Twenty

 

Villeleia was green and blooming, and Graciella loved seeing the flowers of springtime there. From their coach windows she and Yavi enjoyed the view of the rolling hills, fields of lavender, flowering trees, and quaint villages during their two-day journey south.

They sent a courier ahead of them to Castle Villeleia to let Solange and Elio know they were traveling to Kingston, so when they arrived at the castle gates, they were greeted with a formal salute by a patrol of sharply dressed castle guards. Solange waited for them on the steps of the castle with Elio at her side. The guards opened the carriage door, and when Yavi stepped out, they bowed to him in reverence.

Graciella took his hand for support as she stepped down.

“Cousin!” Solange hurried toward her, arms outstretched. “Oh, it is so good to see you!”

Graciella hugged the queen, laughing. “You too, Your Highness.”

“Sister!” Elio came up from behind Solange to embrace Graciella. He bowed to Yavi, then shook his hand. “Emperor Yavi. It is good to see you alive and well after all these years.”

“And you, my brother,” Yavi returned. “Queen Solange, it is a pleasure to see you again.” He took her small hand in his and brought it up to his lips.

Solange’s dark brown eyes shone as she smiled up at him. “You are both welcome at Castle Villeleia for as long as you like. Congratulations on your marriage.”

“Thank you.” Graciella squeezed Yavi’s arm. “We are very happy about it.”

“Come inside,” Solange urged. “We have tea waiting, and Elio and I have something to tell the two of you.”

“Oh?” Graciella raised an eyebrow.

Solange laughed. “Come inside, and all will be revealed.”

§

Before tea, Graciella and Yavi were shown to their room to freshen up. It was a lavishly furnished and decorated suite in the west wing of the castle, away from noise and commotion. Graciella splashed her face in the washbasin, wishing she had a set of clean clothes. She was still wearing her borrowed work clothes from the fort at Anvitha.

“First order of business tomorrow, I have to ask Solange if her seamstress has any leftover fabric so I can sew us both some new clothes.” She looked at Yavi’s worn shirt and plain trousers.

“You sew?” He grinned and placed his arms around her waist.

“Yes, a little. I’m not very good at it, but I can make us something to get us through the two weeks here until we can get back to the palace. Hopefully the clothes we left there are still all right.”

“Yes, I would think so. The Vyrkune only had about twenty-four hours inside the palace, and they had mainly set up shop in the Great Hall from what I could tell. I’m not certain what other areas they contaminated with their filth.” He caressed her back. “In any case, I can purchase new clothes for you when we return.”

She stretched up on tiptoe to press a kiss to his firm, sexy lips. “Let’s go see what news Solange and Elio have for us.”

§

Graciella sat next to Yavi on a settee across from her brother and Solange in the queen’s parlor, waiting for her brother to speak.

“Sister.” Elio covered Solange’s hand with his own and took a deep breath. “Solange has accepted my offer of marriage.”

“Oh, Gods be praised!” Graciella rose from her seat to hug Solange. “We will truly be sisters, then!”

“Yes. I love your brother so much.” Solange beamed as she stood to wrap her arms around Graciella’s neck. “I was thrilled when he proposed.”

Graciella hugged Elio as well, and Yavi shook his hand before they sat back down.

“The Royal Council has been informed of our plans,” Solange continued, smiling at Elio. “They were more supportive than we could have dreamed.”

Elio slid an arm around her shoulders. “Yes. It helped that I’ve been lurking around the castle almost daily for the past six years. I think everyone’s realized they weren’t going to get rid of me.”

“By Villeleian law, Elio can’t be declared king,” Solange explained, “but our children will inherit the throne. Elio’s title will be Prince Consort.”

Graciella smiled at her brother. “Ooh, prince. Don’t get the big head, brother.”

He grinned sheepishly, his handsome blue eyes twinkling as he glanced down at Solange’s face. “I’m still just a farmer at heart.”

Solange kissed his cheek. “I love my farmer.”

Yavi caressed Graciella’s hand. “Congratulations to you both.”

“Thank you, Yavi,” Solange said. “You are both invited to the wedding in August, and I will send for Jiandra and Yajna as well. Do you suppose Rafe would be able to attend?”

Graciella exchanged a glance with Yavi. “Ah—I’m not sure. He’s…”

Elio sat up straighter, looking concerned. “Is Rafe all right?”

“Well, yes, mostly. I think.”

“You think? Has something happened?”

Graciella sighed. “He escaped the monastery a few days ago to help us win the battle against the Vyrkune.”

“We couldn’t have done it without him,” Yavi added.

“But…” Graciella paused, searching for a way to explain. “He used the power of the demon Ujagar to defeat our enemy. It’s obviously hard on him to—stir up or release that energy.”

“Where is he now?” Elio demanded. “Is he all right?”

“Yes, yes.” Graciella nodded. “He went back with the monks. Don’t worry, brother. I believe in Rafe. I believe he’ll master the thing…that lives in him.”

Elio looked down, and Solange turned to hug his neck.

“Don’t worry, brother,” Graciella repeated softly. “There is nothing we can do for Rafe other than pray. As unfair as his circumstances were, he has to face this thing alone. And twice now, that power within him has saved our lives. First, with Gerynwid’s dragon form here in the castle years ago. And now again, against the Vyrkune.”

Elio looked up and nodded, then patted Solange’s hand.

She stroked his cheek. “Your brother will be all right. Zehu won’t let him come to ruin.”

“Solange is right,” Graciella agreed. “I believe everything happens for a reason. There must be some purpose for what happened to Rafe. We must maintain hope.”

“And this should be a happy occasion, as best as we can manage it.” Solange leaned forward to pick up her tea, then settled back into the circle of Elio’s arm. “Tell us everything that happened once you arrived in Darpan, Graciella. How did you and Yavi fall in love?”

Graciella met Yavi’s amused gaze and smiled. “I was irresistible.”

§

Later that evening, after heated baths and a long nap, Graciella and Yavi dined with their hosts in the formal dining room. They laughed, drank wine, and talked with Elio and Solange until midnight.

Yavi escorted Graciella down the long hallways back to their guest quarters, opened the wooden door for her to step inside, then closed it and immediately pulled her into his arms.

His skin was warm under his clothes, and Graciella pressed herself closer to him, reveling in the feel of his strong body as she hugged him.

He caressed her cheek, her hair. “Sweet Graciella. We finally have some time and space to ourselves. Away from all the horror of the past several days, my love.”

She nodded, pressing herself even closer to him.

He kissed her temple, stroking her hair, her back. “Are you too tired?”

“No.”

“Good, because I want to make love to you until dawn.” He dipped his head to kiss her neck.

She shivered with pleasure. “Only until dawn?”

He chuckled low in his throat, then reached up to unbutton his shirt, holding her gaze as he did so.

Graciella’s mouth went dry watching him, staring at his muscular, olive-toned chest as the shirt came open and revealed the ruby lying against his skin. He shrugged out of his shirt and dropped it to the floor, tugged off his boots and set them aside, then pulled her into his arms for a hungry kiss. While his lips and tongue teased hers, he fiddled with the laces on the back of her dress, loosening them with his fingers. He tugged the sleeves off her arms, then lifted the dress over her head, leaving her in only her drab, borrowed chemise. He cupped her breasts through the thin fabric, caressing her taut nipples with his thumbs.

Graciella reached for the waistband of his trousers, untying the strings there. The worn fabric did nothing to conceal the bulge of his cock, and once she had loosened the waist, he helped her free his thick shaft. She pushed the trousers down over his muscular thighs, and he stepped out of them to kick them aside as well.

Graciella crossed her arms and reached down to remove her chemise.

Yavi halted her, grasping her hands. “No. Let me.” He pulled her close to his body, kissing her lips, caressing her waist and hips through the thin fabric. Finally, slowly, he tugged her undergarment up over her arms and head, baring her body to his heated gaze.

Graciella glanced down, grinning. “I look funny just wearing my boots.”

“No, you don’t,” he breathed, caressing her breasts in his hands, kissing her lips. He reached down to scoop her up into his arms and carry her to the large, luxurious bed. He laid her on her back sideways across the mattress, then placed a knee between her legs and lowered himself over her, burying his face against her neck to nuzzle her there greedily.

Graciella laughed, hitting his shoulder. “Yavi! Take off my boots!”

His hands massaged her waist, keeping her pinned to the mattress as his lips and tongue continued to devour her neck. “I’ll get to that,” he promised, his warm breath fanning her sensitive skin. “Or better yet, make you forget you’re even wearing them.” He kissed her neck open-mouthed, teasing her skin with little flicks of his tongue. His hand slid up to caress her breast, playing with her turgid nipple, and Graciella moaned.

He raised his head to cover her lips with his, kissing her sensuously. His hands massaged and caressed her breasts until she was writhing a little under him, her body begging for more of his touch, everywhere. She stroked his thick shoulders and taut biceps, relishing the feel of his gorgeous masculine body.

He moved lower to take an aching nipple into his mouth, and she gripped his head, arching up against him. He licked and sucked until she wanted to scream, grateful their room was remote from the rest of the castle so she didn’t have to be self-conscious about making noise.

He moved to the other nipple, giving it the same sweet torture with his lips and tongue.

“Yavi,” she moaned. “I’m so—”

He raised his head, slipping a hand lower to bury his fingers in her sensitive, slick folds. “So what?” he whispered.

Graciella shivered with delight at his touch down there. “Eager for you.”

“Mmm, Sheir-zin. You have no idea.” He moved her hand to his thick shaft, and she encircled it with her fingers. He groaned and made her stroke him up and down a bit.

“How can you be this hard when I’m still wearing my boots?”

“I would be this hard no matter what you were wearing,” he grinned, nuzzling her neck again.

“A jester’s hat?”

“No problem.”

“A blacksmith’s apron?”

“Mm, yes,” he growled. “With nothing underneath.”

She giggled. “Knee breeches.”

He kissed her ear. “I’d love to see your backside in a pair of those. Argh, makes me harder even thinking about it.” He groaned and rolled her over to her stomach, then swept her hair out of the way to trail kisses over her shoulders and down her back. He cupped her buttocks, exploring them with his warm hands as his heated kisses found their way down to the small of her back, sending shivers of pleasure over her everywhere he touched.

“No, scratch that,” he amended huskily. “I love seeing your backside with nothing on instead.”

“Yavi,” she complained against the mattress, kicking a little, “my boots!”

“What about them?” He pinned her ankles with one knee and traced the underside of the swell of one buttock with his fingers, dipping his thumb down between her thighs when he reached the center.

She squirmed. “Take them off.”

“I’d rather keep touching you here,” he whispered, pushing her thighs apart a little and using his hand to find her slick clitoris from behind. He stroked her with his fingers until she was writhing under him.

“Ohh…Yavi…”

He redoubled his efforts, inserting his thumb into her vagina while his fingers continued to massage her clitoris with torturously steady circles and strokes.

“Your body is so beautiful, Graciella.” He nipped at the upper swell of her buttock with lips and a gentle brush of his teeth.

“Yavi,” she moaned.

“What?”

“I want to feel you inside me! Please, now!”

For an answer, he rolled her onto her back and positioned himself between her thighs. “Like this?” he asked huskily, his silver eyes turned a stormy gray.

“Yes.” She clutched at his arms and shoulders, trying to pull him in toward her hips.

“Wrap your legs around my waist.”

She did, hooking her boots together at the ankles, and he drove inside her, hard, eliciting a cry from her throat.

“Are you all right?” he rasped near her cheek.

“Mm…mm-hm, just keep going.” She pushed up against him, eager for him to move inside her.

He braced his muscular arms on either side of her head and thrust again, grinding his pelvis against hers with just the right amount of pressure to edge her closer to climax. His masculine body moved over her in the firelight, muscles rippling like the shimmers on the surface of a lake. Graciella wanted to tell him how gorgeous he looked, how powerful and beautiful and sexy, but she didn’t want to break his concentration, because—

“Ohhh!” she cried out as her climax hit her suddenly, dragging her under water and drowning her in its wonderful riptide.

“Graciella,” he breathed against her neck. “Ohh, Sheir-zin…” He shuddered and rode it out with her, thrusting until close to the end, when he withdrew before spilling his seed inside her. Warm liquid poured over her belly, and he swiped at it with his hand before reaching for a small towel off the nightstand. He cleaned them both and pulled her into his arms. “It may be too late for caution, but if we continue as we were at the monastery, you’ll soon catch up with your sister in the baby department.”

“I don’t mind that,” she said, winding her arms around his neck.

“You don’t?”

“No.” She smiled. “Do you?”

“No.” He kissed her ear. “I would love to fill the palace with children.”

“We can’t let Jiandra and Yajna get too far ahead of us.”

“No, I agree.” He chuckled. “I can’t let him replicate his ugly face more than I replicate mine.”

She giggled. “You’re by far the better-looking one.”

“You think so?” he asked, rubbing his chin thoughtfully, posing for her.

“Absolutely. No doubt about it.”

“I knew I made the right choice in a wife.” He growled and nuzzled her neck until she squirmed.

“Yavi.”

“Mm?”

“Can you please take off my boots now?”

“With pleasure.” He kissed his way down over her breasts, licking and sucking her nipples for a moment, then trailing more kisses down over her midriff and belly. As he reached down to tug off one boot, he kissed her Venus’ mound. He tugged off the other boot, tossing it aside. Graciella sighed blissfully as he kissed her mound once more. By her own estimation, she figured she must be the happiest, most satisfied, and most thrilled woman on earth.

She finally had her Yavi.