"And what of the things we’ve done?" Sarah looked down at her fidgeting hands, feeling ashamed and bashful.

"Milady, our marriage had to be consummated for it to be valid. You know how the nobles are. They’d try and find any such way to say it’s not so."

Sarah’s eyes flashed angrily up at the warrior.

"And is it consummated, Fallon? A marriage is between a man and a woman! Love is made between a man and a woman. I see no man here!"

Fallon flinched at the truth in those words. She felt her emotions coming to the surface again for the pain she heard in the young woman’s voice.

"I am sorry, Sarah." She met the tortured gaze with one of her own. "I never meant to hurt you."

Sarah opened her mouth to release a scathing remark, but snapped it shut instead. She had no desire to hurt this gentle . . . woman, before her who had shown her nothing but kindness.

"And what of the other times?" was nearly whispered, unable to look at the woman before her.

Fallon sighed, thinking indeed, what of the other times. She sighed again, stripping a bit of bark off the tree she leaned against and turning it around and around in her fingers.

"I have grown to care about you deeply, Sarah. I have felt drawn to you."

"But you knew I was a woman." Sarah searched those amazing blue eyes, trying to find some sort of ground to grab onto in them. As of that moment, she felt utterly lost and alone.

"Yes," Fallon admitted, finally able to meet the demanding gaze of her wife. "But you made me feel, Sarah. I felt something I had never felt. Even that first night," she whispered.

Sarah looked at her, absorbing what she was being told. She felt those words were true in her own heart, but was still so confused as to know what to do.

"You know, all this time I had not become with child and thought it was me." Sarah laughed ruefully. "I thought I was failing you as a wife."

"Far from it, milady. You are everything a husband could want. Please do not take this burden upon yourself."

"What am I to do, Fallon?" she asked. "I am spoiled, no good to a husband now. And our marriage is not valid."

"I’ve thought of this. We shall fake my death, Sarah. I die, and you inherit all the lands and have a home. From there," Fallon looked down, the last part painful, "you can go on to find love with a man."

Sarah looked at the warrior, stunned at her generosity. "Fallon, you are kind, and have a big heart to suggest such. I do not know if I could ruin your life so. You will no longer have an identity. Where would you go?"

"I do not know, and it doesn’t matter. I wish for you to be happy, Sarah. That is all. And if it means this for me, then so be it." She pushed off the tree, tossing her mutilated piece of bark to the shore. "I only want you to know I never meant to hurt you. This is very important for me."

"I understand, and believe you, Fallon. That is your real name, is it not?"

"Yes." Fallon smiled just a bit, then looked down again.

"Hmm. Well," Sarah stood, wiping the back of her skirts. "I must go. Thank you for your honesty."

"Yes, milady." Fallon bowed deep, never seeing the little blonde take her leave.

Sarah roamed the halls of the castle that she had come to know so very well. Like a phantom, her shadow passed across the walls and floor. Her footfalls could not be heard, nor the breaking of her heart.

She had spoken to Fallon a week ago, and had used the time between to think. She was comfortable at Camden Castle, and certainly with the staff and the master of the house.

Fallon.

The blonde thought of the darker woman. A woman. She better understood Fallon’s motives, and believed there was no malicious intent, but merely what had become necessary. Though her parents had kept their daughter out of news of current events surrounding her family’s lands, Sarah still knew of the hardships about, and what sort of small wars were being created to ease that hardship.

The common people felt they had no protection, and those who were greedy allowed that greed to overthrow their judgment. They took that which was not theirs, and the guards of both houses were overwhelmed with trying to keep peace and order. A combined house, now that was wise. Double the money and double the power to keep the lands at peace.

Sarah sighed. Why must so much rest upon her head?

Then she thought of the time she’d been with Fallon. Nearly half a season. They had spent a good deal of time together. They had taken walks and talked about themselves and their dreams. Fallon listened to what the blonde had to say. She wanted to know all of Sarah’s wants and desires, and often did what she could to provide those.

She had enjoyed every moment spent with the dashing Fallon. Every one. The dinners, the talks, the good-natured horse racing, and yes, making love. This brought her thoughts to the last time, in the library. Sarah closed her eyes, her hands clenching over her chest. How gentle the warrior had been. The amazing sensations she had sent through the smaller woman’s body.

"Oh, Fallon," she breathed, suddenly very sad. Then she thought of the day she had accidentally walked in on the brunette when she was about to bathe. The expanse of skin, so bronze from hours in the sun. The skin tight and firm over muscles created by years of heavy training and combat. Fallon of Aragon was truly stunning.

"What do I do?" she asked the empty space.

Fallon sat in one of the chairs in front of the fire in her sitting room. She stared into the flames, a near untouched glass of brandy in her hand. She sighed heavily, then leaned up in her chair, intent to get up and douse the fire. She was tired. Exhausted, really. Mainly in her heart.

As she was about to stand, she heard a soft knock at the door. Standing, she faced it.

"Come," she called. Expecting Charles to be checking in for the night, she sipped from her goblet.

The door opened and Fallon saw the flutter of soft, white material, then a bare foot, and finally the entire body of Sarah. The blonde stood in a flowing gown, her hair brushed to a shine around her shoulders and back.

"Milady?" the warrior said, suddenly concerned. Sarah said nothing, just gently shut the door behind her and leaned against it.

"My lord," she said softly.

Confused, Fallon put her goblet down on a table. "Are you alright, Sarah? Do you need something?"

"Yes." Sarah pushed away from the door and walked halfway across the room, her eyes never leaving the warrior’s. Fallon’s heart skipped a beat, wanting and uncertainty plaguing her.

Sarah stopped and extended her hand, waiting for it to be taken. Fallon placed her much larger one in it, waiting. Blue met green, and a silent conversation was played out. Fallon swallowed, hard.

"Fallon?" Sarah whispered, looking up into the brunette’s face.

"Yes?" Fallon whispered back, her knees feeling like jelly.

"Make love to me, my husband." She leaned up and placed a very soft kiss upon Fallon’s trembling lips. Fallon moved to speak, but Sarah placed her fingers over the soft lips. "Do not speak. You make me feel happy, safe, wanted and loved," she explained. "To the world you are Fallon of Aragon, Lord of Camden Castle. To me you are Fallon, the man I married and the woman I love."

A long sigh of relief fell from Fallon’s lips and she gathered the smaller woman into her arms, holding her close, needing to know this was real.

"Oh, Sarah," she breathed. "You are all those things, my love," she said into the golden hair, then brought her fingers up under Sarah’s chin, raising her face to meet her own. She met the loving gaze and returned it. "Are you sure about this?"

"Yes. I came to realize that like you, no one had ever made me feel these things. I’d be a fool to let you go."

Fallon leaned in, brushing her lips lightly against Sarah’s, causing a wave of delight to pass through them both. The kiss deepened, each slowly caressing the other with lips, tongue and teeth.

Sarah released a soft moan, her arms wrapping around Fallon’s waist, fingers grasping the material of her shirt, craving the heat that lay just beneath.

"I wish to see you, Fallon," Sarah murmured against the warrior’s lips. Fallon nodded, pulling away and taking Sarah by the hand. Together they walked toward her bedchamber where Sarah was gently nudged to sit on the edge of the bed. Fallon stood before her. She was nervous, but she saw only love and desire reflected back in those green eyes.

Bringing her hands up, she pulled the laces to her shirt and leather pants. She tugged the shirt until it came free from the breeches, then pulled if over her head. Sarah watched wide-eyed, hungry. She saw the expanse of Fallon’s muscled stomach, the skin looking so soft and smooth. Her fingers itched to touch it.

Fallon reached behind her and released the strip of material that kept her breasts bound. The swath began to loosen and she pulled it off, unwinding it from around her torso. She sighed with relief once she was released. Wide green eyes took in the full breasts, the skin slightly red from the material chaffing them.

"Ohhh," she breathed. She thought Fallon must be just about the most beautiful thing in the world.

The warrior began to take her boots off, but was stopped by a soft hand on her arm.

"Let me." Sarah knelt down, putting Fallon’s foot on her knee. She pulled and the leather came loose, falling to the ground, followed by its mate. Sarah stood, running her hands up the sides of Fallon’s thighs and side as she did. When her fingers came into contact with the unbelievably soft skin of the brunette’s sides, she whimpered. Her eyes were riveted by the swell of her breasts. So round and perfect. "Beautiful," she sighed.

Fallon watched, nearly holding her breath, as the blonde leaned down, placing a soft kiss at the juncture of her shoulder and neck. She felt so vulnerable standing there in a way that no one had ever seen her before. Eyes closing, she relished the feel of Sarah’s lips and tongue on her skin.

Sarah brought a hand up, fingers running just along the underside of a beautifully rounded breast. "So soft," she murmured, her lips making a trail along Fallon’s collar bone.

Fallon brought her hands to Sarah’s gown, gathering the material up with her fingers, gradually exposing Sarah’s body. She nearly lost control when she realized the blonde was completely naked underneath it.

Sarah raised her arms so the gown could be lifted over her head. Shaking her long hair free, she returned her attention back to Fallon’s body. The warrior closed her eyes as she felt hot breath nearing her right nipple, gentle fingers running along the underside of the breast. Her hands roamed over Sarah’s bare shoulders and neck, then down her arms and back up again.

Soft kisses turned to wet licks, and Fallon gasped when a shot of pleasure started at her suckled nipple all the way down to her core. She buried her fingers into the thick blonde hair as she listened to the contented moaning as Sarah licked and teased her. As her mouth worked, Sarah’s hands moved down to the leather pants, bringing her hands just inside and pushing, the tight pants making slow progress down the long, gorgeous thighs.

Fallon stepped out of the pants, leaving her totally naked. The blonde relinquished the nipple and looked at what was exposed. She saw the patch of dark hair, so much like her own, save for color. Curious, she reached down, using her palm to gently run over the wiry hairs, nearly tickling her palm.

The warrior’s heart rate began to do double time.

"I can’t stand, Sarah," she panted. Sarah took her by the hand and brought them the few steps to the high canopy. She climbed on, and tugged for Fallon to follow. Once on, Fallon gently pushed Sarah back, laying her body on top of hers. Both moaned in unison as their full bodies touched for the first time. The feeling of skin on skin was amazing, and nearly the undoing of them both.

Fallon immediately found Sarah’s mouth, kissing her with every bit of passion for the smaller woman she had. The blonde was left breathless as she reached her hands down to scour the warrior’s back, nails grazing across the smooth surface. She had never felt anything nearly this wonderful.

There had been a time when she’d wondered just how two women made love since they seemed to be missing a certain part of the anatomy. But now, now she wasn’t so worried.

She pushed Fallon onto her back and straddled the long, lean body beneath her. Looking down into the darkened blue eyes, Sarah felt a pulse start at her core and work its way out. Fallon reached up, cupping Sarah’s breasts in needy hands. The blonde moaned, eyes closing as she arched her head back in pleasure. She felt her most sensitive area come to life as it rested against Fallon’s stomach. Moving slightly, she realized that it felt wonderful.