Dunstan and the other two guards proceeded to tell me how Sir Leland was not alone when he approached Sterling Castle but was with two other men—both calloused and dirty worker-types, one of whom was killed as he tried to flee. The other nearly escaped and was killed far enough into the woods that my men had found a path nearly wide enough to be a road. The entrance to it was hidden behind the trees to the south of the castle.
Intrigued by Dunstan’s tale of Sir Leland’s accomplices, I sent a messenger back to Alexandra to let her know of my parting, and we left for Sterling immediately with Leland still our prisoner. He was not forthcoming with any information during the journey, but I could see him becoming more and more agitated as we passed Sterling Castle and headed into the forest just beyond it.
There was, in fact, a road there, just beyond the first line of trees. It had not been there when I was a child or even later in my life. It must have been built after the first war when Edgar took over Sterling lands. Sir Leland was secured to a tree and left with a guard as the rest of us continued on.
We followed the road cautiously. After only a few minutes of trotting, we heard the sounds of men working and talking. We left our horses and moved with more stealth through the trees until we came to a clearing near a hillside. There were four men, one of whom was obviously in charge. He stood at the entrance to a cave near a group of rocks in the side of the hill. I knew him as soon as I heard his gruff voice and strange cadence that showed him to be from a land far away.
“Move, you dogs!” Yagmur commanded the handful of workers who exited the shaft with sacks on their backs. “Do you think I want to wait for you all day?”
The dark-haired, stocky man waved a cane around when he wasn’t leaning against it. Though I recognized him right away, he had changed much in the years since I had last seen him. His hair was still dark but thinner, and his beard was speckled with grey.
The three men he yelled at were younger and scruffy—definitely the kind of men who were used to doing hard labor. They took turns going inside the small cave as Yagmur verbally assaulted them to move faster. Soon after one man went into the dark recesses, he came back out, carrying a sack. There was a good-sized collection of similar, bulky bags lying in a stack on the back of a cart hooked up to a mule.
“How many are left?” Yagmur barked at one of the men.
“Maybe fifteen,” the worker replied as he added another bag to the pile.
“Good!” Yagmur turned and looked toward the woods where we crouched behind trees. “Sir Leland should have been back by now. We do not have time to wait for him though. If he has been discovered, it is our gain, yes?”
The men laughed darkly.
“We will leave as soon as the cart is loaded.”
Yagmur began to hobble across the grass toward the cart, and Dunstan looked at me with a nod. I signaled the other men with us, and we ambushed the lot of them. They were unarmed and easily subdued by the small handful of soldiers accompanying me. Within a few minutes, they all had their hands bound behind their backs. Dunstan lined them up next to the cart as I pulled one of the bags closer to me. When I reached inside the bag, I felt cool stones amidst my fingers. I slipped my hand out, and the sun caught the stones lying in my palm, causing them to sparkle.
“Gold!” Dunstan said, astonished. “Right there and nearly in sight of the castle! Did you know it was here?”
“I had no idea,” I replied as all the pieces of the puzzle slowly dropped into place. This was the reason Edgar was so bent to the point of war on marrying me to Whitney. He wanted Sterling lands for the gold within the southern hills. Once he had control of the castle, he had to locate the one piece of evidence that would prove his guilt before anyone else discovered the secret. If it was found and he was implicated, the royals would have demanded the lands—and also the gold—be returned to me.
But how would Edgar have ever found such a thing in the foothills of my father’s castle?
I turned to Yagmur and gazed upon his face with narrowed eyes.
“You are the one who found it,” I said slowly. His eyes answered me when his mouth would not. “You could not take it for yourself because it was found on Sterling land, so you struck a deal with Edgar.”
He scowled and looked away from me in guilt. I laughed without humor, shook my head, ordered the executions of Yagmur and Sir Leland, and headed back home. Once I returned to Silverhelm Castle, I went immediately to my own chambers to seek out my wife and son. When I told Alexandra what we had discovered, she also understood immediately.
“Whitney wanted you,” Alexandra said with a nod, “but Edgar wanted the lands around Sterling for their gold. Once he had the lands, he no longer needed you, but she still expected to be the Queen of Silverhelm.”
“With her brothers ahead of her in line for the throne, she would never be more than a princess in Hadebrand,” I said with a nod.
“She wanted you,” Alexandra said, “not just the title.”
“Then she wasted her life,” I said simply. “Even if I had not found you and fell in love with you, I would never have agreed to her as a wife.”
Alexandra ran her hand over my cheek, and her fingertips scratched at the stubble there.
“Not that I could have blamed her for wanting you,” my wife whispered. “You are quite the catch.”
“So you admit you only want me for me titles?” I said, teasing her.
“I am fairly certain there are more days I wished you did not carry such titles than days I was glad of them.”
“I would have to agree.”
I brought my lips slowly to hers as I tried to remember exactly how many days it had been since Branny had been born. Had it been enough time?
“Do you think…” I paused for a moment as she pressed her lips more firmly to my own, effectively silencing me until I could manage to separate us again. “Do you think you are…ready?”
“Yes,” she whispered huskily, “most definitely. But Branny is asleep in our bed, and I do not think I would feel right if we were to, um…”
Her cheeks turned crimson as she ducked her head against my shoulder.
“Not with him here,” she said, her voice still low.
I placed my finger under her chin and tilted her face to look at me.
“Now that you mention it,” I said as I tasted her lips again, “there is something I have been meaning to do for quite some time now.”
“What is that?” Alexandra asked.
I did not answer her but quickly found Samantha to watch over Little Branford as I took my wife’s hand and led her down the back staircase to the Great Hall. I checked around the room quickly, but as I suspected, it was completely empty at this time of night. Still, I would not wish to be interrupted, so I instructed Alexandra to stay where she was as I went to the doors and informed the guards that no one was to enter for any reason.
Returning quickly to my wife’s side, I reached for her hands and brought our bodies close together. I could see the slight confusion in her eyes as our bodies touched, but she still melted against me as I took her face in my hands and kissed her deeply. I found all my favorite places with my hands—her arms, her shoulders, her breasts—and then came back up to cup her jaw once more. I brushed over her cheekbones with my thumbs as I finally broke our kiss and lowered my hands to lace my fingers with hers.
Alexandra licked her lips as we parted, and I gave her a half smile and a raise of my eyebrows. Her cheeks tinged red as her gaze dropped to the floor, and her fingers tightened around mine. Before she had a chance to say anything, I turned around, still holding on to Alexandra's hand, and sat down on the throne of Silverhelm. I raised my eyebrows at her again and gave her a big smile as I pulled her to stand between my knees.
“I told you I would take you here one day.”
“Branford…” Her voice trailed off as she looked over her shoulder.
“No one will disturb us.”
“I thought…I thought you were jestin
g,” she said quietly. She looked down to our joined hands. “We cannot…not here…”
I brought her hands up to my lips and placed tiny kisses against her knuckles. Then I took one of her hands in mine, pushed up the sleeve of her dress, and slowly kissed up her arm until I reached the crook of her elbow. I let my tongue dart out, tasting her skin as I listened for her breathing to increase.
It did.
I placed my hands on her lower back and brought her a little closer, then dipped down to bring my lips against the place where her navel was hidden by her dress. I kissed the spot and then ran my hands up her sides. My gaze finally met hers again as I covered her breasts with my hands and gently caressed them through the fabric.
“We can,” I said.
“Someone could come in.”
“They will not.”
“They could.”
I pulled her closer again and dropped my hands low enough to gather the ends of her skirts. I lifted them enough to touch her bare leg before her hands stilled me.
“Branford…if someone saw us…”
“Leave it on, then,” I suggested, determined to have my way with her. My fingers danced over the skin of her leg as she relented, and I worked my hands up the back of her calves and then to her thighs. She moaned softly in the back of her throat, and I knew there was no way she would deny me.
Alexandra tangled her fingers in my hair as I continued my pilgrimage up her legs. I finally reached the place I sought, and I could feel her warm, wet, and inviting flesh on my fingertips. As I touched the small bit of flesh at the top of her folds, I heard a sharp intake of breath. I looked at her quickly, making sure her change in tone was due to pleasure and not discomfort. Her eyes were closed, and her lips parted slightly as her chest rose and fell more rapidly with her breathing.
She was incredible.
I slid my fingers over her flesh, teasing and stroking her until I felt more moisture against my hand. I wrapped my other arm around her backside, pulled her close, and slowly inserted a finger inside of her. I rubbed against her rhythmically with my thumb—matching pace with the tiny movements of her hips until sweat appeared on her brow and she leaned hard against me.
“Please,” she whispered.
“Please what?” I replied as I slowed my movements. Alexandra groaned.
“I need you…inside me…please, Branford.”
As if I would ever deny her such a request.
I shifted in the throne enough to lean against the back and give Alexandra room to join me in the oversized seat. Quickly, I untied the drawstring on my trousers and released my turgid flesh. I held it in my hand and looked into my wife’s eyes as I stroked myself slowly. Her throat bobbed up and down, and I could feel her excitement growing at the sight of me ready to take her and make her mine again.
Alexandra gripped my arms as she placed first one knee and then the other on either side of my thighs. I moved the fabric of her skirts out of the way and helped position her over my hardened flesh. She gasped as our bodies met, and I looked up into her eyes to make sure she was all right. It had been so very long since we had come together, and my body and soul ached for her. Still, if it caused her any pain, I would not touch her.
Her eyes and a slight nod told me all was well, and I breathed a sigh of relief.
“So beautiful,” I whispered as I looked into her eyes.
Very, very slowly, she began to lower herself over me. As the warmth of her body encompassed mine, I felt an incredible sense of belonging…of comfort…of rightness. I knew when I looked at my wife that she felt it, too.
Alexandra moaned as we merged as one, and she closed her eyes as she came to rest with me completely inside of her. I held her hips underneath her dress and angled myself backwards a bit more. The throne was not completely comfortable on my rear, but I barely noticed. I was far more interested in the tight channel of my wife’s body and the seductive way her breasts moved underneath the bodice of her dress.
I brought myself into a better sitting position as Alexandra began to move up and down over me. I placed my hands over her breasts and lifted them up through the material. I could feel how much heavier they were, not just larger. I moaned and placed my lips over where her nipples were hidden—moving quickly from one to the other and blowing hot air against them.
Alexandra shuddered and began to move faster against me, bringing forth more groans from us both. Leaning back again, I arched my body to meet her movements as she began to pick up speed. I reached up and twisted my fingers through her hair as she rode on top of me. With her nails digging into the top of my shoulders, I could hear the subtle sounds in her throat which always informed me of her impending pleasure. I closed my eyes because the sight of her above me with her head tilted back was just too much. I moved my hands to her thighs, under her dress, and I wished I had taken the time to completely remove her clothing.
Next time…oh yes, there would be a next time…
Just the thought made my muscles clench, and I had to try to breathe slower to control myself. Words still spilled from my mouth, unbidden.
“Alexandra…oh, my wife…I love you…so much…”
“Branford!” she cried out and seemed about to say something else, but her words turned into unintelligible grunts as she rocked faster against me and wrapped her arms tightly around my head. She called out again, and I felt her tense around me. The sensation was all I needed to release the tension inside of me, and I felt my thighs tremble as the wave of pleasure swept over me.
With my face buried against her chest, I cried out her name again and again as I tilted my hips to meet her. I felt my seed travel up and into her, and I silently thanked God for the child He had already given me.
If He wanted to grant me more, I would not argue with Him.
I continued to push up against her even as my body relaxed against the back of the throne. I looked up into her eyes and saw her looking down at me with a slight smile on her lips and her teeth firmly planted on her lower lip. She rocked forward once more and sighed.
I could not take my eyes off of her as I moved her back off of my lap, helped her smooth down her dress, and then stood before her, fastening my own trousers around me. Her hair was lying around her shoulders in haphazard strands where I had run my hands through it. Her eyes were bright, and there was still a glistening sheen around her forehead.
She was glorious. I had no other word for her.
“I do not think I have told you how in awe I am of you,” I whispered into Alexandra’s ear as we made our way up the staircase. “So beautiful and brave. You have endured so much, yet you are still my sweet, innocent Alexandra.”
“I did not feel brave,” she replied. “If it had not been for Branny, I am not so sure I would have fared as well.”
“You protected my son.”
“I knew I loved him before he was even born,” Alexandra said. She pushed herself against my side. I wrapped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her against me as we walked.
“I was far more afraid for him than I was for myself.”
“You are safe now,” I said, reminding her as I felt her shudder from her memories. “We are all safe.”
“I know,” she replied.
We returned to our rooms, and Alexandra blushed at Samantha’s knowing look as she handed the babe back into my wife’s arms. Alexandra’s embarrassment was quickly forgotten as she sat down near the fire and held the little prince to her breast.
As I watched my son’s mother nourish him as only she could, I began to consider my own role in the child’s life. He would look to me for guidance, just as I had looked to my father and to Camden. He would model himself after what he saw from me, and I thought of the years I spent hell-bent on revenge in a new light. With my eyes on my family, I knew how much more important they were than anything else that had previously seemed significant, and I thought of ways I could make sure my son learned from my mistakes.
Still, I could not completely reg
ret how I had arrived where I was because…well, because I was here. Alexandra’s face was lit up with her smile as she made soft cooing noises and sang to our son, who looked up at me with his eyes wide and his mouth full of milk. With his tiny hand, he gripped at his mother’s breast and he sighed, completely content with his lot in life thus far.
I had to swallow and blink rapidly a few times to keep myself in check.
“It is strange,” I said to Alexandra as I reached out and stroked Branny’s tiny hand with my fingers, “how quickly we take to our children.”
“How could I not love him when he looks so much like his father?”
“I am sure it is your looks in him that make it obvious to me,” I told her. “It is as obvious as when I knew about you.”
“When did you know about me?” she asked. She turned her eyes from the babe to look at me over her shoulder. “I mean, when did you know that you…you loved me?”
“At the tournament in Sawyer,” I said without hesitation. “It was the first tournament you came to watch as my wife. When Sir Leland knocked me from my horse, and you were so upset…fawning over such a small wound. I was sitting on the bench near the entrance to the gardens, and you were in front of me, looking over my hand and worrying. I just looked down at you and I knew…I knew I loved you.”
Alexandra’s smile encompassed my heart as she wrapped her arm around my neck. She pressed her lips against mine, and I held her body close to me.
All the years I spent preparing for my role as leader of Silverhelm, I had thought of many things. I thought of my duty as the leader of my army, my loyalty to my family, lands, and people, as well as my responsibilities to govern those around me. It was strange that when growing up, I had never considered my role as husband and father. Perhaps I thought such things would simply not matter as much as my other duties, or perhaps I never watched carefully the relationship between Camden and Sunniva, but I knew now that there was nothing more important than the woman in my arms and the child who slept next to our bed.
It was my wife—her kindness, generosity, and loving nature—that saved my kingdom, not my sword. She showed me how caring for our people and treating them with respect was also part of my duty to Silverhelm. She was the one who taught me that every life—regardless of station—was important. She showed me how each and every subject was once like the babe she birthed for me—with a mother and father to raise the child, and then later a man or a woman with a family of their own. They had brothers and sisters, aunts and cousins—just as the nobles and royals did.