SS charisma-updated---prt 8 pg 19 - Page 5

'no, not at all' I shrug. ' I received justice as I should, with right on my side.'

'nonetheless if he sends, you will not go to court,' my father says. ' this is a man who has worked his way through half the wives of London and is now working his way through the ladies from our side as well. This is not the holy man like our king Vicky.

'of course father, whatever you command.' I say

'do you want to go to court? Do you admire him despite everything? My brother asks me quietly.

He is king of England,' I say. 'ofcourse I will go if he invites me. What else?'

'you would be a fool to sell yourself cheap,' he warns me.

I look at him under my eye lashes. ' i am not a yard of ribbon. I am not a leg of ham. I am not for sale to anyone.

___________

At sunset, I am waiting for him under the oak tree, hidden in the green shadows. I am relieved to hear the sound of one horse on the road. If he had come with a guard I would have slipped back to my home fearing for my own safety. However heart-stopping his smile and however honest his eyes, however much I think of him as a boy fired to greatness by his own ambition, I cannot trust him. These are not chivalrous times, these are not the times of knights in the dark forest and beautiful ladies in moonlit fountains and promises of love that will be ballads, sung forever. But he looks like a knight in the dark forest when he pulls up his horse and jumps down in one easy movement.

'you came!,' he says.

'I cannot stay long.'

' I am so glad you came at all.' He laughs at himself almost in bewilderment. ' I have been like a boy today- couldn't sleep last night thinking of you, and all day I have wondered if you would come at all, and then you came!'

He slides his hands around my waist. 'sweet lady,' he says into my ear. ' be kind to me' will you take off your headdress and let down your hair?'

It is the last thing I thought he would demand of me: and I am shocked into instant consent. My hand goes to my headdress ribbons at once.

'I know. I know. I think youre driving me mad. All I have been able to think about all day is whether you would let me take down your hair.'

In answer I untie the tight bindings of my headdress and lift it off. Gentle as any maid-in –waiting, he puts his hand to my head and pulls out the ivory pins, tucking each into the pocket of his doublet. I can feel the silky kiss of my thick hair tumbling down as it falls over my face. I shake my head and toss it back like a mane, and I hear his groan of desire.

He unties his cloak and swings it on the ground at my feet. ' sit with me!' he commands, though he means lie with me and we both know it.

I sit cautiously, my hands wrapped around my knees which are drawn up. He strokes my loosened hair, and he penetrates deeper and deeper until hes caressing my neck and then he turns my face towards his for a kiss.

Gently he bears down on me so that I am beneath him. Then I feel his hand pulling at my gown, pulling it up, and I put both hands on his chest and gently push him away.

'geet' he breathes

' I told you no,' I say steadily. ' I meant it'

'you met me'

'you asked me. Shall I go now?'

'no! stay stay! Don't run away, I swear I will not.. just let me kiss you again.'

My own heart is thudding so loud and I am so ready for his touch that I start to think I could lie with him, just this once.. I could myself this pleasure just once, but then I move away and say 'no. No. No'

'yes' he says more strongly. 'you can ask for anything you want, anything you ask. Dear god, geet, let me have you, I am desperate for you. From the moment I saw you here..'

His weight is on me, he is pushing me down, I turn my head away but his mouth is on my neck, my breast, I am panting with desire, and then, I feel, unexpectedly, a sudden rush of anger at the realization that he is no longer embracing me but forcing me, holding me down as if I were some slut behind a haystack. Pulling up my gown as if I were some whore. My temper makes me furiously strong that I thrust him away again and then, on his thick leather belt, I feel the hilt of his dagger.

'try me. Try me. You don't know what my courage is. You may regret what happens'

BE WITH ME I AMS URE ULL BE PLEASED...😛