Branford had definitely not been jesting when he declared he would want me in the morning.

As daylight broke on the day after we consummated our marriage, I did not just wake to my husband’s warm embrace but also the warm moisture of his mouth on my breasts and the heat of his hand as he reached between my legs.  He spoke only with his lips and fingers, covering my body with his touch and his kisses.  Once his hands had brought me to panting cries, he rolled over on top of me and pushed slowly and gently inside of me.

There was a strange soreness between my legs and within my flesh.  It was not particularly painful but certainly noticeable.  Branford moved slowly, and I wondered if he knew I would feel this way, for he was even gentler than he had been the night before.  I reached around his back as he leaned over me with his body propped up on his arms next to my shoulders.

He moved slowly against me, pushing and pulling as his breath coated the skin of my neck with wet heat.  He wrapped his arms around me, holding me flush against his body from our shoulders to our hips.  Rocking steadily, eyes closed, he continued to tell me, between his rapid, panting breaths, how good I felt and how much he wanted me.

He tucked his forehead into my neck, and I wrapped my arms around his head as he reached a furious pace and cried out into my skin.  He stilled and continued to moan incoherently as I felt the warmth of his seed spread inside of me.  Again, small kisses covered my neck in time to his slowing breaths as he caressed my hips and sides with his hands.  He moved to my lips and kissed me softly before pulling back and gazing down on me a moment.  He rolled to his side, and I winced slightly as he pulled out of me.

“Are you sore?” he asked quietly.  He traced over my cheek with his fingers.

“A little,” I admitted.  His eyes narrowed in concern, so I quickly elaborated.  “Not much though.  I am all right.”

“It will go away in time.”  Branford kissed me gently.  “If it is too much for you, you must tell me.”

“It is not,” I assured him.  I didn’t want him to be dissuaded from repeating what he had done to me.

“Forgive me, Alexandra,” Branford mumbled against my neck.  He continued to kiss me as his hands roamed freely over my skin.

“Forgive you for what?” I asked.

“I should not have taken you again so soon,” he said.  His gaze darted away from mine for a moment before he looked back and smiled slightly.  “I could not bring myself to wait any longer.  Having you lying here, bare in my arms, is too much of a temptation.”

“You were hungry,” I said, biting my lip to hide my smile.

“Hungry?” he asked, obviously confused.

“Um…you said you had an ‘appetite,’” I said, reminding him.

Branford laughed and his eyes sparkled, showing no hint of the man who had been such a tyrant the day before.  His smile and glowing expression made him look quite young, and he seemed to have transformed into a wonderfully handsome boy instead of the unpredictable and sometimes violent heir to the throne.

“So I did,” he acknowledged.  His gaze turned dark as he looked at me though his eyes did not lose their playfulness.  “And so I do.  I may very well also make good on my threat to keep you here in this bed for the entirety of the day.”

“If you do not rise from the bed, you will have a different sort of appetite, I should think,” I said.  I know I blushed, for though I understood such word games were common among couples, I had never engaged in one and was not at all sure if I was saying the right things.  I then wondered if Branford had understood what I meant at all and decided to clarify.  “I mean, you would eventually want your breakfast, would you not?”

“I suppose,” Branford said with a nod.  With his fingers, he traced invisible lines on my skin from my shoulder and down over my breasts.  “Though I think with you as my distraction, it would take missing more than a single meal before I felt any pangs in my stomach.  You should probably be advised to remind me to eat.  It may be your only way out of this bed.  At the very least, it would be in your best interest to don your nightdress after I have taken you in the evenings lest you be awakened by my hunger every morning.”

I thought about what he was saying and about the feeling of him on top of me, preparing to take me as I woke.  Though I was a little sore, he said that would not last long.

“So…what would happen if I, um…if I did not have any nightdresses at all?”

Branford’s eyebrows rose as he peered at me.  He laughed through his nose.

“Then I would be taking you every night and every morning without fail,” Branford said, and his words sounded like a promise.  His gaze darkened and his mouth turned up in a smile.  “You would likely wake to my hunger in the middle of the night as well.”

“I will have to find some way to disposed of them, then.” I heard myself say the words, and I bit down on my lip, instantly horrified at my brazenness.  Branford was still beside me, and when I let my eyes glance quickly to his, I could see the return of his appetite.

“Just your suggestion has made me hard for you again.”  He confirmed his words as his body pressed close to mine, making it clear to me that he was quite serious.

A moment later, he was on top of me, his mouth and hands seeking and finding my breasts, stomach and sides.  He growled against my skin, moaning something about how good I tasted and not needing anything else for breakfast, then crawled back to look me in the eye.  He stared down at me for a moment while I reached out and ran my fingers over his rough cheek.

A knock at our door coaxed a different sort of growl from my husband’s chest, and he barked at the kitchen servants to leave our morning meal in the outer room and get out.  Though the curtains around the bed were drawn back on the side nearest the fireplace, the end of the bed, which faced the morning room, was still significantly covered.  I didn’t think the attendants would be able to see us even if they did walk all the way into the bedroom, but I attempted to hide myself under the blankets and Branford’s body anyway.  As soon as the door closed behind the kitchen staff, his mouth was on my breasts again—licking and sucking them between his lips as he took me again.

And again.

A while later, on unsteady legs, I warmed breakfast near the fire.  I was pleased the kitchen servants had brought cream and sweetener without my asking so I could fix Branford’s meal the way he liked it.  Branford washed, dressed, and ate while keeping his eyes on me.  Every time I looked at him, he was staring at me, which made me blush scarlet and made him smile.  I gathered the dishes together and placed them on the tray in the morning room when something caught my eye.  On the small table next to the fireplace was my mother’s bowl.  I immediately remembered Branford saying my things had arrived, and when I looked at the small bundle of objects, the bowl was the only thing I truly saw.

I picked it up and held it in my hands.  The bowl was unlike any I had ever seen.  The wood was smooth, and there were distinct lines where one kind of wood met another—blond woods and dark woods, mahogany and oak segments seamlessly swirled together and spiraled up to the rim.  I could not help but smile as I held it to my chest for a moment before placing it back on the pile of clothing that had accompanied it from Silverhelm.   It was the most beautiful thing I had ever been able to call my own and the only thing I had of my family.  It was both decorative and useful, and I hoped Branford would let me place it on the nightstand where I could look upon it often.  I decided I would ask him later.

When I came back into the bedroom, Branford was standing near the bed and running his hands through his hair.  I walked up behind him, wondering what had him so focused, and saw the pink stain on the sheets where we had been.

“Branford...” I squeaked as realization hit me.

“Do not concern yourself, Alexandra,” he said sternly.  “I shall take care of it.”

“Someone will see,” I whispered.  I could feel the tightness in my chest, and I was having difficulty drawing breath into my lungs.  “They will know.”

“Hush,” Branford said.  His tone was harsh, but his touch was soft as he held me to his chest for a moment before kissing my temple.  He took my face between his palms.  “Trust me, my wife.  I told you I would protect you in this matter, and I will.  Did you think I had not considered it before now?”

He removed his hands and walked across the room to one of the wardrobes.  He opened the wooden doors and brought out clean linen sheets that appeared nearly identical to the ones on our bed.  He raised his eyebrows at me and tossed the sheets into my arms.  Within only a few minutes, he had the stained sheets nearly completely burned in the fire, and I had the clean sheets spread out on the bed.

“Now we will have to make sure they look well-used,” Branford informed me.  I looked up as his eyes bored into me and his words became clear in their meaning.  He stalked across the room toward me, and a few minutes later, my dress was on the floor, and I was again supine beneath my husband’s body.

I heard another sound at our door and glanced over Branford’s shoulder to see none other than his sister standing in the doorway with her hands on her hips.  I gasped and tried to duck myself underneath my husband and hide from her eyes.  Branford reached behind himself and drew the blankets up over our bodies.

“One of these days…” Branford mumbled as he glanced over his shoulder and yelled at his sister.  “Ida, I told you not to come barging in here anymore!”

“Good morning to you too, Branford,” Ida said, raising an eyebrow at him.  It was the same expression I had seen on Branford’s face before.  She smiled at me though I was still trying to hide behind her brother.  “Hello, Alexandra.  Is my brother still being an ass?”

I took a sharp breath; any words I may have had suddenly caught in my throat.  Branford grumbled under his breath, his forehead resting against my shoulder.

“Um, no,” I finally mumbled, trying not to allow my words to sound like a question.

“Ida!” Branford yelled over his shoulder.  “Get out of here, or all you are going to see is my ass.”

“I was sent by our mother, I’ll have you know.”  Ida crossed her arms over her chest and leaned her head to one side.  “It is nearly midday.”

“Speak her message and leave my room.”

“Mother wants you to know dinner is early tonight, and she expects you there,” Ida said.  “Parnell wants to know if you plan on jousting tomorrow.”

“Fine and yes,” Branford said with a snarl.  “Anything else?”

“I would like to…” Ida’s voice trailed off, and I saw her lean to the side so she could see me better.  “This afternoon, if Alexandra would allow me, that is, I would like to help her prepare.”

Branford’s eyes turned to mine.

“Alexandra?” he asked softly.

“I would like that,” I replied.

“I shall bring her to the Women’s Room later,” Branford snapped over his shoulder.  “Now get out!”

Ida sighed, and from my view under Branford’s arm, I could see her smile as she turned to leave. As the door slammed shut, Branford groaned heavily and dropped his head next to mine on the pillow.  I reached up and ran my fingers through his hair, hoping his ire over his sister’s actions was not too great.  He lay still on top of me, his breathing slowly calming as I touched him.  Minutes passed, and I felt his head turn and his lips press against my shoulder.

“She is infuriating,” he mumbled.  “Perhaps it is for the best since I have likely worn you out by now anyway.  I should give you time to rest.”

I didn’t know how to respond.  Though I felt I could close my eyes and sleep peacefully the remainder of the day, I also welcomed the feeling of his warm skin against mine.  The sense of safety—security—I felt in his embrace overwhelmed me.  It was incongruous, these feelings I had, for though I desired his touch, I was still fearful of his temper.

Branford sighed again and raised himself up on his arms.  He kissed my lips and then my chin before rolling off of me and sitting on the edge of the bed.  I watched him get up and dress himself slowly, and then I followed his lead.

“She wants to make amends,” Branford said.  “She blames herself for what Kimberly and Nelle did to you.”

“It was not her fault,” I whispered as I laced up the front of my dress.  It was not a topic I wanted to bring up again.  Indeed, I wanted to completely forget it had ever happened, but I did not think that would transpire.  Everyone had seen me like that—the entire court.

“She still wishes to set it right.”

“There is no need—”

“Just allow her to help,” Branford said, interrupting me.  I nodded quickly, and the topic was thankfully dismissed.  We both finished dressing, and Branford clasped his sword around his waist.  He turned to me, and his gaze traveled slowly up and down my body.  I blushed, and he smiled.  I was glad Branford’s mood didn’t seem to be completely soured by his sister’s intrusion though he did say he would speak with her about it again.  When I inquired, he explained the doors of the royals’ chambers were never barred but guarded instead since barring the door would not allow friendly forces to assist if someone were to get into the rooms.

“Will Dunstan always be at our door, then?” I asked.

“No, the guards who patrol constantly are quite a bit more subtle.  I will show you when we head out.”

“Out?” I inquired.

“I want to buy you something,” Branford said with a shrug.  “We shall go to the marketplace.”

“Buy me something?” I repeated, narrowing my eyes.  “Why?”

“Because I have never bought anything for my wife, and I want to do so,” he said simply.

With that, he donned his jacket, placed my cloak around my shoulders, and led me out into the hallway.  He took me to a space directly across from the door where a portrait of a man in royal robes was hanging on the wall.  Branford identified him as Camden’s great-grandfather and then pointed to a barely noticeable slit in the wall up the side of the painting.  If I had not been told to look there, I would have passed over it, but it was large enough for an arrow to be shot from the other side of the wall.  Branford had me peer in, and I could see a man behind the slit, hiding in the darkness.  I gasped as the man’s eyes shone out of the blackness.

“There is an entrance behind the staircase,” Branford said.  “Guards are always inside the walls.”

Dunstan was no longer waiting at our doorway, and it was rather nice to not think about someone following us.  For the most part, I was glad for Dunstan’s sake.  I did not want him to feel Branford’s wrath again.  Branford took my arm and led me to the marketplace just outside the castle walls, and we strolled through the merchants’ shops and stalls.

We stopped to see how Amarra and her pups were doing, and they seemed quite well.  It would be only a few weeks before the pups could be weaned, and Amarra could come and get used to her new home.  Branford was visibly excited by the thought though I was unsure how I felt about having a dog in our chambers.  When I approached Amarra, I was surprised to have the dog lick my hand.  I cried out in surprise, and Branford thought my shock was wonderfully funny but managed to control his laughter long enough to wipe off my hand with his handkerchief and kiss the top of my head.

Taking my arm again, Branford walked us slowly around various merchants’ carts, asking me over and over again what I desired.  I had never in my life had someone buy something for me, simple or extravagant, and I had never tried to think of something that I might just want and not need.  Branford was growing frustrated with my lack of input and finally threatened to buy me one of everything if I did not indicate something I liked.  Eventually, he pulled me over to a lavish display of jewelry laid out on a table with a bright blue covering.  The woman behind the array beamed at him and seemed to have difficulty addressing him as she looked to his face.  Branford told her I was in need of jewelry and to help me choose something.  Everything on the table was so beautiful, I had no idea where to even start looking.  All the necklaces and bracelets on display were truly wondrous.  After several minutes of the merchant showing me different pieces, and me refusing because they all seemed so extravagant, Branford leaned over my shoulder.

“If you do not choose something,” Branford threatened with a smile, “I am going to choose something for you.  Probably many ‘somethings.’  Maybe all of them.”

I nodded and bit my lip, finally pointing to a necklace.  It held at the end of its chain five stone pendants—three of deep black onyx and two made of bright yellow stones that separated the black ones.

“You like that one?” Branford said.

“It resembles the colors of your banner,” I replied in explanation.  He nodded, seemingly pleased, and tossed a handful of coins at the merchant.  He lifted the necklace into his hands and reached behind my neck to clasp the necklace there.  With his fingers, he traced down the chain to the stones at the end and lifted the largest one in the center, letting it shine in his hand.  He smiled at me and briefly kissed my lips before we continued.

We walked a little farther down the main section of the market, and Branford stopped to admire a blacksmith’s wares for a while.  After a few minutes of listening to him speak to the smith, I noticed a cart of fabrics and took the few short steps away to get a better look at them.  There were many different fabrics in the cart, including some brightly colored silks, which were absolutely lovely.  After I had admired the feeling of the cloth on my fingers, I felt Branford come up behind me, and his hands gripped my waist.  He leaned over my shoulder and spoke.

“Do you enjoy sewing?” Branford asked.

“Yes,” I replied.

“Do you want that?”  He reached around and pointed to the beautiful silk fabrics.  “You could make anything you like from it.  Or I can have someone make something for you.”

“Oh, that would not be necessary,” I said quickly.

I felt Branford’s fingers grip my chin.

“I want to do that, Alexandra,” Branford said, sounding annoyed.  “That is our reason for being here—so I can buy things for you.”

His gaze and tone softened somewhat as he looked down at me.  Then his half smile appeared.

“I have never had a wife before, Alexandra,” he said playfully.  I looked up at him and saw the tyrant had been immediately replaced by the handsome boy again.  “Do not spoil my fun as I spoil you.”

I had not really considered that he would get joy out of spoiling me though when I thought about it, there was logic to his reasons.  I had already found how much I liked to do things for him, such as making his tea and shaving his face.  It made sense that he might find pleasure in buying something for me.  I nodded slightly, and Branford released my chin.  I turned back to the fabric and touched it with my fingertips.

“It is very soft,” I said, “and pretty.”

“Then it is yours,” he said simply.  “What is your favorite color?”

I turned my head and was instantly caught up by his eyes as he looked at me, awaiting my response.  Without thinking, I said my favorite color was green and then felt my face blush.

“Green?” Branford questioned.

“Yes.”

“Why green?” He looked down at me and used his hands to pull me back against his chest.  I blushed and looked away.

“No reason,” I said quietly.

“Tell me!” he demanded as he turned me around to face him.

“It is, um…the color of your eyes,” I finally told him.  A slow smile crept across his face as he turned to the merchant and bought all the green fabric on the cart, silk or otherwise.  The merchant’s eyes grew wide as Branford deposited several gold coins in his hand, and he promised to have the fabrics sent up to our rooms.

Branford was still smiling to himself as we walked away, and I was glad to have found something that seemed to please him.  He wrapped my arm around his and we started back toward the castle gates.  When we came around the last of the merchants’ carts, Branford asked me if I wanted to eat something before he took me to Ida.  He unexpectedly stopped short.

Branford’s hand tensed over the top of my fingers, gripping them tightly as his feet abruptly stopped moving forward.  I had been looking off to the side and did not immediately see what caused him to stop so quickly.  I glanced at my husband’s face, his eyes dark with unbridled fury as the tyrant returned, and the handsome boy disappeared.   As I turned to see the object of his ire, I was met with the malicious grin of Lady Kimberly with her sister, Nelle, at her side.  I suddenly could not breathe and felt a hard lump lodge in my throat, preventing me from swallowing as well.

“Sir Branford.  Alexandra.” Kimberly sneered my name, and her voice sounded like warm butter.  I looked to the ground, vaguely aware that she had addressed me with no title.  Her sister stepped from around the last cart and stood at her side, smirking.  “I have not seen you since the reception.”

I felt Branford tense, not just in his arm where I held him, but I could feel it all the way up his shoulder, and I could see it in his jaw when I looked up to his face.

“Kimberly, Nelle,” Branford spoke slowly, enunciating each and every syllable.  “You have exactly one chance and one chance only.  Retrieve whatever possessions you have acquired, find yourself transport, and get the hell out of my kingdom.”

“Oh, Branford.”  Kimberly sighed and rolled her eyes.  “Always so dramatic.  We were only having a bit of fun—”

“Let me be perfectly clear,” Branford said, his voice turning low and deep.  His words had not been loud, but there was a distinct murmur of hushed voices and the movement of bodies pressing closer to hear what was being said.  “If I encounter you after midday tomorrow, I will have you both beheaded.  Understood?”

“Branford!” Kimberly’s hand went to her breast and her mouth dropped open.  “Why in the world—”

“No one”—Branford suddenly yelled, causing me to flinch.  He squeezed his hands into fists and dropped his voice low again, each word separated and whispered through his tight, clenched jaw—“no one…insults…my…wife.”

The sounds of the hustle and bustle of the market around us had completely ceased, and I could have sworn even the wind chose that time to stop blowing about the field.  Kimberly’s eyes went wide for a moment before they narrowed at me, and she laughed out loud.  It was a hard, cruel sound, and it sent shivers up my spine.

“Your wife.” Kimberly sneered and rolled her eyes again.  “You know as well as I that Princess Whitney gets what she wants in the end.  Do you really think—?”

“Your opinion in this matter is not of any interest to me,” Branford said with a growl.  “I want you out.  Now.”

“Your mother took us in.” Kimberly smirked at him.  “She promised to—”

“My mother is dead!” Branford screamed at her, and she flinched, taking a step backward.  His voice dropped back low.   “Not all of her decisions in life were good ones.  You rely on my good will now, and my patience is gone.  Now apologize to my wife and get out.”

She huffed, narrowing her eyes before briefly glancing at me.  Her lips turned up into a terrifying, toothy smile.  I pressed my body instinctively against Branford’s side.

“Alexandra”—Kimberly turned her head to the side and tilted it, looking at me with contempt and loathing—“surely you understand it was only in jest.  It was still a prettier outfit than the one you were wearing when you arrived, and no harm was—”

I tried to step back to distance myself, but Branford kept his grip on me, holding me in place. 

“Kimberly,” Nelle whispered as she reached for her sister’s hand.

Everything happened so quickly, I wasn't sure how I went from holding Branford's arm to suddenly being behind him, held at arm's length.  My ears barely registered the scrape of metal as he drew his sword, but it was suddenly placed against the pale skin of Lady Kimberly’s neck.

“Do not make a move,” he said with a snarl.  “Do not move a damned inch, or I’ll take your head from your shoulders right now.”

“Branford, how dare you—”

“Silence!” His voice thundered the command, and Kimberly’s mouth closed with a snap. “Apologize to my wife.”

“I am not about to lower myself to apologize to some handmaid!” Kimberly screeched, and the silence around the marketplace was replaced by a simultaneous gasp from the onlookers.

Lady Kimberly’s words stopped abruptly, and her eyes went wider for a moment before she went perfectly still.  She seemed to stare with unfocused eyes at Branford’s hand as it gripped the hilt of the sword.  She whimpered slightly, and I could see her hands begin to shake.  A moment later, a slight trickle of red flowed from the edge of the sword where it met her slender neck.

“Drop to your knees—both of you.”

I held my breath as Kimberly’s glazed eyes looked toward me as she slowly lowered herself into the muddy ground below with Nelle at her side.  As she moved, Branford’s sword moved with her, keeping its deadly position near the artery in her neck.

“Your life is in jeopardy,” Branford said between his teeth.  “Don’t push me any further.  You live only because I honor the memory of my mother and her wishes.  Say one more contrary word—anything—to my wife, and I will end you.”

Lady Kimberly stared at him, wide-eyed and unmoving.  The blade at her neck remained completely steady though I could feel the tension from Branford’s body through his grip on my arm.

“Apologize,” Branford demanded again.  “If Alexandra accepts your apology, you will keep your head, so I suggest you make it a good one.  If she doesn’t accept, I will end your life right here and now.”

I watched her gaze turn to mine, and her tongue flicked quickly over her lips before she spoke.

“My humblest apologies for my words, Lady Alexandra.”  Kimberly’s voice was strained.  I could see her throat bob as she swallowed hard.  Branford continued to glare down at her.  “And we, um…we never should have put you in that…that dress.”

“I am sorry, too,” Nelle said softly.  She could not look up at me as she spoke.

“Alexandra,” Branford said quietly without turning toward me.  “Do you accept?”

I looked at the two women on the ground in front of me as I slowly realized what Branford was saying.  He was putting their lives in my hands.  I could forgive them and let them live, or with a word—my word—their lives would be over.

The lives of two noble-born women were at the mercy of a handmaid.

The irony was not lost on me.

Irony aside, I was not prepared for this kind of responsibility.  I was not prepared to have the lives—let alone the deaths—of the people of Silverhelm in my control.  Noble or otherwise, I could not have someone else die because I said they should, regardless of what they had done to me.

I was aware of what my husband was doing as well.  I knew this was his way of making amends for his actions after his cousins’ stunt though it would have been better if he had given me some indication that he would put their punishment in my hands.  In all likelihood, he had not planned this though.  He was surprised by their sudden presence, and he was probably acting on impulse.

“Alexandra?” Branford repeated.  I could hear the waning patience in his tone.

“Y-yes,” I stammered.  Branford’s eyes swiveled to mine for a moment and then back to Lady Kimberly on the ground.

“Do you accept their pathetic excuse for an apology?”

“Yes,” I repeated.  Branford’s gaze found mine, and for the briefest of moments I thought he was going to kill her despite my acceptance.  Instead, he nodded his head in my direction and then turned his gaze back to the women at his feet.

“Consider yourselves lucky my wife is so gracious.  You have until midday tomorrow to remove yourselves from Silverhelm entirely.  If I ever, ever see either of you in Silverhelm again, I will place your heads on pikes outside the castle.”

“You cannot possibly be serious.”  Kimberly’s voice was quiet now, and all the venom was gone.

“Completely and totally,” he assured her.  “Get out of my kingdom.  If you ever set foot on my lands again, or if you ever come near my wife, I will slaughter you both like the animals you are.”

“But we apologized to—” Kimberly did not complete her sentence as Branford’s sword hand shifted slightly but halted her breath in her throat instead.

“Am I completely clear?”  Branford’s voice was soft now, but his eyes still blazed.

“Yes,” she croaked.

Branford slowly drew his sword away from her neck, revealing a line of deep red against her skin.  The slight trickle of blood continued to drip from the very bottom of the line down into the neckline of Lady Kimberly’s dress.  It was not a deep cut but so obviously close to the pulsing vessel in her neck, even the slightest change in the sword’s course would have been her end.  She raised her hand to her throat, and a small amount of blood seeped easily through her fingers.

“Get out of my sight.”

Lady Kimberly rose and took several slow steps backward, her gaze never leaving my husband’s save for once when they darted over to me.  The look in her eyes was nothing less than sheer hatred, and I gasped when our eyes met.  Lady Nelle grasped her sister’s hand, and they turned together, fleeing toward the castle gates.

And that is how Kimberly and Nelle were exiled.