Forbidden Devotion Ch. 02

Ilana's mind was flying around in circles. It wasn't that long ago she was advisor to the king and one of the best trainers of all his warriors. Wherever she walked, followers paid their respect in bows, showers of gifts, and endless "thank yous." She had a relationship many perceived worthy of a fairytale by her envious peers.

Then Jayden appeared in the land...

He brought news of a catastrophe about to devastate the land and its people meaning Ilana would have to take on the greatest mission in the history of Nevin. He happened to be the human she'd always dreamed about much to the chagrin of her elven brethren. Well, they only suspected that last part but they sensed she had some affection for him. If they knew she'd slept with such a "warmonger" and a "bringer of all things evil," all hell would erupt—not that it wasn't happening already.

Ilana's life looked a lot differently than it did a short time ago. The chains she found herself in were really different and equally disturbing.

She was in the palace dungeon shackled at the wrists and ankles to the stone pillars in which she was centered. Her bonds were made of rusted iron that seemed to generate a frigid bite to her spirit. Under normal circumstances, she would be on the other side at the king's flank advising him on matters concerning the prisoners. Now, she was the prisoner sans all clothing except her brassier and panties.

The view was more revolting from her end. Bones that had long lost their flesh settled in the corner coated with cobwebs. The drafts sweeping over the dust-coated rocky floor shivered her skin. Her rage caused her to jerk at her chains, which caused more rattling than it did to free her from her predicament.

She kept her royal blue irises pinned on the bars over the door across the room. Pairs of eyes, one after another, would peek through if but for a second, followed by chatter and whispers. Ilana could only imagine what their consensus was about her. Guilt and shame seeped into her and she hoped one day they would understand what she was doing for them. Realize her love for them was stronger than an army of wild stallions.

Ilana ripped at her chains once more with gnashed teeth and as much force as her little frame could summon but they gave not an inch. She prayed for a savior but the next thing she saw was the king's beard. Someone had a sense of humor.

When the door squeaked and dragged across the floor, King Zoran appeared with his nose held high as he stroked the length of his beard. At his side was the last person someone wanted see from Ilana's side of the room. It was a masked interrogator dressed in all black carrying a cat o' nine tails. Ilana took a long, hard gulp.

For Ilana to be seen by the king, let alone all passerby in her underclothes, was enough to squeeze a tear out from her sealed eyes. It trickled over her suddenly flushed face. She wanted to hide herself under the largest boulder she could find.

Jayden...Jayden...Jayden...

He occupied nearly every place between Ilana's ears but he wasn't coming. She told him to stay put in her hiding place.

Real smart, Ilana!

In reality, it was the smart thing to do but the current circumstance would disagree with that.

The king seemed to take a minute for every step he made in her direction. "I could be here all day expressing my disappointment in you. How I gave you such a prestigious position and you spat on it and threw it in my face because of a human. Despicable! Despite that, I'll admit you have served me well until now..."

The king's diatribe became inaudible background noise with a flash of light and a migraine like her head was stomped by an eight-foot beast man. That was a prelude to the rushing of images into Ilana's mind. Dark elves freed from Drakkus turning the citizens of Nevin to ash, blowing homes to debris. Trees, blackened, and scorched of their leaves. The ground filled with charred, smoking craters. And like that, Ilana was back in the dungeon except with a throbbing in her head.

A premonition? The past? Was it happening now? Ilana couldn't decipher it. Whatever it was, it had her in more trembles to go with the ones she already had. It also ignited a renewed sense of urgency within to make an escape. Some of that elven wine would have been perfect now.

When she gathered herself, the king's rambling was coming back into audibility. He was standing at a nose's distance away and she jumped from surprise against her bonds.

"...Do you not have anything to say for yourself?" the king asked as though he was fishing for an apology or admission of regret.

Ilana only wished she could reach for her temples to massage them. "Ahh! My head feels like it was trounced by a golem!"

King Zoran scoffed. "Is that all you have to say?"

Ilana yanked her chains again as her temperature was steaming beyond the boiling point. "Argh! You have to let me out! The dark elves are coming back and you're sitting here looking at me!"

"Yes, yes, you already bored me with that fairytale," the king said with a dismissive wave of his hand through the air. "Think about it. I'm certain that human is here for something he hasn't told you. Maybe it has to do with the dark elves, maybe it doesn't. Either way, his kind brings trouble and I have a land to protect so I won't take chances. Besides, do you not think we're ready for the dark elves should they escape?" The king tapped her on the head. "Use your brain! You were the best of us until this...thing came to Ellistas. Speaking of which, where is he?"

Ilana couldn't have been more scrambled. Despite how dashing and sexy Jayden was, the king had never lied to her. Not once that she could recall. As repulsive his methods may have been, that much was true. It was enough to bring a black storm cloud over her fantasy but what did those visions mean and where did they come from? Ilana sensed no ill-will or deception from Jayden but was it her desire for him clouding her judgment? One thing was clear to Ilana: if she was going to decode it all, her dream man couldn't fall into the king's hands.

Ilana shook her head. "I don't know where he is. Like I told the knights, I was out there looking for him all night."

Right as she finished speaking, King Zoran leaned forward and boomed, "Liar! I can see it written on your face that you do know! You will tell me if you truly care anything about your home! If you don't tell me, you know what will happen! Let's try again..."

Ilana scoffed. "You can try as many times as you want. My answer will be the same."

The king relaxed and backed off a bit. "Okay, okay. I know you're better than this. Maybe someone else can wake you up..." The king turned and opened the door and spoke to the elf on the other side. "Come in, Feris!"

Ilana gasped and her heart dropped into her stomach. She could feel the wasps swarming and stinging inside of her as this would be the first time facing her lover since her night with Jayden.

Feris took the king's place in the cell and walked towards Ilana almost as though he wasn't sure if it was the Ilana he'd previously known.

Ilana dropped her chin and hid beneath her hair mat to avoid looking into his concerned gaze. She struggled to pull her whimpers inside but her eyes began to moisten.

Feris asked, "Ilana, my love, are you okay?"

Ilana was fighting back tears and his somberness did little to help. "No."

"Is what I heard true about you and the human?"

"Sigh, he has a name. It's Jayden."

"Oh, you're on a first name basis, I see. So, it is true..."

Ilana peeked at him through her icy blue strands. He stopped to contemplate the situation. Probably more specifically what was to become of his relationship with Ilana.

Ilana said, "Jayden believes we're in danger and I have no reason to doubt him. All I want to do is keep us safe. It's the same I've always done. Is that so bad?"

Feris asked, "No, but why won't you tell them where this Jayden is?" He waved his hands at her. "Why is this situation more preferable?"

"Because they want to use him as target practice for their bows and arrows! I can't just let him die after he came here to help us. I wish people could see that he's a great guy and not all humans want to ruin everything..."

It occurred to Ilana that she probably should have stopped her lips from moving before she said that last bit. Too late.

Feris asked, "So, you feel something for him. What does that mean for...us?" Ilana knew she wasn't going to be able to evade that question much longer but his solemn tone was crushing. He caressed her cheek in loving strokes that was turning her heart to slush. "Ilana, I want you to look me in the eyes and tell me."

Ilana lifted her chin with voice and lips shuddering. "I...still love you...Feris but I'm not in love anymore. I'm sorry..." That wasn't entirely true and that was why pain ripped through her soul. The lifeless look that washed over Feris added to her despair. "You were always so wonderful to me but I felt as though I couldn't breathe around you. I couldn't talk to another elf without you thinking I was going to let them in my dress. I couldn't take it!"

Ilana spoke it with a somewhat false conviction. The whole conversation, her moral compass numbed her and whispered at how what she did was wrong and maybe unworthy of someone of her stature. Still, it happened. She was washed away in her living fantasy.

Feris withdrew his hand from Ilana and used it to trap his tears in his eyes though his sniffles couldn't be contained. Ilana wanted to crawl away. If she couldn't find a rock to hide under, a hole in the ground to throw herself in would suffice.

Feris wept quietly but soon let Ilana see all of his emotions, drenched, ruby red eyes all. "You're only saying that because of Jayden! You never mentioned any of this before!"

Ilana soon had a flood pouring down her cheeks and it stifled her speech. "I was feeling it but I didn't want to hurt you. I don't know...how to fix...this!"

Feris dried his deluge with a sweep of his fingers and gave himself a few moments to speak. "Tell them what they need to know and come back to me, Ilana. If you want me to work on something, give me the chance to try. We can make our relationship strong like never before."

As tempting as it was, bringing life to his desires meant sacrificing the life of another.

"I can't but I still love you. Please believe that."

Feris was already walking away at "I can't." He grabbed the door's handle and took a step into the hall with his whimpers still echoing in Ilana's ears.

He waited a moment and looked over his shoulder. "All I want is your happiness. I want to be the one to give it to you but if I can't I hope you find it somewhere."

It wasn't the reaction Ilana was expecting but it soothed her tortured emotions if only a smidge.

Next through the door was the interrogator once again though now her hood rested on her upper back revealing a female with her brownish-blonde locks in a ponytail. Ilana recognized her as Elora. Her chin was dented and sported scars along her forehead and cheek. She was running the leather strips of her cat o' 9 tails through her fingers in view of Ilana.

She walked behind Ilana and dragged the instrument of punishment along Ilana's back and a shivering shock sped along her spine.

Elora said, "You've been on this side before so you know what I'm here for. Are you ready to talk or not? If you do, the king will allow you remain as his advisor. If not, well, I'm sure you can figure it out."

"I don't know anything. This is a waste of time," Ilana said.

"Okay, don't say I didn't give you a chance..."

"No, wait! Don't do this!" Ilana pleaded with a rumbling in her chest. "The king is wrong. You know me. All I ever wanted was to help my people. Let me keep doing that, please."

"It's not up to me," the Elora said. "The king thinks you're working against us by not telling him where the human is. I have a job to do and I'm going to get the answer he needs. It's just a matter of how much pain you want to go through. So, do you have anything you want to say?"

Ilana remained silent, squinted, and gnawed into her bottom lip. She began to feel as though she deserved what was coming for what she did to Feris and prepared herself to take the punishment.

She waited...and waited...but there was a thud against the floor and Ilana shot her eyes open to spot the perpetrator of the sound. It was the cat o' 9 tails and the cries came from Elora not Ilana.

Elora came into Ilana's view looking like she just went through a break up.

"I can't believe this! I'm betraying my king! I'm so done. So, so done!" She reached for Ilana's wrist shackles to release them. "I'm sorry! I can't do this to you, Lady Ilana! I admire you too much. You've done nothing but make us feel safe and took care of us."

Ilana felt relief and even more so when she was freed of the frosty, rusted iron clamped to her wrists and ankles.

Ilana chuckled. "Ha, thanks but you don't have to apologize for not whipping me. It's okay, I promise!"

Elora was shaking out of control. "I know. I'm just losing my nerve. No, it's already lost! My head is going to decorate the king's bedroom! Oh, my God!"

Ilana escorted Elora to the corner where they squatted together. She held Elora to try to bring calm to her wrecked nerves. "I won't let anything happen to you. Everything will be fine. Like you said, I always take care of you. All of you."

Elora took a breath and lowered her hands in front of her as if she was trying to calm herself. "Okay, okay. Whew, alright. How can I serve you, m'lady?"

Ilana lowered her voice a few notches. "I need you to grab the banishing blade from the armory. Oh, and a change of clothes would be nice. Make sure no one sees you or knows what you're doing."

"Banishing blade and clothes. Got it!" Elora said as she reached for the door but turned around before leaving. "Things really are going to be bad, aren't they?"

"Not if I can help it. Now, go, go!"

Ilana rested her back against the wall and tranquilized her whirlwind of emotions. She never dreamed the day would come where she couldn't wait to leave her home. Leave the people she labeled friends...if she had any left.

It didn't matter what anyone thought. She was going to uphold her oath to save her land and people.

She couldn't take her leave without Jayden and it wasn't long before he was swarming her mind. Tension was gathering in her legs and her luscious sex was coming alive with a torrent of wetness. Oh, did she need to see him!

"Hey! Is anyone in there?" a male whispered through the barred window on the door.

Ilana recognized the owner of that sexy voice. She sprang to the door, banging against it in her excitement. She was giddy like she was smitten by her first love.

"Jayden! You...how did you get in here?"

"I came back through the secret exit you showed me. Are you okay, honey?"

"Yes, yes! Come in!" Ilana said as she opened the door, grabbed him, and yanked him in before anyone realized she wasn't in chains. "I have someone helping me to escape. When she comes back, we're out of here."

"Okay..." Jayden said looking at Ilana like he wanted to ravish her right there. "Mmm, someone is smoking right now."

Ilana looked over herself in only her bra and panties and couldn't disagree if she wanted. "I guess I can turn a few heads, huh?" Jayden was already walking slowly but with purpose towards the alluring elf. Ilana was shuddering with excitement though she was aware of danger creeping in the nearby shadows. "Hehe, no Jayden! Not here..."

It was too late. Jayden consumed her in a kiss that had her spine shaking. He toyed with her hair while Ilana shoved her tongue into his warm, moist mouth and danced around inside. They switched between lip and tongue kisses and they moaned together. Jayden scooped her off the floor and into his arms, never breaking the lock on their kiss.

She wrapped her legs around Jayden and he grabbed Ilana's little ass like he was hungry for it. She reveled in how much he showed his desired for her but there was a creaking at the door and they jumped away from each other in a blink!

"Hey, I'm back..." Elora said as she eased inside holding a drawstring bag that bulged at the seams and Ilana's favorite staff but both hit the ground upon sight of a man that wasn't on the words of a page. "Wow...I, um, can see why Ilana is crazy about you. You're cute."

Jayden's tongue tied in knots. "Oh, well, thanks and thanks for helping us."

Ilana walked over, held both of Elora's shoulders, and focused on her troubled green irises. "Elora! Didn't you forget something?"

"Oh, sorry. The blade wasn't there! I got your clothes and your favorite weapon, though!"

"Sigh...he must have known I would go for it so he hid it. Okay, we have to go. Elora, tell the king we escaped. Make him believe you and you'll be fine!"

Elora face drooped. "I don't want anything to happen to you. I believe in what you're doing."

Ilana gave her a slight push towards the door. "Trust me. Go ahead and I love you."

She took a few steps away but ran and leapt into Ilana's arms and pecked her cheek. Ilana enjoyed the warmth of her affection. There was no way she could let her or anyone else in Nevin down.

Elora dashed for the door with a wave and wink to Jayden. "Bye, handsome!"

Ilana rummaged through the bag and out came a light gray cotton strapless top and some black pants. Both were made from cotton with the latter also featuring polyester. Only the upper of the upper class had pockets deep enough for such "exquisite" materials or one had to be of royalty to feel their comfort. Oh, Ilana was going to miss that.

She threw the top on and pulled it snug at the hem. The feel of fresh clothes was soothing and sent waves of refreshment throughout. She bent over and slipped into the pants. Halfway up her legs, she sneaked a peek at Jayden who looked like he was in the bottom of the pits.

"Hey, why are you so blue?" Ilana asked as she zipped her pants and snapped them closed.

Jayden exaggerated his hanging lip. "Watching you get dressed is so depressing."

Ilana slipped on her boots and grabbed her staff from the floor.

She approached Jayden and rubbed her hands over his sculpted pecs. "Mmm, I can't wait to get out of them but we should probably get out of here first."

Jayden nodded. "Sure, and to think you to told me to stay behind. I can always go back to your cubbyhole if that would work better."

Ilana shrugged and held up her forefinger and thumb close to each other to signify something was small. "Maybe I made a little tiny mistake. I did plan on coming back for you but I ran into a bit of a problem."

"Don't listen to elven women. Got it. Just like human women," Jayden said. Ilana grit her teeth and cocked her fist like she was going to take a swing though it was in fun. Jayden leaned away with his hands in front. "Sorry, I was joking! Really!"

"We'll continue this later but we should probably get out of here."

"Probably. So, the secret exit, right? Let's make a run for it."

"Yes, but first..." Ilana said looking up at Jayden and puckering at him.

He took the hint and offered his lips to her. They engaged in another kiss and they fought to outdo each other like they were lovesick teenagers.

Though their hearts thumped together and had tingles in their fingers to their toes, Jayden leaned away. "We could do this all day but..."

Ilana's pores burst open and glowed with perspiration as her heart sprouted wings.

She swept the moisture from her head and fanned herself. "Okay, okay. Come on!"