The Spoils Of War {Tbs}

Part 30

I sat as I often did now days in my library nervously watching the vast feilds, I was so worried no news for months, I didn't even want to imagine the things that could be happening so far away, I hoped at least he was okay or if not then he wasn't suffering wasn't locked away in a dungeon to be torchered and mutilated. I heard a commotion from the keep so I hurried into the main hall 

"My lady!" The guard calls who had been sitting at the top of the high tower as a look out "an army marches towards us" 

"Is it ours? Or his?" 

"Ours my lady" he smiled

There was restlessness about the castle but a restlessness of joy our army was returning home, that was a good sign at the very least a few ladies still working quietly ones who had already received the news that knowone was coming home to them I stood by the gates as our army approached each man letting loose his horse to take in his arms the woman he loved going forth into the keep, I waited and waited seeing them all walking back some more injured then others and each line and rank of men returned my heart felt sadder, waiting still so little was left my fear grew to a level I couldn't explain, 

"Princess" I heard making me jolt up and I saw him there battered and bruised but with a wide smile he climbed down from his horse and instantly took me in his arms kissing my lips as intense as our first kiss when I arrived "I missed you" he cooes nuzzling his nose with my own

"I missed you more" I smiled

"I promised I'd be back didn't I?"

"I was still so worried"

"Aww princess, you had no need to be worried. But I am so happy to see you" he smiled "what's all this?" He asks taking my hand giving me a little spin "awwww look at my little battle princess, you look so cute" 

"Well somebody went off to war, I had to learn to protect myself" 

"Did you now? I'll have to give you a little test later" he winked "but I have a present for my pretty little princess"

"A present?"

"Well… two presents really"

"Thomas, your home that's the only present I wanted" I smiled giving him a tight hug

"Awww aren't you sweet" he cooed kissing my head "you really don't want your presents? The nice pretty presents I went to war to get my princess?"

"I would like presents" I giggled 

"Well, the first present. A little dish known well as, vengeance" he smirked "fetch my prisoner" he called and some men went to the large carrige they had brought home with them and they revealed the mad man himself, the king from the south "take him to the dungeon, we'll decide what to do with him later won't we princess?" 

"We will" I smiled so they took him away to the dungeon under the castle 

"And secondly and of course the present I promised you when I first brought you here" he smiled kissing my forehead before he went in his bag "the royal tiara, returned to the head it should rightfully sit on" he smiled sitting my old queen tiara on my head "my queen" 

"Thank you Thomas" I smiled giving him a kiss "I take it you.. kept the other too?"

"I did, kings crown. Boring old thing" he says getting it from his bag too "lighter then I assumed it would be" he says tossing it between his hands 

"Well, the weight was always mostly symbolic I think" I giggled "but a queen, needs her king beside her, always" I smiled taking it from him and setting it softly on his head "my king" 

"I love you, so very much my queen"

"I love you more" I smiled