Hey all!
Here's the next part, please let me know what you think! Like/comment/vote!
<3
P.s. Let me know what ya'll think is going to happen to Helen ;)
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Three days later, the day had finally come for Stanton and I to return back to Tarantsmo. I was itching to get out of this inn – it was an accommodating stay but one that left a bitter taste in my mouth.
"Our carriage awaits," Stanton said as he opened the door to leave the chamber of the inn. I nodded and stood up from the bed I was sitting on, taking careful, slow, steps. I had started to walk by myself, finally, just yesterday.
"Are you sure you're well enough? It will be a long journey – surely the carriage ride will be uncomfortable," Stanton said, concern tugging at his mouth.
"Stanton, by god if you ask me one more time," I started, quickly getting interrupted by Stanton throwing his hands up in defense.
"Alright, don't say I didn't warn you," he replied before muttering something that sounded suspiciously like "Damned stubborn woman."
I shot him a small glare before I held out my hand to him, to which he offered the crook of his elbow.
"I just wish for things to go back to how they were before this entire ordeal happened," I sighed, my eyes scanning the inn. It was the first time I head seen the main lobby, the desk with the innkeeper and the tavern off to one side.
"A reasonable wish," he nodded. Stanton's spirits had raised considerably over the past few days – his eyes weren't clouded with guilt anymore – surely the advance in my recovery to be cause for this. For the first time, it seemed I may actually go back to feeling healthy again. My leg injuries had healed completely. Now it was just a matter of waiting for my ribs to heal completely. They were still sore when resting and only really became painful any time I coughed or touched them. Stanton had taken the bindings off of my torso two days prior, I felt at this point, I needed to start gaining back strength without them.
"Surely you are excited to get back to Tarantsmo, you have a duchy to tend to, after all," I said as we walked slowly out the door of the inn.
"I'm confident my advisors did a fine job in my absence. If anything was amiss, a messenger would have been sent," he said as he put two hands on my waist, carefully lifting me into the carriage.
It was then that I noticed the absence of Stanton's sling. "You are not wearing your sling," I stated simply.
He instinctively put a hand to what was his injured shoulder. "No, the pain has lessened a great deal," he smiled as he shrugged.
"I'm happy to hear it," I smiled before my thoughts were taken somewhere else. "Won't the people of Tarantsmo wonder of your absence? Surely there must already be rumors of the attack," I mused as I settled into the carriage, resting back against the cushioned seat as Stanton took his place beside me.
"Rumors that will all be laid to rest as soon as we return," he promised, his eyes locking mine, the gaze there dark and promising.
I simply nodded, my mind quickly turning to Helen. I couldn't suppress the building anticipation I had at watching her see me, alive and in the flesh. Would she be angry? Would she play the fool and try to talk her way out of being convicted?
Would she beg for forgiveness? She would never receive it. Anger boiled in my chest as I imagined her, turning to Stanton, trying to persuade him to her ways like she had before.
I reached my hand out and grabbed Stanton's, intertwining my fingers within his. She had tried to coax Stanton away from me and she had failed. She had tried to have me killed and again, she had failed. Now the tables had turned. I would have justice and I would not fail.
By the time we arrived back in Tarantsmo my ribs were radiating with pain but I was happy to have returned home. It was nearly sunset as we made our way into our home and straight into our bed chambers. Stanton and I both looked forward to sleeping in our own bed that night.
I smiled the next morning as I felt Stanton bury his nose in the nape of my neck and take a deep breath, tickling my skin as he exhaled.
"Good morning love," he whispered, sending shivers down my spine as he placed tender kisses just below my ear.
"Mmmm," I sighed as he lifted himself up, putting an arm on either side of my body, hovering over me, one of his legs rest between both of mine, our legs intertwined, he was careful not to put pressure on me and my still healing torso as he continued to place soft kisses down my neck and onto my shoulder, across my collarbone to the hollow of my throat. I raised one arm and wrapped it around his bare waist, feeling the thick bands of muscle in his back. I tangled my other hand in his hair, gently pulling his face up, bringing his lips to mine.
He dropped slowly so that he was leaning on his forearms, his elbows propping him up. His chest only barely above my own, I took my right leg and wrapped it around his leg that was resting between mine, pulling him closer. I could feel my body heating in response, far too long it had felt nothing but pain, it was starved of pleasure. Stanton responded by pushing his knee slightly up, the pressure of his thigh between my legs made me raise my hips, a quiet moan escaping my lips.
I wanted nothing more than to make love to my husband in this moment but I knew he would disapprove, saying I was not healed yet. Just then, an idea sprang into my mind.
"Stanton," I whispered as I tangled my hands into his hair, my lips brushing against his as I spoke.
"Hmm?" he asked as he grabbed my bottom lip between his teeth, tugging at it gently before letting go of it and grinning at me. My breathing was heavy and ragged as I replied.
"Bathe with me?" I smiled up at him as the surprise registered on his face. I wiggled underneath him, letting him know that I wanted up.
I stood slowly and I held my hand to him, aware of his eagerness as it was very clear he wanted me as much as I wanted him.
We walked hand and hand into the lavatory as I examined the wash basin. It was just as large as the one I had at the castle when I had stayed there – it would easily fit both Stanton and I with room to spare.
We turned the faucets that let the warm water flow freely into the basin. I turned and faced him so that we were standing chest to chest, our thin night garments the only thing separating our aroused bodies. I ran my hands up from his abdomen to his chest, muscle filling my hands as I pressed my lips to his chest. His hands found their way to my hips where they gingerly gripped them, he was being cautious with his touch. I couldn't ignore the soreness of my ribs from the journey yesterday but it wasn't enough to stop what I had in mind.
I curled my fingers around the waistband of his sleeping trousers and pulled them down, leaving Stanton naked.
"Undress me," I whispered, holding my hands above my head. He wasted no time as he quickly used his hands to gather up the skirt of my nightdress and pull it above my head.
His eyes traveled my naked body slowly, "Rebecca," he groaned, his voice hoarse. "I want you."
"And you'll have me," I replied as I wrapped my arms around his neck.
As expected, he shook his head, "I don't want to hurt you."
"You won't," I promised.
"Rebecca," he started to protest but I cut him off by turning to the basin, stopping the faucets and climbing in, motioning for him to join me. I sat down, my legs stretched out in front of me and he slowly lowered himself behind me, his legs on either side of me.
I sighed as I leaned back against him, my back pressed to his chest. The sides of the basin were at my shoulders when I was sitting flat on my bottom and the water was a few inches below the lip, adding the familiar weightless buoyancy to my body as if I were swimming.
Stanton's hands skimmed along my sides, wrapping around me. One of his large hands found it's way to my left breast, stroking the sensitive peak as his right hand traveled lightly over my right hipbone slowly exploring down. I tilted my head back and he pressed his cheek against mine as his hand found it's way between my thighs, slowly massaging the sensitive pearl at the apex of my womanhood.
I gasped as one of his fingers slowly plunged into me, stroking gently. I moaned and rest my hands on his thighs, squeezing them. I could feel his arousal behind me, pressing into my back, his ragged breathing like electricity on my skin as he kissed my shoulders.
Just then I pulled away from him but his strong arms held me in place like a vice. "Let me," I whispered. His arms withdrew and I moved away from him, turning around so that I was facing him.
His expression was heated as he watched me. I slowly brought myself towards him and placed myself over him, straddling him. My body was light, weightless in the water and I could see that he understood now, that this was why I had suggested bathing together, making love this way would not take a harsh toll on my injured body.
I kept my eyes on his, his blue eyes burning into me as I lowered myself on him, my mouth dropping open as his manhood filled me, reaching deeply within me. His jaw clenched as he grasped my hips. Slowly, he guided me up, so that just the swollen head of his erection remained inside me before he gripped my hips and pressed me down, again sheathing his full length within me. I dropped my head back as I became familiar with the sensation I had missed for too long.
"Look at me," I heard Stanton, his voice husky and demanding. I snapped my head up and met his gaze before I wrapped my arms around his shoulders, bringing our bodies chest to chest, our noses nearly touching as our hot breath mingled together as he continued to guide me, softly, slowly on top of him. When he raised me up I pushed myself up off my knees and wrapped my legs around him, clenching my legs around him, not wanting an inch of space between my husband and I as we ground our hips together.
I knew that he was becoming wanting, he began to direct my body on top of him more quickly and our eye contact was broken when he knotted a fist in my hair and pulled my head back, bearing my throat and chest to him to feast on. His lips found their way over my collarbones, nibbling and sucking, my mouth open as moans escaped from my lips.
He took his hand from my hair and clamped both of his hands around my hips, continuing the rhythmic, controlled sways of our bodies.
I repeated what he had done to me as I grabbed a fistful of his hair and pulled his head back. I started with soft, tender kisses and without warning I bit down on his shoulder, causing him to swear out in surprise and pain which I knew quickly transformed to pleasure. I answered his thrusts by grinding my hips into his, the friction between our bodies sending spikes of pleasure throughout and I knew that I was climbing towards release.
"Again," he grunted and again I bit down, on the other shoulder this time and quickly brought my mouth down and bit down on his chest, to which he growled and squeezed my hips.
"Stanton," I moaned as I could feel my womanhood starting to pulse.
"Gods, Rebecca," he replied and the sound of my name on his lips and then his mouth clamping down on the sensitive peak of my breast was my undoing. I cried out as all of the pent up frustration released from my body in waves, my womanhood quivering around him forcefully. He ground my hips into his a few more times as I continued to spasm around him and I heard him groan in his release, slowing my body on top of him, his hands squeezing my hips appreciatively.
Without saying anything, I re-situated myself so that I was pressed comfortably against Stanton's chest while he leaned back, resting against the back of the basin, holding me in his arms, and that was where we stayed until the water turned cool.
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"Now that some immediate needs have been met," Stanton smirked as we were eating breakfast after dressing, "what would you like to do today?"
"Find Helen," I said simply.
"You wouldn't rather see your family? Or rest?" he asked, one eyebrow raised above his blue eyes.
"I rested long enough. Helen was the reason I almost never got to see my family again. I have been thinking of this day since her name left your lips," I said, popping a piece of strawberry in my mouth, as if it was nonchalant conversation. To me, it was simple. She tried to have my husband and I killed. She did not heed my warning about leaving him alone and now I would keep my promise, she must answer to me.
"Fair enough," Stanton nodded. "I will go with you."
I began to protest but quickly stopped and nodded, I knew already that he would not interfere with me when I found the woman.
It wasn't much longer we were walking through the streets of Tarantsmo, Haythem and another knight walking behind us.
Soon enough we were at the orphanage and I was opening the door, finding myself inside. In moments, a familiar, warm face was in front of me, touching my cheek.
"Rebecca," my mother cooed, tears sliding down her face.
"Mother," I smiled to her. "I am well, please do not weep for me. I am dying to see father, Todd and Jahnai but I must take care of something first. Where is Helen?" I asked.
Her eyebrows pulled together in confusion before she spoke. "Why, she has been on holiday for days now. She isn't expected to return for some time – I was left to look over the orphanage during the day while Gretchen, the other helping maiden, spends her nights here."
I nodded curtly as I swallowed the rage that slowly crept up my throat.
"Rebecca, what is it?" my mother asked, her face concerned.
"I will explain all later, I promise, but I must go," I explained as I exited out the main door of the orphanage and stormed to the house just beside it, knowing that it belonged to Helen. Helen ran the orphanage and lived there much of the time but she still had a home that held permanent belongings and where her family would have lived, had she had any family.
I didn't bother knocking as I tried opening the door. Surprisingly it swung open, nothing barring entrance into the home. My face burned as I took in the sight around me – an empty house, stripped of all the necessities. I turned slowly around, facing the three men behind me, I waved Stanton off as he began to speak, controlled rage filling my voice as I seethed, "Find her. Bring her to me."