Helena was exhausted. Her body ached as she and Esma waited in the line for stew in the main hall. The smell of it made her stomach ache and she salivated as they gave her a generous helping. They made their way to a table quietly and sat away from the others. Normally the hall was more active but everyone was simply too exhausted to be very social. Some still worked to keep spirits high by striking up heartening conversations. Some even shared stories of their memories of the village itself.
It was two sunrises from the day they would leave. Helena knew she should be upset about leaving her home but that was not what upset her the most. Ever since she had fled from Lucas that morning he had avoided her. Not that Helena had tried to speak to him again.
She had been able to function fine around him until she had made the mistake of thinking that she was dreaming of him again. But the anger had come when she saw him around the other women.
He had never shown interest in them and she hadn't realized that until he started to. At first it was just him talking with the women more then usual but now he was outright flirting.
Helena looked in his direction with a glare to watch as Lellah gave him some water. He had his shirt off, his scars proudly visible and was still a little wet from the water he had dumped over himself to wash away the residue of heavy lifting. Lellah fawned over him, laughing at his words and stealing brief touches every chance she got. It made Helena sick to see it so she turned away before she lost her appetite.
Lellah was a beautiful woman. Every man had eyes for Lellah and a few whispered to have laid with her as well. She had the type of figure that screamed sexuality. Fertile hips, heavy round breasts and a slim waist. Her lips were full and her eyes just a touch too round. Her brown hair hung in waves to her hips now that it was down from the braid that had kept it from her face during the day.
Esma snorted next to her and mumbled, "You express your love for him and accidentally admit you have visions of him so he finds a lass to latch onto within the week. I don't understand it."
"They are just dreams and he is doing what he must," Helena sighed.
"How can you be so sure? What if you are meant to be with him someday?"
Helena took a drink of water to wash down her food, "Visions concerning oneself are always the hardest to understand. There are emotions involved. Things that are based off your desires are usually dreams. You are as aware as I am that we still have normal dreams with little significance."
Esma nodded but deep down she didn't believe it. Her sister had once told her of her dreams of making love to Lucas. They had started about the time he had returned with the injury to his face and had become nearly as frequent as the man with the knife. Esma had asked her spirit guide repeatedly what was to happen to her sister but all he told her was Helena's fate was the Gods will and could not be changed. That was why Helena had received no Prophecies of how she would end up with the man with the knife or how to avoid it.
"Regardless I am already bound to the Spirits," Helena said almost absently as she chewed her food. A loud laugh made her look up just in time to see Lucas with his arm wrapped around Lellah, his hand resting on her rear as he pulled her to him and said something to her that made her laugh again.
Helena didn't realize she had slammed down her spoon on the table until people looked her way, including Lucas. With a silent curse and a blush she mumbled that she was no longer hungry and left the remainder of the food in her bowl for her sister as she stood and quickly left the main hall. She had a few pieces of bread back home she could eat before bed if she found her appetite again.
After she had left Esma looked back towards Lucas and found his eyes giving her a questioning look. Esma frowned and tilted her head at him before shaking it and ignoring him to eat. If he didn't know why her sister was so angry then he was a fool and deserved Lellah. The woman was simply wishing to gain status by tying the King to her bed. Esma knew for a fact that Lellah had gathered herbs to increase the chances of conceiving a child. She also had a particular dislike for the woman. They were the same age and Lellah had terrorized her most of her youth. The only thing that had saved her from the bullying had been the day that a dream she had told her mother of came to pass exactly as she had said.
The fact that the shy apprentice that usually cowered before him just gave him a disgusted look after her sister ran from the room did not escape him. He found himself suddenly distracted from the woman who seemed so willing and eager to climb into his bed. Her family looked rather pleased to see his attention on her. But no matter how hard he tried there was something missing.
By the end of the meal Lellah was confused. For a few days now he had been receptive to her and now he was suddenly distancing himself. Not a few moments earlier she had confidence that he would invite her to his bed and then nothing. It was so sudden that she could not fail to notice that it had started the moment the Prophet left the room. She watched him, a frown slowly creasing her brow. There could not possibly be something between the King and the Prophet. Could there?
It was at least encouraging that he bent down and gave her a gentle kiss, smiling at her as he excused himself for bed. She sighed and watched him go. Perhaps she should stop waiting for him to invite her and simply invite herself.
***.::.***
Lucas lay awake for a long time, thinking of Helena and the look of pain on her face when he had first turned at the sound. Then she had blushed with embarrassment and ran from the room. He seemed to keep having that effect on her. He was trying to move past her and he was finding it difficult. He assumed her quick exit meant she was doing the same.
It was a long time before the village went quiet. People had climbed into their own beds to rest as much as they could before it was time to get up and continue the grueling work. He felt sleep starting to pull at him finally and then the creek of wood.
Keeping his eyes closed he shifting his hand slightly under the pillow, putting his hand around the hilt of the blade he kept there. He could sense the movement in the room as someone came in. They were trying to be quiet but they were not very good at it as he was able to follow the motion of them moving to the other side of his bed.
The moment he felt the bed shift he sprung into action. Grabbing hold of the dark figure he pulled them down on the bed and pinned them, shoving the blade up against the tender throat of a rather surprised Lellah.
He kept the blade at her throat as he looked at her, panting from the rush that came with the thought of battle. Her face glowed in the moon light that shone through the window. It caused her skin to look pale and soft. His eyes followed that glow of skin down her body. One breast and a long line of her flat stomach were exposed. She had worn only a cloak around her which had come open when he had grabbed her. He could see her quickened breathing and the arousal his gaze gave her in the puckered bud of her nipple.
He groaned and looked back at her eyes with hunger. She opened her mouth to speak but he silenced her by claiming her lips with his own, growling a little against her lips. He moved the blade from her throat carefully and raised his hand. With a thud he stuck the blade into the wall above the bed so that his hands would be free. His hands exploded over her skin, pushing back the thick cloak to grab her hips.
Lellah moaned, wrapping her arms around his neck and closing her eyes. She opened her mouth for his tongue as he moved his body between her legs. He ground his hips down against her, pressing the pronounced bulge against her moist lips. He could feel the heat of her through the material of his bed tunic and his head swam with desire.
