Daughters of the Dagger 04 - Amethyst (11 page)

Chapter 11

Amethyst tended to Marcus’s wounds for a sennight, glad to see that the amethyst stone the old woman had given her was helping. She’d soaked it in water and used the elixir as both a wash for his wounds and also gave it to him to drink. The fever had broken, and though he was still delirious from the pain, he’d woken several times, enough to drink, though she doubted that he remembered it at all.

Her uncle had stepped up the construction on the castle, and she took breaks, having Peter or Matilda or Benjamin stay with him so she could help as well.

The rest of the men had returned from battle many days ago, and told her that the Scots had retreated for now, but Marcus’s father had decided to follow and hunt them down. Some of his men went with him, but the rest who weren’t killed in the battle returned, as they were loyal to their liege lord only, and that was Marcus.

She was alone with him in the
room now, holding his hand that had the amethyst stone under his fingers. She was about to get up from the chair and open the shutter for the day, when all of a sudden, he gasped and shot up to a sitting position.

“Where are they? I’ll kill them,” he shouted, his eyes darting around the dark
ened room.

“Marcus, stop,” she said, trying to calm him. She pushed him gently back down on the bed and could feel the rapid beating of his heart against her fingers. “You need to rest,” she told him.

“Amethyst?” He looked around the room and then opened his palm and surveyed the gemstone in his grip. “What happened? Why am I here? I need to get back and help the men fight.” He put his feet over the edge of the bed, and tried to stand, then sat back down and held first his head and then his side.

“You were wounded and nearly died in battle,” s
he told him. “Protecting Benjamin.”

He squeezed his eyes closed
and then released a breath slowly and his hand went to the stitches in his side.

“R
emind me to never take a squire-in-training into battle again until I’ve had time to train him with weapons. Where is the boy anyway?”

“He’s not here, anymore,” she said.

His eyes shot open and he looked at her. “God’s teeth, don’t tell me I took the blade for him and he was killed after all?”

“Nay. He is
fine,” she assured him. “I just meant that he’d been helping to your ministrations but he is out on the practice field where Peter is training him with weapons as we speak.”

“Oh,” he said. “Good.” Then he looked up and around the room. “Where is my father?”

“He didn’t return with the others, and we lost three men,” she told him.

“Damn it,” he ground out, a fierce blaze
suddenly burning in his eyes. “Is he … is he dead too, then?” he asked, almost as if he were preparing for the worst.

“I don’t know,” she said. “I was told that the Scots retreated but he decided to
follow and hunt them down.”

“Damn
it, he’s being a fool,” he spat. “Why can’t he ever leave well enough alone?”

“Marcus,” she told him, rubbing his arm with her hand. “You need to calm yourself. If not, you may take to the fever again, and that is something I don’t want to see. I nearly lost you.”

His eyes met hers and then he reached out and took her hand in his. “Do I have you to thank for sewing me back up?” he asked.

“I did what I could, and your squires, Matilda, and my uncle helped out as well.”

“What’s this?” He held up the stone.

“Amethyst,” she told him.

“That I know, but why am I holding it?”

“It was giving to me by an old woman in your rose garden,” she said. “I used it per her instructions to heal you.”

“You know about my rose garden?” he asked in a low voice.

“I do,” she admitted.

He sighed and looked in the other direction. “I didn’t really want anyone to know … about it.”

“Your cousin told me you used to raise roses with your mother.”

“My cousin needs a good whipping.”

“Now, come on,” she said with a smile. “I’m glad she told me. Actually, it makes you seem more … human.”

“I’m not the bastard you think I am,” he said. “Or not always, anyway.”

“I’m finding that out – Husband.” She t
ested the word on her tongue and waited for his reaction.

His eyes squeezed closed
again and then reopened. “Amethyst, I am sorry to have ruined our wedding night.”

“It wasn’t your fault,” she told him with a smile. “And I am just happy not to be a widow before I’ve even consummated the marriage.”

His dark eyes drank her in at those words, and he pulled back the coverlet and motioned her closer.

“Come here, my wife,” he said
, and she cuddled up next to him on the bed. “What I wanted to tell you the night I was called away to battle, is that I feel I came on too strong the first day we met. I’d like a chance to start again.”

She wet her lips and looked at his mouth. “I’d like that, too,” she admitted.

Then ever so gently, he reached over and kissed her. She turned slightly, her hand going to cradle his head as she returned the kiss. She felt that odd sensation in her chest again, and she was suddenly nervous.

“I don’t want to do anything to hurt you,” he told her.

She just looked at him and smiled. “I think I’d be the one to hurt you with all those wounds.” She reached over and kissed him atop one of the wounds on his chest.

“Thank you for what you’ve done to help me,” he said. “No one has ever cared that much before if I lived or died.”

“You’re my husband now,” she reminded him. “Of course I care.”

“I’m not really your husband. Yet. But I’
m willing to finalize the marriage if you are, sweetheart.”

Amethyst felt her heart beating quickly and
knew this was the moment that would truly make her married. She reached over and kissed him on the cheek, then let her kisses trail down his neck.

“What are you doing?” he asked.

“Making your wounds feel better.” Her kisses continued down his chest and to his stomach.

“I can think of a way to make it feel even better,” he said.

“I’m getting there,” she answered, and continued her kisses toward his nether regions. She removed his braies and he grew in anticipation. Then, before she could stop herself, she daringly reached out and boldly stroked him.

“Bid the devil, that feels wonderful,” he cried out, then took her in his arms and pulled her atop him and hungrily kissed her with his t
ongue sliding inside her mouth.

“Take off your clothes,” he said, his hands going around her and pulling her gown up over her head. He sat up and threw her gown onto the floor, then did the same with her shift and undergarments as well. Then he pulled her atop his lap and nuzzled his face into the crook of her neck.

When his mouth came down and closed over one nipple and his hands caressed her breasts, she found herself arching her back, with her legs spread on each side of his hips. She let out a moan of desire and gripped at his hair. Then he lay back on the bed and pulled her atop him.

“I thought being a border lord you’d want to play aggressor
and be on top,” she said with a giggle.

“I would if I could, but since my strength isn’t fully back to normal, I don’t want to risk it and wind up falling atop you and crushing your body.”

“Then I’ll play aggressor instead,” she said with a smile, straddling him and being sure not to break open his stitched wounds.

“This’ll be the only time, so enjoy it, wife. Because as soon as I’m able, I’ll be the one on top and you’ll be on your back.”

“Spoken like a true war lord,” she said as he took her hips in his hands and placed her over his hardened desire. Then he lowered her atop him, and she knew her secret was revealed, as there was no restraining wall between them.

“You are not a virgin, are you?” he asked.

Her heart pounded against her ribs. She didn’t want to answer, but she knew he would see through a lie. She took a deep breath and just nodded. Tears welled in her eyes. “I hope you still want me,” she said. “I was seduced by a stable boy years ago, and I don’t want that to come between us.” Tears streamed down her cheeks and he reached up with his thumb and brushed them away.

“I know ev
ery man wants to marry a virgin to ensure his baby is his true heir. But I believe you if you say this happened years ago. And honey, with the amount of women an average lord beds before he’s married, I’m surprised there’s a single virgin left at all.”

“So … you still want me then?” she asked meekly, hoping he would not turn her away.

“More than ever, Amy.”

His new
name for her made her feel at ease and excited her at the same time. “No one has ever called me that,” she told him.

“Then it’ll be mine to use only, unless you object.”

“Nay. I like it. I like that you have a special name for me. ’Tis something we can use in private.”

“Then let’s consummate this marriage already so you can truly become my wife.”

They made beautiful love in his large bed atop the silken sheets and soft mattress. The bed ropes holding up the stuffed pallet creaked with their actions as they rocked back and forth until they were both brought to their peaks.

Then she pulled off of him so as not to hurt his wounds and lay next to him with her head on his chest.

“I am truly your wife in every way now, Lord Marcus Montclair.”

“Aye, he answered, “that you are, Amy.”

They lay wrapped in each others arms, satisfied and sated. But that lasted only for a few minutes before loud shouting from outside in the courtyard broke them apart.

“God’s eyes, what’s that all about?” he asked, sitting up in bed.

Amethyst ran to the window and threw open the shutters to see one of the earl’s men riding furiously through the gate, shouting.

“They have the earl. The Scots hav
e taken Earl Montclair prisoner,” the man called out.

Marcus made his way to the window
and looked out. His hand held tightly to the shutter for support, right over her head. She slipped her arm around his waist, trying to hold him there though she knew it was futile.

“My father’s been taken prisoner?” he asked. Then he pushed from her hold and with winces of pain, he made his way quickly to the bed and grabbed his braies. Sitting on the edge of the bed he pulled them on.

“Please don’t tell me you’re thinking of going after him,” she said, more of a statement than a question.

“You heard the man as well as I.” He got off the bed and made his way to a trunk and opened it, pulling a tunic over his head. “I can’t very well just sit here and let the damned Scots kill him. I have no choice. I have to go after him.”

She ran to the bed and donned her clothes while they spoke.

“You
have been bedridden for a sennight, and can barely stand. You are in no condition to go after him,” she said. “Please, I beg you – just let your men go instead.”

“I can’t expect them
to risk their lives while I lie in my bed waiting to heal. I’m going after him, and I don’t want to hear another word about it.”

The door to the room burst open, and in rushed Peter with Benjamin right behind him. They stopped when they saw them both donning their clothes.

“Oh, I’m sorry,” said Peter, looking away sheepishly. “I didn’t know …”

“Where’s Sir Gawain?” asked Marcus, now fully dressed and pulling on his shoes
, wincing in pain just from bending over.

“He’s in the armory,” Ben supplied the information.

“Then go get him and tell him he’s coming with this time. Since I’m still wounded, I’ll need him to cover my back.”

“Will you be requiring your armor?” asked Peter.

“Look at me,” he growled. “One more stab to me and the rest of my insides will bleed out. Of course I want the armor, now go get it ready and bring it down to the courtyard as there’s no way in hell I’m going to be climbing the steps to the armory to get it myself.”

Amethyst saw his hand go to his side and she knew that he was
still hurting. This was too much for him and she just wished she could say something that would change his mind. But she knew that if she continued to try, it would only anger him more. She needed to keep him calm if he were going to have any chance of pulling this off.

“I’ll be ready for them this time,” said Benjamin, pulling his dagger from his waist
belt.

“Nay. You’ll not be coming along on this adventure,”
he said. “Only Peter.”

The boy hung his head and Amethyst’s heart went out to him as she could see his disappointment.

“I’ll need you, Benjamin to stay here and watch over and protect Lady Amethyst while I’m gone,” he added.

Amethyst knew as well as anyone that he only said that so as not to hurt the boy’s feelings. She respected him for that
, as it was the kindest thing to do.