Trouble on the Kingsroad Pt. 02

Her skirts had fallen back down and she stood there, hands bound, blouse covering her breasts again but hanging open until her navel. She looked around her and saw the other four men from the raiding party lying on the ground, dead. Panting, she looked up through her long lashes, blinking, to see who had come this time. He was a knight, wearing a sword and leather armour with the emblem of the king.

He stepped towards her, and reached his hand out to her, wiping the strands of hair out of her face and looking at her intently.

She expected him to rape her again. She already braced herself mentally, when instead he asked, "How did you get here?" with a warm, empathic voice.

She didn't answer. "Lets get you bundled up," he said, cutting the ropes loose and freeing her wrists, and throwing his cloak around her shoulders. He picked her corset up from the ground and put it in the saddlebag his horse was carrying.

"You're going to be all right," he said, after a while. And then, softly, "I'm so sorry I came too late to save you". His voice was laden with grief.

"You're safe with me," he said, after a silence. And he put her on his horse, and they rode off through the forest, careful to avoid the road.

***

She wrapped her arms around him tightly and she let her head rest on his back. She was tired.

After a while she rose from her sleep, feeling the rocking of the horse had stopped. He swung his leg over the horses neck and looked up at her, stretching his arms out towards her to help her off the horse.

She leaned over to him and let his strong arms grab her and put her on the ground.

Her wide white blouse was still open, draping over her body with a wide gap going down the middle of her chest and into her skirt. Her disheveled, voluminous dark hair hung around her shoulders and back.

He pulled her corset from his saddle bag and handed it in her direction.

"Who are you?" she asked, slowly taking it from him.

He went to sit on a stone, starting the proceedings of making a fire. "I'm Lucan," he said, looking down at his workings, giving her the discretion to put the corset back on and do up the lacings, closing her blouse. "I'm a knight of the realm of Dagomore." That was the country they were in.

"What happened on the road?" she asked. "Were you with the convoy that was attacked?"

"I was," he replied. "We were escorting the prince to Windester when we were attacked by a band of bandits, obviously knowing we were coming. They were out for the gold," he said. "We hurried the prince to the nearest fort and then I returned, having a feeling that the brigands would stick around."

A silence fell, and he concentratedly smashed two firestones together, trying to light a flame. They both knew what happened next.

"When I heard you scream, my heart turned cold", he said, breaking the silence.

"I saw them rape you. Ravishing a girl like you." His voice broke. "I'm so sorry," he continued. "They should burn in hell forever".

"I don't see why it should change who I am," she said. She was dressed again, her wide sleeves falling loosely off her shoulders, corset laced up again. She was still shocked, but determined not to let it define her. She looked into his eyes defiantly. "Yes it hurt, but men's pricks aren't so important that they change who a woman is. Although they think that".

She turned around, skirt swiveling, arms crossed, all of a sudden overmanned by emotions. He got up and wrapped his arms around her, burying her face in his shoulder. "No, they're not," he said, smiling. Then, softly, he added "You were a virgin, then?".

"I was," she replied softly. "Not that that matters now".

He let go of her and they both went to sit by the fire. "Or will nobody want me now?" she added, sarcastically.

"Everybody who would reject you, would be a fool", he said, taking her hands. "And it *doesn't* matter," he added. "... but maybe it makes a difference to *you*". He bitterly turned back to the fire. "I should have been able to defend you".

"It wasn't your fault that this happened, and it wasn't mine, It was theirs." She said bitterly. "It's the men that do this, that are to blame. Nobody can protect us from that."

***

The next morning, she got up from the plaid she had lain on, looking around her. A small fire was burning and Lucan was rummaging in the bushes.

He turned around, with a hand full of berries. "Here, have some," he said.

With a pang she thought back to her fallen basket of berries that she had spent almost a day picking, the day before. She let him shake his pickings in her hands and she put some in her mouth, sunken in thoughts.

The last night had been awkward. They had gone to sleep without dinner. He'd spread his plaid on the ground beside the fire. "It's much too cold to sleep alone," he' said, lying on his cloak. "I can keep you warm".

Silently, she had reacted by laying down in front of him, closely, pulling the plaid over them. He had put his arm around her to warm her, and pulled the plaid up unto their faces. And like that, they had slept, sharing each others natural warmth.

She was roused from her thoughts by his voice. "What's your name?" he asked.

She looked up at him. "Maeve," she said, redirecting her eyes to the fire.

"Where do you want to go?" He asked. It was evident he asked in order to escort her.

"I want to go back to my village," she said. "I have a house there."

"Good, I'll take you".

***

They got on the horse and rode all day. Gradually they became comfortable with each other, telling each other about how they lived. She told him about her cottage and her vegetable garden, about how she lived alone.

By the middle of noon, they reached the hilltop at the foot of which her village lay. Maeve sat in front, this time, and halted the horse. "I don't want to go back", she said. "I see no future there." She looked at her cottage, small and crooked at the edge of the settlement. "I'll continue living alone forever. There's nothing for me there".

"Come with me," Lucan said. "You don't have stay here. Come to the city. You'll find a new trade. Start a new life".

And thus, they turned the horse and left the village behind them.

***

By nightfall, they reached a small town on their way to Windester. They went to the local tavern and Lucan paid for 2 rooms and diner.

The obviously regular guests of the tavern, having their pint, looked at them, curiously, quietly mumbling amongst them, but they paid it no heed. They had dinner, talking about their lives. He was a knight to the king. That meant he had land and a manor of his own, with a few serfs. But he was almost never there, the king requiring him close by in Windermere, and he let the farmers manage the estate on their own.

At a certain moment he excused himself. "I've got to piss, I'll be right back".

"Will you be all right?" he asked, eying the company around them.

"Sure," she said, and he went outside.

When he came back, he found Maeve pushed to the wall, a guy holding her face, a crowd of the local men gathered around. "Where did they come from, eh?" it sounded. "A girl traveling alone with a knight?" another voice said. "I bet hes been doing her every night!" the man holding Maeve shouted, laughing in her face.

Lucan grabbed the collar of the latter, and threw him against the other wall, hard enough to make him sink through his knees from the impact. The crowd moved back instinctively.

He drew his sword and gently pushed the chin of the man up with the tip of his blade. "Apologise to the lady", he said, cocking his head in her direction. His voice was merciless.

The man shrank into himself, holding his hands in surrender mode. He looked over to her and Lucan a few times, nervously. "I apologise, M'lady," he said. "For offending you"

"And...?" Lucan asked suggestively, the tip of his sword pushing slightly further in the mans skin.

"And.. and... for touching your person, m'lady"

Maeve looked a him, askew. "How dare you lay your hands on me," she said, voice dripping with disdain. "Because you can't leave a women alone, doesn't mean that all men are that way. If i ever see you put as much as a finger on a woman without her permission again, I will cut your balls off myself", she said, eyes spitting fire.

The crowd looked at her, open mouthed. Lucan smiled and turned back to the man on the floor. Then he balled his fist and hit him full force in the jaw. "And here's for insulting my reputation", he said.

***

That evening, he dropped her off at her room. She thought he went to his own room, but a moment later he was back again, with the bedclothes from his own room in his hands. "I'll sleep in front of your door tonight," he said, laying his blanket and pillow on the floor. "They know where you sleep. And they've been drinking".

"But the floor is hard," she said. "You can sleep with me." She looked at the bed.

"There's no need for that now". And he wrapped himself in his cloak and went to sleep.

***

The next morning they got op early and continued their journey to Windermere. Over the past days, they had gotten close. When they arrived in the city, it was time for them to part. "Let us go to my rooms, first," he said. "I have my standard rooms at the inn. We can have some food and drink there, before we go our own ways".

When they were at his rooms, they got quiet. Food was being brought in, but they both became aware that the moment of saying goodbye was near.

Thinking about how she would have to leave him soon, she suddenly became overwhelmed with sadness. She would miss his voice. She would miss his body. All of a sudden, she couldn't imagine not feeling his warmth anymore.

She looked up at him, through her long lashes, and asked him something she'd been thinking about for a long time. "Lucan... I know that a man and a woman can be with each other, lovingly. I've seen it. People who love each other and take each other, gently".

She looked back down, taking his hand. "I've never known it that way. But I know it is possible..."

"Will you teach me?"

Her eyes were filled with tears as she looked back up again, taking his hands. "I want to experience it, at least the once in my life".

His heart almost broke when he pulled her to him, closely, and took her in his arms . "Yes," he said, breathless. He had had relationships with women before, but never before had he wanted to make sweet love to anyone as much as he did now.

He put his index finger under her chin and pushed her up, gently, and kissed her, long and slow.

"I saw you, when they had undressed you..." he said, quivering.

"You were so beautiful... Can you show me again?"

She took a step back, letting him sit down on the bed, and touched her dress on her shoulders. She unlaced her corset and let it fall on the floor, and let her underblouse slide down her arms, letting it fall down around her waist.

She was the most slender, rank angel he had ever seen. Her back was arched, with her skin as white and smooth as rose petals. Everything about her was beautifully shaped, her waist tiny, her breasts full and perky and round, with pink nipples like pearls.

Starstruck, he reached his hand out to her, laying his hand on her side and stroking her breast admiringly with his thumb. He pulled her towards him until she stood against him as he was sitting on the bed, flattering his face against her soft stomach. He took his time kissing the smooth skin, caressing it abundantly.

He stood up and kissed her mouth again, moving his hand towards her breasts. He took her taut breast in his hand, kneading it gently, and touching her nipples. Eyes closed, she let out a sigh as she stretched her neck to the side as he kissed her neck. Gradually, he slid down kissing her clavicle and then the top of her breast.

Then, his tongue flicked her nipple, that was hard as stone. His lips closed around the small bud as his tongue circled her nipple. And like that he suckled and caressed her breasts, until she pulled him up, pulling his shirt.

"Please," she said, looking at him painfully. She was burning between her legs, and wanted to feel his skin.

With a smooth pull he pulled his shirt over his head, revealing his strong, wide shoulders and his muscular arms. He went to lie down on the bed and pulled her with him. They kissed, as he turned her on her back and untied her skirt, pulling the remainder of her clothes down her legs and on the floor.

Her stomach was flat, and her hips wide, revealing the softest brown furrow on her pussy. Her long elegant legs curled up in extasy as he kissed her and let his hand follow the curves of her hips and buttocks, squeezing her softly with his strong hands.

Slowly, he descended no the bed, until his face was at the height of her stomach. He kissed her belly, lower and lower, until his nose was in the small curls of hair.

He lifted her hips and pulled her towards him, spreading her legs. She let him, gasping, eyes closed, hands in his hair.

Gently, he put a kiss on the top of her pussy, touching her outer lips and clitoris. A shudder went through her, and through him as well. Ever so lightly, he started to kiss her pussy, licking her outer labia. She started to open to him, her smaller lips and pink insides peeking through.

He licked her wet pussy, touching her clitoris every time he licked up, exploring her pussy with his tongue further and further. After a while he lifted himself and looked at her pussy as he tentatively touched her with his hand. After rubbing her wet clitoris he slid his finger down her pink centre, spreading her juices all around her pussy. Gently he slid in a finger, kissing her pussy again. Maeve arched her back and let out a soft moan.

Ever so gently, he started to finger her, sliding his middle finger down her tight hallway while licking and rubbing her clit with his thumb. She started to wriggle and they became more and more passionate, he adding a second finger into her and exerting more pressure with his tongue, turning up his pace.

After a few minutes, she came, screaming. The orgasm came over her in waves, her having never felt something like that before. He let her go, pulling his two fingers out of her clenching pussy.

He climbed up to her, lying next to her again. "Come here," he whispered, as he pulled her to his shoulder and cradled her in his arms.

"That was amazing," she said, kissing him. She touched his penis through his breeches, caressing it softly. "Can I...?" she asked

He undid the laces of his breeches and got them off, being naked, now, as well. His cock stood proudly up between his furrow of dark blond hair, strong and hard.

She tentatively stroked it, closing her hand around his shaft. She slid her hand up and down his shaft slowly, spreading some of his natural juices over his him, lubricating him. Driven by a strong desire, she bent down to him and kissed the tip of his penis. She swirled her tongue over its head, and then took him in her mouth, feeling the need to make him wet with her saliva. He let in a sharp intake of breath. She sucked him, exploringly, flicking her tongue over him and coating him in wetness.

"Come," he said, and he pulled her up and layed her next to him on the bed again, leaning over her. His hand reached down to her cleft, sliding his fingers in between her lower lips. Then he rolled between her legs, leaning over her on one arm, holding his cock.

"Can I?" he said, as he looked down in her eyes.

"Yes," she said.

He slid his cock between her lips, and positioned it against her entrance. He pushed, slowly, pushing his member in her vagina, deflowered two days before.

She moaned as she felt him stretch her, again, this time enjoying the feeling, or even stronger, yearning for it. He felt her pussy clench down on his cock, and carefully slid in and out of her. She wrapped her legs and arms around him and took him in her, holding him tight, as they slowly came in a rhythm.

Panting, she let him take her, gently, then more and more strongly. His strong hands held her increasingly firmly as they made love, sweaty and passionately. As he thrust into her deeply she came, clenching down tightly on his cock, biting down in the flesh of his shoulder to control her screams. He came as well, spurting deep inside her, and collapsing down beside her, rolling on their side.

Heaving heavily, they hugged. "Thank you," she whispered, looking into his eyes. "For showing me how it should feel".

"You shouldn't thank me for that," he said, as he gathered her closely in his arms.

****

The next morning, their goodbye was really coming near, as Lucan had to go to the king to help escort the prince further on his mission.

Maeve and Lucan talked awkwardly as they had breakfast and packed for their departure until suddenly, Lucan interrupted her and took her hands.

"Marry me," he said.

"W...What?" she said, confused.

"Marry me," he said again. "You can live at my manor. Grow some vegetables. Take care of the garden. Or come with me to the city. Even start up some trade". He looked at her. "You don't have to be alone anymore. You'll have me".

He straightened up and looked at her, honestly. "I love you, Maeve. I don't want to be alone anymore. I want you."

Her mind needed the time to adjust. There was nothing she had expected less than this proposal. Until a moment ago she had been mentally preparing herself to leave him behind forever and start a new life on her own. But she wanted to share her life with someone. With him.

"So, will you marry me?"

"Yes," she said.