you…You're so beautiful, and she's going to say 'Cush, that Princess Cara is beautiful.' You're so pretty. Have I told you how pretty you are?”
Cara nodded and laughed.
Efy called from across the room for Cush to join him and the new decanter of wine he had acquired.
Helfrich snorted as Cuch stumbled across the room towards Efy. “Nothing equals the joy of the drinker, except the joy of the wine being drunk.”
She looked at Helfrich curiously. He was always saying the most unusual things. Cara knew he was only a couple of years older than she was, but he possessed a wisdom that surpassed his years.
Helfrich's grin quickly turned to a frown, and Cara followed his eyes to see Finn stalking towards them.
“We have a problem,” he growled as he approached. He looked at Helfrich and ordered, “Stay here. Keep an eye on the Queen.”
Helfrich nodded once.
She opened her mouth to speak, but Finn cut her off with a fierce shake of his head.
Before she had time to register what was happening, he had grabbed her by the elbow and was guiding her out of the banquet hall. She sensed Birkita watching her as she crossed the room.
So much for not stirring up suspicion.
Without breaking stride, he pulled her through the long corridors of the palace, down stairs, and eventually through a long tunnel, that Cara knew led to the palace dungeons. She had to take two steps for every one of his, and she was practically jogging to keep up with him.
“Finn, wait,” she wheezed, trying to catch her breath.
He stopped and frowned down at her.
“What's going on?” she whispered harshly.
He placed his finger to his mouth to silence her.
Cara heard it the same moment he did. Footsteps. Two men were approaching in the same direction they were heading.
Finn stiffened and she saw doubt flicker across his face before he commanded, “kiss me.”
She didn't have time to respond before he had pushed her against the wall and his lips were on hers.
She stiffened. It was only the second time she had been kissed by a man, and the first time she had been less than willing. She suppressed a shudder as she remembered Edmund's mouth crushing hers in a similar dark hallway.
Finn's kiss was different though; slower, softer, and her body relaxed into his as his tongue gently teased her lips.
He took her hands and placed them around his neck, and wrapped his large, well-muscled arms around her waist, lifting her against his hard body. His mouth was gentle and coaxing, as he parted her lips with his tongue. To her horror, a small moan formed at the base of her throat, and she felt him smile against her mouth.
Her heart thundered in her ears, as the footsteps drew near.
Out of the corner of her eyes, she saw two heavily armed guards walking towards them.
They were caught.
“Now that's the kind of fun I'm talking about,” one of the guards jeered as he approached.
Cara grimaced at the vulgar comments that followed. Their mocking laughs echoed in her ears, and her mouth dropped open in indignation at the obscene suggestions they made.
Finn nipped at her bottom lip, warning her to stay silent.
Turning his body slightly, Finn kept her cloaked in his shadow as he addressed the guards. He laughed good-humoredly, and retorted with his own lewd comments that had Cara's cheeks burning in embarrassment.
Holding her tight with one arm, he placed his free hand on the hilt of his sword. He was ready to fight if he had to.
“I want you gone when we return from our rounds.”
“Shouldn't be more than a couple minutes,” Finn muttered, causing another onslaught of crude banter.
The men were still snickering as they walked away.
Finn let out a fierce breath as he slowly released her.
His eyes searched hers in the shadows, and he nodded in satisfaction at what he found.
“Let's go.”
He grabbed her hand and led her through the maze of tunnels.
Cara went rigid when they turned the corner and found Hauk and Batch waiting for them.
They
Cara nodded and laughed.
Efy called from across the room for Cush to join him and the new decanter of wine he had acquired.
Helfrich snorted as Cuch stumbled across the room towards Efy. “Nothing equals the joy of the drinker, except the joy of the wine being drunk.”
She looked at Helfrich curiously. He was always saying the most unusual things. Cara knew he was only a couple of years older than she was, but he possessed a wisdom that surpassed his years.
Helfrich's grin quickly turned to a frown, and Cara followed his eyes to see Finn stalking towards them.
“We have a problem,” he growled as he approached. He looked at Helfrich and ordered, “Stay here. Keep an eye on the Queen.”
Helfrich nodded once.
She opened her mouth to speak, but Finn cut her off with a fierce shake of his head.
Before she had time to register what was happening, he had grabbed her by the elbow and was guiding her out of the banquet hall. She sensed Birkita watching her as she crossed the room.
So much for not stirring up suspicion.
Without breaking stride, he pulled her through the long corridors of the palace, down stairs, and eventually through a long tunnel, that Cara knew led to the palace dungeons. She had to take two steps for every one of his, and she was practically jogging to keep up with him.
“Finn, wait,” she wheezed, trying to catch her breath.
He stopped and frowned down at her.
“What's going on?” she whispered harshly.
He placed his finger to his mouth to silence her.
Cara heard it the same moment he did. Footsteps. Two men were approaching in the same direction they were heading.
Finn stiffened and she saw doubt flicker across his face before he commanded, “kiss me.”
She didn't have time to respond before he had pushed her against the wall and his lips were on hers.
She stiffened. It was only the second time she had been kissed by a man, and the first time she had been less than willing. She suppressed a shudder as she remembered Edmund's mouth crushing hers in a similar dark hallway.
Finn's kiss was different though; slower, softer, and her body relaxed into his as his tongue gently teased her lips.
He took her hands and placed them around his neck, and wrapped his large, well-muscled arms around her waist, lifting her against his hard body. His mouth was gentle and coaxing, as he parted her lips with his tongue. To her horror, a small moan formed at the base of her throat, and she felt him smile against her mouth.
Her heart thundered in her ears, as the footsteps drew near.
Out of the corner of her eyes, she saw two heavily armed guards walking towards them.
They were caught.
“Now that's the kind of fun I'm talking about,” one of the guards jeered as he approached.
Cara grimaced at the vulgar comments that followed. Their mocking laughs echoed in her ears, and her mouth dropped open in indignation at the obscene suggestions they made.
Finn nipped at her bottom lip, warning her to stay silent.
Turning his body slightly, Finn kept her cloaked in his shadow as he addressed the guards. He laughed good-humoredly, and retorted with his own lewd comments that had Cara's cheeks burning in embarrassment.
Holding her tight with one arm, he placed his free hand on the hilt of his sword. He was ready to fight if he had to.
“I want you gone when we return from our rounds.”
“Shouldn't be more than a couple minutes,” Finn muttered, causing another onslaught of crude banter.
The men were still snickering as they walked away.
Finn let out a fierce breath as he slowly released her.
His eyes searched hers in the shadows, and he nodded in satisfaction at what he found.
“Let's go.”
He grabbed her hand and led her through the maze of tunnels.
Cara went rigid when they turned the corner and found Hauk and Batch waiting for them.
They
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