and nothing more. When I look at you, I am not sorry in the least that nothing ever came of it. Had I married her, I would have never known you.”

Courtly smiled sweetly at him. “You may have known me,” she said, humor in her tone. “I may have still fallen out of a window onto your head, but you would have already been married. God’s Bones, what if I had married Tiberius instead? Although your brother is handsome and strong, I would have spent the rest of my life lusting after his brother. After you.”

Maximus was torn between being wildly jealous over the thought of her marrying Tiberius and the thrill of her declaration of lust. He settled for the lust. Reaching out, he gently stroked her blond head, digesting this woman who was now his wife. He could still hardly believe it.

“Then it was fate that sent her away those years ago and not my father,” he said softly. “What I felt for her was something young and giddy. What I feel for you is something deep and abiding. I do not know how it is possible to love someone so strongly after only a few days, but I do. You have embedded yourself into my very soul, Courtly. Whatever the future holds and whatever comes, know that you have all of me, forever.”

Courtly was listening to his words, bewitched by them. Everything about the man was filling her, reaching in and anchoring itself deep. His hand on her head was soft and gentle, yet the heat from his palm was causing her heart to race. She remembered the kiss they had shared earlier, the flames of new and awakening desire that had licked at her. His bearded lips had been wildly exciting, more than she could have ever imagined. She found herself leaning into the hand on her head, watching his mouth as he spoke.

“Max?” she whispered.

His hand had moved to her face, his rough fingertips brushing over her lips. “Aye?”

“Kiss me like you did earlier. Kiss me again but this time, do not stop.”

Maximus didn’t need any further prompting. Her murmured request had him on fire and he cupped her face in his two enormous hands, bringing her lips to his. When he slanted over her mouth, it was hungrily, as he had never before kissed a woman until this moment. Everything he had even known about a woman, the feel or taste of one, was gone. It was as if she were the first and only, so strong his passion. As his tongue began to lick her, begging for an invitation into her warm, wet mouth, his hands move from her face and went to work on her clothing.

The lavender garment that he had purchased for her seemed to disintegrate under his hands and he had no idea why. He didn’t think he’d pulled that hard on it but he failed to remember that it had only been loosely basted. The truth was that he didn’t care much and even if he had remembered, it wouldn’t have made a difference because he was quite eager to remove her from her clothing. Courtly didn’t resist him. When he tugged on something, she helped him pull it off.

In little time, the shift came off as well and in the dim light of the chamber, Maximus found himself gazing at his wife’s perfect, nude body. He couldn’t remember ever seeing anything so utterly arousing but as he moved to pull her against him, he realized he was still wearing his clothing and, almost frantically, it began to come off.

The tunic went over his head and he tossed it to the ground, simultaneously untying his breeches. He had to let her go in order to yank those off and they ended up on the floor alongside the tunic. In all his naked glory, he turned back to Courtly only to see that she was sitting on the bed trying to cover her chest with her slender arms. She seemed rather embarrassed, and probably cold, and he felt guilty that he hadn’t been more considerate of her. This was her first time, after all, and even though she was a remarkably brave woman, she still had her limits of bravery. Rather than try to move her arms, he simply pulled her into a tight embrace and covered her, shielded her, with his big body.

He literally could not wait to get the woman on her back. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d had a woman, a paid woman to satisfy a man’s needs, so his arousal was very stiff and almost painful. Even his testicles were inflamed and swollen, as tight as cat gut, so he eased Courtly down onto the bed with the intention of burying himself in her tender folds as soon as he possibly could. She was compliant and his tender kisses helped a great deal. At least she had unwound her arms and now her naked breasts were against his broad chest. Maximus could feel them, soft and round, and it nearly threw him over the edge.

Once he had her on her back, his hands began to wander. He went straight for her beautiful breasts, listening to her gasp with surprise when a big hand closed around one. She even stiffened up in his arms, fearful of the new sensation, but he worked her breast gently but firmly, toying with her nipples until she began to relax underneath him again. He was fairly certain she was enjoying it from the kitten-mewling sounds she was making. But those sounds were driving him mad with lust. His roving hands move lower.

Her skin . Like silk it was beneath his rough hands. He almost felt guilty for touching such pristine, gorgeous skin with his rough and calloused hands. Hands that had killed. He was oh-so-worshipful of her as he touched her, however, knowing he hardly deserved this fine creature but grateful just the same.

Her smell. Like lavender and honey, or angel’s hair. There was something sweet and pure about her smell, something unbridled and intoxicating. As his hand moved down her torso and to her right thigh, he grasped her gently behind the right knee and pulled her legs apart, wedging himself in between her legs. He began to drag his lips over her neck, tasting her beauty, feeling the warmth of her flesh against his tongue. It was too much to take. He had to have all of her. He had to quench this thirst he’d had for her since nearly the moment he met her. He well remembered the day she fell on him and how he’d come into contact with that beautiful, quivering flower between her legs, the sight and scent that was so utterly beautiful to him. Now, he would have it for his own. He would claim her.

He rubbed his arousal against her pink core, coaxing forth her warm wetness that would prepare her body for his entry. She was already wet. He could feel it, so he drew back and thrust into her firmly but slowly, pushing his way into her body, taking possession of this woman as he had never taken possession in his life. He could feel her tightness around him, giving way for him, those honeyed walls that would give him life’s greatest pleasure and be the path by which his children would be born. It was a silken sheath meant only for him.

He drew back again, thrusting harder, making headway into her tight and virginal body. Beneath him, Courtly groaned, a sound somewhere between pleasure and pain. Maximus took it as pleasure and thrust again, harder, listening to her gasp as the sting of losing her virginity echoed throughout her body, but by now, Maximus was realizing the greatest coupling he could have possibly imagined. It was time to make his wife his very own and to put his seed in her, marking her. He found himself dreaming of blue-eyed sons in his image.

He began to move within her, stroking in and out, coiling his buttocks and thrusting again and again as Courtly lay beneath him and softly moaned. She didn’t particularly try to touch him. She simply lay there with her legs spread open and her hands gripping the bed until Maximus took one of her hands and put it on his buttocks. Courtly took the hint and put both hands on his buttocks as something to hold on to, feeling his flesh in the palm of her hands and liking it, but the minute she squeezed, he spilled himself deep into her virginal womb.

But he didn’t stop moving, at least not right away. He continued to move within her until withdrawing and rubbing the tip of his phallus over the wet, swollen exterior of her woman’s core. It was enough of an action to cause the overly-stimulated woman to experience her first climax and the moment she started gasping, he thrust into her again, feeling her tremors around his manhood, loving the sensation of it. He remained embedded in her simply because he wanted to, because if felt good and it felt right.

Pinned beneath his massive warm body, Courtly wrapped her legs around his hips and her arms around his neck, holding him fast. For several long minutes, neither one said a word. Neither one had to.

They were one.