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  But wherever he went, he was attended by his retinue and guards, some of whom were quite fierce. Though they had been persuaded to give up their viciously curved, serrated scimitars, I suspected that the scientifically advanced DesertDwellers hid smaller weapons beneath their concealing robes. Myths had come down to us from the Progenitors, telling us that our forebears had carried tiny machines that could reduce an opponent to cinders with nothing but a flash of light. We had persistent though vague reports that the DesertDwellers had reclaimed much of the Progenitors’ technology. Why not their weapons?

  Aside from the annoyance Kaldir’s delegation presented, wherever I went, guards and courtiers, ladies-in-waiting and the Ten Ministers often followed. Even in quieter moments, my faithful Maia was near. Rall and Parron also hovered protectively, and a bit jealously, I thought.

  I needed to at least kiss my swain. Time was shortening, for we had received a message that Darkness’ candidate was drawing nigh. Only he knew the number of his delegation, which would swell the ranks of courtiers and warriors lodging in the castle to uncomfortable limits. Yes, Castle Remarck was large, but with hordes of well-meaning servants present, one’s movements could be unbearably restrained.

  One morning, I awakened early and resolved to evade my retinue. I hastily dressed in riding garb—snug, buff-colored jodhpurs, a starched white blouse and a red jacket. I secured my hair at my nape with a black ribbon and, after taking my boots from a wardrobe, carried them rather than put them on and alert Maia, who as usual slept close by in my outer chamber.

  Taking a torch, I sneaked out of my suite by a quiet passageway few knew, then tugged on the boots to ward off the chill. While treading quietly along a circuitous route through the least-used parts of the castle, using hidden byways known only to me, I held a kerchief to my nose to avoid inhaling the dust of many a long season. I had not used these paths for years… Beryla and I had explored every nook and cranny, every hidden passage and secret stair of the castle. Her presence was strong in these dark, still corridors that smelled of stone and damp. My sister’s spirit walked beside me and I was comforted by my memories.

  Our childhood adventures had our parents’ approval. Castle Remarck was our fortress. In the event of attack from within or without, we needed to be familiar with every hiding spot and escape route. Janus was peaceful, but nothing is forever, nothing certain.

  I opened a secret door, descended a flight of worn stone stairs and found myself in the guest wing.

  There I hesitated. Of course I knew how to enter Kaldir’s bedchamber without anyone else the wiser, but intruding into his room without invitation would be discourteous. Perhaps he treasured privacy. And what if Kaldir was enjoying a bedmate? I would not feel offended or jealous, just inconvenienced, but surely I would discomfit Kaldir and any guest he might be entertaining.

  I stuck my booted toes into cracks between the great stone blocks comprising the wall and climbed into a ventilation portal. I was small enough to creep through the tunnel, which gave access to every room in this wing. I peeked at his guards and courtiers at every opportunity, but saw nothing to confirm my suspicion regarding any special weapons they might possess.

  Passing by his guards, I jumped out in the empty anteroom of Kaldir’s chamber, then used a wall mirror and my kerchief to attend to my appearance, whisking away a few smuts on my face. I tucked back stray wisps of hair, then tapped on the wooden double doors of Kaldir’s bedchamber.

  “Enter,” came his voice, which was light and almost musical.

  I opened the door. “My lord?” He was awake and alone, I noted with relief.

  He’d been writing, for Lightside papyri were scattered over a dark wood desk, and he still held his quill poised, its nib black with ink. “Your Majesty!” He sounded pleased. “An unexpected delight.”

  He rose and approached me. He was dressed, as always, in flowing white, brilliant against his dark skin. Though no sensual thrills coursed through me, I discerned the strong lineaments of his dark body beneath the enveloping robes. I believed that he was a male with whom I could find pleasure, and that morning I planned to make certain my belief.

  “Queen Audryn, dressed for riding.” His dark eyes twinkled as he took my offered hands between his. His grasp was warm, friendly as he kissed me on both cheeks. “Did you enjoy the stallion I sent three starturns ago?”

  “Indeed I did,” I said demurely, remembering the adventure on which that steed had taken me. “Do you wish to ride him this morn?”

  “Indeed I do. Oh, and let us not alert the servants. They will not leave us alone for a minute.”

  “You have noticed also?”

  He pulled a face. “How could I not?” He opened a wardrobe and peeked inside. “Where could my riding boots be?”

  I perched a hip on the edge of the desk. “Did you bring them?”

  “I rode part of the way, so they must be here.” He checked another wardrobe and emitted a chortle as he yanked out a pair of mottled gray boots.

  “Allicroc skin?” I asked.

  “The best the WestMarch can offer.”

  The WestMarch lay between Desert and Shadow. Many creatures flourished there, plants and animals that could not survive anywhere else on Janus, including the fabled Chimaerae of old. As one might expect, there were occasional border skirmishes between rival claimants to the land. Only the WestMarch’s frequent vicious storms, which often featured tornadoes, prevented all-out warfare. The fierce, swift winds were destructive in their intensity. The EastMarch that ran between Shadow and Darkside was similar, but ice storms raining chunks of hail, some large as a man’s fist, kept the peace.

  Our official position, one we strove to maintain, was non-interference in the Marches. We desired them to exist as buffers between Shadow and our rival lands, for our own protection and to shelter the creatures that lived there.

  A union between Light and Shadow might solve the issue in the WestMarch, at least temporarily. I did not understand Lightside internal politics, but in the past, when a Lightsider had married into our House, he or she had lost status as a noble of the DesertDwellers, switching loyalty totally to us. For my part, I would demand no less than undivided allegiance.

  Having donned his boots, Kaldir asked, “How may we escape to the stables?”

  “By the most direct route.” I moved confidently to the doors. “None of the servants are awake. By the time they bestir themselves, we’ll be saddled and away.”

  “If all my guards are asleep, they’ll lose their heads.”

  I wondered if he was jesting. “Asleep or awake, the palace guards will not leave their posts.”

  As we left his suite by a side door, Kaldir bade his warriors remain, telling them, “I don’t believe I need to fear the queen’s attack.”

  I smiled. I did plan to attack him, but hoped that my advances would be welcome.

  We left the castle, walked together across the lawn, then along a gravel path bordered with hostas and coleus that led to the Royal Stable, a large wood and stone structure that housed perhaps fifty steeds. More were lodged close to the army’s barracks, convenient for the cavalry.

  When we entered, a sleepy guard sprang to her feet, nudging a stable boy with her booted foot. “Your Majesty!” Both dropped to their knees.

  “Be easy,” I said, smiling. “Saddle us mounts for a morning ride. The bay stallion in stall seventeen and the palomino mare.” The palomino was my favorite ride. In truth, I had not mounted the stallion since he’d thrown me. But I knew he had been broken to bridle by the stable master and was favored by Lord Geoman, who was a fine equestrian.

  I took a riding helmet from a cupboard and offered one of the black velveteen covered hats to Kaldir. He declined with a smile edged with contempt. I reminded myself to be patient, that the prince-scientist was elected to the nobility. If he was thrown and injured, the Children of Light could easily find another prince. I was a good rider, but unlike Kaldir I was irreplaceable.

  I did not
mind the helmet, for its black velveteen matched the lapels of my red hacking jacket and my boots. Kaldir donned a flowing headdress made of the same white fabric as the rest of his garb, and secured it with a thick black cord that wrapped around his head.

  He looked like one of the legendary sheikhs of old Terra, dashing and a little bit dangerous. I liked that.

  We mounted our horses and rode through the gray dawn, exiting the castle through the eastern gate. Once clear of the walls, I urged my mare to a canter. Tossing her head, she obliged, seeming glad of the exercise. Kaldir kept pace with me as we dashed over a meadow, splashed through a narrow stream, then slowed as we entered a wood, the same forest where I’d had that memorable encounter with Rall and Parron.

  The recollection heated my blood, as did the rocking motion of my horse and the saddle pressing against my pussy. And Kaldir, mounted, again recalled the mythic sheikhs of Araby. His robes flowed behind him as his stallion trotted through the wood, and he controlled the restive beast with an easy masculine power that sent a sultry thrill through my body.

  Was Kaldir the one?

  I slowed to a stop. “Are you hungry?” I asked, dismounting.

  “In a manner of speaking.” He joined me on the ground and we walked, holding our horses’ reins. ’Twas a pleasant morning. Second moonrise was nigh, the moist air perfumed by gardenias and pines.

  I took off my helmet and let it dangle from one hand by the chinstrap. “There is a village yonder, a short walk from here. The inn is quite good.”

  “I am not hungry for food, Audryn.” He stopped me with a hand on my arm.

  Yes. I drew an excited breath and he slid his hand up my arm to my neck and into my hair, untying the ribbon that held it at my nape. I swayed closer to him and he didn’t disappoint me. Dropping the stallion’s reins, Kaldir thrust both hands into my hair, clasping my head, bringing me closer. His full, soft lips brushed mine, sending need quivering through me. I sipped his breaths through my half-open mouth and nibbled at his lips with mine. He flicked my mouth with his tongue and I pressed against him, for I wanted to feel all of him against all of me.

  His body matched mine in height, but he was lean and hard with muscle. He released my head to glide his fingertips down my back, and my flesh quivered in response. He cupped my buttocks and pulled me snugly against him. The thin robes he wore did not impede his erection. Its heat seemed to burn through the fabric separating us right into my clit.

  I wanted to tease him, tantalize him as much as he tempted me. I nipped his lower lip and he groaned before opening my mouth with his. He slowly took my mouth with his tongue, sliding it inside me slowly but inexorably. One hand returned to caress my face, play with my hair while he continued to fondle my bottom. I could feel his glorious hardness against my mound.

  He broke away from me, his breath ragged. “This inn—does it have large, soft beds?”

  “It does, but I know a better place… We need not wait.”

  Taking his hand, I led him deeper into the wood, our well-trained horses following. I made for a great tree in the heart of the forest. Cloven by a lightning strike, it had a cleft in its trunk floored by leaves and pine duff.

  Kaldir’s grip drew my attention and I lifted his hand to examine it. In contrast to the dark backs of his hands, his palms were pink and laced with scars, some old, some new. I traced one with a fingertip, and he said, “Chemical burns.”

  “From what substances?”

  “To be candid, I really cannot remember. There have been so many.” His smile was tinged with apology.

  “Didn’t the accidents hurt? Why wouldn’t you wear gloves?”

  He shrugged. “Yes, the spills hurt a little, but gloves make me clumsier. I ruined an experiment of several months’ duration the first time I wore gloves.”

  “What do you study?”

  “The reproductive processes of, um…certain cells.”

  “Cells. Has this line of inquiry direct application?”

  “Mayhap, in the agricultural arena.” He sounded discomfited.

  I raised my brows. “Agriculture in the desert?” What was Kaldir hiding?

  “Given enough water, yes. That is why the negotiations with the Darksiders are so important.”

  “Ah. If you can import enough ice from the Darkside glaciers, you can develop hydroponics.”

  We had reached the tree, and I leaned against it, smiling at Kaldir. The horses wandered off, foraging.

  He stroked wisps of my hair away from my face. “You’re a continual surprise, Queen Audryn. So young but so knowledgeable.”

  “I have to be.”

  “I am sorry for your losses.”

  “Thank you.” Despite myself, my voice shook.

  “So young, so vulnerable.” He caressed my cheek and again kissed me, his full lips like clouds, his tongue in my mouth, darting like lightning. I curled my tongue around his and fisted the front of his robes, dragging him into the woodsy cleft.

  ’Twas big enough for two, and I stuck my boot behind his, tumbling him gently to the ground with a hand behind his head so he wouldn’t be hurt. I landed atop him, straddling his hips. His hardness tucked neatly into my notch and I wriggled, tucking his erection against the sweetest spot.

  “Ahhh…” I stretched out over him, caging his head in my hands, and kissed him. He wrapped his arms tightly around me, one hand at my hips and the other in my hair. Our mouths and bodies melded, generating enough fire, I feared, to ignite the dry duff beneath us.

  He scrabbled for my jodhpurs’ waistband, loosening it, and his hand slid into my pants, seeking my pussy. One long finger snaked along my slippery folds and nestled against my clit. I moaned, and Kaldir rolled me over. He crawled down my body and tore off my breeches, stopped only by my boots. He lifted my legs high. My ankles were trapped by my pants, my thighs squeezing my quim, the air cool on my arse.

  He tugged my thighs apart and tongued my core, giving me long laps from back hole to clit, swirling around the pearl of my desire with little flicks and nips that made me want to scream—so scream I did, shouting with ecstasy. He probed my slit with a finger, rubbing the ceiling of my channel. He found the most hidden, sensitive spot, proving he knew his way around a woman’s body. Pleasure flooded me as my sex juices drenched his hand, and he put two, then three fingers inside me.

  “More,” I begged. I writhed with need, desperate to come.

  “I don’t want to hurt you.”

  “You won’t.”

  He rotated his hand and his knuckles opened me wide while his thumb pushed my clitoris. I convulsed, wailing as my orgasm tore through me. He rolled me onto my hands and knees and I knew he wanted to fuck my pussy, but alas, as much as I wanted to feel his big, hard cock inside me, I could not let that happen.

  I spun while he was pulling up his robes and I reached for the drawstring of his trousers. “I want to taste you too,” I said, my voice husky with desire.

  “Yes!”

  Kneeling in front of him, I tugged at the drawstring and the cloth fell away, revealing a thick, dark pole, with a sac the color of plums beneath. He was magnificent, and I leaped to take him in my mouth, first licking the shining drop at the tip. Viscous and thick, it coated my tongue. I wrapped my lips around his cock head, taking it in while I pumped my fist around his shaft.

  He clasped my head in both hands and fucked my face as I grabbed his tight buttocks for support, enjoying the clench and bunch of his muscles as he drove in and out of me. I slapped his bottom.

  He cried out, sounding surprised, and pulled away. “What was that?”

  I leaned back, resting my elbows on the leaf-strewn ground. “Did it feel good?”

  A crinkle appeared between his brows. “It felt…unexpected.”

  I giggled. He dropped to his knees, his head near my crotch, and went for my pussy like a starving man, as though he had not brought me to a screaming orgasm with his tongue just a short time before. My jodhpurs impeded him but he put a palm on my mound
and pressed upward, exposing my clitoris. I hugged his hips and again took his gorgeous rod in my mouth.

  His soft lips massaged my pulsating clit again, gently, as though he knew that I needed gentleness after I had come so hard.

  I took him as deeply as I could, until I felt the ridge of his cock head nudge the hard bone of my palate. My eyes drifted shut and I swallowed, knowing that the muscles of my mouth and throat would take him higher. I cupped his sac, tenderly juggling the rounds inside it. The sac crinkled, drew tight in my hand.

  He groaned and croaked my name as his penis swelled, spurting hot jism into my mouth and down my throat. He tasted spicy and I delighted in swallowing every drop. As I sucked and licked his shrinking cock, he continued to softly moan with pleasure, his hands convulsing, digging into my rear.

  On a whim, I opened my eyes, hoping to look into his and see the same desire that possessed me.

  Lifting my head, I saw that he was watching me. His gaze was not abandoned to pleasure as I expected, but instead seemed cool—observant rather than involved. Inside me, my heart jolted. I also was not captured by the unstoppable lust I would have expected from the torrid sex we’d shared.

  Something was missing and I wasn’t sure what it was. Yes, Kaldir was sexually skilled, but I did not have the sense that he would willingly give himself to sensuality. Was I also holding back because I believed he was not wholly absorbed?

  Perhaps I also missed the bond of trust I experienced with Parron and Rall. If that were the case, I needed to develop patience. Many starturns would elapse before I would completely trust a new lover. Kaldir and I were royals, ruling over rival lands. Would it always be so?

  * * * * *

  After breakfasting at the inn, we rode back to the castle, laughing and talking freely as though that moment, that jolt, had not occurred. And why not? Time would, I hoped, make us good friends even if I did not choose him as my mate. A DesertDweller ally would always be useful.

  We did not ride back to Castle Remarck through the forest but took a well-traveled route through the town and then along neatly planted fields bordered by paths and hedgerows. We urged the horses into a last hard gallop before slowing when we neared the castle’s outer walls. The portcullis was open, as was our daytime custom, and inside the keep, people had erected stalls selling food and wares in the expectation that visitors to the castle—travelers seeking counsel or judgment from me—would purchase their goods.