Phantom of the Heart (9 page)

Orla inhaled deeply at hearing those powerful words. She felt herself relax, the tension seeping away as she lowered herself into her wife's arms again. It seemed she had gotten it right. Sterling was happy.

"I love you too."

The silver eyes darkened. "Now it is your turn."

***

Orla was trembling.

This was unbelievable. Her eyes were fixed on the soft, red hair tickling her stomach. She shuddered at the feel of the smooth tongue inside of her. So this was what she had been missing all along. A soft moan escaped her lips when she felt Sterling's teeth scrape over her clit. Her hand moved down and came to rest on the back of Sterling's head. She tensed when she felt Sterling going even deeper, this time using her lips to suck on her at the same time. She carefully pressed Sterling’s head closer, not sure if that is what should be done. She did not want to hurt Sterling.

She almost shot off the bed when a slender finger joined the fray. She moaned out loud as it entered her, stretching unused muscles. When Sterling lifted her head to study her with glowing silver orbs, she swallowed hard. Sterling’s eyes were infused with so much heat, that she felt it burning into hers.

"I want to make you mine, my love."

Licking suddenly dry lips, Orla gasped. "I am yours already."

A tender smiled played on Sterling's lips, as she placed a possessive kiss on her belly button. "Yes, you are. But after tonight you will be mine in all sense of the word." The silver eyes darkened slightly. "It will hurt a little, but not too much."

Orla smiled down at her wife. If it would take her losing a finger to completely belong to this woman, then she would do it in a heartbeat. It was however, very warming to see that Sterling was bothered by the idea of causing her pain. Using her immense power, she gently pulled Sterling up her long body until they were eye to eye. They shared a deep, silent look before she caught Sterling's lips in a tender kiss. When they pulled apart a few moments later, Orla could not help but feel pride at having put that dazed look in her wife's eyes.

"Make me yours."

Sterling nodded and took her lips in a deep, hungry kiss just as her nimble finger plunged deep. The pain was sharp and fleeting, but when Orla opened her eyes to look at Sterling, she found the silver eyes swimming in tears.

"Thank you, my love. Thank you for waiting for me."

Before she could respond, the finger inside began to move and then all thoughts flew from her mind.

***

Cybralle inhaled the scent of her wife as they stood, arm in arm, on the balcony of their bedchamber. Even from where they stood, they could hear the sounds of feasting going on all through the village. As per royal decree, the three days after a royal joining were work-free holidays for everyone and feasting would continue until the hour struck midnight on the third day.

Sighing contentedly, Cybralle pulled her wife closer to her. "What is keeping your mind so busy, beloved?"

Mesmeria laughed softly as she turned in her wife's arms. "I wonder if we cheated ourselves out of more happiness by only having one child."

Cybralle shook her head quickly. After being present at the birthing of Sterling, she had vowed never to put her wife through something like that again. For months afterward, the screams of agony and the images of blood-drenched bed sheets had haunted her nights. They had their little angelic daughter to show for all the pain, but she made Mesmeria promise never to put her in a position where she felt so helpless again. Her part was easy and enjoyable compared to what her petite wife had had to endure.

"No, my angel. You have done your part and we have raised a wonderful daughter. Now comes another wonderful part in our life. Grandchildren." Cybralle watched as Mesmeria's green eyes widened with wonder and she laughed softly. "Our new daughter-in-law is a very virile woman, my dear, and if the way Sterling looks at her is any indication, I believe we will have quite a number of little ones to keep us busy in our old age."

Mesmeria pressed her face into the broad chest of her wife and sighed. "Grandchildren. Oh my, I cannot wait to hold them in my arms." She lifted her head and Cybralle lowered hers so their lips could meet. "I am so happy, my love. So very happy."

Cybralle's eyes suddenly took on a predatory gleam and she was not surprised when her need was reflected in the bright-green eyes looking into hers.

"Should we not be celebrating with the rest of the kingdom?"

Mesmeria held out her hand and Cybralle took it eagerly.

Chapter 9

Sterling slowly flitted to wakefulness and was almost immediately assaulted by the heady scent of sex. Her eyes snapped open and she gasped when she looked straight into shimmering, pale-blue orbs.

"Orla," she murmured softly. Her eyes shot full of tears as she reached out and pulled the larger body over hers. She felt the tears running down her cheeks, as strong arms gently lifted her and held her tight. This was the first time in her adult life that she had awakened with such a feeling of intense happiness. And it had all to do with the dark woman cradling her so tenderly against her chest.

She was not surprised to feel wetness seeping into her neck, knowing that Orla too was overwhelmed by the moment. They lay like that, holding each other, as silent tears coursed down their cheeks. It was a long while later that Sterling pushed out of Orla's embrace and looked up into her eyes again.

"I cannot believe that we are finally together; that you are mine."

Orla gently brushed the tears from her cheeks and placed a soft kiss on each of her cheeks. "It will take us a while to get used to it, but we have an eternity together to wake up in each other's arms. I love you."

Sterling pulled the dark head down and caught her wife's lips in an intense kiss. "Please show me again."

The sun was hanging high in the sky when they woke for the second time that day. This time, Sterling was the first to wake and she lay there looking at her sleeping mate. Her wife. With an impish smile, she pushed her hand under the covers and pinched herself. She grinned when she felt the pinch. Her eyes grew wide when she encountered pale blues watching her. And then she melted.

"Did I wake you?" she whispered. Not waiting for an answer, she threw herself at Orla. A deep purr escaped her lips as she felt Orla's large hand gently stroking her back.

"What do you want to do today?"

Sterling snuggled deeper into Orla's arms. "I want to stay like this." She lifted her head to see Orla's reaction and smiled when a calloused hand gently brushed red locks out of her face. "What do
you
want to do?"

Orla smiled. "I want to be wherever you are and that means staying in bed with you for the whole day."

Sterling sighed and placed a small kiss on Orla's lips. "That means I have to feed you first." She slowly got out of bed and walked over to the table bearing the drinks and food. She selected a few cakes, cold-meat cuts, fresh figs, and a carafe of wine and placed them all on a serving platter. Turning to the bed, she almost dropped her bounty. Orla was standing next to the bed, stretching her large body as she tried to work out all the kinks. Swallowing a few times, Sterling cleared her throat softly, as she walked over to her wife on shaky legs. The dark head turned and looked at her, sky-blue eyes carefully studying her.

"Will it be fine with you if we sit by the fire for a while?"

Sterling nodded, not trusting her voice at the moment. Orla smiled and walked over to the fireplace where she began to stoke the fire, giving Sterling a wonderful view of her toned buttocks. Looking at the anatomy in question, Sterling felt her body begin to smolder as heated flashes of the previous night and the morning poured into her mind. She was trembling slightly as she placed the tray on the table and began to stalk her unsuspecting wife. She was just about to reach out and touch Orla's shoulder when a knock sounded. She closed her eyes briefly, cursing whoever was at the door for spoiling this moment for her.

"Yes," she snapped, not even trying to keep the displeasure out of her voice.

"Sterling."

Sterling groaned when she heard her mother's voice carry through the thick door. She saw Orla shoot to her feet, her eyes wide, as she looked at the door and then back at her.

"No need to panic, my love. We are married after all. Maybe we should just put on some clothes for my mother's sake." She stood on tiptoes to give Orla a quick kiss before she walked over to the bed. "Just a moment, Mother," she called out, as she shrugged into a rumpled dressing robe. She waited until Orla was decent before walking over to the door to let her mother in. She stiffened at the sight of panic on her mother's face. "Umah?"

Mesmeria shook her head. "She is fine." She slowly stepped into the room and looked around until she found Orla who was standing nervously next to the bed. "Greetings, daughter."

Orla visibly relaxed. "Greetings, Your Majesty."

Both Sterling and her mother frowned at Orla's formality, but they both seemed to shrug it off quickly. "We were just about to have lunch. Do you care to join us?" Sterling watched as her mother pondered the invitation, her eyes on Orla. "You can talk to me while we dine."

"Fine, but I have to warn you that you might not like what I have to tell you, my child."

A cold chill ran down Sterling's spine, but she gently escorted her mother to the small dining table before the fireplace. Once her mother was seated, she turned to Orla and found her wife, standing next to a chair waiting for her to be seated. She smiled at her and gently brushed her back before taking the offered chair.

"What do you need to discuss with me, Mother?" she asked, as she reached for a fig.

"Commander Farah was killed in an attack two weeks past. The messenger arrived a few minutes ago with the news."

Sterling had expected anything…anything but this. The fig dropped out of nerveless fingers, as she turned to look at her mother. Mesmeria's face held an intense look of regret. This was not what she wanted. Not now. Not when she had finally met her mate and was planning on appointing a successor. She turned to look at Orla and found her looking at her with raw fear and pain.

"I am sorry for bringing such news, but I thought you needed to know."

Sterling closed her eyes. Her heart was breaking in the silence which now enfolded the room. If Farah was killed two weeks ago, it meant that Hurians were crossing over their border as they spoke. She slowly came to her feet. She needed to heed the call of duty. She knew what was expected of her when she was growing up, and she knew what would be expected of her when she was appointed Commander of the Royal Army. But her heart was bleeding, filling her chest cavity with thick streams of pain and regret. She was nowhere close to acceptance about leaving Orla. She would never be ready to leave her wife behind. She schooled her face into an expressionless mask when she looked at her mother.

"I will be ready to leave in the morning. Could you please inform my men?"

Mesmeria nodded as she came to her feet, her shoulders drooping as she walked to the door. With one final look at them, she quietly slipped out. As soon as the door closed behind her, both Sterling and Orla rushed toward each other.

***

For once, Orla was not scared that her immense strength might hurt Sterling as she cradled her wife to her chest. Her arms tightened even more, as she thought of the possibility that she might never see Sterling again after today. She swung Sterling in her arms, carried her to their bed, and gently deposited her wife on the soft mattress. Sterling’s eyes were drenched in tears and Orla knew at that moment that no words would be able to soften the impact of the blow they had just been dealt. She tried to come upright after having placed Sterling on the bed, but two strong arms pulled her closer.

“Please do not leave me here alone,” came the teary request. and Orla nodded as she wrenched her dressing robe off her body.

"I will never leave you. Never."

Their lovemaking was wild and uninhibited as they made each other scream in ecstasy over and over again. It was dark outside when Orla rolled off Sterling, her body trembling with exhaustion. Sterling snuggled into her arms and momentarily fell into a deep sleep. But even as exhausted as she was, Orla knew that it would be a while before she could follow Sterling into a sleep. There was soft knock on the door. Orla looked down into Sterling's face to make sure she was fast asleep before she carefully got out of bed and put on her dressing robe. She stumbled slightly when she tried to take the first step and held onto the bedpost, flexing her thigh muscles until she felt assured that she would not crash to the floor. She made her way over to the door and pulled it open, not really surprised to find Cybralle standing there.

"Is she sleeping already?" Cybralle asked after a curt greeting.

"Yes, milady."

Cybralle sighed. "It is Cybralle to you, daughter."

Orla blushed. "I will not forget."

"Good." Cybralle's eye traveled down Orla's body, making the younger woman want to squirm under the close scrutiny. "I am sorry I interrupted your sleep, but how is she?"

Orla stepped aside. "You can see for yourself."

Cybralle's eyes lit up at the prospect of seeing her daughter and she eagerly took the invitation. She gave Orla a look of gratitude as she stepped into the room, her eyes immediately seeking out the form of her daughter. She threw a quick glance over her shoulder at Orla.

"Please go ahead," Orla urged gently. "She only just fell asleep."

Orla watched as Cybralle knelt beside the bed. With infinite tenderness, Cybralle brushed over Sterling’s hair, tucking an errant strand behind her ear. The scene was so intimate that Orla felt as if she was invading their privacy. She reached for a cloak on the nearby coat hanger and quietly made her way out of the room. Walking briskly through the hallways, she found herself before her workshop. Entering, sighed at the familiar smell of stale wood smoke and burnished iron. Shrugging out of her cloak, she reached for her apron and fastened it around her neck and waist. She then made her way over to the locked cabinet and reaching under an overhanging piece of chain, she retrieved the key to unlock the cabinet. She drew out the breastplate she had been working on. Her fingers gently caressed the shiny surface and finally the heart-shaped emblem she had painstakingly designed to serve as reinforcement over her beloved's heart. But looking at it now, she suddenly doubted the durability of the breastplate. Maybe there was more she could do to reinforce it. But then she ran the risk of making it too heavy for Sterling, thus hampering her mobility. That could be more dangerous in the end and could cost Sterling…NO! She was not going to think about that. She placed the piece of armor on her worktable and, with practiced ease, began to light her oven. There must be something she could do to make sure that Sterling came back to her.

It was many candle marks later when she dunked her latest creation in the water barrel. She waited patiently for the hissing to cease. She inspected it critically before reaching for the piece of cloth in the front pocket of her apron. She tenderly wiped away the water and took the armor over to the work table to begin the slow, tedious process of engraving. She was not really educated, having learned only the basics from her mother. The rest came from her work. Not many would realize how much writing a blacksmith was expected to do at times. Many people, especially the nobles, loved to have engravings done on their metal pieces. She carefully formed the words. She sat back after a long while and smiled as she read the inscription.
Revendi at Me.
She sat, reading the words over and over, before she got to her feet. She still had so much more to do before joining Sterling in bed again.

***

Sterling stirred and her eyes fluttered open. She quickly sat up when she stared straight into her mother’s eyes.

“Umah? What happened?”

“Nothing, daughter. I just wanted to be close to you tonight.”

Sterling turned her head and looked at the bed next to her. “Orla?”

“She let me in and then she left. She is probably working in her shed.”

Sterling lowered her head. “I am scared of leaving her, Umah. I am scared that I might not come back this time.”

Cybralle reached out for her and Sterling allowed her mother to wrap her in her strong arms.

“That will not happen, my love. You will come back and the two of you will have lots of babies, making your mother and me very happy.”

Sterling snorted softly. “Lots of babies? How do you know that?”

Sterling felt Cybralle's massive chest shake as she chuckled. “Orla looks like she could help you conceive a small army.” Cybralle pulled back and angled her head so that she could look into Sterling's eyes. “Or are looks deceiving?”

Sterling blushed and quickly averted her eyes. Her mother was right. Orla would indeed help her conceive strong, healthy babies.

“I think you are right.”

“Good. Now stop fretting. Get dressed and go look for your wife. You have to spend as much time together as you can.”

Sterling waited until her mother was out of the bedchamber before she got dressed and left to find her wife. The arrival of the messenger had caused quite a stir it seemed, because the castle was teeming with activity. Loads of foodstuff had to be prepared and wagons packed for the departure of the army and the servants were rushing to get it all finished.

The stables were even more hectic, but Sterling ignored the activities as she made her way toward the blacksmith's shed. It was unusually quiet inside as she ducked into the heated interior of her wife's domain. As soon as her eyes got used to the subdued lighting, they searched for Orla. When she could not see her immediately, she considered checking the stables. Just as she was about to turn and leave, she saw a faint movement in the darkest corner of the shed.