"I think this was a well planned attack, Ileus," said Kaizan.
Ileus glanced over Kaizan's shoulders and watched the Mozias and Darla drag the dead bodies and pick up the limbs of fallen bandits across the road and into the forest and pile them up in a heap. He knew that the patrol would come and clear the bodies soon. It was a common occurrence on the trade path. So when Kaizan said that it was a well-planned attack, he narrowed his eyes. "Why do you say that?"
"Did you see the sheer number they attacked us in? Besides, they were all well armed. I think they were funded by someone." He dug his hands inside his pocket and took out a parchment with blood sprayed over it. It was impossible to read what was written in it, but when he folded it back, and the seal joined, Ileus' eyes widened with shock. The seal had the royal crest of the Zmjia.
Ileus took it in his hands and let out a low growl. He glared at the seal with anger. The kingdom of Draoidh had skirmishes with the kingdom of Zmjia ever since Adrianna had become the wizard queen, ever since he was just a child. Rhys would attack them and then become quiet for a long time, and then attack them. It was like his massive ego was hurt pretty badly. He didn't… he couldn't risk a full scale battle with them, but he could easily attack them every once in a while. "This could mean two things Kaizan," said Ileus. "Either he is funding the bandits on a regular basis to attack the traders or his men spotted us and planned this attack." He wanted to say the third reason and that was that it was possible that he knew about his marriage with Anastasia, but he shoved the idea. Or was it that he really had Iona and this attack was connected to that? Was this raiding party the first amongst more to come?
He crushed the letter in his hand and said, "Burn the bodies and collect some ashes. It is high time I send them a response on behalf of Draoidh." Saying that he stuffed the letter in his breeches' pocket.
"I will," said Kaizan and then strode from there. "Do you want more Mozias to join us?" he asked.
"No," Ileus replied. He wanted to burn the bodies even though it was the patrol who was supposed to do it. He would ask Haldir to deal with the patrol party later. He was in a mood to mess with Rhys.
He helped his group to pile them all in a heap. Once that was done, the bodies were set to fire. He walked to his wife who was now sleeping with her hands supporting her head. He picked her up in his arms and carried her to Lovac. Then he ordered the rest of his contingent to ride with them, leaving Kaizan behind who had to collect the ashes.
Anastasia continued to sleep against his chest. They stopped at a roadside travelers' inn. Not many rooms were available and whatever was available, they had to pay a lot to get them. The servants took the horses to the stables behind the inn as the group wearily walked into their bedrooms. The wagon was locked in a rented storeroom for the night after the group took out things they needed from it.
Ileus carried his sleeping wife into the room reserved for him and set her gently on the mattress. She murmured something but didn't wake up. A smile wormed on his lips when he looked at her face. She was worth all that was happening in his life and much more. He tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear and rubbed her cheek with his knuckles. He removed her breastplate and boots and rest of the clothes and then helped her wear a thin nightgown. Anastasia lay there like a log throughout the time and muttered incomprehensible nothings.
Ileus was so tired that he wanted to sleep too, but he couldn't. Sprayed with so much blood and gore, he just wanted to get out of his breastplate and the clothes he was wearing. Two servants arrived with pales of hot water to fill the bathtub for him as instructed. After stripping his clothes off, he took a nice bath and then stretched beside his wife. He tucked her closer to him, covered them with a blanket and the moment his head hit the pillow, he fell into a dreamless sleep.
He didn't know how much time had passed but when he woke up next, he was squinting at a finger on the tip of his nose. His gaze followed the slender finger to the face of its owner. She removed her finger from there and lightly traced the outline of his lips.
"How are you, sweetheart?" she asked in a soft voice.
He grinned at her sleepily revealing his fangs. "You know if it weren't you gazing at me, I would have mistaken you for an enemy."
"You mean I look like your enemy?" she asked and touched his fangs, craving to kiss them. "Am I that unappealing?"
"You are an enemy of my shaft," he chuckled. He took his hand behind her and unshackled her wings. Immediately her right wing flared up and cocooned him. He exhaled deeply as he traced the veins inside the wing. "And for the record, there are women more beautiful than you in Draoidh."
She shrugged. "I don't care, but if there are then I just have to make efforts to preen myself." Was she jealous that he said that?
He brushed her wings leisurely and she shuddered. "You don't have to. You are the perfect version of love, sweetheart." His golden globes gazed into her sapphire ones and he brushed the edges of her wings.
"Do you know that whenever you do that, it arouses me?" she said in a soft whisper.
"I know," he replied, shamelessly. That was why he was doing that.
She pressed a kiss on his lips and then moved her leg atop his thigh. The man was naked beneath the blanket. Her thigh touched his erection that was tenting the blanket. "Why am I surprised that you were not forced to marry Lila earlier? I am sure you were quite a catch." She continued to trace the lines of his face. His features were like sculpted from marble.
"Hmm… I guess I wanted to see you first." He was intrigued by the prophecy. He wanted to see the woman who was supposed to be his mate and kidnap her. Thank god he did all that. He took a deep breath.
"I am going to be one of a kind in your kingdom. Won't they dislike me?"
"That's right, but I am sure that your people are going to resist me a lot even after all this is settled." Even after Iona was found.
"Anastasia," he said, meeting her gaze. "They will get used to you, sweetheart. You have to give them time."
She took a deep breath. "I will be alone in Draoidh… a stranger…" She placed her head on his chest. "You have to be there for me, honey."
Ileus smoothed her hair away from her shoulder and caressed her cheek. He said—