A cold wind whipped Trevor's midnight blue robe around his body, tugging at his black hair. He pulled up the hood, his long, pointed elf ears slipping easily through the slits on either side. Three large shadows fell over the ground, blocking out what little sunlight had filtered through the clouds. Trevor glanced upward. A trio of dragons, the color of stoked coals, were fighting against their hulking bodies to gain altitude.
It wouldn't be long before the army reserves would be mobilized to follow them towards the front lines. The distant sound of fighting was drowned out almost completely by the chaotic bustle of the temporary camp. Trevor hastened his pace. He needed to see Adriana before she left for the palace. Images and sensations from the night before flared to life in his mind's eye.
Tongues sparring, bodies writhing, hot sweat glistening in the candlelight.
A molten ball of expectation burst to life inside of him as he rounded a fire spit and finally reached the back flap of her oversized tent. Trevor glanced around to be sure no one was looking and then ducked inside.
It smelled like lavender and fresh rose cuttings. He breathed in deep and then exhaled slowly. She was sitting, alone, facing a mirror. The reflection of her gaze darted over him, ravaging him with their hazel depths.
"Knight," she greeted him evenly, turning in her seat.
He bowed at the waist. "My Queen."
Adriana's ebony skin had patches of purest white around her full pink lips and delicate wrists. He wanted to kiss them - to tell her with touches and whispers how much he wanted her to stay.
"I leave within the hour," she said, "and I want you to come with me."
For a moment Trevor didn't move, not even to breathe, then he bowed again. "I'm sorry, my Queen. My place is here, doing my part to protect the kingdom." The silent 'to protect
you'
was hidden between his words.
She looked away, biting her lower lip. He swallowed hard.
"The dragons have already gone," he said to fill the air.
"I know," she replied softly.
They spent a moment in awkward quiet, wanting to say so much, but not finding the words. The muffled cry of soldiers and animals was sharp to their sensitive hearing. Trevor found his gaze focused longingly onto the Queen's pointed ears. He had nipped at them playfully the night before and her moan of pleasure had been enough to take him to the edge. The fire in his belly returned. Trevor had to look away to keep from getting hard.
"My Queen, I must go soon. To the front line." They both knew it was a kind of goodbye. He couldn't voice the one thing he had no right to want -
her