If Things Were Different
Title: If Things Were Different
Author: FeistyFox
Rating: M
Pairing: DG/Cain
Summary: What would have happened if DG had never heard the witch? What if she had grown up in the Outer Zone knowing who she was and what she was supposed to be? Would it be what her family expected or would she have veered off in another direction entirely? Take a look...
Chapter 24
Disclaimer: Fred has been released. And he would like to point out that Tin Man isn’t mine.
He set Deeg on her feet when they were next to the bed, and cupping her face, kissed her as passionately as he was able. She pressed back against him and his other arm looped around her body as he tasted her. Her arms snaked up around his shoulders and both of his hands moved up between her shoulder blades. Rubbing her over the dress he moved back a few inches and watched her eyes as he began to loosen the silk ribbon that held her dress together. She flushed and pressed her face into his neck.
Her lips pressed against the skin above his collar and he sighed in satisfaction as his hands glided from the laces, over her shoulders, and down her arms. Catching her waist he sat on the edge of the bed and guided her over his legs until she was straddling him. He could tell she was apprehensive about what was going to happen and wanted to make this as pleasurable for her as possible. He kissed her forehead tenderly as he snuck his hand under her dress and rested it on her knee.
Her breathing got noticeably shallower when his thumb began to circle over her skin. “Deeg…” He found her lips again and his hand smoothed up her thigh. “You are so beautiful.”
Her hands moved to his holster and hovered on in for a moment before she shakily began to unbuckle it. She looked up at him from under her lashes and he saw her lips quirk up. “Your not so bad yourself.”
A rumbling chuckle vibrated through him. She may have been nervous but she wasn’t backing down a bit. He used the hand that wasn’t on her thigh to cup her behind and lift her up and over him until she was flush with his chest. Deeg automatically spread her legs farther apart for balance and he bucked into her as soon as she settled. Her body responded and her hips shot forward rubbing against him. He responded to her immediately and her blush increased when she realized what had happened.
Not giving her time to think too deeply about it he attacked her neck with his mouth as he started rocking her more firmly against him at an easy pace. Her breathing began to hitch as they ground against each other and he forced himself to stop the sweet torture he was enduring before he lost control. There were plenty of other ways to have her whimpering for him.
Catching the hem of her dress he slid it higher up her legs until it was bunched just below the tops of her thighs. She squirmed and he groaned as he started massaging her legs from the bottom up. Between the flush that had spread well below the collar of her loosened dress, and the sounds she was making, he thought she might be able to do him in right here. “You are testin’ my limits, Sweetheart.”
Her blue eyes flashed with the most adorably perplexed look and he groaned again. She had no idea what she was doing and it was driving him so close to the edge he could barely focus. He was afraid to know what she was going to be able to do to him when she realized how she affected him. His hand edged up higher and he let his thumb graze her center. Her breath caught and he palmed the back of her neck with his other hand as she arched toward him with a small ‘Oh,’ falling from her lips.
Now certain she wasn’t going to freeze up on him, he began to tease her center over the silky material she was wearing and she whimpered and pressed against his hand. Kissing her above the top of her dress he blew a puff of air up against her neck and she quivered. She was winding up much more quickly than he would have thought possible and all he wanted was to see her shatter against his hand. “Let go for me, Sweetheart.” For the second time in less than an hour she complied. Deeg moaned and clutched at his arms right before her whole body went stiff and a wordless cry fell from her pink lips.
He held her up as her orgasm rolled through her, taking advantage of the fact that her head was thrown back. Gods, her skin turned the loveliest shade of pink when she came. Continuing to stroke her as she came down he held her when she started to go limp. As she drew out of her haze she tilted her head up and kissed him under his jaw as she snuggled against his chest.
Her soft lips were replaced with her forehead as her hands ran up his chest and found the top button on his shirt. Her forward behavior was surprising but hardly unwelcome as the fabric on his chest was slowly parted. As she worked on his shirt he quickly finished removing his holster, and holding her against him, leaned over and set his gun on the small stand next to the head of the bed. The last thing he wanted was to get caught off guard when all his attention was on her. He needed his gun close at hand to protect her if anyone managed to sneak up on them, not that he thought that was very likely.
As he straightened back up she had finished with the buttons and her curious hands began to brush over his chest. His arms moved away from her momentarily and she looked up into his face anxiously. Smiling down at her he kissed her again as he flicked the cuffs of his shirt open. She made a soft noise in the back of her throat when she saw what he was doing and he waited as she decided what she wanted to do. He’d already decided he wasn’t going to push her into anything and thought it might be best to let her explore on her own. It would make her feel more comfortable latter if he didn’t try to guide her anywhere.
When he set his hands above her hips and watched her patiently he knew she had caught on to what he was waiting for. Her fingers fluttered over his shoulders and she was self-conscious for the first time since she had asked him to stay. Her eyes fell away from his face. “I don’t know what to do.”
He dropped his head and nuzzled her neck encouragingly as he reassured her. “You can’t do anything wrong, Darlin’. This is about learnin’ each other.”
In response Deeg began to push the shirt off him and he helped shrug it off. Once he was free her fingertips danced over his skin and he groaned as he tried to hold still for her. He managed to last several minutes before he had to have her skin against his. Catching her wrists he brought her palms up to his face and after pressing a kiss to each one stood them back up.
She slid off his legs and he ran his hands firmly over her sides as she found his mouth again. He wasn’t sure how much longer he was going to be able to wait and broke the kiss unhurriedly while he found the top of her dress. The laces were already loose and he knew it would fall away without any effort at all. “Ok?”
She nodded and he peeled the dress over her slim shoulders. Once it was past her elbows it flowed down her body in a blue wave until it pooled at her feet. She was left in only the silky undergarment he had felt on her earlier. He felt his head starting to get cloudy with lust at the sight of her. She began to fidget and he grabbing her hands, placing them back over his shoulders. Having her tight against him wasn’t helping his self-control and he couldn’t suppress a low growl as he palmed her breasts.
She whimpered and pressed into his hands. Unable to wait much longer he swung her around and sat her on the edge of the bed. He kneeled down between her legs, and reaching up, caught her face. Tracing the outline of her jaw he thought he should warn her before this went farther. “Deeg, the first time is going to hurt a bit.”
She smiled at him tensely as she ran a hand through his hair sending small sparks of excitement through him. “I know.”
He smiled at her, and even as he wondered where she had gathered that information, he claimed her mouth again. Curling his arm around her he laid her out on the bed, and running his hands down her body, caught the pale silk with his thumbs and eased it down off her legs. She lifted her hips to help him and he let his hands stroke her legs all the way down before he stood and dropped them on the floor. Unhooking his own pants he chucked them off before lying down next to her. Propping himself up on his elbow he tucked her beneath him and kissed her warmly.
Deeg sighed against his lips and clutched at his arms. Reaching between them as he sucked on her neck he rubbed her clit with his thumb in a teasing circle as he ran a finger between her legs. A small mewl fell from her lips even as a shudder ran down her. Her eyes were reflecting lust, worry, and affection as he tested how ready she was for him. Her wet heat had him on the edge in less time than it took him to take a breath. The nervousness he saw in her eyes was the only thing keeping his body at bay. “Don’t worry, Deeg, I’ll take care of you.”
“I know.” The honest trust in her voice sent warmth straight to his heart.
Easing her legs apart he moved over her and rested his forehead on hers wanting to feel connected. Positioning himself he started chanting ‘gently, gently, gently’ in his head as he pushed slowly into her. She was so very tight around him as he began to enter her that he could have let go right then. Deeg gasped softly and tilted her hips up causing him to slip inside her faster than he intended. Reaching down quick as lightning he pressed her hips into the mattress and sighed out a choked plea. “Easy, Sweetheart.” He was trying so hard not to thrust past her barrier that he was starting to shake. “This time has to be easy.”
She stilled and he cursed himself for making her more nervous than she must already be. “It’s ok. Everything’s fine.” He kissed her swiftly. “Are you ready?”
She nodded silently and he pulled out before rocking back into her just hard enough slip all the way in. Deeg let out a sharp whimper and he stayed still as her body tried to adjust to him. Pushing her hair back as he balanced himself on his other arm he whispered soft reassurances to her. “Shhh, Sweetheart. I’m sorry. It’ll be over in a minute.” One of her legs came up as she tried to alleviate the sting and he let out a soft grunt as it forced him deeper into her. She bit her bottom lip and he stroked her cheek soothingly as he fought his body into submission. “Good girl. Stay still for me. I promise to make you see stars as soon as it stops.”
After a few minutes of what he considered the worst torture he had ever endured her body relaxed and he felt her squeezing him with her inner muscles. He let out a strangled groan and began to rock inside her slowly. Her breathing hitched and he began to pull out farther before sliding back into her. Then she moaned out his name and he got lost in the feeling of her. Endearments began to fall from his lips as he drove her toward the edge until all he could manage were soft groans of appreciation.
Deeg started tightening around him and the grip he had on her hip tightened so she couldn’t squirm away. He stretched his thumb out and rubbed her in time with his thrusts until she went stiff and cried out softly. He thrust into her a few more times as he lost his rhythm and let go with a shout as he buried himself as deeply inside her as he could as waves of white hot pleasure tore through him. He slumped over her feeling dizzy at the force of his own orgasm and continued to see small bursts of light behind his eyelids.
Once he managed to get some blood back in his head he shifted to the side and pulled out of her. She winced slightly as she continued to pant and he wrapped his arm over her back as he gathered her against his chest. He managed to wrestle a blanket over his shoulder and covered them before the cold of the room could get to them.
His hand ran lazily over her shoulder and arm and he was feeling more content than he had in years when her voice floated up to him. “Is it always like that?”
He kissed the top of her head. “It won’t hurt again.”
“That’s not…” She stopped talking and let her head fall to his chest. He knew she wasn’t going to elaborate since she was hiding her face from him. He had noticed that she had started doing that when she was confused or uncomfortable once she found out her mask didn’t work on him. Catching her chin he angled her head back up so he could see her eyes. He watched her with his unspoken question hanging between them. She bit her lip before making a second attempt. He could tell she was trying hard to articulate her thoughts. “Does it always feel? Is it always?”
Her mixed up questions cleared that up for him. He hooked his arm under hers and dragged her up so they were eye-to-eye before he began to trace the planes of her face. “No, Sweetheart.” The only other partner he had ever felt so connected with was his late wife. “It’s not always like this.” She searched his eyes for he didn’t know what. “But I think it will be with us.”
She gave him a shy smile and he felt his own soft grin in response to her. Tucking her back against him he felt her begin to drift off after a long period of comfortable silence between them. He stroked her hair until she slipped into sleep and listened to her sigh as she fell into a dream.
He wouldn’t be able to let her go after this, not that he was all that sure he would have been able to after that day in the field. Ozma help anyone that tried to hurt her now. The protective side of him, the side that had been buzzing in response to her since they met, had started snarling in righteous rage after she had started sobbing against his chest. And bringing her into his bed, or her bed as the case may be, had done nothing to alleviate those feelings. He wasn’t about to try to assuage them either.
By the way she had reacted when he had promised to stay with her, followed closely by her flat refusal to show any emotion, he knew she had been badly treated in the past. And while he knew her story, and the story her parents thought they knew, he was deeply suspicious that she had been neglected in many ways long before she had been sent away.
Even if she had been cast out to sea so to speak, she had been in the company of Raw, who she trusted more than anyone for the last four years. For at least three of those years they had been pack mates and friends. Yet she had still been so afraid of letting her emotions careen out of control that he was sure she hadn’t cried, or shown any other strong emotion, in years. He was willing to put money on the fact that her short shouted rant at the duke after the attack in Finaqua had been a rare blip in her otherwise outwardly serene behavior.
It wasn’t natural or healthy to keep such strong feelings inside, especially for a human. Control like that took both time and motivation to acquire, and even the best trained people he knew with such skills had family or friends they went to in order to blow of some steam when the pressure built up too high. He had sure let his own frank opinions out more than once in front of his family after a rough day. He was sure having an extra set of emotions and memories hadn’t helped much either.
Deeg twitched against him and he readjusted her so she was more comfortable. He hadn’t asked her what had happened in her parent’s suite either. She had been distant when she had come in and he hadn’t wanted to push her in front of Jeb, who he’d had a serious conversation with about her, or while she was getting her stitches removed. He’d meant to ask when he’d come for her in her rooms, but their conversation had veered in another direction entirely. Then there hadn’t been much conversation at all. He knew something was wrong, or more likely constantly off, between her and her family but he refused to let that continue. By the way she was acting he would rather she be away from them then constantly being browbeaten.
The Furball had been right about her not deserving to feel lonely. He wasn’t going to let her feel that way again, even if it did mean getting hexed by a monarch.
Author Note: Whew. That was a long one but since I got the Tin Man from several of you it only seemed fair. Ajax and Fred are munching peacefully on carrots and Ian is teaching me to throw knives. It’s a very happy household… What? Oh, sorry, the Tin Man is calling for me. You guys are on your own.
Author: FeistyFox
Rating: M
Pairing: DG/Cain
Summary: What would have happened if DG had never heard the witch? What if she had grown up in the Outer Zone knowing who she was and what she was supposed to be? Would it be what her family expected or would she have veered off in another direction entirely? Take a look...
Chapter 24
Disclaimer: Fred has been released. And he would like to point out that Tin Man isn’t mine.
He set Deeg on her feet when they were next to the bed, and cupping her face, kissed her as passionately as he was able. She pressed back against him and his other arm looped around her body as he tasted her. Her arms snaked up around his shoulders and both of his hands moved up between her shoulder blades. Rubbing her over the dress he moved back a few inches and watched her eyes as he began to loosen the silk ribbon that held her dress together. She flushed and pressed her face into his neck.
Her lips pressed against the skin above his collar and he sighed in satisfaction as his hands glided from the laces, over her shoulders, and down her arms. Catching her waist he sat on the edge of the bed and guided her over his legs until she was straddling him. He could tell she was apprehensive about what was going to happen and wanted to make this as pleasurable for her as possible. He kissed her forehead tenderly as he snuck his hand under her dress and rested it on her knee.
Her breathing got noticeably shallower when his thumb began to circle over her skin. “Deeg…” He found her lips again and his hand smoothed up her thigh. “You are so beautiful.”
Her hands moved to his holster and hovered on in for a moment before she shakily began to unbuckle it. She looked up at him from under her lashes and he saw her lips quirk up. “Your not so bad yourself.”
A rumbling chuckle vibrated through him. She may have been nervous but she wasn’t backing down a bit. He used the hand that wasn’t on her thigh to cup her behind and lift her up and over him until she was flush with his chest. Deeg automatically spread her legs farther apart for balance and he bucked into her as soon as she settled. Her body responded and her hips shot forward rubbing against him. He responded to her immediately and her blush increased when she realized what had happened.
Not giving her time to think too deeply about it he attacked her neck with his mouth as he started rocking her more firmly against him at an easy pace. Her breathing began to hitch as they ground against each other and he forced himself to stop the sweet torture he was enduring before he lost control. There were plenty of other ways to have her whimpering for him.
Catching the hem of her dress he slid it higher up her legs until it was bunched just below the tops of her thighs. She squirmed and he groaned as he started massaging her legs from the bottom up. Between the flush that had spread well below the collar of her loosened dress, and the sounds she was making, he thought she might be able to do him in right here. “You are testin’ my limits, Sweetheart.”
Her blue eyes flashed with the most adorably perplexed look and he groaned again. She had no idea what she was doing and it was driving him so close to the edge he could barely focus. He was afraid to know what she was going to be able to do to him when she realized how she affected him. His hand edged up higher and he let his thumb graze her center. Her breath caught and he palmed the back of her neck with his other hand as she arched toward him with a small ‘Oh,’ falling from her lips.
Now certain she wasn’t going to freeze up on him, he began to tease her center over the silky material she was wearing and she whimpered and pressed against his hand. Kissing her above the top of her dress he blew a puff of air up against her neck and she quivered. She was winding up much more quickly than he would have thought possible and all he wanted was to see her shatter against his hand. “Let go for me, Sweetheart.” For the second time in less than an hour she complied. Deeg moaned and clutched at his arms right before her whole body went stiff and a wordless cry fell from her pink lips.
He held her up as her orgasm rolled through her, taking advantage of the fact that her head was thrown back. Gods, her skin turned the loveliest shade of pink when she came. Continuing to stroke her as she came down he held her when she started to go limp. As she drew out of her haze she tilted her head up and kissed him under his jaw as she snuggled against his chest.
Her soft lips were replaced with her forehead as her hands ran up his chest and found the top button on his shirt. Her forward behavior was surprising but hardly unwelcome as the fabric on his chest was slowly parted. As she worked on his shirt he quickly finished removing his holster, and holding her against him, leaned over and set his gun on the small stand next to the head of the bed. The last thing he wanted was to get caught off guard when all his attention was on her. He needed his gun close at hand to protect her if anyone managed to sneak up on them, not that he thought that was very likely.
As he straightened back up she had finished with the buttons and her curious hands began to brush over his chest. His arms moved away from her momentarily and she looked up into his face anxiously. Smiling down at her he kissed her again as he flicked the cuffs of his shirt open. She made a soft noise in the back of her throat when she saw what he was doing and he waited as she decided what she wanted to do. He’d already decided he wasn’t going to push her into anything and thought it might be best to let her explore on her own. It would make her feel more comfortable latter if he didn’t try to guide her anywhere.
When he set his hands above her hips and watched her patiently he knew she had caught on to what he was waiting for. Her fingers fluttered over his shoulders and she was self-conscious for the first time since she had asked him to stay. Her eyes fell away from his face. “I don’t know what to do.”
He dropped his head and nuzzled her neck encouragingly as he reassured her. “You can’t do anything wrong, Darlin’. This is about learnin’ each other.”
In response Deeg began to push the shirt off him and he helped shrug it off. Once he was free her fingertips danced over his skin and he groaned as he tried to hold still for her. He managed to last several minutes before he had to have her skin against his. Catching her wrists he brought her palms up to his face and after pressing a kiss to each one stood them back up.
She slid off his legs and he ran his hands firmly over her sides as she found his mouth again. He wasn’t sure how much longer he was going to be able to wait and broke the kiss unhurriedly while he found the top of her dress. The laces were already loose and he knew it would fall away without any effort at all. “Ok?”
She nodded and he peeled the dress over her slim shoulders. Once it was past her elbows it flowed down her body in a blue wave until it pooled at her feet. She was left in only the silky undergarment he had felt on her earlier. He felt his head starting to get cloudy with lust at the sight of her. She began to fidget and he grabbing her hands, placing them back over his shoulders. Having her tight against him wasn’t helping his self-control and he couldn’t suppress a low growl as he palmed her breasts.
She whimpered and pressed into his hands. Unable to wait much longer he swung her around and sat her on the edge of the bed. He kneeled down between her legs, and reaching up, caught her face. Tracing the outline of her jaw he thought he should warn her before this went farther. “Deeg, the first time is going to hurt a bit.”
She smiled at him tensely as she ran a hand through his hair sending small sparks of excitement through him. “I know.”
He smiled at her, and even as he wondered where she had gathered that information, he claimed her mouth again. Curling his arm around her he laid her out on the bed, and running his hands down her body, caught the pale silk with his thumbs and eased it down off her legs. She lifted her hips to help him and he let his hands stroke her legs all the way down before he stood and dropped them on the floor. Unhooking his own pants he chucked them off before lying down next to her. Propping himself up on his elbow he tucked her beneath him and kissed her warmly.
Deeg sighed against his lips and clutched at his arms. Reaching between them as he sucked on her neck he rubbed her clit with his thumb in a teasing circle as he ran a finger between her legs. A small mewl fell from her lips even as a shudder ran down her. Her eyes were reflecting lust, worry, and affection as he tested how ready she was for him. Her wet heat had him on the edge in less time than it took him to take a breath. The nervousness he saw in her eyes was the only thing keeping his body at bay. “Don’t worry, Deeg, I’ll take care of you.”
“I know.” The honest trust in her voice sent warmth straight to his heart.
Easing her legs apart he moved over her and rested his forehead on hers wanting to feel connected. Positioning himself he started chanting ‘gently, gently, gently’ in his head as he pushed slowly into her. She was so very tight around him as he began to enter her that he could have let go right then. Deeg gasped softly and tilted her hips up causing him to slip inside her faster than he intended. Reaching down quick as lightning he pressed her hips into the mattress and sighed out a choked plea. “Easy, Sweetheart.” He was trying so hard not to thrust past her barrier that he was starting to shake. “This time has to be easy.”
She stilled and he cursed himself for making her more nervous than she must already be. “It’s ok. Everything’s fine.” He kissed her swiftly. “Are you ready?”
She nodded silently and he pulled out before rocking back into her just hard enough slip all the way in. Deeg let out a sharp whimper and he stayed still as her body tried to adjust to him. Pushing her hair back as he balanced himself on his other arm he whispered soft reassurances to her. “Shhh, Sweetheart. I’m sorry. It’ll be over in a minute.” One of her legs came up as she tried to alleviate the sting and he let out a soft grunt as it forced him deeper into her. She bit her bottom lip and he stroked her cheek soothingly as he fought his body into submission. “Good girl. Stay still for me. I promise to make you see stars as soon as it stops.”
After a few minutes of what he considered the worst torture he had ever endured her body relaxed and he felt her squeezing him with her inner muscles. He let out a strangled groan and began to rock inside her slowly. Her breathing hitched and he began to pull out farther before sliding back into her. Then she moaned out his name and he got lost in the feeling of her. Endearments began to fall from his lips as he drove her toward the edge until all he could manage were soft groans of appreciation.
Deeg started tightening around him and the grip he had on her hip tightened so she couldn’t squirm away. He stretched his thumb out and rubbed her in time with his thrusts until she went stiff and cried out softly. He thrust into her a few more times as he lost his rhythm and let go with a shout as he buried himself as deeply inside her as he could as waves of white hot pleasure tore through him. He slumped over her feeling dizzy at the force of his own orgasm and continued to see small bursts of light behind his eyelids.
Once he managed to get some blood back in his head he shifted to the side and pulled out of her. She winced slightly as she continued to pant and he wrapped his arm over her back as he gathered her against his chest. He managed to wrestle a blanket over his shoulder and covered them before the cold of the room could get to them.
His hand ran lazily over her shoulder and arm and he was feeling more content than he had in years when her voice floated up to him. “Is it always like that?”
He kissed the top of her head. “It won’t hurt again.”
“That’s not…” She stopped talking and let her head fall to his chest. He knew she wasn’t going to elaborate since she was hiding her face from him. He had noticed that she had started doing that when she was confused or uncomfortable once she found out her mask didn’t work on him. Catching her chin he angled her head back up so he could see her eyes. He watched her with his unspoken question hanging between them. She bit her lip before making a second attempt. He could tell she was trying hard to articulate her thoughts. “Does it always feel? Is it always?”
Her mixed up questions cleared that up for him. He hooked his arm under hers and dragged her up so they were eye-to-eye before he began to trace the planes of her face. “No, Sweetheart.” The only other partner he had ever felt so connected with was his late wife. “It’s not always like this.” She searched his eyes for he didn’t know what. “But I think it will be with us.”
She gave him a shy smile and he felt his own soft grin in response to her. Tucking her back against him he felt her begin to drift off after a long period of comfortable silence between them. He stroked her hair until she slipped into sleep and listened to her sigh as she fell into a dream.
He wouldn’t be able to let her go after this, not that he was all that sure he would have been able to after that day in the field. Ozma help anyone that tried to hurt her now. The protective side of him, the side that had been buzzing in response to her since they met, had started snarling in righteous rage after she had started sobbing against his chest. And bringing her into his bed, or her bed as the case may be, had done nothing to alleviate those feelings. He wasn’t about to try to assuage them either.
By the way she had reacted when he had promised to stay with her, followed closely by her flat refusal to show any emotion, he knew she had been badly treated in the past. And while he knew her story, and the story her parents thought they knew, he was deeply suspicious that she had been neglected in many ways long before she had been sent away.
Even if she had been cast out to sea so to speak, she had been in the company of Raw, who she trusted more than anyone for the last four years. For at least three of those years they had been pack mates and friends. Yet she had still been so afraid of letting her emotions careen out of control that he was sure she hadn’t cried, or shown any other strong emotion, in years. He was willing to put money on the fact that her short shouted rant at the duke after the attack in Finaqua had been a rare blip in her otherwise outwardly serene behavior.
It wasn’t natural or healthy to keep such strong feelings inside, especially for a human. Control like that took both time and motivation to acquire, and even the best trained people he knew with such skills had family or friends they went to in order to blow of some steam when the pressure built up too high. He had sure let his own frank opinions out more than once in front of his family after a rough day. He was sure having an extra set of emotions and memories hadn’t helped much either.
Deeg twitched against him and he readjusted her so she was more comfortable. He hadn’t asked her what had happened in her parent’s suite either. She had been distant when she had come in and he hadn’t wanted to push her in front of Jeb, who he’d had a serious conversation with about her, or while she was getting her stitches removed. He’d meant to ask when he’d come for her in her rooms, but their conversation had veered in another direction entirely. Then there hadn’t been much conversation at all. He knew something was wrong, or more likely constantly off, between her and her family but he refused to let that continue. By the way she was acting he would rather she be away from them then constantly being browbeaten.
The Furball had been right about her not deserving to feel lonely. He wasn’t going to let her feel that way again, even if it did mean getting hexed by a monarch.
Author Note: Whew. That was a long one but since I got the Tin Man from several of you it only seemed fair. Ajax and Fred are munching peacefully on carrots and Ian is teaching me to throw knives. It’s a very happy household… What? Oh, sorry, the Tin Man is calling for me. You guys are on your own.