Diplomacy: A Princess's Guide Pt. 06

I nodded.

"He would never do that, he doesn't even want to harm anyone, he would rather die than kill innocent people."

"Then what happened?" Aedan asked, as he stood beside Asher, "because that is not the work of nature."

"I don't know," I whispered and Asher sighed.

"Well, let's go, the others are waiting."

***

We made it another hour, before Aedan held up his hand, causing everyone to come to a complete stop, only half a second, before an arrow whizzed past my ear.

"Fuck! Protect the princess!" Asher bellowed, before another arrow flew past us.

"I don't need protection!" I snarled and Aedan's head whipped in my direction. His face a mask of anger and fear. But he did not fear the enemy. He feared for me.

I stared at him for a second, before several men charged towards us at an insane speed. Aedan drew his sword. I drew my dagger and jumped off Dareon, pulling the other from the belt around my left leg.

Two men ran in my direction and I smiled faintly, before I ducked under their slashes. And with all the force I could muster, I brought my dagger into the eye socket of the man closest to me. Blood gushed over my arm, as the life was seeping out of him, but he didn't make any sound. I yanked out my blade and pushed the body off of me.

The body slumped to the ground lifeless. I then aimed for the other man's chest, burying my dagger in the muscle, while his blade narrowly missed me. He roared in pain and dropped his sword, allowing me to retrieve my dagger without losing it to his desperate attack. He stared into my eyes, before I kicked him to his knee and buried my dagger in his jugular. He groaned for a second, before he fell to the ground beside his fallen comrade.

Looking around me I took in the situation. Kassandra and Carr were battling a few men side by side, while Aedan was holding off several other men, Asher relatively close beside him. But those were ordinary humans. Why would they attack us?

Two men jumped from the trees above, behind the place where Asher and Aedan were fighting and without thinking I ran in their direction and pierced my blade into the body of a man who was in the midst of attacking Aedan from behind. He turned around and stared at me, as the blood oozed from his wound. Surprise laced in his voice, he exclaimed, "Why would you help that beast!" The words from the dying man were strained. Aedan whirled around just then and saw me there and watched, as the man fell to the ground. But that was the second the man wanted to use to stab Asher from behind, but Aedan blocked the blow, protecting him from a grievous strike.

Aedan's wolflike growl shook my entire body, as he grabbed the man and broke the guy's neck with the sheer force of his power.

Asher looked at him with wide eyes but spun around, when we heard a scream from Kassandra.

"NO! Fuck NO!" Asher shouted, as Kassandra held her ribs, blood dripping through her fingers.

She gasped in pain and looked at Asher, tears shining in her eyes as one man tried to grab her from behind. Asher's expression of grief turned into fury, as he grabbed the attacker, tearing him from her and smacking his head against a tree nearby, splattering his brains across the bark. It was horrifying. Even more so as Kassandra crumpled in his arms when he returned to catch her.

Aedan and Carr took out the last attackers while I ran over to Kassandra.

"Kass," Asher spoke in the calmest voice, lifting her gently into his arms, cradling her against his broad chest.

She glanced up at him through long lashes, reaching out for his cheek and gently stroked down his face. He was the only one beside Aedan to call her Kass.

"It will heal, won't it?" I asked nervously but as I looked closer I could already see that her face began to lose its healthy color and it even seemed slightly discolored around her eyes.

"Aedan!" I yelled over my shoulder and Asher kept her in his tight grip, as Aedan rushed over.

He removed Kass' hand from her rib and while Kass let out a breathy whimper, her eyebrows drew together as she bit on her lips.

"She got stabbed with Lucanae. It's slowing the healing down," Aedan growled and pressed on her ribs to stop the bleeding. She hissed in pain, her lips sealed tightly together, her dark eyes gazing at Asher in pure fear and panic. Tears welled up in her eyes, and she took a sharp breath.

Asher wrapped his arms around her even tighter while his face mirrored her fear.

"Where did they get Lucanae from?" Carr asked as Asher placed Kassandra on a relatively clear patch of grass.

Quickly he removed her top and she grabbed his forearm.

"Ash!" she cried out weakly and looked up to him, terror written all over her beautiful face. Her usual warm tan complexion was turning more into a greyish white.

"I know Kass, I know. But we have to clean it. Stay strong for me now."

His tone was full of anguish, every word full of raw pain as he gazed into her terrified eyes.

A sob escaped her throat, while she still held onto Asher as though she would never let him go again. A while ago their roles had been reversed and she had been the one to treat him.

Aedan had already gone to get clear water and disinfectant to clean the wound while Asher sat beside her with trembling hands as he brushed her long, brown curls out of her face and planted a kiss on her forehead.

"I'm sorry Kass, this is gonna hurt," Aedan stated regretfully and Kass screamed out, as he disinfected the area. Asher held her arm up, so she couldn't pull it down and whispered soothing words in her ear. He kissed the side of her head and shushed her to calm her, while Aedan worked.

When he was done, he helped her sit up and rolled a gauzy material around her upper body, making a tight wrap to put pressure on the wound. When he was finished she was pale and shaking with cold sweat dripping down from her forehead. She rested against Asher's torso and he kept her in place, making sure that she was comfortable.

In the meantime Carr had inspected the corpses to find some identification on them and tried to find a motive why they had attacked us. But he could find neither the cause nor some kind of hint as to who had sent them after us.

Even though Kass wasn't entirely healed, there really was no other way than to move on. And although I desperately wanted to help her, I knew she was safe when Asher had her. And I was pretty sure, he would rip anyone's head off who tried to take her from him.

"Can you at least give her an hour before we move on?" Asher asked through gritted teeth and pulled Kassandra back against him. He let her rest against him fully and kept an arm wrapped around her protectively. He rubbed her lower arm softly in reassurance and planted a kiss on top of her head.

Aedan nodded at him and squeezed his shoulder briefly.

This fight had shaken us. Nobody could deny that. I positioned myself closer to the horses and sat down between some moss to think everything over, because my thoughts just weren't sorted at all. I massaged my temple for a second and sighed before I leaned back and closed my eyes. Today I had killed someone for the first time. Technically. But it didn't feel like a kill. There was absolutely no guilt, just exhaustion and emptiness in my mind. In fact, it had all happened so quickly I could not even recall his features completely. Only the sound of the blade piercing his body stayed in my mind, as clear as the sound of a branch cracking in the woods. Everything had happened very quick and my body, now after the shock and fear, went through a very peculiar phase of numbness that made my movements dull in response.

"Enya?" A deep voice broke through the deafening silence in my mind, waking me out of my catatonic state. When my lashes fluttered up my pupils struggled adjusting to the light. And that was when Aedan came into view with concern in his beautiful brown eyes, the ring around them sparkling a bit more golden in the sun. "Are you alright?" he asked worriedly.

Slowly I nodded. "I... yeah... just thinking." He knelt beside me and tucked one of the small tendrils from the side of my face behind my ear and softly caressed my cheek, which made me blink twice in return to keep the emotions inside. I didn't know why it was suddenly hard to hold his gaze and he must have noticed. I'd never felt so tired and so... lost and confused. This morning everything seemed good and now...

"Don't lie to me," he whispered and lifted my chin to look at me thoroughly, but I still avoided his look. So I opted for looking at his chest instead. "Today is the first time you have taken a life and you have witnessed other people getting hurt. That's fine. This is something that may get stuck inside your head forever, and it doesn't matter how much you've prepared for it. I'd rather see your true feelings, Enya, because I can tell something is up."

I looked at him then. At his beautifully glowing eyes.

"You really need to stop this... looking right into my soul," I said with a whisper. It made a small smile play at the corners of his lips and it sent butterflies flying straight into my tummy.

"Never. I intend to never stop being your anchor. I told you... You are my whole damn world, Enya," he said and my body shuddered as he moved closer until he sat beside me. It was an instinct to lay my head on his shoulder and it came in complete harmony from both sides.

And then my tears came without control. Everything piled up in the last minutes. How helpless and frightened Kassandra had been. How devastated I'd been seeing her crying with such pain and... such sadness that I never knew Kassandra was able to be. She had always seemed unbreakable, so strong, smart, caring and protective of those she loved.

In all honesty the attack had shaken me. Deeply. What if I hadn't been fast enough? What if the second man had come up behind Aedan who was as vulnerable to Lucanea as every other Wolfborn would be.

I couldn't find words to tell Aedan all of this, but he didn't push me. He just held me close, wrapping one arm around my back and my shoulders to make my position a little more comfortable on his chest. Then he nuzzled his nose into my pastel locks and placed small kisses at the crown of my head. "Everything will be alright again," he said as my sobs slowly subsided.

I sat up and looked over at Asher and Kassandra, who was resting comfortably in his protective arms as he spoke with a deep soft voice. I was glad that she felt so safe around him as he cared for her. Because although they didn't admit it yet, they would both give their lives for each other. Her head was resting against his shoulder as she sat between his thighs and she pressed tiny kisses along his jaw and neck.

That seemed to relax him because all tension seemed to dissolve from his shoulders, making him visibly more content. He had his back rested against one of the boulders, propping up a knee and with his left hand holding up Kassandra against him. A deep look into my direction met my eyes and he smiled, giving me a nod to signal that she would be alright. I smiled in relief. This gave my own spirit an immense relief.

"Thank gods," I murmured in an almost inaudible voice, hoping that everything would get easier in a day or two... or maybe years?

"So, Asher and Kass..." Aedan suddenly began to speak, catching me by surprise. He didn't usually begin with just saying what came into his mind. "I think this makes sense. They're so alike... always keeping up a strong guard to hide what's truly inside. They would just sit around bickering otherwise."

He was right of course. And I was very well aware that they had been intimate on several occasions, but seeing them care for each other that deeply seemed new. Asher finally found his safe place... and so had Kassandra... "Yeah," I nodded.

"Hey, Kass, how are you feeling?" Aedan asked as he got up.

She opened her eyes and looked up at Aedan.

"It's better. It still hurts a bit but I should be fine, except for my pride, THAT is completely destroyed." She said while Asher ran a hand over her hair in a comforting gesture.

"You couldn't have done anything against the element of surprise, especially if it's Lucanea we are talking about, Kass." Aedan reassured her.

"If that leaves a scar, I will be pissed! Like literally. Who wants to see those on a woman?" She groaned loudly and Asher rolled his eyes.

"Mine is bigger," he huffed and her eyes traveled to his thigh. She knew how injured he was and how big the scar was of course. And that he had lots of them in many places on his body.

I just chuckled, having a bit of that Kassandra style attitude in return seemed healthy.

"But you are a human!" she snipped and Asher smirked down at her.

"Exactly and I am proud of every scar because it means I survived another mission."

My eyebrow rose high and Kassandra gave him an eye-roll and looked at her hand which was now balled up into a fist.

"I hate it when he is right," she hissed quietly and Asher laughed at her frustration. He bent over and placed a tiny kiss on top of her head and then whispered some things into her ear that I couldn't hear.

Judging by Aedan's snickering beside me and Kassandra's blush it was something naughty.

"Alright. We need to move on, sooner rather than later," Aedan then changed the topic and Asher nodded.

"Yeah, before anybody finds this blood bath and starts asking questions."

He carefully removed himself under Kassandra as Aedan came towards them and helped Kassandra stand up. It took her a moment but she slowly stood on both of her feet again. Asher was not ready to leave her side yet and gently he brushed some twigs and dirt from her trousers and top.

I quickly put all of the Lucanea dagger in my bag so nobody touched them accidentally. I decided it might be best to collect all of that for further investigation.

Asher had already mounted his horse and patted the place in front of him.

"Kass..." he said in a gentle manner while his eyes spoke words that were only reserved to Kassandra. And if she refused she would most definitely see a fit of rage and worry that he was now trying to hold inside. That I could easily tell and read in his body language by now. So, Kassandra approached him a little hesitantly but accepted his gentle guidance onto the saddle and she was seated safely in front of him.

He smiled faintly and pressed a kiss on top of her head. And then another, at her left temple that he couldn't resist. "Try to get some more rest," Asher cooed into her ear. Then he brought his mount into motion with some gentle nudges to the sides of his horse with his heels and off they went following Aedan and me.

***

I was surprised that Kassandra even fell asleep in front of him, considering what she has been through today. But I suspected that she felt safe and content with being that close to him.

We rode for a few hours until it was nearly sunset.

We stopped, when the sun started setting behind the horizon and got off of the horses to set up camp.

It had started pouring rain about twenty minutes ago and even though the trees above us blocked some of the water it felt cold.

I built a fire and Asher held his jacket above Kass' head, so she wouldn't get any more wet than she already was.

When we had finally finished our camp, everyone gathered around the fire to warm up. A cold wind had accompanied the rain and everybody seemed relieved to finally see the crackling flames.

"Well, this is lovely," Kassandra mumbled and sighed, before she took a sip from her wine.

"At least the wine is not wet," Asher joked and looked at Kassandra, who smirked at him.

I got closer to Aedan and sat between his strong thighs and he wrapped his arms around me.

"You are so cold, Babe," he whispered, as I sat closer and he wrapped his coat around me.

"I'm sorry, I should have worn something warmer," I said, as I pulled his coat closer, "I didn't think about the rain."

"You didn't think about the rain? Since when are you not thinking, princess?" Asher teased and I sighed.

"Asher, leave her be," Kassandra interrupted, as she cuddled closer to Asher. He wrapped the blanket closer around them and Kassandra smiled faintly.

"This is better," she said, as she snuggled up to him, while he ran a hand through her brown curls.

"I wish I had someone to snuggle with," Carr said and I laughed.

"You can always cuddle with us," I offered and he snorted.

"No thanks, I'm good."

"Let's go to our tent," Aedan suggested and I nodded.

"Good night, everyone!"

"Good night, princess!"

"Have a good night!"

We walked into our tent and Aedan pulled me closer, after he closed it.

"You know what they say, if you are cold, you have to take off your clothes and cuddle," he whispered against my neck and I shivered for a whole other reason, than the cold.

"What do you mean?" I asked, as I turned around and looked at him, as he grinned at me.

"Well, if we take off our clothes and cuddle, we will warm each other up," he said, smirking, as he hooked his thumb under my shirt and pulled it up.

I lifted my arms, so he could pull it over my head and threw it to the ground, before he reached for my pants.

After he undressed me, he quickly undressed himself and I couldn't get enough of looking at his naked body.

He was just so hot!

Every muscle was covered with a delicious golden tan and his black hair was loosely tied in a bun.

Carefully he pulled me down into the sleeping back and pressed my back against his chest, warming me up with body heat. The rain drummed down on the roof of the tent, but we were safe inside. His arm lay over my hip as he made small circles on my tummy. My body tingled wherever his fingers trailed and goosebumps followed the ghostly paths they formed.

"Better?" he rasped and I purred with pleasure at his warm breath in my ear. His face was nuzzled into my nape and I gasped, when he pressed a kiss on my delicate skin there.

"Much better," I agreed, while I pressed myself closer to him.

"So are we really going to sleep, or are we just going to lie here and make out?" he asked and I bit my lip, as he brushed his thumb over one nipple and then over the other, as if to check if they were hardened already. I gasped for a second as electricity sizzled right between my thighs.

"Mhmmm, I don't know, is that an option?" I asked, my breathing hitching, when he roamed his hands below my navel and over the curve of my waist and hips.

"Of course," he murmured and pressed a kiss to my neck. "Do you want that, princess?"

"Mhmmm," I mumbled, as he moved his fingers between my legs and started drawing small circles around my clit.

I could feel his hard cock poking into my back, and I smiled, as I let him lift my leg and put it over his thigh.

"Comfortable?" he murmured in my ear, as his fingers continued their small, delicious movements.

"Yes, much better," I breathed and moved my hips against his fingers, as my body tingled with anticipation.

"So fucking adorable, princess," he whispered, before he massaged my clit between two of his fingers and I let out a soft moan.

"Shhh," he whispered, while he moved his hand away, "you don't want the others to hear us."

I whimpered and moved my hand behind me, around his neck, sinking my fingernails into his skin, before I pushed my hips back and his cock slid between my thighs.

"Holy fuck, Enya," he breathed. Okay, I did not expect this, but I would gladly take it.

"Fuck me, Aedan," I whispered and he took his cock in his hand, guiding it into me.

"Ah, fuck, wait," I bit out and he stopped immediately, letting me adjust my position, let me move my hips to fit him.

But when I had adjusted, holy fuck! By the goddess, this angle made him push into my sweet spot all the time. Carefully he held my thigh up, so he could move and I let my head fall forward onto my arm, the other still around his neck.