Medieval 01 - Untamed

skirmish in his war to seduce a Glendruid witch.
    A man too impatient to train his falcon will lose her the first time he takes off the leash , Dominic reminded himself. I have barely succeeded in putting my leash in place, much less in training her to fly at my command and for my pleasure .
    To take her now would be to lose the war for the sake of winning one sweet battle. Only a fool is ruled by his passion .
    Cold determination banked the sensual fires burning within Dominic, leaving him in command of himself and of the seductive battle.
    Releasing Meg’s hands, Dominic turned her so that her back was to him. He removed the circlet and head cloth that she had hastily replaced after their battle. In the muted light of the room, her hair glowed richly. The temptation to sink his hands into its silky luxury was so great he almost succumbed. Instead, he smoothed her hair quickly into braids, wrapped a chain around each one, and left bells trailing down.
    When Dominic finished, he had just one long chain remaining in his hands. He wrapped it around Meg’s narrow waist, brought the gold around the fullness of her hips and tied the chain as she would have a girdle, allowing the long ends to trail almost to the floor.
    Meg stood wrapped in delicate riches and muted music. With every breath she took, with each movement she made, bells chimed softly.
    â€œYou are like a falcon made of fire,” Dominic said, looking at the play of candlelight through Meg’s hair. “And you wear golden jesses as such a magical falcon should.”
    Deliberately he turned Meg until she was facing him. He looked down at her with eyes as clear and cold as springwater while he caught her face between his hands.
    â€œAre you hungry, wife?”
    â€œAye,” she said in a low voice. “I’ve eaten only a piece of bread and cheese since dawn.”
    With an odd smile, Dominic turned away and went to the door. He opened it and saw the cold supper he had requested that Simon bring.
    â€œBreads, cheeses, fowl, mustard, ale…” Dominic said.
    He picked up the tray and walked into the room, closing the door behind him with a casual movement of his foot.
    â€œâ€¦figs, raisins, nutmeats, honeyed almonds,” he continued, “and a pile of raw greens whose purpose eludes me. Was Simon expecting a rabbit to join us for supper?”
    Meg smiled. “’Tis Marta, the cook. She knows I have a fondness for fresh greens in the springtime.”
    â€œIndeed?”
    A single black eyebrow lifted as Dominic looked skeptically at the small heap of greenery.
    â€œIs it a Glendruid ritual?” he asked.
    â€œNay,” Meg said, laughing and reaching for a piece of crisp green. “Even Gwyn teases me about grazing in my garden like a sheep.”
    Dominic turned aside, blocking Meg’s hand with his body before she could take any food.
    â€œPatience, small falcon. There are a few things that must be done before you eat.”
    Perplexed, Meg watched as Dominic set the tray on the table near her big chair and then calmly went about extinguishing every candle and oil lamp in the room. There were many to be put out, for she craved light with the same instinctive yearning she had for clean water and growing plants.
    â€œWhat…?” she asked, alarmed.
    â€œThe mews are kept in darkness. Or would you rather go hooded?”
    â€œYou can’t be serious.”
    â€œI can. I am. Darkened mews or a silken hood for my small falcon. I leave the choice to you.”
    The cold steel beneath Dominic’s matter-of-fact tone told Meg that she had pushed her husband too far. The words he had spoken in the church rang ominously in her ears: A wise man will understandthat his lord is merciful rather than weak. A foolish man will try my patience. And die . She had already defied him in front of vassals and keep. To do so again would not be wise.
    â€œDarkened mews,” Meg said bleakly.
    Dominic closed the shutters, as though expecting one of the harsh winds of winter to pry at the wood. Meg watched and bit back a cry of protest. In all but the most savage weather, she kept the shutters open a crack. She loved the radiant, silver-blue glory of daylight spilling into her living quarters.
    Seeing the room as it was now, with only a small fire in the hearth, made her feel…caged.
    When Dominic went to the fire as though to extinguish even that source of light, she couldn’t stifle