Isolde: Blood-Rose Guardians (a supplementary novella)
William

William was strong and brutal inperforming his duties for his king; in our home alone with his wife, he wastender and sincere. He worshipped me as a goddess and I quite enjoyed baskingin his attentions. We were not rich, but we were comfortable. There was alwaysfood to be had, and we usually dined in the keep with my father and his newestwife – a woman younger than myself. William brought home trinkets from hisexploits. One trinket he claimed to have found was an emerald ring. It was asimple gold band with a decent emerald guarded by a small diamond either side.He placed it lovingly on my finger. He had kept it at much risk to himself, asthe spoils of any raid were to go to the king first, after he had taken hispick of the treasures, what remained was distributed amongst his men.

On this most recent venture I hadfound myself missing him and worrying for him with such great concern over hissafe return that I had to check my emotions. I found myself longing for hisreturn to my bed; for his tender touch and his passionate kisses. I foundmyself loving my husband completely and desiring very much that he returned tomy side where he belonged.

The moment he walked through the door, bloodied and coveredin the stench of battle, I rushed to his side.

“Oh how I missed you, My Love,” I told him.

“You did?”

“Aye, with my whole heart,” I replied.

“…but I was gone naught but two nights.”

“Indeed, I spent two nights alone in our bed without mybeloved husband.”

“Isölde, know you what you are telling me…please say you arenot playing with my heart so.”

“I play no games, sweet William, my heart and words aretrue. I missed you so and I love you dearly,” I told him.

His eyes sparkled and he reached for the clean robe we kepthanging near the door.

“In that case, I had better rush to the ocean and plunge mybody beneath the cleansing salt water, for I fully intend to make love to youthis night,” he turned and walked out of our home.

I felt such joy in recognising the truth of my heart. I knewnot when my mind and heart had been convinced of his worth in my life, but Iknew that I had fallen in love with him. He may be scarred by battle, he may sometimescry out in his sleep during a nightmare, he may have to treat me with acondescension he did not feel in public, but for those few faults he was a manworthy of my love. He blessed me with laughter and love whenever we were alone;he romanced me with wild field roses and hand carved trinkets – four of suchstood proudly on the mantle this very day: a phoenix, a falcon, a swan, and asphinx.

The door swung open with his return and I leapt into hisarms. He kissed me and I returned his kisses with all of the love I felt in myheart. It felt perfectly right, our embrace. I could not have wanted for abetter husband. He disrobed and I saw for the first time his newest battlewounds. He was bruised and battered and had an angry laceration across his waist.

“You are injured, My Love!”

“…and every scratch worth it to come home to such agreeting.”

“I must tend to your wounds…”

“Nay, I must make love to you,” he cut me off.

“William Rufus, I will tend your wounds,” I said with allthe dominance I dared muster, “and then I will make love to you.”

He opened his mouth to protest, but as the full breadth ofmy statement sank in he closed and simply stood still with a mighty grin.

“Agreed?” I prompted.

“Agreed,” he nodded.

I beckoned him to be seated and gotto work preparing a poultice to cover the laceration. The salt-water bath wouldhave been of great benefit, and he would need to do that daily. I prepared apaste of honey and beaten boiled nettle leaves, which I applied to the woundand then I bandaged it to hold the poultice firm. It would heal well providingno infection set in and with the medicinal magic in the honey and nettles thatwas assured. When I was done, I disrobed myself and stood before my husbandnaked. My long blonde hair trailed down my body like a waterfall. I reached forhis hand and pulled him toward our bed. He came silently, taking all of me inwith his eyes.

“Lay you down, My Love,” I directedhim.

“Lay you down beside me?” He askedas he followed my instructions and lay naked but for the bandage in the centreof our bed.

“Nay,” I said and moved on top ofhim, being careful not to press against his wounded abdomen.

His manly appendage stood to firmattention as I mounted his person and crawled forward to place my lips againsthis. He raised his hands to my shoulders and rubbed them down my arms. I lentbackwards and righted myself, taking his hands and cupping them to my breasts.His touch was gentle but unyielding and as he brushed the darkened aureole ofmy breasts with his thumbs, my nipples stood out firm, excited by his touch. Ileant forward again and kissed him tenderly, though my loins longed for a farmore intense interaction, I resisted simply sliding his pulsing shaft within myeager depths as I wanted to show him that I truly loved him. I did allow hiserection to rub against the swelling folds of my sex though, and as he brushedover the nub at the apex of it, I was thrilled with the sensation of his silkentouch. I moved slowly down his body, kissing his bruises. I lingered upon eachof his small dark nipples and then followed the trail of his glossy hair lowerdown his front until I found myself focusing on the area beneath the bandage. Igently took his manhood between my hands and rubbed the silky shaft; he moanedand lifted his hips to my hand. I moved lower so that I could take this mostimportant part of him within my mouth. His hands rubbed against my scalp as heallowed himself to enjoy the sensation.

I had never made love to him. He had alwaysmade love to me. I had been a willing participant each and every time, but hehad done all of the work and I had simply enjoyed the ride. Tonight wasdifferent. Tonight it was my turn to show my husband of one year that I lovedhim as truly as he loved me and that I could pleasure him as he pleasured me.

I took all of him into my mouth and thenslowly lifted my head before plunging it back down his heated shaft. He moanedagain and then pulled me forward so that he could kiss me. I straddled his sexand moaned myself as he impaled me on the mighty shaft. He reached for my hipsand guided me into a steady rhythm. As the delicious sensation of ourconnection and the motion of our movements took me on this newest sexualjourney I closed my eyes and leant back, feeling every inch of him inside me. Iknow I moaned as his hand pressed against my belly and his thumb began rubbingthe exposed nub at the pinnacle of my sex. I opened my eyes to see him watch meso intently that had it been any other person besides William, I would havebeen embarrassed for my behaviour, but it was William and I smiled, beforeclosing my eyes and letting the stimulation take me again. The electricity thatswept through my groin had me in pleasurable convulsions within moments and Iwas forced to tip forward by the contraction of my muscles around him. He drewme down tight against him and kissed me with such ferocious passion as hethrust deeply inside me, filling me with his glorious seed as he came hardwithin my feminine depths.

“You make such sweet love, My Lady,”he told me between kisses, “I should never want to lose you.”

“You never shall, My Love.”

He held the blanket up as Isnuggled into the bed beside him. He wrapped me in his arms and held me againsthis battle-fatigued body. I looked into his eyes; eyes that glistened withtears he was trying hard not to shed. I raised my hand to his cheek and hepressed into it.

“William, how would you feel abouta child?”

“Are you with child?” He asked hisvoice lifting in his excitement.

“I’m not yet sure…but I would liketo be, if it pleases you for me to be so.”

“Aye, the thought of you carryingmy child pleases me greatly.”

I smiled and kissed him and closedmy eyes surrounded in my own bliss. A year ago I would never have thought thatbeing the prize of this man would ever have turned out so well, but he hadloved me and saved me from a far worse fate. It had taken a year of his fondattentions and passionate embraces for me to realise my own feelings for him,but now that I had, I felt buoyed with love. He left the bed briefly and thenreturned to my side bearing a ring.

“Happy anniversary, My Love,” hesaid slipping the ring upon my finger.

“Oh William, I have naught but togive you…”

“Isölde you have already given methe greatest gift of all this day.”

“I love you, William; you are myheart; my love; my husband.”

He kissed me and I rejoiced in thatkiss. The ring sparkled on my finger and my heart sparkled with happiness. Iwas fairly sure that I was with child, but I had wanted to be sure that Williamwould be agreeable to such an endeavour, before I announced it to him and myfather. I closed my eyes on the most perfect day…not knowing that it would bethe last perfect day in a very long time.