1606011324-Lady-Knight-Chenery Read online

  LADY KNIGHT

  Marisa Chenery

  EROTIC ROMANCE

  Siren Publishing, Inc.

  www.SirenPublishing.com

  A SIREN PUBLISHING BOOK

  IMPRINT: Erotic Romance

  ABOUT THE E-BOOK VERSION: Your non-refundable purchase of this e-book allows you to one LEGAL copy for your own personal use. It is ILLEGAL to send your copy to someone who did not pay for it. Distribution of this e-book, in whole or in part, online, offline, in print or in any way or any other method currently known or yet to be invented, is forbidden without the prior written permission of both the publisher and the copyright owner of this book.

  LADY KNIGHT

  Copyright © 2008 by Marisa Chenery

  E-book ISBN: 1-60601-132-4

  First E-book Publication: August 2008

  Cover design by Jinger Heaston

  All cover art and logo copyright © 2008 by Siren Publishing, Inc.

  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED: This literary work may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, including electronic or photographic reproduction, in whole or in part, without express written permission.

  All characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead is strictly coincidental.

  PUBLISHER

  Siren Publishing, Inc.

  www.SirenPublishing.com

  DEDICATION

  For my family who is always there and my father, Ray Chenery, who nurtured my love of writing.

  LADY KNIGHT

  Marisa Chenery

  Copyright © 2008

  Prologue

  The sun shone brightly as Ariel walked through the meadow. The heat of the day made her regret wearing the wool homespun gown. But when she worked in the fields with the villagers she could not bring herself to wear the better quality gowns of her everyday life.

  As thane of Elmstead, her father had taken great pride in administering to the villagers and serfs under him. Now all that had changed. Since her mother’s death two years before, Swein of Elmstead had withdrawn from much in his life.

  At ten and eight Ariel tried to take her father’s place. Her father still held the moots when disputes could not be settled among the villagers. But all else, he let Ariel handle mostly by herself.

  Ariel did not mind, for she had found herself more than capable of performing the job. The only thing she regretted--her father had pushed her out of his life and had practically built a wall around himself.

  She pushed the thoughts of her father out of her head. Today was too beautiful to spoil with such depressing thoughts. Looking up, Ariel saw there not a cloud in the sky. The blueness of it almost took her breath away. She looked across the meadow at the myriad of brightly colored flowers that were just as spectacular as the breathtaking sight above her.

  A flash of light caught her attention. Ariel watched as a Norman knight slowly walked his horse out of the forest that bordered the meadow. She knew him to be a Norman by the distinctive nasal piece attached to the helmet he wore upon his head. Ariel had only seen one other Norman knight, just before her mother died, who had been passing through. Her parents had offered him their hospitality and he had stayed the night.

  Ariel had been fascinated by his broad sword and his shield, so different from that of her father’s. Her father fought with a battle axe and a round shield that carried no emblem.

  This Norman appeared to be very much like the other. He wore the same type of helmet and chain mail. Ariel looked lower and saw the broad sword hanging from the belt strapped around his waist. His shield hung over his saddle within easy reach. The shield bore an emblem, the same as the other knight’s, but his was different. The shield had been completely painted white and in the center a gold unicorn stood on its hind legs. It almost seemed to be pawing the air as its ruby colored eye glared back at Ariel.

  Her attention swept back up to the knight’s face as he raised his arm and removed his helmet. Ariel felt her jaw drop open as she stared at him. His apparel may be the same, but his looks did not compare.

  His dark blond hair he wore long and caught back by a leather thong so it fell to his shoulders in a tail. The other Norman had shaved the back of his head. When asked why, he had said that it was easier to control when wearing a helmet all the time.

  His eyes were what intrigued her most about this Norman. At first glance they appeared to be a pale green, but at closer inspection she realized that they were actually gold. As she looked, the corners of his eyes crinkled when he smiled at her.

  “I hope you found what you are looking for.”

  Ariel felt the heat rise to her face. She normally could talk to any person she encountered, but this knight left her speechless.

  “You probably only speak English, do you not?”

  Ariel continued to look at him. He thought she was one of the villagers. The rough homespun gown did nothing to make him think otherwise. Far be it for Ariel to change his opinion. She did not want to reveal herself, because if she did, courtesy would dictate she offer him her hospitality. She did not want anyone outside of the village to see what her father had become.

  “Come. I would enjoy your company even if you do not understand me. I’m sure we will get our ideas across somehow.”

  Ariel stared at the hand he reached out with. She knew she should not take it, but for once she wanted to do something just for her. Knowing what he offered and thinking she could reveal herself if it came to be the only way, Ariel placed her hand in his so he could pull her up to sit in front of him.

  He held her around her waist with one arm as he turned his horse and walked back into the forest. They did not go far for just passed the tree line a small pond sat in the center of a clearing. Surrounded by thick trees, it made a perfectly secluded spot.

  Ariel looked closer at the knight’s face and fought the urge to swallow. His perfectly sculptured square jaw with a slight cleft in the centre and the sharp cheekbones made him the picture of pure male essence. Ariel saw the slightly darker stubble of hair on his chin and cheeks. On some men it would have made them look shabby, but it only enhanced the male beauty of the knight. There was something about him that called out to her, to the lonely part of her. She felt alone, even though her father was still there physically.

  He chuckled at her close scrutiny and lowered Ariel to the ground. When she took a step back from the horse, he dismounted and tied the reins around the nearest tree. Without turning he unbuckled his chain mail, slipped it over his head, and hung it with his sword belt over his saddle.

  Ariel briefly wondered how far she should let this go. For when he turned back, he reached for her and slowly pulled her toward him. The first sensation that hit her was the all engulfing warmth that radiated from his body. She had had no idea men could be so warm. She had not been this close to her father since she was a very little girl.

  When he lowered his mouth toward her, Ariel jerked her thoughts back to the knight. His lips lightly brushed hers for the first time. Ariel caught the knight’s scent, a combination of horse, sweat and his own distinctive male scent.

  His lips felt soft and warm, which surprised Ariel. She had expected she would not like kissing a man. She had been wrong. He increased the pressure of his lips as she tentatively slid her arms up and locked them around the back of his neck, otherwise she would have fallen.

  His tongue gently licked her bottom lip. Ariel could not stop the surprised gasp that left her. He took the opportunity to slip his tongue into her mouth and gently sweep inside. It was all Ariel could do to stay afloat.

  Something unknown and totally new began to build in the pit of her stomach. Ariel knew she shoul
d put a stop to this now, but the feelings sweeping through her took all her reasoning away. All that mattered was making the building pressure grow.

  Ariel felt the ground rise up to meet her as the knight gently lowered her down. The weight of his body on hers felt right. With hands like magic, he stroked them down her body. Ariel arched into him as he clamped down on her breast through her gown. The heat of his mouth grew more intense as he suckled her through the coarse wool.

  Ariel clawed at his back as she tried to pull him closer, seeking something she did not understand. She barely noticed her legs had been bared to the air. One of his fingers found her hot, slick opening and gently probed her, checking her readiness.

  She automatically tried to clamp her legs together against his hand. He once more took her mouth until she relaxed her legs. Pushing against her inner thighs he opened them further.

  His fingers began searching once again until he found her clit. He rubbed it back and forth. Ariel could not stop the moan that escaped her. Taking it as a sign of her readiness, he rose up and pulled at the fastenings of his trews. The hot, hard length of his shaft gently probed the entrance to her body.

  The feel of him sent Ariel over the edge. Instinctively she raised her hips to give him better access. He slowly pushed the head of his hard length into her slick pussy. The feeling of being stretched soon gave way to pain.

  At the piece of skin that barred him from sheathing himself fully, the knight pulled back and surged through it with a single stroke. At Ariel’s cry of pain, he gently kissed her until the whole length of his shaft filled her. The pain started to fade as he suckled at her breast. The sensations she had felt before returned. When she rocked her hips into his the sensation increased. It was unlike anything she had felt before. With their bodies joined, Ariel felt closer to the knight. It was a closeness that she now realized had been missing from her life.

  The knight began to move on her, sliding his length in and out. His pace increased and something steadily built inside her. Matching his strokes, her body tightened around his. Moaning, she let herself go as a sensation of unbelievable pleasure swept through her as her body clamped down around his hard shaft, milking him. He pumped into her once, twice then filled her with his seed.

  Ariel held him close as the knight collapsed on top of her, panting. She relished the feel of his heavy body on hers. When his breathing returned to normal, he kissed her sweetly and straightened his clothes. Ariel pulled the skirt of her gown down once more feeling modest. The knight smiled down at her. He stared down at her, as if he wanted to memorize everything about her. He then pulled something off his finger and placed it in her hand.

  “A gift for you in exchange for the gift you gave me. I will not soon forget our time spent together. If this was another time and place, I don’t think I would be able to leave you behind.”

  Without another word, he donned his mail and strapped his sword around his hips. Once mounted upon his horse, he gave Ariel one last smile before he turned and disappeared into the forest.

  Ariel sat on the ground and watched the sun sparkle like diamonds off the water in the pond. She looked down at her hand. On the palm of her hand sat a ring. Depicted on the gold band was the same unicorn that had been painted on the knight’s shield. A single ruby eye flashed as the sun caught it. Ariel then realized what she had done. She had given herself to a man she didn’t know. A man she would most likely never see again. Numb, she felt her world come crashing down around her.

  Chapter 1

  Elmstead, England

  January 1066

  Swein of Elmstead sat in his hall watching his daughter stitching near the fire. Ariel was not the same girl she had been seven months ago.

  It had taken two months for the changes to break through the fog he had been living in for the past two years. He had not known how much he had come to depend on his daughter.

  She had kept Elmstead together during his neglect. Ariel had taken care of the villagers, even worked along side them in the fields. But what he found to be the greatest blow was finding out his master of arms, Osbern, had started to train Ariel how to fight with a battle axe.

  He had begun teaching her shortly after her mother’s death and had continued to do so for the last two years. Osbern had been quick to inform him that Ariel had been afraid if the fryd was called to battle, she would have to lead Elmstead’s men. She had feared her father would not be capable to do it. Osbern had even said Ariel was as skilled, if not better than, any lad her age, which Swein found shocking in itself. Now all had changed.

  Swein could not help but let his eyes fall to Ariel’s stomach. She was in the last stages of pregnancy. When her morning retching had soon become obvious, she had been forced to reveal her condition. .

  He had watched her mother go through the same sickness in her early stages of pregnancy with Ariel. It was then he started to take back control of Elmstead. Ariel had gladly handed everything back over to him. She had been happy and relieved to have her father back. But one thing had not changed, her training with weapons continued.

  Even though pregnant, Ariel trained every day for hours at a time. The training had even taken on a new twist. She had asked Osbern to teach her how to use a broad sword.

  How Ariel had found out Osbern was the only one proficient enough to teach her, Swein could only guess. Osbern had once been connected to the royal court, where most of the Normans in England could be found. Osbern had learned from one of them the art of using a sword. Saxons fought with the battle axe leaving the swords to the Normans.

  In the end, Ariel’s request had been granted. Osbern had managed to find a sword for her and training had begun the next day. Even with her stomach large with child, she trained. Looking at her, Swein could see a strength to her body that had not been there seven months before.

  Ariel must have felt him staring at her. She looked up from her stitching and gave him a slight smile. “What do you think, father? Will this hold up?” Ariel held up the small baby shift she had been working on.

  “I’m sure it will hold together.” Swein watched as Ariel resumed her stitching. He still found it painful to look at her.

  She was so much like her mother. Blonde hair, so light, that when in the bright sunlight, it almost appeared to be white. Blue eyes that matched the color of the sky at its bluest. All were the same, even right down to the full red lips. In the last two years, as Ariel grew into a woman, the resemblance had become stronger.

  There were a lot of unanswered questions hanging between Ariel and himself. They never spoke about the father of her child and he wouldn’t push her. She would let him know when she was ready.

  Ariel put down her stitching and stifled a yawn with her hand. “If you do not mind, Father, I’m off to bed. I just do not seem to have the same energy as before.”

  “You will once the child is born. You should slow down, take care of yourself. Maybe the training sessions should stop until after the birth.”

  “Nay, I need them right now. Don’t ask me to explain for I cannot. It’s just something I have to do.”

  Swein rose and helped Ariel to her feet. “It’s your choice. I want you to know that I will be here for you.”

  “I know. Try to understand, you can’t help me with this.” Ariel placed her hand on her stomach. “This is my responsibility. This child is mine to take care of and I will not fall apart because of it.”

  With a kiss on her father’s cheek, Ariel bid him good night and left him standing in the hall.

  * * * *

  The bright sunlight coming from the single window high up in the wall helped to dispel the gloom inside the hall. Two female serfs quietly cleared away the remains of the morning meal. Ariel watched the shaft of light split as each woman crossed its beam.

  Now that her father had once more resumed his duties, Ariel spent more time with the running of the hall. She made sure the rushes were changed on a regular basis and chose the meals that would be served each da
y. In a way, Ariel felt relieved to have just the hall to worry about. She had another, larger, responsibility to see about in a few months.

  She tried to think of the unknown knight every day. And not from any lovesick emotion either. She just did not want to forget what he looked like when she faced him again. And they would meet again. She would get her revenge if it was the last thing she did.

  The ring he had given her hung from a gold chain that she wore around her neck, hidden beneath her clothes. She had not been able to show it to her father. What would her father think? She didn’t even know the knight’s name. All Ariel had was the engraved emblem on the ring. Swein would think her a fool.

  His gold eyes were the other thing Ariel would not forget. No matter how long it took, she would remember the look in his eyes as he bid her good-bye. He had thought her a good bit of fun and nothing more. At least that was what she thought she had seen. When they crossed paths again, she would recognize them. She could still see the bemused look on his face. She had been nothing but sport to him. She would change that when she faced him once more.

  Feeling her temper rise the more she thought of the knight, Ariel surveyed the hall. It had been built by her grandfather, the first thane of Elmstead. The sturdy timber hall had adequate space to hold a large gathering if the need arose. The tables and benches not needed on an everyday basis were stacked in one corner of the room.

  The family sleeping quarters were at the back of the hall, separated by a partition. There were three chambers in total. The larger one was her father’s, which he had shared with her mother when she had been alive. The other two were relatively the same in size. One had been set aside as a guest chamber and Ariel claimed the other as her own. The hall from the outside looked much like the villagers’ huts except for being much larger in size.