Chapter 35 Lull

Chapter 35 Lull
“You’ve been taught well, little Wyvirn,” Zeidan whispered against her lips, the pair of them breathing heavily. They continued sparring until well after midday, and Aizurah finally fell back on the ground, exhausted.

“Well done, my love,” he told her, dropping to his bum beside her. He handed her his waterskin, and she drank her fill before passing it back.

“The fleet will arrive tomorrow,” she stated as she caught her breath, “and then we’re going to fly to Jewelpointe…”

“I would not think less of you if you choose to remain in camp, princess,” he told her, “In fact, I prefer it.” She shook her head and gave him a pointed look.

“I’m no coward, Zeidan. I’m going with you.” Her husband helped her to her feet, and the pair wandered off in search of sustenance…

After their meal, Zeidan and Aizurah returned to their tent. Zeidan plucked the flannel from the basin and wrung the water out, cleaning the dirt from her neck, before unhooking the clasp of her armor.

The prince continued, removing pieces of steel and cleaning her skin. When all that remained were her trousers and tunic, Aizurah took over, stripping Zeidan and washing him clean.

Then Zeidan was hoisting her up and kissing her forcefully, his touch full of desire. Aizurah wrapped her legs around his waist and ground against him as her mouth met his with equal intensity. He stumbled backward, the pair of them falling onto the cot.

The princess shifted her hips, rubbing her center against him, already dripping with need. Zeidan hardened against her, and she moaned against his lips, her eyelids fluttering closed as pleasure pulsed through her body.

“Fuck, you’re so wet for me, my love. I can feel you through my fucking trousers…” Zeidan remarked, his voice rough with lust. Aizurah groaned, riding against his erection, her pants growing slippery with her own desire.

“Zeidan,” she whined, gripping his shirt with desperation, “I need you inside me…” He groaned and shoved his hand between them and down into her trousers, finding her slick.

“Gods, love, you’re soaked…” he murmured against her lips as his fingers slipped between her folds. His hands made quick work of her clothes, and then she was naked in front of him, reaching for the laces of his trousers in turn. In no time, she was sinking down on his rigid cock, filling herself to the brim.

“You feel so good,” she breathed, as she lifted her hips and dropped back down, her eyes rolling back in ecstasy. As his thumbs ghosted over her taut nipples, she began to ride him in earnest, moaning out her bliss. Zeidan latched his mouth to her chest, pulling blood to the surface and marring her pale skin with red blotches.

“That’s it, princess, you’re so close, I can feel you trembling. Come for me.” Her body obeyed, and she cried out her release, gripping Zeidan’s shoulders as burning satisfaction pulsed through her. His climax followed as she quivered around him, and he clung to her, breathing heavily.

The pair remained that way, foreheads pressed together, basking in their postcoital bliss, until the princess grew cold. Zeidan pulled the furs over them, and Aizurah quickly fell asleep in his arms…

“Sounds like someone is enjoying their visit to the Summer Isles,” Maerus grinned, sitting next to her in front of the fire. She nearly choked on her ale in embarrassment, glancing at her cousin. She was thankful for the setting sun, hoping the warm colors painting the sky disguised the flush of her cheeks.

“Was it that obvious?” she asked.

“Cousin, I do believe you made most of the camp jealous with the noises that came from your tent.” Aizurah hid her face in her hands, groaning. “Relax, princess. You have every right; you are married after all…”

“It’s embarrassing,” she said, shaking her head. “Thank you for letting me know.” Maerus continued to grin at her until she hid her face in her cup.

When Zeidan joined the group, Aizurah noticed the way the men shared a look with each other, and her skin flared with further embarrassment.

“Are you worried about tomorrow?” she finally asked Maerus, effectively changing the subject. He pondered for a mere moment before he shook his head.

“We’ve done this all before, my father, my uncle, the prince, and myself. I find it rather thrilling, but I think most knights do. There are only two things in this world that truly make a man feel alive, dear cousin, fighting… and fucking…” Aizurah couldn’t help but grin as he wagged his eyebrows at her, and then she grew serious.

“I don’t want to fail, Maerus. The thought of death concerns me, of course, but failure… The men looking at me as nothing more than a helpless girl, confirming to the entire Kingdom that I’m every bit the feeble bird they believe me to be.”

“Helpless girl? Feeble bird? When was the last time you looked in the mirror, dear cousin? You are a grown woman, a fierce, bonded dragon rider! Even if you did fail at leading men in battle, which you won’t, you are far from either of those things.” She nodded and chewed on her lip, her eyes finding Zeidan’s on the other side of the fire. The heat in his gaze as he stared at her warmed her insides and helped her forget her doubts for a moment.

I love you… He mouthed the words, and she echoed them back to him, adoration briefly replacing trepidation. Zeidan was there with her; her father’s love was with her. She could not fail…

Zeidan snored softly beside her, drowsy from the wine he had consumed, but try as she might, Aizurah could not sleep. Eventually, she sighed and rose from the cot, pulling the furs up over her husband.

The air was colder than usual, the wind blowing hard, when she opened the flap of the tent and stepped through the camp. The dirt crunched softly beneath her feet as she wandered through the aisles of tents, apprehension swelling inside her.

“No, mate, you didn’t see it. She scaled the fish and everything. I never saw a princess do that.” She paused and listened from the shadows.

“So, she’s willing to get her hands a little dirty. She’s still playing a dangerous game. The battlefield ain’t no place for a girl—"

“A woman, who will be Queen…” she interrupted, stepping out of the darkness and toward the pair of guards. “Why is a woman fighting for those she loves any more surprising than a man doing the same?”

“I’m sorry, princess,” he stammered out, “I meant no disrespect, it’s just… Blood and gore ain’t fit for women’s—"

“Women’s delicate sensibilities?” she finished for him. “You are aware that blood and gore are precisely what bring children into this world, aren’t you?” The man opened and closed his mouth, reminding the princess of a fish, and the other guard laughed.

“I told you, yer an idiot, mate.” Aizurah smiled and continued walking, her hands clutched behind her back. Again, she found Warryk by the fire and took a seat beside him.