self-deprecating laugh. “Dalliance
with a man pales to the great disservice I’ve done you, my lord!”
Marcus reacted instinctively and reached out to pull Syranna
close, to comfort her. Syranna, though, unfortunately stepped back and her foot
slipped on the wet grass. After that, it was just bad timing. Syranna screeched
as she slipped, which alarmed the dragonets. Seeing three dragons in flight
might be all right in most cases, but Marcus also saw three spouts of flame
shooting in different directions. His reactions were split-second. He shoved
Syranna sideways, toward the grass. His strength and momentum of movement,
coupled with trying to avoid the flame spouts, caused his own footing to slip.
The following splash was large enough to douse the three
stunned dragonets and their mistress. Syranna’s scream was so loud that Marcus
would not have been surprised to see the dead rising from their graves. Cursing
loudly, and quite fluidly, Marcus sat in the pond, dripping wet.
Syranna turned around and saw the mighty warrior sitting in
about a foot or so of water. His knees were bent and his arms had come forward
to rest atop his knees. His hair hung in wet short strands onto his forehead
and across the tops of his ears. She couldn’t help the laughter that bubbled up
inside of her. It didn’t help that Marcus shot her a glare that probably
quelled his strongest soldiers. Her laughter kept coming and was soon joined by
Sir William’s, who had responded to the scream.
William obviously was trying not to laugh. But it was
impossible because now not only was Marcus wet, he had AnnaBelle perched on his
head, while her two siblings settled on one arm and the opposite knee. Their
purring and trilling noises were quite loud as they settled rather happily on
the new “pond perch.”
“I guess this means she turned your proposal down?” William
finally got out amid laughs.
Syranna watched as Marcus glared at William through the
drips still making their way down his face. AnnaBelle flapping her wings
obviously didn’t help improve the situation. Quickly, Syranna made a particular
calling sound and AnnaBelle then left her wet perch and flew to Syranna’s
shoulder.
“What proposal?” Syranna finally asked, barely able to speak
from trying to hold back the laughter.
William stepped to the pond’s edge and extended his hand to
Marcus. Syranna watched as the noble, proud knight accepted the helping hand
and stepped from the pond. Fitz and his brother flew to the far side of the
small lagoon.
“Marriage, of course!” Marcus told her abruptly.
“That’s what I was trying to tell you! There is no need to
marry anyone! You didn’t rape me!”
“I know I didn’t rape you. I made love to you, and I told
you I was going to marry you, damn it!” Marcus yelled right back at Syranna.
William looked from one to the other. “It doesn’t really
matter what happened, princess, because you still have to marry him.” He
shrugged his shoulders as if that settled everything.
Syranna glared from one man to the other. “Listen to me,
damn it all! We didn’t have sex of any kind! So there is no chance that I am
pregnant!”
Marcus was already shaking his head. “Don’t be daft, woman.
I know when I’ve made love to a woman.” Marcus looked at William. “Damn! This
is getting to be ridiculous! Now tell me what I have to supposedly forgive you
for?”
Syranna came to her feet slowly, glaring at the man
demanding an answer. It was obvious to Syranna that Marcus was beginning to
lose what little of his patience remained. “We didn’t have sexual intercourse
because I stopped you!”
Marcus shook his head. For a moment he paused and easily
recalled the memory of his time in Syranna’s bed and how sweet and hot making
love to her had been. Suddenly, he turned back to Syranna, meeting her gaze.
Something didn’t feel right about this memory. It was like his memory was a
picture of the “event” and not filled
with a man pales to the great disservice I’ve done you, my lord!”
Marcus reacted instinctively and reached out to pull Syranna
close, to comfort her. Syranna, though, unfortunately stepped back and her foot
slipped on the wet grass. After that, it was just bad timing. Syranna screeched
as she slipped, which alarmed the dragonets. Seeing three dragons in flight
might be all right in most cases, but Marcus also saw three spouts of flame
shooting in different directions. His reactions were split-second. He shoved
Syranna sideways, toward the grass. His strength and momentum of movement,
coupled with trying to avoid the flame spouts, caused his own footing to slip.
The following splash was large enough to douse the three
stunned dragonets and their mistress. Syranna’s scream was so loud that Marcus
would not have been surprised to see the dead rising from their graves. Cursing
loudly, and quite fluidly, Marcus sat in the pond, dripping wet.
Syranna turned around and saw the mighty warrior sitting in
about a foot or so of water. His knees were bent and his arms had come forward
to rest atop his knees. His hair hung in wet short strands onto his forehead
and across the tops of his ears. She couldn’t help the laughter that bubbled up
inside of her. It didn’t help that Marcus shot her a glare that probably
quelled his strongest soldiers. Her laughter kept coming and was soon joined by
Sir William’s, who had responded to the scream.
William obviously was trying not to laugh. But it was
impossible because now not only was Marcus wet, he had AnnaBelle perched on his
head, while her two siblings settled on one arm and the opposite knee. Their
purring and trilling noises were quite loud as they settled rather happily on
the new “pond perch.”
“I guess this means she turned your proposal down?” William
finally got out amid laughs.
Syranna watched as Marcus glared at William through the
drips still making their way down his face. AnnaBelle flapping her wings
obviously didn’t help improve the situation. Quickly, Syranna made a particular
calling sound and AnnaBelle then left her wet perch and flew to Syranna’s
shoulder.
“What proposal?” Syranna finally asked, barely able to speak
from trying to hold back the laughter.
William stepped to the pond’s edge and extended his hand to
Marcus. Syranna watched as the noble, proud knight accepted the helping hand
and stepped from the pond. Fitz and his brother flew to the far side of the
small lagoon.
“Marriage, of course!” Marcus told her abruptly.
“That’s what I was trying to tell you! There is no need to
marry anyone! You didn’t rape me!”
“I know I didn’t rape you. I made love to you, and I told
you I was going to marry you, damn it!” Marcus yelled right back at Syranna.
William looked from one to the other. “It doesn’t really
matter what happened, princess, because you still have to marry him.” He
shrugged his shoulders as if that settled everything.
Syranna glared from one man to the other. “Listen to me,
damn it all! We didn’t have sex of any kind! So there is no chance that I am
pregnant!”
Marcus was already shaking his head. “Don’t be daft, woman.
I know when I’ve made love to a woman.” Marcus looked at William. “Damn! This
is getting to be ridiculous! Now tell me what I have to supposedly forgive you
for?”
Syranna came to her feet slowly, glaring at the man
demanding an answer. It was obvious to Syranna that Marcus was beginning to
lose what little of his patience remained. “We didn’t have sexual intercourse
because I stopped you!”
Marcus shook his head. For a moment he paused and easily
recalled the memory of his time in Syranna’s bed and how sweet and hot making
love to her had been. Suddenly, he turned back to Syranna, meeting her gaze.
Something didn’t feel right about this memory. It was like his memory was a
picture of the “event” and not filled
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