Chapter 9

Chapter

Nine

Alexandru

T he ancient citadel looms tall and foreboding before Eleanna and me, its blackened walls scarred by centuries of warfare.

The snow-covered landscape adds to the desolate atmosphere, the only movement coming from the occasional snowflake drifting through the air. The torch lights on the walls flicker, and shadows slither on the snow-packed earth.

I dismount my steed with practiced ease and secure the reins to a crumbling pillar. Eleanna does the same after jumping off her horse.

"Quite the romantic getaway," Eleanna says, her breath clouding in the frosty air as she joins me.

"Only the best for you," I smile at her. "Ravaged castles, moonlit duels?—"

"Careful, Alexandru. One might think you're trying to seduce me."

"I've already done that. Unless you're asking me to. Are you asking me to, Eleanna?"

"It depends how attached you are to your life. Or are you thinking you'll take your chances by walking on that wild side of insolence?" Her tone is all innocence, but the curve of her lips suggests otherwise.

We're pretending all is good when I've no idea where we are. She's the kind of stubborn woman who'll destroy herself than admit she wants me in the way she does. Eleanna will say she wants me, but there's more to it than the physical and the other night was an interesting turning point.

Not me taking her ass but her softening, her saying something about my teaching moment and how she cracked open enough to show me that perhaps she can change. Perhaps she's full of surprises of the pleasing kind.

Our mission is deadly so some of the faux merriment comes from that. But that one moment warmed me in my bedchamber.

"You call that insolent?" I say. "I think your standards are dropping."

"I've been warming your bed, so…"

I laugh. But it dies as we look at each other.

"Our next quest awaits. First, the ash of a vampire turned to dust under the blood moon," I say. "And then the elusive mandrake root."

The sun setting behind the citadel paints the ground and the jagged stone walls in an eerie aura inside the ancient structure. Despite the torches lining the walls, ice coats the citadel's hallways. The ceiling is cracked and broken, with snow drifting down through the gaping holes. The walls are covered in symbols and markings from ancient civilizations. But I navigate with confidence, every sense alert. Eleanna follows closely behind, her eyes scanning for any hidden dangers.

"Stay close, Eleanna," I say over my shoulder.

"Of course, General."

A group of vampire guardians emerge from the gloom like specters, their fangs bared, ready for battle. We draw our weapons in unison—my sword sings as it leaves its scabbard.

Eleanna and I prepare for battle.

Steel clashes against claw, feral snarls mixing with grunts of exertion. I move swiftly and decisively, my blade finding its mark again and again. Eleanna fights beside me, her movements an inhuman tango.

"Behind you!" I shout just in time as I skewer a vampire guardian lunging for her back.

She nods quickly in acknowledgment before swiftly taking down another foe.

Blood, both ours and theirs, stains the snow beneath our feet as we engage in combat. I parry a strike meant for Eleanna with a grunt of effort.

"Admit it, Alexandru." She pants between strikes. "You enjoy this, your game of protecting me."

"No game," I say. "And immensely. But victory will be sweeter."

The clang of swords and screams of pain echo through the abandoned citadel as we fight against the blood-thirsty vampires. Our muscles burn with fatigue, but we refuse to back down. The metallic scent of blood mixes with our sweat and the taste of fear in our mouths.

A sudden flash of movement catches my eye—a vampire guardian aiming for Eleanna's exposed flank. With a swift sidestep, I intercept the attack just in time before countering with a powerful strike of my own.

Eleanna's blade waltzes elegantly as she dispatches another opponent, her movements fluid and precise. Our teamwork is seamless as we anticipate each other's moves without speaking a word. Yes, I'm protecting her, she's my Queen. But she's a worthy battle partner and she can more than hold her own.

We persist in the battle amid swirling snowflakes and flaming torchlight. And a rush of urgency thrums in the air. Thunderous metal resounds through the ancient walls as the combatants exchange blows, each seeking supremacy while our determination drives us forward.

But with each strike and parry, we edge closer to victory, finding strength in each other's presence.

Our bodies brush against one another during a particularly intricate parrying maneuver. The brief contact sets my blood aflame, but I push the distraction aside for later.

"Alexandru!" Her back is to mine now, our swords forming an X as we decimate our enemies.

"I've got you, my Queen," I say, slicing through the heart of a charging vampire.

The vampires bare their fangs, snarling with primal aggression as they lunge toward us.

Eleanna pants between strikes, her blade slicing through the air. "This is strangely exhilarating."

I grin in response, my focus unwavering. It really shouldn't be. I've lived through countless missions and battles, planned many attacks and fought even greater odds. But she's right. It's fucking exhilarating with her at my side. I take out another monstrous vampire as he aims to skewer my fallen one. "Victory will be ours, my Queen. Just stay close."

"I can hold my own."

One comes on her right but she handles it, and I cut a swathe through others advancing on me at my front. Something catches my eye.

With a swift movement, I parry a strike meant for Eleanna, my muscles straining with effort. "Keep your guard up!"

Finally, the last guardian falls with a shriek, disintegrating into a pile of dust under the blood moon. We don't waste a second, kneeling to gather the ash into a pouch.

"We mustn't dally," Eleanna whispers. "Sunrise is near."

With a final glance around the carnage, we make our escape into the frozen night air and mount our waiting steeds. Snow crunches beneath the hooves of our horses as we race away from the Spilled Blood Citadel, adrenaline pumping through my veins.

We ride toward our next quest, the sun peeking over the horizon, staining the sky bright red.

Our conversation replays in my mind, the way her voice trembled when she'd called my name. I've always thought of her as untouchable, but now with her words in the bedroom last time we lay together...

I dismiss the thought and refocus.

Just as the adrenaline fades, replaced by a cold determination, I realize that this is only one battle in a war we have no choice but to win.

"My Queen," I say, choosing words carefully. "There's no doubt you can hold your own. You're skilled, far more skilled than someone of your standing usually is, even without my training. But you're new to the battle with the sword."

I pause because it's going to sound like criticism. Nothing moves as we ride, but I scan the area, anyway. It's safer than looking at Eleanna.

"Go on."

"The exhilaration, I felt it, too, which is something I left centuries ago." At least at the level that raced through me. "It can get in the way. You're new at this, high on it, and?—"

"Alexandru?"

"Yes?"

"Are you trying to tell me I am vibrant green and to be careful?" She lets out an audible breath, nailing where I was heading. "Noted, my liege. And I…appreciate all you have done for me. I appreciate your wise words."

I turn in my saddle, heart squeezing tight. "My job is to watch out for you, guide you."

"These aren't flippant or angry words," she says, those bright blue eyes hitting mine. In the low light she's spectacular, her flame hair, alabaster skin, eyes of the fire that sits in the center of jewels. "I mean them."

For a moment I stare at her. When we first met, when we parted ways, I'd never imagine an Eleanna who could bend like this. Is she changing?

The woman I know would have tried to cut me down for suggesting she needed to curb her enjoyment of battle. The know she's green at warfare in the field.

"Battle is at times…enjoyable, but that can cloud judgement. That's all."

"I have you to guide me." Then a small smile appears. "Whether I like it or not."

With that, we fall into companiable silence as we ride. But things start to change. A prickle against the skin, a drop in temperature. A wading-like feeling, as if a current is pushing back against me.

"We're getting close," she says.

I nod.

The icy wind howls, whispering secrets of the long dead as we approach the Witching Vale. Snowflakes pirouette like specters in the moonlight, and the skeletal branches of barren trees reach out to us as though warning us to turn back.

"Feels like the dead themselves are watching," Eleanna remarks, her breath a cloud of mist in the frigid air.

"Let them watch," I say, feeling the weight of my sword against my side. "We have nothing to hide from ghosts."

We dismount at the edge of the Witching Vale, the horses' breaths pluming in the chill. The Witching Vale mansion stands before us, its appearance roughened by years of neglect. Dark windows stare out like empty eye sockets, and ivy grips its sides, desperate and clinging. The moon casts its pale light over the crumbling stone, giving the mansion an ethereal glow, as if it were caught between worlds. The place smells of decay and something like old magic.

We move closer, and the ground beneath our feet feels hallowed, sacred.

Eleanna reaches out, only to snap her hand back as if pushed by an unseen force. "Can you feel that?"

"An ancient mystical barricade," I mutter, eyeing the invisible obstruction with wary respect. "I felt it on the road. This is no ordinary spell. It's ancient, powerful, and demands a price for passage."

She turns to me, curiosity lighting her eyes. "How do you know? And what price?"

"Legends speak of barriers like this, erected to protect sacred places. They require a sacrifice, a testimonial to one's intentions." I glance at her, the moonlight flashing across her determined face. "We need to offer a part of ourselves. A drop of blood as a symbol of our willingness to sacrifice for the greater good."

She furrows her brow as she processes the requirement. "Blood. A small price to pay for the power to bring down Catarina."

I nod, feeling the weight of the moment settle between us.

Eleanna extends her arm, her gaze locked on mine. The blade's edge glints in the moonlight before slicing a quick, shallow line across our palms. We press our wounds together, the mingling of our blood is like a pledge to the land and to each other.

We step forward, and the barrier yields, dissipating like mist under the morning sun. A moment of vulnerability shared, a threshold crossed in unity, and a trust forged in the willingness to bleed for a cause greater than ourselves.

"Come," I say, extending my arm for support as we step across the threshold.

Her fingers brush mine, tentative yet electric, sparking a flame that even the cold can't extinguish.

"Thank you, Alexandru," she whispers, her voice laced with something more than gratitude.

"Always, Eleanna."

I take her hand in mine, and we step into the Witching Vale mansion.

The building looms around us, its grandeur decayed by time yet still holding an air of ancient dignity. The clock tower tolls, echoing the stroke of midnight, and I feel the pull of destiny—Eleanna and I, united in purpose under the shroud of night.

"Here." Eleanna's voice slices through the silence as we stand in the living room, a space overtaken by wild growth that no gardener's hand has tamed for centuries. "The mandrake must be here."

"Careful," I warn, scanning the strange garden within these walls, where light trickles through broken panes, over thorns and leaves.

We move silently, my hand finding hers as we navigate through the foliage, drawn to the center where a peculiar plant shivers despite the stillness of the air.

"Found it," she says, her voice tense with excitement.

"Ready?"

Together, we intertwine our fingers around the stem of the elusive mandrake root.

"Yes, General." Her grip tightens alongside mine.

With a shared nod, we pull.

An ear-piercing scream fills the room, a wail so raw and chilling that it threatens to claw into our very souls. Yet we persist; we pull until the plant surrenders, uprooting it from its earthen bed into our hands.

"By the gods!" Eleanna gasps, her breaths quick and shallow as the cries fade into whimpers.

"Let's go." The urgency to leave this cursed place suddenly feels overwhelming.

"Wait." She clutches the mandrake close, her gaze locking onto mine. "We did it. Only one item left to obtain."

A surge of pride swells within my chest. Along with a newfound admiration for the woman beside me, fierce and unyielding. Eleanna of old would have dismissed all of this. Or if pushed to do it, sent in underlings. But she's in the middle of it, willing to risk herself, willing to do the work. And it stirs something deep within me.

We exit the mansion, and the weight of the mandrake root in my satchel feels inconsequential to the weight of the world lifting from my shoulders. My mind races with thoughts of trust and love toward Eleanna, foreign sensations that have long been strangers to my heart. In this moment, beneath the blood moon and the whispering winds of the Witching Vale, I allow myself to entertain the idea of a future different from the one I had resigned myself to—one filled with more than duty and battle, with her.

Eleanna's steps are sure and steady next to mine, her presence a constant source of strength. Our alliance, born of necessity, has evolved into a bond that is both formidable and fragile—a paradox only the heart can understand.

I'd love to think it's our sex games, the lessons I'm trying to show her, that submission and compromise can reap pleasure, and doesn't have to mean giving in. I can talk to her in sex. We've always had that. And now…

Does she know when I make her submit, I submit to her? I hold back to bring her to the brink? That it's all give and take and forging a path as we go? It's how she needs to rule and I think—hope—she's beginning to understand.

I would like our world, our deal, to not be a deal, but something she wants. We could bring a lot to the other, and she in turn could bring a bright future to the people.

But I tuck the thoughts down. The mission needs to succeed first.

As we make our way from the mansion, the cold tendrils of the night seem less daunting and the path ahead less ominous with Eleanna at my side.

We arrive at my home, a fortress of stone and mortar that has stood the test of time. When we enter through the heavy oak doors, I am cognizant of the fact that this is where I've been seeking refuge for centuries, to escape the demons of my past, and now, it's also where I'll be sharing intimate moments with Eleanna when we're not at court. Or in the castle. When, not if.

I once ran here away from her. And now? The irony doesn't escape me.

The chill of winter fades as we step inside, replaced by the warmth of the fireplace and the familiar scent of leather-bound tomes and aged wood. The comfort of my home envelops me like a second skin, but tonight, it feels different. Yes, Eleanna now shares my fortress and my bed, her presence transforming the space into something more than just a refuge. It has become a haven, a sanctuary for two weary warriors, and for a fleeting moment, I allow myself to imagine what it could be like if this was our shared life, our shared future.

As soon as Eleanna and I enter my bedchamber, our pent-up passion ignites, a flame needing fuel. Battle has a way of stoking fires, and the one we had no different. The intensity of our emotions overwhelms us, and we are swept away by the wave of desire that has been building between us since our first encounter.

Our eyes lock, and the same hunger I feel for her is reflected in her gaze.

Eleanna's red hair falls in waves around her face, the firelight casting a golden glow on her skin. Her lips, full and inviting, part slightly as she draws in a breath, and I can't resist her any longer. No games, just her and me and this.

Her hand tremble as she caresses my face, tracing the lines of my jaw, my lips. She shudders as her gaze meets mine again. With that single look, I'm undone.

Taking her in my arms, I pull her close and press into her. Heat seeps from her body into mine, and it's as if the world around us ceases to exist. I don't want to play any game. I just want her.

I lower my head, brushing my lips against hers, a featherlight touch that sends a shiver down my spine. Her eyes flutter shut, and I deepen the kiss, my tongue seeking hers. She's divinity itself. Hot and wet and full of secrets just for me. I trace a line down her spine as we kiss.

I can feel her need, her hunger, matching my own.

The fire within me rages, burning brighter with each kiss, each touch.

Our tongues tangle, breaths quickening, and I can taste the sweetness of her passion on my lips. I want to give her everything she desires. My heart pounds as we move toward the bed, knowing this isn't just a physical encounter.

We tumble onto the bed, my need almost overwhelming. I glide my fingers through the soft material of her ruby-red velvet dress and, with a powerful tug, tear it away from her body, revealing her exquisite nakedness. The sight of her flawless skin stokes the passion that courses through my veins, building it into a raging inferno.

Our lips collide again, and it's like sealing a pact—not just of desire, which crackles between us like a live wire, but of hunger, need, something raw and lustful. Something new.

Her skin's silk, alive and as I slide my fingertips over her, it sets ablaze a different desire in me, one that reaches deep into realms forgotten, and that fire spreads throughout my being, marking me with a longing so fierce it feels as if I'll never be satiated.

She traces the outline of my hardened erection through my pants, sending shivers of pleasure down my spine. I move down to her nipples, sucking and biting gently, causing her to moan softly. Gripping the back of my head, she guides my lips back to her mouth, our passionate kisses explode into a sweetness dipped in hunger and raw need, and I can't get enough of her heat and taste, the stroke of her tongue.

I strip, getting rid of the last barrier between us. Perhaps tomorrow the old ones will rise from their ashes, but for now the physical ones of clothing and the emotional ones that lock her heart and true spirit are gone, and it's her and me. Together. I'm greedy in my need to dive in and take it all, whatever I can get.

She wraps her legs around my waist, pulling me closer to her, and heat radiates from her core. I slide my hand between her legs and rub her clitoris in circles with my thumb, and she arches her back in pleasure. Her grip on my head tightens, and she whimpers my name, her voice hoarse with desire.

I pull back slightly and slowly enter her, savoring the moment, her hot canal as it stretches for me, the absolute nakedness. Just the elemental act intertwined with emotions. And fuck she feels so good. The tightness of her pussy envelops my erect cock as I push in to the hilt, rocking in her, and she gasps, digging her nails into my back. I start to move and she moves with me, in sync, our rhythm becoming faster with each thrust.

The keening ache of arousal and her everywhere, under me, invading all my senses, the rightness of it pushes me harder, the rock of her hips meeting me thrust for thrust a special little thrill. She starts to pulsate, then spasm, as she comes, sending me rocketing over that edge to join her in absolute ecstasy.

Both of us panting heavily when we come back down, we collapse onto the bed. The sheets are soaked with sweat, and our heartbeats pounding in erratic unison. We lie there, entwined, our skin still glistening with sweat, basking in the afterglow of our passionate union.

The gods themselves only know if this is a beginning or a freak moment out of time.