Legends of Belariath
Infernis
Justice and Revenge: Chapter Four - Territories Gained and Lost
In years past, the city of Silverdale had been born from a logging camp that took root at the center of a deep forest. Since those days of rampant cutting and burning, the people of Silverdale had come to understand the Forest and its creatures nearly as well as any elf. It was rare that the people gathered at the stone Castle for any reason, preferring instead, to enjoy the sprawling city amidst the trees. Today, however, was an exception. Today, their King returned from the front. Today, Elric returned to the city he had fought for years to protect and his people were there to welcome him with cheers and tears.
As the Paladin-King’s force entered the forest’s edge, flowers drifted down to the armored soldiers, cast down by the tree dwelling denizens along with their cries of good fortune and calls of good will, long life and victory over the monstrous wizard. The vanguard of the King’s Guard smiled at each other from beneath their metal helms and up at the people that welcomed them. With a united voice, the Guard called out to the people around them, “All Hail, King Elric the Lightbringer, All Hail!”
The crowd took up the cry as the King himself appeared at the front of the group, upon his stead and let the beast take him home as he lifted his hands to the people. To these people of shadowed glade and twilight forest, their King was a shining star in his polished plate and mail. The hailing cry and rain of flowers followed their king all the way to the gates of the Castle where he entered without pause. Finally, the king reined the warhorse in, and slid to the ground with a barely concealed sigh of relief. The polished helm hit the ground with a clatter and a cry of relief. “Ahh! How do they expect me to breath in such a thing? This ceremonial armor will be the death of me, Briold.”
The King’s own personal bodyguard and half-brother smiled his honest amusement at his brother and King’s bearded scowl. “Heavy is the head that wears the chamber pot?” He had to move quickly to avoid that very same polished helmet as it came sailing toward him.
“If I wanted abuse, I could have stayed in the Vast and fought the trolls another month. Go and prepare for tonight. With the Vast finally secured, we can concentrate on searching the Deep Wood next. I need a good rest before beginning that. At least a week, maybe.”
Elric finished stripping off the various sections of the ceremonial Hometaking armor as he talked to his friend and brother. Briold was wise enough not to say anything to the thought of spending a mere week in comfortable beds before beginning another half-year campaign against the legions of the Wizard. His own wife and daughters would skin him alive if he suggested a scant seven days and nights. But, perhaps this time would be different. He could only hope this silently as King Elric finally managed to wrest the final shin guard from his leg and kicked it into the next room with a curse and a glare. Clad in his under tunics, the King strode from the side chamber into the main hall and made his way through the Castle to his own Chambers, passing many colorfully clad and utterly shocked Ministers and Advisors as he went. Briold showed no sign of the humor he felt as his smelly and ill clad King disrupted the proceedings he traveled through without pause. Only once he arrived at the Throne room did he slow. Briold’s humor disappeared just as quickly, as he knew the reason for that hesitation.
“My Lord, perhaps if you dressed first?”
“No. No, tis best to be done with it.”
With that, he cast the doors open and strode into the Throne room, where to his mild shock, a Guard stood at the ready and saluted together with the clang of armor and drawn blades. “All Hail”
Elric’s breath caught in his throat at the sight of the one that stood behind this Guard he no longer heard. Regally tall bedecked in emerald green, Cassandra was the glowing picture of nobility. She stepped around the Guard and Elric stepped forward to take her hand when she nearly bowled him over with her embrace. His surprise was complete and genuine for all of two seconds before he returned that embrace to the cheers of the Guard and Court. In the midst of all the cheers, none noticed either of their tears.
“And, it turned out, Minister Malik enjoyed her rough treatment, so the Guard had to stand and salute the old buzzard as he stood there restrained and gagged before marching out and promptly dying of laughter.”
Elric roared with laughter at the last, along with his wife as she scrubbed his back of the saddle grime and sweat. Darkness filled their chamber outside the bathing room and the hot water had filled the room with steam and heat. His muscles were slack and relaxed, as he drained half his glass of spiced honey mead. Cassandra sat, perched, on the edge of the massive tub and repeatedly scrubbed at his scarred skin, distracting him with tales of Court intrigue and gossip.
Her own night tunic was plastered to her skin by the humidity and heat, and she was also distracting herself with the talk of lies and trickery. Her own mind wasn’t far from the fact that he’d been away from her for months and wouldn’t likely let either of them get much sleep tonight. And she was terrified that he’d notice a difference in her.
He ‘had’ noticed a difference in her, for that matter. Her embrace earlier today was a sign of something. Before, his returns had always been a cause of joy for him, but something less for her, or so he thought. She’d always done as he had asked and with the suitable pleasures that went along with it. But, he’d always wondered if their arranged marriage was lacking something. He thought on this absently as he stood and took the robe she had prepared for him.
Her eyes drank him in and she inevitably remembered how much she’d miss his attentions. She took the robe and gently rubbed him down with it and noted, without surprise and a bit of pleasure, his own pleasure at seeing her. She took him in hand and pulled in close to him. She gasped softly when he spun her around and pushed her up against the wall. Her own pleasure was mixed with shock at his forceful approach. He’d always been one to stick to what he knew, and never with the lights on. She pushed back against him as he cupped her breasts through the light shift and squeezed. Her soft moans filled the bathing room and goaded Elric on. She’d never been so quick to signal her pleasure before, and he truly could not help himself anymore as he tugged her shift up and spun her around again. His hands tugged the thin cotton over her head and dropped it without pausing. He drank in the sight of her as she rubbed against him, and slid his hands down to squeeze her thighs and cup her ass. Cassandra groans into his ear, as she licked and bit his neck, murmuring endearments and encouragements. Gods above, she thought feverishly, I have to ‘stop’, he’s got to realize something’s different. He’ll...know...She got this far in her desperate thinking before he lifted her up and set her back down on his shaft, her weight driving it deep into her with a drawn out moan. Her own hands wrapped loosely around his neck as he began to lift and lower her body up and down on his straining flesh. Her legs lifted and wrapped around his waist with ease and she squeezed him with each motion. Elric’s mind was whirling with pleasure and delight at her delicious warmth. So many times before, he’d returned to a lukewarm response, a tepid welcome and almost grudging attentions. He had almost come to believe she was unfaithful. The passion painted on her face as she kissed him and worked at his shaft with her body made him ashamed to have ever doubted his love. He made a vow with himself to never do so again, in that small section of his mind still functioning properly. Cassandra whimpered softly, moaning in his ear and gripped his body to hers, grinding her slick center against his own thrusting body and whispered her pleas for more and more into his ear. She felt herself melting again, and she cried out, squeezing him tightly within her, flexing around his shaft and milking it with intense need.
Elric did not even try to resist her and finished as well, grinding up into her and pushing her so tightly against the wall it was hard for her to breath. Soft whispers and cries filled their chambers for the remainder of the night.