‘He won’t always have the King’s favour and, when it wanes, I will cut him down.’
‘Who knows when that will be? You cannot wait that long, and nor can I. For your sake, I can bear him, but not when I see you. I cannot be near you, for then it is too much, and it breaks my heart to think of what we could have been. Lyall, for both our sakes, I want you to go. Everything between us is tainted, and I cannot see you again.’
‘Giselle, no, I will get you back, I swear it, or I will die trying.’ Lyall felt her slipping away from him. ‘I love you, Giselle, with all my heart. I love you, so whatever happens, promise me you will bear it, and survive his cruelties. I can’t ever give you up. I won’t, so you must swear it now.’
He shook her when she did not answer.
‘Please Giselle. Please trust in me to make this right.’
‘I…I want to so much…but I am ruined, spoiled…’
‘You could never be such things to me. You are my pride, my happiness, my life, since the very first moment I laid eyes on you. I love you, and I know you love me. Banan wants to take that from us. Please, Giselle, don’t let him.’
He pulled her close and kissed her, and this time, she kissed him back, clutching at his back, digging her nails in, as if she would never let go of him. Lyall tasted her tears as they ran down her cheeks into his mouth. He felt her anguish in the desperate way her mouth claimed his. More than anything, he felt relief that she could still care for him, that Banan had not killed the passion between them.
‘Hold on to me, Giselle,’ he cried.
‘Lyall, Lyall.’ She gasped his name into the darkness. He buried his face in her neck as his hands roamed over every inch of her. She had to be his still, he would make her so.
‘Do you still want me,’ he growled into her hair.
‘Yes, yes I do,’ she gasped, and he was lost. He pulled up her skirts as she tore open his braies, and he lifted her up and against the wall.
‘Do it, Lyall. Do it, and wash him away, please. I want to feel you, only you. I fear I may never see you again.’
He entered her quickly, and there were no words spoken as they made love. It was primal, dangerous and beyond all reason, the desperate coupling of two people on the brink of death, wanting to feel alive.
Just as Lyall reached his release, Giselle cried out his name. A body could not contain such pain as he felt at that moment. He pressed his forehead to Giselle’s as he slid her down the wall, and she pulled down her dress. Lyall waited for his breathing to slow and the turmoil inside him to calm enough to speak.
‘I’ll get you back, I swear it, my love.’
‘I would do anything for you, Lyall, but I will not let you die because of me.’
‘If we can’t be together I am a dead man anyway. He put his hands to her cheeks. ‘I will free us from this hell, and we will be happy again, we will be together. I swear I will come back for you. Tell me, you want me. Say it.’
‘If you still want me,’ she sobbed.
‘Want you? Of course I want you.’
Lyall’s brought his lips to Giselle’s in one last, desperate kiss.
‘I have to go before I am missed,’ she said, pulling away.
Lyall grabbed onto her and hugged her hard enough to break her in two. Giselle peeled his hands away and stepped into the shadows, where he could not see her face.
‘Stay alive, Lyall, I beg you. If you can do one thing for me, do that.’