The Journey's End (18 page)

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When there was eventually a lull in the partying and well
wishes coming their way, Nori moved to the shadows and slunk away.  Menelaus
noticed her absence immediately and turned to look for her.

“What is it?” he asked, coming up behind her and wrapping
her up in his arms.  “Something is still troubling you.”

“Shakien have never had children outside their own kind, not
even when they are life mates.”  She blurted it out fast and waited for his
reaction.

“And you thought that would matter to me?  I can assure you
it does not.”

She blinked, then turned in his arms to face him and judge
the validity of that statement.  “What about the whole, ‘Me big man, have many
strong boys.’”

Menelaus laughed.  “I hope that I never sounded like that,
even when I was being an arrogant ass.”

She was speechless for a whole minute.  “You really don’t
care?”

“No, I really don’t.”  He pushed her hair back from her
face.  “Do you?”

She snorted.  “Could you imagine what kind of child we would
make?  Boy or girl it would be a scary little bastard.  A combination of your
arrogance and my temper would probably combust in the womb, or be universally
hated.  Or…”  He placed a hand over her mouth.

“I understand your point.  No need to malign the poor child
further.”

She smiled against his hand, and he took it away to replace
it with a quick kiss from warm lips.  “You might be selling us short.  I prefer
to think the child could be the greatest King that ever lived.”

She snorted again.  “I rest my case.”  Then she turned to
walk back to the celebration.  “Hey, do me a favor, would you.  When we get
back see if you can get to the marines before they head for their transport. 
See if you can work your mojo and get them to never tell that story about ‘The
Incident’ when I was sixteen.  Ever again.”

“I don’t think that would be an ethical use of my gift.”

Nori turned on him so fast he almost walked into her,
probably because he was too busy staring at her ass to react quickly.  “You
used it to try to get me to stay with you, against my will I might add, that
first day on the heli-shuttle, and making some marines shut up about my
embarrassing childhood is not an ethical use of your gift?”

“Yes, but that was before the love of a good woman.  I’m a
changed man, for the better I should hope, above such petty squandering of my
gifts as forcing a beautiful woman into life as a queen with a man that loves
her beyond life or reason.”

She laughed, shaking her head as she turned to walk away.  “You
are lucky you are good with a sword and better in bed, or you would not be
worth this aggravation.”

He followed after her chuckling and admiring the saucy sway
of her hips.  “Whatever it was that won me the fair maiden, I will be eternally
grateful to it.”

“Stop staring at my ass.”  She called back just as they
reached the crowd of people and had them tittering while Menelaus shook his
head at her lack of decorum.

“I’d as soon give up breathing,”  he called back, causing
more laughter.

Nori laughed with them because she couldn’t help it.  Then
she turned to walk backwards as he continued to follow her through the crowd. 
“Are you going to watch my ass all the way to the bedroom?”

Menelaus smiled, a wicked glint in his storm cloud eyes. 
“Had I known that was where you were headed, I would have hastened my step.”

“I’m relatively certain I’m not in the mood, Your Horniness.”

“I accept your challenge.”  He stated loudly, making more
heads turn their way.

She stopped cold.  “I did not challenge you.”

“You challenge my prowess as a man and I cannot let that
stand.”  He ended that statement with drama worthy of Lara.

“Oh, please.  You just defeated two armies and won a duel against
a master swordsman.  I think your manhood is safe.”

He picked her up bodily with an arm around her waist and
headed for the castle.  “A man must do all in his power to uphold the warrior
code.  Let’s just make sure we have covered all the bases, shall we?”

Nori laughed, wrapping her arms around his neck and rested
her head against his shoulder.  “Whatever you say, Your Highness.”  Then she
leaned up and whispered in his ear.  “But once your manhood has been defended,
I get to be on top.”  She said, and then nipped him in the ear.