Through the Eyes of a Fae

Chapter 6

The entire encampment rose at dawn. The wind blew hard, as if the land itself was eager to push the campaign home. Ludis and Stella stood before the king, giving the final report before they moved on.

"So my king, as yet, she seems genuine-with no ill intent to us or ours. She does have power so, when Ben suggested she come to the capitol, I couldn't think of a reason to refuse. It beats taking her prisoner, after going through such a terrible ordeal already." Ludis concluded. Malik looked from her to Stella, and sighed heavily.

"Leave it to Ben to be so chivalrous. Estella, you agree?" Malik stroked his chin, feeling the stubble forming.

"I do. While she seems innocent enough, I can't deny the feeling of power we felt. It makes no sense. Where did it go? It had to have been her. She is also reluctant to spill her secrets. She isn't stupid. Kora is vulnerable, though. Better to keep her close, and safe. If the enemy knows what she can do, and they know Kora isn't there anymore, they will be looking for her. Something tells me that they are waiting to search for her already."

" I would like to meet with her later, perhaps on the way home. I don't want to bombard her just yet. I am anxious to form my own opinion. You may go, Stella. Ludis, would you stay a moment, please?" Ludis looked up, and then sideways, at Stella. She shrugged and turned to leave. Whatever the king wanted to discuss with his head mage was no business of hers. Stella stepped out into the sunlight and went straight for her tent. The pages had already packed and broke everything down, but she wanted to check on Star Fire and Mud Pie. The horses, feeling the energy from the people, were excited to be on the move again. Mud Pie was as docile as always, as gentle and calm as his owner. Star Fire stomped and pranced in place, as eager as Stella to move on. She hadn't been home in 4 years, Stella was excited to walk the halls of the castle again. To sleep in her own bed, and take a real bath. Eat real food. Daydreaming of the sweets she wanted to get her hands on, she didn't hear Royce approaching, but his horse's loud snort scared her out of her wits. She let out a small shriek and whipped around. Royce was grinning, leaning against his horse's shoulder.

"How do you DO that? Some tribal magic? No one so big should be so quiet! And you've bewitched your horse the same!" Stella was very irritated, her blush evident.

"Are you ready to ride Stells? You seem to be slacking as usual." Royce was teasing her again, and she stomped into the makeshift pen to saddle the horses.

"I will leave when I'm good and ready, Royce Griffin, and not a moment sooner, thank you very much." Royce continued to grin.

"Ya know, I meant what I said last night, Stells. I am thinking of settling down. I can see you're not ready, but, that's ok. I have all the time in the world now. I can wait." Stella was so stunned by his blunt confession that she dropped her saddle. Sputtering and unable to form a sentence for a whole five minutes, her mouth opening and closing like a fish out of water, Royce's grin getting bigger and bigger as he waited.

"What makes you think I would ever marry you? Or anyone for that matter! I am a mage, I answer to no one!" she managed to finally spit out, her face burning crimson.

"Mages marry sweetheart, happens every day. Like I said, I know you ain't ready. But I wanted to be honest from the get go." Royce's face fell for a moment, and then a weak smile replaced it.

"I wanted to wait until now because we never knew whether we would live to see another day or not. I didn't want to leave a family behind to be cared for by another. But seeing as how we now have our whole lives ahead of us, I can't imagine torturing anyone but you every day, sweetheart. I mean it. It's been you since you fell off that bony horse 6 years ago in the courtyard of Lyle's Swoop." Royce then turned with his horse and walked away, leaving Stella red-faced and speechless.

Ludis stood before her king, waiting to see what he would say. He seemed lost in thought for a while, and Ludis shifted her weight.

"For the gods' sake, Ludis, please sit. You know I hate formality between us." Malik rubbed his face, almost at the end of his patience with this woman. He cared for her, first as a friend and now as a lover, being at odds with her was killing him. Ludis, being uncharacteristically stubborn, remained standing. When the war ended almost a month ago, the congratulations letters from the nobility, along with offers of their daughters' hands in marriage, began to pour into the camp. While on campaign for 6 years, Ludis and Malik had grown close, and last spring they began a relationship in secret. Upon the letter's arrival, Ludis seemed to have received what she called a reality check. No king could marry a southern tribe commoner, no matter how talented or pale skinned she was. With that, she had demanded separation from him. Claiming to want to protect his image, and her heart, from damage. She still wouldn't speak. He moved around the table, coming to stand before her. He ran his hand up her arm to cup her face, and she turned her gaze away, refusing to look at him. He pissed her collar bone, his hands now moving around her waist. Sliding under her shirt, she remained motionless, and he breathed in her scent. Kissing up from her collar bone to her neck, he felt her shiver and smiled against her skin. licking the hollow of her shoulder as he moved her shirt out of the way he could hear her soft gasp. His other hand was caressing her bottom. Moving his hand around to the front of her body his mouth came to kiss her ear, suckling her lobe. She began to breathe harder, but refused to respond. He felt her fighting. His hand moved lower to her most sensitive area. He was rock hard and when he felt how wet she was , he felt his member jerk- tight against the fabric of his breeches. He began to caress her slick folds, and he moaned into her shoulder, kissing along her jaw, capturing her mouth as she moaned. He moved his fingers deeper, penetrating her. She responded like a blooming flower, grasping his arms for support, riding his hand into oblivion. He wanted her. Pulling her breeches down, he freed himself; Lifting her up, he set her gently on the desk and slid into her slowly, kissing her deep. They couldn't resist each other. It had been 2 months and it felt like eternity. He began to move faster, pounding into her , desperate to reach her center and never leave. She clung to him, kissing an dipping his neck. the feeling of her mouth on him was driving him crazy, and he thrust harder. She leaned back on the desk, giving him full view of her incredible body. Her breasts bounced, and he captured one hard n****e in his mouth. He trust harder, desperate for release. He could feel her tightening around him, her soft cries growing louder. He captured her mouth, and grappled her hips driving into her with abandon. The table rocked, and they reached their climax together , Ludis screaming his name into his kiss. He groaned and emptied himself into her, and she spasmed. Slowly, he reluctantly pulled out of her, reaching for a drying cloth to wipe them clean. He looked at her, and she had her eyes closed, her breathing still ragged.

"Ludis, please don't do this anymore. You know what I want. I don't care what the kingdom thinks. They would be lucky to have you as a queen." Ludis blanched and Malik winced. He hadn't mentioned marriage to her before, and that was obviously not the way to start the conversation. Her violet eyes snapped open and she froze. She stood up and grabbed her clothes, dressing quickly.

"So, you want to marry me despite my common blood. What a wonderful way to propose your Grace. I'd practice before you propose to a noble woman. I don't believe such a brass announcement would be received so well. If I may have my leave, your Majesty, I have things to attend to before we depart." Malik stood and strode around the table to stand over Ludis. She didn't flinch, looking up into his steel eyes with her cold lavender ones.

"You know that is not what I meant, Ludis. What do I have to do? What law do I need to change, what rule are you trying to follow? What do you want, Ludis?" He had hurt her somehow, and he didn't understand. She stepped back from him and looked down, her lashes shielding her eyes, her expression unreadable.

"I want to be loved, just for who I am." With that, she left and Malik stood there, frozen. How could he be so stupid? Had he ever told her what he felt? No. Just what he wanted. When he wanted it. Had he ever asked her what she wanted before today? No. He saw it. The woman he felt closest to in the whole world suddenly became a stranger to him. He had buried himself in her, trying to escape his own reality and responsibilities. She had opened her arms to him, cradled him like a lost soul. But what had he done for her? Who was she? Ludis the woman, not his lover, and not the Head Mage of Deidre.