Just a Shadow - Chp. 10

Sooo...... I am very sorry about the delay. My little brother thought it would be funny to spit lemonade out all over the keyboard and then knock it through my bedroom window (which is on the second story). So needless to say I needed a new laptop..... and it took longer than I expected it to. And then when I got it, I couldn't write because I was being forced to study for exams!!! It was some insanity. Well, I felt bad about it, so I gave you this chapter as a gift. I hope you like it :)

JC ---> Thank you! I'm glad you like the story :) please keep reading and commenting!

Madsta, Nyssa 6, Bess, Ship W---> Hopefully this chapter will make up for you having to wait so long :) don't give up on me!!

Bookluver, Calista Summer --> thank you so much guys, I'm really glad that you like my work, and I will definitely continue

Danielle --> yeah, the cutting was hard to write about, but I feel it brings on a more tangible level the pain she feels having to follow Aulda around for the rest of her life. Keep commenting please :)

Tavita K---> hahaha thanks so much Tavita!! You're really sweet

Vatsala --> I know, right? I try to imagine Munroe as the epitome of a sweetheart<3
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Chapter 10:

They walked across the grassy fields and into the camp hand in hand. Resin was shaking and her stomach too was rumbling, and she chastised herself for being so fragile that a boy could have such an effect on her. Her shoulder twanged as she looked up at him, the sunset spraying pink light across his tan face and making his eyes glow. He had a soft expression on his face, his entire visage relaxed, and a crescent moon smile.

When they approached the camp, many of the soldiers looked at them curiously, but in a friendly way. Resin was astonished. They really trusted him enough that it did not phase them when he brought an adversary into the camp? He must be an excellent leader. With this thought, she cozied closer to him. He looked down at her and squeezed her hand, and she went to squeeze back, but the pain in her arm would barely let her. Munroe himself was so drunk on the fact that Resin was with him, holding onto him, that he did not seem to notice.

Resin was alarmed, but tried not to think of the fact again. Suddenly they were at his large tent, having been so absorbed with each other that their feet had carried them there subconsciously. Or at least Resin was surprised. Munroe had a way of always being aware of his surroundings even in the most convoluted situations, or emotions. Outside were the same two guards that had assaulted Aulda, and had witnessed her abuse towards Resin. The one scarred one looked on at both of them, his eyebrows creased, looking skeptical. Before Munroe could draw the curtain of the tent, the man grabbed his arm, and worriedly, looked into his eyes.

"Is she staying tonight, your majesty?" he asked, the lines on his forehead creased.

"Yes, Kymon, she it," he said exasperated, and went to pull Resin in through the tent, but the guard pulled him back faster.

"Are you sure this is a good idea, sire?" he questioned. Resin gasped, amazed a subject would ever ask such a question. She waited for Munroe to get angry, but he did not. Instead he answered,

"She is not a threat, Kymon, if that is what you worry about."

"That is not, sire!" Kymon protested, "I have only just done your laundry, and I've bleached the sheets so they were nice and pristine. Rather than soiling them doing you-know-what I am begging you to consider waiting..."

"Stop!" ordered Munroe, his cheeks had turned a cherry red, and he pulled away a bit from Resin, who was now avoiding eye contact. The other guard was failing to cover up a giggle. "You needn't worry about your precious sheets, Kymon, nothing will happen to them tonight."

"Then will it be tomorrow? Because sire, those sheets are expensive and..."

"Please, Kymon! Stop talking! This is not appropriate conversation in our
present company" Kymon looked over at Resin again, realizing all at once the topic of his conversation and the impression it must have made on her. So he tried to make it up and be kind.

"Oh, my dear girl!" he said in anguish. Resin looked up shyly, her face beat red. "How is your cheek? Is it in pain? bruised? broken? sprained? I can fetch you some healing salve if you wish"

"It's fine, thank you, " she whispered softly, and looked down. Now that Munroe had the ability to question the guard and her, he would put two and two together and he would know. And as soon as he knew, she was certain that he would leave her. He didn't have the patience to love her. And especially now that she was bringing so much hurt and sorrow to the relationship, she knew he wouldn't deal with it. Just like everyone else. Her parents left her because they had no patience to get to know her. The king took her because he had no patience to conquer the kingdom.

"Well alright, dear, If you say so" said Kymon, and he opened the door to the tent so the two of them could walk inside. When the tent door was closed behind them, Munroe disconnected himself completely from Resin and turned to her, shuffling his feet and looking down.

"Sorry about that" he said

"No no, it's... not a problem" she responded quickly. Both seemed very interested in the floor. Munroe coughed

"Well," he said, "I might as well give you a tour" Resin laughed "What's so funny?" Munroe asked

"Why is this so awkward?" she asked, finally making eye contact. Munroe smiled and looked away for a second before looking back at her.

"I have no idea" he replied, his eyes bright. His eyes turned into a question again. "What was Kymon referring to when he asked you about your cheek?"

"I don't want to talk about it," she said, "but I not going to stop you from asking him about it later." Munroe nodded, and then he yawned.

"Come," he said, reaching his hand to hers, "Let's go to bed." She took his hand and he led her into a room with a large mattress in the middle of the floor. Resin looked at it in question,

"Why is it you have no bed frame?" she asked,

"It is a Meldinine tradition. We believe that sleeping on the floor brings you closer to nature and closer to yourself. It's bullocks, really, but it has carried through the ages and now we're all just used to it."

"Huh. That's interesting." said Resin. Munroe rubbed his thumb over the back of her hand, giving her goose bumps.

"If you say so," he replied. He then walked to the far side of the room and pulled out of his drawer two sets of pajamas. "I'll go in the other room and put these on," he said, holding up the pajamas in one hand, "While you change in here." He turned and left.

Resin looked down at the pajamas in her hand. They were a blue silk, with a button down shirt and matching trousers. She sighed, and then started unclasping her dress.

In the end, Resin only wore the top, because the trousers fell down off her and because the top came to about mid thigh. It was frightfully immodest, but for some reason, she didn't mind being half-naked in front of Munroe. She looked at herself in the mirror. Her hair was undone so she could sleep in it, and the sleeves of the pajama top came down further than her hands. She pushed them up to her elbows. She cocked her head to the side. This is what she imagined herself to look like on her wedding night. She smiled again, allowing herself to think of her and Munroe together like that until she grew warm between her legs and her knees became wobbly. A spasm went through her shoulder, and suddenly Resin heard Munroe's voice through the door.

"Are you done dressing?" he asked, his voice soft.

"Yes," Resin replied, her voice cracking as she pushed the fantasy out of her head. He pushed through the door, and Resin couldn't help but notice he was beautiful. His hair was smooth around his face and his eyes were soft and unguarded, just the same as she imagined hers were. His eyes surveyed her figure, roaming her up and down. His lips parted. Resin downcast her eyes, her face turning red

"The trousers didn't fit," she said softly

"That's....that's fine, it's not a problem," Munroe replied, his face growing red. "Shall we...?" he gestured towards the bed. Resin nodded and they both started walking towards it, nearly bumping into each other because both of their eyes were downcast. They settled onto the mattress, both of them on entirely opposite sides, as though they were trying to get as far away from each other as possible.

Time passed.

Resin's eyelids were starting to droop slightly, and her shoulder had begun to twang in a sort of rhythm. She didn't think much of it, she handled pain well. It had been maybe twenty minutes since both Munroe and Resin had settled into the bed, and still she could not stop thinking about him. It was like he was the second half of her body, and try as she might, she could not forget about him, wondering what he was thinking about. Was he thinking the same thing? She wanted to ask him, but she couldn't muster the courage to. It had been forever that they had lain there, and yet nothing had happened. She felt Munroe shift his weight next to her.

"Resin?" he asked, his voice low and soft,

"Yes?" she answered, her heart fluttering at the sound of her name on his lips.

"Why are you all the way over there?"

"I don't know, because the bed is more comfortable over here?" she joked, she felt him move over to her, and then his arms were around her, enveloping her body.

"You're right," he said, his tone joking. "The bed is more comfortable over here." Resin turned in his arms and looked at him, seeing only the outline of his eyes lips and nose in the moonlight. He wouldn't want her tomorrow, she knew that. After he learned how crazy her life is he'd pack his horses and ride off, never to be seen again. So tonight she had to make the most of it. Putting her hand on his cheek, she swiped his lips with her thumb, and they parted at the contact. Leaning up to him, she slowly brushed her lips against his. Then she separated and looked at him, unsure of whether or not to kiss him again.

His hand went to the back of her neck and she felt his hand playing with her hair. He leaned down and kissed her jaw line, and then bent even further, and softly swept his lips against her neck, making her gasp. He pulled back up again and this time crushed his lips to hers, her arms coming up around his neck and his around her waist, pulling her into his body. One of his hands wandered down and stroked her thigh. Suddenly, a shock of excruciating pain went through Resin's shoulder, and she pulled away from him, gasping. Munroe, who could not see the expression on her face presumed she was gasping in outrage.

"I'm sorry," he said quickly, "This was all my fault. I shouldn't have done that. I've ruined everything haven't I?"

"Munroe," Resin said sternly, silencing him, "you haven't done anything wrong."
He was quiet for a moment.

"Are you sure?" he asked,

"Yes."

"Positive?"

"I'm very positive, Munroe." He didn't believe her

"Maybe we should just go to sleep." Although this is the last thing Resin wanted to do, she couldn't help but realize she was inconceivably tired. She settled more into Munroe's arms, her head resting against his shoulder and her chest curled in towards his.

"Goodnight," she said softly, closing her eyes. She felt a ghost of a kiss on top of her head.

"Goodnight, love" he replied back, but she did not hear because she had begun to dream.

PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE COMMENT!!! I want to know how many people are still reading this story after I took SO LONG to get the chapter up!!!
xxxCassandra Mandolyn