Alice

"What... what are you doing?" she asked, breathing too quickly. "We... we don't have to do this again! It is done! You can leave now, like you wanted to!"

He ignored her as he got on the bed, his manhood jutting out at her vulgarly. He moved her higher on the bed, laying her back on the pillows as she frantically tried to think of something to stop him.

"You can leave now! Go back to what you were doing! You kept your promise! I can't...Ahh!"

He'd forced her legs apart and slid his fingers between her legs, pressing against her nub. He quietly watched her face as he touched her, working her until she gasped and stopped trying to push him off of her. He growled low in his throat as he leaned in closer, sliding a finger lower to toy with her slick wetness.

He didn't wait or try to bring her closer, he went up on his knees and yanked her down, pushing her legs apart so he could look down at her.

"Please," she whispered, tears in her eyes. This wasn't happening!

He ignored her, moving to pull her legs up over his thighs as he played his fingers over her mound.

She shook her head in denial and looked up at him pleadingly. He didn't look at her face as he looked down at his fingers and her sex. He looked nothing like Ben or Malcolm, his hair long and wild, dark blonde with light highlights like he spent too much time in the sun. Bens had been as brown as his eyes. Havilan's eyes were green, bright as emeralds and savage looking in their keenness. Ben's lips had been full and kissable, with a smooth handsome jaw, Havilan's jaw was covered with scruff and his lips were always drawn in a grim line.

She was yanked back to the moment, thoughts of Ben fleeing as Havilan moved to hover over her, pulling her leg up high by her knee.

"No!" she wailed again as he pressed his cock to her opening again and began pushing into her. She pounded her fists on his chest and he laughed at her before catching one of her wrists and shoving it down to the bed. With the other he guided himself into her and pushed harder and harder until he spread her open and he slid in with a groan. He quickly caught her other wrist and held it down as well as he began pushing in and out of her, ignoring her whimpering pleas. His pace quickened as he growled a low groan, then released a wrist to take hold of her face in his massive hand. She was afraid he was going to hurt her or put his weight on his hand and her face, but he held himself up on his other hand and just held her face awkwardly. She realized around her sobs that he was caressing her? In his weird, giant, hamfisted way? She took his wrist with her free hand and clutched it, closing her eyes and trying to fight through the pain. She pictured Ben. Ben holding her face, Ben making love to her, Ben...

She froze suddenly with that realization. Was... Havilan making love to her? Not doing his duty in their marriage bed, but doing this because he wanted her? Being gentle with her and holding her in a loving gesture? She didn't understand. Was this really happening?

His pace quickened again as he groaned again, then he shoved into her with as close to roughness as he had used so far. She felt him throb and shoot into her, hot and thick, his hands tightening slightly. He held himself there for a long moment, breathing heavily as he rested his head on the back of the hand holding her wrist above her head. He pulled back finally, easing out of her, then rolling to his back with a deep sigh of satisfaction. She started to roll away, but he caught her arm and pulled her against him, gripping her arm tightly. Not holding her really, just keeping a hold of her arm and making her lay next to him.

She was stock still as she lay there, his hand closed around her arm. He finally let her go and stood up, getting dressed quietly. He paused at the door and glanced in her direction. "You can get up and get dressed now," he said quietly, then left the room.

She rolled onto her side and curled up, clutching her belly and trembling. Why hadn't he just left like he had said he was going to?

Leona came in and immediately picked up her dressing gown and helped her sit up and put it on, then helped her off the bed. "Is it bad?" Leona asked softly. "I can make you a hot pad for the pain?"

"I will be fine, thank you. It hurts some but I can bear it. Mostly my heart hurts. I haven't even had time to grieve for Ben and... now..."

"I'm sorry Ally. Is he really terrible?"

"I don't know. He was so angry... now he is indifferent. I don't understand it. He has not hurt me, not really. Not purposefully. He said he would do only what was required and nothing else. I thought he would leave this morning, but he is still here... and he made me... come back to his bed this morning. I just want him to leave so I can grieve."

Leona hugged her, then stood back. "Let's go get you dressed, you don't want to keep him waiting do you?"

"He is out there?"

"Yes... he sent me in to see to you?"

"I did not realize." Alice said breathlessly, then hurried out to the sitting room. She looked pink cheeked at him and he looked at her passively, then looked away. She hurried to the bathing chamber to get dressed, Leona right behind her.

"Servant!" he called, just before Leona shut the door.

Leona paused and peeked out, "Yes highness?"

"She can dress herself for a few moments. Come here."

Leona glanced at Alice in alarm, but went back out to the sitting room, pulling the door shut behind her. Alice worried, but she also hurried to find a dress and get into it as quickly as she could. She couldn't do up the middle buttons, but she wasn't overly concerned with it as she brushed her hair and twisted it up hastily. Just as she was ready to leave, Leona came in, her cheeks red with either shame or anger. Alice could not tell which.

Leona went to her and did up the buttons she had missed, then pulled her hair down and redid it, all quietly.

"Lee?" Alice whispered.

Leona offered her a small smile, but kept her lips pressed together.

"Did he dress you down? Yell at you? Forbid you to speak to me?"

Leona paused and looked at her in the mirror, then her eyes darted to the door and she finished pinning Alice's hair up silently.

Alice felt her heart sink. He wasn't going to allow her to have a friend? Or was it because she was a servant? Why was he interfering?

Leona gave her shoulder a comforting squeeze before stepping back. Alice stood and went out to the sitting room, ready to speak harshly to him about interfering. When she saw him, she lost her nerve as he stood straight and looked down at her warily. He glanced behind her at Leona, then looked back down at her as if he were waiting for her to speak. She stayed quiet, but now she was standing in front of him as if she had intended to confront him, looking unsure and afraid.

He waited another moment, wondering if she would gather her nerve, but when she composed herself and stood up straight, her lips pressed together, he knew she meant to stay quiet.

With another glance at the servant, he took Alice's arm just under her shoulder and started to pull her out of the room. She jerked away from him and set a hand on his forearm so that he was escorting her and not pulling her around. He only smirked at her and led her down to the throne room.

She immediately felt awkward and lost in the full room, nobles packed shoulder to shoulder in little groups. She could see nothing at all but chests and bodices unless she craned her neck to look up and she refused to do that.

Havilan led her to a group close to the throne that was less packed. She could actually see the king, sitting and scowling at whoever was in front of him. Greggory saw her first and touched Malcolms arm and he turned as well.

"So you decided to join us after all with your lovely little wife!" Greggory said, beaming.

"I've not had the pleasure," a busty woman said, pushing forward and pressing her impressive bosom against Havilans free arm. "You are the Lonai Princess, right? Your coloring! You are so very pale! I imagine the sun must disagree with you greatly. That's a shame since Hav simply adores being outside. It's no matter, I am sure he will find plenty of company who can flourish in the sun."

Alice smiled pleasantly at the boorish woman. "Actually, I do very well in the sun, I do not react so badly to it as some do. It does not age me like it has... some people. I am Alice, but my very best friends call me Ally. I would be pleased if you would call me Ally as well, it will be nice to know someone who knows my husband so well as you are obviously such a motherly figure to him. I hope you will be as close to me since my own mother is so far away."

The woman's face turned a blotchy red as she drew herself up in indignation.

"She is an old friend of the family," Malcolm said quickly, hiding a smile. "But we grew up together, she and I. She is actually younger than Hav."

"Oh! Is she? My mistake and deepest apologies. Obviously you are right and you do enjoy the sun greatly. Perhaps we can ride out together and get to know one another. I'm sorry, what was your name?"

"I am Lady Clarissa!"

"It is lovely to meet you. Malcolm she obviously needs a bit of help standing since she cannot seem to take her weight off of my husband, perhaps you can help her?"

Malcolm turned away quickly as Clarissa pulled away in outrage. She took another man's arm and led him away with a sour expression on her face.

"You are quite the little viper," Greggory teased. "She has been throwing herself at Hav since you were what? Ten?" he asked Malcolm.

"Around there. About the time Hav started noticing girls." Malcolm smiled slightly at his taller brother and Alice risked a look up at him. He looked amused as he scanned the crowd. "Hav," Malcolm continued. "You seem to be in a much better mood today, your temper cooled completely."

"I finally got some sleep. Why are the wards here?"

"They aren't all here, just the older ones. Father wanted them at hand during the... investigation into what happened yesterday."

"Did they have something to do with it?" Alice asked quickly.

"They may have. It has been rumored the reason the stable gate was left unlocked from the inside was that one of them unbarred it. If the incursion had made it in that far, they would have had access to the castle and they were headed straight to it as if they knew. It cannot be coincidence," Greggory told her in a whisper.

"No, I doubt it was. Whoever is looking into it, have them look closely at Malachai. Olivia as well. They have no love for this place."

"That's funny, they both named a boy named John."

"No, John is one of the good ones, he is loyal and wants to keep his family safe. It is Malachai and his group who are looking to subvert and..."

"Hav! A married man? Really! I couldn't believe it when I heard the news! Is this the lucky girl then? Aren't you adorable? Lonai, eh Hav? You know what they say about girls from Lonai?" the new man teased, his blue eyes sparkling with mischief.

"I do," Havilan answered. "Henry, this is Alice. Leave over the jokes, we did not marry under the best of circumstances."

"I only just got here, I heard on the way to the throne room that you had a wife. That was all?"

"Leave it," Havilan snapped.

"Well, Alice, it was nice to meet you," the man said, bending over to take her hand and kiss it. "You are a lovely creature. Do not let this lout bore you too much or scare you. He is a puppy in a bear suit."

"Do not lie to the girl," Havilan demanded, still scanning the room. "Henry, why don't you go fetch me Captain Avery?"

"Where is he?"

"No idea, go and find out."

The man left, looking a bit put off and confused.

Another man who was standing with them leaned in, pulling the girl on his arm a bit closer. "Since Hav refuses to introduce you, I am Lord Ellinger and this is Lady Daljir."

The girl bowed to Alice with her hands pressed together and from her coloring, she was from Paratuse. "It is lovely to meet you, I am Alice."

"Princess Alice, from Lonai?" the girl asked, in her soft accent.

"Yes, but just Alice, please."

"We have met before, but I do not blame you for not remembering. I was eleven and you were ten when we made port in Lonai and stayed at your castle. They were gathering wards and I was one of them. They gathered two in Lonai, minor lordlings."

"I do remember you! You were the only child of Sultan Preto. I was fascinated because you were the first girl ward I had ever seen and you were so lovely and different from anyone I had ever seen."

"I remember," the girl smiled, her eyes shining. "You asked so many questions! You kept me up three nights in a row, staying up and talking. It was a pleasant time and I have always remembered how kind you were. And how small. You are still so small. Do you worry that you may not be able to bear children?"

Greggory made a sound of shock and Ellinger tugged on Daljir's arm, pulling her close to whisper in her ear.

Alice waved them off with a smile. The girl was from Paratuse and she was from Lonai. They were different in most ways, but alike in others, including their openness to talk about certain things that Lucanans were prude about. "I do not worry so much, I come from a long line of petite women and none have had issue bearing children. Granted, my father or great fathers were not so large as my husband. Time will tell."

Greggory laughed nervously, his eyes wide as Malcolm blushed and looked away like he wasn't listening. Alice looked up at Havilan, but he was still looking over the crowd. He seemed to be aware of her attention though, as he patted her hand on his arm with his free hand. He left it there as Alice turned back to Daljir.

"Your time as a ward is surely up? Have you stayed for a reason?" Alice asked, glancing at Ellinger with a pleased smile. She loved love and it pleased her to see the pretty, sweet girl so obviously in love.

Daljir smiled shyly and lifted her large brown eyes to Ellinger who was grinning broadly down at her. "I have perhaps thought to stay here indefinitely, and now that it seems the war is finally ending, I may have good reason to stay."

"The war itself may be ending, it was their final push, but that does not mean we can stop being vigilant," Havilan said darkly. "There are still groups of them gathered here and there and they must be stamped out. Searched out, hunted down and destroyed."

"Of course Hav," Ellinger said lightly. "But surely that can be left to the common soldiers now? You don't want to abandon your pretty little wife so soon after wedding her? She is lovely and you..."

"Leave it," Havilan snapped irritably. "Where the fuck is Avery?"

"There, Henry is bringing him in now," Malcolm said, nodding to the side entrance behind Havilan.

Havilan took Alice's hand and passed her off to Malcolm before turning to meet Captain Avery halfway. He pulled him back to the far wall by his arm and spoke to him quietly, the Captain listening raptly and nodding several times. Finally, Captain Avery bowed to Havilan with a fist to his heart and left out the door he had come in. Havilan quickly returned to the group, still watching over the crowd. He took Alice's hand from Malcolm's arm absently and placed it on his own arm.

She knew something was happening and she hated not knowing what it was. "What is wrong?" she asked him quietly, looking up at his focused features.

"Something is amiss. I do not like the wards so close to the king, I am having them moved. I think they may intend to try something if they get the chance. The two you named. The boy, his father is..." he stopped short, then peered down at her in annoyance. "It is not your concern," he snapped.

"Isn't it? I am..."

"Greggory," Havilan snapped. "What?"

"The tension in the room," Greggory said quietly, his hand going to his sword hilt as he looked around.

Havilan also looked around, moving Alice behind him. "Ellinger, take the girls up to my rooms. Take that side door and go right, up the servants stairs. Go now."

Ellinger took Alice's wrist and hurried both women to the side door and up to Havilands rooms. He immediately barred the door before turning and hugging Daljir close. "It will be fine," he told the worried girl. "Hav is there, Mal is there. Your friends will be fine. Nothing will happen. You know how Greggory is, he has a sixth sense. He will find what is wrong before it even happens."

Leona came out and bobbed a curtsy. "Your highness, may I offer refre..." she paused, noting the barred door. "What's wrong?" she asked quickly.

Alice went to her and stopped short of hugging her friend, remembering what had happened earlier. "May I speak to you alone a moment?" she asked, making her voice hard.

Leona curtsied again and held the bedroom door open for Alice before following her and shutting the door. Alice spun to her when the door shut, then hugged her close. Leona hugged her back, so tightly it almost hurt.

"I'm sorry! He made me swear not to say anything and I swore I wouldn't, but I owe you my allegiance, not him! Still... don't tell him I told you?"

"Told me what?" Alice asked worriedly.

"It was all so... odd. He asked me about you, about you and Hunter. Ben. How you met, how you talked about him. If you and I were friends, who your other friends were. He asked me all kinds of off questions about you. Not the normal sorts of questions. He asked if you really spent your time in the stables and kennels, and if you talked about power or marrying a prince. It was all so bizarre! Then he made me swear to say nothing to you at all about it! I was so afraid you would ask me to tell you and he would know. But I can't see what it would hurt?"

"No, it's fine Leona. He will not find out. I think... I think he thought I was tricking Ben into marrying me. That I was trying for power. I think he stopped being so angry at me because he discovered it wasn't true. He asked you to verify his suspicions. I was not who he thought he was... but I am still not who he thinks I am. Not if he thinks he can drive a wedge between us. Thank you Leona, for telling me. Come on, we should go wait with the others for news."

They sat in the sitting room until well past dinner, all of them stressed and on edge. Alice and Daljir managed to talk and catch up and keep conversation light, but both of them kept looking at the door in worry.

Finally, as the light in the sky was starting to dim, there was a sharp rap on the door. Ellinger jumped up and went to the door, but did not unbar it. Instead, he knocked twice and then a moment later he knocked once. The person on the other side knocked once, then three times rapidly, then once again. Ellinger unbarred the door and yanked it open.

Havilan stormed in and his eyes went to Alice, looking her over from head to toe as she stood. She stepped towards him, but was frozen, not only by his expression, but the blood on his hands, chest and face. "Is it yours?" she asked fearfully, clutching her stomach.

"None of it."

"What happened?" she asked, going to fill the basin and wetting a cloth. Anything to keep her hands from shaking. She didn't want to hear more bad news. She thought of her friends, John and Hannah and Maisy. Were they alright?

"It wasn't the wards. It wasn't just the wards. There were four lords as well, all in attendance. When Avery took Malachai off to the side, it seemed to set it all in motion. They knew they were about to be caught out and the whole room erupted in chaos. They had some few ladies working with them, adding to the chaos, screaming and causing a panic with their shouting.They did not raise arms, but they will lose their heads just the same. Ellinger, you have my thanks for seeing to... the girls."