Night of Lust

An ache flared within his shoulder as Pelagia's mace thudded into his shield. Ducking back a step, Caderyn sidestepped and lashed out with his blunted blade. The redheaded knight deflected the blow with a chop of her shield, then pivoted to slam her mace down towards his armored thigh. The mace skimmed over the armor, nearly causing him to lose his footing.

The momentum of her swing, however, put Pelagia just slightly off balance.

And that was all he needed. Putting all of his strength behind the blow, he crashed his shield into hers. One of Pelagia's legs gave out and she tripped, sprawling to the ground. Caderyn followed, dropping his sword and punching at her with a mailed fist. The blow brushed along the side of her bear-shaped helmet and thudded into the dirt. Both of them snarled as they struggled for dominance, but Caderyn's size gave him the edge for the moment. As one hand braced against her helm, the other pinned her left arm down.

Caderyn whistled. Two squires who had been watching the duel came rushing forward.

"Arm!" he barked.

One squire lunged, using all his weight to pin down her other arm.

"Eyes!" Caderyn shouted.

The other squire dove, gripping his little wooden training dagger. As one hand helped Caderyn pin Pelagia's head to the ground, the other guided the dagger towards the slit in her helmet. Had this been a proper fight and had that been a proper dagger, one fierce thrust would have ended it.

"Good," Caderyn said with a grunt.

The squires scampered away and he helped Pelagia to her feet. She tore off her helmet, her freckled face twisting into a scowl.

"No," Pelagia snapped, shaking her head. "That was not 'good.'"

She jabbed a finger towards the squires.

"You should not be waiting for the command to dive in and help. When you see that an armored knight has been pinned, you need to

move

. Every moment counts. No hesitation. No gawking and waiting for your master to order you forward. Be watchful. Be ready."

The squires murmured in acknowledgement.

Around them, similar scenes played out as knights drilled squires and men-at-arms in other techniques. Some demonstrated how best to brace a pike against a charge, how to unhorse a rider, or how to set a shield to absorb a volley of arrows. Even in times of total peace and tranquility, Lucan had insisted on the consistent drilling of his men. Such training would have been underway even if a potential war was not on the horizon.

"All right," Caderyn said. "Let's settle in again. This time we'll try it with me wielding a greataxe, so you can practice avoiding bigger swings."

The squires hesitated, glancing up at the raised walkway that loomed over the courtyard. Caderyn looked over to see Thandor's daughter Yvonne leaning against the railing, flanked by a band of green-cloaked knights. The young, pretty blonde stared down at the dueling soldiers.

"Should we really be training in front of our enemies, milord?" one squire asked.

"Standard fighting techniques are not exactly a secret," Caderyn said with a snort. "And remember: Jadewall is not our enemy. Yet."

That would no doubt change.

Yvonne had undergone other delicate negotiations with his parents over the past few days as they tried to settle on more specific terms of Thandor's abdication. Caderyn himself knew the negotiations were a ruse by his parents to buy time. Thandor's offer, as far as Caderyn was concerned, was a hollow one and barely worth considering at all.

"Care to join us, my lady?" Caderyn called out, taking off his helmet and giving the emissary a warm smile.

Her knights scowled but Yvonne laughed.

"Are you challenging me to a trial by combat, Sir Caderyn? Shall we settle the dispute between our two duchies like rival barbarian warlords or feuding knights?"

"I am up for it if you are," he said, still grinning, allowing himself a spark of genuine amusement.

"Careful," Pelagia murmured under her breath, even as Yvonne let out another laugh.

Thandor's daughter descended from the walkway, her knights close at hand. On her way across the courtyard, Yvonne fetched a cup of water from a squire and offered it to Caderyn. Despite the looming war between their families, she still clung to a veneer of civility.

Caderyn looked down at the water. She couldn't have possibly had the chance to poison it, but after everything her father had done...

Yvonne's laugh erupted through the courtyard.

"Really, Sir Caderyn?" she asked. "Do you truly think I could have somehow slipped in a bit of poison into a cup of water in full view of your knights? Do you truly think my father cares so little for my life that he'd order me to do such a thing?"

Pelagia guided the squires to another part of the courtyard for further training. After Caderyn hesitated but a moment longer, Yvonne sighed, snatched the cup out of his hand, and took a long sip.

"Satisfied, Sir Caderyn?" she asked before handing it back.

"I shall be satisfied when..."

His words trailed off as he took a much-needed sip.

"Satisfied when, Sir Caderyn?" Yvonne asked, cocking her head and giving him a sweet smile. "When my father has been stripped of his titles? When you've put my illegitimate half-sister on his throne? When Jadewall has been reduced to ash and embers? Shall you be 'satisfied' then?"

Caderyn took the duration of her biting questions to compose a proper and courtly response that would have made his mother proud.

"I shall be satisfied when war no longer looms and when peace once again embraces both of our duchies, my lady."

A faint smile spread across her face. For a moment he was struck by her resemblance to Melisent; their lips quirked up in very nearly the exact same way. Of course, she lacked the enchanting pale gray eyes Caderyn had fallen in love with. Making Yvonne even less appealing was her loyalty towards her foul father.

"Then we share a common goal, Sir Caderyn."

"May I ask why you deigned to visit us today, then?" he asked, gesturing to the knights and squires still hard at work. "Did you fancy a bit of sparring?"

She let out a soft chuckle.

"My father's cousin Jehan did tutor me a little so I could defend myself against groping hands and lecherous nobles," she said, giving Caderyn a smug little smile. "But I am no seasoned warrior. I was simply on my way to tea with Baron Rathgar's wife and my curiosity got the better of me."

Caderyn's brow furrowed. What business did Yvonne have with Baron Rathgar's wife? Caderyn had met Baroness Cecilia on many occasions at feasts and tourneys, finding her a kind and clever woman, but he had no idea why she'd be meeting with Thandor's daughter. Was something afoot between them? No, that made little sense. If Yvonne was somehow scheming to recruit Lady Cecilia, why bother to mention it?

"I hope you enjoy your tea, my lady. Be sure to pass along my regards."

"Of course, Sir Caderyn."

After a deep curtsey, Lady Yvonne marched off, her green-cloaked knights following close behind. Caderyn glared even as she vanished through the door on the far side of the courtyard, then grumbled, slipped his helmet back on, and rushed back into the fray.

**

Hours later, Caderyn and Pelagia were within the armory, stowing the last of their gear. Dutiful squires helped them clean and polish the weapons and armor. After Caderyn dismissed the squires, they scurried off in search of other duties.

Once they were alone, the sweaty redhead cracked a wry grin.

"Please tell me you weren't thinking of seducing Lady Yvonne. Pursuing the half-sister of your future wife is a depraved step too far, even for you."

"Gods, no," he said with a scowl as he placed his freshly-polished helmet back upon the rack. "A few years ago, I certainly might have tried. If I had never met Melisent I might have attempted it simply as a point of pride, as one little act of 'conquest' against Jadewall. But I would never dream of it now."

"Look at you, growing and learning," Pelagia said.

Despite his dread over the immediate future and his confusion regarding Yvonne's intentions, lust took hold as he regarded the redhead. The lean, powerful muscles of her arms rippled as she braced herself against the bench behind her. His eyes roamed up and down before tracing a line of sweat running down her neck.

"No, I've hardly learned at all."

**

Pelagia muffled her cries by biting down onto her forearm, but there was no means of muffling the rocking of the bench against the wall. Caderyn gritted his teeth, suppressing his own needy growls and groans as best he could. One hand gently gripped her neck, the other clutching at her shaking hip as he pounded against her.

With how busy he was, they had to seize those little moments whenever they could. The fact that he and Melisent had agreed to abstain from one another until their marriage had driven his desires to an even more maddening height.

Pelagia reveled in his fiery need, quivering and sputtering beneath his powerful strokes. Her thighs tensed as she rocked back against him, matching his strength. The fiery movements of her hips stilled as she came, biting down all the more fiercely upon her arm to stifle the sounds of her bliss. His hand drifted from her hip to take hold of her short, sweaty red hair.

"You really should grow this out to give me something more to grasp hold of," he growled.

Pelagia lifted her panting lips from her arm, exposing the deep red marks inflicted by her teeth. Her moans shifted into a low, hungry laugh.

"Is that an official order, Sir Caderyn?" she grunted.

After all, as a knight sworn to serve him in the potential upcoming war, she was duty-bound to obey his commands.

Those brief, silly thoughts about her hair served to distract him from the deep, throbbing ache. Managing a soft laugh, he gave her hair another tug.

"No," he panted back. "It suits you."

His hand drifted from her hair, tracing over the hard lines of her muscular back, marveling at the strength within the body that had yielded to him. She shuddered and let out a soft, pathetic little mewl that contrasted sharply with the strength of her body.

Encouraged by that weak little sound, Caderyn restored his grip on her short, sweaty locks and continued to pound away. Once more she stifled her sobs by biting down on her arm, and he leaned forward, locking his lips against her shoulder to muffle his own rising, needy moans.

Pelagia's powerful hips continued to buck back against him, urging him on. The occasional clench of her sex added more fuel to the fire, and he bit down upon her shoulder, causing her to let out a muffled squeak against her arm. Those strong hips faltered, and that last little sign of weakness proved to be his undoing.

He cried out against her freckled shoulder, then suckled and nibbled as his cock spurted deep within her. His seed surged forth, dripping down her taut thighs and onto the floor below. The bench squeaked and croaked in protest of his wavering but domineering thrusts. Drool leaked from her lips, running across the pale, freckled skin of her forearm.

Lifting her mouth, she panted and grunted, her hips writhing a few more times, her sex clenching and rippling to further milk him. Caderyn cursed at the almost painful delight inflicted by her body, his hand leaving red lines upon her backside as his grip tightened.

After one last throb, Caderyn shuddered and withdrew, sagging backwards to flop against another bench. Running a hand through his hair, he moaned and watched as more of his seed dripped from her sodden sex.

She turned around, leaving the mess alone for the time being, and leaned against the bench. For a few moments they stared at one another, smiling and panting. As the embers of pleasure faded, Caderyn's brow furrowed as memories of Yvonne returned to the fore.

"What now?" she asked, finally reaching down to wipe up the mess he'd left between her legs.

"Now I need to worry about Yvonne meeting Rathgar's wife for tea."

"

That's

what you were thinking about when you were inside me?" she asked with a harsh laugh.

"No. Before. And now that we've both been sated, those thoughts are rushing back."

Shuddering, he used a towel to wipe himself clean, then pulled up his trousers.

"Do you suspect disloyalty on her part?" Pelagia asked.

He pondered the question for a few moments. Cecilia's father was one of the richest and most powerful men in Fellhaven: a mercantile guildmaster who wielded more influence than many barons. The marriage had been arranged to secure Rathgar's loyalty and to increase trade ties with Rathgar's northern kin. The match, as far as Caderyn knew, had benefited both parties. So why was Cecilia bothering to extend even the slightest of courtesies towards Thandor's daughter?

"I don't know Yvonne or Cecilia enough to hazard a guess. I'll have to ask Berent to look into it."

His brother had been in a foul mood over the past few days. Berent had been one of the few in court to think Thandor's compromise was worth listening to. Despite his ire over his parents' decision to delay the negotiations before their inevitable refusal, he'd still maintained his duties at court, though with far more scowls than usual.

As he dwelt upon Berent's mood, other ugly thoughts slipped into his mind. If Caderyn had fallen to the assassins in Ravenmark, then Berent would have become the new heir. Thanks to his greater wit and political acumen, Berent no doubt believed he was better suited to the role. His insistence on accepting Thandor's offer made Caderyn's mind wander down dark paths.

After all, Berent had been the one to suggest the pilgrimage, which had left Caderyn vulnerable along the way. Had he not set out on that journey, he'd have never been attacked on the mountain trail up to that monastery.

Saints' blood...what if Berent was in league with Thandor?

He scowled. No. That made little sense. If Berent had wished for Caderyn's death, there were a hundred easier and more convenient methods he could have employed.

"Caderyn?" Pelagia murmured, crossing the room and brushing her fingers over his scowling face.

"Grim thoughts, Pelagia. Ones I must face on my own."

Inwardly, he cursed Thandor and his schemes. The bastard's constant tricks and plots had caused Caderyn to doubt the loyalty of his own kin.

The only way to put such doubts to rest was to put Thandor in the ground.

**

With an eerie screech, the falcon descended towards Berent's outstretched hand. It dropped a large rat at its master's feet before settling within his grasp. Caderyn trotted up the hill towards his brother, snorting at the bloody rodent.

"A fine feast for tonight, Berent."

Berent chuckled and chirped at the bird, bidding it to feast on the prize it had claimed. As its talons and beak shredded the rodent's flesh, he turned to regard his elder brother.

"How goes the training?"

Caderyn shrugged.

"The same as always. How goes the scheming? I was surprised to learn you were out here instead of lurking in the shadows back in the palace."

"

This

is where I scheme, Caderyn," Berent said, waving a hand towards the verdant plains. "When I'm guiding the bird, my mind wanders. It is as if I can see through the falcon's eyes, giving me new perspectives and strategies. I have already devised three potential ways to assassinate Thandor during today's session alone."

Caderyn chuckled and sat down on a mossy boulder while the falcon enjoyed its meal, ripping and slashing at the little rodent. For a moment he allowed himself to imagine the proud bird tearing apart Thandor's face.

"And does your scheming and pondering give a hint as to why Lady Yvonne has been meeting with Lady Cecilia?"

Berent raised an eyebrow.

"I have heard of no such thing."

"Yvonne told me herself this afternoon."

"Then there lies your answer. If Yvonne told you of the meeting, it means she wanted you to know of it. No doubt she wants us looking over our shoulders, wondering if Rathgar or his wife will betray us. And if she wants us looking at Cecilia, it means there are

other

places she doesn't want us looking."

"Other traitors."

"Perhaps. Other schemes, other spies, other plots. Mere misdirection, like feinting one way in a fight, before attacking from the other side. Or this can be a ploy within a ploy...and she actually

is

scheming with Cecilia, and called attention to it as a bluff." Berent smiled down at his feasting falcon. "But I will look into the matter to confirm."

"Hopefully a new little hunt for truth will lighten your mood," Caderyn said. "Are you still bitter about the decision to spurn Thandor's offer?"

"Bitter? No. Angry and disappointed? Yes. I think we should have taken the deal and used it as an opportunity to prepare for a more decisive strike years or decades in the future. There is no desperate need to end the rivalry now, is there?"

"It's not about the rivalry. It's about the fact that Thandor nearly killed me, nearly killed mother, and killed several of my men. Not to mention what he did to Melisent and her mother."

"Once again, we circle back to her."

Caderyn's eyes narrowed.

"Explain."

"If we accept Thandor's compromise, Melisent will be denied her vengeance, at least for a while. She will also be unlikely to win any election for the ducal throne under Thandor's proposed terms. Even if she does win, many will still be arrayed against her. It won't be the clean, vengeful justice she hopes for. It will not be the beautiful, straightforward coda to her saga. Oh, she gets to rise to become a duke's wife and will have a life of luxury, but vengeance? No. True power? Unlikely."

Berent's green eyes bored into Caderyn's.

"And that's what matters to you, isn't it? Writing her story."

"I care for her. I love her. And yes, I want her father to die for what he did to her. But the family still comes first. My marriage to her, after all, will serve the family's interests."

"Convenient for you, though, that your desires align with those interests. Vienne was not so fortunate, having to marry strictly to secure an alliance with Utresk."

"Aye, but love has blossomed between them."

"But as for me..." Berent chirped and his bird hopped up onto his hand. With delicate grace, Berent flicked away the tendrils of meat clinging to the falcon's beak. "I shall not have the luxury of marrying for love."

Caderyn winced and looked out across the plain.

"Mother and father have not mentioned any potential matches for you yet."

"Not to

you

. But my correspondence with Duke Leopold has opened new doors. He has a daughter, barely ten years of age, whom he wishes to secure a match for. So while you get to gallivant around with your bride and your harem of lovers, I'll be betrothed to a girl, waiting for her to come of age. Nothing official, of course: the discussions are still merely preliminary."

"That's hardly the worst fate in the world, Berent," Caderyn said with a laugh. "Such a match will forge stronger bonds with both Tsannor and Asparra. Our family's alliances will thus encompass the whole continent. And if you're worried about having some young, bashful bride..." He snorted. "Take it from me, brother, there is plenty of fun to be had outside the bonds of matrimony."

"I am not like you, Caderyn. I would take such vows quite seriously; I am not one to wander."

Indeed, Berent had barely paid any attention at all to the pretty young women at court. When Berent had gotten old enough, Caderyn had tried to drag him out for a raucous night on the town to make a man out of him, but Berent had steadfastly refused.

The grim thoughts of Berent's potential betrayal reared within Caderyn's mind. Those possibilities stabbed deep, causing Caderyn to wince.

"Tell me what you want me to do, then. Do you want me to cause some scandal to get Leopold to break off the arrangement? Do you want me to find a bride closer to your age and temperament?" Caderyn asked.