-Ashes-
We rode all night without stopping. There was no time to rest. I knew where to seek refuge, but I had no intention of staying. I needed to go back and get my brothers, but I couldn’t risk involving Laelia.
We camped the following night. Her brothers stood guard around us while the women slept. I was awake too, unable to find rest with so much on my mind. Instead, I contented myself with watching the woman in my arms.
Her head rested on my shoulder, a blanket wrapped around her, and the firelight illuminated her beautiful face. I gently brushed some of her dark hair away, admiring her, still in disbelief that I could truly call her mine. It felt like she was both a punishment and a blessing in one.
“How you got her to care for you, I will never understand,” Henry said.
He had
