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“Oh no,” objected Fenella, lifting her head off the pillow. “I do not wish to be inflicted on Queen Armenal! She would not like that at all!”

“Very well, then I shall wait for you to ingratiate yourself with her,” he said calmly.

Fen stared at him, to see if he was joking, but to her dismay he seemed entirely in earnest. How he expected her to ingratiate herself with the Queen was beyond her!

“And now we’ve settled that,” said Oswald, shifting over her and seemingly unaware of her inner turmoil. “Let’s seal the bargain.”

And then, like he had every night since their marriage had been consummated, Oswald Vawdrey made passionate love to her.

"Tell me you want me Fenella," he said tightly.

"I want you," she repeated obediently.

He cocked his head to one side. "Not enough," he said. "Not yet." His thumb started a slow circle against the part of her that quickened the most. "I want you Fenella. I want all of you. Do you understand?"

Her brow puckered. She had no clue. His fingers were distracting. What was he demanding of her?

He gave her a slightly pained smile. "You don't and that's my fault," he said in a low shaking voice. "But I'm going to make it right. Will you let me Fenella? I need you to let me."

She swallowed, wanting to please him. Wanting to say the right thing. Her hips were moving fitfully against his. He withdrew his fingers from between her legs and rubbed his hard length against her. Why was he teasing her? Why didn't he just-?

“Tell me there's still time,” he said urgently, his voice breaking slightly. “Tell me I'm not too late.”

“There's still time,” she said. Time for what? His expression was heart-breaking and she wanted to comfort him, to reassure him. “You're not too late.”

He entered her then on a swift thrust, groaning deeply. “Sweet Fenella,” he said, “You deserve better, but I’ve made you mine anyway.”

Sweet Fenella? He'd never spoken to her like this before! With honeyed words. She was just his wife. Unwanted. Abandoned. But he'd just told her he wanted her. All of her! Her head spinning, she moved against him, welcoming his thrusts with soft moans and shifting her hands across the width of his back, caressing him. Of course, she'd never showered affection on him either she thought watching his eyes drift shut. He seemed to like her touch, she marveled. Even when she rubbed it across the forbidden path of his scar. Raising her head she kissed his neck. She'd never taken the initiative to kiss him either she thought, flushing. She let her head fall back onto the pillow and looked up at his scorching gaze, catching her breath.

“Fenella,” he groaned. “Gods, I want you wife. Be mine.”

“I am,” she replied, in confusion.

“Tell me,” his voice was raw, his thrusts becoming stronger and less controlled. “Tell me.”

“I'm yours,” she gasped. “All yours.”

His gaze darkened. “Yes,” he grunted, his hips pounding against hers. “Again.”

“I'm yours,” she sobbed.

“All mine?” he prompted through gritted teeth.

“All yours. Oh Oswald. Oh please,” she shifted desperately against him.

He lowered his mouth to her ear and said in a low, shaking voice, “You're precious to me Fenella.”

Her world tipped on its axis and her control splintered as she sobbed out in rapture, hiding her face in his neck and sinking her fingers into the skin of his back. For a few heartbeats she felt him still stroking deep within her as she clenched and fluttered against him in the grip of passion. Then he gave a low roar and she felt him throb and then release his seed deep within her. She wrapped her arms and legs around him to hold him close as he gasped and groaned against her, his body shaking as he continued to flex his hips long after he'd stopped spurting, as if he didn't want his body to leave hers. Her brain rushed madly after a surfeit of pleasure. She was precious? She was just dropping off to sleep when Oswald breathed her name again.

“Yes?” she murmured sleepily.

“They weren’t compensation, the gold coins,” he said in a curiously calm voice.

She lifted her head from his shoulder. “They weren’t?”

“No.”

“What were they then?”