The King's Conquest (Ending 4 of 5)

CROMWELL CASTLE INN AND SUITE
Edinburgh, Scotland
 
Joust and Fencing Tournament
 
“Sephora will you stop worrying about me.” Palos leaned over and kissed Sephora on her lips. “Now that I’ve found earthly peace within those arms of yours. I will be damn if I give that up to any other man.” He winked at her. ”This man will be cuddling up to you this evening.” He leaned over and whispered in her ear, “I will be the only man enjoying hearing those explicit moans from this dick sliding into that tight pussy of yours.”
 
Sephora hugged Palos.
 
“Baby, you’re shaking.”
 
“I need you to get back to me in one piece.” Sephora inched back. “And lying in my bed this evening.”
 
“How could I refuse a beautiful woman’s request?” Palos looked around at several men entering the jousting and fencing tournament. “Baby, I have to go and change.” He landed a quick kiss to her lips.
 
“Wait, what will you be wearing.”
 
“Feel me in this lifetime with your heart.”
 
Palos stroked Sephora’s cheek and walked away to change for the jousting tournament.
 
“Please please, get him back to my arms safe and alive.”
 
Lance watched Sephora’s and Palos’ interaction from across the courtyard.
 
“I hope she can accept his sorry ass losing.”
 
Sephora felt someone’s eyes on her. She looked through the gathered participants and attendees.
 
A person dressed in full jousting attire was looking directly at her.
 
Sephora smiled at the faceless person.
 
The person turned and stormed away.
 
Sephora saw Lance. She waved at him. He turned and walked away.
 
“Well excuse me.”
 
Palos changed into his jousting attire. He lifted his Lance and walked out onto the courtyard. Palos looked over at Sephora who was talking to female.
 
Someone bumped his shoulder as they walked pass.
 
“What the fuck.”
 
The person continued to move forward.
 
“I can only assume that shit was done by accident.”
 
The person stopped and turned around. The person thought, turned back around, and finished his progress.
 
Palos was given an entry number.
 
The horses were walked out onto the courtyard. The attendees found his or her seat.
 
Palos looked at the fine specimen of the war horse in full barding.
 
The groomsman walked over to the Palos.
 
“Your number sir.”
 
Palos held up the number two.
 
The groomsman handed Palos the reins to his horse and walked away.
 
Palos rubbed the horse on his nose. He walked to the side and then mounted it. He settled his presence on the saddle, and then rested his feet in the stirrups.
 
Each participant waited in the tiltyard for their name to be called to joust.
 
Sephora sat among the attendees watching the first joust match among the castles’ courtiers.
 
Several men were being eliminated after two rounds of jousting. She hated she did not know which man in the tiltyard was Palos.
 
“The next single tournament will commence in ten minutes,” someone announced over a loud speaker.
 
Sephora rose from her elevated bench. She walked in the direction of the hotel. The person who she smiled at earlier clocked her movements. Sephora entered through the steel door of the hotel. She looked back.
 
The faceless person’s eyes remained centered on her.
 
Sephora returned to her seat minutes later.
 
The next match was due to begin
 
Each man took his mark at the opposite end of the robe.
 
Sephora held her breath, watching one man’s lance hit the body armor and break the lance of his opponent.
 
The next round the man unhorsed his opponent.
 
FINAL TOURNAMENT ROUND
One Hour Later
 
Palos’ entry number was called to joust with the next round of jousters. He adjusted his frog-mouth helm on his face and fisted his cuirass. Palos positioned his lance under his arm. He quoted a silent prayer and took his place. He looked down at his opponent.
 
The man who bumped his arm was his next opponent.
 
Palos flanked his horse and charged his opponent.
 
The other man charged toward him.
 
Palos’ lance hit the man’s breastplate, awarding him the point.
 
The crowd cheered.
 
The second round. Palos charged his opponent. He knocked the man from off his horse.
 
Lance’s helm fell off his face. His horse lifted his hind legs. Lance rolled over just in time, avoiding the horse’ hooves.
 
The crowd clapped.
 
“I’ll see your ass in the fencing competition.”
 
Palos bowed his head.
 
Lance angrily lifted his helm from off the grass. He walked away. His eyes scanned from Sephora’s presence.
 
Sephora met Lance’s eye. She smiled at him.
 
Lance winked and walked toward the hotel.
 
“The winner will be awarded after the next two rounds. Men you may take your place.”
 
Palos took his place. His opponent took his place at the opposite end. He noticed his opponent had two swords to both sides dangling from a sword holder.
 
Palos scanned the seated attendees. He did not know if the rules have changed. He adjusted his helm on his head.
 
Both opponents faced each other.
 
Palos flanked his horse and charge forward. His opponent charged him.
 
His opponent’s lance stuck Palos in his breastplate, awarding the point to his opponent.
 
Palos rubbed his cuirass. He still felt the bruising of his opponent’s lance. Palos looked down at the other end. He positioned his lance.
 
His opponent lifted his lance.
 
Both men charged each other. Both men lance hit the other’s breastplate.
 
Palos and his opponent both fell off their horse. He rolled over to avoid his horse’s hooves.
 
His opponent walked up to Palos as he was standing. He pushed Palos back and drew both swords from out the scabbards. He threw the extra sword to Palos.
 
Palos caught it.
 
“Listen man, I don’t know what beef you got with me, but you do not want to go this route with me?”
 
The man lifted his helm from off his face and threw it at Palos’ feet.
 
“Javen! What the fuck are you doing here!”
 
“Claiming my woman.”
 
Palos removed his helm and tossed it aside.
 
Sephora covered her mouth after she saw the men behind their mask.
 
“Excuse me.”
 
Sephora excused herself.
 
“Prepare to fight me for Sephora’s love.”
 
“Man this is real life, get a fucking grip. Sephora is my pussy now, she always has been, and she always will be.”
 
“Not after today, and not in this lifetime.”
 
Javen lifted his sword and charged Palos.
 
Palos lifted his sword and blocked Javen’s blade of entry.
 
Palos’ quick hand actions overpowered the hand movements of Javen’s sword. Palos struck Javen in his breastplate. He lifted his sword preparing to strike.
 
Javen’s sword crisscrossed Palos’ sword.
 
Both men went back and forth twisting, and clashing their swords. Moving across the courtyard like two determined madmen.
 
The crowd were on their feet cheering each men on.
 
The tip of Palos’ sword nipped behind Javen’s ear.
 
Javen’s ear began to bleed. He ran toward Palos with his sword raised over his head.
 
Palos kicked Javen in his stomach.
 
Javen fell backwards landing on his back.
 
Palos ran up to Javen preparing to finish him off; he suddenly stopped. He held his sword down in front of Javen’s throat.
 
“Must you remember, the knight, always protected the king, not the other way around. Sephora is mine.”
 
Palos stabbed his sword into the dirt and stormed away.
 
RADISSON BLU HOTEL
The Royal Mile
 
Sephora threw her clothes inside both suitcases.
 
“I cannot believe Javen showing up like he did. He could have gotten himself killed, damn him. Why didn’t he just call me, and how did he know I was in Scotland?”
 
She sat on the bed. She looked around her hotel room.
 
Her cell phone rang.
 
Sephora rose from the bed and walked around to the other side. She lifted her cell phone from off the nightstand, slid it open, and then looked down at the number. She took a deep breath and placed her cell phone up to her ear.
 
“Hello.”
 
“Why did you disappear on me?”
 
“Ahh Palos. I.”
 
“Oh come on Sephora, don’t do this to me.”
 
“Maybe we should just take it slow from here. I really need to speak with Javen ab…”
 
“Javen already knows about us.”
 
“I never told him.”
 
Palos remained silent on the other end.
 
“Did you tell Javen about us, before I had the chance to speak to him?”
 
“He called your cell phone last night and I answered it. I could only assume he put two and two together.”
 
“And you did not think it was important to mention that to me?”
 
“I did not think it was important since we are now a couple.”
 
“We were a couple. I need to clear my head and see if we even have a future.”
 
“Dammit Sephora, I’m in love with you. I gave you my virginity, not any woman, but you; surely that counts for something.”
 
“Baby, I know, but things have changed.”
 
“Nothing has changed for me.”
 
Sephora took a deep breath.
 
“Are you in love with Javen?”
 
“I care for him.”
 
“Do you love me?”
 
“Yes.”
 
Palos exhaled after Sephora’s confirmation.
 
“Can I see you tonight? I really could use the gentle touch of my woman’s hands, her warm body lying next to mine, her lips taking control of mine. I need to know I still have you in this lifetime.”
 
“Palos, I really need to speak with Javen first.”
 
“I will not keep you long, you could even stay in your vehicle.”
 
God his voice was a turn on within itself for her.
 
“It has to be quick. I was on my way to the airport.”
 
“You were going to leave without saying a word to me.”
 
“I feel bad for coming between you and Javen.”
 
“I cannot help it if there’s two of us and only one of you.”
 
Someone knocked on Palos’ door.
 
“Baby hang on, someone’s at my door.”
 
“All right.”
 
Palos placed the telephone receiver down on the table and walked over to his door.
 
Sephora listened in.
 
Palos opened his door.
 
“Anna? What the fuck…what are you doing here?”
 
“Well, it’s nice to see you also.”
 
“I asked you a question.”
 
“Well, it appears, I called the school because I advised the administrative assistant I did not have your home residence. Which she was nice enough to provide. And once I got to your residence, you had several pieces of mail accumulated in your mailbox, and to keep it from overcrowding; I removed all your mail. And one piece of mail was a postcard receipt about your trip to Scotland, and the second address listed on that postcard was your address in Scotland.”
 
Anna noticed the anger in Palos’ eyes.
 
“Could I come in, the flight here was very long.”
 
Palos stepped aside.
 
Anna entered Palos’ residence.
 
Palos slammed the door close. He rushed back over to the telephone, lifted the receiver, and placed it back up to his ear.
 
“Ahh, baby, I’m going to have to get back to you.”
 
“Is everything all right?”
 
Palos looked over at Anna who was looking at the photographs on his wall.
 
“Yeah.”
 
“I will be over in...”
 
“No, we are going to have to do this some another time.”
 
“Then I guess I will see you in South Dakota.”
 
“No wait, I would.” Palos turned and lowered his voice. “Like to see you later this evening. Where are you staying?”
 
Sephora gave Palos the name, address, and her hotel room number.”
 
“Promise me you will be there when I show up.”
 
“I promise.”
 
“I love you,” Palos whispered in the telephone mouthpiece
 
“I love you too, and I will see you later on.”
 
“Yes you will beautiful.”
 
Palos and Sephora discontinued the call.
 
Sephora pressed in seven numbers. She placed her cell phone up to her ear.
 
HOTEL INDIGO EDINBURGH
Edinburgh, Scotland
 
Javen heard his cell phone vibrate. He reached over and lifted it from off the rim of the Jacuzzi hot tub in his hotel suite.
 
“Javen, speak.”
 
“Hi Javen, it’s me.”
 
“What the fuck do you want, huh? You played me like a fucking fool.”
 
“Wow, slow down.”
 
“Did you have any intentions of telling me about you and Palos?”
 
“I did not sleep around with Palos while you and I was together. We did not solidify our relationship until we met in Scotland.”
 
“And you expect me to believe that shit!”
 
“Javen, you mean the world to me, and I would never trade what you and I had.”
 
“So, it’s over between us.”
 
“I love Palos.”
 
“You may what to check if Palos really loves you. It just so happens, I was not the only one on that flight originating out of South Dakota to Edinburgh, Scotland.”
 
“Javen what are you talking about.”
 
“Ask Palos.”
 
Javen hung up on Sephora.
 
Sephora slid her cell phone down. She slammed her suitcases close and lifted her purse from off the bed. Sephora walked over to the door, opened it, and walked out her hotel room. She pulled the door close and walked in the direction of the elevators.