you are the captain of the guard. It isn’t your responsibility.”
“It is not.” His smile was hard. “The king has personally selected his own bodyguards, and has decided to provide me with new duties instead.”
“Is the Sarcopian king truly mad as you say he is?”
The captain’s eyes darkened. “Much worse than you can imagine, my sweet. Few people outside Sarcopia are aware of this, but many of his own subjects fear him, and it is only after mass torture and executions among his own people did he convince them to support his wars. Most of his advisors, all worthy contemporaries of his father, have either been exiled, imprisoned, or killed, and the rest have been cowed into obedience. It is only a matter of time before he attempts to usurp the other kingdoms, and I refuse to allow Garrant to desecrate the memory of his father in this manner.” His eyes softened, and he touched her cheek with a finger. “And that’s where you come in, little maiden.”
“Me?”
“There is a reason King Belair had singled you out. I am aware of the details, but I owe it to him to explain his plans to you, and not from any other source.”
Adelai took a deep breath. She was beginning to understand what the king and the captain had in mind, but she was still too much in the dark concerning her own role to play in all this. “What do you get from this bargain?” His hands stilled at her side. Though fearing he might take offense, she plunged ahead. “I understand that you want to save your kingdom and prevent another war, but how did you find yourself striking up an alliance with King Belair? Did he offer you more wealth? Lands of your own?” Somehow, Thornton didn’t seem like the kind of man who would willingly forsake his king, even if the king was a tyrant, for something so trivial as wealth or power.
“All that, and more. But what he offered that convinced me to accept is now lying in bed beside me.”
Adelai sat up, fighting down the initial feeling of exhilaration with anger. “So I was merely a bargaining chip? All those lessons were a means to make me more compliant when you finally take me?” She was hurt. Had it been all just a masterful ploy to seduce her? She turned to get out of the bed, but soon found herself with her back against the mattress, the captain glaring down at her.
“You were an unexpected offer.” He said quietly. “When I saw you at the temple, I was interested, and it was taken note of. There is little that goes on in the temple of Inne-Anneah, it seems, that your high priestess doesn’t know about. She allowed us those lessons because she insisted on seeing if you were sincerely attracted to me, and if I truly was to you. The king offered to purchase you at the auctions, as a guarantee of his good faith to ensure mine. It did not take me long to capitulate. You were unexpected, and I allowed them to take advantage of me because I wanted you badly. If you do not believe anything else I say, then at least believe that.”
The anger in his voice was real. She was surprised to realize he was mad at being thought capable of such action. And the thought of him giving up the life he had known, to put himself in this kind of danger in order to have her….
“I believe you,” she said, tenderly cupping his face with a hand and watching those hooded blue eyes soften. “But you are putting yourself at great risk, my lord. You could be discovered and captured, or worse. It is too much for so little benefit.”
“I would rather die than serve that madman on my king’s throne any longer. And besides,” he added huskily, moving down so he could capture her lips with his, “one night with you is worth any price.” His hand delved under her thighs, hooking her leg and drawing it closer to his cock. “Let us not waste any more precious time.”
She arched against him willingly enough, but gasped when he pulled her up to a sitting position, settling her on his lap, with her thighs
“It is not.” His smile was hard. “The king has personally selected his own bodyguards, and has decided to provide me with new duties instead.”
“Is the Sarcopian king truly mad as you say he is?”
The captain’s eyes darkened. “Much worse than you can imagine, my sweet. Few people outside Sarcopia are aware of this, but many of his own subjects fear him, and it is only after mass torture and executions among his own people did he convince them to support his wars. Most of his advisors, all worthy contemporaries of his father, have either been exiled, imprisoned, or killed, and the rest have been cowed into obedience. It is only a matter of time before he attempts to usurp the other kingdoms, and I refuse to allow Garrant to desecrate the memory of his father in this manner.” His eyes softened, and he touched her cheek with a finger. “And that’s where you come in, little maiden.”
“Me?”
“There is a reason King Belair had singled you out. I am aware of the details, but I owe it to him to explain his plans to you, and not from any other source.”
Adelai took a deep breath. She was beginning to understand what the king and the captain had in mind, but she was still too much in the dark concerning her own role to play in all this. “What do you get from this bargain?” His hands stilled at her side. Though fearing he might take offense, she plunged ahead. “I understand that you want to save your kingdom and prevent another war, but how did you find yourself striking up an alliance with King Belair? Did he offer you more wealth? Lands of your own?” Somehow, Thornton didn’t seem like the kind of man who would willingly forsake his king, even if the king was a tyrant, for something so trivial as wealth or power.
“All that, and more. But what he offered that convinced me to accept is now lying in bed beside me.”
Adelai sat up, fighting down the initial feeling of exhilaration with anger. “So I was merely a bargaining chip? All those lessons were a means to make me more compliant when you finally take me?” She was hurt. Had it been all just a masterful ploy to seduce her? She turned to get out of the bed, but soon found herself with her back against the mattress, the captain glaring down at her.
“You were an unexpected offer.” He said quietly. “When I saw you at the temple, I was interested, and it was taken note of. There is little that goes on in the temple of Inne-Anneah, it seems, that your high priestess doesn’t know about. She allowed us those lessons because she insisted on seeing if you were sincerely attracted to me, and if I truly was to you. The king offered to purchase you at the auctions, as a guarantee of his good faith to ensure mine. It did not take me long to capitulate. You were unexpected, and I allowed them to take advantage of me because I wanted you badly. If you do not believe anything else I say, then at least believe that.”
The anger in his voice was real. She was surprised to realize he was mad at being thought capable of such action. And the thought of him giving up the life he had known, to put himself in this kind of danger in order to have her….
“I believe you,” she said, tenderly cupping his face with a hand and watching those hooded blue eyes soften. “But you are putting yourself at great risk, my lord. You could be discovered and captured, or worse. It is too much for so little benefit.”
“I would rather die than serve that madman on my king’s throne any longer. And besides,” he added huskily, moving down so he could capture her lips with his, “one night with you is worth any price.” His hand delved under her thighs, hooking her leg and drawing it closer to his cock. “Let us not waste any more precious time.”
She arched against him willingly enough, but gasped when he pulled her up to a sitting position, settling her on his lap, with her thighs
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