FOREVER KNIGHTS: #17 Marked As Mine

“I need to avenge my brother.” Her voice rose.

For the first time, Mardichi noticed the hungry gazes of men watching her. Attentive to their argument. When she stalked from the tavern, slamming the door. A young buck came over to drop into a chair opposite him.

“How ye git that ‘un crawling bout yer lap,” He did a circular motion over his groin. “Like tha’.”

Mardichi’s face was blank on the youth.

“Me bein’ tryin for longer than me recall to git ’er. Us all.” He gestured around the tavern. “She says only ‘er dance for us entertainin’.”

Mardichi looked at him. “Yer not a bright lad are ye?” He said dryly.

The man leapt to his feet. Affronted.

“Asking a man my size bout me personal affairs is not a wise thing for a buck to do.”

The man called him a name and stomped away.

“Ye fling woman’s insults and pout like a child.” Mardichi called after him.

The lad turned around to fling a tankard at Mardichi’s head. Mardichi ducked to the side and easily evaded it.

By then he heard the lad’s friends whispering of RedBayne.

Giving him a fearful look, the boy settled.

Not so dim afterall. Mardichi stared into the full alehorn, considering the woman’s proposition.

Now she was next to him. A few layers of hair near her face pulled back and pinned up artfully to make cloying waves down her back.

Making his fingers itch to sink into the full softness. He offered to fill her trencher and she reluctantly nodded. Eyes lowered demurely to study her linked hands in her lap.

It was obvious in Dread Castle, King Jonis expected a man to tend a woman.

Fine. I don’t mind doing. He scooped a huge lump of boiled potatoes and a hearty pile of driter meat.

He reached past her, thinking of what the men had told him, he brushed her side and shoulder slightly as he reached to rip free a few legs off the bush birds. Failing to notice everyone else delicately taking entire birds, as intended as he noticed her soft squawk.

Once there was enough on her trencher to feed three women, he clattered it to the table before her.

“Yer welcome.” He nodded at her.

She gave him a slow nod in return.

After serving his own trencher he dropped to the chair. His legs so long he had to splay them under the table. At first, he respectfully kept them from her side but recalling what Bast and Norris had told him, he relaxed and let his thigh sway to lean along the length of hers.

Hearing her quick indrawn breath gratified him.

Lifting his own lump of driter meat he sunk in his teeth. Plucking at the greasy food. He grabbed the cloth from the table and placed it on his thigh. He wiped his hand then let his hand rest there. Consciously adjust his hand so his fingers brushed her upper leg.

Breath quickening, she shifted in the narrow chair to put distance between them.

Mardichi shot Norris a look and saw him nodding encouragement. He stretched his pinky to further touch her and started when she slapped her hand atop his.

Giving him a warning look.

He feigned innocence as he tilted his head sideways. Still biting into meat from his other hand.

But his heart surged at the contact.

Without looking down he rotated his hand to catch hers. Weaving his fingers through her before she could retract.

When she did try to pull away he held his grip.

She gave him a scathing look. “You’re being an arse.” She huffed under her breath.

He leaned to whisper in her ear. “Perhaps if ye were kinder to me, I’d not be such an arse.” He inched their linked hands further into his lap. It was apparent what he meant.

She tossed him a shocked look, wrenching her hand from his grip.

He let her go. Nodding. “I understand why ye’d be surprised. Afterall yer quite innocent and I’ve not made ye a legitimate woman…Ah, wait…” He tapped his lip. “Ye ain’t. An’ I ’ave.” He cocked his head at her. Eyes darkening.

“Does not mean you own me.” She spat in a whisper.

He leaned toward her again. “What do I have to do for that?” He asked hopefully.

“Never.” She was seething next to him.

“Are ye frustrated with me?”

“Aye.” He said haughtily.

“Good. Now ye can stand in me boots.”

“Stop this nonsense. I dunna wan’ ye.” She jerked to rise but he put a staying hand on her thigh.

“I’ll give ye bout anything ye’d ask of me.” He took another bite of his food without looking at her.

She made fists in her skirts. Furious.

“But if ye stand and embarrass me in-front of the king.” He tipped his head to the side to gesture to the king. “I’ll spank ye in truth.”

Jaw ticking, he turned a steady look back on her.

Her upper lip twitched, and she huffed furiously. But she didn’t move.

Good woman.