Danu was right. The Generals all understood what was happening and began speaking of preparations without any hesitation.
"Do you want to explain to me why you seem to be keeping Darren out of everything?" Fiadh asked once they were alone in the throne room.
"Some things happened in my battle, and I need to clear them up with him."
"What kind of things?"
She told her about what she very much hoped was all an illusion and about the things said in regards to using her like a broken doll or getting rid of her all together.
"Do you really think I would let him do that to you? I would kill him!"
"It all seemed so real, Fi. Laoise desperately wants him, and he has always noticed her. I know we need to talk, but I'm not sure what to say to him yet."
"Ai, it's Darren. You two have been flirting with each other for ages while playing this silly game of waiting when we all know you both are head over heels. Go find him. I'll go get Beck, Caden, and Cillian and meet you here in the throne room in a couple of hours so that you and Darren have time to talk."
Aiden started to go search for Darren but decided to change out of her bloody, sweaty tunic and fighting leathers first. She went straight to the bathing room in her chambers where a hot bath had already been prepared and sighed as she sank down into the pleasant, perfumed water. As much as she wanted to luxuriate in the glorious feel of the bath, she knew that time was of the essence, so she quickly washed her hair and cleaned the still healing cuts on her arm and side.
As she wrapped herself in a towel and was brushing out her hair at the bathing room counter, she sensed someone come in and looked over to see Darren standing in the doorway. "What are you doing in here? I could have still been in the bath."
"Would you care if I saw you naked, Aiden? What would you have said if I had gone so far as to ask to join you? You came back, and now, you have to look at me and tell me that you feel the same way I do. I don't know what slamming the throne room doors in my face was all about, but the Aiden I know will tell me what's going on."
"Things happened in my battle that I somehow remember. I'm unsure if they were illusions or not, but we can talk about it later. We have bigger things to deal with right now, and you know it. Now, I'm aware too thanks to my conversation with Danu. The Generals have been given orders, and Fiadh and the other Chosen are meeting us in the throne room in a couple of hours to discuss what we must do next."
Darren walked over and stood so close that Aiden could feel the warmth coming off of him and see the pulse in his neck beating rapidly as he took the brush from her hand and set it on the counter before placing his strong hands on either side of her waist. Her heart suddenly seemed to be beating like a war drum, and she found she could not form words as she looked up into his eyes while lower parts of her body began begging for him to pull the towel from her and take her right there on the bathing room counter.
"We will go find the others in a little while, but right now, we are going to talk about us. What do you want, Aiden? Tell me exactly what you would like me to do right now. I want to hear you say it instead of just knowing through heightened senses," he whispered in her ear. He leaned down to gently kiss her neck just below that ear. Then up to her jaw. Finally, the corners of her full lips. He then pulled back just slightly and locked eyes with her.
One of Darren's hands began a gentle slide down Aiden's waist, to her hip, and finally to outer thigh where he stopped and stroked his fingers gently over the skin underneath where the towel stopped. Her whole body began humming with need when he slowly moved his fingers from outer thigh toward inner thigh. "I have remained patient because you wanted to wait until after your battle, but when I'm alone in my bed, I close my eyes and think about how much I want you forever, Aiden. I've thought about what it would be like to taste you more times than I can count. Let me finally love you. Let me have you right now," he confessed never letting his eyes leave hers.
She bit her bottom lip and reached for his hand now on her inner thigh guiding it the short distance up and moaning softly when his fingers felt just how much she wanted him. He inserted one as he went back to kissing her neck, so she began to ride that finger gasping when he added a second that brought her close to the edge. But he stilled those fingers just before she found pleasure and looked back into her eyes commanding, "Tell me what you want, Aiden."
She still did not think speech possible, so she unwrapped the towel and let it fall to the floor. His gaze swept from head to toe lingering on her breasts that were now peaked slightly from a breeze that began to blow through the bathing room which told her that Darren was barely in control. She tried to move on him again, but he grabbed her hip to still her. "Tell me. I want to hear you say the words."
Aiden knew she had to find the ability to speak before she went insane from the need coursing through her veins. She had dreamt of this for so long and was determined not to mess it up as she replied, "I want you. Right now."
Darren's other hand lifted to squeeze her breast as his fingers resumed the slow pulls in and out. He crushed his mouth to hers parting her lips with his tongue as she moaned again when he placed his thumb at the bundle of nerves right above where his fingers were bringing her so close to completion, but it wasn't enough. She needed to feel him inside her.
Grabbing Darren's shirt, Aiden pulled it over his head and let her hands begin exploring all the rippled muscle of his bare chest, but she still wasn't satisfied. She dragged one hand down to cup him through his pants feeling how incredibly hard he was.
He lifted her onto the counter and undid his pants releasing the length of him. "Are you sure, Aiden?"
"I'm sure, Darren."
She closed her eyes as she felt his cock at her entrance and let out a gasp as he began to slide in slowly. He took one of her nipples into his mouth as he molded the other breast with a strong, calloused hand. Once he was all the way in, he began to move at a gentle pace letting her adjust, but she gripped his shoulders and began to move faster on him as the pleasure increased encouraging him to go harder.
He grabbed her hips as he pulled out slowly then slammed back in while she clenched tight around him until he finally sped up driving her closer to completion. "I've wanted this for so long, Aiden. My cock gets hard every time I see you. I can't help but picture your mouth wrapped around it. You're mine, Aiden! Mine to love! Mine to fuck! Mine to spend eternity with!"
She climaxed at his words then kissed him as she came down from the pleasure but soon began to move on him again until he lifted her off the counter taking them to the chair at her vanity while he remained inside of her. He sat down allowing their fit to go deeper and put one hand on her ass and the other on her breast as she began to ride faster feeling another climax looming.
She leaned down and whispered in his ear, "Show me what all you have wanted to do to me, Darren."
Unfortunately, that sentence brought him to completion. Darren threw his head back and called out her name. He then pulled her close and held her against his chest while catching his breath as she gently ran her fingers through his hair hoping he would be ready to go again soon.
"Are you okay? Are you hurt? I tried to be gentle since that was your first time."
Aiden couldn't look at Darren and instead buried her face against his neck. She wasn't a virgin, but he definitely did not need to know that. She had been with two others not wanting Darren to be her first because she wanted to be his best and knew that required practice and skill. One she had been with many times and the other only once, but those were stories that she had never told anyone, not even Fiadh, for good reason. "I'm fine. I know that wasn't your first time. Can I ask you something though?" she said in a desperate attempt to change the subject.
"Anything."
"Have you fucked Laoise?" she blurted out finally looking at him.
"What? No. I've thought about it, but I have never acted on it. Why?"
"I saw you two during my battle. You were planning on marrying me so that you could be King then making her your mistress."
"That's crazy, Aiden. I would never do that to you. Not to mention that Fi would kick my ass if I did."
"Who was your first then?"
"Do we have to talk about this?"
"I want to know."
"My first was Lady O'Malley when I was sixteen. She had been widowed two months prior and was...lonely. Hell; she was only nineteen and fucking half the soldiers in the barracks."
"That I did not need to know. How many after her?"
"I've been sleeping with one of the maids on and off for the last couple of years and had a brief fling with a healer's apprentice several months ago."
"Please tell me it's not one of my maids."
"She is one of your mother's maids but is now betrothed to one of the generals. Speaking of that relationship, are you taking a tonic?"
"I started taking one a while ago. I'm not careless, Darren."
"I've been taking one for several years now, but I will give you heirs one day soon," he remarked with a smug grin.
"There is enough to contend with right now without talks of heirs. We need to get dressed and head back to the throne room," she suggested removing herself from his cock.
Darren kept her in his lap though and kissed Aiden for several long minutes before she finally pushed back and got up headed for the closet as Darren followed. He watched her dress while he sat back looking beyond tempting in just his pants he had pulled back on. A part of her could not believe that she and Darren had finally given in to their desire, but she would think more on that later because she knew it was now time to be Queen and protect her friends.
Darren took her hand in his as they entered the throne room, and Fiadh immediately zeroed in on it with a knowing smile on her face while the males gave Darren looks that conveyed they too knew. As they came to stand in front of the others, Darren released Aiden's hand only to place an arm around her waist which felt comforting to her.
"I assume Fi has filled you all in on my meeting with Danu. You all are in danger, and you must follow me to a place known as Forgotten Palace where you will be protected and trained by the Fae. We leave at first light."
"Why are we leaving the kingdom when it's in danger? We should be here to protect the people."
"Cillian, I know it seems to not make sense, but I trust Danu. I don't know why, but every instinct I have tells me that we have to do this. She has assured me that the kingdom will be protected by the barrier my parents created. No one can help you all reach your full potential better than the actual people your power came from. I got a brief look at the training room and witnessed Fae warriors that could snap you like a twig, Cillian. I saw fighting techniques that you could only dream of, Caden. Beck, there were warriors that created swords of water from out of nowhere. Fi, you would have flipped at the shifter who could transform in the blink of an eye while still engaging an opponent with weapons. They want to help us, and we need their assistance."
"Our people will be protected?"
"Yes, Beck. You all getting stronger will only benefit the kingdom more. No one here can teach you how to manage the great amounts of power you all have awoken, but the Fae can."
"You heard our Queen. Gather your things, and be prepared to depart at first light as she commanded," Darren added.
When they all began to bow, Aiden stopped them. She appreciated the loyalty and acceptance of her leadership, but these were also her friends and allies. "We are in this together. No bowing. You are all my friends and will become my closest advisers who will be by my side as we lead our armies as well. I also have much to learn and training to complete so that I can be the Queen that Siog Riocht deserves."
The males departed to ready their things to leave while Fiadh remained behind with Darren and Aiden starring with arms crossed waiting for them to crack under the look she knew worked every time.
"Yes, Fi. Something happened."
"Clearly. I have heightened senses just like the males. About time you two shared a bed so that we can all move on from your constant, obvious need for one another." She walked up to Darren until they were literally toe to toe. Fi drew herself up to her full height, which only came to Darren's chin but demanded his full attention, and let her inner beasts shine through her eyes as she told him, "If you hurt her, betray her, use her, become unfaithful to her, or do anything that causes even the slightest frown to cross her face, I will kill you and feel no remorse for it. I also have diplomatic immunity in all surrounding kingdoms. Do you understand?"
"I understand, Fi, but you do not have to worry. My heart belongs to her."
That was what she had always wanted. It warmed Aiden's heart to hear him actually say the words, but there was also a hint of some kind of uncertainty that crept in, which she fully chose to ignore as she felt both Darren's arms wrap around her middle. He kissed her neck as Fiadh smiled and departed giving them privacy.
"I can't wait to see you crowned on that throne. I would be lying if I said I hadn't thought about doing other things with you on that throne," Darren crooned as he turned them to face the dais.
"I still cannot see that as anything other than my father's, so no. Not on the throne."
"Yes, Your Majesty. Hmmm...I like calling you that."
She leaned back into his strong chest taking in how it felt to finally be in his arms. Her stomach, however, decided to choose that moment to announce to the entire kingdom how empty it was. She hadn't even registered how famished she felt with all that had happened in the last few hours.
"Let's get you some food and then decide whether we'll be in your bed or mine because there is no way I'm letting you out of my sight tonight."
Aiden kissed him, but Darren broke it with a laugh as her stomach roared again that sustenance was needed immediately. He took her hand and lead the way to the dining hall where the smells of spiced meats, vegetables, cakes, and pies were filling the halls.
Aiden had already decided that she would devour cake first but froze as they entered the dining hall and saw Laoise standing near the door eyes focused on Darren as usual until her gaze moved to his and Aiden's joined hands leading to a single tear falling down her perfectly rouged cheek before her eyes filled with the hatred of all hell. "Congratulations, Your Highness. I guess you won. I'll send you my favorite lip polish as a congratulatory gift. Darren likes to see painted red lips wrapped around his cock. It works every time." Each syllable dripped with venom as did her smile knowing her words hit their mark by the look of anger that crossed Aiden's face.
Darren tensed to utter stillness by Aiden's side which fully confirmed that what Laoise said was true. Fiadh appeared at Aiden's other side twirling a throwing knife between her fingers while Caden, Beck, and Cillian went completely still and silent at the table looking between Darren, Aiden, and Laoise. The servants and guards vanished sensing the tension.
Aiden looked straight into Laoise's eyes and drummed up every bit of queenly confidence that she could muster as she snapped, "Thank you for the advice, and the offer of a gift, but shove your red lip polish right up your ass! I do not need any assistance from anyone in regards to how to please Darren in bed, on a bathing room counter, in a palace hallway, or anywhere else. Now, feel free to see yourself out of my castle as your time at court has ended."
Laoise's jaw dropped, and Aiden smiled brightly, let go of Darren's hand, and sashayed to the table laden with food. She was still smiling when Laoise went running from the dining hall in tears. Only then did the others finally loose the breaths they were holding in anticipation of violence.
"I have never been more proud to be your best friend, Ai," Fiadh laughed as she sat down and began filling her plate while Caden, Beck, and Cillian resumed eating all the meats and potatoes piled high on theirs.
"The bitch deserved it."
"She reject you, Cillian?"
"No female rejects me, but I have not and will never go near that one! Too clingy and crazy."
"It's a good thing she came out of her battle powerless because I assume whatever type of seducing magic she might have gotten would get her killed by several females in the kingdom," Beck teased.
Darren sat down beside Aiden but made no move to speak or begin eating. She could feel his stare but continued satisfying her hunger and ignored him. They would certainly be discussing the situation, just not in front of everyone else. One thing she was sure of though was that he better have a damn good explanation or irrefutable evidence that Laoise was lying, otherwise, she knew they could not go on.
Aiden pushed back from the table after what was probably an unacceptable amount of cake for a queen to consume in public and said goodnight to the others before leaving the dining hall without so much as a side look at Darren. She made for her bedchamber knowing he would follow.
If he had lied to her, she didn't know if she could ever forgive him after what she was forced to watch in the battle, illusion or not. She shut the door to her chambers, counted to ten, and turned to open the door hearing Darren's expected knock.
"I can explain," he immediately told her as he shut the door behind him and lead her into the bedchamber.
"You just told me that you never slept with her while I was naked in your arms! What the fuck, Darren?"
"I never actually fucked her, Aiden! I wasn't lying to you! Let me explain!"
"Fine," she growled.
"Remember that day last summer when me, you, Fi, and Beck spent the day swimming in the stream in Faoi Gheasa?"
"Yeah."
"You looked beyond beautiful with the sun lighting up your hair and water shimmering on your skin. All I could think about was how bad I wanted you. I spent the whole day finding reasons to touch you and be close to you, so by the time we got back to the palace, I was about to lose my mind! I left you all at dinner to rush back to my room because I was hard as steel after you kissed my cheek on your way in to eat. Laoise was waiting by my door and saw the state I was in, so she told me to close my eyes and pretend she was you while she undid my pants. I went to stop her, but my head suddenly filled with thoughts of your hands on me and your mouth wrapped around me. I then couldn't stop because I let myself get lost in thinking about your full, perfect lips on my cock, and I lasted all of about thirty seconds. Laoise stood up and went to kiss me as she guided my hand to her breast, but I stepped back and told her to leave. She began to undress in front of me and told me to go back to pretending she was you. I was still so full of need that I did consider fucking her right then and there just to clear my damn head, but I knew you'd never be with me if I crossed that line with her though. I turned and went into my room instead leaving her alone and half naked in the hallway."
"That was a really good day. I came to your room that night. I was planning to kiss you again, but on the lips instead of just your cheek. I even thought about doing more, but I was shaking all over as I stood there and couldn't even muster up the courage to knock. I felt like a fool and went back to my room. I wanted to know that when the time came I could please you better than any other."
"What did you do then, Aiden?"
"I closed me eyes, pulled up my nightgown, and let my mind imagine that is was your hand on me and in me."
"I love that I am the only male that will ever know how it feels to be inside you," he smiled.
Aiden looked down as if blushing certainly not wanting to admit the truth, so instead she responded, "I wasn't sure I wanted you to be, only because I desired to be the best you ever had. I knew no amount of reading or using my own hand would prepare me for that."
"You were perfect. It was everything I have ever imagined. I get a lot pleasure out of knowing that I was the first to touch you. Just out of curiosity though, who would you have turned to as practice for me?"
"It doesn't matter. You were right though about me never being with you if you had been with her. I still don't know how I feel about the fact that her lips have been on you. How many times, Darren?"
"It was only that one time. I swear, Aiden. She tried many times after that though. I would come into my chamber what seemed like every other day and find her naked in my bed, but I just threw her clothes to her and told her to leave every time. She found me training in the courtyard of the barracks one day and came up behind me kissing my shoulders. She was wearing your perfume, so I thought it was you at first. I planned to take you right there in front of everyone but jumped back when I saw it was her instead. She knew that I wanted you and only you."
"Then why Lady O'Malley and then relationships with the maid and the healer's apprentice if you wanted me that badly? You couldn't or wouldn't wait for me?"
"It was never serious with any of them. They knew it was just sex and that I was in love with another that I couldn't have at the time. It kept me from situations like that night with Laoise and took the edge off the need that took over every time I was around you. I actually called out your name once with the healer's apprentice, and she never spoke to me again."
"I can't blame her. I just don't want females gossiping behind my back because they know what it's like to be in your bed. That weakens me in their eyes. Laoise will be bad enough. She is nobility and can't technically be banished from court just because I loathe her, otherwise, I'd throw her out on her ass."
"Aiden, I haven't been whoring myself to every female in the kingdom. I will never be that kind of king. You will be the only female in my bed for the rest of our lives. I went to your father the day before your battle and told him that I was in love with you and intended on asking for your hand. I promised him that I will be by your side always, and he gave me his blessing."
Aiden's silver eyes widened at that. Darren seemed to have their whole future planned out already, but she wasn't sure how she felt about that since she had not be given any say so. "No more lies or half truths. I never want to be put in a situation like I was put in tonight."
"Never again. I'm yours, Ai. All yours."
Darren removed his shirt, boots, and pants with quick precision before he lead her to the bed and began removing her clothing as well. He loved her slowly as if trying to prove his love and loyalty with every stroke.
Aiden almost slept through the entire night and stayed in his arms for the few hours before dawn. It was the closest she had ever come to a full night's sleep.