Brave, 2012 From Now to Eternity, With Him

From Now to Eternity, With Him

_Queen Elinor reveals her inner thoughts to her husband after the brutal attack.  
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As if they were combining and becoming a single being, their bodies melted together, both royals relishing the sensual contact they shared with one another between their bare skin. The sun had begun to rise on the horizon, and though Elinor knew well that she had to tend to royal duties and therefore arise from their private haven, she dreaded leaving Fergus' side in their solitude.

She was currently clinging to him, her arms wrapped possessively around his neck as she rested her head against his chest, listening intently to his rhythmically beating heart. Yes, his heart was beating, a fact that instilled the queen with nothing less than pure, undying relief. Her love was indeed alive, yet, for a dreadful period of time, however brief, the queen had thought she would never again spend a night of passionate intimacy with her husband.

She had come to the heart wrenching realization that, within moments, there had been the possibility that she would never again have experienced Fergus' gentle, loving caress, drifting off into a deep, dream-rich slumber in the warmth and security of his arms, or awakening beside him as the rays of sunlight peeked through the sumptuous curtains of their bedchamber, the blankets and pillows on their bed tossed about in discord, the sheets tangled messily amongst their bare bodies.

Truly, Elinor had been taking advantage of her beloved king, neglecting to treasure the precious, subtle quirks about him. She adored his enthusiasm and excitement during their intimate moments. His bright, blue eyes lit up with vigor, and though he always possessed the eagerness of a child, this trait would be even more accentuated than usual whenever he laid eyes upon her unguarded body, beckoning him and begging to be touched. Though he was nearly driven mad by the gnawing urge and the hunger for his queen, he managed to maintain his composure, for fear of accidentally harming her in any way if he lost control, as he was much larger, stronger, and more robust than his lithe, petite wife.

Although she normally frowned upon submission towards anyone, Elinor granted Fergus the elusive delicacy of dominance and allowed him to do as he wished with her, as he had a great expertise in making her feel as if she were on top of the world. Afterward, he allowed his satisfied queen, in all her ecstasy, to provide him with additional love, in a way only she could.

His large, muscular form trembled ever so slightly with anticipation and sheer joy before and after their bouts of physical love, something that made the queen's heart melt with adoration. When her brave, selfless king, glorified in all of his masculinity, trembled with excitement on her behalf, accompanied with thoughts about acting intimately with her alone racing through his mind, (he relished the idea that he was the only man in the world who was granted the privilege of running his curious hands about her delicate curves), this fact alone pleased the queen to no end.

The horrible thought that she may have never again had the chance to experience that wave of ecstasy caused by him, and only him, flowing through her body, to feel his mustache brush across her flesh as he kissed her, quite often in spots that made her blush fiercely as she encouraged him with audible moans of approval, and to bask in the warmth his body provided her, tore her apart. Her heart shattered into innumerable pieces at this prospect, and she therefore shook the thought from her mind before she was brought to copious tears and body-wracking sobs.

As Elinor shifted in her husband's embrace, listening to his quiet snores as if they were a joyful melody, the pleasant memories of the previous night's activities came flooding back to her. They crashed against her like an ocean's wave, the tides pulling her into what felt like a heavenly dream. She gave a soft, contented sigh as her nose was suffused with the scent of her king, and she proceeded to plant a soft kiss upon his chest as he began to stir. His pair of strong arms snaked further around her waist, his hands caressing her hips and giving her thighs a gentle squeeze before wandering to the small of her back, where he rested them protectively.

He placed a tender kiss upon her forehead, making his way down the smooth bridge of her nose before arriving at her lips, brushing his gently against hers. Her stomach fluttered with pleasure as he teased her into temptation.

Pulling back, he whispered, "Mornin', love."

As he brushed a strand of her hair behind her ear, she crushed her lips to his once again, and the king returned the passion. She pulled away from him, burying her head beneath his chin and embracing him once more.

"My, my, affectionate on this fine day, aren't we?" the king chuckled, his eyes wandering to the sunlight flooding through the window. "Ye _are_ aware that it's daylight, aren't ye, Eli?"

Elinor responded with a subtle nod, and with another soft kiss to her head, he began to attempt to wriggle out of bed. She held fast to him, tightening her grasp. No, she couldn't possibly let him get away. She thought she'd lost him. Within moments, her life would have changed drastically, perhaps even destroying her hopes for the future, even with her precious Merida was by her side. No, Fergus would remain in her sight for a currently undecided period of time, until her fears were assuaged. She would forbid him from leaving her side. She couldn't risk the possibility of losing him, because, for a brief period, she feared that she had. The queen had no strength to suffer through that pain ever again. If she were to experience a fright that severe a second time, it would surely put her in an early grave; of that she was absolutely certain.

"No, please." she murmured, "Don't leave me, don't ye ever leave me."

"Elinor, darlin'," he said, amused, "What nonsense are ye..."

A single teardrop fell upon his arm, and he instantly wrapped his arms around her once more.

"Och, Eli, if I hurt ye before, I mean, while we were..."

"Oh no, dear! No! Ye didn't hurt me, ye've never caused me any pain when we..."

Her cheeks grew uncomfortably warm, which was nothing less than an anomaly, as she was, in fact, stark naked before her husband at that very moment. Why, all of a sudden, was it so difficult to express her feelings? Perhaps it was her throat that was inhibiting her from speaking, as it was rapidly choking up with emotion.

"Ye're muttering, Eli. Ye always mutter when somethin' is troublin' ye." he mused, cupping her face in his hands and kissing her lips lightly.

"I don't mutter, Fergus." she replied, her concise remark causing her concerned husband to frown. No, she was mistaken. The impetus to the furrowing of his brow was the stray tear that rolled down her cheek, being followed by more, one after another. "I-I just..."

He tightly embraced her, a low, rumbling groan emanating from deep within him.

"Oh, Fergus..." she whispered, the tears flowing readily now, cascading down her cheeks in rivulets.

"I'm alright, Eli. Trust me, everythin' is goin' to be fine. We'll get through this, ye'll see."

"_How are ye so sure, Fergus?"_ she challenged through her tears. "Ye nearly died! None of us were expecting that, were we? Not yer daughter! Oh, Fergus, she couldn't understand, couldn't fathom life without her father! And I, yer wife! I certainly wasn't expectin' it! When we were joined in marriage, ye promised me ye'd always be there for me! When that wretched beast attacked ye, I realized just how quick ye could be taken away from me... how quick I could have lost the most precious, dearest..."

She could no longer speak after this sudden, unexpected speech. Her body wracked with sobs, and her heart nearly broke in two as her darling king, despite the pain he was enduring, embraced her unconditionally, not offended in the least by her outburst, which caused her to feel incredibly guilty. The cruel feeling of compunction settled upon her like a dark void. As she bawled in a somewhat infantile manner, Fergus cradled her as if she were a child, whispering affectionate and comforting words to her as his mustache tickled her ear.

"Elinor, love. I... I had no idea that ye felt this way." he murmured, kissing her dampened cheek. Her crying had ceased as he protectively clutched her to him, toying with her long strands of hair. "It's _my_ job to protect you and Merida, not for either of my lasses to worry about _me_."

"I just... d-don't know what I'd do if..." she stammered, whimpering again as she buried her face in his chest.

"No ye don't, lass." he said with a slight chuckle, raising her chin with his hand. "I don't want to see any more tears from ye. It's time we tend to our wee princess." he said, yawning audibly.

Elinor sniffed, sitting up on the bed and retrieving her nightgown, which had been carelessly tossed upon the floor, as Fergus studied her form intrusively. She gave a tearful laugh with a shaking of her head.

"_I _am going to coax our wee lass out of bed. Ye're not goin' anywhere 'til that leg of yers heals." she said, giggling as her husband pulled her down upon the bed once more.

"Perhaps ye can at least help me get some clothes on, then? Won't ye, Eli?" he whimpered, laughing furiously as his queen squealed in surprise at the firm squeeze he established upon her posterior.

"Och, ye're more of a beast than Mor'du is!" she shrieked, smacking him playfully.

Her amber eyes twinkled with joy. Fergus, the man that belonged to her, and only her, had saved his family in a selfless act of heroism, and she loved him immensely. Her skin pricked with goosebumps as he whispered in her ear.

"Are ye goin' to be alright now, my queen?" he asked, and though she was prepared to give an affirmative answer, he gave her no chance to respond, as he pressed his lips firmly to hers without a single moment's hesitation.


End file.
