Page 12 of Pawns of Salistya
After all, he was falling right into the trap.
Chapter 6
Heart racing, I swatted loose strands of hair away from my clammy face as I disentangled myself from Eliasson and made to move away.
‘Where do you think you’re going?’ His hand clamped down on my hip, pulling my body back into his and holding me still. We were both sweaty and breathing heavily, our chests rubbing against one another.
Looking at Eliasson from below my eyelashes, I could see pure male satisfaction shining from his eyes, and my cheeks unexpectedly heated in response. Since when did I get shy about these things? I guess it’s a good place to start when the guy you’resupposed to kill has just given you three orgasms in one session, but still. The universe hates me.
As if reading my thoughts, Eliasson placed a finger under my chin and lifted my face. My eyes dipped to his mouth, satisfaction also reflected in the curve of his lips.
‘I think I should annoy Fyrel more,’ I mumbled, eyes darting up to his, my cheeks becoming impossibly hotter.
Predictably, Eliasson burst out laughing, while his fingers started to trace a pattern up and down my thigh. ‘That’s where you’re going after what is, undoubtedly, the best sex we’ve ever had?’
‘Seems fair, no?’ I sheepishly shrugged, not denying that it was indeed the best sex we’d ever had. Honestly, it was the best I’d ever had. Isn’t that just a spanner being thrown into the works?
‘Hmmm.’ Eliasson’s fingers moved up to my chest, circling a breast one after the other. ‘I can think of a few factors.’ He casually flicked his finger over my nipple, eliciting a small, sharp gasp from me, before pulling away and sitting up. I watched the sheets pool around his hips, his arm muscles contracting as he flicked his long blonde locks behind his shoulders. I had to stop myself from drooling. And from questioning why my attraction to him was suddenly intensifying
Clearing my throat, I followed his movements and sat up, determined to move on from the topic of conversation. ‘You mentioned earlier you were spending the day with me?’
‘Yes, I thought we could go for a walk through Amarald, escape the palace for a while. From all reports, the harvesting season was fruitful with the first load of goods arriving the other day. Maybe we could pick up some plants for the garden?’
My eyes lit up in excitement and I nodded. A day of no guards following us because Eliasson is with me? I’m not missing out on this. The safety of Arlom really was a boon at times.
I jumped out of bed, flinging my dress on as I rushed out the door to my quarters, yelling over my shoulder that I’d be ready in fifteen minutes.
Soaking up the beautiful mid-morning rays of sunshine, Eliasson insisted we walk hand in hand, opting to stroll down the road at the front of the palace to the Amarald markets instead of riding on horseback.
The city of Amarald was undeniably beautiful, with the soft white sand and deep blue of the ocean to the right of our path. Judging by the large number of civilians at the beach, there must be a number of land-locked farmers taking advantage of the trip to Amarald to enjoy its natural landscape. It must have been a fruitful harvest indeed.
To the left of our path, luscious rolling green hills surrounded the heart of the city. Houses were scattered and built in what could only be described as a non-uniform layout. Roads wound around the building in a way that indicated housing had come first and the roads were an afterthought. All of the cottages were unique, ranging in colour from yellow to brown, and in material from bricks to straw. I couldn’t help the smile that crept on my face at the civilians enjoying the beach, the farmers actually wanting to come to the city and the chaotic clash of colours scattered throughout the hills. It’s so very different to Salistya.
After our wedding, Eliasson had taken me on a whirlwind tour of the whole kingdom, insisting on the importance of knowing the Dom I was to rule alongside him. I had known the Arlom Kingdom supplied the other Doms with agricultural products, but it was only when we explored the whole kingdom that I recognised thesheer magnitude of its operations. Hills and valleys were common, rising amongst flat plains of rich and fertile land. No matter which direction I had turned, my gaze was met with either rows of planted vegetables, fruits, or grazing livestock. Seeing it firsthand, I wondered how the Salistyan’s could view the Arloman Kingdom as the weakest link. The Arloman farmers fed the entire continent.
A squeeze of my hand pulled my thoughts back to the present. Looking over at Eliasson, his questioning look told me I had missed something.
‘Sorry, what was that?’
He smiled patiently. ‘The ship is docked, ready for the Solista Isles. I believe they’ll be leaving this afternoon. Is there anything you’d like to have sent over to your friends?’
‘Why would I –’ I started, confused, completely forgetting for a moment that he wasn’t aware of teleporting.
I assumed a regretful look. ‘That won’t be necessary. Most of my friends have returned to Salistya,’ I responded.
‘Of course, not to mention that communication isn’t allowed,’ he nodded solemnly. ‘I haven’t spoken to Tarn since our wedding, and it’s killing me. When I went through combat training in Arlom we were still allowed to go home over holiday breaks and receive messages. The Solistan way is hardcore, no?’
‘Hardcore is one way to put it, but I guess you don’t become a strong enough army to protect all of Fyriane by not being hardcore. They believe that cutting trainees off from the outside world is necessary to simulate the reality of war. Ultimately their end goal is to train everyone as a warrior, so they break us down piece by piece to recognise our true potential.’ I shrugged. The concept normal to me, but judging by the look of outrage on Eliasson’s face, maybe it wasn’t.
As we approached the port of Amarald, market stalls could be seen lined up on the ocean front walkway. Excitement buzzed inside me at the prospect of picking up a Nyarellean book or a new sword from the Marlyst Kingdom. I quickened my stride.
‘How did you find not talking to your family? Did you struggle?’ Eliasson asked.
What would he think if he knew not only was I able to talk to my family, but that in fact the only time they showed an ounce of interest in my life was when they had insisted on regular progression updates? And that Varqel took over the correspondence to give me a break from their suffocating demands? Every part of me wished there had been a hard and fast no communication rule for me like there was with everyone else.
I held his gaze, allowing the brutal honesty of my answer to show on my face. ‘I didn’t grow up in a family that openly displayed any type of emotion, let alone love or care. Salistyan’s don’t express themselves, nor do they place value on dwelling on matters of the heart. Everything is transactional, cool and calculated. The minimisation of familial contact was a blessing in disguise. Rest assured, Eliasson, my time on the Solista Isles was the best years of my life. If I had it my way, I would have never left.’
Eliasson opened his mouth to respond, but closed it quickly when a group of children ran towards us, having instantly recognised their king.