Is Her Love Strong Enough?

The next day was a free day. What that meant however was that she would travel by coach to Paris and to Armand who was waiting for her. He had been counting down the days until he could see her. He had prepared a nice meal of lamb and green beans and mashed potatoes with cream. He had missed her dearly and he was anxious to find out what she knew if anything about what what happening within the King’s family and Inner circle if she had gotten herself in deep enough. He feared for her but he also knew she was a very capable woman.

For himself he had had a tough time of it. The Musketeers had been sought out by the King, D’artagnan, just about everyone, However the people of France knew and loved them, they had done alot of good before they had tried to Kidnap the princess and many were unhappy with France’s decline. That along with their selfless acts of the past gave them sanctuary almost anywhere and in almost every city in France.

Then there was Trevare who loved her also. Not for who he wanted her to be but for her as she was. Her courage and willingness to put herself in danger for France touched Trevare and he would love her no matter what she did now. She knew that and trusted that. That and she could not betray him because he had put no such shackle upon their relationship. She could be open and free with Trevare.

Armand though...he was hers as well. He would be upset with what she told him at the very least...well, maybe more than upset but she knew he loved her also. A strong, passion-filled kind of love that infected her when he unleashed it upon her. That and he was a very dangerous man. He had fought Trevare and her together..at the same time! He was fearless and fast and visceral just like the way he made love to her. He could kill her and he might if he was angry enough. Already the smells of food she knew he cooked for her wafted down to the stairs as she came up. She was going to hurt him today...badly and each step it seemed she was wading deeper and deeper in a festering pool of guilt. With a bottle in his hand and a wide smile on his face he opened the door for her.

“Lorelei, your home!” he exclaimed and he wrapped her up into his arms and kissed her profusely., murmuring how much he loved and missed her. He set down the bottle to help her with her bags. “So, uh, can you stay for a couple days? Please say you can?” he asked as he followed her into the bedroom. Not much had changed. The way she left the apartment was how it was. That was a good sign, wasn’t it?

To say Lorelei was nervous was an understatement. The fact was that her heart was pounding so loudly in her chest that she was sure he would be able to hear it. What she was going to tell Armand was going to test their relationship right down to the core. She had yet to speak to Trevare, but had already spoken to D'Artagnan. She had told him everything, including that Armand had been one of the two men two had tried to 'kidnap' the princess. D'Artagnan was furious until she explained the reasoning behind it. Once he understood that it was quite possible that this king wasn't the real king and that they were only trying to protect the princess he calmed down quite a bit. She went on tell him everything then about the scar on the real king and that she had been asked by this king to be his consort and go with him to Versailles, to which she had agreed. D'Artagnan was overwhelmed by everything she had told him, but he agreed to help her.

Lorelei did not have time to speak to Trevare before she left, and in fact she wanted to wait until after she had spoken to Armand to see him again. As she neared the apartment she could smell the food cooking from down the hallway. It smelled delicious and the fact that he was cooking for her brought tears to her eyes. She began to wonder if this would be the last time he would ever cook for her. She steadied herself at the door and took a deep breath before opening it and walking in. Immediately, Armand and the dogs came over to greet her. When he kissed her she closed her eyes and kissed him back, but he would feel that she was tense. She followed him back to the bedroom and looked at him.

"Unfortunately not," she replied. "I have only a day. The king is preparing to go to Versailles so I cannot stay long. Dinner smells wonderful..."

He tilted his head to her at her mention of the King and he wondered silently what it had to do with her? Had something happened? He shrugged off the question that formed inside his head and took her coat then hung it up.

“Well, we can sit and have a nice meal together and talk at least, I’ve missed you Lorelei,” he said softly and honestly. He had missed her. Missed her sleeping next to him. Missed her laughing at his jokes, missed her trying to cook for him, missed the warm, sweet moments late at night with her. Missed her scent on him. He could tell there was something wrong, or the very least she had something to say but he wasn’t certain he wanted to hear it just yet. Silently he stepped up toward her and gently touched her face with the back of his right hand. “Relax Lorelei, it’s just the two of us tonight, he whispered. “Tonight let us be husband and wife, if but for a little while,” he added just as softly and kissed her sweetly. He saw that there were tears that wanted to fall down her face but he only took her hand and led her to the table. Concern grew up his spine but he stuffed it down stubbornly. Tonight he would be her husband, he repeated in his head.

He told her of where he had been hiding as of late. A small town outside of Paris. “The lease on this place has never been in my own name so no one really knows I own it save for my comrads. I am as surprised as you that D’artagnan has not come to arrest me. But I did think he had been in here only to find me gone. I am sure he has many questions for me,” he said calmly as he took a sip of wine. He knew full well what she was up to now. But they had already spoke about all of that. She was who she was and he could not stop her so he had no choice but to accept that. Still he held her hand often as they ate and talked of the future they once had talked about what seemed ages ago. A large place in the country and children to to raise. That was still what he wanted but he wasn’t sure it was what ‘she’ wanted anymore. He still liked to make her laugh and smile though and she enjoyed his cooking so it was much like it had been.

He made a fire and set her on the couch with a glass of white wine. She tucked her legs up under her as he sat close at her side then turned to face her. He took a sip from his glass and then set it down on the thin table that stood just behind the couch. “I can sense that you have much to tell me and i can also sense that what it is I will not like. I am tempted to make love to you and let it all be left unsaid but I can see that it’s a weight upon you and I know what you’re doing is dangerous. Danger requires clear thought to get through it so I would have you tell me what you will. I can not promise I will not be angry but before you begin know that I am still your husband, for whatever that is worth to you. You did make the choice to marry me. You did do that willingly at least,” he said and she would see his concern now creep into his eyes. She would know he loved her dearly but it was different than that of Trevare’s love and what she would say was going to hurt him. He waited patiently and alternated looking into her eyes and down at her hand in his near her leg.

Lorelei ate, but it was clear that she needed to tell him something. She listened to him speak, but barely spoke herself. Whatever it was that she needed to tell him was clearly weighing heavily on her mind. She both wanted to tell Armand and didn't at the same time. She still loved him deeply and knew this was going to hurt him badly. However, she had promised him that she would no longer lie to him either.

As they sat out on the couch together she tried to figure out how to tell him everything. When he finally just came out and asked her eye sighed a putt and took a sip of her wine and then out the glass down.

"Armand, there are two things that I need to tell you tonight and as you've already guessed you aren't going to like either. However, toy also don't want me to lie to you anymore either."

She paused and took a breath. "What I have to tell you first has to do with the king. I found out from the princess that her father was injured while on a ship and nearly lost one of his legs at the thigh. Thankfully this didn't happen, however it did leave him with a scar. This is the only way I believe we are going to know for certain which is the real king. However, because it is located in a place that is not visible I decided that I would need to sleep with the king to confirm that he does or does not have the scar. I got the king's attention and he asked to see me privately to thank me for helping to save his daughter. Things didn't go exactly as I thought they would. Instead of just sleeping with me he...he asked me to come with him to Versailles as his...consort and I agreed. This was not how I wanted this to go but think about it Armand. I will be able to gain his trust and see and hear even more and once we have the information we need then I will be gone from there."

He knew what she had to tell him was a heavy burden upon her and so he listened as she spoke. He started to get excited when she she spoke of the King. He believed that it was true and now they could have evidence. He flinched however, visibly as she began to explain how she was to discover this. He felt her hand shift to take his and she squeezed his to keep contact with him as she went on about how she had inadvertently became his consort? So he was going to bed her whenever the mood struck him? She could feel his outrage, it hung in the air around them. He said nothing at first but his expression had turned into a mask of sternness, not loving or understanding at all.

“And the other?” he said flatly, trying to hide the anger and disapproval in his voice.

ooc: Suggestion?: If you have an Iphone (which i do myself) You can load google docs onto it. You can type your posts up on a PC/Lappy in google docs then, on phone, go to that app, open that doc, hit 'select all', then hit 'copy' then tap into the reply space then hit 'paste' to make the text ready to copy. In the chrome app (or whatever browser you use on your phone) Go to the board and 'paste' the text into the reply area, then hit 'Send' at the bottom to reply. not sure if Android had google docs though if you have an andoid. Also, you will need to delete out the text completely (hit 'select all' and then 'cut' to delete it if using Iphone) to be able to do it for the next post if you use the same doc, like I do.

Lorelei for flinched at Armand's reaction. However, it had been expected. However, what she was going to tell him next was going to be far more difficult. She swallowed hard and forced herself to look at him, although there were tears shimmering in her eyes.

"Armand, I love you...I love you deeply and the last thing I ever want to do is to hurt you, but I know I'm going to and it is killing me inside. I...I've fallen in love with another man..."

His eyes went large for a moment and then settled back to their normal size. He gasped as if he couldn’t breathe and his face went pale. Tears stung at his eyes and he stood up quickly and ran to the sink. He wretched down into it, his stomach emptying itself of everything he had just ate or drank recently. He wiped his mouth with a dish towel then leaned back against the sink. He would not cry in front of Lorelei. He would not! He said to himself. He knew this was going to happen, he knew it from the moment he had married her and yet he still did it. Knowing that didn’t make the sting any less profound. His heart ached and he felt jittery or nervous. His eyes scanned across her, he could see tears streaming down her face and oddly he felt bad for making her feel that way. For acting like a spoiled brat and making her cry over him. He wanted to burst out and curse at her. To slap her silly. He wanted to make love to her...damn him! No...damn her, she did this, didn’t she? He picked up the bottle of wine and drank the rest of it down, one gulp at a time. There wasn’t enough in the bottle to make a difference though and he threw it against the nearby wall. It crashed down and shattered against the floor.

“Is he a good man? Is he good to you?” In a reproachful tone, what was he saying! He should be furious and he heard his own voice. Consoling HER! He clenched his teeth shut when the will to curse her name came upon him again. No...he would not give that to her. Not this time. However he could not stop his tears from falling. He tried but they came anyway. That was what she wanted. If he did that she could leave and tell herself it was for the best. That’s what she was trying to do, make it easy upon her. He would not give her that. He would not give her anything to use against him. Not now, not ever!

Lorelei felt tears stream down her cheeks as she watched Armand. She could see the anguish in his face and it tore her heart to shreds. She wanted to go to him, to hold him, but she wasn't sure he would accept her touch. She felt incredibly guilty, but she couldn't deny how she felt about Trevare. This was the honesty Armand had wanted. She water for him to scream at her or hit her, but he did none of it. Even though he turned his back to her she could see he was crying. That was the most difficult part for her...knowing she had made him cry.

As he turned back and finally faced her again she continued to force herself to look at him. He deserved that at the very least.

"Yes, he's a good man. I never intended for this to happen and it all happened extremely quickly. He knows the truth about who I am and that I'm married. He doesn't want to come between me and you...and I don't want that either."

OOC- I do have an iPhone so I may have to try that.

He sniffled and wiped his eyes as he leaned back and listened, she sounded sad...STOP THAT! He yelled at himself. He felt terrible and most of that was because he knew this was hurting her. HER! “Lorelei...we’re married, you and I, married. We are husband and wife, does that mean anything to you?” he asked. “I can tell that you want this other man, but don’t I deserve what I want to? Don’t I deserve you? I’ve looked at other women. I’ve wanted other women but I save myself for you and you alone. Because you are worth that. You are even though sometimes I think you don’t think you are. You are worth trying to trust and to love and to dote upon. I do it all because you are worth it all and I want to make you happy. Don’t I deserve the same? Don’t I deserve the benefit of the doubt and fairness?” He asked, almost pleadingly. He saw her move around the couch to come toward him but he put out his palm toward her to stop her where she stood.

Lorelei listened to Armand and tears continued to stream down her cheeks. She was so confused and upset. She didn't know what to do. She didn't know what to say. She tried to go to him but he stopped her. She just hung her head and began to cry harder. She wanted to be with them both, but she knew how selfish that was. She loved them both deeply, but she was married to Armand.

She finally forced herself to stop crying and she looked at him. "You're right...we're married and you don't deserve that...I...I won't see him anymore..."

She picked up the wine glasses and took them to the kitchen. She was silent as she began to clean up. Her heart shattered for Trevare and she was going to need time.

OOC-she's not going to push it any further with Armand about Trevare. If you still want her to be with both it is going to have to be Armand to decide that

Her words seemed to bore into his skull. Did she think it was just that easy? She had fallen in love with another man, slept with him, made love to him and that was that? Hardly! He stepped up to her and slapped what she was carrying out of her hands. He grabbed her by the arms, his hands were trembling now. His anger toward her strong and obvious. He shifted her so her back was to the sink. He shoved her back against it and then held up his hands toward her, his palms facing her and she saw them shaking. His eyes were dark and angry. A sign he did not want her to move. He saw her shrink in as if she expected to be struck and he grabbed onto her arms again. “Oh, so you think you can just treat men’s hearts like a light switch. Turn them off and on when it suits you?” he said in her ear. “You can stop seeing this...this man but now I know you love him. I don’t want to be RIGHT...Lorelei. I want you to be my wife. I want you to act like you are my wife. This thing with the King...it’s done, this thing with D’artagnan...is done, this thing with this other man...is done. That’s what I want but I know it is not what I will get from you. You will still ‘want’ to help D’artagnan, and to discover the truth about the King and to love this man and me as well. If I forbid you any of this you will resent me and do it anyway...I know you and I know you will. That is what truth is Lorelei.” he said softly but his tone was angry.

He let go of her a disgusted sneer on his face that he has to teach her these things. Things he thought she knew already. With his back toward her he stepped away from her with his hands in his pockets. “No, I think you are going to have to prove to me that you want to be with me. I will accept who you are Lorelei. I will accept what you feel you need to do and who you’ve chosen to love. I don’t have a choice in that. To deny you is to push you away. That is what I’ve learned and I do not want to push you away, I love you. But if I mean anything to you, you will prove to me that you still belong to me as well or I will leave and I will not be coming back,” he said and he did not turn to face her. She would know that he meant now, his words did not mean in the future.

OOC-is he saying she can still be with Trevare as well?

ooc: Armand is a compassionate man. He does not feel it is fair that she accept this other man's love and then tells him the next day that its over. He hates that she has done this but he cant tell her what to do, he's learned that by now. He knows that their relationship is not fair. it has never been. So, he just wants confirmation that she is still his wife and that she still loves him. if he doesn't get that, and god knows what he wants her to do to prove it...something degrading to be sure, he is well, a passionate man with  sexual appetites that can get very kinky at times. She definitely knows that! Trevare is more gentle, his passion is gentle. Armand is like a storm when he gets going. An unpredictable one that gives her the other side of love bordering on crazy or depraved which seems to satisfy that other side of her. His unpredictable nature and open passion drew her to him.

That said in all honesty, she is a rare individual, knowing there is a man devoted to her alone...possibly two now and yet she does not really feel that way toward them. She likes that they are, I do not know how she would react if she found out or witnessed them with someone else and how she would react to that.

OOC-ok that's what I was thinking.

IC-Lorelei was about to put the glasses in the sink when Armand stepped forward and slapped the glasses from her hands. They crashed to the floor and shattered. He then grabbed her and shoved her up against the sink. She trembled and shrunk down, expecting him to slap her. But once again he didn't. She didn't move nor speak as he spoke. She just listened quietly as tears slipped down her cheeks. The front of her dress was wet from her salty tears. She lov d Armand...deeply...passionately. Hurting him was like driving a dagger into her own heart, but her feelings for Trevare could not be denied. She loved him as well. She was Armand's wife though and she wanted him to know that she loved him as much as she did.

As he pulled back she looked into his eyes. She didn't know if he would accept her or not but she moved toward him and kissed him passionately.

He kissed her back but he was still angry and unsatisfied. He took hold of her arms again, his grip was like a vice. “Tell me that you love me Lorelei,” he said. When she did he continued. “Tell me that you want me,” he said, his lips almost touching hers. “When she did he added, “Now, show me how much you want me,” he said softly in her ear and with his face still stern and his words had a dangerous tone to them. He felt her heart beating quickly. Everything about him right then felt...dangerous. Like if she didn’t please him right then he would not be convinced. She had seen him like this before and knew that what was going to happen, she’d have to convince him just to get to that point, was probably going to both hurt her and excite her.

Lorelei was trembling beneath Armand's grip. She looked at him when he told her...no commanded her to show him that she loved him and wanted him. She didn't know what to do at first but then she remembered their first night together at that inn. She pulled herself from his grip and walked over to a cabinet where they kept their wine and brandy. She pulled out a bottle of good brandy hoping he would remember. With her eyes on him still she used her teeth to pull out the cork and then let it drop to the floor. She then took a large sip before offering him some. There was that certain twinkle in her eyes...

OOC-Every time I look at the title of this thread it makes me think of the song from the movie Legend with Tom Cruise and Tim Curry.

ooc: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h_wVC-w7jOw

Armand kissed her and allowed the brandy to flow into his mouth. He continued to kiss her as he unbuckled his pants and let them fall to the floor. He stepped out of them then began to work on her clothes. The fact that she remembered spoke volumes to him. He would not force her to do anything tonight. She would lead him to what he wanted of her own accord. And she did lead him by taking hold of his bared cock firmly then moving to lead him by it to the bedroom.

They made use of the brandy, she straddled his mouth and poured it down between her breasts down her abdomen until is drizzled down into the hair between her legs then into his mouth. He lapped it up and availed himself of her brandy flavored flesh. He poured some on himself to and she leaned forward to take him into her mouth as he continued to pleasure her with his mouth….

She lay on top of him, her back to him and she moved of her own accord. She turned her head and allowed a stream of brandy to find his lips. The Brandy made the feel of him in her ass not hurt quite as much, and she knew that this she could save for him possibly. For him alone if the King had no such designs. He moaned with the way she moved atop him and then he put himself back into her pussy….

With her still on top he put his hand up to her neck and squeezed. She felt her air flow restricting but the pressure never increased to more than what was tolerable and the realization that he could choke her to death excited her. With his hands still around her neck her orgasm was an explosive one and she felt him cum right after, the trail of her own being heightened by the feel of his warm, sticky cum flooding into her…

The bed was damp from the brandy and sweat but they fell asleep there, she, wrapped up comfortably in his arms. The next morning, her head hurt from all the brandy, she saw that he was gone, a lone, Gardenia flower bloom in place of his head on his pillow. When she picked it up and smelled it she would know that he had forgiven her and that he was still hers. Only hers, her husband and her lover.

Lorelei awoke the next morning to find Armand gone. She head ached a little from the brandy and the wine and the empty brandy bottle lay on the floor. She slowly sat up and that was when she spotted the single Gardenia flower on his pillow next to her. She felt a few tears come to her eyes as she picked it up. She smelled it and felt a wave of happiness wash over her.

She bathed and dressed and packed up her things. She didn't know when she would be able to come back to the apartment and so she took a good look around. She decided to take the dogs with her since she didn't know when Armand would be back either.

"I love you Armand," she whispered to the room before turning and walking out. She made her way back and put away the dogs and her things before going to find Trevare.

Trevare for the most part was tasked with doing...reports. He hated sitting and he hated writing. Having to read and record the reports the men gave to him involved both of these things. His office was a small one, almost claustrophobic. Exasperated he decided to go for a walk. If he was very lucky he might bump into Lorelei. Lorelei...how he loved that named! Only because of who it belonged to. He patrolled the halls, they were getting ready to head to Versailles with the King. Security would be difficult to maintain he started to think but his thoughts drifted back to Lorelei. Wonderful, beautiful Lorelei. Even after just 2 days he missed her and his body ‘wanted’ her again.

It was the dogs that drew him. Three dogs as he saw Lorelei hand them off to a servant. He eyed her quizzically. She looked at him and he looked at her though his eyes shifted to see if anyone was near. He moved up and past her into the fringe of the entrance to her rooms. She had a set of white, double doors that were wide open and a few bags sat further inside. He was a large man. Tall and broad with only a little bulk that did nothing to slow him down. She liked that about him. He wasn’t all just muscle and sinew. Nor was his bulk to much for his form. When she came near he shifted quickly and snatched her up into a kiss. Over and over he kissed her and felt her kissing him back. “I see you left...to...see your, husband yes?” He asked though he knew. “I’ve also learned something else,” his voice was soft but also deep which was natural for him. “I would say not to do it, to keep you for myself, to prove to you that I can keep you to myself but I also see the logic in it. It appears all went well with your husband, obviously he is a good man and he loves you, probably no less than I. I can wish for you to make promises to me Lorelei but I will not speak them. I thought of you often while you were gone. If we survive this, you must know by now that danger is around every corner, I will have to meet this husband of yours and make my own peace with him. I care not how I am to have you as long as I do. To have you at all is more than I have ever had in total in my life. Know that to be true Lorelei, I have no designs on you beyond that,”

Obviously Trevare was concerned that she would tell him she could no longer be with him. He could see some semblance of it in her eyes. He was an intuitive sort. The quiet ones always were and what he had told her just then was more words from him than she had ever heard. A testament to just how worried he had been and how much he loved her. He finally let her feet touch back down to the ground.

Lorelei had just returned and was having her bags put into her room when some movement in the hallway caught her eye. She spotted Trevare and she felt her heart flutter a little. She dismissed the servant and then watched as Trevare made his way carefully to her. The moment he saw no one was around he made his way into her room and closed the doors behind him. As he snatched her up into a kiss she closed her eyes and kissed him back. She loved the feel of his arms around her and his musky scent.

After he put her down she looked at him. She reached up and gently touched his cheek. She caressed it with her thumb.

"He...wasn't happy, but that was to be expected. He isn't going to stop me from seeing you though. However, know that he is my husband and my first loyalty lies with him."

She then paused a moment before speaking again.

"I have something else to tell you..."

She then sat down with him and explained to him what had happened with the king. "This will allow me to hear and see more and pass along what I learn to you, my husband, and D'Artagnan. You should also know that the princess wishes to bed you. She knows that Angelique likes you, but when she finds out that I am to be her father's consort she may try to go after you." She paused again and looked down and then at him. "If she does and if you find you want to sleep with her then...well that decision is yours."

He sat stiffly as he listened to her tale about the King. What she was doing was very dangerous. The King...or his twin brother, either one was dangerous. But he quieted his questions as she continued. He raised an eyebrow at her mention of the princess and of leaving that to ‘his’ decision. However he detected a slight tightness around her eyes at that and he managed a small smile.

“Yes, who I choose to bed is my decision, thank you for informing me of that,” he said in a tone that might suggest he was mocking her right then. He decided to test that. “However I have had my eye upon her for a while now. You are sure you do not mind?” he said as he watched for her reaction.

Lorelei glanced at Trevare and he would see her stiffen. She pressed her lips firmly together for a moment. She had a feeling he was testing her and at first she planned to just lie and tell him she didn't mind, but she knew he would see through it.

"Yes," she finally said. "I do mind...quite a bit actually, but you and I aren't attached like Armand and I are. You do not have to swear yourself just to me."