My Dark Knight

Chapter 21

The scent of roses filled the air, it was intoxicating, if not a bit overwhelming. White and soft pink flowers covered the church. Anyone and everyone was present, Tristan felt caged. Thank The Lord Sasha wasn't present. However, his luck wasn't that great, her annoying circle of friends were still there, batting their eyelashes. He was annoyed. He should be happy, it's his friends wedding day. Thank God for that! The man had driven him insane the night before.
Tristan was debating on leaving, regardless if it was his friends wedding or not, he was tired, and in a foul mood. But all his vexation died a quick death when he saw her in a soft pink silk dress. He liked that color, it resembled the color her skin was after their too brief kiss. He could still remember that very shade of pink spread across her neck, down her chest.
His groin stirred.
Yes, that shade of pink would definitely be his new favorite color.












Isabella glowed. Her emerald eyes shone with happiness and delight. She looked beautiful in her ivory dress. There was no sign of the teary eyed girl from yesterday. It was as if she never existed. Isabella was radiant, plane and simple.



"Do I look alright."


"Honey, you look beautiful." Lady Rivers cried delicately in a handkerchief. Lady Rivers herself donned a pale blue and gold gown, her honey locks cascaded down her back. Despite her red nose and teary eyes, she looked beautiful.



"Honey, don't cry now. We're finally getting rid of her." Lord Rivers teased, trying to lighten the atmosphere.


"Uncle John! Not now!" Sapphire chided while elbowing him in the ribs.


"I was trying to lighten the mood. It's a wedding, not a funeral." Lord Rivers grumbled like a petulant child.


"We know papa, it's alright." Isabella smiled. Her spirits were lifted, and she knew her father too well to get offended.






"Oh Jonathan! Our little girl..." Lady Rivers sobbed.



"Mamma, I'll always come to visit." Isabella tried to reassure her mother.


"I know darling, but, oh I'm just being silly." Lady Rivers dried her tears and tried to smile.










Lord Rivers walked Isabella down the aisle and gave her away. The large crowd witnessed as they exchanged their wedding vows. The gentlemen mourned for their brother who was lost to wedlock, the ladies mourned their rake had gone astray, depriving them of his company.
Lord Rivers hugged his wife as she cried in his arms, a serene smile etched across his face. Sapphire surreptitiously wiped a stray tear. Her friend was blissfully happy, as well as the people who took her in as their own child, she loved them all dearly.

At Xavier's more than innocent kiss, wolf whistles and hoots were echoed in the church. A glower from lord Rivers effectively ended the mischief. After the wedding ceremony the guests went outside for the wedding feast. Isabella had wanted an outdoor wedding, lord Rivers made sure it was perfect.




Tristan watched the married couple, he had already offered his congratulations as well as his good wishes. He stood in the shadows, leaning against a tree, legs and arms crossed, keeping a vigilant eye on everyone, or more importantly, on a specific someone. Tristan idly wondered how Sapphire would look on her wedding day. He'd be surprised if she could look more beautiful than she already was. He watched as she politely smiled at a group of noblewomen, staying close to either lord Rivers or lady Rivers. She was uncomfortable around people, Tristan noticed, he wondered why. Upon closer inspection, he noted the dark circles under her eyes, they were lighter, but still there.











Sapphire woke in the morning covered in sweat, her breathing labored. Her hands stung. She looked down to see blood flowing from her palms, a knife lay next to her right thigh, also covered in blood. If that wasn't bad enough, a small amount of blood was smeared across her sheets.
Sapphire groaned. She hadn't eaten last night so her aunt had sent up fruits with a knife, she had unconsciously grabbed it in her sleep. Her hands hurt. Both palms had been sliced open, thankfully they weren't deep, however, they still needed to be bandaged. Sapphire wiped the perspiration from her forehead, realizing too late she had smeared blood on said forehead. Sapphire grimaced, she must be a sight.
Wonderful.
Looking out the window, Sapphire noted she had slept later than normal. Isabella wasn't here to wake her up. A light hollowness filled her chest. Sapphire rubbed her chest, once again realizing her mistake a tad bit too late. She missed Isabella. There was a light tap on her door before it opened to reveal her uncle.




"Oh good your up. I forgot- what the devil happened!" Lord Rivers snapped, quickly making his way towards Sapphire, fear and worry in his eyes.


"Sapphire..."


Sapphire let out a sign as she held up the knife in her still bleeding hand. Small cuts were the worst.



"I didn't noticed I grabbed the knife in my sleep." Sapphire mumbled.


Lord Rivers eyes were full of pain and regret. Pain because his child was going through this, regret because there was nothing he could do to stop it.


"It was worst than normal? How did the knife come here." He asked quietly.




Sapphire stayed quiet. Lord Rivers got up to get some clean strips of cloth for cleaning the blood as well as for bandages.


"Where did you cut yourself."


"Just my hands, my chest and forehead I accidentally touched."

Lord Rivers said nothing as he watched her pale face before gently cleaning the blood from her forehead before taking her hand.




As lord Rivers cleaned her hand, she spoke in a soft whisper.

"It was horrible. I felt trapped. It was as if I couldn't wake up. This time it didn't feel like a dream, it felt real. Like it was actually happening again. I tried so hard to wake up, but I couldn't. I was reliving it all over again, I couldn't get out. Usually I can will myself to wake up, knowing its a dream, but this time....
" I suppose I was thrashing around and I probably grabbed the knife." Sapphire shrugged.



Lord Rivers studiously and diligently worked on her hands, refusing to look up. His vision was clouded with tears. She may have spoken in a whisper, but he knew, if he were to look up, her eyes would be hollow, empty. When her nightmares were at their worst, and when she would relate them to him, she'd become a shell of her person. He couldn't bare it.
After securing the second bandage in place, he made sure no tears lingered in his eyes, before gently coaxing Sapphire into a hug where she cried her frustration and unease.











Tristan trained his eye on his target, he smirked at Robert, one of his men.


"I've never missed before but there's a first time for everything."


"My lord, that's not very reassuring." Robert gulped.


Robert was positioned some twenty feet away with an apple on his head. Tristan held a bow and arrow in hand, ready to strike.

"It's not supposed to be reassuring." Tristan snorted.

"Man up, lad." The men called out. They were all gathered around to see the poor man in misery. Robert was the youngest amongst Tristan's men. Not only in age, but the lad lacked in hight. But what he lacked in hight, he made up for with stealth and speed. They all loved him dearly, but that didn't stop them from roughing him up.



Robert closed his eyes shut tight as Tristan aimed his arrow. Robert still held his breath as the arrow sliced through the apple and struck a tree.



"You can open your eyes now." Tristan called out, his face set in a cold, brooding glare, but his eyes shone in mischief. A fact all his men knew. He wasn't as cold or heartless as he believed himself to be.



" I was not afraid." Robert said as color retuned to his pale face.


"Nay, ye weren't." Duncan snickered.






Tristan glanced around his home in surprise. The dinning room, which only used to have a table and chairs, now had freshly picked flowers on said table. There was a light fire going which gave the room a warm, welcoming feeling. The room also smelled of beeswax and.... lavender perhaps? A rug had been placed on the barren floor.

"It's nice, is it not."

Tristan glanced at Sarah, the chubby old women had flour in her hair. Her warm brown eyes looked happily at him with a kind smile.


"Eh, why?" Tristan asked as he gestured to the new additions in his home.


"You are to be married, my boy. This place looked fit for the dead. No place for a nice young lady. Therefore, I took it upon myself to make it more presentable." Sarah said, daring Tristan to argue with a raise of her brow.


"I assume you have seen to upstairs as well." Tristan said warily.


"Of course I have!" Sarah scoffed.

"You must learn to walk around with clothes on." Sarah scolded.

Tristan looked down at his bare torso.

"I just finished training."

"I hope your lady wife has more luck than me."


He rather have them both naked than with clothes on. A thought he wisely kept to himself.


"Anyways, the clothes you ordered have arrived."


"Did they now? And where did you place them."


"I moved your chambers to the larger room upstairs. I placed the gowns and slippers you ordered for your lady wife in your chambers. I have set up the trunks you ordered as well as left room for the ones she would bring. Although I doubt she would need to." Sarah said with amusement.

Tristan had ordered dozens of new gowns, gloves, slippers, jewelry, what ever a lady may need, for Sapphire.


"There's no adjoining room to my chamber, is there?"

"No, my lord. As per your orders the men had broken the wall in between the two rooms to make them into one large, spacious room. Your lady wife is very lucky." Sarah teased.


Tristan grunted as he made his way upstairs.





Sarah watched his retreating form with a wide smile.

"Lord Knights happy." Duncan said from beside Sarah.


"Aye, I would love to meet the lady who has accomplished the task." Sarah said with misty eyes.


"She's verra bonny and has a heart of gold." Duncan grinned.


"Truly?" Sarah smiled.



"Aye, lady Sapphire Dracmore.""


"Lady Sapphire Dracmore." Sarah said softly.


Leaning down, Duncan whispered in Sarah's ear before quickly running out the door.


"And she makes the best sweets."


"Why you..." Sarah called as Duncan left laughing out the doors. She shook her head. The men who lived here were nothing more than children. Lady Sapphire would put them in line.


"Robert." Sarah called.


"Aye miss Sarah."


"Come along dear, lord Knight said to make sure you have some apple pie for the courage you showed today."


"Truly."


"Truly." Sarah nodded. Tristan had told her early in the morning to have her prepare a treat for Robert. The man's good heart was beyond words.






Tristan walked up the stairs rather pleased with how quickly his men had everything done. They were very loyal to him. They also were very excited to have a lady around. Men who never cared about their appearances decided to make the effort, they truly were something else entirely.

Tristan walked into his room, one lone candle flickered in the corner. He shut the door, putting the lock in place. Warm water for his bath had already been brought up. Tristan surveyed the spacious room, his gaze resting on the bed.


"What the devil are you doing in here!" Tristan growled, his eyes slits of molten silver fire.


"I've come to pleasure you." Sasha purred from his bed where she lay naked. The candlelight enhanced her sultry features.


Tristan stalked towards her and lifted her off his bed.


"GET. OUT." Tristan menaced softly.


Sasha's eyes flashed in anger.


"What does that bitch have that I don't." Sasha snarled.


Tristan pulled his daggers it from his back and pressed it against her exposed throat.


"I suggest you watch you tongue regarding my fiancé." Tristan said softly, seductively. From a glance it would as if he were lavishing his lover. But upon closer inspection, the silver flames which danced in his eyes told a different tale. Those ruthlessly, cold silver eyes had made many men embrace death wholeheartedly, death is more desirable than a dual with a certain knight.


"She is naïve! She won't be able to stand by your side. You require a proper lady, someone who could fulfill your needs." Sasha hissed, paying no heed to the cold steel positioned on her jugular.



"And you could fulfill my needs, as well as everyone else's, I presume." Tristan said in the same husky, seductive tone from earlier.
Sasha tried not to swoon, the man was every women's dream, not to mention he was currently half naked. Just an inch more and her naked flesh would touch his.


"Yes I can." Sasha coyly peered up from beneath her lashes.

Tristan grabbed her hair with his left hand, pulling her head back, the dagger still by her neck.


"I like a man who's a little rough."
Sasha smiled seductively, triumphantly.


"And I like a women who isn't a conniving whore!" Tristan growled softly in her ear.
A predator toying with his prey before the kill, how apt.


Pulling her hair to the point of pain, Tristan snarled.


"Get out, I don't want to see you ever again."



"Because of that bitch! She'll never make a proper wife." Sasha tried touching Tristan's chest only to have him press the knife harder.

"Don't."


"Let me be your mistress." Sasha tried for a different approach.


"No thank you. I don't want someone who has been in the entire country's bed to warm my bed." Tristan retorted.


"So you want a virgin, is that it? You'll tire of her soon enough, then you'll come crawling to me. She won't be able to satisfy you." Sasha hissed.


Pressing the blade harder against her throat, Tristan spoke.


"I've never hurt a woman before, but temptation has its way to provoke a man. Stay away from my wife to be, as well as myself. I don't give threats, I make promises."


Sasha's eyes dilated with fear at the stark promise, as well as the small trickle of blood she could feel on her throat.


"I won't repeat myself, stay away!" Tristan growled as he roughly threw her to the ground.


Stalking to the door, Tristan roughly threw the door open and bellowed.


"ALEXANDER! GERALD! DUNCAN! SARAH! WHERE THE HELL IS EVERYONE!"




"This is some good pie, miss Sarah." Robert said, said pie falling from his mouth.


"Don't talk with your mouth full." Sarah admonished.


"Tsk, tsk, where are your manners, young Robert."


"They have gone from the badly influenced company I share." Robert retorted, yet again with a mouth full.


"Robert! That is rude, and Duncan, stop provoking him."


Sarah batted Duncan's hand as it reached for the pie.

"That's for dinner, only Robert can get a piece right now."

Robert stuck his tongue out.

"But he can have some." Duncan cried indulgently, just like a child.


"I said only Robert can have one, he was very brave today."


"Listen to Sarah, Duncan." Alexander snickered, walking into the kitchen.

Turning charmingly mischievous eyes, and a heart-melting crooked smile, along with his untamed mane of chestnut hair, towards Sarah, Alexander worked his magic.



"May I have some pie please. I'm awfully tired after training...."


"Of course you may! You poor lad." Sarah coed.

"You two, learn from Alexander."


Alexander raised a bite to his mouth when they all heard Tristan's ferocious roar.


"He sounds mad." Robert mumbled, his beloved apple pie forgotten.


"Nay, what makes it seem so." Duncan said dryly.


"Lets go." Alexander unsheathed his sword, and along with Duncan and Sarah, ran up the stairs.









"Take that wench out of my room immediately."

His voice was calm, his eyes blazed with unleaded fury.

"Aye, my lord." Alexander and Duncan murmured simultaneously.

"Sarah, I want those sheets burned, I would also like to know how that women managed to get in my home undetected."


Before Sarah could answer, a screaming Sasha was brought out the room.



"You can't do this to me! Let me get dressed! Tis improper and against modesty!"


"You didn't seem to care about modesty when you were in my bed, naked no less." Tristan snorted.


Duncan and Alexander dragged a screaming Sasha down the stairs. She had no qualms about being naked, however, it must be according to her terms. Once in the great hall, Sasha tried a different approach of escape.


"Let me go and I'll show you a good time." Sasha purred.


Alexander looked down her body before glancing at her face.

"You don't do anything for me."

"You-"

"Tis true , wench. Even my rod is not effected."


Everyone looked down at Roberts anatomy before looking at everyone else's who was in the room.

"Ye part of us now, Robbie." Duncan laughed.

Robert grinned.


"Robbie, get a scrap of cloth, we don't need the villagers to go blind." Alexander smirked.

"This is improper treatment of a lady!"


"A lady is not found naked in another mans bed. One who clearly is not interested." Alexander snapped.


Robert returned with a dirty, foul smelling tunic.

"That is dirty."

"Scum fit for scum." Duncan grunted as he forced the tunic on Sasha.


Once they were safely away from the village Alexander took out his dirk and put it on Sasha's throat. Gone was the playful man, in his place stood a deadly warrior.

"Make the mistake of coming back here and I won't hesitate to kill you."

Alex growled.

Alexander and Duncan were returning as Tristan mounted his horse.


"Should we come with you?"

"No."


Tristan rode his horse hard, with one destination in mind.











"It's such a lovely day today." Sapphire signed as she looked at her finger nails, but then thought better of it after seeing her bandaged hands.


"A lovely day to stay inside." Lord Rivers retorted.


Sapphire rolled her eyes at her uncle.



"What did those ladies want?"

"Oh nothing."

Lord Rivers snorted.


"They've never met you before, nor you them. Pray tell me, how did they say nothing? "


Sapphire signed knowing she couldn't get away from her uncle.


"They came to warn me. Said they couldn't bare the thought of their fellow female marrying an unfaithful, notorious, rake. They also said Sasha was with him."

"That's a load of shit! Honey, I know Tristan, and he isn't like that. Those women are friends of Sasha. Have no doubt she sent them."


"I know." Sapphire smiled.



"Sweetheart-"

Lord Rivers began only to be stopped by a knock.

"Forgive me my lord, but it seems lord Knight is arriving soon, he seems very angry.


"Great." Lord Rivers signed warily. An angry Tristan is never good.




Tristan gave his horse to the stable boy before storming past Alfred and into the settee. His eyes sought Sapphire before striding towards her and throwing her over his shoulder.

"Tristan..."

"I won't do anything, and I promise to bring her back."

Something in Tristan's voice gave lord Rivers pause.

"Alright." He conceded.





Tristan dismounted and then pulled Sapphire down and immediately buried his face in her neck. Holding her close. They stood in the middle of Sapphires secret clearing. After holding her tightly for several long minutes which neither of them complained about, Tristan lowered them both to the ground.




Sapphire leaned against a tree playing with Tristan's hair, while Tristan's head was on her lap, facing her torso, his hands around her waist. Tristan stared at her dress, not really seeing it as his mind took him back to a time not long ago.



"Mamma?" The little boy trembled from beside the armoire where he had fallen asleep and woken up to see his mother play whore.

"What the hell are you doing in here!" The women screeched.

"Get out!"

She roughly grabbed his thin arm, her nails digging into his flesh.

"You filthy bastard, don't ever come in here again."


As the door closed in his face, he let the tears stream down his face.

'Mamma doesn't love me.' This boy of ten, who looked to be eight or seven, walked down the dark corridor, the servants ignoring him. Crawling in himself, in a room he didn't understand why he was find of, went to sleep crying and hungry, yet again.



Tristan clenched his eyes shut tight, clinging on to Sapphire. His fingers dug painfully in her waist.



"Want to talk about it?" Sapphire whispered while still running her fingers through his soft bronze locks.


Tristan inhaled her intoxicating scent before responding.

"Sasha was in my room when I went up today."


"Was she now."

"She was naked."

"I'm certain you must have dealt with her."


Tristan gave a boyish grin.

"I had Alex and Duncan throw her out the land naked."

Sapphire chuckled, " that wasn't very kind."


Uncertainty flashed through Sapphires eyes before she firmly pushed it away. Bending down, she swiftly pressed her lips to Tristan's before quickly lifting her flushed face.

"Love, if your going to kiss me, kiss me properly."


Tristan's hand snaked around her back, to neck to hold her in place. He lowered her mouth to his and assaulted her mouth in a brutal, possessive kiss, thrusting his tongue in hers.

"Like this."