A Queen Named Victory

Chapter Thirty-One

I woke in his embrace with soft breaths tickling my ears. Grendel slept with our bedding kicked to the edges. I trailed my hand over his pointed ears and twirled a loose sage curl. Time was strange indeed. I woke up beside the most fearsome of the forest creatures and admired how adorable he looked. He gripped my wrists.

"Of all the places you can touch, you chose my hair?"

"What would you prefer I touch?" I teased, pressing my free hand over his bare chest.

He flashed a lewd smile and dragged my hand downward. I gaped when my fingers caressed his throbbing erection. His endowment differed from the ones I saw in Dovre. It was thicker and ribbed with pulsating colorful veins. He often adjusted the stiffness based on the angles he wished to reach.

The most addictive trait was his ability to control his movements. It moved like another arm within me. My fingertip brushed the hole centered at the tip and strung the wetness between my finger and thumb. Oh, what I would do to have that inside of me once more.

"As tempting as this is."

I pulled my hand away from his body.

"We have decisions to make."

"Balancing chaos is one of my greatest strengths."

He sided with the beast between my slickened thighs. Grendel rubbed me even though my body had remnants of my orgasms from the night before. "It's not like we have a war to avoid, a wedding to host, and a nation to conquer," I deadpanned to the sound of his squelching.

"I'll take Tolkniat. It should take less than a fortnight. We'll let their nobles kill themselves while we enjoy this morning," he answered with his finger still rubbing circles.

I propped myself up with my shoulders, arguing, "We will take Tolkniat." How else could I earn their respect if I remain in Montver? The women in Tolkniat needed to see their future queen fighting for their freedom. They were the key to securing the fallen kingdom. "No arguing," I said as I pressed his head back into my thighs.

"Both of in one place at the same time will not do," he argued. He teased my lips with his wet tip.

I bit back with, "That is why we keep Sabre here." Without an heir to the throne, Sabre remained third in line unless Montver chose a new monarch, or a daring soldier stepped up to the rank. 'You can stay in Montver if you are determined to keep us apart,' I thought to him while I sucked. His veins pulsated around my lips. He shook his head angrily. Neither of us backed down. Either we went together, or I went alone. There was no middle ground. I absorbed him deeper into my mouth until I felt him at the back of my throat.

'Well? Do you agree or not?'

"I'm starting to believe you're an incubus," he insisted. His abdomen muscles tightened as he came inside my mouth. I nearly choked on him, but it was worth it. His heavy breaths confirmed my first step to winning the debate. "I'm much worse," I agreed. He used his thumb to clean the excess from my face before bringing me into a heated kiss. Grendel worked magic on my body. I frenzied for his lips and tongue.

"We'll be late."

"They can wait."

He kissed me again. His second erection idly tapped my thigh, and I laughed, "I suppose we're still delegating."

"Precisely."

I thanked the gods for the castle's thick stone walls. Our moans, combined with the bed's rocking, were embarrassingly loud. "You will not leave my side," he heaved between thrusts. Fluffy bedding held me down while he challenged me. Two can play at that game. Grendel closed his eyes when I tightened my grip on his cock, slowing his ability to pull in and out.

"I will do what's necessary."

He let out a frustrated groan as he lifted my ankles over his shoulders, saying, "You're staying by my side, or we don't go at all." My innards twisted in agonizing joy. He reached deeper than before, spreading me wider. So much that I almost relented. Almost.

"Prepare a brigade to set sail for Tolkniat," Grendel announced after he opened the doors to the war room filled with the generals ready for the final decisions. They looked down at the decorated table with miniature carvings laid out. Grendel held my arm and whispered before I left them to pack, "You better stay stuck to me."

"Trust me." I patted his cheek.

"I'm going to make you want to get rid of me."

"Let me see it already," I pleaded with my hands still over my eyes. The sounds of swishing skirts and Sabre's exasperated sigh enticed me to peek. My court mage and the highest-ranking general both surprised me. Ochre dawned sheer trousers and a woven willow branch breastplate while Sabre adorned the most decorated dress I had ever seen while at court. Together, they proudly displayed their marriage branding.

"Shut up," Sabre said before I gushed about how cute they were and how beautiful they looked in their attire. She settled for a quick squeal and hug.

Though Ochre's confidence improved during her time with us, she preferred an intimate ceremony, and Sabre liked the idea of cutting the 'sappy shit' and getting straight to the point. We held celebratory festivals through Montver honoring their marriage. More importantly, it eased the growing tension over the nation's uncertainty. What could be a better distraction than a wedding? Serving spiced food, wines, and traveling musicians fulfilled its purpose.

"I expect a bounty of land and gold upon your return," Sabre toasted with the wine gauntlet. Meanwhile, Ochre pleaded, "You really should stay."

I waived her worries. Tolkniat was already ours. "Enjoy the life of a newlywed."

It only gets more interesting from there.

"Grendel won't let me leave his side anyway."

She nodded. Ochre wore her thoughts on her sleeve. She usually worried about anything and everything, but this time it was different. She seemed terrified.