Sacred

Chapter 13

  A surprised grunt came past her father's mouth and he gave his wife a look that Alex didn't understand. Her mother stopped beaming brightly and sighed, looking away.

   Abel looked absolutely panicked. "Umm…"

   The king shook his head and Nick knew why. They didn't want him as their daughter's husband. They wanted Abel. No matter how ugly he may be, he's noble and thus worthy of the princess. Abel knew it too. His skin was pale and he looked utterly shaken.

   Nick nodded. "Yes, your majesty. I'm here to keep your failsafe until the rest of the…until the Lights arrive."

   He glanced at Alex, but she didn't catch his slip up. He didn't want her to know. The king and queen looked at each other and sighed.

   "So the Darklens are back?" The king asked.

   Nick nodded. "Yes, sire. Or at least we believe they are. My father killed one a day ago, but in doing so he…"

   Here Nick paused and took a deep breath. "In doing so, he lost his life to it. He told me to come here and hide you in the cellars until the Lights arrive."

   The king nodded, his blonde hair gleaming in the sun. "Of course. Let's get going now so we can get fully settled by sundown. Oh, bring a priest underground with us. We'll need someone to wed Alexandra and Abel."

   Alex gasped and backed away, shaking her head in disbelief. "No. Dad, I refuse to marry him. Noble or not he's not fit to wed any woman."

   Abel scowled and sent Nick a narrow eyed look. The king stepped forward and crossed his arms. "It's not up to you, Alexandra."

   She sobbed and then buried her face in Nick's back, hiding behind him. He didn't dare hug her and give her comfort. They'd kill him. He just stood there, trying to look as awkward as possible. The queen sighed and stepped forward. "Sweetheart. Who would you want as your husband? There are no other nobles and Abel is your only choice, but maybe we could make something work."

   Nick realized he liked the queen. She kept throwing glances at him that reminded him of how his mother used to look at him. That and she would probably agree to having him as her son in law.

   Before Alex could pipe up, the king pulled his wife back and stood in front of her. "No, we cannot make anything work. Abel is her betrothed and there's nothing further to discuss. Nicholas, is it? Tell us what we need to do."

   Nick paused for a moment, feeling awkward with all eyes on him. He hadn't really thought about that much. He'd been too busy kissing their daughter. He licked his lips and went with what his father would do. "We need to horde lamp oil if we want a way to ward off the Darklens. I'm gonna need only two or three soldiers to help me guard the tunnel leading down there. And you can bring whatever else you want, especially clothes and blankets. If I'm correct, it's plenty cold down there."

   The king nodded and turned, walking back inside. Nick sighed and followed, as did the rest of the nobles. The inside of the castle was awe inspiring with its marble floors and gold inlaid walls. Tapestries hung everywhere and every wall was decked with paintings and stained glass windows. The ceiling high above was arched and resembled a church ceiling with its gallant rafters and supports.

   The king turned slightly to him. "Meet back here in the commons in exactly one hour. Guard her with your life."

   The gaze he gave him also said…no funny business. Nick nodded and once the king and queen were in their room packing, he followed Alex up the hallway. Abel had gone into his room early on, sending one last evil glare in his direction.

   As Alex stepped into her room, he followed her in, not worrying about being seen because she had warded off the soldiers once they were on the third floor. That and her parents were  still talking over the Abel problem. As soon as the door closed behind him, she threw herself into his arms, sobbing and gasping for breath as she let her feelings out. The sound of her cries resembled that of a little girl all alone in the market, unable to find her parents and lost on the streets. He didn't stop himself this time.

   He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close. "I…I can't really say it's…gonna be alright because…I can't guarantee that your parents will agree to it."

   She clenched her fingers in his shirt and shook her head. "No. Stop it! Stop talking about it! It just reminds me of the fact that we can never be together."

   He sighed and closed his eyes, leaning back on the door. He glanced down and stared at her beautiful golden hair, so bright and clean despite their forest trek that day. He sighed and locked the door behind him before pulling her over to the bed. He pulled his shirt off his torso and threw it to the side. She gasped at the sight of his chest and then gasped again as his mouth came down on hers. He got onto the bed beside her and rested his weight on his elbows and knees above her, letting his legs stretch out until he rested in between her thighs. She shuddered and her back tensed up as she felt how intimately they were touching.

   She looked up at him with a confused face. "What are you doing?"

   He sighed and started working on the buttons of her dress. "If I have to let you go, I'm gonna have to get a night with you. That's the least I could ask for right now."