|
|
Post by Mercy E. Valendrian on Jun 3, 2016 0:21:36 GMT
Fear. It was an emotion she’d been consumed with her entire life, always lingering inside of her, tainting even her happiest of thoughts. She’d known it from an early age, her earliest of memories being corrupted by it. Mercy could remember how much her father had terrified her even then, to the point that she’d often hidden behind her mother’s skirts, safe so long as Queen Sophia was there to protect her. Unfortunately, there came a day that Sophia was no longer there to bear the brunt of King Robert’s wrath and no longer able to protect her daughter from his cruelty. This fear that was coursing through the princess right then was different though. It was worse than ever, radiating right through to her very soul and coursing through her veins, urging her to go faster and preventing her from stopping. It was a good thing too because she didn’t have much else but adrenaline to keep her going. She couldn’t go back there. She wouldn’t… and it was the idea of being dragged back to her father that terrified her the most. ”GO,” Mercy urged her mare forward desperately, looking over her shoulder as she heard the sound of her father’s men getting closer. Her mare was just as exhausted as she was, if not more so, galloping at top speed through unfamiliar territory. They were gaining on her, but she couldn’t just let them win. She’d come too far this time just to be dragged right back to her father. There was too much at stake. King Robert’s plans for his own daughter were enough to make even the vilest person sick and there was no way Mercy was going to willingly marry her own father. Her willingness didn’t matter to him though and she knew that he would force her into the marriage, no matter what it took. He wouldn’t even bat an eye at the thought of marrying and raping his own daughter. Out of all his evil deeds, it would surely be the foulest. They were moving too fast, winding through trees, dodging low-hanging branches, and trying not to stumble over the rough terrain of the forest floor. If they slowed down, however, King Robert’s soldiers would catch up to them without a doubt… not that Mercy’s prospects were all that hopeful anyway. THWACK!Mercy’s heart leapt into her throat at the sound of an arrow hitting the trunk of a nearby tree, too afraid to try to see where it had landed. THWACK!The second arrow whizzed right by her head. She knew her father’s men had no qualms about hurting her. He never had either. All he cared about was keeping her alive and beautiful… likely for the night he pinned her to his bed and forced her to bear him a male heir. If she didn’t, she would surely meet the same fate as her mother. The way Robert saw things, wounds could be healed by another healer, so long as he got the message across. If she died before she could be healed… when then, she was obviously too weak to ever become queen of Avaryn THWACK!”NO!” Mercy cried out as the mare reared, having been struck in the hindquarters by the last arrow. She tried to hold on, but the runaway princess lost her grip, falling from her mare’s back and hitting the ground hard. Her blue eyes closed as she nearly succumbed to unconsciousness, opening again to watch her injured mare running off through the trees with a great deal of mind-numbing confusion. For a moment, she was too dazed to even move, her ears ringing and the world spinning around her. In that moment, as her vision blurred, she forgot everything… she forgot her father, she forgot why she was running, and she forgot everything but the pain from her fall and the throbbing of her head. It was their yells that brought her back to reality, reminding her that she had to run and she couldn’t stop. Mercy had had her taste of freedom and she wasn’t going to let it go. She wasn’t going to go back to being her father’s prisoner. It took every ounce of energy that she had left to pull herself up off of the ground, even as her muscles screamed in protest and her head throbbed. She didn’t even have time to take notice of the gash on her head from the fall and had to force herself to remain upright through the waves of dizziness. After a moment of stumbling, she started to regain her balance and continued through the forest, on foot now, holding up the skirt of her dress. If it were to get caught then it would only slow her down. Her lungs burned and her body wanted nothing more than to shut down, but Mercy refused to give in. She had no idea just how far she had made it, but she knew that she’d made it too far to just be dragged back. She had to try… even if she was losing all hope, hot tears stinging at her eyes and threatening to spill over. It was useless. She was injured and they were going to catch up to her anyway. Giving in was just so unnatural to her though. If she did, then Katerina’s attempts to help her escape would all be for naught. She was just so tired though, having been on the run for days now, barely able to sleep at night for fear of being found. Mercy was about to give in. She was about to just fall to her knees and let them catch up to her because her legs just couldn’t carry her any farther. Maybe she would get lucky and they’d accidentally kill her before she could be forced to marry her father because death was surely a better fate than being raped by her own flesh and blood. The gods knew she didn’t have it in her to take her own life, but she would gladly welcome the mercy of death if it were to come for her. She didn’t know where he’d come from, not having seen him as she’d been looking over her shoulder, but there he was and she ran right into him, bouncing off of his broad chest and grabbing hold of him to keep from falling. She didn’t even care what state she was in, pale and shaken with terror as her head was bleeding. Many people would have thrown themselves on the ground, begging for forgiveness after running right into a king, but she had no idea who this man was, nor the men who accompanied him. The only thing she knew was that they were her only hope. ”Please, you have to help me,” she begged, her brilliant blue eyes wide with horror as she pleaded with this handsome stranger. He looked like a god to her right about then, tall, strong, and handsome as the golden light of the dying day shined through the branches of the swaying trees and reflected across him. ”PLEASE.”She couldn’t remember ever having pleaded so desperately before. Had she not been in such a desperate situation, she would have had more of an opportunity to appreciate this man’s physique and physical perfection. Unfortunately, she was being hunted down and had no time for swooning. ”PLEASE, THEY-“ Before she could even finish her sentence, King Robert’s men came through the trees, circling around them on their steeds, wary of these other men. They were clearly clad in Avarynian armor, but they were fully aware of the fact that they’d crossed over the border and into Van’Ostgar, even if Mercy was not. Heart racing, Mercy watched them, knowing that they wouldn’t breathe a word of who she was to these strangers for fear of what they might do. The last thing they wanted was for someone to realize just how valuable she was and then attempt to use her against King Robert. Even if he was cruel and didn’t hold even a drop of love for her in his heart, the king couldn’t just allow someone to take his daughter from him and get away with it. It was a sign of weakness. ”This doesn’t concern you,” Sir Petyr, one of King Robert’s most influential and prized knights said, eying up the man that Mercy had run into. ”This woman is a citizen of Avaryn and has been commanded to return to King Robert Valendrian. Step aside and we’ll be on our way.”Mercy |
|
|
|
Post by Keiran M. Slater on Jun 5, 2016 4:23:25 GMT
The sounds of crashing in the trees ahead only helped in exciting the animals chasing their prey, wild growls and half barks erupting from their muzzles as they followed close behind. The deer was little in the way of a satisfying meal for the wolves chasing it, but for the black wolf in the front it was a good way to blow off steam and get his men back into fighting order. They had been growing entirely too restless lately, mainly from the lack of any actual fighting to be had in the area. Not that he found that as a bad thing, more of a blessing really, but for his soldiers fighting was practically their lifeblood. They were quickly gaining on the creature, it had no chance of outrunning them, even in the dense trees...
That was until a new sound had the black wolf's attention shifting. Shod hooves hitting the earth, digging in and pushing off again were an unmistakable sound to one with such good hearing. Immediately he left off the hunt and started in a new direction and the wolves following him didn't hesitate, eager for action, any kind that they could manage that this point. It was the sound of more hoofbeats following the first that truly had them though.
Looking back he years from now he wouldn't question the reason he shifted from beast to man in the next few moments, but right then as he heard the horse scream in pain and the overly feminine voice call out it was as if his beastly side was suddenly shoved to the wayside and he was shifting back into that of a man. It didn't him down though, not even as the rest of his men started shifting from their wolf forms to that of soldiers and Knights, all seasoned Warriors in their own right. And they followed him, not just because he was their king but because he joined them in their battles, suffered as they did and didn't of them something he wouldn't do were he able. They trusted him with their lives and vice versa.
The King's strides carried him swiftly through the trees towards the direction that he had heard the beautiful feminine voice. The pulse in which drove his blood through his veins quickened as he heard the nearing of horses hooves, not at all happy about the number of outsiders that had crossed into his Kingdom. He was only just hoping to find her before they did when she crashed headlong into his chest and then proceeded to cling to him in fear and begging him to help her.
The moment he laid his eyes on her the wolf inside him seemed to perk up immensely and simultaneously bristle at the idea of this woman being in trouble. It was a little absurd, having no knowledge of who she was and yet be completely invested in her well being... Especially as a group of armed men that were clearly from Avaryn appeared on their horses and claimed that she be turned over to them and be taken to their king.
Keiran pushed down the sudden rage that filled him at the idea of this woman being brought to such a man as Robert... The man that had murdered his father. A cold smile crossed his face as he looked at the knight that had spoken. "None of my business you say? Well, you happen to have crossed into my land and, since the woman is now on the soil of Van'Ostgar, I believe this very much so is my business." He informed them, gently pushing the woman behind him and doing his best to ignore the fact that she was already bleeding from her flight away from these men. She could be a killer for all he knew, but he didn't think they would be taking the time to ensure she come back alive if that were the case.
His hands went to the swords sheathed at his sides and he peered up at the man as if taunting him to be the one to draw his weapon first... All of Keiran's men had been itching for a fight and here, one had so graciously fallen into their laps and he wasn't about to pass it up... Even if there hadn't been a beautiful damsel in distress to save. It would be all too easy actually, they were no match to him and his men but of course no one had ever known the secret that the people of Van'Ostgar guarded with closely.
|
|
|
|
Post by Mercy E. Valendrian on Jun 6, 2016 3:13:30 GMT
Mercy felt a good bit of relief as the man she’d run into gently pushed her behind him. She didn’t protest in the slightest, just happy that someone was willing to defend her without even a second thought. She didn’t know these men or who they were, but she was forever indebted to them for coming to her rescue and standing between her and King Robert’s men. It took bravery and honor to put their lives at risk for someone they didn’t even know.
As her defender spoke, she was surprised that she’d made it all the way to Van’Ostgar. Of course she knew that she would reach it eventually. Perhaps a part of her just didn’t expect to be able to evade her father’s men long enough to even make it out of Avaryn.
His land…
Mercy’s face flushed as realization dawned on her. This man wasn’t just a knight under the king’s command and these weren’t just regular soldiers that accompanied him. This man was the king. He was-
”King Keiran,” Sir Petyr said with a smirk as he dismounted, the other men following suit. Petyr’s tone just oozed with satisfaction, as if the idea of cutting down a king and forcing him to kneel before him was his wildest dream. As King Keiran’s men rallied around him in her defense, Sir Petyr and his accompanying soldiers were readying themselves for the fight that Mercy was dreading. These men may have thrived off of battles and bloodshed, but it wasn’t exactly Mercy’s forte. As a healer, she was the type to save lives… never take them.
She was the exact opposite of her father and always had been, something that Robert had always complained about. He always insisted that she was soft, like her mother… and just like her mother, he had plans for her. Plans that, if these men of Van’Ostgar came out victorious, might never come into reality. She could only pray that that would be the case.
”Your head would make a nice addition to King Robert’s mantle. I’d be honored to be the one to deliver it to him,” Sir Petyr mused, drawing his sword and readying himself. ”It’s incredibly noble of you to try to protect a damsel in distress, but it will be your last noble action, your highness, that I can assure you. Your efforts are in vain…”
She’d heard her father and his men speak of King Keiran before and, unsurprisingly, he didn’t exactly match their description they had provided. The man before her didn’t seem weak or incompetent. He seemed a fair enough match for them, actually. Not knowing what else to do, the princess stayed right behind him, too afraid to move. She trusted him to protect her… she didn’t know why she would trust a stranger, but she did. She felt safe behind him, so that was where she intended to stay.
A part of her wished that King Robert’s men would just leave without a fight, but she knew that she would have no such luck. Besides, if any of King Robert’s men survived and returned to their king, then her father would know exactly where to find her and would only send more men after her. Her safety relied on their deaths, unfortunately, but their deaths would mean that they could no longer follow through with Robert’s cruel and disgusting commands.
Heart pounding, Mercy waited with bated breath to see who would be the first to strike. She didn’t have to wait long though because it seemed as though Robert’s me were just as eager for a fight as Keiran’s. Petyr was the first to swing, coming at her kingly protector with a penchant for blood and slaughter. That was the only signal every other man needed to jump into action.
Steel clashed against steel, the sound ringing through the air and resonating through her mind. The clamor and confusion of the fight seized her, rooting her to the spot. She didn’t know who was winning this fight, all she knew was that men were dying. She couldn’t tell who was on which side right then… all she saw was the blood and gore, rendering everyone unrecognizable to her in her likely concussed state.
Every which way she turned, there were men putting themselves between her and those seeking to drag her back to Avaryn. More than once, someone pushed her back protectively, shielding her from harm. As one of Keiran’s men fell to his knees, wounded, the Avarynian soldier turned on His eyes on Mercy instead, more worried about dragging her back than ensuring that his opponent was dead. Surely the reward his king would give him would be a hefty one.
When he moved toward her, the princess stumbled backward, her back hitting the chest of another soldier. ”GET OFF OF ME!” she yelled at him as he seized her and the two of them struggled for a long, frightening moment.
”I think it’s about time we take you back home to daddy, don’t you?” he growled in her ear. ”I’m sure he’ll be happy to see you…”. Clenching her teeth, all Mercy could think about was her father and exactly how happy he would be to see her… how he’d beat her before wedding her… how he’d hold her down and rape her, not caring that she was his own daughter.
”Go to hell,” the princess seethed, the soldier letting out a roar of pain as his own dagger was shoved into his side, Mercy having slipped it right out of his belt. She would rather die then be raped by that man.
”YOU FUCKING WHORE!” he raged, shoving her forward so that she stumbled right into the other Avarynian soldier who promptly disarmed her. Even as she struggled with him, the man was still larger and a great deal stronger than her, managing to throw her right over his shoulder, moving toward his horse in his haste to escape the fray with her in tow.
”PUT ME DOWN!” Mercy screamed, struggling and hitting him as hard as she could, but to no avail.
|
|
|
|
Post by Keiran M. Slater on Jun 8, 2016 4:34:36 GMT
Of course the knight did exactly as Keiran had expected, dismounting from his horse and losing any high ground he might have had. These men and the woman at his back had no idea that Keiran and his men could shift into beasts and rip them to pieces in a matter of moments… but the thrill of fighting on an even playing field would make their victory that much sweeter, knowing that Robert’s men had succumbed to the dark shroud of death by their swords instead of their sharp canines and claws. Keiran stood there, an easy smile on his face as Petyr goaded him as if hoping he would make the first move.
Keiran didn’t have to wait long for the other man to grow restless and make the first move himself, one that he easily brushed away with a quick sweep with one of his own swords before making his own move against Robert’s knight. Around him his men jumped into battle and he knew not to worry about their ability to take down the enemy. There was a reason other kingdoms were wary about getting into wars with Van’Ostgar, everyone except Avaryn that was… it was because his men were relentless and ruthless. They didn’t give up until their heart stopped beating and their lungs stopped taking in air.
”I think, knight, that it shall be your head that will be sent back to Robert. Let him know that his trusted man was not worthy of such a job.” Keiran stated calmly as he continued to block blows from the man and attack with his own. He was being patient, waiting for him to slip up, get cocky… and then he would learn too late his mistake.
He had forgotten everything around him, even the dark haired maiden, his vision tunneling until all he saw was the knight before him and the moves he made. Petyr miss-stepped and a cold smile crossed Keiran’s face; he had him. One of his swords caught the man under the armpit, and sliced along the one exposed area in his armor and in the moment Petyr registered the pain, was distracted by it, Keiran didn’t hesitate in swinging his other sword and severing the man’s head from his shoulders as he had discussed.
The king didn’t have time to enjoy his victory, for as the head hit the ground and rolled he heard the woman scream. Spinning on his heels his eyes alighted upon the men who were trying to carry the woman off towards their horses. His wolf bristled at the way one of the Avarynian soldiers threw her over his shoulder as if she were nothing more than a sack of grain and his maneuvered his way through the fighting towards her. No way was he letting them escape with her, no matter that he had no idea who she was, he wasn’t letting Robert get his hands on her.
He was on the wounded man before he even knew it was coming, grabbing the back of the man’s head and puling the sharp edge of his blade across his throat and dropped him to the ground in favor of pursuing the other bastard. Keiran could see the fear in her eyes as she fought, though it was useless against the soldier, and he didn’t waste time blocking his path but instead grabbed his shoulder and plunged his sword into his back, piercing the soldiers heart.
Keiran caught her as the soldier started to drop and held her against him as he set her on her feet. ”I’ve got you…” He said even as the fighting began to ease around them. His men, as expected, were making short work of King Roberts men. He’d have all their heads removed and sent back to the usurping kingslayer as a clear message to stay off his lands. Keiran glanced down at her, his expression softening ”Are you okay?” He inquired, genuinely curious… she was bleeding from her head after all.
|
|
|
|
Post by Mercy E. Valendrian on Jun 9, 2016 3:01:03 GMT
The knight who had apprehended her didn’t get very far with her before the king was upon her and Mercy found herself in another set of arms. Her head was pounding, but the feeling of safety enveloped her, helping to ease her fears. Whoever would have thought that her guardian angel would come to her in the form of her father’s worst enemy?
It took a moment for Mercy to actually register what he was saying through the pounding of her head. She didn’t want to look weak though. It was something she had learned from her father… the weaker you acted, the longer he’d hit you and torment you. It was a double edged sword though because if you didn’t relent, he would hurt you even worse. King Robert always swore that he would break her one day, but that day had yet to come… and she didn’t intend to ever let him break her mind, body, or soul.
”I think so…” Mercy said, pulling back when she remembered exactly who she was addressing, though she couldn’t bring herself to let him go for fear of collapsing. She should have been appalled after having run into a king like that and it wouldn’t be appropriate to linger in his arms… as much as she may have wanted to. Now, had anyone ever run into King Robert like that, he likely would have had them killed for it. Or, if he found her pretty enough, he would rape her before killing her. It was no wonder he hated King Keiran so much. Mercy could already see that he was a far superior monarch than Robert would ever be.
Unfortunately, Mercy was apparently not as okay as she claimed to be. One moment, she was standing with the King of Van’Ostgar, trying to make sense of what had just happened, and the next moment, everything went completely black as she collapsed against him.
”She’s pretty,” Robb said, sitting by his nephew and drinking from his canteen. This was certainly the most eventful hunt they’d had in… well it was the most eventful one they’d ever had. ”Just think, you’ll have the perfect story for your children about how you met their mother.” Robb smirked, having thoroughly enjoyed the way their damsel in distress had come crashing in on them.
Wrapping his arm around Keiran, he clapped him on the shoulder. ”You can tell them all about how this beautiful damsel in distress came barreling into you in the forest and how you fiercely cut down the bastards who were intent on dragging her back to that tyrant of a king, Robert.” He smirked at the thought, only half kidding. He’d seen the look in Keiran’s eyes when he looked at that girl.
”You should probably ask her what her name is before you ask her to marry you though.”
”Is this your advice to him as his uncle… or as his advisor?” Roland asked, arching a brow at his uncle.
”Both,” Robb replied. ”He needs someone who will put up with his bullshit and he needs an heir. It just so happens that the divines have been kind enough to send him a beautiful woman who looks like she fell straight from the heavens.”
Roland nodded in agreement. ”She is beautiful. If Keiran doesn’t want her, I’ll gladly-“
”Go get your own damsel in distress. This one’s Keiran’s,” Robb said before Roland could finish. He perked up at the sound of someone pushing open the tent flaps, his face breaking into an even wider smile when he saw the object of everyone’s affections. Even though he’d claimed her as Keiran’s damsel in distress… there wasn’t a man among them that wouldn’t jump at the chance to have her for himself.
When Mercy woke, she was well aware of her aching head and raised a hand to the cut that she vaguely remembered from her fall. Gone was the blood, as if someone had taken care of cleaning the wound for her, but the healing cut was still there, likely bruising considering the tenderness she felt from even the lightest touch. Looking around her, it took a moment for her to remember everything that had happened.
She was n debt to King Keiran and his men, that was for sure. Taking in the tent around her, Mercy slowly sat up, taking her time for fear of collapsing again. Her head ached, but she was confident that she would be fine if she took it easy… hopefully. The sound of voices outside the tent peaked her curiosity and, after running her hand through her long curls, Mercy pushed herself up off of the makeshift bed of blankets. Pulling one of the blankets around herself for warmth in the cold, night air, she cautiously pushed back the tent flaps.
King Keiran and his men sat around the fire and she felt the heat of a blush rise in her cheeks as their gazes lifted to her. The face of the man sitting next to the king lit up and he smiled at her, like her finally waking and joining them was the best thing that could ever happen.
”My lady!” Robb said, moving over on the log that he sat on with the king, making room for her between them. ”I’m glad to see that you’re awake. Please, join us. There’s room right here. Keiran, move your royal ass over for our damsel, would you? How are you feeling?”
”Better, thank you…” Feeling their eyes on her, Mercy walked toward the man and the king, arching a brow as she was again urged by this man to take the spot between them. The fire was blazing in the center of the circle of men and Mercy couldn’t help but feel a little shy being the center of attention. As she sat down, however, the king’s men all got up, each of them making their lame excuses.
”Someone needs to go keep watch,” Robb said, winking at Keiran. ”The kingdom would be in a sorry state if its king was mauled to death by a bear. Pardon me, my lady.”
As everyone left them completely and utterly alone, Mercy felt her stomach twist into nervous knots. She hadn’t expected everyone to just abandon her with the king. Looking over at him, she felt her heart starting to pound again, but it definitely wasn’t out of fear this time. She couldn’t recall ever having laid eyes on a man quite so handsome.
”I suppose I should thank you,” Mercy said to him, drawing the blanket a little tighter around herself as she stared into the fire. ”I’m in your debt, but I’m afraid I have no way to repay you for what you did for me back there.”. Her bright blue eyes shifted up to him, the light of the flames reflecting in their depths.
|
|
|
|
Post by Keiran M. Slater on Jun 12, 2016 4:52:23 GMT
Keiran rolled his eyes at his uncle as he poked a stick into the fire, turning over a log and pushing it into a more optimal position before pulling the stick back out and stabbing the slightly charred end into the ground. Leave Robb to see more in a situation than what was happening. At least that’s what Keiran told himself, that nothing had happened. He was lying to himself though because that weird sense of recognition at a soul level when he had looked upon the young woman for the first time still made his heart race with an excitement he had never felt before.
”Yeah, and I’ll tell them how you practically handed her the crown yourself before there was anything to really talk about.” Keiran responded sarcastically, not the least bit worried about his uncle’s comments. Being his advisor and his packs second in command allowed him a little more lenience to say whatever he damn well pleased… and he definitely took advantage of it on more than most occasions. His uncle’s jokes did stir something within him though, not that he had the slightest idea what it was though. The king just knew that somehow, he wasn’t the same as he had been before he had been crashed into by the beautiful woman that was laying in his tent.
His eyes flicked to his brother as he spoke, a flare of annoyance filling him for some reason at his questioning, though it bled away a little as Robb replied. He had to admit, it was kind of like the divines had somehow pushed them together, if you were one to believe in such things that it. Keiran was still uncertain whether he believed in all that true love stuff Athena had been going on and on about for as long as she had been interested in the opposite sex…
Nevertheless, when Roland spoke again Keiran felt the unmistakable feeling of the hairs at the back of his neck raising. He was glad Robb spoke first for there was no idea how he might have responded… instead he said with a laugh”Yeah, apparently she’s mine… our good uncle has decreed it.” He flashed a white smile that he didn’t quite feel at his brother before his head turned in the direction of his tent as Robb’s had.
Of course, leave it to his uncle to be overly dramatic about her emerging from the tent and made a point of making a place available between himself and Keiran for the young woman he had yet to learn her name. He would have found it amusing if just the sight of her didn’t bring back that same feeling from earlier; the feeling that he knew her… though it felt different than knowing her face but being unable to place where he had seen her. The familiarity with her seemed to go much deeper than he was prepared to go at the moment.
The king wasn’t the least bit surprised that, as she sat down, his men began to stand and make up some reason as to why they suddenly needed to leave. Keiran almost rolled his eyes towards Robb again, only just managing not to because they were no longer in the presence of just pack… ”Right, like a bear would be stupid enough to approach you. But I’ll sleep much easier knowing you’re looking out for such threats.” He said, not managing to keep the sarcasm out of his reply.
As Robb walked off Keiran’s focus went all on her, the dark haired beauty sitting on the log beside him. Her skin was pale and in the light it almost looked translucent; he had the briefest thought to check behind her to make sure there weren’t wings growing out of her back but he fought it valiantly as she spoke, pulling the blanket she had brought with her more securely around her shoulders. He watched her curiously until she looked up at him, her eyes so blue they were practically glacial.
”Well,” He said, throwing her a charming smile as he tugged the stick back out of the ground ”you could always start by telling me your name… that way everyone else will stop referring to you as ‘damsel’. He poked the stick back into the fire and pushed around the logs again to make sure the fire didn’t start to die prematurely. He acted as if learning her name wasn’t the most important thing he could do that night when, in all actuality, it was very important to him to be able to know it and speak it upon his lips… He didn’t know whether it was a good thing or not that his heart raced at the idea of finding out who this woman was.
|
|
|
|
Post by Mercy E. Valendrian on Jun 16, 2016 1:13:30 GMT
”Mercy…” she said, her lips curving into a small smile at his words as she watched him poke at the fire. ”My name is Mercy Scarborough.” Her mother’s maiden name fell easily from her lips, even If it was a lie. It had been the first name to enter her mind aside from Valendrian, but she knew that she couldn’t tell him who she was.
Even if Keiran and his men had rescued her, he was the king of Van’Ostgar and her father’s sworn enemy. There was no saying what he would do if he found out her true identity and, even if he was noble enough not to take advantage of the fact, others might not be quite so noble and forgiving. She was a valuable pawn in this game and she knew it. Someone knowing who she was could wind up being the difference between life and death.
Her eyes flashed over him, admiring the way the light of the moon above and the fire before them reflected off of his handsome features. Her stomach did a backflip and she swore that the divines must have been punishing her by making her feel so instantly connected to this man. She couldn’t remember ever having felt such a way, connected to him on some deep level, right down to her very soul… and yet she knew that they had never met before because she surely would have remembered.
”I’m sorry for unceremoniously barreling into you the way that I did, your highness,” she said, color rising in her cheeks as she remembered running straight into him. Okay, so maybe a part of her wasn’t entirely sorry about running into him like that. Looking back on it, she could better enjoy the memory of his touch, even if it hadn’t been intimate exactly.
Mercy didn’t have much experience with men… well, she had no experience really, not with a father like hers. She had always been able to appreciate a handsome man but for the first time ever, she felt free to actually be attracted to a man…. And damn was she attracted to him, excitement spreading through her just looking at him.
Quickly pulling her eyes away and not wanting him to think that she was ogling him, Mercy set her gaze on the fire. She was trying to set her thoughts straight before she made it obvious that she was drawn to him and made an idiot of herself. ”I hadn’t even realized that I’d crossed over into Van’Ostgar. I’ve been running from King Robert’s men for days now. I’ll be honest, I didn’t even expect to make it out of Avaryn…”
Her throat felt constricted at the very thought, knowing that if it weren’t for Keiran and his men, she would have been dragged straight back to her father and that would have been the end of it. He would have wed her and forced her into his bed that very same night, the very thought horrifying her. Just the thought of Robert made her shudder and hold the blanket a little tighter. Her brows furrowed and it was clear that the very thought of Avaryn’s king made her uncomfortable.
She knew that she couldn’t linger for too long. She needed to leave before more of Robert’s men came looking for her. There was nowhere for Mercy to go, so the only thing she could do was keep moving and never stop because her father was never going to stop his hunt for her… not until she was either dead or lying in his bed. Gods, just the thought made her want to vomit. What sort of father planned on marrying and raping his daughter? It just went to show that Robert was truly a villain and the worst of them to boot.
|
|
|
|
Post by Keiran M. Slater on Jun 21, 2016 16:54:38 GMT
Keiran glanced over at her as she spoke her name, taking in the way her lips turned up with her smile. Mercy. He said the name in his mind, turning it over and he couldn’t help but smile himself. It was a beautiful name which was only fitting since she was a beautiful lady. But it wasn’t her beauty wasn’t why he was attracted to her, not completely anyway. Normally, any attraction he had to a woman was one sided, Keiran the man wanted them but his wolf wanted nothing to do with them… but Mercy was different. It had been the wolf that had taken to her immediately and the man was helpless to ignore his own feelings for her.
”Keiran.” He said, ”You can call me Keiran.” If Robb were there he’d likely have some smug grin on his face for Keiran rarely let anyone outside his inner circle call him by his first name unless addressed as King first. But with her, he didn’t feel the need for her to stand on formality… actually he very much thought he’d enjoy hearing the sound of his name coming from those lips of hers. Keiran glanced away from her before he did something stupid… like kiss this woman who he had just only met.
He finally tossed the stick aside, happy with how big the fire had grown again. ”Don’t worry about it, it has been the most eventful day my men have had in weeks.” Keiran told her, a grin forming from the smile that had already been on his face. He would have enjoyed killing those men more if it hadn’t been for her being in danger of being dragged off back to the usurper King Robert in Avaryn. It was rather lucky of her to have run across the border into Van’Ostgar the day and time she did.
His brown eyes went back to her face as she spoke once again and he caught the look on her face and he was grateful all over again that he had been there to save her from those men. ”The Gods must have been watching out for you then, to have driven you across my border when they did.” He said softly, sending up a silent thanks to the heavens that they had sent her in his direction. He hated to think what might have happened to her otherwise… he turned his thoughts from that, not wanting to dwell on things that would bring up memories he’d rather keep buried.
As she shuddered and pulled the blanket closer to her he had the sudden urge to wrap his arms around her and pull her close to him but he refrained, not wanting to make her feel uncomfortable after what she had already been through. His wolf kept insisting that this woman sitting beside him was their mate but Keiran didn’t know what to think. Yes, he was uncannily drawn to her, but he wasn’t sure if that meant she was his mate…
|
|
|
|
Post by Mercy E. Valendrian on Jun 22, 2016 1:22:54 GMT
Mercy hated to admit it, but being told to call this man by his given name, as opposed to adhering to propriety and titles, made her stomach flutter with excitement. It also spoke highly of his humbleness, something that Robert severely lacked. The only person she had ever heard refer to him as Robert was her mother and she was long gone. Other than Mercy calling him “father,” the man would skewer anyone who didn’t refer to him by the proper titles.
A blush rose in her cheeks and she smiled sweetly at Keiran as he spoke, not fully understanding her sudden attraction to this man that she didn’t even know. She was drawn to him in a way that she had never been drawn to anyone but she couldn’t act on it. Even if she was free of her father, he was the King of Van’Ostgar and she was certain he had a woman waiting for him back home and warming his bed.
”I suppose they were watching out for me,” she mused, her blue eyes flickering over his form for the briefest of moments, hoping that he wouldn’t notice. ”I will say, Keiran, I’m happy it was you that I ran into, if only because seeing you for myself confirms that King Robert was entirely wrong about you… though I admit, I had a feeling his opinion of you was rather warped anyway, considering his own personality isn’t much to speak of.”
Offering him an amused smile, Mercy was just happy to be able to speak his name. The way it rolled off her tongue and made her lips tingle left her with a sense of de ja vu, as if she had spoken his name a billion times before. She just hoped to speak it a billion times more because thee way it flowed past her lips was both natural and pleasurable.
Her expression became a little more serious as she looked at her rescuer with a light in her bright blue eyes that hadn’t been there until she first laid eyes on him. Her brows furrowed and she frowned a the thought of what her father had planned for her. She never wanted to see that man’s face again now that she was finally free of his reign of terror. A part of her felt as though she was betraying her people but she vowed that she would one day return for them. She would do them no good until Robert was dead though and she couldn’t kill him herself, that much she knew. Her father was much too stronger for her.
”Thank you though, truly. You have no idea what you and your men have done for me. I would prefer death over what King Robert had planned for me.” It was true too. Mercy would sooner slit her own wrists than allow her own father to pin her to his bed and rape her after a wedding that no respectful god would ever bless.
Looking into the fire, she prayed that she was free of him for good. She didn’t care where she had to go, no matter how near or far, so long as she never had to see the face of Robert Valendrian ever again. ”He’ll send more of his men after me. It won’t be wise for me to linger long…” Glancing toward him, she had to admit that she was disappointed that she would have to leave this man. Even if she had only just met him, she would have thoroughly enjoyed getting to know him and not because he was a king. Mercy had put up with kings enough in her life. She wanted to get to know the man beneath the crown. Of course her father had to ruin this for her too, even if he wasn’t present.
If she was wise, she would have given him back his blanket, thanked him one last time, and left right then, despite her head injury. Selfishly, however, she was trying to soak up every second she had with this dashing stranger. The wilderness was no place for a lone woman such as herself, but she supposed she would make it somehow. Hopefully.
|
|
