Chapter 11

As Maddoc opened his eyes, seeing the weak morning light come into his room, he immediately smiled. He woke up smiling often in the last few weeks. How could he not, when he could feel Anwen in his arms and smell her lavender scent wafting over him. He pulled her closer to him and kissed the side of her face. It was a special day, and he would do all he could to make it absolutely perfect. It was Anwen’s birthday, and it would be the first one he would spend with her. He hoped to have many birthdays to spoil her, but he wanted this one to be very memorable.

He kissed her cheek, before moving down to her neck. She stirred against him, and he leaned in close to her ear to whisper, “Happy Birthday, my love,” before continuing to kiss her.

She turned over on her back and looked up at him with half-opened eyes. “One of my favorite ways to be woken up,” she said with a slight smile.

He pulled down the covers and hovered just over her. “I don’t have any tea at the moment, but I am willing to wager I can do something to keep you warm.” He kissed further down her neck to her chest, making his way down her body.

“I will not argue with you about it today,” she said with a moan.

He was able to spend the early morning just as he planned, pleasuring and loving her. Once the sun was higher in the sky, she had to leave, though he tried to make her stay longer.

“Mrs. Owens will guess where you are and not say a word about it. We could even have breakfast brought in here. There is no reason for us to go downstairs.”

“There are several reasons for us to go. As much as I enjoy your attentions, there are others I do want to spend at least a little of my birthday with. Also, it is the day of the tournament, or have you forgotten?”

Maddoc smiled. “I have not, my princess. I am very ready to compete.”

“You will join in?” she asked with surprise.

“Yes, I plan to win the whole thing for you. It is your birthday so you will have to be the lady of the tournament and give the winner a kiss. Do you think I will let anyone else kiss you at all?”

“Perhaps, I will enter as well,” said Anwen with a laugh. “I am sure I would prove a worthy opponent for at least a few of you.”

“Normally, I would say you might win the whole thing, but I know your leg still aches. I do not wish you to be hurt in any way after watching you be injured far too often. Today, you will sit and be entertained. You might feel compelled to cheer for those from your kingdom, but I hope you will at least give me a little goodwill.”

“I suppose it will depend on who you are fighting from my kingdom. There is at least one I wouldn’t mind you beating soundly.”

“Trust me, princess, I have already thought over putting him in his place many times.”

She got up and found her nightgown, slipping it over her head. “You shouldn’t underestimate Lachlan. He is a very proficient fighter. He was taught by Lord Aidan himself, and I believe the old lord could still put you through your paces.”

“I have no wish to cross swords with Lord Aidan. His grandson is a different story. I look forward to matching him if it is possible.”

“Then you better get dressed and get downstairs to eat a good breakfast. I would hate for you to disappoint me.” She picked up her robe and put it on. After lighting a candle with a touch, she opened the wall and step through, closing it behind her.

He watched her go before falling back in bed. The good three gods and all their help, he loved that woman. When she was away from him even for a short time, he ached for her. It was becoming almost impossible to keep his hands off of her in public. He found reasons to escort her places. Her leg injury had been a convenient excuse to offer her his arm constantly.

He snuck her away many times a day for a least a short kiss. He knew they were at risk of being caught by those who didn’t know, but he didn’t care. Any damage to her relationship would be repaired when he announced their betrothal. He had great hopes it would be soon as the last few letters from the south were encouraging.

Maddoc got dressed with Evans's help, making sure to wear something he could spar in for the tournament.

“You seem in a very good mood today, your majesty. In fact, your mood has been quite good these past two weeks,” said Evan.

Maddoc grinned a little. “I have been feeling very well, Evan, and I know you know why.”

Evan nodded. “I suppose you will be marrying soon. We will have to see to the queen mother being moved out of the queen’s rooms.”

Maddoc looked up at Evan. “No, my mother will stay where she is. The queen’s rooms are all the way in the other wing. I shall not like my queen so far from me. I dare say she will spend the majority of her nights, if not all of them, right here.”

“Surely your wife will want a space of her own to rest, your majesty. Especially during certain times…” Evan trailed off and looked down. “She will at least need her own bathing space.”

Maddoc adjusted his sleeves. “I am not squeamish, Evan. I know what happens to a woman during certain days, and it does not bother me. I do not like to think of not sleeping with my future wife if I can help it. You are right about needing her own space, though. Perhaps the room across the hall might do well.”

Evan was quiet for a moment before he said, “I suppose she could use the yellow room even after she becomes your wife. It is connected.”

“No,” said Maddoc a little harsher than he intended. “I will not sneak through some dark passage to find my wife. Though, no one else will use that room as long as I am alive.”

Evan nodded. “Very good, your majesty. You look ready. I wish you good luck in the tournament today. I will have a bath ready for you at the end. I am sure you will want to be fresh and clean for the dance tonight.”

“I will, Evan.” Maddoc walked towards the door. “Have a pleasant day.”

“You as well, your majesty.”

Maddoc walked down to breakfast to find Anwen was already seated at a full table. Her mother was by one of her sides and Lord Aidan by the other. The rest of the table was full with Brennan, his betrothed, Prince Rillian, as well as Lord Elias and Lady Alys. Maddoc was most surprised to see his mother standing close to the table, laughing at something Queen Eira had said. When his mother saw him, Queen Evalin gave a small curtsey towards Anwen and walked to Maddoc.

“I am glad to see Princess Anwen seems to be recovered for her birthday. I would hate for her not to be able to enjoy it.” Maddoc said nothing, but his mother must have been able to read his face. “You always assume I think badly of the princess, but nothing could be further from the truth. She is a clever and sweet young woman who saved my son’s life. Her mother is also an excellent woman. I am surprised how much I have grown to like the Lucidalans. I should have avoided them as much as I could.”

“Why?” asked Maddoc. “If you enjoy their company, why do you wish you had not sought them out?”

She lowered her voice “Because it makes it harder for me to tell you to leave the woman alone, Maddoc. My personal feelings for the princess and her mother cannot overcome what I know is best for the kingdom and you.”

“So, you do prefer Anwen over Princess Meira.”

His mother sighed. “It will do no good for me to answer that as all I can say is you should marry Princess Meira.” She looked over at Anwen for a moment as Prince Korben came to her table. “I do not like the idea of your uncle courting her or marrying her. He would not do for the princess’s high spirits and independent attitude. I also do not wish for it to cause you pain. The best thing to happen would be Princess Anwen to leave this place and not come back for many years.”

“You need to get used to the idea that she will not leave. She will be my wife, mother, and I want you to accept it. We will both need your help to rule Calumbria. I do not wish for this to cause a rift between us.”

His mother put her hand on his arm. “I do wish what you want was possible.” She looked down. “If somehow you do manage to marry Princess Anwen, I will not abandon you. I don’t see how it can have a happy ending, but I will never just leave you, Maddoc. I have never been an affectionate mother, but it does not mean that I do not care for you. As cruel as I sound sometimes, all I want is for you to succeed.”

Before he could say another word, she took her hand off his arm and greeted some lord who was close by. Maddoc wasn’t alone long as his uncle came up to him.

“Princess Anwen looks very recovered. I am glad to see her so well. I hope to be able to spend some time with her now that she is fully downstairs once again.”

“I do not care what you wish, uncle. You should leave the princess alone as she does not desire your attentions, and any you show to her will come to nothing. She will be my wife, and you can accept it or leave this place.”

His uncle made a noise as he shook his head. “I wish you would skip ahead and accept reality, my king. It would make things much easier. I do not wish to do this the hard way.”

“What is that supposed to mean?” asked Maddoc as he moved back from Prince Korben.

The prince stared at him. “If you do not cease this daydream you seem to be living, I am afraid you will lose much, Maddoc. Perhaps your kingdom or your own life. I would rather you stay safe and rule correctly without upsetting half your court.” His uncle looked around before saying softly. “If I marry her, there is no reason you could not visit her at night sometimes. I do not like sharing much, but I would be willing if it will help you accept your fate.”

Maddoc hissed and moved forward. “If we were not in such a public place, you would very much regret what you just said. You will not speak of Anwen so. She is not the kind of woman who would do what you are suggesting.”

“There is no need to be so hot-tempered, Maddoc. I was merely trying to find a solution that would help you. Save your exuberance for the tournament today.”

“Will you be participating?” asked Maddoc.

“No, I will leave the fighting to you young men,” said Prince Korben.

“I am disappointed though I should be relieved. I would hate to be known as the king who killed his own uncle during what was supposed to be a friendly tournament.”

His uncle chuckled a little. “I will leave you before you say more ridiculous things, Maddoc. Never threaten unless you are willing to see it through.”

Maddoc wanted to say he was very ready to see his threat through if his uncle did not desist from his plan to marry Anwen, but he let his uncle walk off in silence. Maddoc finally sat down to eat. He put some food on his plate even though he didn’t have much of an appetite. What will he had to eat was almost completely undone when Princess Meira, Princess Gwendolyn, and Lachlan sat down at his table.

“Good morning, my king,” said Princess Meira brightly. “I understand you will be competing today?”

Maddoc nodded as he took a drink of tea. “I look forward to the tournament every year. I have won a couple of times.”

“Do you think that is due to your skill or the fact you are the king?” asked Lachlan as he put some food on his plate.

“I am sure it is due to his skill, dearest. What a silly thing to say to the king,” said Gwendolyn, shaking her head as she poured some tea.

“I’m not sure how silly it is, Gwendolyn. I believe the king has some skill, but some will quickly defer to him in sparring because he is the king of the most powerful kingdom in our land.”

Maddoc took another sip of tea and put his cup down. “Is that the excuse you will use when I beat you, Lachlan?”

“You assume you will beat me?” asked Lachlan. “I promise you, if we spar, you will have to earn your victory.”

“Indeed, Lachlan is the best sword fighter in our kingdom. He has been trained his whole life by masters and his father and grandfather,” said Gwendolyn as she smiled at Lachlan. “He is so quick, I can barely tell when he strikes.”

“I am sure there are those who would do well enough against him in your own kingdom, princess,” said Maddoc. “I have seen one fight who may not be the strongest, but she is certainly quicker than I thought possible.”

Lachlan laughed a little. “Yes, Princess Anwen is very impressive with a sword. She is so little it is hard to hit her sometimes. Of course, I have always held back when sparring with her. I never wanted to hurt her.”

“I am surprised my cousin isn’t fighting today. It sounds like something improper she would like to do to shock others.” Gwendolyn looked at Princess Meira. “I have told you about Princess Anwen and her love to shock others.”

“She does seem to like the attention on herself. Look at her over there, acting as if she is holding court at her table. Why are so many gathered around her this morning?” Princess Meira was staring towards Anwen.

“It is her birthday,” said Maddoc. “I am surprised you are not over there to give your cousin well-wishes, Princess Gwendolyn.”

Princess Gwendolyn waved her hand. “I will speak with her later. We have never really been close. We never enjoyed the same things growing up, and my mother found her a bad influence.”

Maddoc finished his tea and stood up. “I am going to go make sure all is ready for our tournament today. I also do not wish to listen to you speak ill of a prominent person in your family to whom I owe a great debt. If your mother found her a bad influence, I think that speaks more of your mother than Princess Anwen. I have not found a lovelier or braver woman in my kingdom or my travels.”

Maddoc walked off before any of them could respond. He nodded at a few people as he left the room and went to the front doors to go outside. Matthias fell in his wake as he opened the front doors and walked out to go to the right of the palace. He turned towards the back to a large open field that had been roped off into different sections. Seating had been placed all around it. Several rows were raised so everyone could see the events.

Maddoc checked in with the servant in charge of setting up the tournament and found that everything was ready. Some of the village folk had already started to make their way over, so Maddoc retreated to the palace. He entered to find people everywhere, putting on cloaks and adjusting swords at their side. Young ladies were gathered in small groups, looking at young men, whispering to one another.

Evan came to Maddoc with his belt and sword. Maddoc placed it on his waist, thanking him. After a quick good luck from Evan and a reminder to not hurt himself, Maddoc looked for Anwen. He spotted her on the arm of Lord Aidan, wrapped in a deep green cloak. She was happily talking to the older lord, but stopped and grinned at Maddoc when she saw him looking at her.

He moved over to stand by her and Lord Aidan. “I had hoped to escort you to your place of honor, my princess, but I believe you already have a worthy partner to see you to your seat.”

“I do, but it does not mean you cannot walk by my other side. I am sure Lord Aidan would not mind your company.”

“Of course not, your majesty. Besides if the princess desires you to walk by her side, I could not deny her, especially on her birthday.” Lord Aidan smiled down affectionately at Anwen.

“Your majesty,” said Princess Meira as she walked up to Maddoc and took his arm. “I do hope you will be careful today. I would not like to see you hurt.”

Maddoc looked down where she had taken his arm. “There are rarely severe injuries during the tournament as we all know it is for good sport.” He looked up at Anwen. “I believe this year we are safer than ever before as we have someone even better than a healer in our midst.”

“I will be happy to help anyone who needs it, though I should not like to see many gruesome injuries. I only have so much energy after all,” said Anwen.

“No indeed, princess. As I said, we are all always careful.”

“We should be going, shouldn’t we?” asked Princess Meira. “You will need to start the tournament, your majesty.”

“Actually, Princess Anwen will start the tournament with a wave of her hand. She shall be the lady of the day.”

“Shouldn’t that be your mother as the queen?” asked Princess Meira.

“She has agreed to step aside for Princess Anwen’s special day,” explained Maddoc.

They all started walking towards the door. “Besides,” said Lord Aidan, “Anwen will have to get used to this sort of thing since she will be a queen. More than likely, sooner than I first thought.”

“I should hope not,” said Princess Meira. “I would not want to think that Queen Eira would perish so soon.”

Maddoc rolled his eyes as he looked over at Anwen. She said, “My mother is in excellent health and not very old. I foresee her watching over Lucidala for years to come.”

They walked amongst the crowd to the field set up for the tournament. Anwen sat in the chair provided for her in a prominent place. Lord Aidan sat beside her as Lady Alys and Lady Roxanna sat near her as well. Princess Meira let go of his arm and found a spot by Princess Roslyn and her daughter.

All the young men participating met in the field, and the first pairings were drawn. Maddoc faced a young lord from his mother’s home kingdom of Arvelia. The young man took a long time praying to his gods for Maddoc to beat him so easily. It took less than ten minutes for Maddoc to disarm the young lord with no bloodshed. The young man said nothing. He only bowed and walked away.

After all the first rounds were completed, the winners again met to redraw names. This went on for two more rounds, Maddoc not having much trouble with his foes. They took a break for lunch. Food was brought out and put on long tables. People took what they wanted and found places to sit amongst the grass and trees that were nearby.

As Maddoc took a bit of food and a glass of wine, Elias walked up to him.

“I see you are still in the fight, my king.” Elias grinned before taking a sip of his wine.

“And I see you didn’t make it out of the last round, Elias. Is age already slowing you down?”

Elias shrugged. “Lord Brennan of Lucidala is a worthy fighter, and he got the best of me in the end.” Elias looked over to where Lady Alys, Anwen, and Lady Roxanna were gathered together. “Perhaps, my heart wasn’t in it, and I wished for the ladies’ company more than personal glory.”

“A fine excuse as any, I suppose,” said Maddoc. “At least your lady’s smiles with be a good consolation for you.”

“That and your princess’s lively conversation. She is in a fine mood today. I do like watching her eyes sparkle when she is being animated.”

Maddoc took a deep breath and glared at Elias. “Should you speak so of a lady beside your own, my lord?”

Elias shrugged again. “I can still enjoy the innocent diversion of a beautiful woman’s company. Lady Alys likes to be near Princess Anwen as well. We all know where we stand. Besides, you will need my support for your new queen when the time comes. It is good I am seen in her company periodically.”

“Go enjoy Lady Alys’s attentions. Brennan has taken away Lady Roxanna for a walk, and I would like one moment with Anwen.”

“As you command, my king,” said Elias with a laugh. He walked over to offer his arm to Lady Alys as Maddoc followed him.

“Princess Anwen, I hope you are not tiring yourself out. I will not like it if you cannot dance tonight.” Maddoc offered his arm to Anwen, and she took it.

“Not at all, your majesty. My leg is feeling very well today. It has held up not only to my light walking but more strenuous activities from this morning as well.”

He cut his eyes at her as she smiled up at him innocently. “You are a very teasing woman. I hope know it.”

“I do, and I know you enjoy it.” They walked away from most of the crowd to a small tree. “You are doing well so far.”

“I haven’t had any difficult opponents, and who knows how hard they are all really trying. Lachlan insinuated that many lords may not try as hard against me as who wants to beat the King of Calumbria?”

“Lachlan himself will wish to best you. He is very competitive. If you end up facing him, please be careful. I don’t think he would grievously injure you, but I could see him wanting to draw a little blood. As you have said yourself, he can be an impulsive man.” Anwen looked over to where Lachlan stood with Gwendolyn

“You have so little faith in my abilities, Anwen? I believe I can hold my own against anyone.”

“I am sure you can, but Lachlan is very skilled. You are also more honorable than him. I am not sure he will fight fair.”

Maddoc smiled a little. “If it means besting him, I not sure how much I will stick to fairness.”

Anwen leaned a little closer to him. “If you do face Lachlan, I can’t say I wouldn’t mind you beating him. It is probably beneath me, but I would take great pleasure in watching you putting him into his place. I believe I would have to reward you in some way.”

“If I do beat him, I am sure that means I will win the tournament, and I will receive your kiss as my reward.”

“True,” said Anwen with a sly grin. “But I was thinking of a reward I will have to give you in private. Your bedroom might be a good place, or maybe another trip to the throne room is in order.”

A low noise came from Maddoc’s throat. He wasn’t sure if it was a growl or a sigh or some strange combination. “I will win this tournament for you, my princess, and I hope in the process I can vanquish the stupid man who caused you so much pain.”

“He did cause me pain, but in the end, I am rather grateful for his deception. You are much more than he could ever be in every way. I can see now how any love I shared with him pales in comparison to what I feel for you, my king.”

Maddoc wanted more than anything to take her into his arms and kiss her. He might have done it had not the restart of the tournament been called. Instead, she took his arm, and he escorted her back to her seat. He fought two more times. The second one was a very good fighter from Bellican. It took him over twenty minutes to best the man. After he was done, he was able to watch the other two men who were left.

Lachlan fought Prince Rillian as Maddoc stood at the edge and watched while drinking a glass of wine. While he could not cheer for Lachlan, he did not want Prince Rillian to win. Maddoc wanted to be the man to beat Lachlan. He wanted to face the man who had caused Anwen so much hurt and cross swords with him. Something within in him needed to take vengeance on this man for the woman he loved.

In the end, Maddoc got his chance. Lachlan did beat Prince Rillian after a hard-fought match. He sliced the prince’s hand in the process before knocking him off his feet. The crowd stood and gasped at the sight of blood, but after yielding to Lachlan, the prince waved at the crowd signaling he was well.

Anwen got out of her chair and walked to Prince Rillian. She took his hand and held it while she stared at him. When she let go, he looked at his hand. He wiped it on his sleeve, and Maddoc could see there was no wound. The prince took Anwen’s hand and kissed it as she laughed a little. He walked over with her, and they sat next to one another to watch the final match.

After giving time for Lachlan to take a drink and rest, Maddoc walked to stand in front of Anwen with Lachlan. They both bowed to her as she looked at them.

“I shall gain the victory for our kingdom, my princess,” said Lachlan. She nodded at him and turned to Maddoc.

“I will win just so I may taste your kiss, your highness.” Maddoc gave a grin as those around laughed.

“I wish you both good fortune in the match. I hope it is hard-fought, and the truly worthy man comes out the winner.” She glanced at Lachlan who bowed again and turned away. She turned to Maddoc and gave him a subtle wink that he almost missed. He bowed, keeping his eyes on her before he turned to face Lachlan.

Maddoc and Lachlan stood in the middle of the field close to the onlookers. They both took out their swords and faced each other.

“I wish you good luck, your majesty,” said Lachlan.

“I hope you receive the defeat you deserve, my lord,” said Maddoc before he turned to walk away a few paces.

He turned to face Lachlan, and they both moved into ready stances. They spent almost a minute, circling each other, trying to get the other to make the first move. The wind that blew was cold, but it was not unbearable, especially for winter, so Maddoc was willing to wait as long as it took before Lachlan struck.

When he finally did, he was very quick. Maddoc managed to get his sword up to block. He pushed off and made his own move, making Lachlan go backward a few steps. The man soon regained his footing and went back on the offensive in a series of moves towards Maddoc. Maddoc was ready, blocking each one, before turning and making an attack of his own.

After Lachlan blocked his last strike, he pushed off, and both men took a few steps back and started circling. Maddoc could hear the crowd making noise, but he paid it no mind. He kept his focus on the man in front of him, trying to find a way to defeat him. Lachlan was quick, and his footwork was excellent. He was strong and clearly knew how to fight. Maddoc would have to think back on all he learned to find a way to win.

He thought about what advantages he did have. He was a bit taller than Lachlan, and he believed he was stronger. The longer the fight lasted, the better Maddoc thought his chances were. It was growing colder as the day went on, and Maddoc was used to cold winters. Lachlan being from further south didn’t experience such harsh changes in temperature.

As Lachlan moved towards Maddoc again, Maddoc raised his sword to block his attack. Each got a few good blows in on the other. Maddoc nicked the top of Lachlan’s hand, and Lachlan caused a little blood to flow from Maddoc’s arm. They both separated again.

Maddoc looked down at his arm. The wound was very superficial and bled just a bit. He didn’t even feel any pain from it. He decided to focus on what other advantages he could find. They were in a field Maddoc knew very well. He had fought many times in that exact spot. There were areas of the field that were slightly raised, but it was hard to tell by just looking at them. He knew one was over to his left. Not only was it raised, but it tended to be softer than the rest of the area. It had rained the other night, and it would make the terrain a little more unsettled.

Maddoc made the first move this time, causing Lachlan to turn just where he wanted him. He moved forward, making Lachlan go towards the raised area with the soft ground. It would be harder for Lachlan to move, and he just might stumble as well.

“You know, your majesty, I hope you are not too attached to Princess Anwen,” said Lachlan as he plunged forward. Maddoc blocked him. “I do not find Quinlan or your festival to my taste, and once we are married, I shall not wish for myself or her to travel back here.”

Maddoc went forward with his own attack, moving Lachlan further back. “I was under the impression that you were marrying Princess Gwendolyn. Feel free for you and the princess to never set foot in my kingdom again. I would prefer it.”

Lachlan blocked Maddoc and shook his head. “I will not marry Gwendolyn no matter what I said. My future is meant to be spent with Anwen. I believe she knows it deep down. Once I explain myself, she will forgive me, and we will move forward.”

“You are a fool, Lachlan. Anwen wants nothing more to do with you. She has told me repeatedly.” Maddoc struck forward again, making Lachlan move back a few more steps. He saw the man was very close to the rise in the field. “In fact, she has let me know that I outmeasure you in every way, my lord. I believe she has enough experience from both of us to make a fair judgment in that regard.”

Maddoc smiled a little as Lachlan’s look turned furious. Maddoc moved forward his sword hitting, Lachlan’s. He pushed forward as Lachlan struggled to push back. Maddoc was very close to the man, and he smiled at him. “Just so you know where you stand, I will tell you the truth of what the princess has told me. She said she never knew what true pleasure was until she spent a night with me. It seems whatever time you might have spent with her was unsatisfactory. Thank the three gods, you were fool enough to let her go. A woman like that deserves to be loved the right way.”

Lachlan’s eyes narrowed in fury before they turned to surprise. He stumbled a little as his feet hit the soft, higher ground. Maddoc took his chance and went after the man in a series of moves, ending by using his shoulder to push Lachlan hard to the ground. Lachlan’s sword fell from his hand as he hit the turf. Maddoc slashed his sword down quickly, stopping it just before Lachlan’s neck.

“Do you yield, my lord?” asked Maddoc, keeping his sword less than an inch from Lachlan’s neck.

Lachlan looked up at Maddoc with pure hatred. “For this fight, yes, your majesty.”

Maddoc leaned down, keeping his sword where it was. He said quietly and harshly “You will yield in your quest for Anwen’s affections as well. She wants nothing to do with you, and if you cause her any more pain, I will not stop my sword next time.”

Maddoc pushed his sword forward just a bit. Only enough to draw a small prick of blood from Lachlan’s throat. He then turned away and walked towards Anwen, leaving Lachlan where he was. He became aware of the cheers and applause from the crowd. He waved to them, and then looked at Anwen. Before he could get to her, Brennan jumped away from the chairs and flew past Maddoc.

Maddoc turned and saw that Brennan stood in front of his brother with his hand on Lachlan’s chest. “I know you wish to congratulate the king, brother,” said Brennan through gritted teeth. “But let him enjoy his glory and reward first. You should go get cleaned up, so you are presentable tonight at the feast and dance.”

Maddoc slightly raised his sword as Lachlan stared at him for a moment. Lachlan finally nodded and turned away to walk back to the palace. Maddoc continued on until he stood in front of Anwen.

“Well fought, your majesty,” she said with a large smile. “I name you the victor. The glory and reward are yours.”

“I am awaiting your favor, your highness,” said Maddoc.

Anwen placed her hand on his arm as she leaned forward. She very slowly kissed his cheek as Maddoc felt her hand warm on his arm. He turned very slightly to catch the edge of her lips with his own. She pulled away, taking her hand carefully off his arm. He looked down and his cut was healed.

“I hope you enjoyed today, my princess,” he said.

“Very much, my king. The last match was especially thrilling. You are a very worthy fighter.”

People came up to congratulate him causing Anwen to move away. He acknowledged all he could, trying to keep his eyes on her. When finally, he had greeted everyone, he looked around, unable to find her. Deciding she had gone to the palace, he followed the crowd to do the same. When he entered the front door, Evan stopped him.

“There is something you must see to in the study, your majesty. I don’t believe it can wait.”

“Are you sure, Evan? I wish to clean up and be ready for tonight.” Maddoc thought perhaps he might be able to finish early and steal a kiss or two from Anwen before the feast and dance.

“I believe you must go now, your majesty.”

“Very well,” said Maddoc as he walked away and down the hall.

He opened the study door in a rather sour mood, but it lifted quickly when he spotted Anwen by the fireplace. She turned to him. “I hate to detain you, but I thought I might give you a more proper kiss as a reward for your victory.”

He hurried over and took her into his arms. He kissed her, hoping to convey the desire and love he felt in her presence.”

“Fighting and your accomplishment have ignited your passion, my king,” she said breathlessly as they pulled apart.

“You have ignited my passion, Anwen,” he said as he held her close, placing kisses on her neck as his hands moved down her body.

“I know I shouldn’t have enjoyed you beating Lachlan so, but I am only human. I find myself even more drawn to you than normal.”

“I did it for you, my love. I wish I could banish him from your presence altogether. He has no right to exist in a world with someone as good as you.”

“We shall let him live because he can have no effect on us. All he has done is shown me the difference between one who pretends to be an honorable man and one who is truly the king he claims to be.”

“I can only be that king with you by my side.”

“Then I shall never leave it,” she said before she leaned up and kissed him.