the Leathermines

Chapter 34 was before this...

 

A palfrey.  Laun could see the difference in the fine line of the horse, how it was saddled and the fine gold tracings on the harness.  But she had no idea what a palfrey really was.  The other horses and the pack mule were also good, but the palfrey was standing there, slightly nervous and beautiful.

The smith was one of those looking at the horses.  He was checking the shoes, noting with displeasure the type of nails used.  The red-colored horse needed to be shown everyone who was near her before she settled down, being led back and forth in the stable by her halter.  Laun had never really been around the horses.  She did not know what to do.  This one was not as big as the other horses, but the type of shoe the smith said was on her was made for combat.  The term Destrier was also bandied about, which meant absolutely nothing to Laun.

The smith pointed at the upraised hoof with the handle of his hammer.  “You see here, the nails are put in this way to give more traction, and the shoe it’s self has a sharpened edge along the front.”  He tapped on the shoe, the horse shaking her head when he did so.  “A good bit of work here.  Too bad the iron is soft.”

Fount took Laun’s hand and put it on the horses’ nose.  The nose was soft and once the horse had her scent, pushed into her hand.  Laun started to stroke the nose while Fount lightly kept her hand under his.  Her hand went up between the eyes and the palfrey snorted, tossing her head.  Laun jerked back, scared, but Fount took her hand and put it on the horse again.  He leaned in and whispered into her ear, “If you treat her gently, she will respond to you.  A tender touch on her nose lets her know you are not going to hurt her.  Stroke here under her chin...”

Laun felt the thrill go through her that Edgar’s voice usually gave her.  Fount was passionate about the horse.  It showed in his voice.  She let him direct her hand and soon found that she was holding the halter with one hand and rubbing her other hand down the horse’s shoulder.

The horse still had the saddle on her.  Laun found herself being lifted onto the saddle by Fount.  Her leg went over and her head was very close to the rafters of the stable.  Laun leaned forward and Fount led the palfrey out into the yard.  It was only a light mist coming down and the wet felt good against Laun’s face, cooling some of the flush there.

She had never been on a horse before.  When she had been trying to get to the Festival, she had thought of riding.  Now she was glad she had not tried.  She was too far off the ground and no idea how to direct the horse.

“Keep your hands on her mane for now.  Keep your knees together.”

“There is a horse between them!”  Laun did hold onto the black and grey mane just in front of the worked leather saddle.  The mane hair was thick and coarse and there were a few braided strands with thong tying them.  Care had obviously been given to this mare and Laun was glad for the gentle nature she seemed to have.

She felt the skirt she was wearing start to rip and could not do anything about it.  As it went, it was easier to fit on the saddle and Laun was able to grip the sides of the horse better with her legs.  She would need to wear breeches if she was going to do this again, she thought to herself.  A naked butt on the saddle did not seem to be a good idea.

Fount led the horse around the yard for about five minutes.  Laun was settling into the saddle, sitting up straight instead of leaning into the palfrey’s neck.  Her sandaled feet were placed in stirrups high on the side of the horses sides.  She could feel the horse moving beneath her, the breathing and the changing of direction.

Then the rain started in earnest again.  Fount started to turn the horse by the halter and she took exception.  The palfrey went sideways for a few steps and then kicked out backwards, barely missing one of the people trying to get inside out of the rain.  Laun held tighter to the mane and found that her knees were under some sort of knob in the saddle, helping to keep her in place.

It did not help her terror.  As the horse pulled away from Fount and circled the wet courtyard, Laun mentally screamed for it to stop.  She could not voice anything.  The gait of the horse was smooth when she wasn’t turning suddenly to avoid the men trying to corral her.  Laun let go with one hand and tried to get the lead that was dangling from the halter.  It kept getting close and then swinging out of the way as the horse’s head would turn.  Laun could feel the horse hair cutting into the hand that was wrapped around the clump of mane.  

Fount and others were trying to calmly reach the lead and the palfrey reared up, showing the sharpened front hooves.  That made them scatter and then regroup as the horse circled around again.

Laun had a flash of anger that went over her fear.  When the horse had reared, the saddle had kept her upright, so she knew that her leg strength and the saddle was enough for the moment to keep her on the horse.  She let go of the mane, Fount yelling “NO!!!”, and reached forward to the horse’s ears.  She pulled back on the ears, making the palfrey rear again, but making her stop circling the courtyard.  Laun pulled on one of the ears and her head pulled around.  Laun felt the horse start to back up as she leaned forward and at last was able to get the lead.

With one hand on an ear and one hand with the lead, Laun was more standing forward in the saddle than sitting.  She pulled on the other ear and saw the other lead dangling.  She reached for it and caught it with her fingertips.  It was slick with the rain, but once Laun had it, she did not let it go.  She sat back in the saddle and made sure her knees were under that supportive knob again.

The horse tried to rear and Laun was angry.  Without thinking, she thumped the side of the horse’s neck with a fist, the horse trotting sideways for a few steps.   The palfrey stopped walking and threw her head up several times, the wet mane showering water up into Laun’s face.  Fount tried to approach and the palfrey started to walk sideways away from him.  Laun pulled back hard on both of the leather straps she had and the horse stopped going sideways, her neck bowing her head down and around.

“Pull the rein in the direction you want to go.”  Fount’s voice was loud to get over the rain.  Laun did as she was told and the horse’s head went where her lead went.  Laun remembered the hunters doing something with their feet to get horses to move and she pressed in with her feet.  The horse started forward, but not as suddenly as before.

Through the rain, Laun led the horse around the courtyard, mud splashing up to the belly of the horse, coating Laun’s legs.  The horse was calmer and Laun leaned forward as she prodded the palfrey back into the stable.

The way Laun came down off the horse was not lady like.  It was not usual.  It was not even partially graceful.  She let go of the reins, unclenched her knees and fell into Fount’s arms.  She was wet and covered in mud, but not any more or less than those around her who had tried to stop the palfrey.

Many hands were on both Laun and the horse.  The horse was led into a stall and immediately stripped of all the saddle and tack.  Laun had people trying to find out if she was hurt in any way.

The horse did not object as much as Laun did.

Laun found that all of the fear, the terror of being on the horse, without knowledge or control, had changed in the moment it took to get the horse under some control.  It changed to some wonder, but mostly to anger.  As Fount loosened his strong embrace on her, Fount found Laun’s fist along his jaw.  He dropped her, more surprised than hurt.

Laun’s legs would not hold her up and she was on her ass in the mud and muck in the stable.  She was upset and this was the last straw.  There were more hands on her, trying to pull her up.  She slapped them away and did not even try to get out of the mud.  She wanted to sit on something that was not moving, even if she knew what was mixed in with the mud.

The palfrey acted up in the stall and chased the men out.  She pushed past the attendants, past the hurt-looking Fount and put her nose into Laun’s face.  There was a loud, warm snort and the horse pushed on Laun’s forehead.  A muddy hand tried to push the wet horse away, but the bay would not leave her alone.  Laun reached up and took ahold of the halter that was still on the horse’s head.  The horse pulled back and dragged Laun a little along the ground.  Laun’s feet caught under her, and even though she had little strength, the horse pulled her up to her feet.

Arms were around the neck of the horse, Laun’s face pressed into the wet, muddy hide.  She had to hold on tight as her legs just were spent from the excitement of trying to hold on earlier.  The horse looked at her, craning her neck to see.  The horse started to take the ripped skirt in her mouth and pull on it.  Laun let go with one arm and put her hand on the horse’s nose.  The horse did not let go of the clothing, but did stop pulling.

Laun realized that the people around her were talking at her.  Asking her things.  Trying to touch her.  The anger that she had go through her cooled, leaving just tired behind.  She could stand on her own and let go of the horse.  Fount was within reach and she stumbled slightly towards him.  He still had a hurt look on his face, as if she had kicked his favorite puppy.  She grabbed the scruffy hair at the back of his neck and pulled him to her.  The kiss was long and heated and made some of the people in the stable turn away.

They came up for air when the horse pushed her head into Laun’s back, making the strength that had momentarily returned disappear, a sharp pain going up her back.  Fount caught her before she landed in the mud again.

Fount motioned to the others in the stable and the palfrey was led back into the stall.  Her leads were tied to the posts and they started to curry some of the mud off of her.  Fount looked down and said, “Looks like I’ll need to curry you, too.  You are one feisty mare.”

“I would not object.”  Laun put her hand where she had hit him.  “Did I hurt you?”

He shook his head, though there was a cloud over his eyes for a moment.

Laun smiled wickedly and said in a low voice, “I’ll practice.”  She kissed him on the chin and he smiled back at her.  She looked over her shoulder at the beautiful mare and said, “Looks like I have lots to practice.”

Fount nodded.  He took her, draping her muddy legs over his arm, and carried her into the main keep.  Orgia had some word of her Lady being out in the mud and escorted them to one of the copper tubs being filled with hot water.  Orgia looked at Fount and commented, “I should have more water soon for you, too.”

They were both stripped, only a few giggles by one of the women in the room.  The ruined skirt was the first on the floor and all the rest of the clothing landed on top of it.  The mud that could be scraped off was.  Laun was still having problems standing, so when the servants tried to use soap on her legs, she found that she was in Fount’s arms for support.

She laid her head on his bare shoulder and let the soap and rinse water flow over her.  He had his cheek on her hair and was nuzzling, even with the mud.  He smelled of dirt and horse and straw- and his own smell that she would never forget.  The soap took some of the other smells away, but Laun could still smell him.  Water was rinsing his back and splashed in her face, jerking her up and into his jaw.  He gripped her tighter and she saw that where she had hit him earlier was starting to color.

“I am sorry, I was so angry I lashed out.”  Laun put her hand on his jaw, delicately touching where she could see the knuckle marks showing.

Fount leaned into her touch.  “You could never hurt me.”  He leaned down and kissed her.

Orgia saw where that may be leading and interjected, “None of that!  Need to get you two clean and see what damage was done to our Lady.”

Fount had a slightly tired look in his eyes and closed them briefly.  Laun had not felt his manhood start to stiffen, but he was trying to control himself in front of these women.  He helped Laun into the hot water and knelt, keeping an arm under hers.

The water was very hot.  Waves of feeling too hot and too cold went through Laun until she just felt hot.  Someone started to brush out her hair and then put soap lather in it to get it clean.  Laun closed her eyes and felt the slight tugging on her scalp, smelled the lavender in the soap.  A few muscles in her back started to sing pain to her, the tone having been hidden under the cold and her legs not working.

“I think I may have done something to my back...”  Fount’s hands were under the water and stroking up her back before she was able to finish her thought.  He found the area in question and Laun’s eyes flew open as the pressure he used became a sharp pain.  She tried not to jerk away, but could not help it.  Her man’s hand did not stop rubbing, but he did put one hand on her chest to keep her still.

The look in his eye became concerned.  The grimness in the line of his lips worried her.  “Lady, we will have to have the healers at you, but you may have thrown your back out.”

Laun remembered when she had started to dance a two week period where she had been bandaged tightly after having pulled a muscle in her back.  The Dance Master had insisted that she keep practicing, the pain making her steps deliberate, forcing the grace that she was now known for.  All to keep her back from screaming at her.

The pain was not the same.  But it was new, so it could just be that she was misremembering through time.  She did not want to be placed into a bed and made to sit still for a week.  She did not want to have a tight bandage strapped on her just to be able to move.  She hoped that it was going to be something less than either of those options that immediately came to mind.

With help, Laun stood and had one final rinse before stepping out of the tub.  Lucaris came in and followed Fount’s hand as he showed her where Laun had reacted to his touch, in a bad way.  Lucaris had not seen Fount naked before, and tried to keep her eyes on Laun, but was having a hard time.  She had to turn away from him and place Laun between them to stop glancing, especially down.

Fount stepped into the tub and let out an audible sigh as he sunk below the water.  More hot water was poured in and one of the women started to cleanse his hair.  It looked like he was almost falling asleep as the mass of hair on his head was being massaged with soap.

Laun was sitting in an armless chair backwards to support her as Lucaris started to spread some medicinal oils on her back.  They made her skin tingle and then where the oil was became hot.  It felt relaxing at first, and then a little overwhelming.  Lucaris saw that she was starting to flinch and wiped off most of the oil.  It calmed down and Lucaris continued to massage the angry muscles.

That was how she described it to Laun.  “If you had actually fallen, I would be worried.  But you have muscles that have not been used in a while that were shocked into actively keeping you from falling from the horse, making them angry.  It will take a few days before they feel better, but there should not be any permanent damage.”

Laun nodded, enjoying the massage, except when the healer’s hands went across a particularly tender area.  “I will try not to get into any fights, jump into the river or off the tower in the next few days.”

Lucaris slapped Laun on the ass, making her jump.  “You, Lady, are going to stay inside, with a heated stone at your back for the next few days.”  The healer moved so Laun could see her.  “If I find that your back is angry because you have done something stupid, I swear to you now that I will make it so you cannot move for a week.”

Laun held up her hands in surrender.  “Yes, Great Shaman of Salam-Dir.”

Lucaris smiled.  “Don’t tell Pillar you said that.”  The healer stepped back and helped Laun get up off the chair.  Yes, there was a twinge, but the back was not hurting and her legs also had strength in them again.  She walked around and stretched slightly, Lucaris’ critical eye on her.  Laun felt the movements that would set her back off and which ones she seemed free to do.  She nodded and smiled at the healer.

“Then I am off again.  I found a patch of an herb that, if we can distill it down, will make some excellent medicine.”  Lucaris was not the silent ghost that her man Pillar was, but when she was gone, the people left had to wonder how she disappeared so fast.

Orgia had left quite some time ago, leaving several of the staff to look after the two of them.  Laun was being helped into a longer tunic, not quite a dress, as Fount was having his final rinse.  Laun sat and waited for him to dry and get into clothing.  She watched him, a handsome young man being tended to by the women around him.  Several glances towards Laun by the other women were caught by her.  She thought she knew what was behind it and was happy that Fount had so many admirers.  He controlled himself very well at that point, Laun seeing touches from the women that were slightly lingering in places that they possibly should not have been touching.

One of the women insisted on using a touch of oil on his back, massaging him as he stood there.  He had to push back into her hands, so another of the women leaned on him, supporting him and also putting her head against his chest.  Fount looked panicked for a moment, but closed his eyes and allowed the women to do what they would.

If it hadn’t been for Edgar scratching on the door and coming in, it might have gone a little further.  Edgar only glanced at the people by the copper tub and went to Laun’s side.

He knelt and bowed his head slightly.  “I heard what happened.  I am sorry that I was not there.”  Edgar took Laun’s hand and pressed it to his lips and then to his chest.  She could feel the heart beneath racing, thumping against his ribs.

Laun inclined her head towards her head wardsman.  “I am well.  I have been told to have a hot rock on my back for the next few days for my angry muscles, but other than that...”  She shrugged.

An angry look came across his face and he started to turn towards Fount.  Laun tugged on his hand and made him focus on her.  In a low tone that she hoped did not carry, Laun said, “Do not blame.  Do not be angry.  I already have had words, and a fist, with him.  He did not know I had never been on a horse before.”

Edgar softened his brow.  “I thought not.”  He brightened as he said, “I heard you were able to take the bays control after she bolted.  That is not an easy thing to do with a war horse.”

Fount’s pleasant look faded from his face and he looked over.  “War horse?”

Edgar stood and faced the younger man.  “One of the papers that was in the scroll case from Falmir’s noble was the line of the mare.  She has the lineage of three of the best war horses of the Midlands in the last fifty years in her and the training of the Horse Master from Kells Arena himself.”

It was interesting to Laun that Fount had been able to ignore what must have been a most pleasant situation, the purposely erotic touches of the women around him, yet, when Edgar mentioned the palfrey’s background, Laun saw a definite twitch to his nether regions.  She felt one of her eyebrows go up and had to turn to recompose herself.

“Laun, I should have realized, with the shoes she had.”  Fount was able to shake the women around him and come over.  “She was the smallest of the mounts we took, the one that was under that sickly Rosemond noble.  I just thought she was a fancy horse for the fancy man, though I knew she was a natural ambler.”  Fount crossed his arms and stood there, thinking and his eyebrows coming together in a frown.  “If they have steeds from Kells, they have taken the southern lands.  Unless it was purchased before the coup.”

Edgar nodded.  “I would believe a purchase myself, as most of the nobles Falmir seems to have with him were brought into the Midlands from Rosemond over the last few years.”  Edgar looked down at the younger man.  “Getting cold?”

Fount realized that he was still naked and yes, indeed the temperature of the room had gone down.  He let the awaiting women dress him.  It perhaps took longer than it might have, but he was at last dressed.

Laun’s legs were still slightly weak.  She did not like the feeling and made herself a promise that she would exercise to build up her strength again.  One way or another.

They made it as far as the Great Hall before Laun needed to sit for fear of falling over.  Her thighs were trembling so badly that she was wondering if they were trying to fall off her legs.  As she sat, a spike in pain also went up her back, making her ask for help to lay down on the bench.

It was there, knees in the air, laying on the bench that Dreng and his nobles found Laun.

“Sweeting!  I just came from the stables and was told.  You are hurt!”  Dreng started to drag a bench over beside the one Laun was on.  His men took hands to it and it was lifted and placed instantly.  “We should have that horse destroyed for-”

“Sire!”  Laun waved both her hands above her chest.  “She was frightened.  She is too good of a horse to destroy.”  She tried to turn on the bench to see the people around her better, but stopped when the back pain throbbed.  “Thank you for your concern, your Majesty.”

“Oh, stop that.  We all know you are of my blood, so call me Grandfather!”  Dreng’s head turned towards a small gasp he heard.  “As if it wasn’t obvious.”  He reached out and stroked down Laun’s nose.

Laun smiled.  She was hoping, but had not let herself dwell on the likeness.  Not knowing who her father was, she had not really thought about it since she was a small child, until that summer.  It just wasn’t important to her, and had not seemed important to those around her.

Dreng leaned in and said, “We just will not talk about who your father must have been.”  The look in his eye was cold.

Laun nodded.  Though, since he mentioned it, her mind raced and came to an answer she did not like.  It did seem something Falmir would have done - having his fun and then breaking a family on top of it.

It was getting crowded in the Great Hall.  Laun looked around under the tables from her view and saw that night’s meal being set up.  “Is it that late?”

Many of the men around her looked up and towards the sideboard.  Fount, who was sitting on her bench at her feet, said, “I think it is early, but not by much.  We were in the bathing chamber for quite a while.”  He gently put his hand on her ankle.

“Well, in that case, I am taking up five people’s worth of bench here.”  Laun tried to roll over and failed.  Her back had settled and was not letting her move easily.  It did not help that her legs still were twitching oddly and seemed to have no strength at all.

“I don’t think anyone will blame you for staying there.”  Dreng turned towards Malis and said, “I know we all have had our own falls, some worse than others.”  Laun thought she saw the noble flinch and stretch his leg out at the comment.

“Thank you... Grandfather.”  It did not come off her tongue easily, but she thought she would get used to it.

The rain had started to lighten up.  Outside light coming into the Great Hall was stronger than it had been all day.  If anyone had gone outside, they were coated with mud, some layers higher and thicker than others.  Laun had a flash of guilt because she and Fount had taken the bathing chamber for so long.  From her vantage point, Laun could see who had been inside and who had been outside by just the color of their lower bodies.

Fount moved from Laun’s feet to her head, feeding her off his trencher.  She was feeling restless, though she could not move.  As the meal went on, several people stood and came over to her, some kneeling to be face to face with her.  Greetings, shoulder touches and commiserations were exchanged.  Some people brought more tidbits from their own trenchers to share.  The one thing she was having problems with was drinking.  Disa was the one who figured out that one, to the amusement of many of the men around them.

Disa had been spending the day with Orgia.  The women held very similar household beliefs and Orgia had started to show Disa how the Salam-Dir household actually ran.  She had come to check on Laun and saw Fount trying to pour cider into Laun’s mouth.

It took a moment for her to bring herself up to it, but Disa gently took the tankard from Fount’s hand.  Disa swallowed a sip to clear her mouth and then took a larger mouthful.  She knelt on the floor next to Laun and leaned over her Lady’s face.  They had lips pressed together for a moment, then the liquid was passed from one woman to the other.  Laun swallowed, still with her lips against her maid’s.

Disa looked up and blushed slightly as she realized that many of the men around her had stopped eating and were watching the two women.  She handed the tankard back to Fount and got up off the floor.  She made a slight curtsey and went back towards the kitchen.

Laun smiled as she saw several of the men adjust themselves, some not too subtly, as Disa left.  If she had not been in pain, and not in a position to do something about it...  Laun thought she felt a bit of passion in the kiss, not just liquid transferring.  If she had the outward reason to adjust as they did, she would have been doing the same.

Laun looked up and saw that Fount’s face was also slightly flushed.  “I swear, if she was available...”  His voice was low and slightly wistful.

Laun blinked.  “She is her own person.  Ask her.”

Fount’s looked down into Laun’s eyes and said, “I have.  She said that she was yours.”

“Well, I hold her indenture...”

Fount slightly shook his head.  “No, Laun.  As I, you hold her heart.”

Laun had to smile at that, even though she was confused.

A song started a few tables over.  Fount joined in, his voice strong.  He kept looking down at Laun as he sung about a soldier coming home from battle.

Both Pillar and Lucaris brought her some things to either drink or to rub on her back as the meal progressed.  She could feel her back relax after a little while and her outlook on things was quite content.

It was not an unpleasant dinner, but it was hard to get up to go to her chamber.  Once she had been sitting up for a while, she found that her back was only throbbing slightly, not actively in pain.  She held onto Fount’s arm as she made her way through the people to the door closest to the sleeping chamber.  Once she was past the door, Fount did not give her warning and took her into his arms to carry her the rest of the way.

There were a few people outside the door into Laun’s sleeping chamber.  Several of the musicians had come to talk to her about playing for the celebration of Dreng’s birthday.  Laun asked for them to come in.

Laun was in the chair, several people on the floor about her feet on the square cushions, as they discussed what may be appropriate for their Majesty.

“Remember that he still can’t sing, though he does try.”  Several of the musicians nodded at that when the sacbut player mentioned it.  “We should ask the Dance Master if there is anything...”  He looked at Laun with an expectation Laun almost didn’t catch onto with the medicines the healers had poured into her.

“I really should ask him to choreograph something, but with the number of people we have eating in the Great Hall every night, I am not sure if we could clear the hall...”

One of the other musicians said, “Let us take care of the details, My Lady.”  He bowed his head forward and many of the others did the same.

Laun took the bowed heads and nodded to them herself.  “Thank you for doing this.  The household needs a reason to celebrate, and since his Majesty is here with us, it seemed a good time to do so.”  The men got up and took their leave, except for one.  He was one of the men who had been in the stable earlier.  “Yes?”

He seemed a bit shy, but said, “Lady, you have been very gracious with all of us in the last month.  May I...”

Laun waited for what seemed a very long time for her right then.  “May you what?”

The man flicked a glance to Fount and back to Laun.  “May I...petition to sleep in your bed?”

Laun tilted her head to the side and looked at the man.  Her back twinged a little at the motion, but somehow it made Laun think better.  “Not tonight.  I am not sure what you are actually asking, but with my back and the medicines...”  Laun straightened her head and looked at the man.  He was not bad looking, he had been one to try to throw himself in front of the horse and he seemed to have his wits about him, even through the shyness.  Laun held out her hand and said, “Please, ask me again in a few days when I am in a better condition.  This is not a no.  I just wish to have more of my mind to myself to give you the answer you deserve.”

He took her hand, kissed it and left, partially backing out through the tapestry.

Laun looked at Fount.  “I did hear him right.  He asked to be in my bed, yes?”

Fount sat on the edge of the bedding.  “Ali had approached me about a week ago.  I told him that I was not the one to ask.”  He folded his hands together and looked at them, not her.

Laun had some worries, and she tried to voice them by saying, “If you do not want me to be in the same bed with him, I will not let him there.”

“No!”  Fount looked at his Lady.  “You decide.  You are the mistress of your own body...  Not just of this household.”

“That is not what Grandfather thinks.  I think that a wedding bower is expected for the two of us.”

Fount looked at his hands again.  “I would not mind that, Laun.”  His voice became softer.  “I have waited for years for you.  You have given me more than I ever thought I would get.  But I have no claim on you.”

Laun shrugged and leaned forward, holding her hands out to the young man.  He came off the bedding and was on his knees in front of her.  “Fount, until the Festival, I had no claim on myself.  Now, I wish I could say that I could hold claim over myself.”  She pressed Fount’s hands to her face and kissed each one.  “Every one of the people in this household has a claim on me, little or big.  You have as much claim as I would wish anyone to have.  You are important to me.  You have been so strong when I have been weak and have shown me things that I did not know existed.”  She had tears in her eyes.  They started to fall down her cheeks unbidden.

He carefully put his arms around her.  “You have done the same for me.  I...have never been comfortable with women, even with the training my father forced on me.  What you have forced on me has been more useful than anything before.”

“I didn’t know I had forced myself on you...”  Fount pulled back and looked into her smiling face.

“You forced me to talk to you after I came here as a ward to Lord Vami.  You were enticing, but so...open, that you captured me.  I..”  He kissed her lightly.  “I cannot say anything that would not sound self-serving right now.  If you want to take him up on his offer, I will not and cannot say anything about it.  All I want is for you to be happy.”

“You do.”  Laun stopped.  “You do make me happy.”  She kissed him.  “I hope you understand.”

Fount kissed her.  He never was one to use so many words.  He would rather use his hands, his body.  Laun seemed subdued under his lips, his hands, and he had to remind himself that she was in pain, even if the medicines the healers were masking it.  “Do you wish to lay down?”

Laun nodded.  “And to sleep.  I feel like an old woman.  Coddled and forced to sit when I would rather be making love with you.”

Fount kissed her and then stood, supporting her as she carefully went from the chair to the bedding.  She still had the tunic on, but did not make a move to take it off.  She was settled into the bedding, under many covers and found she was relaxing into sleep.

“I am well.  If you want to go and do other things, go do them.  I will be right by myself.”

Fount leaned in and kissed her on the forehead before climbing back off the bedding.  “I will be back later.”

Laun heard the tapestry slap against the wooden wall and that was it.

 

Chapter 36 ahead!