an hour?” she said, looking up at James. “Okay, possibly two.”
Isabel and Arthur stared at one another before laughing.
If nothing else, she decided, Camelot was full of laughter.
“What is this favor, Izzy? I have high hopes that you wish to continue to practice the undressing thing.”
“Oh, I’ve already mastered that one. No, the favor is to allow Ashton to ask for Jenny’s hand tonight.”
“In front of all?”
“Yes. How romantic is that?”
“Would that it could be me asking for yours. Because you have promised you would agree, yes?”
“I would absolutely say yes.”
“Then I so wish it would be me tonight.”
“Someday, Arthur, Someday.”
Arthur shook his head, chuckling. “I have. I have lost total control over this entire realm, Isabel. And I find myself not worrying overmuch.”
“You haven’t. Why would you even think such a thing?”
“We have servants berating us, we have women taking up the charge. For crying out loud, Isabel, it was ideas of yours that stayed the enemy.”
“Oh, please, all I did was try to think of any plan that did not involve the shedding of blood. Especially yours. That is all. It would be a mess to clean up.”
“Ah, I see. Less work was your intent.”
“Exactly. I’m lazy that way.”
He kicked the door shut. “Mary and James say two hours?”
“I believe that was their time, yes,” she said, backing away.
“Not nearly enough time, but I will take what I can get.”
“Who says you get any?” Isabel asked.
“Your beautiful blue eyes, Isabel. Your eyes tell me you desire me as I desire you.”
“Damn my non-lying eyes.”
“Oh, no, praise those beautiful, honest eyes. Now tell me from those lips.”
“I desperately desire you, Arthur,” she said.
“See, we agree on so many things, Isabel,” he said, then held out his arms. “A master at undressing me you say? I wish proof.”
OH, yes, they were both sweaty and spent. Isabel had no idea how long they’d spent making love, but she was fairly certain their two hours were close to up.
“We should probably get dressed,” she said.
“I agree,” he said, “however, that does not equal with whether I want to leave your bed.”
“You’re good with math, are you?”
“Math?”
“Working with numbers so that, for example, you know what equals what.”
“Oh, yes, you call it math?”
“What do you call it?”
“Numbers.”
Isabel rolled to her back, laughing. “I love you so much.”
Arthur turned on his side, grinning. “I have an example.”
She turned on her side as well. “Oh, please, I can’t wait.”
“What would you call over one hundred men attempting to take on one much smarter woman?”
She went still. “I don’t know. What?”
“Outnumbered.”
She laughed. “Arthur, your men would have made toast of them.”
“There we go with the toast thing again. And, yes, I agree we would have vanquished the invaders. Yet truth be told, Isabel, if not for your quick wits, Camelot blood would be staining the grounds this day. Because of your whacky plots, all of our people are alive and safe once again.”
“Whacky?”
“Did I say whacky? I meant witty.”
“You meant whacky.”
He grimaced. “Yea, but I meant whacky in the wittiest sense of the word ‘whacky.’”
Isabel smiled and traced the contours of his face until they smoothed back into contentment. “It was merely a whacky way of turning back the enemy.”
“’Twas not your battle to fight.”
“It was the moment it involved you. I love you. And all of the people of Camelot. This might make no sense to you, Arthur, but I have come to care for the people here in this short time. They are good and they are kind, and most importantly, they love their king. If you didn’t recognize the evidence of that yesterday when the women were willing to actually stand up against you to fight
“I am to protect them, Isabel. Is that not my ultimate duty as king?”
“If you think so. Your second ultimate duty is to take care of them, make certain they want to protect you as their king. And so far, I think that’s working.”
“I sometimes doubt, and I recognize how weak I sound even admitting such a thing.”
“The weak leader is the one who refuses to admit to doubts about how he runs things. The strong leader is the one who constantly questions how he can perform his duties to the betterment of all in his—or her—lands. You are the strongest, most honest and loving lord of his lands I have ever known. You do not deceive the people of Camelot, and you do not abuse them. If I were a numbering person, I would be adding those into the plus column.”
He turned her on her back and looked into her eyes. “You are the best thing that has e’er happened to me, Isabel. I cannot even begin to say how much.”
She smiled. “I hope that you always think so.”
“I cannot imagine that ever changing.”
There was a knock on her door. “Time is up, Countess,” Mary called. “Do you want a bath, or no?”
Isabel scrambled out from under Arthur’s arms. “Oh, yes, Mary, but please, a few minutes before you have the men bring in the water.”
“Jeesh, you two,” Mary said. “James and I have been married but two days, and it did not take this long.”
“I will be happy to give James more tips, should you need,” Arthur called, as he pulled on his leggings.
Mary giggled. “I will keep that in mind, should I need, King Arthur.”
“And that,” Isabel said, pulling on her robe, “is why you are a great king.”
“The lovemaking tips?” he asked.
“No, the fact that Mary will probably have no problem asking you . . . should she need.”
Arthur pulled his tunic over his head, then glanced around to make certain he had left nothing behind. Then he strode over to Isabel. “I love you. I wish for the day I do not have to leave your bed.”
“I love you, too. I also wish for that day.”
“You saved many Camelot lives yesterday, Isabel. Tonight we celebrate your success.”
“No! The party tonight is for all! It was our success.”
“One would think, wouldn’t she? One who, perhaps, questions how to make lives better for all rather than one who presumes she already knows all.”
“Arthur!”
“Tell her to get over it, Mary,” he said as he left the room.
“Oh, right, good luck to me with that,” Mary muttered as she entered.
“Mary!”
“Get over it. The king ordered so.”
