Chapter 87: Chapter 87 - Mutual desires
"I know my words mean nothing to you now, but you must give me a chance. Do not doubt me because of what others before me have done to you. I am not those people, and I do not treat you as anyone who has betrayed me before," Cassian said, staring Lilith in the eye as he swore to her.
"Even if I believe you, if I trust you, it will come that my position is challenged. What happens when you are away from me?" Lilith asked, worried her seat would always be tested.
"Tomorrow, there will be a grand display of why your position can never be tested. I know you planned to keep my cousins close to me so there would not be a divide, but I am not afraid of them coming after me. They could be disposed of," Cassian declared.
"Just as I have granted my cousin the title of duke, I can easily take it away and place him there to act as a puppet for me. I would rather slaughter all the men who were loyal to my uncle and would whisper in my cousin’s ear to have him challenge me," Cassian considered.
"You would go from hero to tyrant, and there is no coming back from there," Lilith reminded him.
"A title I can live with, as long as you are safe," Cassian said, using his right hand to push Lilith’s hair back over her shoulder. "Your safety is my sole concern. I promised that I would place you on the throne, and I intend to keep that promise."
Lilith stared at him, trying to understand, but he was far more complicated than she had thought. "You are either truly smitten, or you have lost your mind. If it is the latter, allow me to enjoy your delusion before it wears off."
"You cannot rouse me up and then leave me to take care of it for myself. You must offer me a solution. Not for a child," Lilith said, wrapping her arms around Cassian’s neck. "But for satisfying my need right now, can I make use of you?"
"You will not refer to me as your husband now?" Cassian asked, his hands settling on Lilith’s bare waist.
"I cannot make it too easy for you. I have been referring to you as my husband to others. If you are lucky, your time will come more often. Now, will you satisfy my need, or should I turn to another man in the castle?" Lilith asked purposely to provoke him.
"Do so if you wish to see another head roll in the castle," Cassian said, bending down to slip his arms beneath Lilith’s thighs and lift her effortlessly.
Lilith chuckled as his response was exactly as she intended. "You are tempting me with a good time. To be satisfied intimately and to see someone killed."
Cassian carried her to the bed and set her down gently, the mattress dipping beneath her weight.
"What happened to talk of me not being in love with you?" Lilith asked, not surprised that Cassian had forgotten what he spoke of earlier. "Was that merely to make you look like a gentleman?"
"No, and do not think you can prolong this with chatter. This is merely a husband and wife using each other to fulfil their desires. One day you are going to long for me because you love me," Cassian said, certain the day would come.
Lilith watched as Cassian positioned himself between her parted legs.
Rather than laugh at his silly thought, she noticed how handsome he looked when he was confident about her future feelings.
"The day I long for you, fish will rain from the skies," Lilith declared, her lips curving into a sly smile.
Cassian leaned down, leaving a kiss upon the flesh between her breasts. He inhaled the lingering scent of the oils she had bathed with. "Then I will need to have your guards walk with a parasol every day."
"Cassian," Lilith said, placing her right hand beneath his chin to make him look at her. "Rather than making bets and assumptions about how I might one day fall in love with you, why do you not make an effort to court me?"
"I might not fall in love easily, but I am capable of doing so," Lilith added, her voice softer now.
"Lilith, I have been courting you from the start, and you spend most of that time threatening to kill me with a dagger."
"It was an appropriate response to a man suddenly asking for my hand. Did you not see what happened to the last man who tried to ask for my hand?" Lilith asked.
"I beheaded him," Cassian said flatly.
"See, it is a dangerous game, but you survived," Lilith replied, laughter spilling from her lips.
Cassian relished the sound of her laughter, which he dearly missed. Not the laugh she forced to fool those around her, but a genuine laugh that revealed she was enjoying herself.
He sat back and ran his fingers through his hair, pushing it away from his forehead. He looked down at Lilith, who appeared magnificent even in the dim glow of the chamber’s candlelight.
Cassian reached for the button of his trousers to join her in being naked. "You will have to excuse me for being so small," he said, recalling Lilith’s words. "But it should not be too much for you to bear, since it is this size."
"I have apologised," Lilith said, watching as Cassian freed himself from the confines of his clothing.
Cassian was already erect in his hands. He was far from small, as Lilith had once claimed to bruise his ego.
This was the one time Lilith knew that her petty nature would get her into trouble.
Still, she bit her lip, recalling what Mary had said about soldiers being an enjoyable experience after returning from war.
"Are you going to sit there holding yourself, or are you going to touch me?" Lilith asked, her impatience rising.
"I hope you stay so bold for the rest of the night," Cassian said, leaning forward to kiss her.
