FOREVER KNIGHTS: #16 To Keep Her

Phalanx Forest, Grier Country

LUCIEN

Mera woke to a knock at her door. She opened it with one slipper on. Her dress crooked and her hair a tangled mess atop her head. Snapping waspishly, “What?”

She looks like warmed ale.

“Ready to go tell the knights the game is over?”

“I don’t know what that means.” She mumbled. Blinking blearily.

“What helps you wake?”

“Food.” Her lip curled as she struggled to focus her gaze. Putting a hand to her forehead.

Headache?

“I’ll get you some if you want to clean up and meet me downstairs?”

“What’s wrong with me coming down as I am?” She lifted a haughty brow.

She can’t possibly know she looks as though a carriage has run over her?

“You’re welcome to. Please do.” He gestured for her to come out. A smile teasing his lips and mirth brightening his eyes. He looked at the floor to keep her from seeing it.

She took one clumsy step and realized a shoe was missing. Her head fell and hair slid around her face as she stared at her bare foot as though it’d betrayed her. The stocking slumped down around one slim ankle. She lifted a betrayed brown gaze to Lucien.

Oh, that’s that Quiller-cat rage on her face. And for whatever reason, Lucien felt himself recoil from her prolonged stare. She is vicious.

“You’d let me go down like this? What manner of-” She took a crooked step toward him.

He pointed to the lower level. “People are seeing you in your disheveled state.”

Glaring at him so heatedly her eye twitched, she slowly rotated on her heel. Still glaring at him over her shoulder as she returned to the room.

And with that, I’ll wait downstairs.

But even from down there he knew the moment she rubbed clean the small looking glass in the room and got a glimpse of her reflection. It was marked by her infuriated shriek.

This ought to be a fun morning.

Surely she won’t stay mad long. It was a small jest.

Two hours later, Lucien felt her gaze burning into the side of his face from where she rode next to him. The rein gripped in his hand. While he pointedly refused to acknowledge her burning resentment.

Perhaps not as forgiving as I’d hoped.

By the time they reached the knight’s encampment, Lucien was desperate to put a few men between she and him.

Give her someone else to kill to get to me. He frowned. Realizing that even as a mere mortal, she was nearly as terrifying as the valkyrie. On occasion.

Lucien dismounted and did just that.

All eyes turned on him and there was a round of cheering as he called the game off. Walking over to catch her wrist and lift it.

Quickly. Before she jerked away.

Which she did. “What does all this mean?” Her brows lowered ominously. “What exactly did you just announce?”

He tilted his head sideways with a lopsided smirk. Might as well get it over with.

“That you’re mine.”

“Oh, I’m not.” She backed away like he was a hissing serpent just crawling from under a rock.

I like her better running then attacking. He realized. Feels a tad less like I’ll get a taste of limilus in my sleep.

They spent the afternoon joining the knights for some cooked meat and vegetables roasted over a fire. They laughed jovially and elbowed Lucien who strategically kept other men between he and Meralee.

So, she can’t get ahold of me and do whatever that hateful look keeps promising.

“You going to show her Browning?” One of the other knights asked him. A man Mera didn’t recognize.

“It is your village after all.” Another remarked.

“Your village?” Mera sneered.

“It is.” Lucien was walking through the trees with her.

“You love Browning, don’t you?”

Was that an almost interested note in her voice?

“Yes. What is wrong with that?” He countered.

“What exactly does this little village mean to you?”

His pupils went oval-shaped and turned almost gold as he looked at her.

“It’s symbolic of my sister and the things she believed in.” His voice fell.

“What did she believe in?”

She’s asking about me?

Assessing her, he decided to answer. “I took care of Ezra after we were orphaned. She oft said I was too wild to be tamed. She was wise beyond her years with a smile that brightened any room she entered. Being here makes me think of her laughter.”

“It is a beautiful place.” She said grudgingly. Absentmindedly reaching to caress a consoling hand down his arm.

He caught her hand and pulled her closer to him to cradle her hand against his chest and tuck her under one arm.

To his surprise, she let him keep it there longer than he thought she would, before shrugging his arm off.

Not precisely as a ferocious as I thought.

“You’re deeply contradictory.” She said off-handedly.

“How so?”

“You mask much suffering behind your rogue nature and painted smile.”

“Painted smile?” He questioned affronted.

“Ironic you don’t take offense to being called a rogue.”

“I rarely take offense to truths.” He shrugged. “I do not have a painted smile…Most of the time.”

Much to his satisfaction, she tossed him a quick smile. “But despite all your light-hearted taunting and tormenting nature you have an entire village dependent on you for safety. Requiring you to be in all places as once. You take on all these responsibilities with great honor despite your pain.”

He gave her a searching study.

She looked forward as he guided her through the trees away from the encampment, saying so quietly he barely heard it. “An admirable quality.”

They walked a bit further before the question he’d anticipated rose.

“Where are we going?”

He spun to walk backwards ahead of her. “I’ve something to show you. A gift.”

“For me?” She looked at him askance. “Why?”

Because this is our engagement afterall.

They finally entered the border of the woods. Aside a Sunkist road was a horse tethered to a tree. A fine white mare. With flowers tied into her smooth mane. It was small and moving restlessly.

Mera gasped. “Gorgeous!”

As she rushed up to it, it turned and put its snout on her shoulder.

Mera tossed him a thankful glance. Her eyes misting and nearly breathless as she asked. “For me?”

He nodded, a white grin splitting his face.

“She’s striking.”

“She’s incredibly sweet natured. Might be a refreshing balance to your sour nature.” He commented.

She turned to swat at his arm. A withering look.

He laughed and stepped from her reach. “I’m goading you.” He admitted. Tone turning more somber. “She is as beautiful as her mistress.”

Mera shot him a soft look. Despite her struggle to fight them, a single tear slipped down her cheek.

Lucien lightly brushed it from her face. “What’s this for?”

“Kindness.” She gave him a permeating look.

“But your brothers are both good men.” He leaned and linked his fingers.

She allowed him to help her. Putting her foot on his hands, he hoisted her onto the side saddle.

Will she use it?

“Should I have gone with a straight saddle?”

“Yes.” She nodded. “But since I’m not in a riding habit, this is better today.”

Nearly a thanks. Shocking.

“We were discussing your brothers.” He reminded.

“They are loving. But I make things very hard on them. And in turn they’re hard on me.” She chewed her cheek. “Sometimes there’s more arguing then kindness anymore.”

He helped tug the hem of her skirt down over her shoes. Resting his hand on the top of the mare’s neck as he suggested. “Perhaps a ride around Browning Village will help soothe some of that sorrow.”

Mera spent the day riding around Browning.

Lucien went up to her room in the Lion’s Head Tavern and waited anxiously for her to return. I can’t follow her everywhere. And the competition is over.

The knights are still out there. They’ll detour her if she tries to stray from Browning and if anything around here happens to her, he’ll hear it.

He heard a village dog bark after a few hours and saw her handing off the rein to the stable boy and heading up stairs. I probably should’ve waited in my chamber and not hers.

She stepped into the doorway. Flushed and smiling.

Prettier than ever.

“Why are you in here.”

“Brought you this?” He lifted a folded parchment page as he approached her.

“Full of surprises, aren’t we?” She took it from her fingertips but her usual scathing mask had fallen into place. Matched by the dark tone.

“I noticed you’d been doing some reading?” He nodded toward the foot of the bed where his red journal was sitting peaceably. The dark ribbon marking a page only a few in.

Not where I had it.

“Didn’t get much sleep last night.” She commented.

Was that an admonition she was avidly reading it or an excuse for why she did? He couldn’t tell. Though it would explain her disheveled state this morning.

Of course, so would her being a lady spending the night on a tavern cot.

She began unfolding the parchment and he decided to exit the chamber. Not willing to see her face as she read it.

It expressed his admiration for her strength and beauty. Explaining he’d found a lovely necklace at the trader’s market which had the same traits. It suited her and he’d been unable to pass it by. It elaborated he’d be leaving in the morn and would be gone a few days to meet their guests and escort them across the Isle toward Browning.

“Who? For what?” She murmured to herself.

And that is why I left the room. He thought from next door. I’m unwilling to answer that question just yet.

Because I know what she’ll do.

She scanned the room until spotting it on her pillow. A lovely, gold necklace on a fine chain. An intricate unicorn ornament dangling from it. Carved from thin black stone.

Lucien was readying for his ride across the aisle to meet his guests at Isle Dock. Pulling on boots and his riding cloak. Striding to the window he opened the shutters and took in the fresh morning air. Listening to the birds chirping in the trees spanning down the hill and across the Isle. The first pink and orange rays of morning were dulled by the heavy layer of cloud weaving in and out of the needle trees.

Standing in the frame of the window and staring out, he felt the wind blowing through his black hair. Ruffling it and tossing the broad gold looped earring. Resting his hands on the frame he was unable to resist closing his eyes and inhaling deeply.

Instantly seeing into the room next door.

She sat on a short bench with the coverlet pulled over her shoulders. She knelt to toss a log in the fire. Before sitting back down and lifting a book from next to her.

My book. He realized. He watched as she reread the same page twice.

In his vision he moved to see over her shoulder to see the page that held her focus.

It was a page where he discussed his views on immortality and humanity. Their contradictions and beauty and pain. As a Forever Knight he’d found the more time he spent in daylight the more people noticed he was ageless. In the dark they noticed less. And he could succumb to turning into his beast, into his love of flight, while remaining relatively inconspicuous. Giving into the peace of coasting above all human creations and parting the blanket of fog on silent wings.

To his surprise she let the book fall. Pages fluttering as it thudded to the floor between her feet. She stood and walked to her chamber door.

Curious as to what she was doing, he telepathically flipped the lock open by the time her hand touched the handle.

Where is she going?

To his shock she stalked out with the blanket billowing around her as she rounded and pushed open his door.

He charged back into his body as she approached his back at the window. She may try to push me out!

“I like reading your journal!” She blurted.

He turned to lean on the window frame. Crossing his arms as he faced her.

“Okay?” He said slowly.

“You’re going to make me marry you, aren’t you? Isn’t that what you meant by the whole point of this dance on the Isle? The whole reason I was brought here.”

He straightened and looked at her down his nose. “Yes I am.”

No point denying it.

“Are you going to fight me?”

She was breathing so heavily her shoulders heaved as she said in a rush. “You have many of the traits I was looking for. You’re capable of being highly charming when you wish to be but you have a tremendous sense of fun. And I find it intriguing that you find ways to constantly outmaneuver me.”

He gave a nod of thanks. Never thought she’d admit that.

“But this, is not the way any man woos a woman!” She expostulated.

He sighed. It’d seemed so hopeful for a moment.

“Not gifted mares or journals or small kindnesses.”

“Hardly.” He laughed. “Giving a woman a prize mare is not a ‘small kindness’.”

“Yes, well… Costly as she may’ve been, I’m quite willing to return her to you.”

“The Hell you will.” He took a step and pointed at her. “She was given to you. She is yours and you’ll accept her.”

“In exchange for what?” She crossed her arms and cocked her hip.

“Nothing. She costs you nothing.”

“I’ll not marry you.”

“Not at all or not under these circumstances.”

“Not at all.” She said acidly.

“And what might change your mind?”

“What?” Her arms dropped as her eyes fell.

Lost for words? Quite an accomplishment on my part. He waited patiently for her to take in the question and form a response.

“I guess-well-it’s just…” She attempted.

“Just what?”

“I don’t even know you!”

“Easily remedied. You have my journal. What more would you like to know?”

“I-I-”

“You what?” His tone was dangerous.

“You can take me with you.” Her chin hitched.

Where?

“Where are you intending?”

“Across the Isle.”

“You’d be sleeping in the dirt. We saw how you fared just sleeping in the tavern. You’d do worse on the ground, I’m afraid.”

“I looked that way because I was up all night reading.”

My journal?

“Why would you want to travel with me?” Lucien asked. Curiosity getting the better of him.

She shrugged. “No better way to know someone. Then when their tired, hungry and travelling.”

She’s right. He gave her a searching look.

“Is this a grand plan to escape me.”

“It’s a grand plan to get to know you enough to decide if I still want to escape.”

He cocked his head warningly. “You want like how it pans out if you try.”

“You won’t either.” She guaranteed just as warningly.

And a gauntlet is thrown…