A Surprise Visit

Theodred left the golden hall in a brisk walk toward town. He knew where the smithy was, he had been there many times. If he could not talk to Elisa he at least wanted to see her. Wanted to kiss her and put his hands on her body. In truth he wanted more than that as well but he doubted that a moment like that could happen often. If he just came out with everything though...he wasn’t sure about that either.

He heard the banging of the hammer and knew that that was Elisa’s father on the anvil. He had a very strong arm and for the thicker things he usually did the work. He didn’t see Elisa immediately so he moved around back. In his fancy coat he had gotten a few looks and a few bows but everyone knew who he was. They hadn’t followed him or anything and when he disappeared behind the stables he saw her there, shoeing a horse. Her hands were filthy and she also had a bit of grime on her cheek and chin but she was beautiful to him. She had on the thick, leather apron she always wore over her simple woolen pants and sweat stained shirt. She was bent over, the horse’s hoof held between her legs as she hammer in the shoe nails. He leaned casually up against one of the posts to the stables roofing as he watched her. If she looked up at all she’d see him. He was only about 15 feet away from her.

Elisa hadn't been able to get that day out of her head. She could still feel Theodred's hands on her skin...his lips against her own...his breath on her neck. Her heart would beat faster just thinking about it. She loved him...and he loved her. The thought made her smile...but only momentarily. In the back of her heart she knew that Theodred deserved better and it was extremely unlikely that his father would approve of a Blacksmith's daughter for his son's wife.

She had wanted to see Theodred again, but her father had kept her busy and it wasn't as though she could simply walk up into the palace and ask to see him. She had seen him from afar the other day, but even that hadn't satisfied her...in fact, it had only made things worse. Why had she not just walked away that day? Why had she given in to her desires instead of listening to her head. The only way this was going to end for her was in heartbreak...

She was so deep in her thoughts that she hadn't heard him come up. She was tired and dirty and she still had several horses to go before she finished. But even then she wasn't finished. She would then need to start dinner. Suddenly, a shadow caught her eye. Thinking it was her father, she turned to regard him, but it wasn't her father that she saw. It was Theodred! Her heart nearly stopped in her chest when she saw how incredibly regal and handsome he looked in his coat. She dropped the horse's hoof and quickly stood, nearly knocking several things over in the process. She realized how dirty she must look and tried to wipe off her hands, but they had started trembling slightly.

"Theodred....what are you doing here?" she asked as she cast a quick glance around to ensure that no one was nearby.

Her sudden shock at seeing him only made his smile grow. She was beautiful even with the dirt he decided. He straightened though he did try to remain casual. Inside however he was far from it. It was all he could do to not pick her up bodily and carry her into the stables to show her how much he wanted her right then. But that would not do he knew. She deserved a man who would marry her properly before any of that went on. His thought didn’t change him wanting to though and he tilted his head at her question and he was concerned at her outward expression.

“Well...I came to see you ofcourse?” He said simply in that low voice he had. He had taken several strides toward her but left a couple of feet between them. She smelled like soot and oil and horses. She smelled wonderful he thought.

“I…” He started to say but before he knew what he was doing he had lurched forward and taken her into his large arms. His lips attacked hers as his hands pressed against her back, her butt, kneading and pressing her up against him. He didn’t care if his coat got dirty or not. He had missed her...terribly. He knew she still held the shoeing hammer and nail but his tongue tasted hers and he had a mind to carry her back into the hay of the stables and do alot more with her if she’d let him. Never mind the danger of getting caught, his feet remained where they were though his hands still touched her in places he had thought about touching her in his dreams.

Elisa was surprised when Theodred suddenly grabbed her and pulled her towards him and kissed her. Once again, she felt conflicted, but rather quickly her body took over and she began to kiss him back just as deeply. She wrapped her arms around his neck and lightly pressed her body against his.

He finally broke his embrace so she could breath. His eyes looked at hers, his glowed a fiery blue right then. A deep, passionate blue filled with the love and desire he had for her. “I missed you,” he said breathlessly as he kissed her once more as another shudder of desire struck him. “I’m a completely different man when we are apart Elisa,” he said almost mournfully. It was some comfort to see that she hurt just as much as he did. “How have you been?” he asked and hoped she was well. She looked well. As strong as an ox as always. He reached up and managed to only smudge a spot of grime into a smudged line of grime.

Elisa sighed almost regretfully when he pulled back. She could have kissed him all day. She looked deeply into his eyes, feeling that she could get lost in them.

"I've missed you too," she replied softly. She then looked at his outfit again. She reached out and gently touched the expensive fabric. "You look quite handsome today."

“And you look good enough to eat,” he said truthfully. He could devour her and his eyes took on a severe predatory look as if he might start right then and there. It faded quickly though and he let her go. “I...need to tell you something, but I don’t want you to freak out about it,” he said and he looked down at the smudges that were on his coat then back up at her as if they didn’t matter at all. “You remember Brianne?” He was certain she did. When they were kids Brianne always got Elisa into trouble. Part of it was Elisa’s own fault, they never got along and often Elisa would trick or scare Brianne with insects, worms or frogs. She’d run screaming and tattle. Usually Theodred could take the blame himself but more than once the trouble was laid on Elisa and her father paddled her bottom but good for it.

“My mother...my parents,” he corrected. “They want me to...talk with her. To be civil. Her family is here and they...want me to court her,” he said though his voice faded away as he looked down. “But...you know I don’t want her. I want you. There is nothing between us and I can’t see that there will be. I just need more time, to figure out how to steer things until I’m ready to tell my father who I do really want.”

From the sound of Theodred’s voice Elisa knew that she wasn’t going to like whatever it was that he was going to tell her and when he mentioned Brianne’s name she knew that she REALLY wasn’t going to like what he had to say. She of course knew Brianne. The two had never gotten along. Brianne would tease her for not having a mother and for doing ‘boys’ work. Brianne always looked fresh and clean, while Elisa rarely looked that way. As she listened to him she felt herself becoming upset. She tried to hide the tears that began to come to her eyes, but she couldn’t. She looked down and then away from him.

“Theodred...in the end it won’t matter. Your father will never approve of me. I am a blacksmith’s daughter. I am nothing close to Brianne. She is elegant and well mannered and knows which spoon and fork to use at a fancy dinner. I’ve never been to a fancy dinner...or even own anything close to being fancy or elegant. I have dirt permanently stuck under my nails and scars from helping my father. Whoever you marry will one day be queen....Brianne is the better choice...she always will be.”

Theodred stepped up to put his arm around her. He was concerned as much as she was. Her tears affected him greatly. He had always hated to see her cry. In her ear he whispered, “But not for me. There was a time when my father was on a horse more often than on his own feet. He can appreciate someone who knows much about honest, hard work. I will remind him of that when the time comes. Elegance can be taught and you do have manners. So stop trying to put me off,” he said as he buried his face in her neck. He kissed her hard there and he brought his hands up to cup her breasts as he kissed and licked at her neck. “We can continue to play the game until the time comes when we won’t have to,” he said in between his kisses. He felt her melt back into him. “You are the woman I love...and that is all that matters,” he continued as he breathlessly kissed her and moved up to her earlobe and jawline. “God I want you!” he nearly growled.

The moment Theodred put his arms around her, Elisa nearly melted into them. Despite her words, she wanted to be in his arms...to feel his lips against her...his weight on top of her. She breathed in his familiar scent and moaned softly when she felt his hands on her breasts. Her heart began to beat quicker in her chest and she could feel desire rising up inside of her as he began to kiss her ear and jawline. At his exclamation she looked up at him and into his eyes.

“Then take me.”

Without hesitating further, with his left arm around her he lifted her up and carried her, albeit awkwardly further into the stables. Up against one of the stall doors he set her down then undid her apron. As she undid her pants he pulled the apron over her head then let it fall beside them. By the time he had his own pants undone her butt was bared to him and he shoved his pants down far enough to step forward as she bent forward to allow him access into her. With a moan of pleasure he pushed himself in. She held onto the thick wood of the swing door to the first stall as he grabbed her hips and began to move. There was no hesitation, his need brought haste and his front slapped against her backside. It didn’t take long, maybe a minute or two and he exploded into her. The warm stickiness filled her up and he slowed to a stop as he held himself deep inside of her. She sighed when he moaned due to the wonderful pressure being inside her brought him. It was then when she might have just heard her father’s hammer stop. Theodred’s wouldn’t have noticed it right then but she would know they had about 30 seconds to set everything to rights.

Elisa knew her father was close, but at that particular moment she didn’t care. She needed Theodred...needed to feel just how much he loved her and wanted her. Within seconds she had her apron off and then began to unbutton her pants. She wished she could take it all off, but there wasn’t time for that. She bit the inside of her lip hard as he pushed inside of her. She knew they had to be as quiet as possible...though that was going to be difficult. She gripped the stall doors hard as he quickened his pace. In that moment he belonged to her and no one else and the thought almost made her cry. Rather quickly it was over, but before they both had time to breathe and she heard her father’s hammer stop. Horrified at the thought of being caught in such a position by her father she pushed Theodred off of her and looked over her shoulder at him as she quickly began to pull up her pants.

“My father’s coming...you need to get out.”

It was hard to believe that a woman could get dressed so fast. Before he even had his belt straightened enough to buckle it Elisa was putting her apron back on. He knew her father well. He was a kind, generous man but strict and did not put up with sloth. Before he could bolt out though he saw her father and he ducked back next to the stable door. It was dark there and her father would need to look directly at him to really see him. He backed right up against the wall.

“Whatcha gittin up to girl? Them horses won’t shoe themselves!” He barked. He stopped when he saw her and gestured with his arms in consternation to her for not having at least that horse done by now. Theodred almost laughed outloud as Elisa shifted out of the stable to turn her father’s gaze toward her and he took a few more steps toward her to get a closer look at the horse she had been working on. He noticed the flushness of her face and nodded in understanding. Well, his understanding anyway. “Did ya break another shoe nail? It’s happened ta me once or twice. Ya don’t have ta git all upset o’er it,” he said as he stepped up closer. He put his hands on his hips as he waited for her response. Theodred had enough room to slither around and out the way her father came but as he shifted two pigeons chose that particular moment to fly out of the stable and her father shifted, apparently startled by them. He looked back but up toward them and scratched the back of his neck at a wonder why they’d fuss at his approach. Elisa’s eyes were large in surprise and fright. If he caught them there like this...the gig would surely be up then. She needed to get his attention somehow so Theodred could slip out.

Elisa's heart was pounding in her chest as Theodred managed to just duck into one of the stables before her father walked in. She tried to remain calm and could only pray that her father wouldn't notice him. If he did...well she didn't want to imagine what would happen. She desperately tried to work out something in her head to explain what she was doing...and why she had stopped her work. She was just about to claim that she had seen some rats in the stables and was trying to shoo them out when she suddenly saw Theodred trying to slither his way out of the stables before her father turned around and saw him. Her mouth went completely dry as he startled two pigeons which suddenly took flight. Her father started to turn around to look back but then she cried out and leaned over and rubbed her right calf as if in pain.

OOC-So we had mentioned something about the Commander also having a son and that Narisa is afraid of being forced into a marriage with him so she wants things to work out with Theodred and Brianne. I was wondering if maybe there shouldn't be some kind of history between Narisa and the son. Like maybe they were once in a rather serious relationship, but then it ended rather badly for some reason and now they can barely sit in a room together without arguing...but maybe in the end they realize they actually do still love one another.

ooc: new thread