Chapter 18

The room was pitch black when Denae sat bolt upright in bed, throwing Jorgarn's arm off her shoulder. She felt uncomfortable and knew the reason why.

"Cläda," she muttered a curse in the Longview language that she recently learned. She could barely make out Jorgarn's eyes in the darkness. He, too, was awake.

"I need to get up," Denae said in an urgent voice. Jorgarn had awakened when Denae jumped but he was still groggy as he turned his hips to sit up. Denae slipped past him and walked across the room to her privacy chamber. Even in the darkness, he appreciated the way her body looked. Not even the make-shift undergarment could stop the smile that came to his lips.

Denae was frustrated and angry as she sat to clean the blood off her lower body and replaced the thinner covering with a thicker one that belted to her waist.

Why did this have to happen now? she thought bitterly. Why couldn't it have come after he left for Longview? I so wanted to spend the next two nights with him.

Jorgarn had lit a candle by the bedside and was in the process of inspecting the lower layer for bloodstains. After their conversation earlier, he understood why Denae had flown from the bed so quickly.

"Nothing on the bed," he said as she returned. He was surprised when Denae stopped dead in her tracks. She had expected Jorgarn to be gone. She had expected him to race to his chamber as quickly as he could. Instead he was on his knees with the covers pulled back when she walked back in. Then he lay back down as if nothing was wrong.

"You need to go," Denae said quietly. "I'm ... I'm unclean."

She could see Jorgarn's puzzled face in the light from the candle.

"Unclean?" he asked. "What does that mean exactly?"

"I'm bleeding," Denae said angrily. She gestured to her the region below her waist.

"I gathered that," Jorgarn said, still confused. "Why does that make you unclean? It's just blood, right? I mean, it's not something that I can catch, is it?"

"Of course not!" Denae said loudly. "It's just ... it's just that you have to go."

Jorgarn saw the reflection of tears on her face. He got out from beneath the coverlet quickly and put his arms around her gently.

"I don't think you're unclean," he whispered. "I've bled before. You've seen it. Do you remember when I got the scars on my back?"

"Of course I do!" Denae snapped. "It was only a few weeks ago. Do you think I'm stupid? I remember when you got them, how you got them and why you have them."

"What I remember most about the wound is how you reacted when you saw them," Jorgarn said gently. "I remember how sweet and caring you were. I remember how softly you removed the bandages to keep the pain to a minimum. I remember you doing everything in your power to make sure I felt better. I want to do the same for you."

"It's messy," Denae insisted.

"So if I am injured – either in battle or in training – you will expect to sleep by yourself until I completely heal?" Jorgarn wondered.

"No," Denae replied in a softer voice than her previous statements.

"It's blood, my sweet," Jorgarn said. "I've bled before and I'll bleed again. If you want me to go, I will. But I want you to understand that it is not my wish to go. It is my wish to give you as much comfort as you did for me – and as you will likely do for me in the future."

He smiled and kissed Denae softly on the cheek, then started for the door to their sitting room.

"Wait," Denae said softly. "You don't mind that I might bleed on you? You don't think that I'm dirty?"

"No and no," Jorgarn said evenly. "I do not think you're dirty and I don't worry about blood. So, may I stay?"

Denae nodded and Jorgarn slipped back into the bed. The couple had switched sides, so Jorgarn was nearer the wall. Denae lay on his left arm and he used his right to stroke her hair softly. In scant minutes, she had scooted her back closer to his front and fallen back to sleep.

Denae felt Jorgarn's warmth on her back and his hard member pressed firmly on her rear. His strong arms encircled her and for a moment she reveled in having him so close to her. Then she remembered her middle-of-the-night race to the privacy chamber. She shifted her hips farther away from Jorgarn, breaking the contact.

He grasped her small waist and pulled her back to him.

"I'm not ready to get up yet," he said into her ear. "I think we should stay this way all day."

"How long have you been awake?" Denae said as she again tried to pull away from him.

"A short while," he answered. "Not long. I like waking up with you. It makes me feel, I don't know, happy, I guess."

"I need to get up and change this thing," Denae said quietly. "I can feel that it's soaked though. I've probably got my blood all over you."

"It will wash off," Jorgarn said. "If it doesn't, you will be the only person to see it for years to come."

Denae's laughter caught Jorgarn off guard.

"We could have completed the act last night," she said as she rolled to face him. "We could have explained the blood on the sheets as my egg time."

"Completed the act?" Jorgarn wondered aloud. A picture entered his mind and he blushed furiously. "I promise that you will go to your marriage bed pure, Princess."

"Oh, I know," she said, still with a grin. "I was just saying that to see you blush. You've started to become entirely too comfortable with handling my body. Now, get your behind out of bed and see about finishing up this Longview business. You and I have much to do and I am tired of losing you to planning sessions."

She leaned forward and kissed him on the cheek.

"Yes, Your Most Exalted Bossiness," he replied with a laugh.

Denae flipped the cover back and glanced at Jorgarn's waist. There was no sign of blood on his legs or on his lower clothes. She took an appraising look at what her rear had been resting on. It was larger than what she had expected.

Jorgarn caught where she was looking and colored again. He pulled the coverlet back to his waist.

"Bah," Denae said as she stood. "I spend the night with that thing pressed against me and you get upset when I want to see what it looks like."

She leaned forward again and offered Jorgarn another kiss, this time on the lips.

"Good morning," she said. "And thank you for staying last night. I slept much better than I usually do when this time comes."

Jorgarn smiled his welcome.

"I'll make the utmost effort to be with you for our evening meal," he said. "I have to check the tidal chart with the captain to see when we will leave. I'll make sure you know if it is going to be early in the morning."

"Either way, I want you with me tonight," Denae said as she disappeared into her privacy chamber. "Even if it is only for a little while, I want you with me when I fall asleep. Promise me?"

"I promise," Jorgarn said as he made his way into his own chamber to make the final preparations for battle.

Denae was humming softly as she washed herself when Rayna entered. Her friend raised her eyebrows in surprise, particularly since she could see the gathering of material at the waist signaling the start of Denae's egg time.

"You seem happy this morning," Rayna ventured. The days preceding and the first day of Denae's flow were sometimes perilous.

"It was a good night," Denae said off-hand. "I slept very well."

"Really?" Rayna asked in surprise. Denae was usually grumpy and unhappy when she had to get up in the middle of the night for cleaning purposes. Rayna didn't begrudge the Princess her irksomeness because Rayna felt the same way. In fact, the pair was so close in every respect that their egg times usually occurred within a day of the other.

"I had a nice warm body pressed to my back," Denae confided. "It lessened my discomfort considerably."

"He slept through your trip to the chamber?" Rayna said with a shake of her head. "I'm surprised. But then I'm surprised that he was willing to stay at all."

Denae laughed.

"He was wonderful!" Denae said. "A little naïve about the ways of women – OK, a lot naïve – but he was sweet and caring and wonderful. I told him what was happening. I don't think anyone has had this discussion with him before because he was somewhat stunned. But he rubbed my stomach – and a little higher – which was amazing. I, uh..."

Denae trailed off with a blush before raising her head.

"I got myself across right beside him," Denae admitted. "We practiced tongue kissing and he rubbed my breasts. It felt so wonderful and I needed it so badly. So I did it. I expected him to be mortified but he just kissed me again and helped me continue it longer than I've ever gone before. He put his hand right on top of mine and it just kept going and going."

Rayna shook her head in amazement. She had never expected Denae to go so far so quickly and she certainly had never expected the staid, calm Jorgarn to participate as fully as he seemed to be doing. She also was surprised that Denae supplied a recap so readily. It boded well for their future plans.

"If you want to feel something really amazing, let him use his lips on your breasts," Rayna said with a smile. "Particularly during my egg time, it is a wonderful feeling. Did you help Jorgarn across, too?"

"I fell asleep," Denae admitted sheepishly.

"It's important that you appear interested in his pleasure, too," Rayna advised.

"I thought about it this morning when I woke up," Denae told her friend. "His pole felt so nice nestled against my back and my rear. It's a very nice pole, not at all like I was led to expect."

"You saw it!" Rayna said. "I was surprised when I saw Pernice's for the first time, too. I gather Pernice is larger than most men. It was frightening."

Denae seemed puzzled.

"I believe Jorgarn must be, too," she said. "From what Souina said, I expected something much smaller than I found. But I didn't see it. Well, not completely. It was still mostly covered by his under clothing. But I would expect it to be about this large."

She held her hands a distance apart.

"Really?" Rayna said with a grin. "I would guess Pernice is about that size. I have seen others – my brother's for example. Souina has seen more than I have, though. I gathered from our conversation that most were, well, smaller than Pernice. I wonder if Souina simply has poor luck."

Denae laughed along with her friend.

"I still can't believe Jorgarn slept through everything else though," Rayna continued. "I'll bet he was surprised this morning."

"He awoke last night and he didn't want to leave," Denae said happily. "He said there was nothing unclean about me and that he hoped I didn't send him away whenever he has bleeding. Then he lay down behind me and rubbed my hair until I fell asleep. I swear, I didn't move until it was light outside."

"Truly?" Rayna asked with interest.

"It appears that things are moving apace," Denae said. "I believe it won't be long until he's willing to battle the Creator herself for me."

"It will make your life as Queen easier," Rayna pointed out. "But just be careful that you keep the upper hand."

"I admit it was nice to have him with me last night," Denae confessed.

"I can't wait to sleep beside Pernice every night," Rayna said wistfully as she helped Denae fasten her gown. "We have managed to sneak away a few times but it is so blissful to wake up with his arms around me. But, we must end talk of such things. You are to meet the young aristocrats who seek to join your entourage."

Rayna's voice held her disdain.

"Well, many are going to be quite disappointed," Denae said. "I have already selected two of the three spots."

"Really?" Rayna asked.

"Oh, yes," Denae remarked. "One was a given. My uncle Torbert's daughter, Usala, is 13 this year. She will have one spot. The other will go to Lady Eslada's ward, Bralan. You've met her."

Rayna looked at her friend sharply.

"I would suggest you look elsewhere for your second choice, Your Highness," she offered cautiously as she adopted the court presence she would be expected to use during the day. "Bralan asks many questions about Jorgarn and she might pose a rival for his affections. I have seen him speaking to her many times. Additionally, I believe she wishes to be a candidate for the Noble Guard."

Denae smiled warmly at her friend.

"Oh, I know about her feelings toward Jorgarn," she admitted. "But thank you for your candor. I am also aware of Jorgarn's feelings toward her. Since Eslada has taken in Bralan and Drosset, just as she accepted Jorgarn, he views her in a sisterly fashion. He has Drosset working with Merg down at the training facility. It is quite cute.

"This will be announced in a few weeks but father plans to re-grant the Wesring lands in Eslada's name. So Bralan is potentially the heiress to a Ladyship. But that is decades away since Eslada is so young. Her entrance into the Noble Guard is likely two years away. She may stay with my entourage if she wishes. I have come to like her and admire her. Although I will make certain that she doesn't not get her hands on my Knight, I plan to speak to her and Eslada after our morning meal."

The week leading up to the Ascension Ceremony had been a revelation for Denae.

Everywhere she went people flocked to see her. A large crowd had gathered outside the dress shop where she went for the final fitting on the gown she would wear.

They broke into cheers as she departed.

A pregnant woman who worked in the castle had asked for her to bless the unborn baby in the woman's womb – and had vowed to name the child Denae if it were a girl.

At first, Denae wasn't sure how she should act. She wanted to interact with the commoners but some of them were downright frightening to her.

Her trusted friend Rayna put it into perspective.

"They love you," Rayna explained. "You are the future of the country. You are their future. There is nothing many of these people wouldn't do for you. You are powerful now, perhaps even more powerful than your father. Did you see the crowds that gathered on the street today? They came to see you. They stopped whatever it was they were doing in order to be near to you. Your father and Sir Torbert can go wherever they please and no one even notices. They have no idea who Jorgarn Elmwood even is and they probably wouldn't like him if they did.

"But they adore you. You need to use that to your advantage."

The nobles were the same way. Every single family with an unmarried son brought him forth. If wasn't heir to the Lordship, perhaps he could catch the eye of one of the Princess' many admirers. There were worse things in the world for a third or fourth son than a match with a young woman who had the Princess' favor.

Denae found she had come to enjoy the adulation. The men she encountered had told her how beautiful and graceful she was. The woman had complimented her on her style and flair. The noble families had brought extravagant gifts for her, ranging from a fine pure-bred mare from the Wanner family to an antique gold tea set from the Peths.

The Symington mess had ruined all that. After the facts came to light Denae was no longer permitted to roam the capital without a guard. Even the nobility she came in contact with had been screened carefully by Torbert and the Noble Guard.

If Denae had to go somewhere in the capital, Jorgarn was never far away from her. His scowl had put an end to the spontaneous crowds. A simple glare from him could stop the most arrogant nobleman from approaching.

She found that there were times that she wished Jorgarn would go away. Then he would do something incredibly sweet – such as holding her close when she felt her worst – and she hoped he would stay by her side forever.

Torbert sat across from Jorgarn as he went over the maps again with Lippit. Jorgarn seemed relatively at ease with the situation, which troubled Torbert to a certain extent. When Lippit had left the room, he spoke.

"You seem confident," Torbert said. "Exercise caution that you do not become overconfident. You truly have no idea what you will find there."

Jorgarn peered at his elder and mentor for a moment before he responded.

"I know of only two dozen men who Pietro could possibly enlist in this," he said. "Of those 24, at least eight have too much sense to join. I would gather that the force we face will range from 10 to 15 men, certainly no more than 15. No two of the men would be a match for any man I'm taking with me. No three of the men would be a match for me or Pernice. I would doubt any four could contain Melodart or Gorin. There are two spots that have periodically been used to ambush traders and merchants. They are the only two overlooks on the road to the manor. I expect to face a maximum of eight men and a minimum of five at the dock. Most of those will flee when they see our numbers.

"We are not facing an army, Torbert. We are facing thieves, pickpockets and brigands. They get their way by stealth or sheer force of numbers. They will not stand and fight – any more than Pietro will stand and fight when he sees me. We outclass them in training, weaponry and armor. Melodart makes chain mail. He brought his entire store across with us. Longview has no need of mail armor. It is wooded so leather and shorter weapons work better. The hardened leather will repel a knife edge or even a short sword. It will not stand up to a long sword. Seni will provide more information on what we face once we get there. We'll adjust the plan as needed once we have more intelligence. It's why Lippit is crucial to this endeavor. Honestly, I doubt we'll meet much resistance – either in Longview or in Domita."

"Will your men fight?" Torbert asked. "No one in your group has seen battle. Even Melodart and Gorin have never killed another man that I know of. Their mettle will be tested."

"They will respond appropriately," Jorgarn said. "Pernice and I will do most if not all of the killing. Pernice has killed before and I am willing to, if the need arises. I would prefer not to, obviously, and it is not something that I relish. But I'm certain I can do it if I am required to. I also believe that all those with me understand why we are going and what is at stake. I don't believe any will hesitate."

Torbert nodded.

"What about in Domita?" he asked. "What do you expect to find there?"

Jorgarn chuckled grimly.

"I would not be surprised if they are, in fact, dead by this time," he said. "Pietro does not play well with others and he is reluctant to share the spoils of his ill-gotten gains. He, too, has killed before. But he will not face a man when he kills him. Or at least he never has. He tends to sneak up behind them or attack them while they sleep. If we are forced to enter Domita, it will be through an unguarded border. Both are principalities of the Empire and free travel is permitted. Unless I am gravely mistaken, the family's dwelling will be about a 10-minute walk through the forest. I anticipate limited resistance. Domita, like Longview and Emertland, has no standing army. At most, we will face a few ill-trained retainers."

Torbert assessed the information.

"And if your father insists Eslada remain in Longview?" Torbert inquired.

"Lord Longview is in no position to make demands," Jorgarn said evenly. "He lives only because you have chosen to keep his region's part in this plot from the Emperor. The same is true with the ruling family of Domita. They cannot really complain because to do so would result in their immediate, painful deaths. If Eslada chooses to remain in Longview, I will not force her to return. If she wishes to return to Emertland, she will return to Emertland. There is no question of that fact. I do, however, wish she could be convinced to stay here until I have this mess cleared up."

Torbert relaxed and laughed.

"I'm certain you do," he said. "Keep in mind that Eslada is a lawful citizen of Emertland and, as such, is under your protection if her life is in imminent peril. It is your duty as a Knight to ensure her safety when your principal charge is safe."

"I have read that in the diaries I've been given," Jorgarn said. "If the Emperor were to learn of the plot hatched by the heir to Longview, I deem Lady Eslada would be in grave danger and I would do anything in my power to remove her."

"Well then, all we need to do now is get ready for our evening meal," Torbert replied.

Jorgarn stopped in his tracks outside the family dining area of the castle. The noise from inside was far too much for such a small group. It wasn't the sounds of an argument or a disagreement. Instead it was the peals of girlish laughter and the sound of many voices holding separate conversations.

When he stepped through the doorway, he saw why.

Not only was the King and his family in the dining area but Eslada was there with her wards and Sir Torbert with his wife and two daughters, Usala and Astid. The small dining area was actually quite cramped with 10 people standing around. Jorgarn doubted the table would be able to support so many people.

King Landor and Torbert were standing off to the side with Drosset. Batrix and Eslada were in another corner with Queen Lorida while Princess Denae seemed to be holding court with Usala, Astid, who was 11, and Bralan.

Jorgarn immediately made his way to the other males in the room.

"Ah, Torbert," Landor said with a nudge of his brother's ribs. "I see you've sent for reinforcements. Good thinking. We are still outnumbered though, aren't we Drosset?"

The small boy looked up at the King with wide eyes. He was still getting used to be treated as a person and to have the King himself speak to him was amazing to the small gentleman.

"Yes, Your Highness," Drosset said. He crept closer to Jorgarn as soon as the young man stopped.

"I am smart enough to flee a battle I know I cannot win," Jorgarn said with a smile. "I had assumed you three were, too. Alas, my faith is shaken."

Torbert laughed and watched as Jorgarn surveyed the flocks of women on the other sides of the room.

"Perhaps I could make a suggestion?" Jorgarn offered.