The two lovers fell asleep tangled in a mess of limbs and sweat. They were not disturbed until the morning sunlight spilled through the window. Elanor was the first to wake, finding herself curled up on Thomas's chest, she couldn't help but snuggle up closer before pressing a faint kiss to his lips to rouse him.
"Wake up, my sweet warrior." She whispered softly. Throwing back the sheets, not bothering to get dressed before slipping out the door to her own chambers.
Thomas dreamt of flower-filled fields and cool water. Sounds of Elanor's laughter spilled over him before his vision was filled with her beautiful face. She was dressed in purple silks that barely covered her breasts, short enough to ride up and expose her bottom and her dark hair was bound by a leather wrap held up in a topknot. One moment he was chasing her through a field of flowers and in the next instant she was on her back beneath him. Her laughter changed to slow moans and soon her clothes floated freely around her naked form. His manhood disappearing into her hot, wet sex. She rode him, hips flexing and tits bouncing in soft circles as she cooed his name. "Thomas! Fuck me, Thomas. Fuck me, my sweet warrior. Fuck! Wake up swee-"
The kiss had roused him from his pleasat dream. He was tempted to roll over and try to regain the vision of dream Elanor's body under his. Instead, Thomas took a few moments to enjoy the sway of the real Elanor's hips . Such a sultry contrast to the way her shoulders were thrown back regally. The door had only just closed before a man opened it once more.
A blonde-haired servant ambled in with brown trousers and a white fitted shirt, making his way to the bedside. He inclined his head to the captain of the guard and green eyes surveyed the room with a practiced gaze. Clearly, seeing a naked man in bed looking around half dazed was nothing out of the ordinary.
"Good morning, Sir. My name is Mikal." He said as he laid out the clothing over the back of a chair. "Anything I can get you this morning, Sir?" Kneeling down Mikal picked up the tub in order to carry it out. It must have been fifty pounds easily, making Thomas blinked at the other man's strength.
"
Elves. Tough sons of bitches."
The morning light highlighted his brawny frame as he crossed the room to admire the clothing. They were of elvish design, strong as steel but soft as silk and he dawned the tunic and trousers happily. The cut only improved the look of his physique and the black and silver designs gave him a more polished look than he was used to. He smirked to himself and moved to follow his lady to her chamber. With any luck, he'd catch a glimpse of her sans clothing.
The walls of the bedchamber were the pale green of spring's first leaf. A large hole in the wall opposite the door looked like the entrance to a cave, various colored crystals adorning its circumference. The "cave" led onto a balcony which overlooked a large expanse of garden. Below, children laughed and chased each other as the serving maids were already bustling about with the laundry. Dirty linens already soaking in the brook while wet clothing dried in the sun. Elanor could pick out where her and Thomas's discarded clothing from the previous night laid.
On her right when entering the room was her armoire, in the trunk of a still living tree. She pressed her hand to the side of the tree and it twisted to reveal her clothing. Tenderly, she pressed a kiss to its bark, a silent thank you.
Bending down to grab an article of clothing, Elanor heard footsteps enter the room before the door shut with a soft woosh of air.
"Do you like your clothes?"
He passed only one servant as he angled through the hall and across to the priestess's chambers. He felt even more at ease once crossing the threshold. The same feeling of being alone in the deep forest. However, he wasn't alone, and he admired her shapely posterior as she spoke to him over her shoulder. Images of the night prior fresh in his mind, he let his eyes move over her body as she dressed.
"I do indeed," he acknowledged, tugging at the fabrics of his sleeves. "A fine material. I won't ask how you knew my size." The suggestiveness was obvious, given their intimate evening. "I will need to return to the King by nightfall to avoid any issues with my absence but," he approached by only a step or two, giving the lady her space. "I'm yours for the day if you'll have me."
Another unusual moment of vulnerability for the captain. Had he not shagged her rotten only hours ago, he may have been more apprehensive. But maybe she was not the sort of woman who wanted her conquests lazing about the next morning. Gods knew he'd sent more than one woman from his bed before morning came in his youth.
"I thought you 'were only staying the night and riding out in the morning'?" She quoted, throwing his words from the previous day back at him, without any malice. Turning around while slipping a purple tunic over her head. The material was light and flowed easily in a way that did not tangle around her legs or prevent movement. Elanor liked to think that it made her look stately while still allowing for the comfort of wearing pants beneath so that she might help around the keep. Her hands smoothed down her hair absently. She didn't have time to worry about vanities now. It was different when she encountered those outside her home, like the King. But here she was above such silliness. Instead she searched her room for her working boots,
"That was before," he smirked at the way she teased him. "Things have happened since then." He stood, admiring her as she walked about and found her boots, smiling at the half-hearted warning.
"You can stay, if you choose," she exclaimed softly in triumph when she found the black boots and plopped down on her silken sheets to tug them on. "But be warned, I'll be putting you to work." Her grin turned into a smirk. "It may be in your best interest to escape while you can." "I'll take that as an invitation," he added, raising an eyebrow. He watched her move about and relished in how she bounced in her simple tunic.
"
Purple like the dream."
He noted the coincidence.
"If you're referring to physical labor, I'm no stranger to it." He folded his muscular arms over his broad chest. "So you're welcome to do your worst. You may even benefit having me around for the day." It's true the captain was in shape for a man his age. Strong, capable and spry. "Perhaps you'd enjoy seeing me sweat a little." He winked.
Placing her hands over his crossed arms, Elanor went up on tiptoe to press a quick kiss to his mouth. Without waiting for him to try and seduce her back to bed, she led the way out of the room and into the stables.
She tried to see the halls through Thomas's eyes. The blue stone that lined the floor was free of the vines that almost overtook the walls. Stained glass windows depicted various scenes in nature. One was a mother doe teaching her young child how to walk in the first days of spring. The next was a grove of trees whose branches were dotted with tiny woodland creatures. A night scene depicted an owl in flight with the full moon behind him.
Elanor marched down the hall, her advisor Puck bounded up to her, his brown hair was hidden by a green cap, matching his white pants and simple brown shirt. Without pausing to say hello he began rattling off a list of tasks to do for the day.
"The gardeners are asking for new tools. You have a meeting with the fairies at dusk. Dinner for tonight with be tomato soup with-"
Elanor listened to every word as they made their way to the stable, confident that Thomas would follow. However, she had not anticipated the way he stood out, head to toe in silver and black and twice as wide as the widest guard or servant. Elven eyes raked over the large warrior as he passed. Giggles and whispers followed them after he turned each corner. Surely, he was used to attention but not this
kind
of attention. Fear, intimidation and the politics of the court was what he was used to. Never curiosity or, dare he think it, admiration.
Elanor thanked Puck for his updates and was met with a curt nod before he scampered away. Likely to try and steal some of the food from the cook before tonight's dinner. Then she turned her attention to the magnificent beast before her. Each of the beautiful horses stood in their own pen. Usually they would have already been fed by this time of day, but Elanor had specifically assigned the task to herself. She quickened her pace to a light jog, eager to close the space between her and the horses. As she approached, she noticed that there was no one about. The maids had finished their work outside and had returned inside to do some cleaning, taking the children with them. Scooping up a discarded brush, the priestess called to Thomas
"Think fast!" As she whipped the brush squarely at his chest, but Thomas caught it easily.
"I'd expected something a little more grueling to start but I'll happily take grooming as a warmup."
It was a beautiful morning and he found the tension in his neck and shoulders dissipate further without the burden of highly scheduled life at court.
I should really take more holidays.
He smiled and turned to her., rolling up his sleeves, revealing his muscles forearms.
"Where do you want me?"
Elanor couldn't help but chuckle at her companion's wittiness. Her days about the keep were often face paced and full of busywork, though she tried to offer a smile to everyone she bumped into. Having Thomas around was sure to make the chores easier, and not just because she'd have an extra set of hands.
"Why don't you start with your own horse at the far end over there," she gestured down the line at the first stall. "I'll start at the opposite end and we can meet in the middle."
Picking up her own brush, she shielded her eyes from the sun.
"It's about noon so it shouldn't take more than an hour to brush and feed the horses." She flashed him her pearly whites "Maybe if you're a good boy, we can take our horses out for a ride."
"Good boy."
His whole life he had been "good." Well, he has strived for the
greater
