CHAPTER THIRTY NINE

Selene sat on the wooden seat close to the pine tree. There was a mat laid before her. A dish of egg and veal sat in the plate.
There was a cup of mice smelling wine and the knight by her side beamed
The young handsome knight smiled at the princess and took her hand in his, placing a small kiss there. She had been more open to love after her ordeal at Kiro and with her resolve to not be alone, she'd began seeing the young knight she met in town weeks ago. Her heart did not quack when he was with her like it did for the Lord but...... Selene frowned at her own thoughts and scolded herself.
"It is a nice place" Selene said with a smile. She was relaxed, at peace and comfortable with a nice man, she reminded herself quickly.
"It is my haven. I found it years ago when I first became a royal warrior" the knight replied with a charming smile.
Selene nodded
"Come" the man said and led her to the mat, sitting there himself and folding his legs before him.
He took a fork and eat the veal, feeding the princess as the snow fell softly, the large tree their umbrella.
The young knight took the cup of wine and took a sip, handing it to the princess and she too drank.
"I am glad you are fine. I was worried" he said
Selene smiled
He held her hand, their hands a perfect union, olive and tanned.
"I may not know you forever but I do know you long enough to know I'd like to be with you. With your permission my lady. I'd very much love to court you" he said
Selene could hear her heartbeats, erratic
This she had wanted. To be wanted. To be desired. To marry yet she couldn't quite understand why her heart beat so strongly in her chest. Like she did not want this
"If it's too soon my lady I can wait" the knight said, his face unsure
"No...we can court" she responded
"Yes!!" The knight yelled lowly and went to hug her.
"With a chaperone of course" she added
"As you wish my lady" the man replied, smirked wickedly and pulled her face to his, placing a warm kiss on her lips.
Edgar watched from his vantage, his anger rising with each fleeting moment. His sword was ready to be drawn at any moment.
She pulled away. At least she had the decency to. Oh he wanted to behead the boy. How could he lure her to a tree and try to spoil her. Edgar glared at the sight and fumed angrily.
As if his rage radiated, her eyes caught his. She froze.
He looked as she slowly excused herself and went into the manor, leaving the young knight staring sheepishly.
Edgar looked at the young man. He was a force in his battalion, a young accomplished boy. He had fought with him severally. A loyal man. But no one touched his woman. No one.
Edgar marched to the knight.
"My Lord" he bowed. Looking foolishly at his romantic assemblage of mats and fine wine.
"I have just one warning for you" Edgar said as lowly as he could, after all Selene was not his property.
The boy visibly frowned. Pleading with his eyes before falling to his knee.
"I plead mercy Lord. How have I wronged you?" He asked
"I admire your skills in the field. But I do not admire your hands on the princess. Stay away from her" Edgar stated calmly.
"Yes my Lord, I am deeply sorry" the man said as Edgar glared at him and left without another word.
Foolish woman. He had barely removed her from the grasp of a man when she flung herself at another. Damn the wench! She wanted him to become a jealous lover. He'd show her. He'd show her what jealousy was if she let any man touch her again.
He had gotten to the entrance of the manor when he met his Lieutenant.
He walked as proud as he always had, despite his missing arm. His uniform on. His belt holding a blade.he had healed quickly.
"I see you are fine" Edgar said as he held the man in a stiff embrace
"Good as new, my Lord" he replied with a bow.
"I am sorry" he said, nodding to his half arm
"I am only sorry I did not witness the battle. We won" he said with a smile.
"Indeed. We won" Edgar replied.
"I see I will not longer have a competition at the field" Edgar said the bad joke, unable to help himself.
A blade swung almost instantly and before he could draw his, strands of his hair fell on the ground. The lieutenant wore a proud smile.
"I see" Edgar smiled.
The warrior bowed and sheathed his blade.
Edgar nodded at him and left.
Inside the manor, he could hear the hammers as they destroyed the fences. The Eastern walls brought down and the Sol flag erected.
What was left of his sister's men had been banished once he arrived.
The council had written to them. Approving the war. Edgar smiled. It was too late. He had won.
The winter was passing. Summer would be upon them soon. The snow fell lighter and lighter each day and the sun a bit more demanding.
"My Lord. The chief assigned to the new Kiro has sent a letter to you" the scribe behind him said
"What does it say?" He asked.
"Oh" the aged man hurried to open the letter, handing it the the Lord.
"What does it say?" Edgar asked again. He was in no mood for politics. He needed peace for once.
"There is a power struggle my Lord. The men are battling over who should be placed as the province prince. The old faithful Kiro men or the Solians" he said
" Kiro has passed away. That is now a provinces of Sol. No man should oppose my men....let the lieutenant know he is to ascend the throne there till I see otherwise. Dismissed" he said, did not turn back as the man bowed and departed
Edgar knocked at the small door.
Silence answered him
"You would rather not see me? A knight instead huh?" He asked angrily
Silence followed
"I will see you punished if you belittle me once more. I am your Lord and sharing my bed does not erase that" he spoked the teeth
The door opened shortly after.
Selene stood by the closet, her eyes on him.
"What nonsense was that?" He asked
"I decide who enters my room, even you, my Lord" she said
"I see. You'd rather open your arms to a knight!" He yelled
"I will open whatever I see fit to whomever I wish" she snapped
"You ungrateful wench! What do you want me to do? Burn down this walls. I have endured so much on your head" he barked
"Then let me leave" she said
"Where is this coming from Selene? Why are you confused and indecisive!" He asked
"Can you not see it! I have no one. I almost died in that place. No one came for me. No son, no daughter, no sister, no father, no husband. I'm alone. And I can't remain this way forever. I have found a suitor" she said
"He is unsuitable" he stated
"Says who? You have barely spoken to me since we arrived Sol, I know you have had your way with me and find me undesirable now, I do not care but I won't have you scaring off my suitors" she snapped angrily.
"He I unfit for you" he defended weakly.
"Then I shall find another" she replied
"Never" Edgar said, his voice stern
"You vile man! You had what you wanted, now leave me be!"
"I know not what you're speaking of Selene, I have been occupied with many urgent dealings for our own province"
"I do not care, you have discarded me and I will not beg for your attention!"
"You have begun your madness haven't you? You forbid you from seeing that knight again" Edgar stated firmly.
"I see...I will bed all your men, every last one of them at every chance I get. I will become a whore till I can birth a child of my own, I won't be left alone in this world" she threatened
"You only bluff child. You would not dare, none of my men would want you. You're no virgin" Edgar tried the only blow he knew would discourage her.
"That will be enough reason they want me my Lord. Easy catch, a harlot" she said
" Don't be stupid! You are not a harlot"
"Then why did I let you have me when I know you'd never do right by me?"
"Can you not worry too much Selene, I am not discarding you like you out it, you're still mine"
"Until you tire of me? When?"
"Damn you! Which sane man will ever tire of you?" He questioned and lunged at her, taking her lips roughly in demonstration, their weights falling on the bed and causing a creak.
He captured her lips in his. The kiss searing
"Leave me alone! I have agreed to court him, you can not stop me! You said before your entire hall that I was ripe for marriage" Selene struggled, bitting and kicking at him
"Be quiet!" The Lord yelled, his eyes raging, his tone deadly.
Selene froze, her eyes wet with unshed tears.
"Let me be" she plead
"I can't. I need you" the Lord rasped, leaned forward and kissed her again.
"You want to treat me like your harlot?"
" You will not use that name near me again Selene, don't be foolish" he earned and kissed her again.
She surrendered, her heart broken. She was a prisoner. Not much different from how she was at Kiro. She cried, silent tears rolling down her face.
The Lord rose and looked at the child.
"What I feel for you I haven't felt for another Selene. I may not be the man you want but you'll lack nothing"
" I can't be your mistress, never, never, I can't become what my mother was" she cried.
"How? I crave for you Selene, I will never tire of you" he persuaded.
" Now you say that, after you'll meet a younger maiden and__"
" Younger? What do you think of me? A pedophile? You are already too young for me, Selene"
"Leave me be Edgar, please"
"For one last time, please just hold me, love me like you had and if you no longer want me then I won't ask anymore, please" the Lord pleaded, his eyes clouded with lust.
Selene looked at him. He had rescued her despite all. She decided she would grant him this last wish, then she would run away. Live in the town and marry the knight.
She nodded. That was all the Lord needed. He descended on her hungrily. Tearing his clothes and tearing hers all at once, tasting, fondling and hungrily speaking sweet nothings to her.
He plunged into her forcefully, swallowing her cry with a kiss and groan of his own. He was burning, his very soul on fire. He wanted to drown, drown in her warm body. Be lost in the green eyes forever. Her tears were no more, her fingers now raked his back, her moans filled the room, hips raising to meets his.
He drove her, his eyes rolling behind his head, his own groans mixing with her soft mewl. He gave all her had, his unexpressed love, lust and hunger in his kisses and squeezes, he moved within her and with her and with every stroke, he felt himself melding irrevocably with the young princess.
She tossed, fighting against him as her climax overcame her and she collapse against him. His hands holding her firm, anchoring her to him.
He too tensed and poured his seed inside her, lax with satisfaction and completion. He collapsed on her and felt her squirm under his weight.
He turned to look at her.
She turned away. Fresh tears mixing with the older ones.
He stood abruptly.
"Dress" he told her, adorning himself as well with his hastily discarded robe.
She cried quietly in embarrassment, quickly packing her dress and clumsily wearing them.
He wore his own clothes, took her by the hand and led her out of the hall.
"I'll walk, please let go of me, I will leave" she cried in a whisper.
He couldn't, her tears were wounding him more than he thought possible.
He threw open his own chamber and went in, dragging her with him and locking the door behind them.
"I'll leave. You do not have to shame me" she wept bitterly.
He tossed things aside as he looked into his chest.
Remembering suddenly where it was, Edgar walked to the cabinet and retrieved it.
He knelt, his hands grabbing hers despite her resistance.
"I doubt I can live without you child. I do not care if I become my father or not. We may never have a child but I know I want you, damn it!" He said and handed her the ring.
Selene froze. What was he saying? Was this a ploy to bed her? To trap her in the mistress title.
She shook her head.
"Do not say no Selene. I fear I will not accept it" he stated
"You don't mean it"
"I do, by my own blood I do. Monique is gone. You are alive. I want you and I will be damned to let any man have you when I'm here. Marry me child. I will make you happy. I promise" he said
Selene sniffled, she looked uncertainly at the Lord.
Sincerity, honesty, truth, admiration, lust and vulnerability reflected in his eyes.
She sighed deeply and decided that if this was mockery then she'd take it. She nodded.
The Lord rose and took her hands, kissing her knuckles and pulling her into a hug.
"I will make you very happy Selene, I promise. No more knight, no one else but me" he whispered and claimed her lips again.
And there stood Edgar Horace O'Alistair, Emperor of Sol and it's provinces. A man laden with demons and dark secrets, a wounded soul. Now Kiro seemed the past, the war had come and gone, blood had spilt once more and all he felt was completion, ease and a burning desire to face the next sunrise.
EPILOGUE
Love came in strange times, in strange forms.
Edgar stared at the now fat woman on his bed, her belly swollen with his seed.
He smiled, he could not quite call her a child anymore. But in his eyes she was still a child, despite her size.
"You are back!" She yelped and rushed to him, pushing a stool in ceremoniously and clumsily away.
"Easy now darling so you don't hurt yourselves" he smiled meaningfully and hugged her. Her frame filling his hands. She was beautiful.
"Did you get my grapes? The imported ones?" She asked as she grabbed his sachel and dug in enthusiastically.
She frowned and looked up at him, coming up with knives and ointments and everything she didn't need.
"It's not inside, do not tell me you forgot again" she pouted
"Are you telling me my wife is not happy to see me but her grapes" he asked
"You are of no use my Lord" she replied and left the bag on the floor, moving to her wool bunch where she was knitting an ugly crooked pattern.
"I see...you would not need these then" Edgar said and pulled out two bunches of ripe grapes from his pocket
"Oh you devil!" She chirped and ran to him again, throwing her arms over him. She snatched the grapes from him and ate without washing
"Bad bad habit, hat alone fattens you" he teased
"I am not fat" she said and swayed her hips, going to the bed and holding her hands out to him
"Come, your son has been asking all day of you, he kicks" she said
"My daughter" Edgar replied
"It's a boy my lord, I'm sorry to disappoint you" she said
"A girl my dear"
"What? Afraid you'll birth a rake like yourself?" She asked with a smile
Edgar smiled. He was not afraid of anything. He just teased her.
He would never become his father. He was a new man, a better man, he was certain of that. He made him a better soul.
"Was the nights cold without me?" He asked with a confident smile.
"Do not praise yourself my Lord. You've only been gone for a night" Selene replied
"A cold night" he added.
He undressed and moved into bed after dropping the drapes, blocking the summer sun and cuddling his wife
"How are the preparations?" He asked
"Fine, it tires me out" she replied
"Do not out work yourself child. The lieutenant will not want to be received like some god" he said
"Afraid you'll be dethroned?" She teased
"Far from that. Afraid my child may fall in love with yet another knight" he short back slowly
"You devil!" She cried and attacked him. Her fat body falling in his.
This, Edgar thought with a smile, this was happiness