One Hundred refusals (15)

A serialised romantic fantasy

Previously…Chapter 1. Chapter 14

“Do not dare to die now, Ash! Don’t die, you silly man, not when I’m ready to give myself to you!” Gema cried out caressing his dirty cheeks. “Release him this instant!” She yelled at the robbers, observing them.

“Not before we get gold for our slave, my fair lady!”

“Slavery is forbidden in MY KINGDOM! SOLDIERS!”Gema squealed.

“Hush, hush! Not so loud!” The robbers released Ash’s limp body from the chains. Nevertheless, it did not stop the soldiers from galloping into the crowd. The band of robbers scurried away.

“Can we assist you, my Lady?” said a soldier, stopping his horse near her. No doubt, they took her for what she looked like – a high-born Lady, not a brothel girl. If she would’ve spoken up about her being kidnapped… but something else was on her mind. Something more important than her own fate. Her love laid bleeding in her arms.

“This man is wounded! He needs a physician at once!”

“Of course, my Lady!” The soldiers searched the crowd and indeed found the town’s physician, who did not hesitate to help Ash.

“I’ll need a place to operate,” the man said.

“To the carriage!” Lord Trouser was back with the carriage. The soldiers helped to get poor Ash into it. Gema, Lord Trouser, and the physician jumped in. They rode to the Lord’s establishment, and although the physician wasn’t thrilled to enter the brothel, he got to helping Ash as soon as they had carried the wounded Snakeling inside.

Gema refused to leave, she assisted the physician, despite all the blood, and other horrific sights, while Lord Trouser and the ladies provided hot water, fresh towels, bandages, and whatever the operation required. Gema’s dress was covered in blood, when the physician had finally managed to stop the bleeding, and patched Ash’s belly up. There he lay, lifeless, barely breathing.

“Will he live?” Gema said with her eyes red from crying. All the while she assisted the physician, silent tears poured from her eyes.

“There’s a good chance he will, he’s young and strong. But I cannot say for certain. I must leave you now, I’ll check upon him as soon as I can,” with it the physician washed his bloody hands, changed into a clean shirt provided by Lord Trouser, and went away. Gema sat on the side of Ash’s bed, staring at him silently.

How could I’ve been such a fool? I don’t even care if it’s love or lust connecting us, I want him to live. I want him. All of him. The good, and the bad.

“Oh, Ash…” Gema whispered sobbing.

Lord Trouser entered with a quiet knock.

“I’ve come to change the bed sheets. Is it really…?”

“Yes. This is Lord Ashier. The man I told you about. The man I…love,” Gema had spoken about Ash before, yet she did not go into details about the curse. She mostly told Lord Trouser how she and Ash had been enemies, until they became lovers.

“Oh, Gema dear,” the Lord consoled her. They changed the bloody sheets, then Gema changed her own gown quickly, not to miss a minute near her love. Afterward she sat by Ash’s side all day long, cleaning his dirty body with a wet cloth, combing his long hair. When she took off his dirty clothes, Gema saw bruises and cuts all over his body.

Oh, Ash…you silly man. Why did you not curse the scoundrels? Why did you not turn into a snake and escape them? Why did you suffer? To find me? She thought, and burst out crying again.

All was calm, yet Ash didn’t wake. By the evening, he had developed a fever. Ash shook, hot as a frying pan, sweating and murmuring Gema’s name.

“I’m here, I’m here, my love, “ she whispered back, wiping his burning forehead with a wet cloth. Lord Trouser and the elderly brothel ladies all sat in the hallway, waiting for news, but giving the two some privacy. Gema refused to eat or drink, spending all her time taking care of Ash.

The physician did not return to the brothel, and he refused to come back even when Lord Trouser came to ask him.

“People like me do not deserve mercy and attention. I am sorry your love must suffer from it,” Lord Trouser said ruefully.

“Indeed, you are the noblest man in this town! Nobility of one’s character does not come from the house he’s living in, or the clothes he wears. The physician is a fool, refusing to help the future Queen, and her King, because they happened to find shelter in a brothel,” Gema murmured.

“What did you say, my dear?”

“Oh, nothing of importance,” Gema replied, not taking her eyes off Ash, who seemed to fall into a peaceful sleep, while his skin still burned hot.

Please, live, please, live… Oh, Foreverold, please, make him live… Gema fell asleep near Ash, repeating a silent prayer over and over.

***

When she woke at dawn, Ash was cold as ice, lying near her completely still.

“Oh, no! Oh, no! Ash, please don’t leave me! Please, no!” she touched his cold skin, then broke down in tears, embracing him.

Suddenly she felt Ash’s body shaking in silent laughter. She looked up, indeed, the bastard was chuckling, staring back at her.

“You, out of all people should know, being cold is the natural state of a Snakeling,” he said with a smug grin on his deadly pale face.

“I hate you!” she grunted, then kissed his cold lips. “I love you!” She added afterward.

Ash’s green eyes grew twice as wide. Obviously, he did not believe his ears.

“Could you repeat that?”

Gema smiled at his seriousness; he stared at her like a child, eyes full of hope and anticipation.

“I love you, I want you, I am yours,” she whispered in his ear.

Ash closed his eyes with a deep sigh of relief. Which made him moan in pain afterward, he had a long recovery ahead of him.

***

Was it Ash’s youth, or his own magic, or maybe the fresh air of the small town, but Ash recovered quicker than one could expect. Lord Trauser suspected the real reason, so did the old brothel ladies, for who else could’ve known the power love possesses over young hearts? Every morning Ash was awakened by Gema’s sweet kisses, and a hearty breakfast, and every night she left with a sweet kiss goodnight. No, they did not share a bed, at least not until Ash showed signs of recovery. Their kisses grew more passionate, and parting each night began to seem pointless, at least to Gema…

“Mmmm… mmm… wait, Gema…” Ash mumbled while Gema straddled him without letting their lips part even for a second.

“Is it your wound?” She finally stopped to ask.

“No, but…”

“Good!”

She kissed Ash with all her might. The summer’s day had been hot, the evening crept gently, the moon rose above the rich scents of ripe fruits, and flowers in full bloom. The night was made for lovers, and Gema could taste Ash’s desire on her tongue, she felt him burning for her, his every muscle tensed holding and caressing her. Therefore, she was truly (and unpleasantly!) surprised by what happened after she pulled up her skirt, and reached to undo Ash’s pants.

“Gema… my love, I think… wait, Gema. Let us stop right now,” he said, holding her hands in a tight but gentle grip.

“What? Why? Do you not want me?”

“I want you more than anything,” his face expressed nothing but serious determination.

“What stops you then?”

“Gema, I am a Snakeling, and…”

“Oh, is it about your silly reputation again? Lord Ashier, I think it’s safe to say there’s nothing left to lose; you’ve been living in a brothel for two months,” Gema kissed his naked chest seductively.

“As much as I’d want to… Gema. We must take care of your future first. You are the Queen of Hebeny. Your return was delayed by me, but you must return, and claim your throne. You…deserve a royal wedding, and a wedding night in a place more honourable than a brothel bed. I do not know, if you’d want me as your King, but…”

“Oh, Ash! Do you have any doubts? Of course, you would be my King, if only… I would be the Queen,” Gema’s face grew grim, she climbed off Ash.

“I have thought many nights of it. My sister has the same rights to the throne, as I do.” Gema had told Ash about her dead twin sister Pearl.

“She is under the influence of King Olor of Avem. I am certain he schemes to gain power over Hebeny. We cannot let your sister marry his son. It is the end of summer, and I believe the royal wedding is set two weeks from now. Gema, my love, I think I’m strong enough to travel, therefore we must hurry to the Citadel,” Ash pondered.

In the months of his stay, he feared to send a messenger to Snakelings asking to send money to him, for he believed his father, the Lord of Snakelings, and the Elders might find out his shameful whereabouts, and disown him afterward.

Gema and Ash agreed on leaving in a few days, they were sure Lord Trouser would grant them some gold to hire a carriage.

“Can I have a kiss goodnight?” Gema asked innocently before leaving his room. She pressed her lips upon his without waiting for the reply. This time their kisses sparked an even higher flame of passion. It appeared not even Ash’s concerns about his reputation could stop the desire pulling Gema back into his lap.

“I’m so glad… that imposter… never got to taste your lips,” Gema whispered victoriously, while Ash kissed her neck.

Suddenly Ash stopped.

“Gema…dear, I haven’t told you… there’s another reason we must return to Citadel before your sister weds prince Sturnus,” Ash mumbled nervously.

“What is it?” Now Gema was the one kissing Ash’s neck leisurely.

“I might have been a tiny bit brash, and put a deadly curse upon your sister; she will die if she lays with prince Sturnus in their wedding bed on the wedding night, unless she’s the real Queen Geminaris.”

“What?” Gema nearly jumped out his lap. “Why on earth did you curse her?”

“Well… well…”Ash stuttered, but could not conjure any believable lies when Gema looked into his eyes with her cheeks still red from lust. “After she failed the test, and still kept lying about being you, I was infuriated…”

“What test?” Gema’s eyes narrowed with suspicion.

“It meant nothing, really, my love, I swear…”

“What. Test?” Gema grunted.

“A tiny little meaningless kiss,” Ash tried hard to sound extremely casual.

“How could you…?” she squealed.

“Gema, I had to find out! She kept denying the obvious…”

“Obviously not so obvious, if you had to slither your tongue into her mouth!”

“No tongue! No tongue! I swear!” Ash grabbed Gema’s hand, and pressed a passionate kiss on it.

“Do not dare to touch me with those tainted lips, you despicable… reptile!” Gema exclaimed, and marched out the room with her furious little heels clicking.