Lily nodded and snuggled back into her blanket, though her eyes kept returning to Crag as he worked. To think a man so dedicated had considered leaving the Ruby Order.
Several hours later, Lily stirred from a light sleep to Crag lying beside her.
“Are you all right?” she asked.
“I’m fine. Sir Wood sent me away.” Crag glanced across the longhouse to the other Knight. “That’s certainly not like him.”
“A week ago you nearly died. You need rest yourself.”
“I feel so ready, Lily.” He turned to her, stroking her cheek, his eyes gleaming. It seemed like ages since they appeared dull and lifeless as when they’d first met. “I never imagined feeling like this. I think most of it’s because of you.”
“No,” she rested her hand over his wrist, “it’s because all the work you did has finally paid off.” She smiled. “My husband will be a Knight of the Ruby Order.”
“I want you, Lily,” he whispered, then chuckled, “Don’t think I’d be of much good to you at this point, but it doesn’t stop me from desiring.”
Lily’s fingers entwined with his. “Do you feel up to a trip to the storage shed?”
His lips jerked upward in a grin and his eyes glistened with passion. “You have to ask?”
They stood, their fingers still entwined. As they took a step toward the door, she paused. “Wait. Are you sure this won’t be too much for you?”
Crag bent and whispered in her ear, his beard brushing her cheek, “It’s either you or my fist. Just ask which I prefer.”
As they left the longhouse, Sir Blaze stopped them. “A strange time for a walk. Are you not well,
Jagged
Peak
?”
“I …” Crag held the Knight’s eyes, “I wanted to see if any dried fruit was left in the storage shed.”
A quirky smile played around Blaze’s lips. “I’ve been told some vows are less important to keep than others.”
Crag’s brow furrowed and his eyes widened a bit. “But…”
“Be careful. You’ve yet to fully heal and finding fruit can be a most strenuous exercise.”
Lily stepped outside to hide her blush. As Crag joined her, he said, “Is there anything he doesn’t notice?”
“There’s more to Blaze than most people seem to realize, but he is right.”
“About?”
“I wouldn’t want you to hurt yourself.”
“
Liilllyyy
…” His voice held a warning tone.
She smiled as they approached the storage shed and stepped inside.
“Come.” She took his hand and guided him to a corner of the shed. “Sit.”
He sat on a barrel while she opened his cloak and knelt between his legs.
“Lily…”
“
Shhh
.” She pushed up his tunic and he lifted his hips as she slid down his trousers.
Grasping his balls in one hand and his half-aroused cock in the other, she stroked him in a steady rhythm as he grew beneath her touch. “Such a fine weapon. I’m glad this is one sword you can’t throw down.”
“Wench, you’re not as shy or proper as I once thought.” He grinned.
“You’ve corrupted me. Painted my face and made me a warrior.” She bent, running her tongue from the base of his cock to the head. She laved the smooth, round bulb. She felt him tense as she licked back down and used her lips to play with his balls as she continued squeezing.
“Oh, Lily,” he groaned when she took the head in her mouth again, laving and sucking. His breathing quickened and his fingers tightened in her hair.
Lily closed her eyes, concentrating on the smoothness and the ridges of his cock and the shape of his balls. The tip of her tongue explored the veins along the shaft and the ridge along the underside. When she began sucking deeply, feeling him brush the back of her throat, his hips shifted and he panted.
“Don’t stop, Lily! Oh, by the Spirit, don’t stop!”
She would have laughed at the panic in his aroused voice had she not been so fully concentrating on her pleasurable task. When he came, he uttered a hoarse cry, his hips thrusting, though she knew he tried to control the motion as she continued sucking until he collapsed against the wall.
She gazed at him and smiled. His eyes were closed, his expression peaceful and completely fulfilled. She watched the rise and fall of his chest as his breathing returned to normal. Slowly, his eyes opened and his lips tugged upwards in a pleased grin.
“Your turn?” he offered.
“No. You’re still injured.” She stood, tossing him a coquettish glance over her shoulder as she headed out of the shed. “But you owe me later.”
“I can’t think of a more pleasurable debt to pay.”
He adjusted his clothes and they returned to the longhouse. Sir Blaze sat on the steps, mixing an herbal remedy. He glanced up, his large eyes sweeping them. “No fruit?”
Lily and Crag exchanged looks, and she felt herself blushing again.
“None that we found,” Crag replied.
Blaze turned back to his mixing bowl.
“He didn’t say a word, so why do I feel guilty?” Lily muttered.
“Why should you? You’re not the one who broke a vow.”
“Don’t you feel guilty?”
“Lily,” he kissed her cheek as they settled back into the blankets. “I sometimes think I was born guilty. Sleep well, love.”
“You too.” Lily rested her head against his shoulder. She could scarcely wait to become his wife so they could avoid storage sheds and little white lies.
Lily stood beside Sir Blaze at the bow of one of the Ruby Order’s ships as they approached
Travelle
.
“Ah, the source at last!” Blaze smiled, gazing at the foggy shoreline. “Our leader of swords and sewing needles will be pleased with these new Knights, and I, for the first time in seven years, can drape a green sash around another madman’s waist.”
Smiling, Lily glanced over her shoulder at Crag who stood with a group of Knights and apprentices preparing to unload horses and cargo. Blaze told her the dubbing ceremony would take place two days after their arrival, and he promised to speak with Sir
Mahir
, the leader of the Order about she and Crag marrying directly afterward. He also promised to speak with the Dames of the Opal Order about allowing her to train with them as a midwife. Their fortress was no more than a few hours’ journey from that of the Ruby Order, so she and Crag could live between the Orders while she trained.
Most of his time would be spent with Sir Blaze and the green sash faction. Truthfully, Lily worried about his decision. She knew he would be acting as a healer in the middle of battle with no weapon to defend himself. Though she understood his proficiency in hand-to-hand combat, she still worried. Yet she vowed never to mention her concern. He’d thought hard about his choice and how important the green sash was to him, and she felt proud of his decision. Few were brave, selfless, and skilled enough to enter Sir Blaze’s faction.
The ship docked, and other Knights waited on shore. Lily and Crag shared his horse on the journey to the fortress. She sat in the saddle, Crag behind her, his body warm against her back. New black gloves covered his hands, matching the simple black uniform.
“Is the fortress far?” she asked.
“No more than half an hour away.”
“Is it very big?”
“Yes. It can hold several thousand Knights and their families, not including the hospice. Then there’s the training grounds and the woods. The Knights not living in the fortress have settled in houses all over
Travelle
, most in
Rubyshire
, the Order’s official land. ”
Lily could scarcely wait to see the fortress. They rode over the beach and across several hills. She noticed villages, scattered cottages, and farms, many of them owned by Knights, Dames, and their families.
Finally a high stone wall loomed in the distance, an even taller building behind it. Outside the wall, groups of Knights practiced archery, swordplay, and jousting.
“At last!” Blaze, who had been riding alongside them, kicked his horse to a gallop, passing the line of horses and gliding through the gates long before the rest of them reached the fortress.
They dismounted after passing through the open gates, and Lily stared at the massive gray walls, the beautiful courtyard filled with trees and flowers, and the black garbed Knights walking throughout the yard and great hall. Women and children – families of the Knights – also went about their daily life, staring at the newcomers with interest.
While Crag took Pale Feet to the stable and joined the other apprentices in training, Lily was shown to a room. She followed a cheerful maid – one of the Knights' daughters – up a stone staircase and down a long corridor lined with closed wooden doors on both sides. Lily’s room was at the end of the hall. Though small and sparse with only a bed, table, and trunk, it was spotlessly clean and had a window overlooking the training field. She thanked the maid as she closed the door behind her then squinted out the window, trying to discern Crag among the mass of Knights mingling below. She laughed at herself. They were all dressed exactly alike. About to turn away, she saw him. Taller than most, and so handsome, especially since the war had ended and he’d been able to get proper rest and food, he stood with a small group of Knights wearing green sashes. Lily smiled. Soon he’d be one of them.
After unpacking her belongings, she wandered down to the great hall where a tall, attractive woman dressed in a simple yet elegant brown dress approached her.
“You look a little lost.” The woman smiled. “You must have just arrived. I’m Honey Wine.”
“Lily.” She accepted the woman’s hand. The feeling of calluses on the woman’s palm surprised her. In spite of her fine attire, she was obviously accustomed to work.
“Are you with one of the Knights?” Lily’s new companion continued.
“My fiancé is to be dubbed in a couple of days.”
“Oh, that’s wonderful.” Honey Wine smiled. “My husband will be presiding over the ceremony with
Mahir
and Blaze. Dubbing ceremonies are beautiful and there’s a hell of a celebration afterward.”
Lily laughed at the woman’s brusque manner that conflicted with her almost regal beauty, yet somehow suited the callused palms.
“That’s why Torn – my husband – and I came here,” she continued as they walked to the courtyard. “He travels between here and my kingdom.”
“Your kingdom?” Lily raised an eyebrow.
“
Sophianna
.”
“You’re a Queen?”
“We call it a Mistress,” she said.
“Should I curtsy or something?”
She laughed. “No. I’m not fond of the royalty rubbish. Before I was monarch, I was a prison healer and before that a guard.”
“How did you become a ruler?” Lily asked, fascinated. Honey Wine was by far one of the most interesting women she’d ever met. She wondered what her husband was like.
“It’s a very long story,” she said.
“Your husband must be high up to be presiding with Sir
Mahir
.”
“He’s second in command. He makes me a madwoman at times. He returned from the war several months ago. I’ll tell you, there’s nothing worse than waiting, not knowing if they’re dead or alive.” Honey Wine shook her head. “I don’t want to think about it, but you must know exactly how I feel. You and your fiancé must have met during the war.”
“We did. He’s joining Sir Blaze’s faction.”
Honey Wine’s eyes widened. “My goodness. So few get in. So few
want
to get in. He must be a special man.”
“Yes. He is, but try telling him that.”
“That’s how the good ones are. The ones who strut around like arrogant bulls usually have far less to brag about.”
Lily spent the rest of the day with Honey Wine, touring the fortress and grounds and meeting many of the Knights, families, and servants. After eating dinner in the hall, during which Crag didn’t appear, Lily retired to her room. She’d been in bed for hours when a soft knock roused her. Lily slipped on a robe and opened the door.
Crag stood outside.
“I’m sorry. I woke you.” he said.
“I’m glad you did.” She let him in, her stomach warmed by the sight of him.
“I’d hoped to spend more time with you today, but there was so much to do.”
“I understand.”
As soon as the door closed, he tugged her into his arms and kissed her.
“Blaze spoke to Sir
Mahir
,” he said. “You have a choice. We can wait until the end of the week and have a big ceremony, or Sir
Mahir
will marry us in private directly after the dubbing.”
“I don’t need a big ceremony. I just want to marry you. Soon.”
He smiled. “I feel the same way.”
They lay on the bed, their bodies entwined, mouths fused, separated only by his clothes and her shift.
“Do you think you’ll like it here?” he asked.
“Very much. I spent the day with Honey Wine. We had so much fun. She asked us to visit her in
Sophianna
after we’re married.”
“Honey Wine?” Crag narrowed his eyes. “Sir
Torn’s
wife? The Mistress of
Sophianna
?”