"Anything you desire, name it and it shall be yours," He whispered into my ears in between huffs of breath and sighs of satisfaction. He rolled over from on top of me, and I curled into his side. Our bodies, sweat- drenched, clung to each other.
"You promise?"
He smiled at me, a genuine full smile. I did not even need to think of what to request. It was already on the tip of my tongue.
"Promise me the child I bare will be your heir to the throne."
He sat up immediately, then tackled me to the bed. I let out a childish giggle as my head hit the pallet of pillows and fine fabrics cascading underneath us. He soberly took me in, his gaze traveling from my eyes all the way down to my belly. I was not yet showing, it was too early, but I was still slightly swollen from my last pregnancy.
He didn't seem to mind. His eyes swallowed me whole with adoration. He planted a fervent kiss above my navel. Then rested a palm below it as he leaned in to whisper against my skin.
"If you are a prince, then I will make you king one day, my son. For you are the hoped for child born from the woman I love."
He settled down next to me again and I wrapped a delicate arm across his chest and nuzzled my nose into the crook of his neck.
"May I ask one more favor, My Lord."
"You are in an ambitious mood tonight, my love," He teased. I swatted playfully at his taut chest.
"It is not for me. But for Abigail. Please show her mercy. I know I don't know everything, but I know that I was once her. And if you had not shown me mercy you and I would not be here. All I'm saying is, it would be wrong of us to judge her when we are no better."
I bit my lip. Had I said too much? Silence lingered and only the sound of our breaths mingling in the chilled night air filled the void.
"That is why I love you. You always hold me accountable. You don't tell me what I want to hear. You don't give in to my selfish desires. You keep me on the path of righteousness when I veer away. Honesty is hard to find in this court."
I smiled thinly. It didn't reach my eyes.
"I will honor your request. No one will know except for us three. Perhaps this is an opportunity for me to further redeem myself from my past sins."
I released a huge sigh of relief. I began to pepper him with kisses. I kissed his cheek, the tip of his chin, jaw line, neck, and ear. It was his due reward for granting my requests but it was more than that. He was continuing to prove himself to me. He pulled me even closer than I thought possible to him. With reckless abandon he kissed my mouth. I breathed in his scent and savored his taste. He unabashedly explored my mouth with the tip of his tongue, eliciting soft moans from lips.
We broke apart when we needed air. Sleep seemed to wash over us. Before it devoured me whole I grabbed his hand and placed it over my stomach. I liked the way it felt for his hand to rest there. I felt protected. I was bound to this man no matter how treacherously it came to be.
"I love you," I said before slipping into a dream.
YOU ARE READING
The Gaze of a King
Historical Fiction|FEATURED IN HISTORICAL FICTION| Her whole life she had been called beautiful. Glances and envious eyes were always cast her way. But never had Bathsheba expected to catch the eye of her King. And never in her wildest imaginings did she anticipate t...
