One Night in Camelot

[Sophia de la Cerda]

It made sense, then, if she said she was from High Saxony, and had come to Britain in search of a better life. Eleanora had been sheltered, but she understood that beauty would be Emma's most valuable asset and that she would use her looks to snag a wealthy husband. When she had charmed Johan, Emma didn't know that he was too high in status for her to marry. Now that she did, she didn't care and would be perfectly happy living as his concubine.

 

She wondered if she would be asked how she would feel when he married. If she was truly Emma, Johan would eventually marry for political advantage and she would have to share him. She would say that she would stay with him for as long as he wished, and if he chose to be faithful to his wife, she would accept that and move on. Maybe some of the men would see potential in that answer. If their lord tired of her, then they might have a chance with her themselves.

 

Of course, that would never happen. A future Queen was most definitely worthy to become his wife. Even if he did marry someone else, Eleanora knew that his heart would always belong to her and that she would come first in his life. Their bond was too strong to be severed by any means.

 

“Not Emma … Eleanora. My grandfather knew I was missing. I assume he told King Arthur. Perhaps the inspector is being sent here to search for kidnapped princesses since we caused a bit of trouble before we left.” A kidnapped princess would be glad to be rescued, but they would not find one of those in Johan's castle, only a simple country girl who had enchanted a Saxon Jarl.

 

By the time he kissed her, she was beginning to feel amorous again. With one hand on his shoulder, she stood on tiptoe so that she could whisper in his ear. “I look forward to discovering all of the ways you plan to use me.” And she planned to use him too.

 

“They are going to bring other issues before you? It will not only be about me?” Eleanora hoped she would be able to charm them and that they were only as curious about her as she was about them. She would have to think of some more questions to ask them that would show that she respected them and desired to join them because of her love for their lord.

 

She smiled mischievously as Johan brought their clasped hands to his lips and kissed them. “I will try. I charmed you, so maybe I can charm them as well. And yes, I am feeling much better now. Everything will be all right.” Now that she was not so nervous, she glanced around the huge hall again. “What is the significance of the white bird?” she asked.

 

Lowering her voice, she whispered: “Is there one on your bed as well?” Would he see her question as the subtle invitation it was meant to be?”

[Guest]

“I’m sure they’ve n-n-noticed she’s missing by… now.” Johan said. “But who knows why he’s c-c-coming.” It was not good news at any rate.

 

Johan leaned so Eleanora had an easier time reaching his ear. He smiled and one hand came around to firmly squeeze her generous behind. A promise of things to come.

 

“Oh yes.” Johan said, “This is n-n-not an unusual thing. The last one was two weeks ago. It was about ruh-raising funds to expand the harbor, bringing in a f-f-few people into the tribe, and adjusting a law about pig theft.” There had been an unusual urgency to this one… but Johan didn’t think too much of that. “You can t-t-talk with the other women during those p-p-parts if you want.” Some women advised their men. Others treated it as a social occasion.

 

“Yes.” Johan said, as Eleanora seemed to calm, “It w-w-will.” Unless she decided to tear off into a rant about how his people were all barbarians and she deserved silk and jewels and servants so she could more comfortably spy on them.

 

“It’s a symbol of my t-t-tribe. Back when…” Then she whispered her question. Johan’s face dropped into a knowing smirk. “Let’s f-f-find out.” He scooped Eleanora up in his arms and walked back outside. While there was a lope in his step and his hands shook slightly, as they always did, she would be fine so long as she clung onto him. Carrying her didn’t seem like it was straining him at all: his leg didn’t get irritated at extra weight and he was not weak.

 

They went outside and Johan stopped for a moment, “Look at that.” The sun wasn’t quite setting yet but it was lower in the sky. It was reflecting prettily on the water, brilliant hues painting the sky and water. The clouds were in an uneasy pattern, foretelling a coming storm. He smiled. It was beautiful, but not as beautiful as his love. Johan leaned over and kissed Eleanora, pulling her form against him. “By the gods, I love you.” He said. His tone was almost reverent. It struck him, even now.

[Sophia de la Cerda]

“I hope it is not because of me. Do you want me with you when you meet with him, or would it be better if I stayed away?” There were benefits in both options. If she was with him, the inspector would not suspect that she was the missing princess. If she took that time to explore her new surroundings, then she would probably not be noticed at all and counted among the many Saxons going about their daily business. What she didn't need to do was hide.

 

Eleanora sighed in relief when he told her the meeting was not called just because of her. It seemed that they were held quite often. When they were married, would she sit beside him and get to take part in his decisions or would she always mingle with the others? She knew very little about the role of a Jarl's wife. By the time they were able to marry, she would most likely understand what her duties would be.

 

She laughed when he squeezed her bum and briefly pressed her curves against him before pulling away. “I hope they discuss me first. After that part is over, I will no longer be nervous and maybe I can make some friends among the women.” Johan had told her that some of them would only want to befriend her because she was close to him and there would always be those who didn't approve of their lord taking a foreign concubine, but perhaps she would become accepted in time.

 

He began to tell her about the bird, but her playful question distracted him just as she had intended it to. Eleanora had not expected him to swing her up into his arms, and she laughed and wrapped her arms around his neck as he carried her outside. She had thought that one of the doors or ladders in the hall might have led to a private chamber. The huge structure didn't appear to be a residence but just a place to hold meetings and socialize in.

 

She hadn't realized how late it was until he pointed out the sun's colorful rays glittering on the water. “It's beautiful,” she breathed. “I used to love to watch the sun set from my window in my grandfather's castle, but here it seems … closer, somehow.”

 

When he pulled her closer and kissed her, Eleanora's heart fluttered in utter joy. He filled her life with so much happiness it was almost impossible to contain it all. “Not as much as I love you,” she replied, returning his kiss with all the love and passion she felt for him. “You can put me down now,” she whispered against his lips before she pulled away. “We are probably causing a scene.”

[Guest]

“I w-w-won’t bring you there purposefully.” Johan said, “But you shouldn’t t-t-try to avoid him if you’re around.” Johan would see when he arrived. Making any sort of plan or special arrangement regarding his arrival would point to Eleanora.

 

Johan breathed sharply as she pressed against him. It had only been some hours but he was already craving her touch again. She wanted to be discussed first. He could arrange that. He doubted anyone would have serious objections to setting the meeting in that order.

 

Johan smiled. It was then he resolved to get her a horse. It would tell her, more than any words Johan could say, that her new life was not one of restriction and confinement. In a strange way, she was more entrapped than she had been: no matter how far she ran he would still have her heart. But it was a willing bond, freely made, and a mutual one. He would never lock her away from the world.

 

Well, he would lock her away with him so they could make passionate love. But she wouldn’t mind that.

 

“I don’t care.” Johan said, a smile curving his lips. He had no issue with public displays or letting everyone in the world know. But all the same he gently let her down. He kept one hand in his and squeezed it gently. He walked towards a more modern looking building near the hall. It resembled the homes in town a great deal more than the other buildings, which had an older and gaudier feel to them.

 

“Watch your skirt.” He warned as he opened the door. And as soon as they were inside a swarm of animals, mostly dogs, were about them. Most were excitedly sniffing and yipping around Johan but a few went for this new, strange woman instead. Unless Eleanora was careful they would sniff and step on her hem.

 

“This is where I l-l-live up here.” They were in a main foyer which was used as a living room. It looked much more like the homes Eleanora would be used to, with rooms and hallways. The place had a lived in feel to it and its aesthetics were more refined. While still large in a general sort of way, it was more cozy rather than grand. It was still bright and full of the carvings, but it came together into a more complete, cohesive whole. It was also filled with expensive objects but they were not quite as pristine: it was obvious the tables had been sat at. Some of the books were open. The dishes, while clean, had obviously seen use.

 

He led her through a pair of double doors on the far side of the foyer. This was obviously his bedroom and it was dominated by a large wood framed bed. The frame was carved with elaborate themes, so there might very well have been a bird among them. But the mattress, plush and covered with furs, was of more interest.

 

Johan smiled, twirled Eleanora around once like a dancer, then pulled her straight away into his arms. He kissed her passionately, letting out a low ‘mm’ sound. His hand wandered to her still clothed breast to fondle her through the fabric. They fell onto the bed together, their impact absorbed by a hearty bounce. Johan gently sucked on Eleanora’s lower lip, his body pressing against hers as best he could.

[Sophia de la Cerda]

“Don't worry,” she assured him. “If I see him, I will not run off and hide or stare at him in fear. I will pretend that I am one of your people and he will take no notice of me. How far away can I be from you before your magic has no effect? Or does distance matter? Does it take more effort to hold the spell when I am not close to you?”

 

Eleanora didn't want him to overexert himself the way she had done. She wouldn't mind taking care of him if he did, but it was more likely she would be accused of poisoning him if he suddenly lost consciousness. The spell would probably be broken as soon as he passed out, and it was possible that she could be executed for deceiving them and harming their lord before Johan ever woke up. She could never tell them that they both had magic. Maybe they already knew about his.

 

She did not feel trapped when she was with Johan. Eleanora had given him her heart willingly and she felt much freer here in this strange land than she had in her grandfather's kingdom. There, she had truly been locked away from the world. Now if she was confined, it would be in pleasure with him. And that was something she looked forward to.

 

Of course he wouldn't care about starting a scene. He could do what he liked, for he owned everything around him. She didn't care either, but it was probably not a good idea to publicly display their affection until she was officially allowed to remain among them and accepted as Johan's concubine. He did as she asked and set her down, taking her hand and leading her to a large building that looked similar the to the one he had first taken her to. So this is where he lives when he's here. Both houses would now be her homes as well.

 

Eleanora pulled her skirt up to her ankles when he warned her, but nothing prepared her for the myriad animals who swarmed around them. She laughed and pet the dogs who sniffed at her. “I see that you love animals as much as I do.” She raised her skirt a bit higher. If any of them stepped on it, she would trip and fall.

 

The large room he led her into was less opulent than the huge hall, but it had a more intimate feel. She looked around her curiously, taking in the carvings on the walls and the furniture and objects arranged around it. Already, Eleanora felt comfortable in such bright and informal surroundings. His bedchamber was pleasantly decorated as well, and the bed was huge, its frame elaborately carved. There was no white bird painted upon it, though.

 

She laughed again when he swung her around, and his kiss was, as usual, mesmerizing and delightful. A soft moan escaped her lips when he fondled her bosom over her clothing, and she could hardly wait to shed it and feel his skin pressed sensuously against hers. They bounced when they tumbled upon the bed, and she moaned once more when he sucked her lower lip.

 

Pulling away, she smiled and then stood up, making a show of removing her clothing piece by piece until she stood naked before him. “Do you like what you see?” she asked saucily. Her hips swayed seductively as she walked to the side of the bed. “Stand up and let me undress you.” Eleanora knew it would be easier for him if she assisted him, and she wanted to make disrobing as pleasurable as possible for him.

[Guest]

“I don’t think distance will matter.” Johan said. Johan’s lips curled into a smile, “But… your ideal d-d-distance is pressed up against me.” Even before they’d accepted her Johan had no qualms about telling the world. Grabbing her and dragging her off to bed would, he thought, be less damaging than speaking of his deep love though. The former was a sign of virility and common enough in a young man. The latter implied he was besotted, which might make him look weak and, more importantly, made it seem like Eleanora already had great influence over him.

 

Not that Johan cared. He would have the relationship they wanted and damn the rest.

 

As for John’s pets, “You’re n-n-not the first stray I’ve brought home, though the first with two legs.” Johan said with a smile. The dogs continued to follow them and one did briefly step on her hem. Johan caught her with a laugh and bustled her into the bedroom. The door closed and they were left outside. They quickly dispersed. Normally they would have sooner but Eleanora was new and interesting and perhaps a few were wondering if they were going to have to fight her for affection or give up their favorite spot by the fire.

 

But soon they were onto much more human affairs and Johan couldn’t resist laughing along as Eleanora did. The joy was infectious, but then she withdrew. Johan came up to watch and smiled wide.

 

As Eleanora removed her clothes she held Johan enthralled. The slippers kicked off to reveal flashes of ankle and leg. Her generous bosom, freed from its bodice, bounced enticingly. Her dress slid down flawless and tight skin was revealed… And when it came down over her hips, revealing her most intimate parts Johan felt a twinge as instinct told him to do what he so desired. Then a generous bend to give him a tempting view as she stripped off her stockings and turned to with a saucy smile and a question that told him she knew exactly what she was doing. “I see a goddess, temptation given divine form.” He said, “And I love her.”

 

His eyes followed her sway and he smiled with lusty appreciation at Eleanora. He took her hands and pulled himself up and her into a kiss with one smooth motion. His hands roamed freely, caressing her and groping her bountiful breasts and behind. He moved as she tugged off his clothes and, once he was down to just his pants, his hand wandered between her tips, teasing her just gently. Not enough to really get her off but enough to fan her need.

 

He wanted to make her undressing him as pleasurable as possible for her, even if he couldn’t give the same show.

[Sophia de la Cerda]

“Pressed up against you is where I wish I could stay. I just don't want you to exhaust yourself the way I did, and I thought it might be difficult to hold the spell the farther away from you I go.” He had already told her that it didn't take much out of him, but she couldn't help being concerned. Maybe most of the magic was concentrated in the armband and that was why distance didn't matter. She would have to remember to wear it whenever she was not alone with Johan.

 

“I had better be the last one you bring home with two legs.” she teased him. “Your menagerie might grow while I am here. We might eventually need a bigger house.” Despite her best efforts, one of the dogs did step on her hem, but Johan caught her before she fell. Eleanora was glad that he didn't allow them into the bedroom. When it came to making love, she wanted to be completely alone with him.

 

And they might have interfered with her little show. She had never tried to remove her clothing in a seductive way before, but it seemed like a fun way to entice him and she could tell that he enjoyed it. The last thing she took off was her armband, so that he would be able to see the real her and not the illusion he had created.

 

That lusty smile of his sent white-hot thrills coursing through her body, and that encouraged her to be even more sensuous. His answer to her playful question made her heart leap in her chest. Eleanora was no goddess, but she did like being compared to one.

 

She held out her hands to help him up and was immediately pulled into a fervent kiss that intensified the desire burning within her. His hands roaming all over her body made it difficult to concentrate on removing his clothing, especially when his hand meandered between her thighs. Oh, how she wanted to feel him inside her again, to ride with him on the waves of pleasure!

 

Eleanora unlaced his breeches quickly and pulled them down to his ankles so that he could step out of them, and as soon as his cock was released from its confinement, she stroked it gently and pressed herself against him. Lifting one leg and wrapping it around his thigh, she tried to guide him into her while they were still standing up. “I love you, Johan,” she whispered. “I love you so much.”

[Guest]

Eleanora guessed correctly: Holding the illusion without the armband would be very difficult from a distance. By enchanting the armband he had simplified things. If it were damaged, dislodged, or lost then there would be the trouble Eleanora feared. “D-d-don’t worry, there’s only one way you’re exhausting me and I wouldn’t have you stop for the world.”

 

“I had better?” Johan said with a laugh, “Oh my, I’ve g-g-got a lioness here.” He was no more serious than she and gave her a pinch of the bum as a tease. She didn’t need to fear, though. She held his heart already.

 

“Oh we w-w-will.” Johan said of a bigger house. She might notice there weren’t many cats, though there were a couple. Johan, however, pulled her close by the hip and whispered, “A nursery and m-m-many rooms for our little ones.” Johan wanted a large family, as many children as Eleanora could give him.

 

Johan smiled widely as she became his Eleanora again. At the end of the day it was her no matter how she looked, but he preferred making love with her own face, her own voice. Every part of her really was perfect to him, and his love furnished her with a truly divine glow.

 

Once his breeches fell to the floor he quickly stepped out of them, breathing in pleasured agony at her gentle strokes. He was all too eager to wrap his arms around her waist and pull her against him when she pressed. Before he could do much she wrapped her leg around him. Johan brought her arms around his neck for support and began to lean in for a kiss but then she pulled him in…

 

“Eleanooo-” Her name turned into a lusty shuddering moan as his tip entered her. He could not say more. But a needy, passionate kiss told her he loved her too.

 

He and put his hands on her hips. He slowly slid deep inside her, shuddering with pleasure as she tightly enveloped him. Johan was taller than her and she was only on one leg, but she could lean or grab onto Johan for balance. As he was fully enveloped in her, deep within her, feeling her stretch around him he let out another moan. He was too overwhelmed with pleasure to even move.

[Sophia de la Cerda]

“I won't,” she assured him. “I will make love to you until we are both so tired that all we can do is lie in each other's arms and regain our strength for the next round.” Eleanora had fully recovered from overusing her magic and was full of amorous energy. She was no longer worried about the moot or the inspector either now that Johan had told her what to expect.

 

When he called her a lioness, she clenched her hands into makeshift claws and growled, swiping at him mirthfully when he pinched her bum. “I mean it too,” she jested. “You want to feel my passion, not my wrath.” It bothered her a bit to think of him bringing other women to this bed, but she was determined that she would banish their memories from his mind forever.

 

“It will have to be huge,” she breathed, “for I plan to give you so many children that you will not be able to count them all.” Their sons and daughters would be beautiful and they would grow up cherished and happy. They would have the joyous lives that had been denied to both of their parents.

 

She noticed his wide smile when she took off the armband. It was Eleanora and not Emma who had captivated him. Whenever they were intimate, she wanted to be herself, and he appeared to prefer her true appearance as well. Perhaps it would not be long before there was no need for a disguise at all.

 

Her heart sang at his reaction to her gentle ministrations. She felt his arms surround her with their warmth and she let him move one of hers around his neck while her other hand guided his cock between her nether lips. Her moan joined his as he entered her and plunged deeply within her. Her inner muscles latched onto him tightly, contracting around him. Delightful sensations flowed through her body when the tip of his cock hit her back wall. He fit so snugly inside her. It was where he was meant to be.

 

Eleanora entwined her arms around his neck, and she slid the leg she had curled around his thigh up and down. “Can you hold me if I wrap both of my legs around your waist?” she whispered against his lips. This way of making love was new to her and she was not quite certain how to proceed.

[Guest]

Johan laughed as she made as a lion. Truthfully she looked a bit like one with her bright golden mane. But he heard more than jest in her comments. He heard insecurity, a small fear. He could sympathize. There was nothing to bind him to his word, nothing she could do if he’d brought her home to a dozen other lovers. He wondered for a moment if she was promising him all he wanted and so eager to please him in the hopes he wouldn’t abandon or abuse her, a defense after having been so mistreated all her life…

 

But no, he was sure Eleanora truly loved him with all her heart and soul. And he knew she knew that he loved her.

 

He loved her with all his heart. So he smiled and lightly kissed his lioness. He could say a thousand words of love and need to pause only for breath. But the best reassurance he would be hers would be waking up with him tomorrow. And the day after. And every day after that until he woke up no more.

 

But for the moment there was a more immediate, carnal expression of their love. And oh how Johan enjoyed that. His face was twisted in pleasured ecstasy and his kisses were hot. Her tightness and the little motions as she moved against him send ripples of pleasure up his spine. There was nothing but her, nothing but the sensation of and love for her, in this moment.

 

She asked a question. Johan nodded, a distracted nod, the pleasure overwhelming him. His hand came around to hold her other leg. If she moved she would find him quickly able to pick her up and that he was strong and firm enough to hold her easily. But for the moment he moved slightly, grinding and creating delicious friction inside her. His lips found hers the moment she stopped speaking.

[Sophia de la Cerda]

Eleanora knew that Johan loved her and that no other woman would ever replace her in his affections But if his people were opposed to them marrying even after they found out who she truly was, he would have to wed and produce heirs. She had never seen herself as a jealous person, but in truth, she didn't want to share him with another woman and she wanted her own son to be his heir.

 

Until they were officially married, she would probably be a bit insecure about her place in his life. Eleanora was fully confident about her place in his heart and knew instinctively that he would never abuse her. He had promised that he would not let anyone hurt her again, and she knew that he would always keep her safe. She wanted to please him because she loved him beyond reason and wished him to be happy, not out of obligation or fear.

 

And she was trying … and succeeding … in pleasing him now. His kisses were exquisite and she sighed against his lips, her young body trembling in bliss. How many times had they made love now? She had long since lost count, but it was not enough. She would never tire of being joined together in pleasure with him.

 

He nodded his answer to her question and then drew her into another tantalizing kiss. When Eleanora felt his hand on her other leg, she jumped, wrapping both of her legs around his hips. Her arms were around his neck, and without any forethought, she began bouncing up and down, relishing in the euphoric sensations trilling through her. It was if her body knew what to do even though her mind did not. Rubbing against him stimulated her sensitive little pearl and she kissed him with all the desire she felt for him.

[Guest]

Johan caught her as she jumped, letting out a moan as she shifted around him. They’d had each other many times but it never got old. She seemed to breathe new life, a new energy into him. He’d always enjoyed sex but he’d never had the stamina that he had with her, and his cravings for her touch were beyond anything he’d felt before. The pleasures she gave him were enthusiastic and passionate and pleasurable beyond reason. He only hoped that he gave her a fraction of what he felt in reply.

 

His hands took hold of her waist and moved with her as she bounced. His motions were a bit more restricted, he needed to keep them from tumbling over and Eleanora was very enthusiastic. But he loved that and he felt warmth and pleasure beyond description, moaning into her kiss. A hand came up to take grip of her hair and he hungrily kissed her back, his top pressing into her as they moved.

 

But while her body knew what to do instinctively, Johan’s experience did have some lessons. As he kissed her his hand on her hips got slightly firmer. He didn’t stop her from bouncing but rather than just up and down moved her to show her to rotate her hips as she did. He let out a moan as he did. It created more friction for them, both inside her and on her little pearl and Johan let out noises of pleasure and appreciation. His lips actually left hers in a groan as she so distracted him he lost himself completely, but a moment later he pressed his lips again with renewed amour.

[Sophia de la Cerda]

When he caught her, it seemed that his cock plunged deeper inside her, causing bright little thrills to shimmer down her spine. Eleanora could feel his hands upon her waist and he moved in rhythm with her exuberant bouncing. How they kept their balance never crossed her mind. She was completely absorbed in the love they shared and the pleasure they gave each other. Nothing existed for her but the sensations building up inside her, threatening to burst at any moment.

 

He returned her kiss with a delectable fervor while guiding her movements to rotate her hips and produce even more friction between them. Eleanora caught on quickly and varied her bouncing, reveling in his passionate moans. As he was holding her up, she didn't need to keep her arms around his neck. She lifted them higher, running her fingers through his hair and then down his neck and over his shoulders and as far down his back as she could reach.

 

The way he pulsed inside her was so splendid, so perfect, so enticing. He kissed her again, but as her ardor heightened, she pulled her lips from his and arched her back, moaning loudly. Waves of bliss washed over her, intense and exquisite and beautiful. Her eyes locked on his, she continued bouncing and swiveling as her inner muscles spasmed around him, clenching him tightly as if they never wanted to let him go.

[Guest]

Johan twisted and moved and moaned with pleasure, nearly writhing as the passion consumed him. Eleanora moved forward, her hands causing warmth and lightning wherever they roamed, sending shocks of pleasure and sensation down his spine and all the way over his back. He leaned forward, pressing against her as she pulled herself against him, pressing himself against her breasts so they’d rub against his chest with each bounce.

 

Then she leaned back and Johan appreciated the view of her body, beautiful and wonderful, and those large bosoms bouncing on him, those round hips moving on his cock. When she moaned his cock got even harder. Her pleasure heightened his own and he gasped and lulled his head. As it rolled around it came back to look at her. His eyes met hers and they locked in love and pleasure. He could see in her eyes what was shortly to come and then she spasmed. Johan lasted just a bit longer. “Eleanora.” He said as he finally came, releasing his warm seed deep inside her.

 

Johan breathed heavily, though his grip remained firm and he held her up. Even distracted he wouldn’t let her fall. As he recovered just a bit, he smiled at her and let out a growl of lusty appreciation. “My lioness.” He gently pulled their hips apart but then in one jerking move brought her up above him, holding her so her chest was nearly at face level and her head just above his. He looked up at her and craned into a kiss. “My love.” He circled once on his good leg, spinning Eleanora around with him, and laughed just for the joy of being with her, drunk off the pleasure of sex.

[Sophia de la Cerda]

The euphoric sensations exploding through her young body were so excruciatingly exquisite that Eleanora cried out in ecstasy. She could feel his warm seed spill inside her as her inner muscles continued to convulse around him and she smiled at him, her eyes full of love, when he gasped out her name. Her bouncing slowed as the intense pleasure he had given her began to fade and she pressed herself against him, enjoying the way her breasts felt against his chest.

 

Again, he called her his lioness and again she growled playfully. “And you are my magnificent dragon,” she whispered. “You must have wings, for whenever we make love, I feel as if I am flying.” He lifted her up and she sighed as his cock slipped out of her. Eleanora was a bit surprised that he could lift her so high but she loved it. Only like this would she ever be able to look down on him and she gazed into his beloved face, sighing again, this time in happiness, as he kissed her.

 

Then he spun her around and her lyrical laughter joined his. How did he have so much strength after holding her up for so long? She kissed him back and then wriggled out of his grasp until she was standing on her own two feet again. “We never did make it to the bed,” she chuckled, taking his hand and leading him toward it.

 

When they reached it, she let his hand go and jumped upon it, giving him a good view of her shapely backside as she crawled upward until she reached the pillow. Eleanora lay down on her back and held out her arms. “Come. Lie with me.”

[Guest]

Johan seemed almost drunk as the bouncing stopped. Distracted, consumed, like something was pulling his attention… but it was pulling it to Eleanora who was the intense focus of everything he felt. When his eyes were looking at anything they were fixated on her, her heaving bosoms, her beautiful blue eyes, her perfect face…

 

Johan laughed as he made her fly and his eyes sparkled at her lyrical laughter. Eleanora was not very heavy and Johan was not weak. While fond of books, he was also fond of riding, boating, the outdoors. He was well exercised and muscled, though not abnormally strong or chiseled. This was less apparent in a man who did not move gracefully and was often beset by difficulties in his physicality. But he could hold her without much trouble.

 

Yet Eleanora shifted down and, sensing what she wanted, he let her slowly slip down, his hands running along her legs, over her bum (a quick squeeze as she went), and then onto her back. He smiled when she kissed him and playfully resisted letting her go. But it was only playing and she soon wiggled out, taking his hand and leading him to bed.

 

She jumped onto the bed, giving him a lovely bouncing view, and crawled forward. Johan sat down on the edge and crawled into her open arms with a smile. He smiled and kissed her, “I have t-t-to go at sundown,” which the light filtering into the room said would be soon, though not imminent. “I won’t be b-b-back until late. And I have to luh-leave early tomorrow, before you.” Not every day would be like today. Very few would.

 

He went into her arms and wrapped his around her, pulling her into them, enveloping her. She was pressed underneath him and he squeezed her tightly in an affectionate hug. Then he kissed her again, pressing his lips to hers, lolling her head back with gentle simmering love rather than hungry passion. “W-w-will you be alright alone?” His voice was deep with concern. Everything here was new to her, even Johan really. He did not want her to feel unsafe.

[Sophia de la Cerda]

Perhaps it was the tantalizing way that his hands ran over her body that prompted her to ask him to lie with her. Eleanora could have asked for a tour of the house, but all she really wanted was to snuggle against him and enjoy the little aftershocks shimmering through her body. She also thought that he might be tired and wish to rest a bit. He resisted when she tried to wiggle free and she wondered if her squirming gave him pleasure. She hoped that it did.

 

He joined her on the bed and the sight of him crawling toward her made her wonder if it was possible to make love on their hands and knees. Perhaps that would be something they could try later tonight. Yet it appeared that he would have to leave her soon. Her smile faded slightly. Eleanora wished he could stay with her forever, but she knew he had duties to attend to. But tonight? What did he have to do in the evening? She had hoped that his nights would belong completely to her.

 

And he would also be gone before she woke up? When he wrapped his arms around her, she nestled against him, melting into his gentle kiss and returning it in kind. After their lips reluctantly parted, she rested her head against his shoulder, but raised it and gazed into his eyes when she heard the concern in his voice. “Don't worry, my love,” Eleanora reassured him, softly stroking his cheek. “I will be fine. I will explore the house tonight and tomorrow I will explore outside. I want to take a closer look at the carvings on the walls.”

 

Reaching up, she brushed back a stray lock of his hair. “Or should I stay inside tomorrow? When is the moot? I want to make certain I am ready.” Her voice was a bit hesitant. She was still uncertain about standing in front of his people and answering questions, but she knew she would never be accepted as one of them if she didn't. And that would cause problems for Johan. Eleanora wanted him to experience only joy and happiness, for that was what he deserved.

[Guest]

Johan did love her wiggling against him, pressed close. Even though she was a great deal less innocent than when she’d squirmed on his lap, it was still every bit as tantalizing.

 

Johan gently pulled her against him as she nuzzled. And he smiled when she stroked his cheek, shaking hand coming over hers and pressing it to his. A small trill went down his spine as she brushed away a lock of his hair. “You c-c-can go as you please. But I think it’d be b-b-best if you stay in the castle until after the moot.” His hand gently came under her chin, bringing her into a light kiss.

 

“I’ll be b-b-back late tonight, but before midnight. And I’ll be luh-leaving at sunrise, around seven.” If she was asleep, he might simply slip into bed with her. Or he might wake her up for a bit of lovemaking. He probably wouldn’t be able to resist that. “The m-m-moot will be about ten. I’ll be g-g-gone much of the afternoon but tomorrow evening will be ours.” That was how it would be normally, but sometimes social events or last minute preparations for the next day would cut in.

 

His hands traced along those beloved lips and through her hair, “Be yourself. That’s all you’ll n-n-need to do and you’ll win them, I’m sure.” Johan loved everything about Eleanora. He found it all hopelessly endearing, irresistibly charming. He could not imagine anyone finding her otherwise. He hoped soon she would be able to be fully herself, and as his wife. While it didn’t wrack him with the same insecurity, he knew she wanted it, and he wanted to give it to her.

 

He gently pulled her back so her head was against his chest, a leg swinging around hers to pull her close. He bent over her, his breath whispering into her hair, his breathing light and calm, his chest rising against hers. This was a pleasant way to pass an hour, a night. This was a pleasant way to pass a life. “I love you. My heart nearly bursts with it.” He whispered.

[Sophia de la Cerda]

Eleanora welcomed the loving warmth of his hand over hers. He suggested that she stay inside the castle until the moot, and she nodded as he pulled her into a brief but poignant kiss. “I will stay inside then. I can study the carvings after the moot.” There was certainly no hurry. It seemed as if she would have more time to herself than she had expected. She wondered if that would change once she became his wife. Maybe then he would include her in the day to day running of his holdings. She would be happy to take some of the responsibilities from his shoulders.

 

Ahh, so he wouldn't be back too late. “I will wait up for you,” she promised, smiling seductively. “I hope you have some energy left for me.” She was an early riser and would probably be up before he left the next morning. Eleanora wanted to have plenty of time to prepare for the moot, so that she would look her best. While he was away tomorrow she would take another bath. “Will I be wearing the same dress I wore today?” If so, perhaps she could find a needle and thread and alter it to fit her better. The only thing she was skilled at besides singing was sewing.

 

When he traced her lips, her tongue darted out and playfully licked his fingers. “You're biased, but I hope that you're also right. They are going to be wary of me from the start. Somehow I must get them to see that you are better off with me than without me. I am going to tell them I love you. I think that it's important that they know.” If he advised her against it, she would not go against his wishes. He knew his people much better than she did.

 

Eleanora did want to be his wife, but she would settle for being his concubine as long as she was able to stay with him. If his people were still against them marrying when she inherited her grandfather's kingdom, then remaining as his concubine would be impossible. She would be expected to marry as well, and both of them would be forced to choose partners that they would never love. And they would have to live apart most of the time. She fervently hoped that they didn't have to make such heartbreaking decisions. Marrying others would not only be unfair to them but it would be also be unfair to their spouses.

 

Those depressing thoughts fled when he draped one leg over hers and pulled her head against his chest. Her ear was over his heart again, and she loved listening to its steady beat. “I can hear it,” she whispered back. “And I can feel it too. When you are away from me, I will always be with you in your heart. And you will always be in mine.”

 

Scooting upward, Eleanora gently guided his head over her own heart. Her bosom served as his pillow. “Listen. Every time it beats, it beats for you. I love you so much, my dearest Johan, more than mere words can ever say.”

[Guest]

Johan presumed Eleanora had no interest in administrative matters. He would ask if he absolutely needed her, but he imagined she’d prefer to have days free from petty appointments and petitions and reports. Perhaps she would offer and he could give her some things to help with, though sitting next to him all day would have to be eased into. That was a position of supreme and privileged influence. Rising to it too quickly would provoke jealousy and ill sentiment.

 

“I will.” Johan said with a cocky little smile, “I always do.” Eleanora gave, rather than took, energy. If he was exhausted, he would just want to be in her arms more.

 

Eleanora asked after her clothes, “I w-w-will leave you some m-m-money. You can g-g-go to the shops in town and buy what you want.” He had said she should stay inside but she was right. She needed more than a single dress. And even if she was going to live with him, he wanted her to have her own things. Johan’s house obviously had not had any women living in it for some time.

 

A small pulse of arousal went down his spine as she licked his fingers. He licked his own lips with a lusty look and pressed them to hers. For a moment there was an urge to press deeper and he shifted, a prelude to… well, they would have time later. Tonight. And he was content to slip his hand along her side, smiling.

 

“I d-d-don’t know if they’ll believe you. If they d-d-do, it w-w-would be grand.” If they believed she was lovestruck then they’d have less to fear from her. They’d think her a silly, sentimental girl, but the most important thing was that they didn’t think her a harmful presence.

 

“Whatever they say, whatever happens, whatever they… believe.” Johan said, “I know you love me. And I am better off with you.” He hoped they would take into consideration that Johan wanted this too. He wasn’t sure how much they trusted his judgment on romantic matters, but he was fairly responsible as a lord, which he hoped earned him some leeway. It was not like Eleanora was the latest in a long line of busty beauties he’d brought home and frittered away tax money on. She was the first woman he’d brought in any capacity.

 

Johan smiled a quiet, private smile, enjoying the moment, the intimacy. Eleanora moved and Johan let her guide his head. He heard the soft beating of her heart, felt the heat of her skin, the soft swell of her breast. “I hear it.” He said softly, enamored. “It’s music… almost as swuh-sweet as your voice. Every p-p-pulsing beat sings of your love, of our life.” There were no words, but in that moment Johan had not even the slightest doubt they shared the same sentiment, the same love for each other.

 

Johan nestled there, becoming comfortable. “I should l-l-like to fall asleep like this tonight. To drift off to the steady beat.” His arms curled around her and he shifted. But there was less force than there had been. He was relaxing, the tension flowing out. His muscles became loose rather than taught and his breathing became easy and slow. “Yes. I d-d-don’t think I’ll be able to sleep without you f-f-from now on.”

[Sophia de la Cerda]

Eleanora thought that she would enjoy anything that helped Johan, and as a future Queen, she would need to learn how to rule. Johan could teach her by allowing her to assist him. If they married, he would probably take over as King. She was naïve, but she suspected that not even King Arthur believed that a woman was fit to rule a kingdom. Even a sixteen-year-old girl would be an improvement over her cruel and greedy grandfather. She would improve the lives of her people and make certain they lived productive lives.

 

Although she hoped he would want to make love to her when he returned that night, she would be content to hold him while he fell asleep if he was too tired to be amorous. Love was much more than just fucking; it was being there for each other in every way. She had slept in his arms on the boat, but they had yet to spend a night together in an actual bed.

 

“Thank you, my love,” she said gratefully when he promised to give her some money to purchase what she would need. She wouldn't be able to have a new gown made by tomorrow morning, but she could buy some ribbons and other trims to change the look of the dress she had brought with her from Camelot. Eleanora had only worn it for a short time today, from the time she left the boat until she had undressed for their bath. Everyone had seen it already, and it was finer than any gowns she had seen women wearing around here. Embellishing it with local ornamentation may show that she was trying to fit in.

 

“Like I told you before, every woman who hears my voice or sees my face will know I speak the truth. Maybe some of the men who have seen the same look in the eyes of their wives or mistresses will know that I love you as well. My love for you is something that I cannot … and never want to … hide.”

 

She loved the weight of his head upon her chest, and she gently stroked his hair as he listened to the beat of her heart. His words, as usual, were more eloquent than her own and filled her with happiness. “I don't think it has every beat so joyfully before. You have brought me to life with your love. Before I met you, I was merely existing. Now I am discovering new delights every day.”

 

Eleanora smiled tenderly. “I don't mind if you fall asleep like this. I can look down upon your face and watch you sleep until I drift off myself. And perhaps we will meet each other in our dreams.” On some nights, she hoped to fall asleep with her ear against his heart too.

 

He wrapped his arms around her and shifted his position. “I don't think I will be able to sleep without you either,” she confessed, snuggling close to him and nuzzling his neck. “You are my addiction and you have enchanted me completely.”

[Guest]

“I will t-t-take care of you.” Johan said to her thanks, a promise that he knew she knew, yet he wanted to repeat. “This is our home.” Johan said. “Our bed. Yours and m-m-mine. It’s the only thing that makes it worthwhile.” He hoped she would make it partly her own. He imagined every touch of it would make it feel more warm and welcoming. It would have to: even a strewn gown before she went for a bath was a reminder of his dear Eleanora.

 

Johan smiled at Eleanora’s sweet and innocent belief. Life had not been so kind to him. Yet he did not mistake that cynicism for wisdom. Perhaps they would. Perhaps he had grown more bitter and hardened by politics than he cared to admit. It seemed less like naivete than optimism, a belief there was goodness in the world. “Then maybe I’m worrying about nothing. Maybe the strength of our l-l-love will impress them all.” It would be such a wonderful thing if it did.

 

Eleanora was eloquent too, or at least eloquent enough that Johan was touched by her words still. Her inexperience had never bothered him, and he knew she would be eager to become experienced on him. “I d-d-discovered the most d-d-delightful woman in the world,” Johan said, his hand gently running along her side, “And I d-d-discover she’s m-m-more delightful every day. Every p-p-part of her I examine and f-f-find a source of joy. Every l-l-look sends a small trill down my spine. Every word warms my heart.”

 

Johan nuzzled into her and let out soft sounds of quiet joy at her hands. “I know, and I know our d-d-dreams will intertwine.” He said when she gave him permission. He kissed her breast where his head rested. He knew Eleanora would give, and enjoy giving, whatever he desired of her. He was the same, and she would drift to sleep in his arms many nights.

 

“I d-d-dreamt of you too last night, you know. And then I w-w-woke up to a reality as g-g-good as a dream.” Perhaps the world was not, but Eleanora’s arms, even while sick and afraid… he could not even imagine a better lover’s embrace in his dreams.

 

“You shall have your d-d-drug every day.” Johan said, “For you are my obsession. Oh my lioness, I n-n-never knew love or happiness till I knew you. This heart is more p-p-precious to me than my own. Its b-b-beat keeps me alive, as it keeps you alive.” He nuzzled into her, his head straining upward to return her nuzzles, his eyes closed. He loved everything about this: the closeness, the sound of her heart, the subtle rise and fall of her breathing… the warmth, even her smell after a long day was pleasant to him.

 

“You are d-d-dangerous.” He said, low but loving, “I only l-l-left the bed this morning to get you off the sea. If you’re happy here, I don’t know if can leave your arms.” The sun was getting lower now but Johan didn’t yet move off. He nuzzled deeper into her cleavage, like a spoiled child who didn’t want to get up in the morning, a content, pleased smile on his lips.

[Sophia de la Cerda]

Everything here was so new to Eleanora, she had not yet contemplated making changes. Perhaps in time, she would add a few personal touches or purchase new items to decorate it with. There must be a few talented painters in the village and perhaps a sculptor or two from whom she could commission artwork. The petite blonde loved art almost as much as she loved music.

 

Life had been cruel to Eleanora as well, but she trusted in Johan and the love they had for each other. Her notions might be a bit fanciful, but she was young and had imaginative and truly believed that love would conquer all. Now that he had calmed her initial fear, she was more optimistic about her chances of impressing the nobles whose opinions meant the most. She was just an innocent and guileless girl in love, not a manipulative, ambitious bitch. What harm could she do?

 

“And I have discovered the most magnificent man on this earth. Everything about him thrills me and makes me want to learn more about him and give him so much pleasure that he will always wear a smile upon his lips, even when I kiss him, which I promise to do often.” To show she was sincere, she pressed her lips to his and kissed him sweetly but passionately.

 

Eleanora loved the contented little sounds he made and when he kissed her breast, a bright little thrill shimmered down her spine and spread throughout her body. “What were we doing in your dream?” she asked. “I already told you about mine.” They had been married and had four children, two girls and two boys. “When I lived in fear of my grandfather, I used to dream of a better life. Now my reality surpasses any of those dreams. You have made all my wishes come true … even a few I was not aware I had.” He had awakened her to desire and the pleasures of the flesh. She had not known such delights existed until he had become intimate with her.

 

“Good,” she replied, “because I cannot live without you.” She smiled saucily when he claimed that he had never known love and happiness until he had met her. “Surely, there were other women in your life before me who gave you joy.” The thought made her a bit jealous, but she knew that she was not the first woman who had shared his bed. She knew instinctively that he had never loved any of them nearly as much as he loved her.

 

She laughed happily as he nuzzled her ample cleavage. “We need to show your people that I am not dangerous,” she reminded him. “And as much as I wish we could stay in bed together forever, there are other things that we must do, both together and separately. You must go soon, but before you leave me, I would love to know the significance of the white bird carved into the door and your throne. And does your tribe have any traditional colors?” If they did, perhaps she could incorporate them into the outfit she would wear at the moot tomorrow.

[Guest]

Johan believed that Eleanora was that guileless girl in love. But he expected politics to be a cynical, manipulative affair. He hoped to be surprised. He thought he knew many things… but he also knew he had much to learn.

 

Johan shifted eagerly into her kiss. “Well, he shall certainly… never g-g-grow tired of them. If you love him, you shall a lifetime of kisses.” And with that he pressed his lips to hers again. “And you w-w-will have a lifetime to explore his every thought, freely offered in w-w-warm embrace.” He felt he could hold no secrets from his lovely Eleanora.

 

She asked after his dream, and Johan became shy, hesitant even, “I was as I was under my old m-m-mistress. I was a fae creature of impossible beauty. And I saw you beaten and leered at by your g-g-grandfather and his men. They t-t-took sick pleasure in your pain. Since they c-c-could not have you, they used punishment to sate their lusts.” Johan’s tone betrayed anger.

 

“But I stole you away to my home. And you awoke under my spell. Instead of being afraid, you begged me only that I should n-n-never abandon you, showing me love and kindness such as I’d never known. You sang f-f-for me. A song of love, more beautiful than anything I’ve ever heard. And I fell in love with you when I heard it. So I hid you away from the world, and lived with you in p-p-peace and contentment and you swelled with our child and spoke sweet words of l-l-love.” Johan’s dream had not been quite so narrative. But their future, their unity, that had been present.

 

“Good.” Johan said when she said he made all her wishes come true, “I w-w-want you to be happy. I want you to feel a thousand t-t-times the joy your grandfather inflicted on you every t-t-time we touch.” He wanted to erase even the slightest hint of bad memory and fill it with his love.

 

She asked after his past, “There were other w-w-women.” Johan said, his tone was a bit lower, “I was n-n-never convinced they l-l-loved me m-m-more than what I could do for them. Especially as I am.” Johan’s grip tightened a bit around Eleanora, “When you say you l-l-love me, I believe you’d have run away with me even if I were a royal fool. When you say you are hopelessly d-d-drawn to me, I believe it is me, and not my rank. That I am, as myself, attractive.” That was new. For perhaps the first time since he’d left his mistress Johan felt attractive, loved as he was. And he loved Eleanora fiercely in return.

 

“Surely you knew men who saw you only as b-b-beauty and a kingdom. You know I see you as neither.” He saw her as a woman, his love. There was some political background to define exactly what their relationship was… but had she been a servant he truly believed he would have taken her and loved her just as fiercely. “It is the same.”

 

“Mmm. You are dangerous.” He protested. “You are my… delicious distraction.” He seemed like he was shifting into another nuzzle but suddenly and forcefully be brought her underneath him, tugging her there and staring into her eyes. Rather than saying anything he leaned down to kiss her. His lips touched hers slightly at first, then pushed down, passionate and loving. But he was also further apart.

 

She had questions. Understandable ones. “Our c-c-colors are red and gold. Avoid g-g-green and white.” That one was simpler. As for the bird, “When my t-t-tribe was lost, refugees fleeing our homes, we g-g-got lost at sea. We would have died, but a swallow c-c-came to use, guided us here, to where we l-l-live now. It is our symbol, a g-g-gratitude to what saved us. A reminder that however p-p-proud we are, we were once p-p-poor refugees in need of help.”

 

“It is on my throne so that those who p-p-petition me know I am the chief of a t-t-tribe of refugees. It is on the f-f-floor because I w-w-will see it when I look down on petitioners. It is supposed to… remind us that those who beg for help are not d-d-different than we were.” Johan said. And it was on the door just as a symbol of the tribe.

 

He reached out and his hand, shaking, gently ran along her cheek, “Is there anything I c-c-can do to help before I leave? Anything at all?” From his tone, full of love, he just wished her to be happy. He would have even fetched a glass of water, if she wanted it.

[Sophia de la Cerda]

“I hope I will also have a lifetime to explore your body,” she replied. “I want to know how each part of you reacts to my kisses and caresses.” Eleanora wanted to know his thoughts too. Everything about him was precious to her and she hoped he would share his hopes and dreams and fears and frustrations, rather than keep them locked inside of him. She had already told him her most urgent concerns about her upcoming ordeal and she would continue to seek his counsel as long as he was willing to listen.

 

The first part of his dream made her shiver and she snuggled closer against him. Was there any truth in his interpretation of her grandfather's abuse? He had always made her take off her clothes before he beat her. Had he lusted for her and punished her because he blamed her for making him desire her? She knew he hated her for being so much like her mother. If he was unable to marry her off, he would most likely have killed her.

 

The rest of Johan's dream delighted her. “I would have loved you even if you were still under the spell of that evil fae. Maybe if I had met you then, I would have stolen you away from her just like you took me away from my grandfather. I hope we never have to hide away, because I want to sing about my love for you so that everyone in the world can hear.”

 

She smiled down at him. “I am happy and I always will be as long as we are together. I am beginning to forget how frightened I was every day I lived in my grandfather's castle. It almost seems a lifetime ago now. I have left that life behind me and have started a new one with you. You are my present and my future and I treasure every moment I get to spend with you.”

 

So his other lovers had only been after the power and prestige of his position and had cared little for him. “It is true. I find you attractive, and I don't care about what you can do for me. It is you whom I love, you whom I desire. If you were a poor farmer, or a lowly servant, it wouldn't matter to me. I would still love you and want to spend my life with you.”

 

Eleanora had been kept secluded and until she had traveled to Camelot, she had not met any men but her grandfather's guards and servants. She had not liked the way some of the noblemen at Camelot had looked at her. Johan was probably right. The men who would want to marry her would be more interested in her beauty and the fact that she was heir to a kingdom and care nothing about her as a person.

 

She laughed when he pulled her beneath him and she responded joyfully to his kiss. The dress she had brought with her was a light shade of blue. Gold would look good with it, but she wasn't certain about red. Once she saw what was available in the village, she would know better how to adorn it.

 

“I knew it had to have a special meaning for you,” she said when he had finished explaining how the swallow had become the symbol of their tribe. “I am a refugee too. Maybe your people will be more sympathetic towards me if I can make them see that I am no different now than they were when they fled from their old lives. Just as you were looking for a new home, so am I. Emma left her family to make her own way in the world. She did not expect to fall in love.”

 

When he ran his hand along her cheek, she grasped it and brought it to her lips. “So much energetic lovemaking has made me hungry again. If you can tell your cooks to prepare a meal for me and point me in the direction of the room you usually eat in, I will be fine. Do you have a library here? Maybe I can find something to read while I wait for you to return.”

[Guest]

“You will.” Johan said, “No p-p-part of me is forbidden. I share it all freely and g-g-gladly.” He was a bit reserved but he wasn’t trying to hide anything. And to some degree he had put up a strong front. Whatever his fears about the moot tomorrow, he felt Eleanora needed him to be strong. If he had responded to her fears with his own she would not be as comfortable as she was now. He wasn’t hiding anything from her, but he was portraying himself as more certain than he was.

 

Johan shifted to hold her tightly when she shivered, even before she snuggled in. He hoped he comforted her, even if he’d brought up something unpleasant. “You d-d-did steal me away. I loved you. When I was enchanted b-b-by her I could love… nothing but her, not even myself, and certainly… no other woman. Your song of l-l-love broke the spell.” The dream had had a duality to it. Eleanora had been shown that lust in its proper context was delightful, not abusive. And Johan had been shown love, even that all-consuming commanding sort of love, was not merely a tool of control. Both had found a place where it was freely given and returned rather than forced.

 

Perhaps that was not so different from real life.

 

Johan nodded as she said all that fear was fading from her life. “T-t-tomorrow morning, before I leave, I w-w-will treat these.” Johan gently ran a finger along one of her bruises. “And t-t-tomorrow night I might be able to heal them entirely.” It was the last sign of that life.

 

“I know.” She’d told him and he believed her then as now. “And if you were n-n-not a princess I would still love you. Our c-c-coming together is a thing of soul and body, not position or rank.” And he believed that truly. Johan was, in his own ways, just as much a romantic as Eleanora, and even somewhat naïve. But it was a sweeter thing than cynicism by far.

 

Johan smiled, and nodded. The Saxons were barbarians and capable of cruelty but they were not evil. Appeals to their humanity would not be met with deafness.

 

As for food, Johan gave her a lusty little smirk, “Well, we m-m-must keep you… energized.” He kissed her lightly, “There are servants here. I w-w-will tell my butler to attend you on the way out. And to let you into my study. There’s a g-g-good table there, many books, and windows. Some of the views are of the sea, though.” He didn’t know how deep Eleanora’s fear stretched. She would be on solid land, at least.

 

His tugged her against him, leaning into her. His lips met hers, a warm, open kiss where his breath mixed with hers and his body bent in shape with hers. “I love you.” His hand ran along her face and then he shifted off, making ready to leave.

[Sophia de la Cerda]

Eleanora wasn't experienced enough to be reserved. She had known nothing of sex until he had awakened her desire. No one had told her it was either good or bad, and Johan had shown her that it was something to be celebrated, which she did quite joyfully. “And I will take everything you offer and give you even more in return.” She was his to do with as he pleased and she didn't want it any other way.

 

“I would have done the same for you if I had really met you then. I would have shown you that you were worth loving and maybe the spell would have been broken sooner.” But while he had been going through that hell, she had been a child in a foreign country enduring a hell of her own. Both of them had suffered so much in their young lives, and their love for each other was slowly healing their emotional wounds.

 

He offered to heal her physical wounds as well. “With magic?” she asked. The bruises were old and no longer as painful as they had been when first inflicted on her. As Emma, they were not visible, but maybe they should be. “Can you give Emma bruises? If they think I have been beaten, the moot might be more sympathetic to my plight.”

 

Emma's story kept changing. At first she had been after a rich husband, which probably wouldn't endear Eleanora to his people. Now she was a girl from a foreign kingdom who had been searching for a better life and had found love in the process. Perhaps she could have left her home because her parents had beaten her and thought her worthless. She would be able to explain that without any pretense, for that was exactly how her grandfather had treated her.

 

Johan was in worse shape than she was because of the abuse he had suffered at the hands of her grandfather's knight. “Can you heal your own bruises too? Or show me how to do it?” Eleanora wasn't comfortable experimenting on him with her newly awakened magic, but if he knew of a safe way to do it, she would trust him as she always did. And this time she would not overextend herself.

 

“It was fate,” she remarked about their love. The absolute certainty in her voice was quite apparent. “We were meant to be together. If we had not met last night, our paths would still have crossed.” She believed that with all her heart.

 

Eleanora laughed as he kissed her. “You must eat as well. You will need lots of energy when you return.” As for his study: “Maybe I will still be there reading when you come back. Looking at the sea from the safety of a castle won't bother me. I know that it can't hurt me while I am here.” Storms might be another matter, but neither of them had to worry about that now.

 

His kiss took her breath away and as he prepared to leave, she wanted to call him back and beg him to stay with her. However, she knew that he had responsibilities to attend to, and she didn't want him to worry about her. Eleanora was a bit afraid to venture out of this room, but he didn't need to know that.

 

“I love you too,” she said, squeezing his hand. “Remember that while you are gone and think of me. I will definitely be thinking of you.”

[Guest]

Johan smiled, head swimming with lusty thoughts at his willing and eager Eleanora. His look was blatant and appreciative. He wasn’t reserved in that fashion either. In fact, she’d find some of those books in his study were of an indecent nature, kept without shame among the rest.

 

“I know.” Johan said, “If you had b-b-been some grand queen or even just a noble and I had b-b-been the one in need of help, abused and abandoned and b-b-believing myself worthless, you would have saved and nursed me. I know it.” Johan sounded completely certain. He could not imagine Eleanora as anything but loving and compassionate and sensual and hopelessly attracted (and attractive) to him. His wounds had dulled over the years, but for the first time they felt like they were closing. It was a sublime, joyous feeling, and part of why he loved her so.

 

“With b-b-bandages and salves in the morning. Tomorrow evening… there’s something else I’d like to try. My m-m-magic can change forms, but it’s ill-suited to healing. But the old f-f-forest where I was kidnapped is nearby. It’s a p-p-place full of potent magics. Maybe we c-c-could find something there.” In truth, Johan wasn’t too hopeful about his own abilities to heal. But there were magical artifacts, or maybe something could help Eleanora bring out her potential.

 

Johan picked up the arm band and there was a small flash. He handed to her. Now, in addition to her bruises now being visible, there was a new one, a partly healed black eye. It looked old, too old for it to have been Johan’s doing. It was just subtle enough it might have been missed in the light of the feast. But the rest were underneath her clothes and Johan didn’t want her stripping before the moot. He wasn’t unreasonably jealous but some things he wanted saved just for him.

 

“Yes. Fate.” Johan repeated back. He was just as certain. “The ways of weird and luck brought us together. It was inevitable that the sun would rise on the day we met.” The old pagan phrases might have had less meaning to Eleanora but they firmly held the same sentiment.

 

“Oh?” Johan said, a lusty little smile as he thrilled at her promise. Johan nodded. He was glad that she didn’t mind water so long as she was on land. He lived in a port city after all.

 

“I will. You are n-n-never far from my mind and always in my heart.” He promised, squeezing her hand back, a bit harder than he normally did. He slid out of it only slowly, mournfully. This was the first time they’d parted. It was not to be the last, but hopefully it would never be more than a few hours, even in the future.

 

But after dressing and a look which said just how much he loved her, he departed. The sun’s rays would start to fade, and while light would come in from outside, she would not be disturbed until she left. This meant that the room would slowly become dark. If she waited long enough a soft repeating but irregular clinking sound would start to come from outside.

[Sophia de la Cerda]

It seemed as if he had as much faith in her as she had in him. Their love was so strong and true, it was almost palpable. Even now, it seemed to glow around them. Would his people be able to see it tomorrow? Eleanora fervently hoped that they would.

 

So he planned to treat her wounds in the normal fashion and not with his magic. And tomorrow evening, he would take her to the forest where he had been enslaved. “I would love to see it, but will it not be painful for you to go back? I don't want to cause you any distress.” Eleanora was curious about that magical place, but she was a bit frightened as well. What if Johan turned into the creature the fae had forced him to become? Would her love be enough to pull him back to the present? “Have you been there since you escaped?” If he had, then there was probably nothing to worry about.

 

When she asked him to give Emma bruises, he picked up the armband. She wasn't prepared for the flash of light and let out a surprised little “ohhh!” Eleanora slipped it on as he handed it back to her. She wanted to remain in his embrace while she could, but after he left, she would find a mirror and see how she had changed. “Did it work?” she asked, before pulling it back off. She wanted to look like herself as long as they were alone together.

 

She wasn't certain what he meant about the sun rising on the day they met. The sun rose every morning, did it not? Maybe it was some kind of Saxon saying. The important thing was that he believed as she did, that they would have met and fallen in love eventually and that they were meant to be together. Eleanora considered herself very fortunate to have found the love of her life in the person of her beloved Johan.

 

“And you are always in my heart as well.” She stood when he did and helped him to dress, but made no attempt to clothe herself quite yet. “I will see you soon. Don't worry about me. I will be all right.” Those words were for her benefit as well as his. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she kissed him lightly and then watched his retreating back as he turned and left the room.

 

A soft sigh escaped her lips. The room seemed so empty without him. Eleanora put on the armband and dressed slowly as the sun began to set. She needed to find some food to settle her rumbling stomach. Still, she hesitated to leave this place of sanctuary until she heard a clinking sound outside in the hall.

 

Curious, she pulled open the door and peered outside.

[Guest]

Johan was not as sheltered as his dear Eleanora but he was trusting and he did believe in true love. In fact, he yearned for it. Both of them were remarkably similar in that way. Although different in most of their exterior, on the inside they were very well matched. Johan believed, absolutely, they were made for each other. Whether his people saw it or not, he did have total faith in her and their love. It was people other than them Johan had less faith in.

 

“Yes.” Johan said, a bit of pain in his voice. “But a p-p-part of me wants to. There are… things there I’ve avoided. And I’m weaker for it.” But there was potency in helping Eleanora beyond what he felt even in helping himself. She made him stronger. “I’ve b-b-been back to some parts of it. Not all.” Part of it was where he went to hide and practice magic, so she’d need to go there anyway. But there were parts of powerful energies, inhabited by strange creatures, he avoided.

 

He gave her bruises in an illusion and again noticed how horrible her grandfather was. Johan gently cupped her cheek, his eyes full of sympathy when she asked if it could be seen. “Yes,” Johan kissed her eye, not realizing she wouldn’t understand the gesture until she found a mirror. The very idea of someone beating her filled Johan with disgust, that anyone could hate or hurt his sweet, darling Eleanora. He grabbed her in a tight embrace. She pulled it off and he didn’t let go for some time.

 

Johan smiled as she helped him. He nodded, “I will not be l-l-long. You will be safe here, even without me.” He promised. From what she described of her life that might be a new phenomenon. When she kissed him goodbye he pulled her into a deeper kiss, pushing her lush form against him. He almost said he loved her again, but decided if he didn’t leave soon he might never. Still, she would see it in his eyes and the mournful way he left.

 

A middle aged, man, worn down and with a few scars, was sitting at a table. Across the way was a much younger woman, perhaps a few years older than Eleanora. They were both dressed in reasonably good clothes but it could be guessed they were servants. They were taking turns throwing dice into a bowl and recording scores.

 

The woman spotted her first. She immediately picked up a broom and pointedly swept a perfectly clean bit of floor. The man stood and turned to Eleanora. He approached but kept a respectful distance. His manner was respectful, subservient, but in the way of someone who was secure. “I am Nerian, the jarl’s butler. I will do my best to make you comfortable. Food is already coming. Where would you like to take it? Is there anything else you want?”

 

There was a slight hitch as he got a good look at her. He became slightly nervous, “He… uh…” He tapped his eye to indicate Eleanora’s half-healed blacked eye, “That wasn’t him, was it?”