Copyright © 2010, Caroline Aubrey
Published by Whiskey Creek Press LLC

Reviews for THE TWO KINGDOMS: THE GARNETSWORD by Caroline Aubrey

Night Owl Reviews Top Pick! “Early on in the story, I sympathized with Aurora. Her character is written extremely well and her motivations are fully explained. I felt and understood Aurora’s anguish, and I was moved to tears several times with her pain and betrayal. Even though the plot becomes apparent early on, I still cried when the inevitable happened. When I cry during a book, I take this as a sign of a well-written story and fully developed characters. Aurora and her story definitely fit this description.

The Garnet Sword is an extremely emotional and heart wrenching book, in all the good ways. Although I found the pacing erratic, my overall impression of the story is undiminished. I am unsure of the direction of the series after such an explosive beginning, but I am looking forward to another beautifully written, all-encompassing story.”
~ Reviewed by: KatieSeely, Night Owl Reviews

“Intense! Without a doubt. Riveting, action packed from beginning to end, this one came to the get-together and brought the party :) I was pulled into the story from the start. The world building was FANTASTIC. It is clear the author had everything worked out for the world, characters and the story. Nothing was out of place. Enemies? Maybe, but oh so hot! Rock it Ms Aubrey!”
~ Seriously Reviewed

Excerpt for THE TWO KINGDOMS: THE GARNETSWORD by Caroline Aubrey

Night had fallen on the deep, dark wood, and the winter chill that had invaded the land grew deeper and deeper. Fires lit the outside and inside of houses, causing a warm glow over the village of Story Ridge, safely ensconced in the Tyrry Wood province of the kingdom of Gaunt. The residents of Story Ridge had long believed themselves relatively safe from the war that raged between the kingdom of Gaunt and the neighboring kingdom of Joquil, nearly a fortnight’s ride to the north. The war at the border had raged for too long, and deep in the thick woods, Story Ridge had been a refuge for many whose lives the war had touched, including Shara Ilestan.

Shara was twelve years old, and had been sent to live in Story Ridge with her parents, both of whom served the Queen Regent of Gaunt for many years. Shara herself had grown up at the palace of the queen, to the southeast of Story Ridge, through the southern edge of Tyrry Wood, along the banks of the Misstal River to where the river opened up into Grayslake. Grayslake, though surrounded by the White Mountains, had long been one of the most beautiful parts of the country, and Shara had been happy there. Until war had touched Grayslake.

The war had threatened the safety of the castle and there had been two attempts on the queen’s life. Shara’s mother had taken Shara with her to Story Ridge and this was the second winter they spent there, in this little hamlet where nothing ever happened.

Until tonight.

Snow glistened in the dappled moonlight that shone between trees. The sounds of boots crunching in snow under evergreen trees cut through the normally peaceful sounds of winter night. If one had been listening carefully, one could think that perhaps the boots crunching was just the sound of snow falling off evergreen boughs into the night, which snow often did in Tyrry Wood in the middle of winter. This was the plan of the men who entered into Story Ridge in the deepest part of a winter storm, to slip in just under the snow that fell heavy from trees and the sky.

Shara was dreaming inside her tiny cottage, of the sun on her face on the shores of Grayslake, on the pure white terrace of the Palace of the Sun Queen. The sounds of fish jumping in the lake, the sounds of the swans pushing through the deep, clear water and peacocks calling in the distance drowned out the sounds of battle that were now raging inside Shara’s cottage. A hand clamped over her mouth and the sensation of being drug from her bed woke Shara. She screamed, the sound muffled against the hand. That was all any of the village watch would have heard if they were awake and guarding, but their throats had been slit. Steam rose from the blood that pooled from their bodies and touched the deep snow with a hiss.

“ My Queen, the Land Council asks for an audience.”

Finn Alyn Grey, Sun Queen and Hereditary Preceptor, Land Council Chieftain and Regent of the Kingdom of Gaunt, nodded to Todo, her vizier. “Of course, Todo, I am at the Land Council’s call. Send the summons and accept the Land Council’s call, for a fortnight from now. What news from General Abad?”

Todo shook his head. “Nothing. The border has been strangely quiet, since the arrival of the Aegis Garnet delegation. Although, General Abad warns us against complacency.”

“ We are fair warned, then,” Alyn answered. The skin around her light gray eyes was puckered, showing the only sign of strain that the rule of Gaunt had placed upon her.

Her vizier knew her well enough to see that nothing could be hidden from her. Alyn was nothing if not astute, and the ability to read people was a skill that not many human clans still developed. But Alyn was not just any clan leader, she was Queen Regent of Gaunt and Sun Queen, a warrior in her own right who had subdued armies and unified warring clans to a tenuous peace that she would see continue, with her last breath, and then some. “The Land Council is concerned, especially the Joquili,” Todo continued.

Alyn raised an eyebrow. “Still no word from Lady Arbitras?”

Todo shook his head. “None. There may have been other provinces she has gone to, other than Joquil Fair.”

Alyn tapped her fingers on her sporran. “Still, this makes me uneasy. Mirren is the last of the Joquili nobles to remain in Joquil under their so-called king. She is a great ally of ours and has worked tirelessly to bring peaceful rule back to Joquil. We may have to send Abad’s Garnet contingent after her, if there is still no word within the sennight.” She turned her gaze back to Todo. “Anything else?”

“ Yes, my Queen,” Todo continued. “Speaking of the Aegis Garnet, the captain of your palace guard has arrived.”

Alyn raised an eyebrow. “Already? I was told the replacement forces would not arrive until the next new moon.”

“ I understand the captain is most anxious to be received.”

Alyn stood. In stature she was a small woman, with dark hair and eyes that were rumored to be attributed to an ancient elfin bloodline that had long since mixed with human. In spite of her small frame, she commanded strength of presence that made her seem much larger and more forceful than she truly was. Her hair was swept up upon her head, ringlets hanging and festooned with tiny sparkling stones as was the custom of her clan. She wore a long gown of pale silver, simple by the standard of the day, tied in wrap-around fashion around her waist and curving at her hips, coming together in a simple tied bow at the small of her back. A modest sporran of dark leather hung at her hip, upon it the silver crest of the Grey, the family into which she had married. “By all means, Todo.” She nodded toward the door.

The servant moved silently across the marble floor, and Alyn watched him. Loyal to her for many years, Todo had come from the House of Finn the Great with her into the House of Grey, where she had married its duke, Ianin, borne him a son, and lived blissfully until the duke’s assassination four years later. Todo had been Alyn’s strength through difficult times and she considered him family.

The door opened, and the sound of heavy armor, thick weighty boots thudding across the stone floor and the flash of a sword in candlelight filled the regent’s private chamber. The warrior approached Alyn, and upon reaching her, knelt, hand across heart, head bowed, dark braid slipping across her shoulder and coming to rest upon the floor. “My Queen,” she said, her voice strong and sure, befitting of her station.

Alyn smiled, and placed her hands upon the captain’s shoulders. “Aurora,” she said, a wave of love rushing over her. “My darling child, you are a sight for sore eyes!”

Eyes the color of pale lavender stones looked up under a dark cascade of hair, and a flash of teeth soon followed in a smile. Standing, Aurora moved into the regent’s embrace. “My Queen,” she whispered, as Alyn’s slim arms moved around her armor and held her close.

Alyn pulled away, looking up into Aurora’s face. “Hush now, darling, in here, it is just us two. Mother to your husband, and daughter, wife to my son. I have so feared for you, having heard nothing from you these last years until Mother Abbott informed me of your appointment here.”

Aurora’s eyes moved to the queen’s hands. “It was not my intention to leave you so suddenly…”

A wave of the regent’s hand stopped her. “Aurora, grief is many things to many people. You had to grieve Nicholas’ death in your own way. Your life is in my heart, my dearest child, and I knew you lived. That was what mattered to me most. And now, here you are, captain of my guard.”

“ Upon your request?” Aurora raised an eyebrow, as Alyn moved to sit at the table, covered in candles, parchment, and two goblets.

“ I asked the father general of the guard for the finest warrior to command my watch, and it was you whom he dispatched,” Alyn said, pouring spiced ale into both goblets. “I trust the duke’s judgment in all things, especially my protection. You are indeed your father’s daughter, Aurora, noble, passionate, and loyal. All the things I need in my guard.”

Aurora gratefully accepted the goblet Alyn handed her. “I am told of at least two attempts on your life, Lady.”

Alyn’s eyes met Aurora’s. “Attempts, my darling, and nothing more.”

“ Yet Father General Delorme has granted you your own personal Aegis Garnet Watch,” Aurora answered, her gaze steady.

Alyn smiled slightly. “The Duke of Everend, your father general, is a bit of a worrywart.”

“ Worrywart,” Aurora said, shaking her head. “No wonder Brother Lyon resigned his post here.”

Alyn sighed. “Brother Lyon wanted me to leave Grayslake for my protection. How can I ask the people to feel safe within Gaunt’s borders if the regent herself flees?” She shook her head. “Ahh, my darling, can we not speak on that? Perhaps Brother Lyon was not suited as the queen’s captain of the guard.”

Already Aurora had put in place restrictions on palace comings and goings well before she herself had arrived. “Of course,” she answered, and changing the subject of the great clash of wills between the queen and her former captain of the guard, Aurora continued. “What news of the war is there?”

Alyn nodded, leaning back in her chair. “Much, I’m afraid. The border skirmishes continue along the Tyrry Wood lands, and there has been much damage caused by both the Jedren and the Joquil renegades in the north. The Land Council has sent the Aegis Garnet there with my army to protect the people, and so far there has been some reduction in the fighting there.”

“ Your army is still camped at the borderlands?”

Alyn nodded. “They have been deluged by refugees on both sides of the border. The Joquili beg for us to come and release them from the bondage of their rule, but we cannot. There is no lawful intent for us to invade, and yet, there is still too much to settle here in Gaunt before we can mount a campaign against…against him.”

Him.

Aurora did not blink. “Has he threatened you in any way?”

Alyn laughed. “Other than his saber rattling at the borders, I think not. He’s too busy swimming in the bloodbath of his victory over his own people to turn his eyes to me. But we must be on our guard. He thinks he has unified Joquil, and will turn his attentions here next. We cannot let Gaunt fall.”

He. The self-styled “king” of Joquil. Valyerian Carreon. Aurora’s brother-by-blood.

“ What stands in his way? Only the Jedren?” Aurora asked, her voice steadier than her heart.

“ I do not want to speak of him,” Alyn insisted, looking up at Aurora, “for there are many painful subjects we could speak of before coming to that one.”

“ I will gladly go where you send me, Alyn. If it is to the border wars, then so be it. I would gladly exact my revenge against those who murdered Nicholas as well as put an end to tyranny in Joquil.”

“ No,” Alyn said, putting her goblet down. “I lost my son, and I’ll not lose you as well. I want justice against the Jedren, or Valyerian, or whoever killed Nicholas, but not meted from your hand, Aurora. You are his wife, you certainly deserve justice as I do, but you are my only heir now, and I’ll not have you endangered in such a way.”

But I am a warrior, not a queen…

Alyn held up her hand. “I know you; I know how you think. You took the vows of the warrior, Aurora, and I’m told you are one of the greatest living Aegis Garnet there are today, greater perhaps than your own father. I want someone here I can trust with my life, with my soul, who would protect me and whose loyalty knows no bounds. That is you. If I cannot trust my own daughter, the wife to my beloved and dead son, then who can I trust? Your bonds to me may not be of blood, but they are greater by the love we had for Nicholas and the loss of him. These are trying times, Aurora; we have to fight to keep peace in Gaunt after all these years.”

Aurora knew Alyn was right. Just as generation ago, Gaunt and Joquil had coexisted peacefully as one land, under one ruler. But a bloody civil war broke out after the death of the king’s eldest daughter and heir, murdered by a clan chieftain of Clan Jedren, the southern clan along the Misstal River. Separated by the Misstal, the ancient kingdoms of Gaunt and Joquil once again became divided, the murder of the king’s daughter spurring a war that lasted for twenty years. Left without a ruler, the people of Gaunt fended for themselves until the seven clans banded together at the First Land Council and brought peace and order back to the kingdom torn apart by the Twenty Years War.

The path to Alyn’s rule had been difficult at best. Of the human Clan Finn, she was hereditary chieftain and descendant of the Rose Queen, Janine, who had in ancient times unified the kingdoms and brought peace. Janine’s descendants had reigned for hundreds of years …until the Twenty Years War. The loss of both Alyn’s husband and son had taken its toll on her, yet she still remained in control of the Land Council which had elected her regent. For years Queen Alyn had fought to keep control of the peace that had been paid for by the blood of her husband, son, and of the family of the woman warrior whom she called daughter, who stood before her now as captain of the regent’s guard.

Love had bound them as family, but tragedy forged those bonds stronger, and Aurora had jumped at the chance to take command of the regent’s guard. “What do you want me to do, Alyn?” Aurora asked, gazing directly into the regent’s eyes. “Anything you ask of me, I will do it.”

Alyn nodded. “I know that, Aurora. I do. I want you here with me, by my side. The Land Council will think it is for my protection, physically, but I need to know where you are at all times so I will not fear for you.”

“ But my post…”

“ Your post and your Aegis Garnet devotion will not suffer, Aurora. Your post is to guard me, and guard my palace, and make sure that no one can enter who is not allowed, and when we travel to keep me safe from harm. That should not be too difficult?”

Aurora smiled slightly. “As difficult as you make it, Alyn.”

“ Aurora, I know that your devotion to the Aegis Garnet is your priority now, that you’ve made your vows to the Order, but remember that you are my daughter, wife to my son, and that bond makes you my heir. The Land Council has agreed that you are the most logical choice for my palace guard, but you must take the precautions that are necessary for your safety.”

Aurora’s fingers tightened around her goblet. “Ultimately, it will be for the Land Council to decide your successor, when that time comes. In the meantime, it is my sworn duty to make sure that time will not come in the near future.”

“ I have chosen my successor. Even if it was by your bloodline alone.”

“ With two Carreons on each throne, perhaps the Land Council seeks to unify Gaunt and Joquil once again?”

Alyn shook her head. “I shudder to think of the day that monster is allowed to remain ruler of Joquil.”

Aurora took a deep breath, trying to settle the tiny grip of anxiety that threatened to become fear in the pit of her belly. “But I know how the Land Council works, and despite his methods, the so-called king of Joquil has his supporters in Joquil, and they look to him for leadership.”

Alyn gazed over her goblet at her daughter-by-law. “I am a politician, Aurora. I have certainly been privy to many a plotting session by the Land Council, and I have my well-placed spies. I won’t deny that there has been talk of unification once you ascend to this throne, with the backing of the Land Council. And with Valyerian on one throne and you on the other, the prospect of unification is quite enticing.”

“ The Land Council knows I have no love for Joquil’s so-called king.” Aurora’s gaze met Alyn’s.

“ You cannot bear to even say his name, still, after all these years?”

Aurora’s eyes were hard. “The hatred has long since been replaced by prayer and fasting to overcome the deficiencies of character,” she said, looking over the goblet at Alyn. “When he killed my parents and Sidon, I swore that I would avenge their deaths. I have, in a way, by living, and embracing my father’s legacy. That as an Aegis Garnet warrior.”

“ You have no deficiencies in character, my darling.”

Only my love for your son, which refuses to die. “My Queen,” Aurora said, staring into her goblet, “I am a great sinner.”

“ You cannot help the circumstances which led to the murders of your father and mother. Their deaths are not on your hands.”

“ Mayhap,” Aurora answered, her gaze constant on her goblet.

“ Aurora,” Alyn reached across the table, “you certainly still do not blame yourself?”

But she did blame herself. How could she not? The only survivor of a family massacred by its eldest son, hidden and kept away because justice could not be meted out for fear the powerful murderer would come back and finish the job; who not only lost her parents and brothers but her husband as well? Everyone she touched had died violently at the hands of this man who was by blood her brother, how could she not feel some responsibility? The border wars were the threat of Valyerian invading Gaunt, trying to take by force that which he truly believed his: the kingdom of Gaunt and the unification of the Two Kingdoms…under his rule, rather than Alyn’s. And now her only remaining family, the regent of the land, had sought her protection against the forces of the very man who murdered the others. Aurora’s smile gave the queen her answer. “What will you have me do here, Lady Mother?”

Alyn smiled. It was no use to prod Aurora. She had loved her daughter-in-law for so long, and now, with Aurora by her side, she was truly invincible. “My armies are camped at the border, along the Misstal. The Wolf Clan Jedren still believe those lands to be theirs. There has been much fighting in that region, and they patrol the borders. They have caught many a Jedren war party, but have yet to catch the leader.”

The leader. Aurora knew the name. Ardan.

“ There have been threats upon those who inhabit Tyrry Wood, and upon my own life as well. I have nothing to fear from them, this far into Gaunt, yet…”

Aurora finished for her. “Todo’s family…and Nira.”

Alyn nodded. “You know what Todo means to me, Aurora, and I know what Nira means to you. Todo Ilestan has given me the best years of his life, but with his wife and children staying behind in Tyrry Wood, the risks are even greater.”

Alyn didn’t have to finish her thought. Both she and her vizier suffered great losses at the hands of the Jedren, as they had at the hands of the self-styled king of Joquil. Nira aul Shellac, the great faery spirit leader, had been Aurora’s childhood friend. Valyerian had taken Nira’s husband, Severn, and tortured him to give up Aurora’s whereabouts when Aurora had been in hiding. Severn later died, and Aurora blamed herself, though Nira refused that action. Nira’s suffering at the hands of Valyerian drove her back to Tyrry Wood and to the comfort of her people, another of Valyerian’s victims that Aurora held close to her heart.

Aurora’s mind drifted to the Wolf Clan Jedren, to what the Aegis Garnet had known of them. Unlike the other Jedren clans, they held no allegiance to anyone, perhaps other than to the one who called himself king, because of his promises of land and territory along the borderlands. The land Valerian promised had once belonged to the Jedren, but due to the bounty placed on Jedren heads during the Twenty Years War, it had been lost to both the Elfin clans that inhabited Tyrry Wood and the human Woodland clans that inhabited Joquil’s side of the borderlands. But now, the Jedren had become more aggressive, more controlled in their border skirmishes, and it was because they united under the leadership of Ardan.

“ What will become of their leader when he is caught by the army of Gaunt?” Aurora asked.

“ He will be hanged,” Alyn said, with just a trace of bitterness, “and left at the Borderlands for all Jedren to see what happens when they cross my borders and assault my people.”

Aurora nodded. “The guard will see him captured then, with the assistance of your army.”

“’ Tis true, I’d see him dead,” Alyn said, “but for one moment I’d like to see the face of the man who strikes such fear into the hearts of Tyrry Wood.”

Aurora nodded. This Ardan was legendary. Even the Aegis Garnet intelligence reports were complimentary in their information of Ardan’s exploits. He was shadowy, a mercenary, and slippery. No one had truly ever seen his face. So there was no physical description of him, only his stealth, his silence, his voice, which bordered on a feral whisper that could strike fear in the hearts of his victims, and instill confidence in his own people. “Even some of the guard speak of him with hushed admiration,” Aurora offered, taking a sip from her goblet. Settling back in the chair, she was relieved that Alyn had not pressed the issue of blame where it was due.

Long before her entrance into the Aegis Garnet, when she was still a young warrior full of fight and a young wife full of love, she had willingly followed her husband to the Borderlands front. Nicholas, though by blood next in line as hereditary chieftain of Finn, was a warrior in his mother’s army. Alyn hadn’t wanted Nicholas on the border, but he and Aurora agreed that it was time the regent proved to the people of Tyrry Wood that the border skirmishes would no longer be tolerated. So she sent her two best warriors, her own son and his wife to allay the fears of the people.

They had fought off the Jedren raiders, and it was then Aurora had felt a shimmer of dread for the first time. In dress and in action the Jedren instilled fear and Aurora’s training at the time was not of the Aegis Garnet, but as a soldier in Alyn’s army. Her Aegis Garnet training had taught her to control fear, to use it as a weapon. When she was a young soldier, defending queen and country, she had been unable to master her fear, even more so when Nicholas disappeared into the night. Two days later, his torn cloak, bloodied sword, and charred body were discovered hung to a tree.

It was then Alyn asked the Aegis Garnet to step in, to join her army. The Aegis Garnet brought stability, and the borders were controlled—no Jedren had been able to cross, save for that elusive Ardan. It was rumored among Alyn’s warriors that Ardan himself had killed Nicholas, but there was never any proof to substantiate it.

Something cold, long dormant welled up inside Aurora. She straightened, fingers tightening around the goblet, and took another sip. The wine was rich, warm, and heavy. All of her concentration went to the place where fear began to pool inside of her, and by her will, her sheer internal strength, she chased it away, still listening to Alyn’s description of the latest skirmishes. Fear was what had ruled her life before she became Aegis, after she had lost her husband. Fear no longer ruled her; only Aurora could control her own emotions.

“ You haven’t heard anything I’ve said, have you, my darling?”

Aurora blinked. “Only that the Jedren need to be stopped,” she answered, having heard every word but not listening.

“ You must be tired.”

“ No.”

“ You’ve traveled great distances to come here to my castle, with just your captain’s watch as company. You need your rest.”

“ I’ve stationed my warriors across the castle. I will take the first guard.”

Alyn reached across the table, placing her hand upon Aurora’s. “Aurora, I cannot impart enough what it means for you to be here with me.”

Aurora smiled, setting her goblet upon the table. Standing, her armor shifted, her cape settling around her shoulders. To Alyn, she did look every bit the warrior, the flickering of the candles and firelight shining upon her armor, her countenance head and shoulders above that of the regent. Aurora went to Alyn’s side, and knelt on one knee before her, taking her hand and kissing it. “I take my leave, my Queen,” she said.

Alyn shook her head. “Aurora, in here, we are…”

Aurora stood. “Mother and daughter, I know, but I am God’s servant, as well as yours, regardless of our relationship.” She bowed slightly. “My Lady Mother, then. I take your leave.”

Turning to leave, she paused at the door, mentally taking note of the bolt and checking its sturdiness. As she passed through the threshold, her eyes met those of the two Aegis Garnet posted there. “All’s well, Captain,” one of them said.

Aurora nodded. “Keep it that way, Brother Farthys,” she said, making her way down the long corridor.

When she had arrived at Alyn’s fortress, she had been offered the use of her old quarters, the apartment she had shared with Nicholas when they lived there as man and wife. Aurora had politely refused Todo’s offer, and taken rooms nearer the main hall, a place she would use as her base of operations as captain of the palace guard. But now, as her boots thudded down the empty, darkened corridor, she found herself at the edge of the hallway, staring straight into the door that had been her bridal chamber.

His black hair had glimmered in the firelight as it fell in a thick curl at the base of his neck. He turned to her, smile flashing in the lighted darkness. Aurora could stand toe-to-toe with him, but he was taller even than she, a head and a half at least. He was a big man, massive in strength and build, but with her was gentle, teasing. “My Lady Princess,” he had said in that low, purring, lazy tone, “what will it take for me to pry that wedding garment off that lovely body and take my tongue to every last inch of you?”

His very voice caused all the blood in her to pool in one place.

Lying on the bed, shirt off, fire and candlelight dancing on his smooth, brown skin, he watched her through half-closed lids. He crooked his finger to her, and she stepped closer.

Aurora’s hands shook with anticipation as her fingers found the laces and ribbons of her wedding dress. The garment cascaded to her ankles in a slow rustling, pooling at her feet. Nicholas smiled as she stepped out of the dress and moved toward where he lay. Slowly, deliberately, his hand traced the hollow of her hips, lingering briefly before coming to rest at the apex of her thighs. “I like that…” he said, in that same, low tone that made Aurora weak.

Her voice failed her as she pressed against his hand, air a soft rush in her throat.

“ Ahh…and that one. The sounds you make when I touch you.” Slowly, he snaked his hand between, sliding his big fingers up inside of her.

All sensation followed the pooling of her blood in that moment. How could she stand when his hand was dancing a slow, delicious rhythm inside her? With a flick of his wrist, his thumb turned, catching her between his fingers. Over and over he rolled her clit between his fingers, pushing her to the edge, then pulling back. She cried out under his onslaught, under his teasing hands. Growling, he withdrew his hand from her and stood in one fluid movement. His hands moved around to the sides of her head and with his body, forced her back against the wall. Her knees instinctively rose to either side of his waist and the swollen, hard head of his penis pushed in between her velvet folds. Fisting a hand in her hair, his lips came down upon hers hard, mimicking the hard thrust with which he entered her. She cried out against the intrusion under his mouth, her knees clenching around his waist. Raising her hips, she forced him deeper. The force of his thrusts bruised her naked back, yet she answered them with her own. Never would she grow tired of his thick, hot intrusion inside her, never would she grow weary of his tongue in hers, the heat of him melting inside her, forcing her open. Farther and farther he pushed inside her, pushed past acceptance and need and she felt her muscles tighten, then spiral out of her control. Each time he was inside her was outside of her realm of experience. How could she love him any more than she did at that moment, her body’s violent clenching of him, his swallowing of her cries within his teeth, his tongue, his mouth? He took her lips within his teeth, sucking, mimicking her body’s response and she flew over. Not too far behind her, he raised his head from her mouth and spilled inside her, a sound tearing from his throat that was feral—primal—and possessive.

Afterwards, still deeply inside her, he draped her arms across his shoulders and carried her and laid her upon the bed. As he gentled her with deep, languid kisses, she could feel him hardening and lengthening once again. Her fingers spread and tangled in the black curls at his neck. She loved the feel of his hair under her fingers, the feel of his hardened shaft inside her, lengthening, stretching her beyond where she had just been. He smiled against her mouth, swollen and bruised from his kisses. “On our wedding night, my lady,” his voice was a whisper in her ear, rumbling from deep inside his chest, “you won’t ever remember a time I wasn’t inside you…”

Aurora’s hand was pressed against the door before she had even realized what she was doing. Emptiness yawned inside her, stretching her where he had filled her so completely before their wedding night and nearly every night since, until his murder nearly two years later. Her fingers were white where she had placed them upon the thick, heavy door that had been her home. It was as if she could feel his breath upon her neck, feel his lips upon the place where her throat joined her shoulder. Verily, his ghost still walked these walls, beckoning her to him. The pain of her emptiness rushed through her as the imagined heat of his breath faded with the tremors that quaked inside her.

Wife no more, warrior still, she turned on her heel and moved down the hallway to the spartan quarters she would now call home.

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