Chapter 4
KNOX LOOKED DOWN ATEirwyn, unable to stop touching her. "Is she going to be alright?" He didn"t look up to ask. He couldn"t stop staring at her, either.
She had this ethereal beauty that was the exact opposite of him. She was clean, pristine smooth skin that was nothing like his own.
Tiny black braids extended from both temples to the back of her head like a crown. It was wild and tangled from her ordeal in the forest though, and nothing like what he"d expect a princess" hair to look like.
She was a petite little thing too. He could easily wrap his hands around her waist and pick her up. But the way her silk dress hugged the curves of her breasts... he somehow knew they would fill his big hands. The idea of throwing her over his shoulder and taking her into the forest to ravish her was more than intriguing.
The light from the fire and candles illuminated her pale face, giving her an ethereal satin glow. Her skin was flawless, and he marveled at the lack of freckles or sun spots. She had an elegant, swan-like throat. High cheekbones tinged with just a hint of peach. And those lips.
They drew his gaze. Tinged red, he wanted to taste her. He swallowed hard, trying to rein in his lust once more. It seemed to be a near-constant battle since he"d met her, and here she was passed out on his lap, and he could only think about ravishing her.
He was no better than the hooligans back at Vidrland.
"She"ll be alright now. See her pulse? Steady and strong. Is this the princess?"
Olive asked as she took the mug back to the kitchen. Scarlet walked into the cottage and came straight to Eirwyn"s side with a frown.
"Well, will she live or will I be on the run from the king for the next century?"
Knox sighed in relief as he looked back down at her. "She should be fine. Let me take her upstairs, and then I"ll go check on the maid."
Scarlet nodded, turning to the stairs as he lumbered carefully to his feet.
"That"s a good idea. She"s still out cold, but I have her and the horses safely tucked in the barn."
"There"s another one? Light, child, let me go see to her," Olive said, wiping her hands off on her apron as she strode to the door.
Knox followed Scarlet. She weighed less than he thought, and he had no trouble taking her up the stairs.
He strode to the right and laid her on the long bed in the center of the room. He brushed the hair back from her face and started to pull the blanket up over her.
Then he frowned and unlaced her boots, setting each one neatly at the foot of the bed. His hands slid over her tiny feet, and he took a deep breath at the feel of the Red silk in his rough hands.
"Brother, we have got to get you laid," Scarlet said from the door.
He jerked back, pulling the blanket over her with a snap of fabric.
Scarlet held her dagger in one hand, her brow raised as she said, "Don"t you think it"s time?"
He sighed, turning to stare down at the gorgeous princess. She looked so innocent in her sleep.
"I"ve never felt the urge before. You know that."
He"d gone into the taverns outside the forest a few times. He"d even gone to a brothel twice, but none of the ladies or men had given him even an urge.
Not until the princess had looked up at him with that calm, happy smile in the midst of chaos. Not since she"d sat on his dick in the saddle and asked him how well he used his knife.
His lips twitched. She was feisty and a breath of fresh air. He"d expected the princess to be stuck up and arrogant.
But she was more of a go with the flow kind of girl. It seemed like nothing bothered her. Not the carriage ride, not the threat of death from the forest.
She was a puzzle to unravel, and he loved puzzles.
Scarlet cleared her throat. "But you feel the urge with her? Is that why your tail popped up and you formed a wall of trees around the two of you?"
He rubbed a hand down his face then both hands over the scales behind his temples. He scratched them, the motion bringing some relief. The movement dislodged his hood, and he raked a hand over his pointed, scaly horns, smoothing down the single thick brown braid, hair only growing straight back from his temples and down the back of his head.
Scarlet used to make fun of him for having a mane like a horse, which was why he always wore his hood anywhere he went. He wasn"t even sure how many of the Robins had ever seen his uncovered head.
He glanced down at the beautiful princess as she slept peacefully. There was no way someone as beautiful as her would go for someone as hideous as him. They weren"t even sure what species he was, for drake"s sake.
He shook his head slowly and sighed. "Fat load of good it does me."
He turned and strode back down the stairs, Scarlet"s stare weighed on his shoulders as she followed him.
"I think you should woo her. Everyone knows she"s promiscuous, much to the king"s horror. You might have a chance to get laid after all."
Olive"s head popped around the edge of the kitchen as they reached the bottom of the stairs, her eyebrows raised. "What"s this?"
Knox took a deep breath and closed his eyes as a wave of frustration made him scratch at the scales on his head again.
"It"s nothing," he said, striding to the hearth and glancing around. He quickly found the bowls on the sideboard and scooped up a generous portion from the pot over the fire.
He sank into the overstuffed chair again, hoping to smell her scent once more. It was like jasmine and honeysuckle and something else.
He growled, not finding it, and began to eat.
Scarlet filled her own bowl as Olive sat in her chair directly in front of the fire.
"Knox wants to fuck the princess," Scarlet said bluntly.
Olive"s brows rose but it was another gasp from down the hall that drew his gaze. The princess" maid stood at the door to the washroom, her hand clutching her neck as she stared in horror at Knox" head.
His fingers itched to pull his hood up, but he lifted his head instead, not looking away.
The maid blinked and frowned, storming toward him even as she shook in fear. "You will do no such thing," she said, waving her finger at him before dancing behind the other two women"s chairs.
Olive waved to the sideboard. "Helga, there are bowls just there if you"re hungry. Meet my godson, Knox, and my granddaughter, Scarlet. They"re the ones who brought you both safely through the forest."
Helga eyed him and widened her feet. "You will not lay even a finger on the princess, do you hear? The king would kill me if anything happened to her."
Knox nodded slowly and turned his eyes back to the food, his cheeks burning in shame at being caught with his hood down. Her words were only slightly annoying compared to that.
He knew she spoke truth. The king had found out Eirwyn had been visiting the tavern in Demerel and had tried to burn it down. The tavern owner had put the fire out, but it wasn"t the first time he"d tried to burn something down in his anger.
Scarlet snorted. "If Knox was going to fuck her, he already would"ve. So there"s nothing to worry about."
Helga wavered, but Olive eyed him curiously.
"You—you will leave her alone?" Helga asked.
Knox nodded again, sipping the bottom of his bowl. When he put it down, he made a show of wiping his mouth with his sleeve like a peasant. Sure enough, the maid winced at his lack of gentility.
"After I escort you both into Demerel, you won"t have to see me ever again. Regardless of how I feel on the matter, I know better than to go after the princess. So stop your worrying."
He stood and offered her the seat. "Here, you can have my seat. I"ll be outside if anyone needs me."
Helga"s eyes widened even more as he bowed perfectly, walked to the sink to drop his bowl off, then strode out the back door.
The nerve of the woman. Who was she to decide who the princess slept with or didn"t? It wasn"t like she was her mother.
A pang of remorse stabbed him, and his steps slowed as he entered the barn. He hadn"t told her about her parents" accident. He frowned as he checked on the horses. Normally the movements were calming, but not tonight.
He shut the barn and crept toward the house, his eyes trained on the upstairs window where Eirwyn lay. The giant tree that the cottage was built into lowered its branches for him, and he stepped onto one, his hand latching onto the rough wood as it took him up to the window.
She lay sleeping, now turned on her side. The tree obscured the moonlight, but he could still see her in the dimness. They were separated by more than just the glass window.
She was a princess, and he was a lumberjack. The Robins didn"t matter. The war didn"t matter. All that mattered was that she was meant to be a political alliance in some arranged marriage or another.
That she"d made it to twenty without being wed said little, since the war had been raging for so long. She would probably make a politically helpful marriage soon.
He lived in the woods and couldn"t offer her even a home. The entire forest was his home, and he slept outside almost every night. To do otherwise was dangerous.
What princess would want to sleep outside with the bugs and insects and all manner of animals?
He sighed, a pressure growing in his chest at the futility of dreaming of a future with her. It was useless. There was no way it would work.
Tomorrow he would have to say goodbye forever.
He waved his hands and the branches formed a type of hammock. Then he laid down, the gentle breeze through the leaves lulling him to sleep as he watched the princess.