In Shining Armor: Chapter Six

When I returned to myself, Bleddyn and I were laying on our sides, spooned together, and he was still inside me. One arm was pillowing my head—not terribly well, what with all the armor—and the other was around my waist. He was kissing my ear and nibbling the lobe gently, still languidly, sporadically thrusting his half-hard cock within me. I was incredibly sore after just now and earlier this morning but it nonetheless felt insanely good.

Still, I was trying really hard not to imagine the ride back to Trefriw and then back to Gwydir Castle.

“You are so lovely,” Bleddyn kept murmuring almost urgently, and nuzzling my hair. “And I desire you so. The more I have of you, the more of you I want.”

I chuckled, leaning back into his embrace and turning my head just in time to get kissed teasingly. I moaned and lifted my leg, putting it back over Bleddyn’s so he could sink more fully into me. His hand slid up my stomach, to my chest, his index finger circling my left nipple slowly. “You can have me whenever you wish, as often as you wish, Bleddyn.”

Bleddyn’s finger stilled and he laid his hand flat over my heart. “T’would be unwise to have any more of you than I have already tasted, for even now, I know the time comes when I shall have none of you. Nothing but a memory of your warm arms and sweet lips. . . .”

Swallowing an unexpected lump in my throat, I looked into Bleddyn’s dark eyes and tried to smile. I didn’t want to think about going back to 2014. At least not now. “Then let’s make as many fantastic memories as possible. Whaddaya say?” I clenched every aching, sore muscle I could around him, and his eyes fluttered shut, his hips rocking forward as he held me tight.

Half-hard became three-quarters hard, and sooner, rather than later, Bleddyn was fucking me again. But not hard and fast, as he had the other two times, but slow and gently, his kisses mixed with words of praise and affection, and his caresses as light and tender as butterfly kisses.

Our legs tangled as we rocked together, working toward a second climax, this one almost painful in its searing, languorous intensity. When we came, it was like something out of a cheesy romance novel: at the same time, holding hands, our fingers linked together. There were tears in my eyes and Bleddyn called on his God for salvation even as he filled me with the hot, copious evidence of his eventual damnation.

*

“So, now that we know my friends haven’t come back in time, too—at least not to the same spot I did—we go to the nearest town and do some investigating, just in case?”

Bleddyn nodded as he pulled up his trousers. “Discreet investigating,” he said, adjusting his clothes and armor and looking at me. I stood, naked but for my boots, in the center of the clearing, unwilling to get dressed, yet. Being dressed meant leaving this clearing, and leaving this clearing meant facing not only the fact that I had traveled in time, but receiving irrefutable proof of it.

Also, it meant facing the fact that whatever weird event brought me here, I might not be able to find my way back to the time I was from. . . .

I looked up when Bleddyn approached me, his arms held out. A second later, I was in them, fighting tears as he held me tight and close, stroking my hair and my back.

“What if I never get home?” I mumbled to Bleddyn, clutching him panic-tight and burying my face in the taut, hollow junction where his shoulder and neck met. “What if I’m trapped here for the rest of my life? What will I do?”

“Hush, Karthik, hush . . . have I not promised that I would look after you for as long as you’re here?”

“But—but you have a life of your own and duties that won’t be helped by caring for some guy you barely know, who can’t even fend for himself!”

“That matters not,” Bleddyn said so gently, I actually did start to cry in earnest, sniffling and everything.

“B-but . . . I can’t e-even start a fire! No matter how many times I rub sticks together, it never works! I can’t hunt, I can’t fish, I can’t fight, I get lost all the time, if that hasn’t become blatantly apparent! I—”

Bleddyn chuckled, leaning back to kiss my forehead, then my eyelids, so, so tenderly, it caused more tears to leak out and I sniffled some more.

“All those skills are skills that can be taught, with patience and practice,” Bleddyn said gently, cupping my face in his hands. His smile was fond and kind. “I will instruct you in whatever you need to learn to sustain yourself in this time. It would be my honor.”

“Really? You’d . . . you’d help me?” I asked, wiping my eyes and blushing. Even at my best I’m not the most manly man, but weeping in front of a butch guy like Bleddyn? Absolutely mortifying. I felt foolish and silly and overwrought in the wake of my little crying jag. “You’d show me how to do that stuff?”

“For certain I would, Karthik of Nayar.” Bleddyn turned my face up to his own and kissed me sweetly. The kiss tasted like my tears, but not for long. No more were forthcoming, something that filled me with relief. Surely I’d find other occasions to cry at some point down the line, if I didn’t get back to 2014 really soon, but I’d try my best not to cry in front of Bleddyn, or anyone else.

After the kiss ended, Bleddyn gathered up my discarded clothes and helped me into them. When I was once more dressed, we made our way over to Queen, and I groaned at the thought of having to sit my thrice-sore ass through another few miles of riding her. But Bleddyn merely took her reins and lead her to his horse, Arwel. He secured Queen’s reins to Arwel’s saddle, then held out his hand to me. I hobbled over to him, confused, until Bleddyn helped me up onto Arwel. I went with a wince and a gasp, but was soon seated and looking down at Bleddyn, who smiled, and climbed up behind me.

With one hand holding Arwel’s reins and one arm wrapped around my waist, Bleddyn clicked his teeth and we were off.

*

“Awaken, Karthik, for we are near Trefriw,” a familiar voice whispered in my hair, before kissing it lingeringly.

I started a little, opening my slightly stinging eyes. Gone was the forest, receding to fields on either side of us as we cantered down the Great Road. The sky above was overcast, but clear enough that I could tell the sun was almost directly overhead. It was almost noon.

I stretched and straightened up, wincing at the literal pain in my ass and legs. And neck. I’d dozed off with my head angled back to lean on Bleddyn’s mailed shoulder. Not the most comfortable of sleeping positions, but I did feel a bit refreshed for my micro-nap.

“I didn’t mean to fall asleep on you, Bleddyn,” I yawned, rubbing my eyes as I craned my neck to see this village of Trefriw coming up. A rather large part of me was certain it’d look like the town John, Dierdre, and I had traveled through to get to Gwydir Forest, and that this whole thing would be just a weird dream . . . even—and this caused a pang I chose not to examine—Bleddyn. “Did I miss anything?”

Bleddyn nuzzled my hair and my neck, then sighed heavily. “Nothing of import. I would have let you sleep for as long as was needed, for clearly you are weary, but Trefriw nears and I think there is aught we must speak of before there we arrive.”

Sensing a sudden change in mood I glanced back at Bleddyn. “What’s the matter?”

“The matter is,” Bleddyn’s mouth pursed a bit under his mustache. “The matter is . . . our behavior toward one another.”

I frowned. “I don’t understand.”

Sighing again, Bleddyn stopped Arwel, and took my hand, bringing it to his lips to kiss it reverently. “In your time, two men sharing affection may not be . . . unusual. But in my time, it is . . . unusual to the point of being criminal—”

“Criminal?!”

“Yes, Karthik. Criminal. It is illegal for men to lay together as we have, and such a crime is punishable in Britain by . . . death.”

I was speechless. I could only look back at Bleddyn in horror—certain he must be joking . . . but seeing soon enough that he wasn’t. His long face was deadly serious and sad, to boot.

“I say this only to warn you that our actions while in the view of others, no matter how we may behave in private, must be circumspect. There are those whose only aim in this life is to cause trouble, and bring it down on the heads of those who do not deserve it. I fear, not for myself, but for you, Karthik, who have no one to speak for your character but myself.”

I felt cold. All the blood had drained from my face and I felt cold. “No, don’t—don’t worry about me. I know how to behave myself in public, Bleddyn. Especially when the stakes are so very high.” I sighed, too, and reached up to cup Bleddyn’s cheek in my hand. “I’ll do better than my best to not give anyone any suspicions or ammunition to use against either of us.”

Bleddyn leaned into my touch, turning his face just enough to kiss the pad of my thumb.

“Fear not, Karthik, for none in this county have yet been convicted of such a crime—though rumors have abounded about more than a handful of my lord’s tenants. The tenants in particular behaved beyond reproach in public, and though many cast a doubtful eye their way for a while, never were charges brought. None had a wish to bring death on the head of a neighbor,” Bleddyn said, in an effort to reassure, I sensed. But I was less than reassured.

“But that’s the big difference between them and me: I’m not a neighbor or tenant. I’m a foreigner—more foreign than they know—and if anyone took it into his head to get me into trouble, things could go south for me very quickly,” I murmured, but tried to smile for Bleddyn’s sake. He looked about as convinced as I felt. “Don’t worry. It won’t even come to that. I’ll be as circumspect as anyone could want.”

And with that I started to face forward again, but Bleddyn caught my face by the chin and turned it, kissing me once more, all passion and possessiveness, intensity and wantonness. By the time he pulled away, both of us panting for breath, I could feel him stirring against my ass. And he wasn’t the only one taking serious interest in the proceedings. Something Bleddyn discovered when his hand dropped into my lap to grip and stroke me.

“Oh, Bleddyn. . . .”

“Already I look forward to the next time I lay with you,” he exhaled, leaning his forehead against mine and adding a few squeezes to his strokes. “If, that is, I am not being too presumptuous of your favor, Karthik. . . .”

“Bleddyn,” I moaned, bucking up into his touch. “Believe me, you’re not being at all presumptuous. The next time we have some privacy, I expect you to bend me over the nearest flat surface and fuck me raw.”

Bleddyn made a sound somewhere between a groan and a sigh, and with a final stroke, let go of me, nudging Arwel into a walk. Each step of the horse’s sure gait brought Bleddyn’s semi-hard cock into contact with my ass and . . . the rest of the ride to Trefriw was sweet torture.

*

The village of Trefriw was about what I expected, in terms of size (not much larger than its futuristic self), smell (like livestock and poop and fresh soil) and population (like, four people, mostly women).

On approach of the town, all I could see was a handful of huts and larger buildings that were probably businesses. We crossed a stone bridge, at one point, the river over which it flowed (the Afon Crafnant) rushing underneath the stones, eventually to join with the Conwy once it passed the Fairy Falls (I didn’t spot any fairies, but it was picturesque, anyway, and for a few moments Bleddyn even took my hand as we watched the Falls).

It wasn’t difficult to speak to every person currently in the town since there were so few of them in the town, proper. Most of them, men and women, were out working in the fields which had been cleared around town, and not available to answer our questions.

Except for greetings and actual descriptions of John and Dierdre, Bleddyn did the talking, which I felt was for the best. None seemed to think it strange that Lord John’s man did most of the talking, and all were deferential, but not facetious with Bleddyn. A few of the women even mentioned that if he liked, he could come in and sample some of their eldest daughter’s cooking. A request to which Bleddyn demurred, citing the lord’s business and others to speak to on Wynn’s behalf.

“You’re very popular in Trefriw,” I noted, half-amused and half-jealous. Bleddyn, walking Arwel and Queen, glanced at me, smiling wryly.

“Very popular amongst the mothers of unmarried daughters, that is,” he replied quietly, glancing around us as if expecting to see hordes of unmarried farmer’s daughters overrunning us. “I am . . . rather old for an unmarried and unspoken-for man, and yet I am still considered eligible. I suspect that is because I am seen as a challenge.”

I snorted. Little did they know. “And how old are you?”

“I turned nine and twenty on the first of April.”

Surprised, I found myself looking at Bleddyn again. I tried to imagine him without the neatly-trimmed beard and mustache and decided that yes, he could indeed be twenty-nine without the face-fuzz. His eyes, of course, were older than the rest of his face—they spoke of experiences beyond those of any twenty-nine year olds I’d ever known.

“So, you’re an April Fool of a baby?” I asked, grinning, and refraining from taking Bleddyn’s arm and leaning on it as I’d have done in 2014 with any lover as we walked along.

Bleddyn’s wry smile faded a little. “Aye. William used to call me his ‘April Fool.’ ‘Twas more endearment than jest at my expense, though in truth, I was ever his fool. . . .”

Looking away from the raw heartbreak still to be seen in Bleddyn’s eyes, I sighed. I didn’t know if I was more sympathetic or jealous. “I’m sorry you lost him.”

Bleddyn shook his head once, either in negation or simply to shake free his thoughts of William. “It has been thirteen years since his passing, and yet some days . . . . it feels as if mere hours have passed since word was delivered,” he whispered, studying the ground at his feet. In that moment I wanted to embrace him, death penalty be damned . . . but I somehow fought the urgent need to do so. It took everything I had to resist comforting Bleddyn with my arms and kisses.

We walked along in silence, then, to the Fairy Falls once more, pausing to gaze at them. My hand crept into Bleddyn’s again and he took it, squeezing it tight. I glanced over at his grim profile and dark, melancholy eyes, and I could almost literally feel something in the region of my heart move. Turn over restlessly as I sought to name what I was feeling in response to Bleddyn’s obvious distress.

Finally I squeezed his hand back and he turned to face me, even as I turned to face him. In that moment, he looked very young, barely older than me. I reached up and cupped his cheek in my hand, brushing his skin with my thumb.

Bleddyn wrapped his arm around me, pinning my hand, which he still held, behind my back, and pulled me close, leaning in to kiss my eyelids, then my lips.

“Thirteen years, and still I grieve for my sweet William, as a widow grieves for her lost husband,” Bleddyn murmured against my mouth before pressing it again, firmly. “And yet, some of that grief lifts now. My heart’s desolation is o’ertaken by a queer relief that I cannot countenance and a joy that I fear I cannot long hide.”

Looking into his dark eyes, I could see that relief and that joy, both solemn things composed more of hope than anything else. I could only imagine the power of such a look when it was unleavened by grief and regret. How Bleddyn’s whole being must’ve shone in William’s presence.

Their love must have been obvious to everyone with eyes. (And Lord John’s people must have been much more tolerant than even Bleddyn realized.) There was no doubt in my mind and heart that William had loved Bleddyn at least as much as Bleddyn loved him. For even shuttered by life’s woes as it was, the way Bleddyn was gazing at me in that moment, William’s ghost reflected in his eyes, I found it impossible not to fall myself.

William was a lucky man, to be on the receiving end of a look like this. He was a lucky man to be Bleddyn’s hope and his heart, I thought as I once more closed the distance between Bleddyn’s lips and my own, uncaring and unheedful of any eyes that might be on us. In that moment, I wanted to be Bleddyn’s hope. To be his heart. I wanted, at long last to find a home in someone I could trust. Someone who, once my own heart was given, I could trust that it would be taken care of.

I knew, just knew, right then and there, beyond all doubt, that Bleddyn was that guy. And when our lips met, I could’ve sworn I heard choirs of angels—saw fireworks on the backs of my eyelids. That kiss, despite not being especially licentious, was . . . I couldn’t even begin to describe it. It was like coming home. Like my birthday and Fourth of July and Halloween all rolled up into one . . . with Valentine’s Day thrown in for good measure. It was every special moment of every special day, and it wasn’t just happening on my lips and in my mouth, but in my heart, which was beating faster and faster, like it had the first time I’d kissed my first major crush. Only instead of the disappointment that that kiss hadn’t been more more wasn’t happening with this kiss. This kiss was everything every kiss should be.

In those perfect moments, held in Bleddyn’s arms, I knew one thing, and one thing only:

This is it. This is who I’m meant to be with and why I was sent back here. I’m falling in love with him, and not just because he rescued me yesterday. Not just because he took me in and pledged himself to take care of me. Not even because he’s so fantastic in bed. But because we were meant to be together like this. I’ve been waiting all of my life to find Bleddyn. Looking high and low, not knowing what I was looking for and never realizing I was looking in not only the wrong place, but the wrong time. Oh, God, I don’t even believe in soul-mates, but I think . . . I think Bleddyn is mine.

I moaned my way out of the kiss before I was even more overwhelmed, tears running down my face that I didn’t want Bleddyn to see. But when I tried to look away, Bleddyn turned my face back to his own, his eyes questioning and solicitous.

“Speak, Karthik of Nayar, and tell me what troubles you so,” he murmured, kissing my forehead and a tear slipped down his own face. I sniffed and tried to smile.

“I think . . . I think I understand now why I came back here, to 1626. Why I was sent back,” I whispered, and Bleddyn’s eyes widened.

“Say you truly?” I nodded, and he smiled, too. “Will you not tell me, then, that we may divine a way to s-send you home?”

I flinched and took a deep breath. Just because I was falling in love with Bleddyn, hard and fast, didn’t mean he felt the same way. After all, there was still William to consider, and Bleddyn’s grief.

Then I realized . . . there was the matter of Bleddyn’s deep and continued grief for a love he’d not had the chance to fully explore or enjoy, so young as he was. As they both were. Bleddyn had lost his soul-mate, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t have another chance at whatever happiness he could make with someone else.

And I was more than willing to be that someone else. Even if that meant . . . even if it meant giving up everything I’d ever known or loved.

“Perhaps . . . perhaps one day I will tell you,” I said, smiling again. “At best, it’s only a guess. A wish, maybe. But one thing I know for sure, now.” I took another deep breath. “There is no going back for me. This is where I belong. Where I’m m-meant to be.”

Bleddyn searched my eyes, frowning a little. “But Karthik . . . your companions and kin—”

“Are beyond me, now. And I can only hope that they don’t grieve too long for my loss. That they can move on with their lives, even not knowing what happened to me.” I looked down for a moment, then back up at Bleddyn, trying on a grin. “Looks like I’ll be holding you to that promise to teach me how to be a man of the 17th century.”

Still searching my eyes, Bleddyn shook his head. “Karthik, are you certain? For there may yet be a way to send you home.”

“And what good would that do me when I’d be leaving a part of me behind?” I asked, then blushed, kicking myself for letting whatever sappy, idiot thoughts my heart stirred up come tumbling out of my mouth without further thought or filtering.

“And . . . what part would that be, Karthik of Nayar?” Bleddyn asked, swallowing visibly.

The part of me that’s you, I wanted to say, but refrained from saying. Just because Bleddyn had fucked me didn’t mean he wanted to have me gushing about how I felt for him. Especially so soon after we’d just met. . . . “Perhaps I’ll tell you that, too, someday. For now, suffice it to say that here, in this time, is where I want to be. I think it’s where I’m . . . needed. And hopefully wanted.”

Bleddyn leaned his forehead against mine. “I will not deny that . . . if I could be granted one boon, it would be for you to find a home and happiness here, for as long as you choose to stay.”

“I’m happy, right now,” I told Bleddyn. “Happy to be here, with you.”

“My heart swells with that news, Karthik, for I am happy to be here with you, as well. Happier than I ever thought it my lot to be.”

And then we were kissing again, in front of the Falls, my arms wrapping around Bleddyn’s neck, his arms around my waist. I don’t know how long we stood there like that, where anyone in the admittedly small and empty town could have seen us, before a throat was delicately cleared to our left.

“Never did two hearts love so true,” a familiar voice said as Bleddyn’s eyes met mine and—blood draining from both our faces, but for entirely different reasons—we turned to face the speaker. She was wearing a tan and black calico dress similar to the one Gwynedd, the head housekeeper who’d drawn my bath yesterday, had worn. But instead of her dark, curling hair being pinned and tied up under a bonnet, it fell freely around her oval face and past her shoulders, as wild as the green eyes that watched Bleddyn and I with more than a little amusement. “And never did two hearts fight so valiantly to be reunited.”

I blinked and rubbed my eyes in case they were mistaken. Then rubbed them again when she didn’t disappear, but merely stood there grinning, her bright eyes twinkling with familiar mischief.

“Dierdre?!” I finally exclaimed, just before I sagged in Bleddyn’s strong arms and everything went grey . . . then utterly black.

TBC