Amber woke up with a start. The first thing she realised was that she wasn't in her bed. This, was more...soft. Bigger.

She sat up and inspected her environment. It was a room that had fussy scalloped bed draperies of pink damask. There were lavish bed hangings that soared above her, the silky warmth of the fur-lined covers blanketing her.

This was not her bed.

Then with an alarming start, she remembered.

Oh no!

Ohhh noo!

"Oh my goodness!" she exclaimed. As she tried to scramble off the bed, she turned and saw him.

She stopped, momentarily taken aback by his beautiful face. His eyes, which were laced with dark lashes, were shut in pure abandon and unconsciousness. She had been right. He was handsome. More than handsome. That was why it was hard to believe that she had spent the night with him.

She recalled the last night, recalled everything, and all that had happened on her twenty-fifth birth anniversary.

The mention of that snapped her out of her day dream. She shouldn't be here! She peeked out and saw it was barely dawn. She could still sneek out and go home.

Oh goodness what had she done? All in the name of excitement?

Careful not to rouse him, she got off the bed and dressed hastily. She held her shoes in her hands and started for the exit. But on second thought, she went back to the bed and placed a kiss on his forehead.

"Thank you." she whispered to him. Yes, she had made a grave mistake, but it had been one filled with passion and love. She had no idea if she would ever feel that way again, which was why she was grateful for the experience. She brushed her hands into his hair once more, and fled.

*

Warrick was in a foul mood when he woke up to discover she was gone. The hell! How could that have happened?

Ever since he woke up, he had been taking his anger out on his valet and his servants. Not even those he hadn't seen for the five years he was away were spared from this. Even his mother and his sisters. He yelled and swore at them.

After she had fallen asleep in his arms on the roof, he had carried her carefully to his solar, careful not to attract attention because they had both been unclad. In the privacy of his solar, he had been given unrestricted view of her face. Her face had been breathtaking and beautiful as expected. He had kept on staring at her face, his desire coming on, but he was going to wait for her to wake. He was going to do right by her, then in the morrow, he was going to propose to her.

He didn't care if she was married or engaged. No woman who was happy in her marriage would give herself to him as she had. She had given all of her. Even her virgin head.

Warrick swore with contempt as he stood in the fields, his sword in his hand. He had to let his anger out. And he was not sorry his poor knights were subject to that. He fought hard and had injured the lot of them.

His valet tired to pacify him, though the short man was reluctant to do so. He knew better than to get on Warrick's bad graces on a day like this.

"Sire, might I please remind you that this is a training and not the real —"

"Shut up, Kit. " he growled, and lunched his next hit which got his poor opponent groaning in pain.

"Get up." he commanded. "Get up you bastard!" he roared and lunged at him with his sword but the opponent rolled over just in time.

Warrick threw down his sword in shock. He would have killed his knight if he had not rolled over. The same knights that had fought side by side with him, that had sailed though the stormy seas with him, that had given him unquestionable loyalty? All for what? A wench?

A desirable wench.

He groaned and stormed off. He stopped short when he saw his mother giving him a leveled glare. He kept moving.

"What's gotten into you son? You came home only yestereve and you're turning everyone against you already. "

He ignored her as he took long strides towards the house, stopping in front of his study to growl, "I want lunch served." then he and slammed the door shut.

*

"How was it! How was it!" Bianca pestered on their drive to Amber's home. Amber couldn't have gone straight home, it would have roused the whole house. So the only thing she could do was go to Bianca's house so she could say she spent her birthday night in Bianca's house.

That alone had suggested a lot to Bianca, and she had been pinning for information. Already, Amber had worn house clothes, precisely the ones she had exchanged for the dress she wore to the ball in Bianca's house.

Amber groaned as she remembered what had happened.

"Why are you groaning?! Oh heavens, Amber, talk! "

Amber gave her a guilt ridden look. "I met him. "

"Him? What do you mean him?"

"I don't know, just him." The him that will hunt her dreams for years to come, she was sure.

"You are speaking in words confusing enough to stump a wizard. " Bianca pointed out groggily.

"Alright, alright. I met this man. He was so...amazing, so —"

"And?" Bianca was obviously impatient.

Amber shot her a look. "What exactly are you impatient about, Bibi?"

"Did you get laid or not?"

Amber gasped and was thankful they were the only ones in the coach as colour flooded her cheeks. If nothing, it was a telltale sign of her scandalous behavior yestereve.

"Oh my, you did get laid!" Bianca exclaimed.

"Keep your voice down!"

Bianca laughed and hugged her friend like she had won a prize. "Finally!"

Amber was horrified. "What? Finally?"

Bianca shrugged. "At least you got the excitement I so wanted you to have."

"Excitement?" She snorted. "I had none." she said indignantly, but soon she started laughing. She covered her face with her hands and sighed. "It was magical."

"I'm glad it was." her friend grinned at her and nudged her. Amber had to hold the seat to keep herself from falling off the coach. They both laughed.

They got to her house just then and their laughter died. A melancholic mood feel over them like a blanket of snow.

Bianca let out a sigh. "Alright, big girl. Time to face the music."

They walked to the house together and Amber had to brace herself for the confrontation that was sure to ensue.

As they entered the sitting room, her father was there, which surprised her. He was always locked up in his study, doing the little he could to support his wife — only his wife. Maurice was normally in the drawing room, receiving visitors — gossip buddies more like it — or just being generally lazy.

It was then she remembered it was her birth anniversary — and also her mother's death anniversary.

It even made less sense because on days like this, he father would be cranky, angry for no reason, like a bear with a sore head. Even his wife was not spared his contempt.

But her father didn't look forlorn. Neither did he look happy. He was just...indifferent. That made her really hurt. She had hoped that someday her father would show some emotion that she was here, that she was alive, that she was the product of his and her mother's love, but that hope gets dashed.

Repeatedly.

It was her step mother's behavior that made her suspicious. She didn't even give Bianca a glance, when on normal occasions, she would have raised heaven and hell to get Bianca out. But today, she seemed totally different. Later, when she "noticed" Amber, she walked up to her, looking glad to see her.

"Amber, dear, where have you been? I was so worried." she placed her hands on her chest.

Amber fought the urge to roll her eyes and snort, which Maurice would consider 'rather unladylike'.

"I was at —"

"She was at my place." Bianca interrupted, as if spoiling for a fight, or as if annoyed that today, she had been brushed aside.

But Maurice simply shrugged. "Oh okay, well go on up to your room, I've prepared a new dress for you —"

What?

Bianca snorted in disbelief.

"—and a hot bath. Perfumes are there for you too. You need to —"

"Why are you being so nice today?" Amber dared to ask. The only time she got a new dress was when her old ones were worn out. "I really don't understand."

"It's because your betrothed is back, Amber." her father said balefully, looking at her square in the eyes. "Your husband, who has been away for five years is finally back."

*Author's note *

Huge cliff hanger! I'm so excited to see what happens next, are you? Don't forget to vote and comment your thoughts as they would be really appreciated 😊