Tamed by the Prince (Elven Lover) (16 page)

“Our place is here. Only a few men are allowed to be near your husband. We women must stay in the background.”

“That’s not fair,” said Cherry in frustration.

“I know. But no matter what the judgement is, you will be given time alone with your husband afterwards. So be reasonable now and don’t bring shame on Merlon. You won’t help him by doing that.”

Cherry nodded, heavy-hearted.

“I wish for silence,” declared the king who had risen from his throne.

He looked tired and worn. His eyes fell on his son and Cherry could even see from a distance that the king’s eyes were clearly wet.

“I will keep this brief as it’s already difficult enough. In view of the evidence and witness statements I have the following announcement to make: Prince Merlon has been accused of bringing the human woman, Cherry, now Lady Cherry, into our world against her will. As evidence I have been shown a recording that shows that Lady Cherry was indeed held against her will in the prince’s hunting lodge. The Guardian of Fire announced that Lady Cherry was already in a relationship with the prince before the abduction.”

Cherry’s heart leapt. Perhaps that would save him. As they were already lovers before, maybe he would not be condemned. Hope rose within her.

“As everyone knows, the case is no longer abduction if the elf in question and the human woman in question are true mates,” the king continued. “however, Prince Merlon has confirmed that he and Lady Cherry had not entered the bond before the abduction. Therefore, I have no choice but to declare Prince Merlon guilty of the abduction of the human woman. According to the law he will be lowered into the cave of the Golden Dragon at noon tomorrow and he has the chance to defend his life against the dragon with his sword. Take Prince Merlon into his quarters and guard the door. No one except his close family is permitted to enter his quarters.”

Cherry felt as if she had been hit by lightning through the middle of her heart. A torturous cry wanted to be uttered from her throat but she tried so hard not to bring shame on Merlon. She wanted – had to – be strong. The pain was unbearable. She could not cope with it. She could never live without him. When she believed she could not bear the pain for one more second she was overcome by merciful darkness.

A
s Cherry stood
before the doors to her quarters and asked the guards permission to enter, she felt as she were already dead. Her legs seemed barely able to carry her. Her heart pounding, the only sign that she was still alive, she waited for the guards to open the door. Swaying, she entered the room. Merlon was lying on the bed with his eyes closed. She did not know whether he was sleeping or just resting. He did not move and she did not have the courage to say a word, for fear that her voice would let her down.

She approached the bed slowly and at last stood still in front of it. Normally Merlon’s face was relaxed when he was asleep, but now there was a look of pain in his familiar traits. She tentatively reached out and stopped just before his face. She was trembling. Tears filled her eyes and rolled down her cheeks. Slowly – hesitating – she moved her hand further forwards and gently touched Merlon’s cheek. He opened his eyes and looked at her. His eyes were so full of sadness that it cut into her heart.

“You’ve come after all,” he said hoarsely.

She sobbed.

“Of course I’ve come. Did you doubt that I would?”

He sighed.

“I thought you wouldn’t want to see me again. I’ve wronged you. I would have understood. At first I still hoped but as the hours passed and you didn’t come …”

“I was … when the king declared the judgement I fainted,” she sobbed. “I woke up in Awate the healer’s room. I wasn’t allowed to leave. They examined me from top to toe. It took hours for me to finally make them understand that I had to come to you. I … I threatened to kill myself if they didn’t let me. I didn’t want to lose still more of our precious time … of our wedding night …” Sobbing, she threw herself onto Merlon.

“Shhh! It’s OK. You’re here now and we don’t want to spend our brief time together crying. Come into bed with me so that I can make love to you one last time. Please!”

Cherry tried her best to calm down. She pulled herself from Merlon’s embrace and began to undress. Merlon watched her, full of love and desire. Once she was standing, naked, next to the bed, he reached out to her and she got into bed with him. He rolled on top of her and kissed her. Her tears made the kiss taste salty. They both tried desperately to put all of their emotions into this one union, knowing that they only had a few hours left. It was already late into the night and in the morning Merlon would be fetched so that he could take his last meal, then he would speak with the priest and undergo a purifying ceremony. Afterwards they would ride to the mountain of fire where the Golden Dragon’s cave was. There she would see her beloved for the last time before the judgement was executed.

“Cherry,” murmured Merlon. “I can’t be tender now. I need you!”

Cherry pushed against him fervently.

“Don’t be tender. I need you, too,” she sobbed.

He made love to her hard and fast. She clung onto him, tearing his back with her nails. Their cries echoed around the room. When the orgasm flooded over Cherry she again blacked out for a moment. Trembling, she came round again in his arms.

“Was I too rough? Are you OK?” asked Merlon, worried.

“It was beautiful. It’s just … I … I don’t want to lose you. Merlon.”

She cried, unrestrained. Merlon rolled onto his back and held her tightly in his arms.

“We have to do something. I’m not ready to give you up so easily. There are only two guards at the door – we’ll easily deal with them. Or better still, you can simply teleport us out of here. We’ll go to my world. I don’t care where we live. I don’t want to be queen. Somewhere we can have a simple …”

“Cherry. Please stop. There’s … there’s no point. I’m a man of honour. I sullied my honour enough when I brought you into my world against your will. Don’t demand of me that I just throw away the last traces of decency and pride that I still have to do something despicable again. I wouldn’t be the same man any more. Do you want to live with a broken man? Could you be happy with that? And besides, we wouldn’t be safe anywhere. We’d have to be on the move constantly so that they didn’t find us. No, Cherry. Don’t demand that of me. Please!”

“So was that it? That night? And after this it’s all over?” she sobbed helplessly.

She could simply not take it in.

“We had something wonderful. True love. Only few people find that. I’m grateful for every moment that I could spend with you. I’m proud to have been able to call you my wife. You’ve made me the happiest of elves. No one can be happier than I am. Isn’t a short time with love and happiness better that a long life without having ever experienced this precious feeling?”

“Of course I wouldn’t want to have missed the time that we’ve had. It’s just so damned unfair. I haven’t experienced love for the whole of my life. Only pain and humiliation. Until you came along. You showed me that love exists and now that’s all going to be taken from me again? I love you so much that I don’t know how I am to live without you.”

“You have my family. They love you and will take good care of you. After a little time has passed, that you consider appropriate, look for another man. I don’t want you to be alone for the rest of your life.”

“Never!” she cried. “I could never love another man. I could never dirty your memory. How can you say such a thing?”

“I just want you to be happy. Please consider it when some time has passed. Of course it seems impossible to you now. You may not find great love again but at least a partner who’s there for you and who can help you to reign over Amarantus.”

“I don’t want to reign. You have a brother. He can reign.”

“You’re my wife. You’ll be the next in line to the throne. I’m certain that you’ll have had enough of a gap after a few years to think differently about things. Now let’s not talk about it any more. Tomorrow I want to think about my beautiful, brave wife when I go to my death. Help me to have happy memories of you when the time comes. Make love to me as if there were no tomorrow.”

But the next day did arrive. There was a knock at the door and Cherry stretched as she awoke. Contrary to her expectations she had fallen asleep at dawn. Panic ran through her and she looked into Merlon’s eyes. He seemed calm, but sad. Her heart pounded painfully.

“No,” she croaked. “It can’t be the morning already. It can’t …”

“Shhh! It’s time, my love. I have to go,” said Merlon calmly.

“No! There … there must be something that we can do. It can’t just end like this. Please!” she sobbed.

“Cherry, please calm down. You promised me that you wouldn’t be emotional. I want to imagine your face smiling when I die. I want to enter death strong and proud. Please help me do that. I need you more than ever now.”

“Please make love to me once more. Please!” she pleaded desperately.

Groaning, Merlon pushed his way between her legs and entered her. He kissed her wildly whilst thrusting inside her like a man possessed. They both climaxed quickly and powerfully. Cherry’s lip bled because of the brutal kiss but she did not care. Sobbing, she curled up as Merlon got out of bed and dressed.

“Give me a smile!” he murmured hoarsely when he was ready. “Please!”

Cherry sat up and put her arms around his waist. Her face drenched in tears, she looked up at him and smiled. It was a smile that made her soul cry out and her heart tear, but she still smiled. For him. For the only man that she had loved and that she would ever love. Tenderly, he took her face in his hands and lowered his lips to hers, gently kissing them.

There was another knock. Slowly Merlon moved away from her and looked at her again, full of love.

“I’ll see you at midday,” he said quietly and went towards the door. Half way there, he turned to her again. “Will you smile for me?”

Cherry swallowed down her tears and nodded.

“Wait!” she called when he had nearly reached the door. Hastily she jumped from the bed and ran after him.

He stood still and turned to her.

“I … I need to tell you something. They said I shouldn’t, but I must.”

“Perhaps it’s best if you don’t say it,” he whispered and turned away.

“I’m pregnant!” she cried in desperation. “That’s why I fainted. I’m expecting a child.”

He froze, his hand already on the door handle. She saw him take a deep breath and slowly turn. A single tear ran down his cheek.

“If it’s a son name it after its father,” he whispered hoarsely. “If it’s a girl call it Malijara. That means
‘my darling’
in my language.”

She nodded. He reached out to her and stroked a tear from her cheek. At that moment the door opened and Mawrek appeared on the threshold.

“Brother. Are you ready?”

Merlon nodded. His eyes fell upon Cherry once more.

“I love you.”

“I love you, too,” she whispered weakly, then the door had closed behind him.

The ride to Fire Mountain was hell for Cherry. She knew that Merlon had been taken there an hour earlier. She would see him there for the last time but she was not allowed to speak with him or go near him. She was condemned to simply sit there and watch as the judgement was executed. Even though she was not going to see his death, it was hard enough. From the moment that he would be lowered into the cave his fate was sealed. In thousands of years there had never been a case of anyone leaving the cave of the Golden Dragon alive.

“Where’s Mawrek? Is he with Merlon?” she asked her mother-in-law.

Molwina shook her head.

“At the eleventh hour he’s trying to find proof that Lord Aveleen was behind the arson attack on you. If that were the case, it could save Merlon’s life. The accusation of a murderer is invalid. Should Lord Aveleen be a murderer his accusation, including his evidence, would be null and void. Therefore Merlon would have to be freed. But don’t raise your hopes. The judgement will be executed at the appointed hour and I can hardly believe that Mawrek can sort things out that quickly.”

“But can’t the execution be postponed? At least for a few hours?”

“Unfortunately not. Believe me, my child. It’s as hard for the king as it is for you. Perhaps even harder because it was he who had to declare the death penalty for his own son. It’s a duty that no father should have to carry out. I don’t know whether Assgard will ever recover from this heavy blow.”

“It’s all my fault,” sobbed Cherry in despair.

The queen guided her horse closer to her and took her gently by the arm.

“It is not your fault. Merlon knew what he was doing. He did it out of love.”

“That’s just it. I ran away from his love because I was too much of a coward. That’s why he abducted me in the first place. If I hadn’t run away from him …”

“You weren’t to know that such a thing would happen. No one is blaming you and you shouldn’t either. Come on, dry your tears. You must be strong now so that your husband has the strength to do what he must do. We’re nearly there. The entrance is behind the next bend.”

They dismounted at the huge entrance and entered a small cave. A staircase carved from the stone led upwards. It was a hard climb. In some places the steps were very steep and the path twisted like a spiral staircase. Twice they reached a different cave, from which another staircase led upwards. Then they came to a large cave lit with torches. She could see Merlon, the king, Lord Aveleen and several other noblemen.

Merlon looked at her and smiled. She pulled herself together and smiled back. Merlon’s mother took her with her to a platform on which they were to take seats as witnesses. Cherry looked round nervously. If only Mawrek would hurry up and get here. He was her last hope.

“How much time do we have?” she asked her mother-in-law.

“About half an hour,” answered Molwina.

She seemed composed but her big eyes could not hide her worry and Cherry noticed that the queen had almost cut her lip from biting it. The king also looked pressured and tired despite his powerful build and his splendid clothing. She did not miss the look that father and son exchanged. The only person present who almost displayed cheerful satisfaction was Lord Aveleen. How she hated him! Never before had she despised a person as much as the man who was about to take away from her the dearest thing to her.

“He will be punished sooner or later,” said Molwina quietly, having seen Cherry’s look. “No one causes such suffering without paying for it at some point.”

Cherry could hear the satisfaction in Molwina’s voice.

“I hope so,” she whispered back. She felt Merlon’s gaze and looked up. Their eyes met and her heart began to flutter. It was unbearable not being able to go to him nor speak with him. And added to this was the awful tension as to whether Mawrek would make it in time. She could simply not believe that fate could be so cruel as to first of all give her the love of her life and then take it away in such a horrible way. That was barbaric, inhumane – unbearable!

King Assgard was now speaking to his son. Cherry would so liked to have known what the two of them were saying. She saw Merlon nod. The king grasped Merlon’s arm and hand in a brief, firm handshake. Then the king turned away to speak with some of the noblemen. Again Merlon’s eyes fell upon Cherry and she forced herself to smile. His lips formed the words that he could no longer say to her: ‘I  l o v e  y o u!’

Cherry briefly closed her eyes to force back the tears and nodded. When she opened her eyes again the king had stepped before the assembled witnesses, his expression sombre. Cherry’s heart ached painfully. Panic-stricken her eyes looked at the entrance to the cave, but there was no sign of Mawrek.

“No!”

Molwina grasped her hand and it was only now that Cherry realised that she had actually said out loud what her heart had cried.

Merlon’s eyes looked for her and he nodded to her. ‘Be strong,’ his look seemed to say. ‘Smile for me.’

She smiled whilst tears flowed incessantly down her cheeks.

“Prince Merlon,” sounded the voice of the king. “Do you acknowledge the judgement?”