The Dark King's Bride (4 page)

             
Opening up the door, Richard, Daniel’s right hand man, stood in the pouring rain with a firm yet apologetic look on his face.

             
“My lord…My lady…” Richard said, speaking to them, softly and sincerely. “I am afraid that we will have to deter from our path. The road up ahead to get to the village is flooded, and the road behind us is the same way. Unfortunately, this rain storm is intensifying and showing no sign of letting up.”

             
Dread started to consume her upon the news Daniel’s advisor gave to them. Lily was far from home with the ruler of the region at her side inside of his carriage. She felt trapped and scared all at the same time. Never had Lily felt so on edge in all of her life that it made her bow her head in uncertainty.

             
“However…The driver and I have found a nearby path that will take us to the castle and out of this horrendous weather for us to seek shelter at.”

             
The change in news caught her by surprise, and had her to life her head up in a quick flash, revealing the shocked look on her face. She had never seen the castle and the idea of going to it that very day sent chills up and down her spin. The thought of getting to see the very place that her father had been to earlier that day and was making his way home from caused her to be a little bit more curious about it. Lily pulled in one more breath of air prior to lifting her gaze up towards Daniel’s face in anxious anticipation of hearing his decision about the matter.

*                            *                            *

              With the effects of their brief but intense sensual encounter still lingering in his mind, as well as his body, Daniel found Richard’s request to be a blessing and a curse. He wished to take her to his home to get them out of the downpour, but knew that the privacy in his home would lead to temptations burning inside of his physique being satisfied.

             
This is the perfect choice for you to make, Daniel.
His passions said, whispering to him and interrupting his thoughts.
Not only will you have the ability to show her a small taste of what she would expect from being there with you, but you will always have the power to do with her as you desire.

             
The latter part of what was said to him by a portion of his conscience that was linked to his passion, temptations, lusts and desires made a flame of anger begin to burn and quickly engulf his being. The mere notion of him treating Lily like a harlot infuriated him to his very core.

             
How dare you speak of her in that way to me?!
Daniel shouted at the part of his conscience that kept all of his temptations, silently.
Lily is far more than a common whore, and I will not have you talk of her to me in that manner!

             
Are you meaning to tell me that you don’t wish to share your bed with the beautiful woman sitting beside you?

             
That is not what I am getting at, and you know that.

             
You can’t lie to me, Daniel…I know what you really wish to do.

             
Be quiet…

             
You want nothing more than to lie her down on your massive bed…rip off the dress that is hiding her curvaceous and alluring body…and have a night of unadulterated, sexual abandon with her-

             
I told you to be quiet!

             
Daniel’s voice took on a more commanding and dark sound, suggesting to his passionate inner voice to silence its attempts to get at him. He didn’t wish to hear from it anymore at that time. There was something more serious on his mind, and a decision that had to be made at that very second.

             
Breaking off the link to his inner voice, Daniel returned his complete attention onto that of the face of his royal advisor that was looking towards Lily and himself from outside of the carriage. He drew in a breath of air, and gave a nod of his head towards him shortly before speaking to him in a calm yet firm tone.

             
“Very well, Richard.” Daniel said, “Tell the driver to go on the path that will take us to the castle so that we may get out of this storm.”

             
“Very well, my lord.”

             
He watched his servant close the door back into place before turning his focus to where Lily remained. His eyes found her exhibiting a look of nervousness upon her gentle face. The sight caused him to caress the side of her face in gentle strokes while he relaxed his arm, as well as the hold, he had around her.

             
“It will be all right, Lily.” Daniel spoke to her in a soft, sensual whisper, wishing to soothe her concerns away with his voice. “We will weather out the storm within the stone walls of my palace home until it has passed us. After it is gone, I will escort you to wherever you wish to go to, personally.”

             
“V-Very well, my lord.”

             
“My lord?”

             
“I-I mean…Very well, Daniel.”

             
A faint smile danced across his face from capturing the effects of their brief encounter still having an impact on her thoughts. The fact that only a few moments of sharing a kiss with her caused her mind and actions to go berserk, briefly, gave him a secret delight. It was refreshing to be in the presence of someone as sweet and innocent like Lily instead of the usual company he had been keeping.

             
He turned his head away from her, and looked towards the direction of his window on the door facing him in the carriage, and gazed out it through the cracks of his curtains that were flowing a bit due to the light breeze.

             
Moving amongst the rain, Radcliff, a farmer that had come to visit with him earlier that day, rode on the back of a mule on the opposite side of the road, heading in the very direction they had come from. He was the type of man he strived to become: strong, protective, compassionate, hardworking and dedicated to his passions.

             
The light sound of Richard making a clicking noise with his mouth caused his focus to break, and replace itself on that of Lily’s angelic face. He flashed her a warm, friendly smile to keep the concerns and nervousness away from her, wishing to only make her happy and content with his presence. Daniel slipped one of his hands into hers, and interlocked their fingers with one another just as his vehicle started to veer off the wet, paved road, and headed onto a new one that would lead them right to the impenetrable walls of his castle home.

Chapter Five

             
With the sounds of the rain hitting the rooftop of the carriage, silence echoed all around inside of the carriage, moving amongst Daniel and herself. Not out of force…but out of nervousness and uncertainty on her part.

             
Say something, Lily…

             
Her conscience’s whispering at her in hopes of getting her to break the quiet moment that had fell upon her caused her muscles to tighten up and put her on edge, instantly.

             
You have to say or do anything, Lily, if you don’t want things to die right here and now between you two.

             
I am quite aware of the silence and quietness that has surrounded us…
Lily did her best to work up enough courage to either speak or tilt her head back, but found herself unable to do either one at the moment.
It is just a little hard at the moment to break out of this shell I have fallen into.

             
Why is that?

             
I am not entirely sure about the reason…

             
Perhaps it is the fact that you got close to losing your virginity to the very man that your family, as well as all of the people who live in and outside of town, serves and pays homage to in order to gain and win favor with him.

             
Lily thought for a moment that her heart was fixing to suffer a panic attack due to the suggestion that was made to her by her ‘voice of reason’ that dwelt inside of her being. Her blood turned to ice while the area where her womanhood was nestled had started to tighten and grow a little wet. Swallowing a lump down her throat from noticing how she was feeling, Lily caught the soft sound of her conscience chuckling a bit before it spoke up.

             
Hmm…It seems that I was correct on that assumption.

             
Slowly, she registered a faint, warm sensation coming over her cheeks. It didn’t take her long to realize that she was blushing out of embarrassment from what her rational side had stated to her. Lily silently cursed at her conscience, scolding it for what it had done, while she tried to stop blushing to the best of her ability, desperately.

             
“So…Lily…”

             
The sound of Daniel’s deep voice speaking up out of the blue to her caused her to avert her eyes away from her lap and onto his face. She was grateful that the inside of the carriage was dark enough to hide the light blush shades on her cheeks. Pulling in a breath of air, Lily finally found the courage to speak.

             
“Y-yes, Daniel?” She asked, slightly shaky.

             
“Why don’t you tell me about your family?” He spoke to her in a way that was full of charisma and calming to the soul. Gazing upon her with his emerald green eyes in a similar fashion, he continued to speak to her in a gentle, tender manner. “I would like to know more about your life.”

             
“Well…Um…I am the only child to two farmers who grow crops, hunt, fish or sew in order to make a living while I help out by singing in the square from time to time or telling stories to the children there.”

             
“You come from a family of farmers, correct?”

             
“That is correct, Daniel.”

             
“How far out do you live in these woods? It can’t be too far if you were moving on the road a little while ago before the storm hit us both, or you are a fast walker and can make quick work of any path that comes across your way.”

             
“Actually, our cottage home is several miles in the opposite direction of where your carriage is taking us to. You can’t miss the stone and wood well that my father had built by hand on the right side of the house while my mother’s garden that she grew with his help is on the left side.”

             
“Is that so?”

             
“Yes…”

             
“Do you mind if I ask one more question?”

             
“Not at all…Ask me anything that is on your mind.”

             
Looking upon the face of her king, Lily started to notice an expression consisting of anxiousness and curiosity lingering just below the surface of his strong features. Her intuition was telling her that something was troubling him and that the question he needed an answer to could either go in a positive direction or a negative one.

             
“Lily…Who are your parents?”

             
For a moment, she found herself caught off guard by what he had to ask her. Lily couldn’t see or understand why this was troubling him like it seemed to be since her parents were not the type of people to anger anyone. She drew in a breath of air, and, despite her confusion about the matter, spoke up to him.

             
“My mother’s name is Marigold, Daniel, and my father’s name is Radcliff.”

*                            *                            *

             
All at once, Daniel found his body being ravaged by intense feelings of confusion and curiosity from the moment he heard Lily inform him that Marigold and Radcliff, the two farmers he admired the most out of those close by to his home, were her parents.

             
How can this be? How can Radcliff and Marigold be her parents when they have never mentioned to me about having a daughter during all the times they have come to my home?