The Dragon Slayer's Princess (Javorcek X MissMelly)

Masquerades were to be a thing of joy, exciting affairs and good memories to reflect on; but not for Lenia. She was one miserable little princess. She had entered the floor way long before William had even descended down. When she saw him, she beamed- noticing him a mile away, but she must have blended in easily with the crowd, for he took the nearest daughter of a rich man into his arms and began to spin her effortlessly. Lenia felt her heart sank. He's probably doing it for show, yes? Shaking her head, she hadn't been asked for a dance. Perhaps she was being selfish, or perhaps Lenia was just use to a life of royalty and having the people come to her.

It was strange for even in her beauty that was evident, eyes sharply turned away whenever she met their gaze. It was if she were the impostor, the thief, the enemy against King Tristan. Well, she had made claim on William's behalf and didn't regret a single moment of it. She would get that Knight crowned as the next king and watch Tristan disintegrate. It was the least she could do for William; he deserved a life of luxury even though he may not like it, William was smart and very honest though kind to his people.... he would do great things here in Berges.

Sighing, she carefully sat down making her even less noticeable and removed her mask for a moment. No man asked the Argis princess to dance. When she saw a figure approach her with her hair high in a tight bun and bright cherry smile upon her lips, she immediately recognized her friend Lucy and stood up, pecking her cheek softly. "Good to see you, Lucy. You look beautiful. Have you danced with any men?" Lucy blushed as red as her gown; "Oh yes, miss! I even got to dance with your Knight, the so called next ruler! He's very handsome.. and kind! But it doesn't seem like he wishes to be here, something about his smile is just off," Aria smiled inside but gave a small pout to Lucy as the two girls laughed before Lucy got swept up into another man's arms. She deserved such pleasantries. Lenia felt the baby kick again as she placed a hand to her belly and whispered, asking the baby if the dress had been too tight. She could generously breathe through it, but knew once her evidence of pregnanccy gave way, she'd need to start finding different dresses. Again, her plan to change the fashion senses in Argis were already developing ideas in her mind; she wanted the gowns of this age to be more flowing, gnetle, free, and natural. Something she could wear with the baby in the gardens...

"Lenia!"

"Oh! Yes, Rickkard?"

"Will you not dance with your husband?"

"... Of course not. I mean, I will, yes," she added, confused but happy she got her two cents out to his embarrassed face when he took her hands. Goodness, Lenia had to really evaluate the situation. Here was Rickkard, but this tall and just a little smaller than Lenia... who wasn't that tall in her own respect! It was laughable, but people took notice. Lenia kept a fake smile plastered to her lips, nodding and biting her tongue to Rickkard rambling about the delicious food and the many people who still wanted to make their acquaintance with Lenia. She promised she'd say hello, but didn't get much more out of him before a daunting and utterly beautiful woman approached. When Lenia looked up... it was Eliza?! Jaw dropped, she watched as Rickkard quickly took notice of Eliza's outfit and her tantalizing breasts that seemed to tease his every breath. "Mi'lady," was all he breathed and left Lenia's arms within a matter of moments. Wonderful. Now even Rickkard has left me in the corner to rot. She was about to turn to the table she had been sulking at for nearly all night when a hand grabbed her own. William! Beaming, she was grateful her mask was on. God, she wanted to kiss him so badly, but knew she just couldn't. It seemed everything had changed the moment he placed a hand to her waist, the other in her hand.

She allowed William to led her, her body graceful and gentle with every moment they made, making them a sigh for many eyes. Eventually people got caught back up in their own business and turned their heads back around, arguing, complaining, or laughing about something happening in the latest events of Berges. There was only one pair of eyes that watched William and Lenia closely; it was King Tristan.

"I've missed you," she whispered softly among the loud noises and the music, squeezing his hand. "I must have something on my face, or perhaps I don't look as lovely as every other woman here, for you are the first man to dance with me all night. No, I do not consider my husband a man," she continued with a soft hiss at the end, leaning closer to him. Her eyes glanced over his broad shoulder, spotting Rickkard and Eliza heading up the stairs, in deep conversation. Lenia stopped dancing, turning pale and looked up to William. But when he explained Eliza had been covering them so that she could dance with William, Lenia was immediately calmed. "Tell her I will be paying the expenses as soon as I send letter to Argis. She has my word. God, what is Rickkard thinking? I knew his new romanticism's were just a facade."

She wanted this dance to last forever, but a tap on her shoulder caused her body to freeze. "May I have this dance?" Tristan's cool voice called and caused her to turn to Tristan, her back stiffen but her head bow gently as he returned it. She allowed him to take her into his arms. With Lenia now facing away from William, Tristan eyed William suspiciously and put a slithering hand back around Lenia's waist, grabbing at her rear. Jolting from the feeling, and before William could do anything - if he would have done anything - she pushed away from the current king. "Don't touch me!" She hissed, attracting some attention from the nearest guests. Tristan only laughed, having had humiliated her further. Lowering her head, she took away her mask and moved away from William and Tristan, embarrassed and ashamed that she was being made a mockery when she was just as royal and respected as anyone here! Tears burning in her eyes, she placed the mask back up, ignoring William's calls for her and lifted the ends of her dress, hurrying up the darkened hallways. She heard some soft cooing and laughing, figuring that many lovers were coming up here after a few licks of champagne and wine. Sniffing, she rubbed her nose with her palm, wincing when she felt the little bruises from her wrists tug at her delicate flesh. There were most peculiar sounds - sounds she could sworn she knew from a certain someone, coming from the nearest door. A figure was approaching her and she shyly turned away. Who could have been up here, snooping around or perhaps following her? Closing her eyes tightly, she prayed it was someone with a comforting hand or heart.

“May I have this dance, M’lady?” William offered Lenia his most charming of smiles now that he had finally found the –one- woman who he had been aching to have in his arms all night. When she eagerly agreed, William drew her close to her. He was very mindful that the hand at the small of her back was kept in an appropriate place, although he craved to give her cute little rear a squeeze. And he had to keep their frame stiff…with her further from him than he would have liked. But he remembered himself, remembered that they had to keep up appearances so that they were not found out. But God…how he wanted to kiss her. She looked absolutely breathtaking in that gown tonight!

“I have missed you too.” William murmured softly so that no one but his lover would hear. “You look absolutely beautiful, Princess. You truly are glowing; a man would have to be a blind fool in order to not take notice of how lovely you look tonight.” He was careful with the words he used now that they were in a public setting. But there was no doubt that William thought she was absolutely ravishing, judging by the way his eyes traveled along her body. And she did indeed have that sort of ‘glow’ to her that pregnant women would sometimes get. Or perhaps that was his own pride in her that made him think that she was glowing…the pride he felt that she had -chosen- him to be her lover.

When Lenia stopped dancing, he froze along with her and took a look over his shoulder. Well…apparently Eliza was being much more generous than he had ever hoped she would. Or perhaps she was more drunk than he had thought she was…because the tall pirate seemed to be rather eagerly following Rickkard wherever he was going. He soothed Lenia by explaining what was happening and then led her back into the waltz. With strong but surprisingly gentle hands, he led her out to a short spin and then caught her in his arms again, a slight grin on his lips as her whole body pressed against his for just the briefest of moments before he put them both back into their frames.

“I’m sure she will be enthused to hear that M’la-“ William stopped mid-sentence as he noticed Tristan here, interrupting their dance. What could he do? William of course had to release Lenia from his grasp and let her go off with her father-in-law. Though they didn’t make it very far, Tristan decided to grab –his- Princess’ rear right infront of him! I’ll kill him! William growled, a deep, low sound that started in his broad chest and rumbled it’s way up to his throat. His anger was tempered by Lenia’s tears and before he could draw his sword and run Tristan through, he became torn between wanting to console his lover and wanting to pummel the king to death. “Princess! Wait!” William called after her but Lenia disappeared into the crowd.

“What is the matter, -Sir- William? Are you upset that I took your pretty little toy away? She is far too good for you, and besides, she belongs to Rickkard. Go find yourself a nice peasant girl.” Tristan smirked. He did not like how this knight held his son’s wife. Lenia was Rickkard’s property. William had no right to touch her! Or worse, try to plant even more doubts into her ear about Rickkard’s and Tristan’s royalty. The last thing he needed was the whole army of Argis marching towards his gates at Lenia’s whim.

“She is not property! How dare you speak of a lady in such a way!” William snarled, his eyes narrowing dangerously as he took a step towards Tristan. The smaller man cringed, if only for a moment, and William’s haze of bloodlust dissipated as he realized just how pathetic Tristan was physically.

“What are you going to do about it William?” Tristan recomposed himself. He had guards, there was nothing this knight could do to him! If William laid a hand on him, he would be shackled and thrown into the dungeon. And with this knowledge, Tristan’s lips curled into an infuriatingly cocky grin.

There is no honor in killing the weak… The Knight Commander’s voice bounced about his head and he growled, switching gears and changing tactics. “I will see to it that you will be punished for it when I am crowned king, -Uncle-“ William spat out the final word. Uncle. Phe! How he could share any blood with this man was beyond him. But with the final threat thrown out, William turned on his heels and made his way up the stairs that he had seen Lenia disappear down earlier in an attempt to find her.


----


“Are you sure your wife will not mind this, Lord Rickkard?” Elizabeth purred sweetly. She made a mental note to add a couple hundred gold onto the repair bill for her ship, just because whoring herself out for William’s benefit was not free! As much as Eliza detested this pathetic excuse for a man, William and Lenia had looked so lovely dancing together… Deep down, there was a romantic inside of her. And she did want to give the happy couple some time alone together. …Even if it was coming at her expense.

“Oh she won’t mind! Not at all. Besides, what she does not know, will not hurt her.” Rickkard grinned, slurring his words slightly. He’d spent a whole two weeks being faithful to his wife. Wasn’t that enough? He had needs! And he had heard somewhere that it was bad for the baby to have sex with the mother during her pregnancy. How could anyone expect husbands to stay faithful to their wives for the entire nine month period they spent in such a state?!

Whether it was an old wive’s tale or not, Rickkard wasn’t going to take any chances. He’d sew some wild seeds in a couple more young maidens while he waited out his wife’s pregnancy. Then when the baby was born, perhaps he’d try to give that whole ‘faithfulness’ thing another try.

Such things that impregnating a woman did to a man! Thoughts of his wife and their child were floating around his head even when he had this exotic beauty within his grasp. Well, no matter, he was sure as soon as…Elizabeth? (was it Elizabeth? Or was it Lisa…Linda? Edna? No no no, Elizabeth! Definitely Elizabeth!) bared those mouthwatering breasts. So he tugged the much taller woman into a spare bedroom and shut the door behind them.

“Now my dear” (Yes! Just use pet names so that she doesn’t realize you’ve forgotten her name!) “…How about you be a good girl for me and help me out of these pants…?” Rickkard flashed the caramel skinned woman a lecherous grin.

May the Spirits haunt your every dream William! Elizabeth hissed in her head. Not only was Rickkard so short that he was eyelevel with her breasts, but he was also rather bossy in the bedroom! Well…perhaps he had some sort of grand endowment to help back up his inflated ego? So Elizabeth undid his pants as she was bade to do so. It took every bit of willpower she had to keep herself from groaning at the complete and utter disappointment that was Rickkard’s equipment. Perhaps it would grow bigger with a bit of coaxing?

Damnit…she had been hoping to keep this dress on and go for a very quick tumble in the hay. But with Rickkard so drunk that he could not hold an erection properly, she knew that she would have to bare herself to this pint-sized man.

William! I am going to buy myself a damned island by the time I’m through calculating how much this is going to cost you!

“Now M’lord…how about you lay back on the bed and relax. Just let me take care of you tonight….”

----

Thomas had been assigned by Geoffrey to watch over the Princess for the entirety of the masquerade ball. It was his first big assignment! Well…not a –real- assignment. There was no real danger within the castle walls. Besides…if mortal danger came a’knockin, Thomas was supposed to get a full knight for help. Apprentices weren’t allowed to go about, saving their day on their own.

Part of Thomas had a sneaking suspicion that the Knight Commander had given him this assignment just so that it would keep his mind off of Lucy. Gosh…it was so hard to be devoted to his duties and be a complete gentleman when the beautiful maid was around. And how gorgeous she had looked tonight! If only she realized he existed…and if only his parents wouldn’t disown him if his feelings for a serving girl became public. A knight and a castle maid…it just wouldn’t work out. Well…perhaps it would…Lady Jocelyn had fallen in love with a mere stable hand. So what was to stop him from professing his love to Lucy if Lady Jocelyn could do such a thing for her lowly stable hand?!

Wait…was he supposed to be doing something…?

Oh right! He was guarding the Princess! Oh bloody hell… Thomas had seen her bolt off and go towards the staircase. So he immediately raced after her, panting softly from the brisk pace that had carried him. And his nerves made him a little out of breath as well…if the Knight Commander found out that he had blundered up this first assignment, he’d never become a full knight!

“Princess!” Thomas breathed as he caught sight of Lenia sniffling and holding her wrists. “M’lady…are you alright?” The young man strode closer to her, his blue eyes looking down at her wrists with nothing but concern. “Did someone hurt you? I was supposed to be watching you…I thought I was-…well…I got distracted…and I….er…well…please don’t tell the Knight Commander. But if you point me in the direction of whatever brute has upset you so, I will be glad to go defend your honor, M’lady!”

A sound of a long, throaty moan from a man through a nearby door surprised Thomas so much that he jumped, startled. And now the young knight looked conflicted. "I...um...M'lady should I go break them up? The Knight Commander told us to make sure ladies were not being taken advantage of...but I don't know if I should interrupt..." The young, almost-knight looked down at her as though awaiting orders. Even though he appeared to be full grown, there was no mistaking the sort of innocence and inexperience that Thomas still wore like a cloak. The couple behind the door sounded like they were having a good time...maybe? Thomas didn't quite know, he had still yet to enjoy the comforts of a woman and was unsure if he should kick the door down or just retreat with Lenia so that a lady was not subject to hear such guttural noises.

"Princess!" the voice sounded from behind her, causing Lenia to jump slightly and place a hand to her heart after realizing who it was. Looking to Thomas, she nodded quickly, promising that she was alright - just tripped up the stairs and he immediately began to plead that he simply was distracted and that if the Knight Commander found out... and bless him, Thomas was truly trying too hard. "It's quite alright, Thomas. Your secret is safe with me. And you are here now, that is what matters my brave Knight," she gave him a generous smile before a strange moan was heard from the door Lenia had placed her self to.

Raising an eyebrow, she pressed and listened. Good grief, that was Rickkard! Was this the idle plan William had explained to her? Catch the two in a love act to further separate she and Rickkard's marriage. It could work, but... had she necessarily been faithful to him? It seemed they were two and two - but Lenia never got caught. And she would never need to be caught for she planned on making William her husband and she his Queen. Clearing her throat, she looked back to Thomas. "Thomas. Please do me a favor. Not as a princess but as a woman. Kick. Down. That. Door." Her words were cool as a little finger pointed to it and she moved back when Thomas kicked once, twice, until finally it had been pushed down.

Lenia immediately moved into the room, seeing Eliza on top of Rickkard, taking him for a grand ol' ride. Horrified at the scene and playing the part of the faithful wife, she watched Eliza grinned and slid her body off of Rickkard when the younger woman moved forward. "Get up," she demanded, Rickkard in shock of his wife's fury and wrath. "Get up!" She demanded and grabbed the pillow his head had been so easily rested upon and smacked his face with it, turning around. "I do not wish to see more of this lewd image, put your pants on," Lenia gave a quick glance to Eliza who was slipping on her dress in silence, a devilish grin playing on her lips. Lenia ignored it for a moment's time, turning back to the door where two Berges guards, Thomas and now William stood all with different expressions on their face. William's was her personal favorite; he knew and they had fallen right in the trap - strings pulled by the ever clever pirate queen.

"Princess, can you help button me up?" Eliza called as the two guards secured the area and Lenia brushed some hair from her shoulder, not giving Rickkard a second glance to his pleads. "Of course," Lenia called and pressed her hands to Eliza's back, buttoning up the woman and glanced back at Rickkard when Eliza slipped a hand about Lenia's waist for the briefest of moments, sliding herself away, past William, whispering something to him. Lenia was grabbed by Rickkard in apologizes, but declared that as a man, he was entitled to have as many women has he pleased - it was she could not. Those were the... the rules! Lenia raised a hand and smacked the side of his face. She was having none of it. If this wasn't enough proof to demand a break from their kingdoms - so be it. If William was not to claim the throne, she would have no further ties with Berges. It was time to start acting like a future Queen, should he indeed take over.

"Rickkard of Berges, I hereby ask that you never set foot in my presence again. My Knights will see to it that it never happens. I will be sending word to my father in Argis and make sure that the our marriage is annulled immediately. Your ties with Argis are gone. That is one thing your father cannot stop me from doing. I promise, I shan't leave my little room." Curling her lip up, she moved past him as Rickkard tried once more to grab her shoulders. She demanded he stop and turned to William and Thomas who immediately - with easy strength combined - got her to free as she stormed out of the room in silence. Going down the dark hallway, she hurried to her room and closed the door, sighing heavily and placing a hand to her forehead, the other to her belly. Looking down, she rubbed the spot softly. "I promised you," she whispered to her little one and immediately went to her vanity, slipping the ring that William had given her upon her finger and began to scribble a note to her father.

Exiting the room, still hearing the sound of the waltz from below, she found Lucy within the crowd and grabbed her arm, causing her to sqeak. "It's just me, Lucy! I have a task for you."

"What is it ma'am, like the armor task? It has arrived... shall I send up the set to your room?"

"Please. And! Take this note to the mail carrier and make sure it is delivered promptly. It is addressed to the King of Argis. And this, this one please, I know the address sounds strange, but have a bird carry it to the forest. My aunt Mrytle will get it."

Lucy nodded, not minding doing the tasks for her dearest friend and princess. She had danced with William, danced with a few other men - she was happy maid! But there was one man she hadn't danced with who had kept catching her eye. A younger man - around her age - who she truly wished to see again... Thomas was his name? Oh, where had he gone? But Lucy couldn't think about that now - she had mission! Hurrying off to go change and send for mail, Lenia smiled and went back up the stairs, ignoring Tristan's call for her through the crowds. She didn't want to see a ruler of Berges until the true ruler sat upon the throne. Speaking of which... where had William gone? She prayed not to Eliza. Speaking of -her-, Lenia had written in the letter to send more money to her so that she may repay Eliza for all her help.

Entering room, she noticed the large stand with a grand set of new armor. It wasn't gold or extremely shiny, but it was well made, especially the hardened gauntlets and it looked to be about William's size granted how large it was. She hoped her size guesses were right. A little knock on the door and Lenia noticed it was Thomas. She asked him politely for William to come to her room and spare no delay. Thomas hurried out and Lenia began to change out of her dress, laying it upon the end of her well made bed, and slipped into her nightgown, partly see-through for his viewing pleasure, but slipped on a robe to conceal most of it to keep him from pouncing. Once he did, nothing stopped him. When William entered her room, she went to him immediately, wrapping herself in his embrace, closing her eyes and resting her head upon his shoulder. There was nothing in the world she loved more than being in his arms. They just stood there, in one another's arms for a little while, feeling his lips touch her head and her hair. When he gave a questionable glance to the armor, she pulled away and moved some hair behind her ears shyly. "I know you had lost most of it - so it was the least I could do. I do hope it fits."

He seemed to enjoy it for the most part and when he came back into her arms, she could feel her robe being pushed aside, her nipples growing hard and her heart pounding. "Oh, Will..." And she was lost in him.

--

Three days following, the letter had returned from her father, claiming he granted permission to end the marriage due to his daughter's continuous unhappiness and the fear of Rickkard treating her so poorly. He had seen it and it had been enough for him. With his seal, all she had to do was bring it to Tristan and a priest and all would be settled. She hurried to his throne room, wearing a beautiful yellow gown with red trim - far too lovely for a princess in captivity. "Tristan!" She demanded, hurrying forward and waving the paper in his face, allowing him to grab it. Rickkard had been off hunting. "Sign your name and I shall take it to the priest. Dare to rip it and I send Argis' armies to your doorstep. I have that power elsewhere even though I am caged here. Never forget that."

Tristan glanced at the letter and back to his prisoner princess. So be it. He stood, shuffling something in his pocket as he approached her. Tristan could not win - he had to take action immediately. No one seemed to be in the throne room. Such foolish Knights or a too brave princess he noticed. Moving toward her, he signed his name and folded the letter, explaining where the nearest church was, not far at all from now. In fact, they were all headed to church. Lenia beamed, looking at the note. Perfect. She knew William would make everything work and once he was on the throne, he'd have to choose a wife... her! I finally get to kiss him... and everyone will see! And our baby...

Looking at the letter, Lenia hadn't even noticed the foul play at hand.

...?

She hadn't noticed the slight of hand nor the wetness she felt against her stomach. Her brows furred and she blinked rapidly, dropping the note and seeing a knife stuck into her stomach. "Did you think me a fool? Did you think I wouldn't know who's child you carry?" His cool voice sneered, assuming from the way they danced, Lenia had been carrying a child not of Berges but of a man who claimed he was Berges royalty. She cried out - no screamed as he plunged it out of her, causing her body to drop to the floor, blood oozing from her belly, tears burning in her eyes, her heart set ablaze and the blood splattered around her from her stomach. My baby, my baby, my baby! Was all that went through her mind, her hands trembling on her bloody belly, crying out in pain as she turned on her side, curled up. It burned - it burned! Gritting her teeth, she brought a bloody hand to her mouth, screaming as her body continued to lose blood. Her body trembled in massive fear.. she was losing it. The last thing she heard were footsteps flying down the stairs - quite a few of them she reckoned, before her eyes closed and her world went black. "Princess!" A young voice, no doubt Charles or Thomas cried out.

The sight that William happened upon was outstanding: Lenia standing up to Rickkard, slapping him clear across the face. Hah! Finally that adulterous oaf was caught up in his little game. William had not expected Elizabeth to be so…helpful…? Though of course, as it was with pirates, things always had a price. And as Eliza sauntered out of the room, she whispered into his ear, “You owe me –a lot- this time, William.“

Well…whatever debt she could possibly devise for him to pay, he would gladly do so. Now Lenia would be free of Rickkard! If adultery wasn’t a good enough reason for a marriage to be annulled, he wasn’t sure what else could be. Now he wouldn’t be forced to see his darling treated so poorly by a man that didn’t appreciate her at all. The moment he could marry Lenia, he gladly would.

Unfortunately, he would not get to rejoice with her just yet. William struggled to keep a smug smile clear of his face as he wandered back downstairs. He knew that he would have to dance with one or two other women, for the sake of throwing Tristan off the trail. If he could just pretend that Lenia did not effect him so…perhaps he could still keep their love secret. And so he danced with two more young maidens, serving girls that he had seen about the castle. Let them think he was a disgrace of a noble to be dancing with women so beneath his supposed class, he didn’t care! He actually preferred dancing with the servants, they were much more interesting to talk to.

Now that he had shared waltzes with a few more women, he figured it would be the perfect time to take his leave. It was early enough that he could sneak about the castle on his own and share a rendezvous with Lenia, but late enough where his excuse that he was tired was not too strange. On his way up the stairs, he ran into Thomas, who alerted him that Lenia wished to see him. Perfect! She was still awake, he really did want to share at least a goodnight kiss.

Down the halls and to her room he went, a giddy grin growing on his bearded face with every step closer he took. The moment she allowed him into her room, he swept her up onto his arms and held her as firmly to him as he dared. How he loved the feel of her in his arms…she molded so perfectly to him, as though they had been specifically made for one another. Soft kisses were planted to the top of her head as he rubbed and massaged her lower back before finally some glinting metal caught his eye. A new suit of armor! And for him? A man could not ask for a better lover. She knew him so well! The armor set was very handsome as well as practical. He may need to have a few adjustments made…especially about the shoulders. He couldn’t resist examining it closer, and as much as he enjoyed holding Lenia, he could be like a child at times when it came to a new present. So with a quick kiss and her permission, he left her to examine the armor closer. It looked perfect, and when he touched the smooth, cool metal, he couldn’t wait to put a few scratches and dents into it!

“Lenia…you didn’t have to. But this is amazing! I’m glad you did.” William was grinning like an idiot and immediately rushed back to her. He enveloped her in his strong arms and hugged her as hard as he dared, lifting her straight off the floor in the process. And in all that bit of movement…her robe had come undone just the slightest bit; revealing a lovely, see-through night gown with…with…was that…black lace lingerie underneath?

William’s heart began to pound; his clothing suddenly feeling entirely too hot. Lenia was certainly full of surprises today, all of them good ones. “I love you so much, my Lenia….” He murmured softly before capturing her lips in another kiss, all the while scooping her up and making their way towards the bed…

---

Three days were filled with meetings for William. Meetings with the Viceroy, with the Knight Commander. He was gone from the castle quite a bit as him, Geoffrey, Charles, and his twin personal guard began to search the kingdom for William’s estranged aunt. The task was proving harder than one would think, apparently his father’s sister had gone into hiding after her brother’s death, because no one seemed to know where on earth she was. William could only hope that she hadn’t met the same death as his parents. She was the only blood related family he had left.

Well…that was untrue. He had Tristan and Rickkard…but he would hardly welcome either man into his family.

After another fruitless lead, the band of men rode back to the castle. William was allowed a horse, so long as he wore the armor Lenia had given him. Geoffrey would have him wear a helmet too in these unsettling times; but William stood firm. He would not be wearing a helmet, if everyone was going to be hell-bent on him becoming king, he would prefer the people see him. Many people on the edges of the kingdom knew of him, farmers and the like. William had traveled along the outskirts of Berges ever since he had completed his apprenticeship. But very few people in the city knew of him, and he was glad to make his inquiries about his aunt as a plain knight, rather than a king.

The people seemed to like him. Well…the middle and lower classes appeared to anyways. Any nobles he had run into were quick to ask him if he was still single and would like to meet their daughters.

No. No he would –not- like to meet their daughters. Unless their daughters had any information about where on earth his aunt was!

Hmmph…how was to find this woman? Perhaps he should ask Lenia to contact her aunt…to see if perhaps Myrtle could help. The Viceroy had mentioned something about a ‘blood trace’ which required a witch. William had had about all the magic he could stand with the curse that ran through his veins. But since finding his aunt for questioning was turning into a wild goose chase, perhaps a little more couldn’t hurt.

Though it appeared he wouldn’t have to ask Lenia to contact Myrtle, she had done it herself already! What a clever girl his princess was turning into. Myrtle was waiting right bye the front entrance of the castle with Charles, fussing over the boy and telling him he needed to eat more because he was so skinny.

But the sound of a woman’s pained scream broke up this interesting reunion with Myrtle. He knew that voice; that wasn’t just any woman screaming, that was –his- woman! His Princess, his lover, his Lenia! He bolted deeper into the castle, straight for the sound of the noise. And by the time he skidded to a halt, he found himself at the entrance of the throne room. Thomas had his sword drawn and was trying to get the knife away from Tristan without causing bodily harm. Good boy! He knew better than to hurt a civilian prisoner; that was for the courts to do. And he had positioned himself between the wounded victim and the offender.

There was so much blood everywhere…

His Lenia… Their child…

“WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO HER?!” William roared, a great, loud, bestial sound that made the whole room tremble in fear; even the walls seemed to shiver in his anger. Something in him snapped, gave way, and it felt as though his mind were being ripped in two, like his veins were coursing with pure fire. He dashed across the room, no need for his sword, he was going to kill Tristan with his bare hands!

Who was going to fault him for ripping the king to bits? He was just doing what every man in the room wanted to do. Stabbing a woman, a –pregnant- woman right to her womb was a new kind of low.

“Sir! Please!” Charles cried, right on William’s heels, as always. Please God! Do not let him kill me! The squire prayed before jumping right onto William’s back and wrapping his arm about his neck in an attempt to choke him. It was a stupid, brash decision; but he knew that if his master murdered the king that William would be severely punished. He was a snake, yes, but he was still the king. “William! Please! Let the court decide!”

“HAAAARRRGGGGHHHHH!!!!!!” He howled, caught somewhere between absolute anguish that his mate was mortally wounded and seething anger. The dragon blood in his veins tore through his body like a wildfire. William was too far gone to negotiate with and began to fight back, to remove this annoyance from his body. Enemy… He reached behind him, bending the metal of his armor with the force it took to wrench his arms up and over his head to try to grasp at the small thing choking him. But the creature on his back was determined, and now more were on him. Others trying to restrain him, to control him.

Control…

William began to hear a faint ringing in his ears. It was a strange thing, being able to breath just fine, but still having one’s brain cry out for oxygen. And after a couple more moments with Charles applying pressure to the pulse point in his neck, William’s eyes rolled into the back of his head and he tumbled to the ground, unconscious.

Myrtle was having none of it. She immediately waved a hand, pushing Tristan - already scared out of his wits - away from the scene before her. Look at the mess! She had her beautiful niece bloody and trembling before and a Knight with a dragon's blood seething within him. Thomas and Geoffrey didn't know what to do, but she did. She put her fingers to her lips and whistled something very strange, almost a whistling tone before demanding that they help send Lenia immediately to the hospital. "And what of William?" Charles had asked, his shoulders shaking a little. He had certainly had his fair share of excitement.

"Take him to the soldier's quarters. He'll probably feel at home there. Hell, he may think he's a little soldier again." Charles dropped his jaw, his eyes darting to Geoffrey and the two other soldier's helping William to sling him over their shoulders and carry him to a carriage that would take him where to be. Lenia would also be taken somewhere. But by different way, different method. Charles grabbed Myrtle's shoulder, turning him, his eyes still wide. "If you move Lenia away from William... he'll lose it."

"Then make sure it is not lost while I work to save my niece's life. And the life of their child," she whispered lowly and patted the side of his face ,leaving the young squire speechless. He could only ask Geoffrey to prepare his funeral session. William would go mad if that was the last image he had of his lover, he'd rip Tristan and Rickkard to bits. While the soldiers helped Lenia - who had also passed out from the amount of blood - had been moved outside. Myrtle raised her face to the sky, searching. After a few moments, she clicked her tongue in approval. "Ah, there is my new friend."

And on command, Astor not only smelling the blood for guidance, the rage of his master's pulse, but Myrtle's call. The fantastic witch, clapped her hands, making way for the dragon's landing right outside the castle. She could hear some people from the plaza outside of the castle growing fearful as they watched the Princess lay upon the dragon's back and watch the older woman hop up as though every bone in her body no longer ached. She called something to Geoffrey who had Charles and the twins immediately escorting William into a safe and fairly secluded place.

--

The ride back to Myrtle's hut was longer thanks to to Astor's no-no above water. And while Myrtle panicked with her niece's recovery process, she was amazed to find the wound damaged to her slightly swelled belly nearly gone. It was as if it were closing it up by itself. It fascinated her as Myrtle petted the dragon. No doubt, their child would be extraordinary and would be wanted by thousands. Myrtle was determined to keep her favorite girls protected. When they arrived at her hut, she asked Astor to lay low to the ground and recline Lenia off easily as her body rested and Myrtle pulled her to the door and managed to lift her small frame onto the bed and took a deep breath, crinkling her back. She'd have to get to work immediately, checking on Lenia, on her vitals, on the baby.

Lenia woke two days ago, slowly, groggy and quite terrified when she at first did not recognize the ceiling and the warm smell of cinnamon. "Will!" She cried in the dark, Myrtle having a spot of tea behind her. She immediately went to her niece, placing her trembling hands against her belly. Her swell had certainly grown bigger the last time she saw her, no doubt she was nearly rounding a four month period. "It's all dearie, you're in my home."

"H-How..."

"Astor. You remember the big fat dragon, mm? He's gone back to Berges. Seemed he was concerned about his master, but abide to the master's orders. You. And of course, the child." Lenia asked how severely her wounds were and how long she had been out. Myrtle calmly explained (after handing her a green tea concoction) that everything, surprisingly had been normal. Myrtle checked everything she could possible check. She had even applied some gel to her stomach, feeling it's gooy-like substance and managing to feel the baby's movement. "Myrtle, I can't thank you enough."

"No need! I'm just so pleased your little girl will bear my name. Just as I wanted."

"... What? The baby's a girl?" Her eyes widened and she looked at Myrtle questioning her once more with trembling hands, excited, heart pounding. "Of course! I'm never wrong dear girl," she grinned and pinched Lenia's cheek who lifted her shirt up shyly, examining her bump and touching it. There was a faint line there, a little scar and a huge reminder. She bit her lip, upset. Tristan had done this; she'd remembered that ugly face. She prayed someone had picked up the divorce note. When next she returned to Berges, she would make sure Rickkard was no longer at her side. Touching the ring about her finger, Lenia kissed it.

"Well, I should be returning home now."

"Ah, but you can't."

"And why not auntie?"

"Because I want that boy to control his temper."

Lenia raised a brow in question, closing her hands across her chest. "And you think by me being here will help this?" Myrtle waved a hand, patting Lenia's hands and making sure she was drinking the beneficial herbal tea. Waiting until the cup reached Lenia's lips, her golden eyes still burning with the demands. "If William loses his cool, it will reflect upon the kingdom he will run. He must have more faith in you, and more faith in I. If he is to become a nobleman, he must start thinking like one."

"You knew?" Lenia hated this. It was a deathly tease and it wasn't right to William. Though... her aunt was cunning, wise, beyond anything in which Lenia could remember. She had a point - but to not reveal her safety to William bothered her greatly. "It is not fair to William." Myrtle snorted and waved a hand. "William is a big boy, he can handle it. Besides. If your death means the loneliness of little Prince Rickkard, it only means William is one step closer to taking back his place. You need that secured Lenia, you both do. He could be beheaded any day! Save your secret to secure his life! A little birdie told me he's to a be a king soon, yes?"

Lenia rubbed her face over her hand in frustration. Could he ever forgive her? With her 'faked' assassination, it would set a lot of chips in motion. William would be closer to claiming his birthright, Rickkard would lose any ties to Argis and thus degrading a further loss of massive power to which Tristan had no alibi to follow back upon. It.. was almost too perfect. But Myrtle forgot William's heart; it was sensitive, she knew. And if her white knight went black, she would feel terrible for those such as Charles, those twins, Geoffrey. It was right, but it was wrong in heart. Lenia would only have to trust her aunt, her lover's courage and her own. "And when will I be able to return to my William? Not long I hope - I won't stand another month apart. I will march myself straight to his bedroom in nothing but a little --"

"When the timing is right," the experienced witch murmured, cutting her ever so headstrong princess. Tears of frustration burned in her eyes as Myrtle went about to writing as she spoke: "From here on, I declare Princess Lenia Of Argis to have died on this very morning. Miss Myrtle was... no where to be found. She did all she could for her beloved niece. May she and her child soon find peace."

Argis rang their church bells that week. Myrtle protected her home with a cursed seal, so no one would find their hut, only stumble mindlessly into and out of the wood, passing through. Lenia hated it. She missed her lover and as any hormonal woman, she missed the sex. Lenia was a good girl, but goodness did she love to be a bad one for William. The letter had been sent to Berges another week after with word from Myrtle but not signed by her. The document looked official if anything.

While Lenia stayed outside of the little hut, she began to pick flowers for her aunt to brew in concoctions and make the medicines and her brewings stronger. Lenia placed a little flower over her belly. "I miss papa, too. It's not fair. I miss him all over, inside of me, outside of me. We won't let each other out of sight the next time. He won't let me go and I wouldn't dare to try. Next time we see one another, little one, papa will be king. And you will be the most beautiful little princess." The natural beauty lifted her basket and hummed, placing a hand to her belly. She missed her lover dearly. A light kiss to her ring and a prayer she hoped would find him sooner than that damned letter. Should he be released in darkness, let him find light soon... And preferably wait till she returned to Berges to give Tristan and Rickkard another good smack upon their puffy faces.

--

It was Charles who broke the seal of the letter reading it nearly twenty seven times. Dead. Lenia had died. He was really starting to think it would be appropriate for Thomas to wear that long brown wig he had fished out... "Charles!" Geoffrey called causing the young squire who received the mail to jolt upright. "Is that for William? William, come down here, you have mail!" Charles went immediately pale. He would not see the pain on his friend and mentor's face. He could not. It simply could not be true. He'd rather do some research and not be in the presence of William who had recovered. When William approached, Charles immediately left, his face bright red. Geoffrey shrugged and handed the slip of parchment to William. "Says it's for you, lad."

William was a wreck by the time he regained consciousness. His body was rallying against the dragon blood that was attempting to take over his whole system. He howled and screamed, crying out death threats and frightening Geoffrey and the twins so much that they had him restrained to the bed like a man possessed. The Knight Commander and Squire both had an idea of what was going on with their friend the Dragon Lord, and so stayed with him, trading shifts so that William was never alone while he fought the fever. They told everyone he was just sick, driven mad by a high temperature and the stress of the princess that he had been guarding being severely injured.

“Sir…everything will be fine. Myrtle took the princess away on the dragon. She’ll treat her and everything will be okay, you’ll see.” Charles removed the wet cloth from his master’s forehead and rewet it with cool water before applying it once more. “Just rest Sir…she’ll be home before you know it.”

William hoped that his friend was right. His rage terrified him…it was so hard to control on his own. The only time he could ever temper it was when Lenia beckoned him. Her musical voice soothed him, her touch and smile dulled any anger he felt…without her he would be a monster. And if she died….if her and their baby were lost, he knew that all the promises and all the codes in the world would not bind him any longer. He would turn into a monster that would not rest until the entire world felt his pain.

---

Tristan’s last gift before he was arrested and hauled away into the tallest tower to await trial was to rat out William. To accuse him of sleeping with the princess, that his stabbing of her, (while a horrific act) had been caused him to go temporarily insane with rage. He couldn’t be faulted for such a thing!

And so, while Tristan’s act was still so heinous that he’d surely be punished, the Viceroy had to call William to a small trial to see if he would keep his knighthood, or if his integrity was so tarnished that the young knight would be forced to relinquish his position. “Sir William Marshal. You are here to be tried for acting in a manner unbefitting of a knight. Impregnating a princess… a –married- princess. What say you?”

“I am guilty.” Good, punish him, lock him up; he deserved it for not protecting his lover better. All looked lost, no matter how many times his friends assured him that the princess would be okay, that this wasn’t his fault.

“No!” Charles cried out. “He’s telling a half-truth. Viceroy, he did not know that she was engaged! He fell in love with her before she was married!”

“Charles! Be silent. What does it matter anyways?” William heaved a dejected sigh. He’d be better off with his knighthood stripped. Perhaps he’d go out into the countryside and become a hermit…then everyone would be safe from him and his temper.

“It –matters- young man, because I will strip you of all ranking and powers that come with being a knight!” The Viceroy growled, not liking to be interrupted and –definitely- not liking it when all the facts were not bared before him. “Now answer me! Truthfully or I will strip you of your title right now!”

“I did not know she was a princess for certain when we first met. I also did not know she was to be married until later. All I knew was that she was a lovely, charming young woman, and I felt very attracted to her and enjoyed her company immensely. And then… I got her…she… She was pregnant…before her wedding day. I would have gladly married her myself had she not been trapped in an arranged marriage.”

“You piece of shit! That was –my- wife! She belonged to me!” Rickkard piped up from the back row. He had just come to watch this trial for a good show, but now William was here making a fool of him. That child wasn’t his? And he had spent TWO WEEKS being faithful to his adulterous bride?!

“Women are not property! Not for as long as I am here to interpret the law.” Jarvis growled. A man with six daughters, he would not let any of them be treated unfairly for as long as he could help it. “If I remember correctly, your wife had your marriage annulled because you are a lecherous snake! Now you will hold your tongue Lord Rickkard or I will have you removed from this court room!” Jarvis boomed, his steely gaze turning onto the quivering nobleman. Only when he was certain Rickkard would not make another peep did he look back over to William. “Sir William Marshal, while ignorance is usually not an acceptable reason for poor choices made; I find you not guilty. You are free to go.” The Viceroy was quiet for a moment, contemplating the young man for a moment before adding. “I am very sorry for your loss, young man. I hope the princess and your child are recovering.”

---

A week had passed from Tristan’s attack on Lenia. Astor was being strangely well behaved. He stayed in the castle courtyard, waiting, being patient. Even glinty treasures had lost their appeal as he patiently waited for news about the small woman that fed him bacon in the mountains. The massive dragon seemed to only cheer up when the dragon lord came by to feed him and talk. And when the servants’ children came to poke and prod at him. He liked that… Children were such strange things…they were so brave, too little to be afraid of the creature that could gobble them up for a snack.

The days passed slowly. William stayed in the barracks mostly, training with other knights, venting his anger and frustration in combat drills. And things were looking pretty good…at least…until a letter arrived for him. William couldn’t believe it at first. He had trusted Myrtle to take care of Lenia! And now she was dead?! Had he missed the funeral?! Word traveled so slowly from Argis to Berges…he hadn’t even gotten a chance to say goodbye…

William let loose the most terrific roar that his vocal cords could muster. A horrible, gut-wrenching noise. Even he was not aware that he was capable of making such a sound.

That was it! He’d kill him! He’d rip this entire castle apart if that’s what it took to get his calloused hands about Tristan’s neck! William stormed out of the barracks, knocking away the Knight Commander and Charles as though they weighed nothing. Whoever got into his way next was going to be torn asunder for impeding his progression towards the tower!

”No!”

The sound was clumsily delivered, but none the less clear. Astor had told him ‘No’ as he was walking through the courtyard. But it was too late. William’s beastial roar had summoned a brood of dragons from the nearby mountains. While it wasn’t odd for Berges to be attacked by the beasts during the fall and winter months, but it was definitely odd that they were –here- so close to the keep.

Astor began to panic as he saw the other creatures fly toward them. These were not friendly dragons. They weren’t like him. They would kill everyone and everything. Not even children would be safe! It was a dark path that the dragon lord was treading towards. It only took one lick of bloodshed of an innocent to make one lose their sanity. That was why Astor never ate things that had families or things that were very little. And if he killed things that did, it was an accident…humans were so squishy, it was very hard to –not- kill them when you were so big in comparison. But he couldn’t let William do this…if he hurt innocents…he would be lost forever.

When William felt Astor in his mind, saw him show him images of humans and dragons that killed for the sake of killing, the knight immediately regretted his show of temper. What have I done? He hadn’t meant to summon dragons, especially ones that were full of a lust of blood! They had just come here, drawn to his rage, drawn to his sadness. And now they were hungry for the thing that was responsible for hurting a member of their brood. They began to attack the towers, searching all of them, not caring who was in them or what creatures they hurt, so long as Tristan was torn asunder and then eaten.

Seeing this, Astor flew up, unleashing a massive roar and attempting to chase away the smaller dragons. He was bigger, but there were many more of them than there were of him. They bit and gnashed their claws at him, tore at his wings, attempted to rip him to bits. And finally it worked, Astor plummeted to the ground like a lead stone, landing with a massive THUD a few feet away from William.

“NO!” William cried, racing towards his fallen friend. “No no no no no no Astor…please…I’m sorry. Please... I won’t…I won’t ever let myself become a blood thirsty monster. Just…please…” The young knight pleaded as he stroked the whimpering beast’s neck. “Just don’t die my friend.”

Archers had rallied together and were now firing at the weakened dragons while the ballistas were pointed into position. Before long, the horrid beasts were driven away from the keep, flying back towards the mountains that they had come from to lick their wounds.

---




How long had it been? He didn’t know. Things were better when he was drunk. After the incident with Astor, William had locked himself up in a room with a barracks. He only came out when he ran out of rum. The dragon was alive…but unable to fly. William felt horrible and was unable to face his friend. He wouldn’t know what he would do if someone took his legs…and he imagined that Astor felt the same way now that the use of his wings had been taken away.

On the bright side, Tristan was exiled. Both for murdering the princess and for being cursed by God. If dragons were searching for him, the people of Berges would much rather he be the problem of another nation. The only reason he hadn’t been beheaded was the fact that he was of royal birth.

William took little consolation in the fact that Tristan had been punished. His eyes no longer held any warmth, his skin was pale as though he had not seen light in weeks, and his hair and beard were no longer trimmed handsomely as they had once been. He cared about nothing.

“Alright, that’s enough! Get up!” Geoffrey growled as he barged into William’s bunk. His son had been an absolute wreck for the past week: drinking heavily, getting into fights for the slightest thing. Geoffrey had had enough. Grief was healthy…but drinking for nearly two weeks was not. William had not stirred from Geoffrey’s words, the knight was passed out, a bottle of rum at the foot of his bed. The younger man wreaked of whiskey and cheap rum. His beard was scraggly, his hair was greasy, and he hadn’t even bothered to bathe in days. Since he was so drunk that words wouldn’t even rouse him, Geoffrey went ahead and smacked him in the back of the head.

William immediately woke up at the hit and scrambled out from under the sheets, falling into a defensive stance as he glared at the older man.

“Hit me, boy! Or are you afraid to strike an old man?!” Geoffrey wound up, unleashing another blow to William’s face. “I am sick and tired of your selfishness! Now shave off that damned beard and get dressed, we have work to do.”

“You have no right to demand anything of me. You are nothing to me!” As soon as the words tumbled out of his mouth, William immediately regretted saying them. “…I didn’t mean…”

“No, you’re right. I’m not your father, I’m not your friend. But I –am- your commanding officer. And I am the man that has raised you for so many years. And I will be damned if I see you drink yourself to death.” Geoffrey sighed as he lowered his fists, wrapping his arms about William and embracing him instead. “Remember lad, grief is for the living, not for the dead. Do you think Lenia would want you to see you like this?”

“…No…” William sighed. Lenia would never want him to mope about or find solace in the bottom of a bottle. He knew that Geoffrey was right…that he was being selfish, that he was mourning her loss and not celebrating her life.

“Good. Now go bathe, get a haircut from James, and then we are going out to find your aunt.”

“I don’t want to find her, I don’t want to be king. Let Rickkard lead the people…no one should follow me, I am nothing.”

“Part of being a knight is living for the people; serving and working for –them-. If you do not wish to live for yourself any longer, live for -them-. Serve them as their king. Rickkard will never be a good leader because he only thinks about himself…but you William, you actually care about your people…at least…you used to.” Geoffrey sighed, patting William’s shoulder gently. “I know your pain William, I truly do. But…if I had lost myself to grief after my wife passed away, I never would have found you. Life has a funny way of dragging us so far down until we cannot see the light any longer. But once you are down there, there is nowhere to go but up. Just believe… things always turn out for the better in the end.”

Things always turn out for the better in the end…

William’s heart tinged in grief. It was the end for him and Lenia…and now his father wished for him to embrace a new chapter in his life.

---




A month went by. The trees had finally lost their orange leaves and were left bare. Snow had come down from the mountains and now coated Berges in white blanket of powder. William used to love this time of year…and now not even the prospect of pelting Charles with snowballs seemed to lift his spirits. He still missed Lenia so terribly, to the point where he was just a shadow of his former self.

The servants had spun the tail of William’s affair with the princess to his favor. Their story started off with a handsome young knight who fell in love with a fair maiden. Then went onto include a horrible husband matched to her in an unlucky arranged marriage, as well as an evil monster of a king that wanted to keep the lovers apart. As far as tragedies went, it would probably rank up there with Romeo and Juliet. Though, this was a true story of star-crossed lovers, not something silly ol’ play that Shakespeare dreamt up. And although William wished for nothing but to be punished and repent for his sins, the people loved him. He was an honest man…one who was just like them, not a spoiled, two-faced nobleman like Rickkard.

His aunt had been found…well…she had found –him-. When news had reached her that Tristan had been exiled, she thought it safe to finally reveal herself. She was a very tall woman with an impressive stature, much like William. She tended to her farm with her husband on the outskirts of Berges. Her husband was a much smaller man…and although they looked like a very odd couple, it was easy to see that they were still deeply in love. It turned out that the couple had two sons and two daughters, all of whom were about William’s age and were very kind people indeed.

But perhaps what was most remarkable about the woman who claimed to be his aunt was the fact that she had –paintings- of him. Pictures of him as a baby, with his parents holding him. It had seemed that Jocelyn had commissioned an artist to paint a portrait of the family every year, so that she may send one copy to David’s family and one to her own. Though…the canvases that had been sent to the castle had been burned by Tristan; but the Viceroy and Knight Commander remembered seeing very similar portraits to the ones that Aunt Diana had in her possession. With the paintings came letters from David, some even in Jocelyn’s flowery and delicate script. Of course once the writings were compared, there was no question about it. William was indeed the son of the late David the stablemaster and Lady Jocelyn.

And now today, in early December, he was to be crowned king. Asked to lead a nation.

After his bath, William came out to find James laying a very dashing set of clothes out for him. "This came for you m'lord. Along with this note." James handed off the piece of parchment to William.



My Dear William,
I am very sorry for your loss. May your lover and child find rest. I know that your beliefs are different from mine…but perhaps I am right to say that the Spirits are around us all the time. Those that are gone never truly leave us. And with that being said, I have a present for you since she is probably watching over you at this very moment.

I’ve included a very handsome outfit for you. And no, it is not something I have stolen. I know that Lenia would not want you looking like a stray dog on the day of your coronation. And I know those fools at the castle would have you wear something ridiculous.

Take care of yourself,
Eliza

P.S. If being a king does not tickle your fancy, my offer still stands from so long ago. Many men take on the pirate’s life in hope that the wind will blow them to a new family or a more prosperous land. Not all of us are adventurers, some are just lost souls looking for the right harbor.



William’s lips curled into a smile. It was one of the few times he had done so all month. And looking down at the clothing James had laid out for him, he had to admit that the outfit looked quite handsome. Blue and red dyed leathers with golden embellishments. It would function as both a set of light armor as well as a more fancy set of clothing for him to wear. A little ostentatious for him…but practical in the end; a good balance.

Hopefully he would reach a good balance as ruler.

"Lenia dearie, you do not have to lift those heavy things."

"Are you sure? Ah, thank you."

Lenia set down the box of a few medicines and vials, reclining back into the chair. She began to stroke her belly, now starting to make more of a statement. It wasn't particularly huge was alarmed her at first, but Myrtle's kind of words of the belly reflecting her mother, reassured her. Lenia was a tiny woman and her bump would no doubt be too. She stroked her body lightly and exhaled deeply, wondering what William was doing at this very moment. Was he safe? Was he enjoying the beauty of Berges when she could not? Humming to the baby while Myrtle made dinner for them, Lenia was somewhat grateful of the time spent here. Myrtle began to teach her little tricks and even a few spells.

Lenia was a natural indeed; it must have run in the family on her mother's side. Lenia learned and memorized the concoctions and the ingredients from the herbs and liquids that Myrtle used. She was a smart girl and a fast learner. She was even learning how to harness a healing spell, something that fascinated Myrtle; it would normally take much longer for her to do, yet here she was! The young once-princess sat with her mug of tea, sipping and reading one of her aunt's recipe books when something appeared to tap at the window. Startled, she rose, but quickly stopped moving when her aunt pulled up a hand. "Ah, just my raven!" She called, a happy twinkle in her eyes.

The raven, strangely enough, seemed to move through the glass window, causing Lenia to immediately return to her books, trying to figure that one out. It seemed the raven carried news with him, a little folded parchment. Myrtle cleared her throat after reading it twice. "Well. It seems all your deathly hard work has been put into motion! Seems Sir William will soon be a King William! Look at that!" She grinned, smacking the parchment lightly and turning to Lenia who all but lunged for the letter. "I can't believe it... he did it. Oh, my. He must be anxious. I hope he's not worried; he's such a good man. He'll be a wonderful ruler." She kissed the note and held it to her, sighing softly in relief that they had all taken the right steps for William's success.

"Does this mean I get to go home now?"

Myrtle raised her own tea to her lips, thin grey eyebrows following the upward motion. "Yes, it does. But how shall the princess make her entrance? They'll think you a ghost!" The woman cackled as Lenia glared at her for even teasing such a situation. But she was right; William would either panic or think herself not real at first. It wouldn't be the... best way to go about doing things. Certainly she'd love to sneak into the castle; Lenia was an athletic climber! But... not carrying a child. "Can't you call Astor?"

"It seems he cannot come for reasons beyond me. Perhaps his wings have been clipped short."

Lenia's heart sank, not even wanting to put the thought to mind. "Is there any cure for the regrowth of dragon's wings?" Myrtle tilted her head, grinning. "Yes. And only we witches can perform it. You need plenty of things to mix. I'll right them down just in case. It only makes sense Astor is either bound by chain or has lost his wings. It's nothing easily made, dear girl, but perhaps you have the witch gene in you somewhere buried." Lenia seemed determined, shuffling the note and a few other books from Myrtle into her satchel.

"Now I shall perform a transportation spell. It'll sap me of my energy. I won't be able to communicate with you for a while unless it is by letter. You must trust your instincts, Lenia. Lena slipped on her jacket, allowing her long hair to along her shoulder, mending it quickly into a braid. "Do you have all you need here?" Lenia idly glanced into her satchel about her shoulder one more time and placed a hand to her belly, nodding. She had her books, some medicine from Myrtle and some coin. It would do. "Yes," she replied and waited as Myrtle began to lay salt around her in a circle. "Be good. Give William a good punch if he hasn't eaten. That Charles boy, too!" She blew her niece a kiss and made her promise to be there for the birth of her baby. Myrtle crossed her arms a moment and lowered the glasses about her nose. "I will be the only one to deliver that baby. I must regenerate my own strength when those two months roll around. Now! Be safe!" She clapped her hands, something glowing purple in them before she blew them, the particles flying into Lenia's face. She coughed, closing her eyes and trying to fan it.

There was a harsh gush of wind that blew at her face before Lenia opened her eyes to find herself standing in the docks of... Berges. No doubt; she remembered them. Looking around, she quickly hid behind a few boxes and slipped her hood up, smoothing out her jacket and swallowing hard. This wouldn't be easy. Should anyone recognize her, she'd be mistaken for a ghost and no doubt someone one try to bring her to a grave. Such a morbid thought, ugh.

Shaking her head, the young woman walked through the crowds, feeling the dagger that she kept around her hip, bearing weight beneath her dress. Her boots kept her feet dry as she looked up, noticing the cool grey sky. It would snow soon. It seemed people were gathering around near the plaza and past that the castle, for something extraordinary. Was it William's coronation!? Had she missed it. Cursing softly, she went into an alley way when someone noticed her pretty eyes glancing up toward the castle beneath her hood. Grabbing the dagger, she leaned the long braid about her shoulder and squeezed her eyes shut. Your hair grows back fast, your hair grows back fast! and sliced the dagger against her long hair, cutting off a great deal of it. Now, it only covered her mid back. It was still fairly long, but nothing as long as it was beforehand, a trademark of those who recognized her as princess Lenia. Tying it up in a tight bun, she tossed the ends of her hair into the waste behind her in the darkened ally and took a deep breath.

Walking out of the allyway, she didn't see the horses trotting along and found herself covered in dirty and sloshy mud from the affect. Groaning, she leaned down and began to actually rub it into her chin and cheeks. So much for being a princess, now she practically looked like a man in a dress with a beer gut. Smacking her forehead in frustration, she had to keep moving. With this determination, she did. Weaving her way through the crowds, she could hear trumpets roar as loud as the crowds. Her heart began to race as she pushed through a few people, trying to see William come out through the plaza. Oh, she knew he would look so handsome!

And he did. When the royal courts paraded into the streets, Lenia watched in awe as if she were a pauper all her life. She prayed her little body blended in with the crowd as William in his carriage passed by her, her large honey brown eyes wide and her face broken into a girlish grin with pearly teeth. Covering her hands over her mouth, she squealed softly in delight. But it seemed not all was well. As the parade continued, a fight broke out - no doubt one of the loyalists to Rickkard and Tristan, versus one common man. It seemed his wife also took a beating and Lenia felt obligated to step in while others focused on the passing parade, now returning back around to castle in a loop.

"Hey!" She demanded, clearing her throat and pushing the man who dared to push another woman. He grabbed her hand, disgusted with how dirty she was and tossed her to the ground. Lenia winced, gripping her belly, thankful she had landed on her side and rose, shuffling something out of her stachel when the two loyalists to the previous king decided they'd had enough. When they walked away, Lenia turned her attention to the wife who had a large cut upon the side of her face. Lenia shushed her softly, kneeling beside her and placed a hand there, pulling out some ointment. "Here. It will help dull the pain, I promise."

"Thank you... ah.. who are you?"

Lenia blinked a few times, realizing her hood was down. She prayed her disguse was still valid. "Oh, ah... a traveling medicine woman, looking for work. In fact... do you think you could tell me the best way to get to the castle? With so many people, I--"

The woman who had been abused touched her face, no longer feeling pain. In thanks, she immediately clasped the younger one's hands. "Of course, doctor! I use to work at the palace. There's an entrance through the garden. Be warned though, the dragon practically lives there."

"The dragon? Astor, yes?"

"Yes! And while he doesn't seem offensive, he may not take kind to strangers who enter the garden directly."

Lenia thanked the woman, helping her up and wished her well before hurrying into the direction of palace. It was a slow turn to take, but she hurried to the side of the palace, finding her way through a few paths and slipped her little self into the gardens, sneaking past the soldiers who patrolled their lazily and half drunk. Seems that's what a coronation did to soldiers; taking the high life for the day. Perhaps they knew William was capable of defending himself. As Lenia approached the garden, she quietly moved to the fountain and quickly washed her face and body as best as she could of the mud. Yikes, it was chilly! "Phew," she exclaimed softly, sitting on it's edge after dusting away some snow. It looked beautiful in the garden. A winter wonderland. Her little one kicked as she closed her eyes, stroking her belly. She was already so tired... so this was motherhood, already. Stroking her belly once more, she didn't notice the huff of air until the footsteps of a very large dragon were behind her. Gasping softly, she turned around, almost stumbling backward upon seeing Astor. Finding her balance against the fountain, his large snout went immediately to her nose. But Lenia remained locked on the dragon's well, lack of wings. "Oh Astor... your wings! I will remedy this. Just give me more time."

Astor, whether he understood or not, seemed to nuzzle his large head against her body to which she stroked softly, wrapping her arms around his large face. "And I'll bring you lots of treats too--"

"HEY!" A male voice called, causing Lenia's grip to tighten a moment. A soldier, who unshealthed his weapon, started to approach her. But Astor stepped in front of her smaller body. The soldier paused a moment, in fear of the dragon - even wingless - and turned his head back to the entrance of the castle. "We have a thief in the garden! But the dragon won't move! Can we get the King to help, please?!" He sheathed his weapon and Lenia began to tremble. Uh oh! Astor could smell it, but he turned his long head and nudged her rear with his snout. "A-Astor, this did not go as I planned! I smell terrible and my hair!" The dragon hummed a low sound and pushed her again. Lenia could hear footsteps and she quickly undid her hair from the bun, her long hair tumbling just to her mid back, not the long length as once before, but still lovely as ever. She licked her hands and tried to rub the dirt from her face.

"You! Thief! Come out now and bow before your king."

There was silence from the figure who was turned, facing away from the commotion before her. Astor stepped aside and let out a cry that only seemed to affect the Dragon Lord. Wetting her lips, she slowly turned, hearing the drop of a sword cling to the floor. Was that William's? Carefully, she stood before him, her golden eyes threatening to burst into tears but carefully knelt down as best as she could and then went to both knees due to her belly and reached up, taking his hand and kissing it. But she would not let go. She took both of her hands and began to kiss it, tears running down her face. The soldiers around him seemed confused.

"W-What is the meaning of this!"

But Geoffrey was in shock, at William's left. "You're... alive?" He murmured softly, and Lenia couldn't even bring herself to her feet. "Yes," her soft voice whispered and she looked up to William, bringing his hand to her heart to let him hear the beating of a living human. Gently she released his hand when the one soldier brought her forcefully to her feet. "What ghost trick is this! Princess Lenia of Argis died nearly months ago!"

Lenia felt the tears wet her skin. "It's not a trick, I-I'm here! Get off, you brute! If I was a ghost, you wouldn't be able to touch me," she gave him a push, her once fearful, innocent voice turning sassy as she put her hands on her hips. She wouldn't let any mud on her face or dress stop her from still reclaiming her title. Just because William was King, didn't mean her rank was lowered. In her little fit of glory, she shyly looked back to William, waiting for his reaction. If she had embarrassed herself, she would apologize. If she had made him proud, she would kiss him endlessly and succumb to any sexual pursuit he demanded of her as her king.

It had been two months since he had last seen Lenia. He felt…better. Everyday, the pain was a little less. But today, the massive wound tore itself wide open once again.

This should be one of the happiest days of his life. He was doing something that would have made his birth parents proud. His adopted father was proud of him, more proud than he had even been at William’s knighting ceremony. His friends were beside him, he had even more estranged but loving family members here to support him. Tristan’s reign of greed and selfishness was over. The people, -his- people, were happy. And yet…even as the crowds cheered, even as the Viceroy placed the crown upon his head and William felt the heavy weight of gold settle against his skull…he couldn’t help but feel as though this was a hollow victory. Lenia should be standing next to him, big belly and all smiles, to celebrate this day with him.

And without her…everything just felt so empty.

But he smiled and waved triumphantly to the crowds as they cheered and clapped. Those closest to him knew it was an act, that his smile wasn’t real. His eyes seemed more sad than kind, and there was the slightest bit of strain at the corners of his mouth. When the coronation ceremony was over, he was relieved. He didn’t like to be the center of attention.

At least he got to ride back to the castle on a horse and not a carriage. He was perched atop a handsome white stallion from the castle stables that was a little showy; especially with the ornamental armor it wore. It wasn’t –his- horse, but he took what he could get at this point. It amazed him how many things he was not allowed to do, say, or wear. He was the king, wasn’t he? And yet he had to obey all these silly rules and traditions that he didn’t quite understand the purpose of.

William seemed to perk up a bit upon his return to the castle and a guard informing him that there was a thief in the garden. One they needed his help with? It was rather odd that Astor didn’t just roar and scare the thief off, but William didn’t pay it much mind. Perhaps the thief had just thought to bring some bacon or Astor was in a deep sleep. Either way, William would be glad to get some practice with his sword! And so he hurried out to courtyard, only to stop dead in his tracks when his friend the dragon informed him just who it was.

The grasp on his hilt loosened and the sword clattered to the stone path that was dusted with snow. He had been called here to remove a –female- thief? But not just any thief…a ghost! “Lenia…” he croaked out, his throat suddenly feeling very dry. This was…impossible! A trick of the eyes…it couldn’t be her. She was…she was dead.

But Astor assured him that it was indeed her with a soft cry. And there William stood, dumbstruck, seeing but not quite believing. And he only looked even more confused as Lenia knelt down before him and began to kiss his hand. His chest began to hurt as her velvety lips brushed his calloused hand. Is that what his heartbeat felt like? Had it been so still for so long that it actually –hurt- from lack of use?

“Y-you..I… ” William gaped, completely at a loss for words as a guard hauled Lenia to her feet. There were –so many- things that he wanted to say to her. He –should- be angry that she had deceived him so! That she hadn’t let him in on her plan, that she had been gone for months... But he wanted her. He loved her. And since words were failing him, he swept her up into his arms, the leather of his armor creaking softly as he drew her to him. He bent down, capturing her lips in a kiss. He would have liked it to be slow and gentle…but the moment he felt her pressed to him, it was like a switch flipped on in his head. He –devoured- her, kissing her with pent up passion, pouring out every ounce of love and longing that had built up in him for the past two months. And still, it was not enough. He needed to be alone with her, right –now-.

“I have missed you so, so much.” William panted out softly as he finally released her from their liplock. His eyes had darkened and his pants were starting to feel uncomfortably tight. “Come…let’s get you out of the cold and somewhere warm.” William grinned, dismissed all of his guards, and then led Lenia away, arm and arm. His strides were long as he loped along and when he noticed his much smaller lover struggling to keep up due to her condition and her shorter legs, he merely stopped in his tracks and picked her up. Into his warm, strong arms she went as he cradled her protectively, carrying her about the hallways and ignoring the odd looks they got from servants.

“Everyone knows… It’s alright.” He assured her after about the third knowing smile they had received from one of the palace employees. William went on to give her a brief synopsis of what had happened. He told her of his trial, of Tristan’s exile, and briefly explained how Astor had lost his wings…though he did not give her the full story. He would tell her later, of course. But for now, he just wanted to be with his love and to be happy. They could talk about more serious matters after they had made up for all the lost time that had passed.

“Where have you been all this time? I heard reports of search parties combing the woods in Argis for Myrtle’s hut, but no one could find any trace of you or her.” He asked as they rounded a corner. Good God, he wished this castle was much smaller. Even with his quick steps it took a long time to get to the wing where the royal family as supposed to be housed. Part of him was tempted to just take Lenia into the nearest random room and have his way with her…but it had been so long…they both deserved to be reunited in a nice warm bed. –Their- bed.

Before long, they happened upon the same guest room that William had apparently been staying in ever since he had come back to the castle. The room that the King usually occupied was far too grand for him to wish to stay in all on his own. He did not like the way every footstep or sound he made echoed off the walls and high ceilings. But perhaps with Lenia here now they could move themselves into that one.

Hah! Look at that! He was actually going to be able to share a room with his love from now on!
He nudged the door open with Lenia still in his arms and quickly kicked off his boots. Then straight to the bed he went, setting her down beside it so that they could get undressed.

“If you want to keep that dress, you better get out of it on your own before I decide to help you.” The young knight said with a grin. Whether she was a dirty-covered mess or not, William didn’t care. He wanted her right now; besides, there was going to be a very big mess by the time he was through with her. He gave his lover a quick kiss before starting to tear off his clothes, exposing his lean, toned body that was just as scarred and defined with muscle as she had remembered him. And by the time he was done and Lenia was still attempting to get her bra and panties off, William just tore the final bits of clothing in half with a satisfying Riiiiiipp and let them fall to the ground in tatters.

As desperately as he wished to claim her, he wanted to make sure that he paid her body proper homage before he lost himself to his lust. The moment that he laid Lenia down onto the bed, he prowled his way ontop of her so that he could begin to kiss every inch of her body. He tickled her ribs with his beard as he peppered her breasts with licks and kisses. He had missed her…all of this…even the small details such as the slightly salty taste of her creamy flesh as he licked around the hardening buds of her nipples.

He loved the way she felt against him. Smooth, creamy skin that was unmarred…well…-almost- unmarred. He kissed the swell of her belly, though made a displeased face and growled softly when his lips traveled over the scar. It was a reminder of what he had almost lost…he was never going to let her out of his sight again.

“I love the two of you so much…” He murmured, looking straight up into her eyes. And then he smiled, grinned actually, his head disappearing under the bump of her stomach and moving between her legs. He groaned happily as he caught the first taste of her arousal, his cock throbbing more insistently, though he did his best to ignore it for now. Instead he eagerly lapped up any juices she had to offer before he captured the engorged nub of her clit to lick and suck to his heart’s content.

Oh he was going to make sure she was –screaming- by the end of the night.

When William move to hug her, very tightly, Lenia's eyes fluttered before closing them and gently moving her hands up and along his back where she could reach. She wanted to speak, but his lips captured her own, passion pouring into their lip lock before pulling away, breathing hard. Blushing, she shyly looked to him and then to those who seemed to be watching, still shocked. When he said he missed her, she felt tears blinking in her eyes. A gentle hand came up to the side of his face. She tried to smile but it hurt her, knowing that she had probably hurt him, too. "I know, love, I'm here now," her whispered voice replied before he dismissed his guard (look at him!) and grabbed her hand, saying they needed to get her somewhere warm. Already Lenia felt her body clench at the thought; she knew what he wanted.

As he began to move through the walls of his new home, she almost tripped. Goodness, the man could move! "W-William," she breathed and when he stopped, she took a moment to catch her breath before he swept her up into his arms. Shyly she ducked her head when people looked at them. Though William's kind reassurance told her that everyone knew. So they did; a smile here and there reaffirmed it. Biting her lip, she nodded and looked to him, kissing the side of his face and teasing him that perhaps she was too heavy for him. He moved them into the bedroom and he laid her down very gently. She began to answer his question from before: "Auntie put up a seal so no one would find us. She said that you needed to be away from me in order to take back the throne. And I don't know if she was right, but here you are. You must have found your auntie!"

Offering him a small smile, she went to kiss him, but he warned her that she needed to take off her dress if she liked it. Going pale, Lenia nodded and quickly began to struggling out of her dress. It was a little hard to get out of it with her newly developed bump. She managed to do so eventually, but looked back to William who was already ten steps ahead of her. She had missed his wonderfully sculpted body. She loved every muscle, ever scar, every part of him she loved and would never stop loving him. While she was busy ogling, he seemed to take further action and ripped her remaining lingerie in one rip. "W-William!" She scolded him, reaching out for him, but he was certainly on a mission tonight.

Her nipples were hard when he began to kiss her body as he pleased, his beard tickling her belly and his kisses causing her nipples to harden. "Oh, Will," she sighed in pure bliss, enjoying the feeling of his loving her body, loving her. Moaning softly when he continued further down, he paused a moment after kissing her belly and allowing a small growl escape between his lips. She placed hand where the scar was. "Don't look, William. We're all alright," she added, suggesting that Myrtle had taken care of her indeed. He would have a lot of thanking to do and some special names to name their new baby girl. Ah! Excited eyes watched him as he kissed her belly and told her that he loved both her and their unborn child. When he disappeared between her thighs, she gasped, whelping softly when his tongue and lips captured her womanhood.

She was swollen, wet, and wide for him. "W-Will! N-No, no, I'm already so wet... it's embarrassing to let you see me like this, please," she placed a hand to her belly, the ring he had given her was now upon her right finger. She arched her back when he continued his journey in her wet folds. "Ah, ah, ah!" Her breathing hitched in her throat and she orgasmed so quickly, over flooded by emotions and by the pure joy of seeing the man she wanted to call a husband very, very soon. But first... she was very much determined to have this baby. Lenia promised herself to survive the birth and give life to their baby girl. When he gave her a moment to relax her back, she reached down, ruffling his hair softly. "Will, wait a moment. I need to tell you something," she tried to distract him, but her lover seemed so determined. "William!" She demanded once more, her voice still whimpering but she persisted. When claiming his attention before he ravishing her completely, she watched him crawl up over her and looked to her, waiting for what she had to say. "The baby... is a girl. We're having a baby girl. Myrtle says the baby will be due in a little over a month. Do you think I look obese, William? I didn't think you'd be so eager," her hand idly began to stroke her belly while the other hand rested upon his shoulder, stroking his neck and his jaw with her gentle fingertips.

“Don’t tell me my naughty minx has grown shy again.” William teased as he kissed her mound. Embarrassingly wet? That was perfect! He loved the sweet and slightly tart taste of her arousal. His velvety tongue began to diligently lap up every drop he could from welcoming pink folds. Now that she was clean, he resolved to make her dirty once again. And so his tongue began to lash against the throbbing bud of her clit; flicking and fluttering in broad strokes until he felt her tremble underneath him. Strong hands took gentle hold of her arching hips in order to keep her still as he ate his fill.

To help Lenia come gently down from her high, he kissed slowly along her thighs, paying special attention to the crease where her gorgeous legs met her mound. His warm breath flowed between her thighs as he nuzzled at her smooth flesh. So focused on pressing his lips to every inch of skin that he could, William barely heard her the first time. And when he did hear her a second time, he was tempted to ignore because he was enjoying his current task whole heartedly.

“Hmm?” William finally looked up and over her belly, his brow furrowed in confusion. Had he done something wrong? “What’s the matter darling?” He asked as he crawled up her body to check on her, suddenly growing worried. She was in such a delicate state…perhaps he was being selfish to have his lust the first thing on his mind at their reunion. And so he caged her protectively between his strong arms and legs; careful to hold the vast majority of his weight over her so that he did not squish her or their baby.

“A baby girl?!” He blinked, mouth slightly agape. A little girl running about the halls! Imagine that! “That’s wonderful!” He grinned and moved to lay by her side, coaxing her so that she lay facing him. To help keep her warm, he drew the blankets over them so that his lover could be comfortable. Although his erection bordered on painful stiffness and the animal part of him gnawed at his mind, William would do everything he could to reassure his darling Lenia that she was still the most ravishing creature he had ever seen.

“Obese?!” William laughed as he kissed her nose lightly. What a silly thing to say, she was pregnant, not obese! “Don’t be ridiculous. You are -the- most beautiful woman I have ever laid my eyes on. And now you are all the more wonderful for carrying our baby. I love you, and I love your body.” His large hand moved between them to palm her belly; even though he lived in the castle, he hadn’t stopped practicing with his sword or working, as could be told by how calloused his hands still were. He gently stroked and caressed the bump, his fingers tentatively running along the scar. Well…at least it was a small assurance that his Lenia and their baby were both strong, tough women.

“Hah! She kicked!!!!” The young knight beamed as he felt a bit of pressure against his hand. “She’s going to be an amazing warrior, just you wait and see.” William had the biggest grin on his face as he felt the soft thumps against Lenia’s stomach. They were alright…both his girls were safe. And their daughter appeared to be strong and healthy! Perhaps he was getting ahead of himself to think that their daughter was going to be a brave knight before she became Queen. But it was nice to dream that she’d be a strong leader like her mama, and a brave warrior like her father.

“Lenia…” William murmured after a moment of thought, leaning over to kiss her temple. “Would you prefer a relaxing bath and then to go to bed? I can wait to have you… Don’t get me wrong, I do I want you, so very, very badly… I just don’t want to hurt you or the baby.” He said with a content sigh as he nuzzled at her neck. He did truly want to ravish her, to plunge his throbbing manhood into her slick heat and to finally make her cry out his name as he so craved. But he was afraid for her health. The swell of her stomach was much more prominent now. While it wasn’t massive, it was in proportion to her slight form and much bigger than when he had seen her last.

His reaction was priceless; she loved that grin of his. Her mind worked with his: a little bob of long raven hair running around the halls, screaming and throwing wooden objects to every maid and chamber maid in the halls, exclaiming that she was just trying to be like her papa. William's reassurance made her relax a little, too. While she agreed with him deep down, it was nice to hear it. "I love you, too. And I can safely say that I quite love your body, too," she added, a wink in one eye. His hands moved to her belly, just the way she remembered his strong fingers, and he paused a moment after a small thump. He loved it.

Laughing softly, when he exclaimed she kicked, Lenia nodded quickly, smiling ear to ear. "Of course! She knows her father's here now," Lenia added and laughed softly as William exclaimed how great a warrior she'd be. "We'll see!" Her hesitant voice added; she wouldn't have to think that far so soon, but Lenia would be proud, no matter what her child decided to do or become. She'd love her little girl no less. Facing him, she clung to the blankets shivering a little. She was very sensitive to these colder times, and when he approached her again, asking if she'd prefer and a bath and bed inside, his young princess closed her eyes and sighed, nodding. She was truly exhausted.

But when he mentioned he could wait, that he didn't want to hurt her, she reached out, touching the side of his face, stroking it with her fingertips. "A bath and bed sound nice.. but why don't you have me first as an appetizer?" Maybe that would get him cooking to full steam once more. Leaning in, she kissed him tenderly, her lips pulling back to kiss his jaw, trailing the light touches down his throat and along his neck and sternum. "If I feel any pain, mm, I'll, mm, tell you," she added between her joyful time just tasting his sweet skin once more.

With that, she moved herself back onto his back, propping her head up against the pillows. She really couldn't do anything exotic or outrageous like she slightly wished to, but she would give him what she could in this position. Allowing him to take a hold of her legs, to spread her for him, she groaned at just his face. He seemed to enjoy what he saw; his pregnant lover, still damp after being cleaned, ready for him. Feeling the head of his member push into her, she clenched her teeth, whimpering softly. It and been far too long - she was tight, she could feel it, but he continued inward, pushing past any barrier in his way, until he was nearly all inside of her. Crying out softly when he began to penetrate her, she nodded up to him. "I-I love it, Will." Was all she could utter out. She wanted to say something else, but a soft cry escaped her lips.

"Th-They'll hear us now," she added, but her concern wasn't as grave as it use to be. His rhythm with her was set, her body moving against him, her walls falling to his embrace as he nestled himself inside of her and then popped out, then back in once more. Lenia groaned softly, a hand coming to his hand that rested near her hip, placing her soft fingers over his as he steadied himself. Her othe hand moved above her head, relaxed in her slightly shorter waves of hair than the once extremely long cascading waves. It was then did she decided to make him work harder. She knew he was still being careful and conscious of her. Half her appreciated it. Her body would give out, but she hoped to get an orgasm or two in there before her stamina gave way. She wouldn't push her body to the extreme for fear of damaging her health and that of the baby's. When she said stop, she knew William would.

"Ah, ah, is-is that all William? Isn't your big cock hungry for me?" She teased him, but was only received with a yelp as he bucked his hips into her, feeling his member hit her favorite, delicious spot. He certainly was willing to prove her wrong; she would be more than happy to give him a desert before the meal. How she longed to have his juicy shaft between her pretty cherry lips, sucking and rubbing. How excited it made her feel when they experimented back in Astor's home. She planned on experimenting a lot more after her pregnancy. Already, with his mad thrusts, she was growing tired, and after a little while, she released her first orgasm, crying his name out as he wholeheartedly intended to. If he was done, so be it, if he wanted to continue, she'd do her best. But he was probably going to have to carry her around to the bath, to the bed, and even to breakfast tomorrow morning. How embarrassing...

William hummed happily as delicate fingers stroked the side of his face. He always did love Lenia’s touch; especially when her slender digits ran through his hair and beard. The young knight perked at the mention of having her as ‘an appetizer’. And groaned happily as her lips trailed feather-light kisses down his neck and chest, making his cock twitch in anticipation as he remembered her mouth wrapped around him. But she stopped short of his stomach and his throbbing erection; instead backing away to coyly lay herself back onto the pillows

“You are so very beautiful…” William murmured as he took in the sight of his lover splayed out before him. How he had missed her… And she had missed him apparently as well. The pink slit of her sex glistening with her arousal even though he had licked her clean. He coaxed her legs apart just a touch more as he knelt between them, gave her one more kiss on the lips, and then began the task of slowly easing the bulbous head of his cock into her slick heat. He groaned loudly at her tightness and took hold of her hips to help keep her from squirming away from the pain.

“Shhh…just relax…” William tried to help soothe her with a deep, comforting tone as he eased more of his thick shaft into her. He stroked her thighs as he watched her face, trying to gauge her pain and adjust his pace as to not cause her too much discomfort. The way her folds fluttered and clenched around him was driving him mad and testing his patience. He wanted desperately to ram the entirety of his manhood into her and start thrusting; but a glance down at the swell of her stomach made even his animal side give pause. So slowly, gently he thrust his thick cock into her, letting loose a loud groan as he savored the sweet feeling of her warmth.

“I think –you’re- the one that’s hungry for my cum.” William retorted with a grin, his voice coated with that animalistic growl as he bucked his hips forward suddenly. “Come on…scream for me…let the whole castle hear that you belong to me…” He rumbled softly as he picked up his pace, starting to let out traces of the animal that wanted nothing more than to flip her onto her stomach with her perfect rear in the air so that he could fuck her silly. A shiver ran down his back, tempting him with the temptation, but he managed to hold back, knowing that Lenia would be exhausted from just this position…

But after their baby was born, all bets would be off.

Two months away from her had been enough to deplete his stamina. He hadn’t touched another woman, nor himself for that matter. As the woman he loved finally reached her peak, crying out his name and trembling under him, William couldn’t help but ram his entire cock into her, as deeply as he could go. With a groan his thick manhood twitched, releasing the first spurt of his thick cum into her. And after a couple more rough thrusts to coax out every drop of his seed, he finally slowed down to a stop. He couldn’t help but give a soft chuckle as Lenia lay there; completely and utterly exhausted with their mixed arousal slowly dripping from her full pussy and onto the covers.

“I guess we’re going to have to make love a lot more in order to bring your strength up to where it once was.” William couldn’t help but tease. He knew that carrying their little one was tiring though and that Lenia must be completely and utterly spent. “I’ll get the bath ready and then come right back for you.” He leaned forward, kissing her softly on the lips. Then slowly, with a soft grunt he pulled his spent cock out of her, letting out a little whimper of disappointment because he truly did love to be buried inside of her and joined in such an intimate way. “I love you…but don’t fall asleep just yet.” He kissed he forehead lightly after climbing out of bed to set himself on the task of drawing their bath.

William carried her about as though she weighed nothing and aided her as best he could in the bathtub and afterwards so that she would be ready for bed. Brushing her hair turned out to be a task that he was –really- not suited for. And he prayed that Lenia would always be around so that -she- could deal with their daughter’s hair. But finally they were ready for bed and he could tuck Lenia in under the thick down comforters that would keep them warm all through the night.

“I love you, my future queen.” William whispered as he kissed her temple and wrapped his strong arms about her, holding her protectively in a big spoon position. He rested his hand over her belly, to help provide warmth and protection to their little one as well before going off to sleep.

"Thank you," she whispered softly back to him as his kisses began to coax her into spreading her legs a little further for him. William didn't waste anybody's time; and she loved that so very much about him. "Oh, Will," she whispered heated in her arousal and biting her lip before licking it clean. With a final kiss, he sealed their bond by pushing the head of his member against her entrance. She tensed up immediately. Lenia couldn't help it, her body reacted as naturally as it could. Exhaling sharply, she squeezed her eyes shut, pushing back upon his shoulders in sexual frustration.

William told her to relax and she tried, she really did, but her lower lips were throbbing around him as he slowly sunk himself in. Crying out, she bit her knuckles and looked up to him, blinking hard. He began to penetrate her, easing himself halfway in and out of her. "Oh, oh, yes," she breathed to his wolfish grin and response. Biting her lip, her breasts rolled back and then forward, her mounds pressed and kneaded by his strong chest that often rested against her own. When his hips bucked suddenly, she gasped and nearly choked on her own saliva.

She felt her toes curl back, her legs balancing around his strong hips, crying out only for him, just for him alone. "William, William, William!" She cried his name out and let out a soft cry as her peak came closer and closer, her release near. When he could feel it - he knew her too well - he thrust the entire force of his thick, hot cock inside of her and came when she did just moments before. She could feel the warm, hot liquid fill her body where it seemed to push against her womb that held their growing baby. Her body trembled at the orgasm, the reaction and slowly but surely, her back slipped back against the sheets, exhausted.

The sweat on her brow was glistening against her warm glow of her body heat. She kissed him softly, her lips wet from biting, licking and trying to hungrily grab at his lips. Her inner thighs were wet with his cum and she loved every second of it. One of these days, he was going to spill his cum on every ounce of her body, covering her in his delicious seed. It made her aroused just thinking about it; her nipples peaking to grow hard again. "Yes... yes, I think we should do that," her hoarse voice called, flashing him a small smile.

When he gave her a final kiss, he pulled his soft cock from her flower as she whimpered and gripped his wrist. She hated it when he pulled out, but he couldn't stay inside of her forever. When he stood to start her bath, she nodded slowly and blew him a kiss as he did so. She was tempted to sleep, but made her promise to her lover. Blowing some messy hair from her eyes when he returned, she reached her hands up, knowing he was always a gentleman after their delicious, naughty love making. Goodness, once they had their beautiful baby girl... she wouldn't let him hold back. Not that she needed to tell him.

After their bubble bath, William offered to brush her hair. Something no man had ever done. She loved it. It was slightly erotic for her as she leaned her head back. "It's alright," she whispered, giggling when he snagged a tangle in her hair, brushing too hard. Lenia didn't even blink him the pain, swallowing it down. Yikes! But, the pain was over before it began and she exhaled slowly, smiling she relaxing under his strokes with the brush. Finally, they were back in bed and when he said he loved her, calling her his future queen, she blinked a little and then smiled when he kissed her brow and held her to him. It was easily to sleep with him close to her.

----

There was a thunderous pounding at the door, causing to Lenia to nearly jump, her shoulders trembling at the sound. But she sat up a little before William and kissed his brow before standing up and slipping the duvet around herself. Oops. She didn't really have clothes. Opening the door to the frantic James who looked as though he had run through the entire town and back again. "M-Milady, forgive me, and goodness, where are your clothes? Ahem! Well, I must ask that King William report downstairs for his daily duties."

"Oh," Lenia said softly, the words slipping from her innocent rounded lips. "William, you have to be a king again today," she teased her lover and James who looked a little peeved by this. "Milady, perhaps I can offer you a more comfortable room down the hall. And... of course, I will be purchasing you clothes immediately. Berges has a lovely fashion regalement. Granted, we are not as grand as Argis' silks produce but--"

"I would be honored to wear anything by a seamstress in Berges. Do you mind giving us a few moments? I promise to be a good princess and not delay your King."

James raised an eyebrow before nodding and excusing himself, preparing William's grand buffet of breakfast with all of his comrades waiting for him at the table including Geoffrey and Charles. Lenia turned back to the groggy William and she rested the duvet back upon their bodies. Tracing the muscles in his chest, she bit her lip and smiled. "Big day for the King, hm?" She wanted to tease him further, but she touched her belly a moment, wincing. "Oh, someone also wants to get up today." Sitting up, she found that stretching helped as she rubbed her belly and smiled. "Papa is going to get dressed, maybe we should find some clothes around here, hm? Oh, William, may I wear some of your clothes?" Her innocent, but teasing voice called, tilting her head as she naked body sat up a little, her breasts teasing his pecks as she slowly grinder them against him. Her belly bump pressing gently into his lower torso, leaning sideways against him as not to crush him. That was the last thing she needed for gaining all this weight anyway!

This was the problem with sleeping in a comfortable bed: William never wanted to get up out of it in the morning. Years of sleeping in cold tents and on hard mats had him waking up with dawn in order to not be subject to the abuse of the ground as he slept. But now that he had a nice, comfortable bed that was occupied by the woman he loved, he didn’t want to get out of it before he had to.

With a grunt he blindly grabbed at Lenia as the mattress shifted and she left their bed. He gave a groan of displeasure when his lover said that he ‘had to be king again today’ before rolling onto his other side and trying to fall back asleep. Being king involved a lot of boring meetings and a lot of kissing ass – er…networking – and that was not something he particularly enjoyed. He was a protector, not a politician.

“Mmmm…I love your touch…” He mumbled as her delicate fingers traced the defining lines of his muscles. But when he heard the slight bit of pain in her voice, he was immediately awake and concerned. Lenia was such a little thing…he knew that carrying the baby was probably very taxing for her. And if she was experiencing pain and discomfort now, he shuddered to think what was going to happen when she went into labor.

But he wasn’t going to be one of those fathers that stayed out of the room when she gave birth. No way! He was going to be there and hold her hand and do whatever it was that good husbands did. …Which was probably take a beating; from what he understood, women hated their lovers during childbirth, to the point where they would curse and hit at them.

“Are you alright?” William rested his hand over Lenia’s stomach and leaned over to kiss her cheek. When she assured him that their daughter was just being a little more active this morning, he nodded and nuzzled at her neck, peppering light kisses on the sensitive flesh. “-My- clothes?” William chuckled and wrapped his arms about her. When she turned to tease her breasts against his muscular chest, he couldn’t help but give her a playful growl. His hand came down, giving her behind a light smack! for tempting him so early in the morning with her nude body.

“Naughty minx…maybe we should indeed get you dressed, and soon, before I decide to have –you- for breakfast.” With a grin, he kissed her quickly on the lips, not chancing anything longer for fear of pouncing atop her and ravishing her. James would probably grow frantic if he was late to breakfast. So he slid out of bed, gave his tall, powerful form a good stretch, and then moved to his closet to find something to wear for the day. He laid out a tunic for Lenia, something that was so long that it would probably look like a short dress on her. And he left her one of his belts to help take it in. “Not a dress…but at least something to keep you warm for a little while, until James can find you something.” He smiled before heading back to his wardrobe to get dressed.

The royal tailor had insisted that William have new clothes as king. And so William had agreed…on the condition that his wardrobe be kept simple and functional. So the tailor had made a compromise: his clothing was simple with very little embellishment, but dyed saturated, royal colors and made of finer materials. He tugged on a handsome green tunic, black leather pants, as well as his sword and scabbard. He tried his best to fix his bed-head in the mirror by running his fingers through the short strands a couple of times.

“You may come down to breakfast with me if you like.” He said as he turned around to face her, taking her into his arms and giving her a nice, warm hug. “The wives usually take their breakfast in the other dining room, but I’m sure the men won’t mind your company.” Frankly he thought the women snuck off to the smaller, cozier dining hall so that they weren’t subject to the horribly boring talk of stuck up advisors or the crude speech of rowdy knights. And even though his chivalrous friends slipped into more…raunchy topics when left in the company of other young men, Will was sure they’d clean up their language in the presence of a lady. “But I must hurry down there before James sends a search party. I will do my best to have lunch with you; dinner for certain.”

Although he would have loved to spend the entire day with Lenia, he knew that he had duties and burdens that he must shoulder. Berges suffered from harsh winters, dragons, bandits, barbarians and pirates. But this was home, and he loved his home and wanted to make sure it was taken care of as best he could. “I love you, I will see you later.” He gave his half dressed Lenia a kiss on the lips, then leaned down and gave her belly a light kiss as well. “Love you too, little one.” And then with a smile he left the room to let her finish getting dressed.

---

Later couldn’t come soon enough. There was a reason that James had been so eager to find him that morning. William’s breakfast had turned into a meeting with several generals of the Berges army. There were reports of a lot of activity on their northeastern border. Barbarians, most likely. As hard as it was to survive winters in Berges, it was much harder in the mountain range that bordered then north and curved around the eastern side of the kingdom.

To make matters worse, Tristan was likely the one leading them. As cowardly and slimy as the exiled king was, he was a master strategist. It made William nervous…and by the time the dinner hour rolled around, he was pacing nervously in the dining hall as he waited for Lenia to come down. He couldn’t compete with Tristan when it came to planning a war. But he –could- raise the morale of the men by joining them on the front lines.

He just…hoped she wouldn’t cry when he told her his plan.

She yelped a little when he smacked her from behind. "Stop thaaaat," she hissed softly and scooted off of him, bowing her head a little in an attempt to apologize for her lewd behavior so early in the morning. He loved it, she knew that. "Don't be silly, you'll have plenty to keep you full downstairs," Lenia added a little sad that they really couldn't go at it again. She knew that he had quite a bit to do today. She, being a royal for far longer, understood the little duties needed. The long mornings, the even longer dinners... Lenia could only understand offer him a little support whenever she could.

Watching him stretch, she admired him from behind and sighed softly in contact. Her King was so lovely to look at. She giggled at the notion. William had really done it. He had become a King so soon but never truly left his Knighthood behind him. If anything, he managed to somehow incorporate the two of them in his own way. He was King though; he could do whatever he wished. When he laid out the tunic and belt, she thanked him softly and nodded. "It's alright. You know I am not picky," she added and slipped into her lingerie, finding that the corset was now a thing of her past, and the lingerie bra designed for her was still a little tight. But that's what came with pregnancy.. bigger breasts. Much to William's little delight.

"Really, I wouldn't want to bother James. He's always so busy," Clipping the belt beneath her belly, Lenia examined herself in the mirror. She looked a little silly, but... hopefully, if what William said was true, she wouldn't look like a little whore who had had a round in the hay with the king and as a result, got knocked up. Frowning, she turned to William and quickly changed her focus. "William, please, it's quite alright. I understand your duties, I know them all too well. If anything, I should be sending word to my family as will Myrtle." She knew she was going to have a lot to explain to Argis, but she prayed her family would pardon it if she married William. Finally. Something was going wonderfully well.

Following him, she said that she'd prefer to eat with the women, get to know the women of Berges and gave him a soft kiss in return, touching his arm. She licked her lips. "I love you, too." With another kiss to his belly, she ran her fingers through his hair before placing a gentle hand to his back and following him out the door.

--

Lenia dinning with the women was an.. interesting experience to say the least. Yes, word had spread that the princess of Argis had returned, and she brought back a crowned princess of Berges with her - well - inside of her. Many of the women welcomed her and wished to know all the wonderful tales that had only been spun by word. Lenia was happy to comply, in no position to pass up on a friendship or a bond.

"Darling, where in heavens name did you get that dress?" An older woman laughed a little mockingly and Lenia frowned looking down a moment before tilting her chin back up in the woman's direction. "It's the king's tunic, actually. I don't have much to wear with my final days of pregnancy..."

"So the king prefers his little vixen to run around in practically nothing?"

Actually, he would, wouldn't you William? Lenia couldn't help but think.

"Gianna! Do not speak to the princess of Argis such a way," a kind, younger woman with dark hair and blue eyes called, taking Lenia's hand since they were both sitting next to one another. She had been a young duchess, her four sisters agreeing and standing beside the young princess of Argis. They knew and believed the tales that were told, perhaps because they loved the way it spun, or because they believed that a love that their new king and the princess of Argis shared was so pure, so passionate. How could they not respect it? So what if the princess came down in a tunic and belt! She still looked gracious in her mannerisms and in her polite posture.

"I see no princess," the older woman scoffed and a few of the older woman at the table, royal as they were, tended to agree with nods and whispers at the table. Lenia, never in her life, had to fight for her title. Things were given to her. While she was not entirely spoiled as a woman in the royal house, now she knew what it was like to be... well... disliked. And it was natural. It upset her, as it would any human. While she to bite back, held her tongue. They were right. The way she appeared, the way she was now in Berges without a dowery, without an army, she had no power. The only person she could truly rely on was William. She wouldn't speak of this, it would only make him upset.

Pushing any crying or feminine hormones down, past her belly, past her eggs, past wherever else they would trigger, Lenia offered the table a smile and thanked her new, young friends at the table. "Thank you for your kindness. And milady, you are correct, I certainly look like no princess. I look like a pauper to your King!" She received a few delicate chuckles (even a few from the older women) and Lenia took the small victory, even though she knew she may never win some of them over. If she had to prove herself, let it be giving birth to a royal child. That was step one; making sure their little girl was safe in the new world she opened her eyes to.

Upon finding William at dinner, she smiled and held out her arms, running up to him. "William!" She cried, and hugged him happily. She was wearing a white and peppered with flowers dress. It felt so comfortable to wear! And they took it out in the front, just for her pregnant belly "Isn't this dress wonderful, honey? Oh..? Wait, why do you look so sour? I even put a flower in my hair," she pouted and pointed to the large white flower resting gently behind her ear, her pretty brown waves just touching her shoulders in their volume. Though it was not the long cascades of hair once before, she knew they would grow back, it always did, and quickly too. "What's wrong?"

His plan was... disheartening to say the least. Lenia did not cry, she looked down a moment, placing a hand to his chest and then looked back up at him, smiling. "I understand if you must go... but if I have the baby alone, or you are late, will you promise to bring me something? Flowers. Please bring me roses when you return home. Don't ask me why, please, just do so. Will you promise that to me? I can assure you I will be brave if I am alone. I have met so many wonderful people here in Berges. The baby and I will be in good hands, and no doubt Myrtle will find a way to be here. I know you will return to me in haste." She touched the necklace around his neck and carefully touched the golden, simple band around her finger in a sealing bond. Lenia smiled.

It wasn't fair…he'd been without her for so long. And now that she was here, right within his grasp…he had to leave; to make sure that they would be safe. William sighed softly, running his fingers through his hair. How was he going to tell her…? His pacing and thoughts were interrupted by the soft footfalls of his beloved entering the dining hall. His lips cracked into a smile, though his eyes appeared to be troubled still as she approached, looking as ravishing as ever.

“You look beautiful…” William gently stroked the small of her back to help soothe her. Lenia had been the most beautiful woman he had –ever- seen from the moment he laid eyes on her. But in this dress…she looked as though she were glowing in the end stages of her pregnancy.

“I’m sorry darling…I just…” He sighed softly, rubbing the back of his neck nervously. He didn’t like to be the bearer of bad news. “I need to leave for the frontlines. There are reports of barbarian armies coming this way, led by Tristan. And I…I’m not a strategist like he is. But the men will take courage if I go out there with them and show them I am not afraid to fight alongside them. Sometimes morale is all it takes to change the tide of a battle.” Besides, how could he ask the men that served him to make the ultimate sacrifice if he himself was not willing to? He was still young, he could still lift a sword. King or not, he was an able-bodied man just as much as any soldier in his army.

Lenia took the news quite well. His lover’s bravery made him smile and the burden of choice feel less heavy. William placed his battle-worn hand over her more delicate one, pressing her hand lightly so that she could feel his heart that beat only for her.

"I will try my hardest to be home as soon as possible…I don't want to miss the birth of our little one." He kissed the top of her forehead gently. “But if I am late, I promise to bring you roses.” He gave a slight nod and a tender kiss to her lips to seal the deal.

“Come, let’s forget about all that for now and just have a nice dinner together… and I have something special planned for us after our meal.” And with that, he led Lenia to their seats so that they could have a pleasant dinner before he unveiled his little surprise.

---



After dinner, William led Lenia out to the stables for her little surprise: a romantic, twilight carriage ride through the snow-covered city. The stable master was already waiting for them with a simple open-top sleigh that would be pulled by a beautiful white draft horse. There were fur blankets and find cloaks waiting for them when they got there. It was a mild winter night, but still rather chilly.

“I thought you might like to get a better look of the kingdom.” He said as him and Lenia got all nice and bundled up. William helped her up to into the carriage as soon as they were ready and then grabbed the reins. No guards would be accompanying them; but he had specifically chosen a very plain horse and sleigh, as well as hooded cloaks so that they just looked like a normal couple enjoying a sleigh ride. “Hyah!” He cried, and they were off, out of the stables, through the castle garden (bye Astor!), then past the walls and into the city.

It was close to Christmas and so many of the homes in the village had candles in their windows, wreaths on their doors, and lovely red bows all over their trees and fences. The sun was slowly setting, and William was glad to see that the sky was clear so that they’d have a lovely view of the moon and stars for their journey back to the castle.

William guided the sleigh up towards a lonely hill that overlooked the city. Once they were stopped, he turned over to his lover to give her a kiss. Even on this chilly night, William was a natural furnace, pouring out heat. “Sooo…I got you something, because I know I will miss Christmas.”

He pulled out a small box that was poorly wrapped in foil. He –really- wasn’t made for delicate work, but William had wanted to do it on his own. Inside was a lovely golden necklace with a dragon pendant. “It’s from my sword…I had a bit of it cut off to fashion the pendant. I thought you might like something to replace the necklace you had given me.”

Lenia had always been understanding, and she wouldn't change now, especially for William's cause. She had fierce trust in him, and amongst anything, she actually believed in him. Besides... he was a Dragon Lord now. Had that not meant anything? As he kissed her forehead, she looked up and nodded slowly, her eyes flicking up to meet his and she smiled. "Yes, of course," she added lightly and allowed his arm to move into her own as they moved to the dining hall to eat and then, to engage in a surprise he had planned.

--

A soft laugh escaped her lips, the breath of air formed into a light fog as she reached for William's hand as they headed into the snowy fields and toward the stable. What awaited them was a beautiful sleigh ride. The horse looked powerful, it's white mane still managing to stand out against the blankets of snow that surrounded them. Lenia turned back to William, nodding, her gloved mittens touching his arm. "Yes, it's beautiful! I'd love to see the kingdom," she added and was seated happily in the sleigh, relaxing her back and finding it was very comfortable. Turning to William when he grabbed the reins, she slipped the hood up and leaned back a little when they headed outside the castle walls.

The cold chill hit her face, but she didn't mind as they headed down a path that William seemed comfortable with, the incredible simple and quaint homes inviting as smoke blew from their chimneys. The decorations looked beautiful on their red roofs and it inspired Lenia to decorate the castle even after William was gone. She wanted things to look beautiful for him, for the baby. William led the sleigh up a large hill, all by its lonesome, to a small stop and Lenia went to speak, but found warm lips pressed against her own. Moaning softly, she reached up and placed a hand to the side of his face, not wanting him to leave her so soon; her favorite heat source. "William, you didn't have to," she whispered, frowning and shook her head.

But when he pulled the small box - ignoring the wrapping and chuckling softly when he fumbled with it - his young lover didn't mind, when he opened the golden necklace. A small gasp emitted from her lips and she bit her lip, a small smile creeping up. It was beautiful and it was a a personal gift from William. "It's beautiful," she whispered and removed her mittens a moment and took the golden like string and carefully wrapped it about her neck and placed a hand to his chest. "Look, now we match," she could feel the small engraved necklace about his own neck, with her pendant she had given him so long ago. Leaning up, she kissed him again. He could no doubt tell her lips were cold by the weather and quivering, but she kept smiling for him, because she didn't want this moment to fade.

Though, of course, when the night came, a wolf howled, it was time to go. Lenia kept herself warm by being near him, holding to the blankets and carefully slipping the hood from her cape as he helped her down, and back into the castle. Lenia headed up to their room, knowing William would have to pack. Hopefully he would join her before he left. She was exhausted, she couldn't help it, as a few maids helped her out of her clothes and into a silky, simple night dress that accented her many curves and the large swell of her breasts. "Thank you," she asked when he left, leaving her hot tea with a pinch of honey on the side. Sipping at it, she sat down at the desk, and began to write to her own kingdom. She wanted to keep her family in the loop, praying that Myrtle had mended some damage done by their little stunt. She wanted to keep a good relationship with Argis, of course. If she had to return there, she would, but Berges, here, would be her new home. Lenia wanted to raise the baby here, but did not war to completely diminish her homeland from view.

When William returned after his business, Lenia welcomed him back. She had been resting in the bed and sat up, kissing him tenderly and reached up, wrapping her arms around his neck. "You're leaving me tomorrow, aren't you?" She whispered and leaned in, kissing the tip of his nose lightly. "Who will run this kingdom? Honestly, I cannot... you know I am not of Berges. They will not let me take hold, though I have experience," she added, shrugging a little. Perhaps William had an adviser of royal birth he could... rely on? She was curious to know his plans and would of course, remain faithful to any all of his decisions.

Once they returned to the castle and their bedroom, William left Lenia with a couple of tender kisses before finally forcing himself away from her. He really did need to pack. Time was off the essence and he couldn’t afford to be late tomorrow. He needed to lead the armies straight after breakfast. William couldn’t deny that part of him was elated to be going off to war. He loved fighting for the greater good, it was why he had become a Knight after all, but his stay in the castle as King had been full of a lot less fighting and a lot more of political dancing. And while William was a fine dancer, he would much rather use his sword.

“I will be back soon, I promise.” William gave Lenia one final kiss before retreating from their room and towards the Armory and then Stables so that all of his gear was near his horse and ready to be loaded up in the morning.

---

“What are you doing?” William’s brow was furrowed as he happened upon Charles loading up both their horses. Ever since William had become King, Charles’ path toward Knighthood had sort of veered off course. They still trained every day, William continued the boy’s lessons whenever he had time and was not bothered by his kingly duties; however, Charles had been cooped up in the castle for the last month rather than traveling on the road and working. He could understand the Squire’s urge to leave the safety of the Keep and ride off to war and adventure, but William didn’t want that for him…it wasn’t safe. Tristan and the barbarians would show no mercy if they happened upon a young Squire wielding a sword.

“I’m packing to come too.” Charles looked at William, head canted to the side and eyes full of confusion. What a silly question to ask! What did it look like he was doing? His place was by his Master, and so with his Master he would go off to war.

“No, you’re not. You’re going to stay here.”

“WHAT?! That’s not fair!” The young Squire yelped his disapproval, a lot louder than he had meant to. But it wasn’t fair! He was supposed to go to war like all the other men! Not stay behind with the women, children, and elderly. “I don’t need to be treated like a child. I’m fifteen, I’m old enough to go off to war with you, Sir. I’m ready William…please…all the other Squires are going. Why can’t I?”

Indeed, part of the reason William didn’t want Charles coming along was because the boy was so young. They had gone on countless adventures together, true, but Charles had never actually been to war. He didn’t know what it was like to march on an empty stomach, to freeze in the mountains, to see the fields of bodies… No, William couldn’t take his friend along, he was too young to be burdened with those sorts of visions. And while it was true that many of the other Squires were going to be traveling with their Knights, there were other reasons for his wanting the boy to stay. “I know…and I’m not treating you like a child! Though I will if you throw a tantrum like one.” William scolded, irked that Charles was not keen on following his orders. “But I trust you as a man to guard my lover and child with your life. You must protect Lenia. We are at war, there will be assassins; and if we fail… Tristan and his horde will take this castle. You must be her shadow and protect her… and be her guide back to Argis should we lose this battle.”

“Sir…” Charles’ eyes welled up with tears. He didn’t like hearing the harsh reality that William and his men may very well fail. And it tugged at his heartstrings to know that William was entrusting him with such an important task! Guarding the new soon-to-be Queen and Princess was a task for William’s personal guard! Though…it appeared that Andrew and Anthony were not staying behind to protect Lenia, they would be going to war in the hopes of fighting off Tristan and shielding their wives and families from a brutal barbarian assault; leaving Charles here to pick up the task of keeping Lenia safe.

“Come now, don’t be upset.” William had always understood Charles to be a sensitive young man, but he didn’t think that the boy would be so emotionally overwhelmed by the task at hand.

“I won’t let you down Sir, I promise. I will take good care of the Princess and your child.”

“There’s a good lad.” William smiled, relieved, and clapped his young friend on the shoulder, chuckling softly as Charles’ knees buckled a bit under the force of his hand. “Perhaps you will grow to be a couple inches taller while I am away and be a greater force to be reckoned with when we spar. Now come, help me load up a couple more things so that I may go to bed and get some rest for tomorrow’s march.”

---

It only took him an hour or two to finish up the business of packing, and getting a reluctant haircut and beard trimming from James who had managed to hunt William down before he went to bed. He was glad to see Lenia when he came back to their room, and though his heart was heavy from the fact that he would be leaving in the morning, he would not let that ruin his final evening with her.

“Mhmm…” William rumbled an affirmative softly as he took a seat on the edge of the bed, his lips curling into a smile as Lenia placed a kiss on the tip of his nose. He returned the kiss with a light one to her lips before standing back up so that he could strip down and get ready for bed.

“The Viceroy will be running the kingdom while I am away. His name is Jarvis…he’s a good man, I trust him. He can be cold, but he is fair in all of his decisions.” A couple of tugs and his shirt was off of him, tousling his black hair that James had just cut and styled. William chucked it into the hamper and then kicked off his boots and removed his trousers, setting them off to the side as well. He glanced down at his chest, full of scars and burns from dragon’s breath, he never did quite understand what a refined woman like Lenia saw in a rough and tumble man like him. But he wouldn’t question it, his Princess made him exceedingly happy and he was grateful for her everyday.

“He has six daughters, all of whom he loves dearly.” Jarvis was always so much nicer to the fairer sex, though he was incredibly strict. “So I am sure he will be very pleasant to you if you wish to meet with him. I will instruct him that while you and I are not married yet, to take into consideration any advice or rulings you may have.” William turned back around to face his lover and then quickly strode over to the bed so that he could slide under the covers with his Lenia. He joined their lips in a slow, sensual kiss, his strong arms wrapping around her body, protectively grasping his lover that he would have to leave in the morning.

“But do not worry yourself too much while I am away…it’s not good for the little one. I’ve ordered Charles to stay behind, so you will have him to stay with you. Many of the guards who are staying behind are older men, but they are retired knights and skilled warriors… And Astor will be here, even though his wings are gone he can still breathe fire and scare any invaders away. I’m sure no harm will come to you or the baby.” William’s left hand drifted downwards to palm Lenia’s swollen belly and he smiled brightly when he felt a little kick against his massive hand.

Lenia knew. She knew he wouldn't keep her. She trusted, had faith in this man that she had loved so easily, so happily, and so wonderfully. How could she give up on him? When William returned from his packing, he had his hair cut - a special thanks to James of course, and headed back in their bedroom. Lenia had fixed a few fresh flowers in the vase. She had visited the dragon who, bless him, seemed moody, tired, and confused. He wished to fly, and Lenia would do her best to try and find some cure. She would begin by asking around in the local area and then turning to her aunt for more answers. When he joined her on the bed, she smiled and tilted her head up when he kissed her lightly and finished himself for bed.

Resting her head back more comfortably against the pillow, she leaned up at him when William spoke of the Viceroy - Jarvis - would act as a sort of standard, or a guardian and in this time, make decisions. "Of course," she responded lightly, trusting William's opinion. She had to? Who else could she trust here in this new home? She had come here as a prisoner and soon to be made a queen when he returned, hopefully. Touching the dragon's kept ring on her finger, Lenia kissed it softly before turning back to him, finding their eyes catching. A hand lay idle on her belly, tapping it as if ready to have this baby sooner than later. She couldn't wait to move and run more comfortably. She had sort of missed that girlish youth and hoped, even through maturing, she'd never use that youth. If anything, their child would certainly keep her active.

"I would appreciate that. But I respect this, well, your kingdom. Rules are rules, I should know. I'll have to write to my father soon." She nodded and allowed him to lay beside her. Lenia turned a little and leaned up, enjoying the kiss he had granted her with. She would never tire of them, and cherished them today for she prayed they wouldn't be her lest. "I know," she replied softly. Even though William told her not to worry, it seemed he was worried well enough. Distracted from the kick their baby gave to her father, she laughed lightly and touched the scruff under his chin and along his jaw. "Look! James missed! How lucky for me, for I love your scruffy kisses," she nuzzled her cheek against his own, giggling lightly when he continued to tease her, tickle her with this motion. Tomorrow, he'd be gone for war and she would have to wait. Patience was a virtue, something Lenia possessed naturally as a born to be ruler, but when it came to the love of her life, well, it was certainly be more difficult. She knew what she had to do while he was away. "I am working on Astor. I remember reading something, somewhere. We'll get him to fly again. It's wrong to have so many health warriors around me losing their spark," she felt a pang of guilt, but promised herself that she too would grow stronger, after the child.

With another kiss, the two hugged one another close and Lenia drifted peacefully into sleep. She had been calm and cool about the situation. Lenia understand what they had to do now. Only time would tell.
---------

When next she woke, Lenia was happy to find William still at her side. Granted, he would follow her awakening as she kissed him, whispering good morning to him. "Wake up, William. Darling, I hear the drums outside," she whispered, a little sadness rising in her voice. She knew that the soldiers had arrived, the ones stationed here at least, were ready to ride and meet out the others to make sure that no more harm would come to this side of the country.

“Scruff?!?!” William pretended to be wounded at the accusation that his beard could be considered anything other than handsomely maintained. “I will show you scruff!” The new king growled playfully as he rubbed his beard against Lenia’s cheek, careful to keep his motions light because he did not wish to scratch her with the bristly hairs, merely tickle her.

“Truly?” William had never heard of such magic that would regrow dragon’s wings, but it lifted his spirtis to think that his reptilian friend would be getting back his ability to fly.

---

“Grrgmphf.” William grunted softly as Lenia’s stirrings drew him from his sleep. He didn’t want to go…he had missed his lover’s presence and was not looking forward to nights alone.

“I will miss you, my minx.” William murmured, leaning down and kissing his lover tenderly on the lips. “I will write to you whenever I can. And I will be home before you know it.” Then he knelt down, wanting to be level with his unborn child. He didn’t think that the baby could hear him…but just in case it would. “Be good for your mother.” William smiled and kissed the bump of Lenia’s belly. “And try to stay in there for as long as you can, daddy doesn’t want to miss you being born.”

He leaned in, whispering into Charles’ ear, he didn’t want to worry Lenia with his fear, “Trust no one but Lenia, understand? Friends can be made assassins with enough coin.” Then he clapped the boy on the shoulder and shook his hand. “