The Arsenic Widow #Wattys2015 (mxm)

Chapter Nineteen

I nearly forgot about this!!! Luckily it's still up on a Wednesday so I won't get any hate :P

Also, just a quick mention. I do mention women in this chapter as not doing certain jobs or being weak etc. This isn't my mind set, nor is it something I believe in. It's just a reflection of the days they live in :D

Enjoy!!

We rode along a quiet trail behind the castle for what felt like hours. We were quiet, in case there was anybody about.

My horse had a smooth gait, so I didn't feel jostled, but nausea began to well up in my stomach. Soon, I had to tilt my head over the side and vomit as if I were a woman.

"Are you okay?" Acorn had whispered to me, and all I was able to do was weakly nod. I really was becoming a woman. Maybe Acorn might keep me on as some sort of handmaiden and I could be the Queen's plaything.

Soon, a tiny village came into sight and we got off the horses.

"They won't know me here," Acorn murmured. "And being with you means they won't suspect either. A monarch usually has hundreds of people keeping them safe."

I nodded, not bothering to answer. My limbs felt weak and shaky, and all I wanted to do was lay down somewhere and sleep for a hundred years. I looked at the wooden village and sighed in relief. It seemed so simple here, instead of the jewel incrusted places he had seen. He knew and understood this sort of lifestyle. In fact, he hoped to retire to a place like this once his duty was done.

My eyes rose above the village and to the darkening skyline. Streaks of red ran through the blue, staining the sky with blood. Gold wove between the red, while flashes of purple and pink could be seen here and there. It was a beautiful sunset, yet it felt like a bad omen for what was to come. Would our blood paint the stones like the Sun had painted the sky?

The Mountain lay beneath the sunset and I gazed at it forlornly. It was so far away, yet I knew we had to get there soon. It stood, dark and impassive as if no Sun ever touched it. I could imagine how cold it would be to stand in its shadow.

"This way!"

Acorn's words startled me out of my intense stare and I turned to look at him. He was motioning to a small building that apparently offered rooms. "You go in," I said softly.

He frowned, "The horses will be fine."

"I look like shit," I mumbled. "They'll know I'm sick and won't let us stay. Besides, most places have a prejudice against hunters anyway. They don't want any demons poking their heads in."

Acorn nodded reluctantly, "I'll sweeten the pot with money, and then the bees can go in."

"Did you just call us bees?" I wrinkled my brow in confusion.

"Black and gold!" He looked proud until he realised I didn't understand. He picked up a lock of his blond hair, "Gold." He pointed at mine. "Black."

I sent a silent prayer up to whoever might be listening, willing for this idiot to walk away now.

He did, but he laughed while doing so.

Roughly a minute later he returned, jangling a small bag of coins, "We have a room around the back for the night. It's out of the way so no one will be poking their heads in." I knew he was teasing me because of what I had said before.

We walked around to a back room with the horses, dropping them off by the stable where a woman said she'd take good care of them. I was surprised to see a woman in the stables, but I didn't say anything. I didn't care who did the job, as long as they did it well.

Acorn opened the door to our room once we got to it and we stared in silence. While the outside was wood panelled, the inside contained nothing but a bucket and a couple of patches of hay. "I hope you didn't pay too much," I smirked as I shakily made my way over to a bit of hay and lay down.

He gaped at the room before shaking his head and shutting the door behind him, "Thankfully no. I tried not to call attention to the fact that I had money."

I made a noncommittal noise and shut my eyes. Acorn sat down next to me before he asked, "Are your limbs shaking already?"

My eyes opened and focused on his sharp, green ones, "Yeah. But luckily I haven't had to walk too much."

"Here," he motioned to me to take my pants off.

I yelped and rolled away from him, "What do you think you're trying?!"

Acorn started laughing softly, "I'm offering you a massage. If you weren't sick, I might have offered you something a little different. But right now, your illness comes first."

I grumbled softly but rolled back, "All right, but pants stay on." I lay on my stomach as Acorn slowly started massaging my restless limbs. I could pretty much feel his mirth washing off him in waves even though I couldn't see his face.

Acorn's hands ran along my legs, massaging here and there. I groaned softly whenever he hit a good spot, letting him know he was doing his job well. Slowly, however, his hands began creeping up. The second he touched my ass, I yelped. He chuckled softly, "Just getting to your back."

His hands brushed over my backside (which I'm pretty sure was purposeful) before beginning to work out issues in my back. My limbs stopped shaking after a while and I sighed in complete relaxation, "Thank you."

He paused in his movements, "How about I do the front now?"

Without thinking, I rolled over onto my back. His hands trailed along my body and landed on my chest gently. My eyes were still shut as his fingers lightly stroked down my chest.

"Hey Incent," he whispered. His voice was suddenly closer than it had been before and my eyes opened. His face was barely inches away from mine. "Can I kiss you?"