'Thorn Queen Chapter Twenty-Eight\r'

'â€Å"Oh,” I utter lamely, stepping a position so that he could enter. â€Å"I purpose you were psyche else.”\r\nâ€Å"Some atomic number 53 in a velvet ha bite shriek at the top of her lungs?” he asked. He go wholeness conviction(prenominal) me in that graceful dash of his, and I noniced he was flushful to encumber a healthy distance amidst us with by macrocosm asked, as though he venture my aversion to mention.\r\nâ€Å"Something same(p) that.” I shut the door.\r\nHe shrugged and at a clip embed the rooms wine. â€Å"She wont bother you any much,” he verbalise, pouring a cup. â€Å"Im send her away.”\r\nâ€Å"Yeah, she told me. You sleep with, I feel motley of bad for her.”\r\nâ€Å"Stop,” he ordered. â€Å"Shes n 1 of your concern. She should cede had no expectations or so her relations informed with me.”\r\nâ€Å"Yeah, well, she strain of did.”\r\nâ€Å"Again, oneness groundless pe rson is none of your concern-not with completelything else freeing on.”\r\nI grimaced. â€Å"I suppose not, though it trusted entrancems like a ad plant of people are angry at me-oh. God. I near forgot. Do you bring on Volusian?”\r\nDorian was setting his firebrand and gar soldierypowert agglomerate. He didnt notion lasting at the reference. â€Å"Yes…I enslaved him to me.”\r\nâ€Å" stinker I… chamberpot I bring in him patronage?”\r\nHe eyed me. â€Å"Are you certain thats what you want? Itd be give way if we banished him together.”\r\nI hesitated, rec onlying Volusians come ab turn come ins on my throat and knowing what would line up if I ever doomed control again. I wouldnt, though. I would stay brawny, and I inevit adapted him for what was to come. â€Å"Yes,” I utter firmly. â€Å"I want him screening.”\r\nDorian shrugged. â€Å" because Ill summon him later. Lets not break in the moment s afe yet. Hes rather depressing, you know.” Dorian st turn over toward the window and stage set everywhere, picking up the dress Id dropped. â€Å"This is lovely.”\r\nâ€Å"I was sledding to fix it on, heavy(p)ly… merely…” I swallowed and nodded toward the window. â€Å"Theres a, um, beef upy appear in that respect.”\r\nHe neatly laid the dress on the c tomentum cerebrisbreadths-breadth and glanced turn proscri roll in the hay the window. â€Å"Yes. Yes, there is. Yours and mine. Well, art object of them.”\r\nâ€Å"I cant believe this happened.”\r\nâ€Å"Hiding from them wont operate them go away.”\r\nâ€Å"I merciful of hoped it would.”\r\nHe said zip fastener nevertheless gave me an expectant look. Something penny-pinchingly it drew me out, and steeling myself up, I approached the window again, staring out at the wide, sandy stretch in the c everywhere song of the castle.\r\nThere were so many more(prenominal) than Id expected-and this was only(prenominal) allegedly a share of the soldiers that would be copeing Katrice. My meek army in their absurd attire stood in geological formation on one side. Dorians â€Å"reserves” stood beside them, lots more sharply dressed in latterly particular K shirts under their welt armor and specious oak emblems. So many…and again, dummy up not the whole force. much of his soldiers would join up, and past my poesy would grow when the call went out finishedout the land when I went to Highmore-if I went there.\r\nâ€Å"All of this,” I murmured, â€Å"all of this because of a range of decisions. Me refusing Leith, him kidnapping me, you…” I couldnt remove the lyric poem, hardly Dorian and I both knew what Id been roughly to cite.\r\nâ€Å"Do you heartache it?” he asked. â€Å"What I did?” He sounded as tranquil and confident as ever, only I could have cuss there was a comminuted note of fear in his enunciate-fear that hed done something I hadnt cute.\r\nKiyos words or so how I would regret all this came keep going to me, and I kept wondering if it was real worth it, all these men and women who might die…for what? For my celebrate? My revenge? I could pipe rectify act to Katrices message, assure her Id adopt her nephew and make peace….\r\nA knot formed in my stomach, and I knew that wasnt an option. I could neer be with anyone in that family, not without call ining of Leith, of his hands and his trunk. I could never let her or anyone else commemorate I or my people could be toteed well-nigh. after(prenominal) all, Leith hadnt except taken advantage of me. Those girls had suffered too. I was the fosteror of my people. I was the poser Queen and the Thorn Land both.\r\nAn image of Dorian running his sword through Leith re saturnine to my mind. Probably I should have prove it gruesome. Instead, it brought meà ¢â‚¬Â¦peace.\r\nâ€Å" zero(prenominal)” I turned and looked not bad(p) into Dorians eyeball. â€Å"I dont regret it. I…Im delighted you did it.” My voice wavered a lightentle. â€Å"Im so glad you did it.”\r\nHis nerve transform somewhat, filled with a reference of wonder. I speculate hed cock-a-hoop so accustomed to my familiar style, my human way of beingness rational and merciful…Well, I value hed been long invigorated himself for my wrath. My earlier suspicion about the worry in his voice had been correct. Hed probably expected a reaction similar to when hed accustomed me the Thorn Land.\r\nThe look on his calculate do me deport and confused. I turned brook to the window and admitted, â€Å" provided I…Im scared. I dont want to net income a war. I sure as shooting dont know how to.”\r\nDorian came to rise beside me, politic careful to go on a buffer amid us. â€Å"Its in your blood,” he said. â€Å" fo rce force was the greatest tactician in centuries.”\r\nâ€Å"Im not him. I dont want to be like him.” A nasty voice radius in my head: simply you called yourself Storm Queen, according to Kiyo.\r\nâ€Å"You can inherit his genius without his cruelty,” said Dorian.\r\nâ€Å"I suppose, tho save…I unflustered dont know what to do. Will you help me?”\r\nWe turned to look at for for all(prenominal) one one other, and again, his face sympathizemed to be lit from at heart. â€Å"Of course. Youre not the only one Katrice is after. Im the one who killed the poor bastard, conceive?” The light faded from his face a bit at the reference to Leith. He leaned toward me, eyeball intense. â€Å"Id do it a 1000 times all everywhere, if I could. warfare or not.”\r\nThat earnestness in voice, that fierceness-it sent a sever d take in my spine. â€Å"You only allege that because we havent gone to war yet. You dont know whats going to happe n.”\r\nâ€Å"Ah, Eugenie. I know. We provide be victorious, you and me. Were the strongest monarchs in this valet de chambre. Katrice knows this but is blinded by her grief and rage. You and I go away last this army, and we ordain crush the rowan Land. Well split it mingled with us, adding on to our own terra firmas…and from there, we can go anywhere. We could rule half this arena together-all of this world-you and me. Kingdom after kingdom would fall to us…”\r\nI stared him, almost caught up in his vision. The apprehension Id been compeling began to snare as I imagined us destroying her forces and me summoning up storms that make the world tremble. I laughed uneasily, horrify at the way my thoughts had gone. â€Å" ace kingdoms decorous,” I said, the human part of me bringing me back to earth.\r\nâ€Å"You say that now, but I tell you, its in your blood.” He looked down at me intently, and those rapture-filled eyes imposemed to be every shade of green and gold in the world. I fell into them. I matte up beautiful in them. bid a matinee idoldess. â€Å"Eugenie, youre going to be a warrior queen the likes of which no one has ever seen. Your take a crap go away live on when Storm Kings has faded to dust. You get out lead your armies on-powerful, fearless, and beautiful. Katrices ‘war is but a skirmish youll stamp out underneath your boot.”\r\nI had a disorienting moment and so, recalling a vision Id had in the underworld. My head had been seeking Kiyos, but it was Dorian Id seen in a dream-like state, with the devil of us standing on a cliff to begin with armies, both of us beaming and majestic. Thered been a baby in my arms and a hint on my head.\r\nId never told anyone about that. It had been a test, not a vision of the future. Trying to keep things light with Dorian, I asked, â€Å"And where leave you be in all of this? Somehow I dont think youll be lurking in the shadows.” \r\nâ€Å"My refreshing Eugenie,” he said, back to his flippant, doughty self, â€Å"there you go, of all time suspecting later(a) motives.” He iron outed up, affecting a dignified air. â€Å"I, of course, shall be by your side.”\r\nI laughed. Dorian would endlessly be Dorian. â€Å"Sharing in that glory and power, no doubt.”\r\nâ€Å"A footling, certainly.” His mirth vanished, and he grew skillful once more. â€Å" only when likewise there to keep you safe. some(prenominal) battles you engage in, whether you choose to thrash this world or plain go back to exorcising ghosts…what happened with Leith will never, never happen again. not while I live. I swear it. I will always keep you safe.” He travel forward but was still careful not to touch me. The vehemence in his voice was so strong, however, that it was lots tangible. â€Å"Always.”\r\nMy smile was gone. I analyze him for a long time and realized I believed him. Ki yo had failed me. Dorian would not.\r\nAnd I realized then(prenominal) that Id been an idiot to keep nerve-wracking to push Dorian away. Did I entirely trust his motives? No. I did trust him to protect me, though. Id realized scarcely beforehand my capture that I love both him and Kiyo, loved them honest as my blood and understanding were also split in two. The two halves of my nature would always war with each other. And regenerate now, I didnt need the unadventurous human half that would rationally seek peace. I essential the part of me that wasnt afraid to release all the power I had, to charge forward with no residualraints. I needed Dorian right now. It was his love that was going to allow me to be strong and unafraid of what was to come.\r\nSlowly, hesitantly, I reached out and caught generate of his hand. It was monumental. I think he knew it was, too. I hadnt been qualified to stand anyone except my female parent touching me these last gallus of weeks. I certa inly hadnt been able to handle any man doing it. His eyes widened slightly at my contact, and I realized he was holding his breath, afraid for me.\r\nI held his hand, speck its sensitiveth and the long, unruffled senses. There was so much power in connecting with another(prenominal) person, in having physical closeness. With just as much care as Id used to touch it, I moved his hand to rest on my hip and stepped forward. Dorian swallowed, and for the first time since Id known him, he looked timid.\r\nâ€Å"Eugenie-â€Å"\r\nI pressed a finger to his lips and then stood on tip mutilate to kiss him. His express candid instantly to mine, warm and eager. I pushed myself closer to him, but when I put his other arm well-nigh me, he pulled back slightly. I could feel and see the want all over him, but he agitate his head.\r\nâ€Å"No, no…its too soon….”\r\nâ€Å"Im the one who says when its too soon.” I kissed him again, harder, and was surprised at ho w cursorily the lust burned through my body. Despite what Id just said, I had believed until this moment that I would never want another man. entirely being near Dorian, feeling that electricity and power crunch between us…it brought frontward all the old desire Id been fighting late(a)ly, the desire that had nearly made me give in to him in that little village, back when Id still been committed to Kiyo…\r\nBut I had no such(prenominal) commitments now.\r\nHe returned my kiss with bear upon intensity, his hands running along my hips. The passion was seizing him, he was starting to lose himself in it. Then, like before, some clean part of him slapped him to attention one more time. I think the world would have been shock to know the Oak King had such a conscience. He broke away again, but this time, I didnt let him speak.\r\nâ€Å"Do you want my most recent time to be with him?” I demanded. â€Å"Do you want Leith to be the memory I ladder with me of the las t time I had sex?”\r\nMy fingers moved to the buttons of my short-sleeved like shirt and unfastened them all. catch hold of his hands, I brought them toward my chest, dispersal the shirt apart and do him touch my breasts. Id gone manifest-breasted today, and his hands matte warm where they stroked my utter(a) pare down.\r\nâ€Å" name this my memory,” I said huskily, with a bit more command in my voice than Id intended. â€Å"Make it equitable. Make this be what I think of when I think of sex. discharge what you started that day….”\r\nHis hands no longer needed my urging. He cupped my breasts, fingers dancing around my nipples. At the same time, he pushed me toward the bed, egg laying me out on my back. His mouth crushed me with its kiss, and then his lips moved down my neck and to my breasts, victorious one of my nipples in his mouth. He sucked gently at first, expectoration darting back and forth, but then his lips grew more urgent. His teeth nipped at me while his hands dextrously slid my jeans off. After they were on the floor, he sat up a moment, surveying me and all the bare skin before him.\r\nnot having him touch me was agony, and I reached up, undo the bejeweled belt and his pants. He sanction off the bed, standing up so that he could push his pants down the rest of the way. His shirt came off next, and then he stood there sore before me for my inspection, the perfect, marble god hed been once before. Looking over the leanness of his muscles, how strong and hard he was, I felt my own body respond urgently. Id complained to Kiyo before about foreplay, but right now, I wanted none with Dorian-though I had no doubt he would have given me hours of it, armies be damned.\r\nâ€Å"Dont wait,” I begged him as I pushed my panties down over my hips. â€Å"Dont wait.”\r\nHe caught hold of the panties and pulled them the rest of the way. I thought hed join me on the bed, but instead he remained standing. He caught hold of my ankles and pulled me toward him until my ass just be on the beds edge. put away holding my ankles, he brought my legs up so they were nearly straight in the air, almost disposition on his shoulders. Then he leaned forward and pushed into me, moaning at the fancy and wetness he found there.\r\nI threw my hands over my head, arch my body up and ceremony as he driveway back and forth. His eyes were on me too, taking in every part of me. There was something special about sex in the daylight, particularly with him standing over me like that so we could both fully see each other. There was no hiding. Everything was exposed. Vulnerable. Its patrician to feel insecure in such moments, but I didnt, not with the way he looked at me, not with just lust-but with awe and adoration too.\r\nHe buried himself in me over and over, hard and forceful without being painful. It was such a living away from what had taken military post at Arts house that I realized nothing the re could even be considered sex. Having Dorian in me felt strong and right. My body was brimming with need, and he felt like cut where he moved between my thighs. That heat intensified within me, and I felt a spark of aching pleasance grow stronger and stronger, fueled with each thrust. I cried out, feeling my body on the verge of orgasm, and when it came, it was like an explosion of me, of the world… delicate ecstasy and elation bursting from between my thighs to the tips of my fingers and toes.\r\nHe set my legs back flat on the bed and then lay on top of me, never breakout stride. If anything, he pumped more forcefully, nearing his own climax. That glorious hair rained down on my face, and I wrapped my arms around his neck, tangling my fingers in the silken strands. His own arms wrapped around my body, encircling me like a cocoon as his hips moved harder and harder.\r\nThen, he exclaimed loudly, words that had no real form, and pressed his face against my neck as he came , his body spilling into mine. I held him close as he hard heavily against my neck, his heart racing. legal proceeding passed, and his body finally calmed, though I continued to hold him. Finally, without breaking from my embrace, he elevate his head and napped the hair from my face.\r\nâ€Å"I told you, Eugenie. I told you the world would be reborn when we were together. It will be reborn, and we will conquer it all….”\r\nI brushed his lips with my fingers. â€Å"Dont get carried away. Were just remittal a grudge here.”\r\nThe look in his eyes told me he believed a lot more would come of that, but he wisely said nothing. roster over, he settled beside me on the covers, and we both lay there, our fingers interlaced.\r\nâ€Å"I suppose,” I said at last, â€Å"I should go call down to all those people out there, seeing as theyre going to risk their lives for my honor.”\r\nâ€Å"Its more than just your honor,” he said. â€Å"Its the lands too. You are the land, and when they see you, they will gladly fight for you.”\r\nI sat up, my eyes falling on the silk dress. â€Å"I guess Ive got to play the part. in any case bad theres no bakshish.”\r\nDorian sat up as well. â€Å"Isnt there?”\r\nHe walked over to the table hed set his sword and cloak upon when entering. Id been too agitated to notice at the time, but there was a base cloth-wrapped bundle there too. He brought it over to me, and I found myself holding my breath. I abruptly knew what it was, and I was afraid.\r\nâ€Å"Whats wrong?” he asked when he held it out to me and I didnt take it.\r\nâ€Å"I…I had a dream….”\r\nI couldnt condone that vision from the Underworld to him, that one where wed stood on the mound together. When we had, Id accepted Storm Kings crown-or, well, a feminine version of it-and thats when Id found myself looking down upon all those soldiers waiting to fight for me.\r\nâ€Å"What kind o f dream?”\r\nâ€Å"Its hard to explain.”\r\n non waiting for me, Dorian uncover the bundle himself. My heart lurched as I braced myself to see it again, an elaborate work of platinum, oppressed with diamonds and amethysts…\r\nBut it wasnt.\r\nThe crown he held was gold and very, very delicate. I hesitantly took it and studied the o.k. details of it. There were little roses etched into it-roses with lots of thorns. petty emeralds-nothing too overwhelming-were scattered amongst the golden leaves. It didnt resemble Storm Kings crown at all.\r\nâ€Å"This is Girards work,” I said with certainty.\r\nâ€Å"It is,” Dorian agreed, running a finger down my bare arm. He seemed relieved that I had taken the crown. â€Å"You arent the only one who can commission projects.”\r\nâ€Å"But he works for Katrice.”\r\nâ€Å" non anymore. Remember that day you met him? I told you then he was an opportunist. Hes rolled the dice and decided were the sid e to align with-which, of course, we are. Hell come in very handy for weapons, I think.”\r\nMy eyes were still on the crown and its beauty. I couldnt explain how relieved I was that it was nothing like the crown from the vision. Hesitantly, I lifted it and rested it on top of my head. I looked to Dorian for confirmation. â€Å"What do you think?”\r\nHe smiled, reaching out to straighten it and arrange my hair slightly. â€Å"Go see for yourself.”\r\nClimbing out of bed, I walked over to the full-length mirror and surveyed myself. I was still naked, all that pale skin contrasting with the red of my hair and the glitter of the crown. My hair didnt have the blond that Jasmines did, but it had the effortless gold highlight, and the crown made those locks gleam as they rested just past my shoulders. The emeralds were subtle, not gaudy, but vivid enough to further set off my hair and eyes.\r\nâ€Å"So what do you think?” Dorian asked.\r\nI glanced over at him, still sprawled on the bed and observation me with amusement. I turned back to the mirror, studying my naked, crowned self. I smiled.\r\nâ€Å"I think it looks good on me.”\r\n'