Healing
By Misha
Disclaimer- Not mine. I’m just borrowing them for a little while and will return them when I am finished.
Author’s Notes- I got a request where Diavolos expressed jealousy towards Raydan years into their marriage and I started trying to think of the circumstances that would create that situation. I remembered my story “Hollow” and where I left Kenna and Diavolos and decided that they needed a proper follow-up. So this is the sequel to Hollow. This story takes place roughly ten years into Kenna and Diavolos’s marriage, in the midst of a rough spot. Unlike the previous story, this one is NSFW because that’s what the muse demanded.
Pairing- Kenna/Diavolos
Rating- NSFW
Summary- After a near death experience and a rough patch in their marriage, Kenna and Diavolos find their way back to one another. Sequel to “Hollow”.
Words- 2015
“It’s good to see you back on your feet, my queen.” Raydan greeted Kenna, kissing her hand.
“Thanks to you,” she told him with a warm smile. She owed Raydan her life. He was the one that pushed her to the side, stopping the arrow from going through her heart.
“Just doing my job,” he told her quietly. “I would be a terrible spymaster if I allowed my queen to come to harm.”
Their eyes met and for a fleeting moment, Kenna was reminded of the relationship she and Raydan had once had. That had been over ten years ago, though, and they had transitioned smoothly from lovers to friends. It had been years since she’d even thought about their previous relationship.
“Well, I am very grateful,” she told him again, her voice faltering a bit as she thought about how close she had come to death.
“I’d say any time, but I’d rather you don’t get shot at again,” Raydan told her with a smile.
Kenna laughed and then the conversation turned towards political matters. While she had been recovering, Raydan had exposed those behind the plot and they had been dealt with accordingly.
As Kenna listened to Raydan, she suddenly became aware of the fact that they weren’t alone in the room. She turned to see Diavolos standing by the door, just watching the two of them. Kenna beckoned him over. “Raydan was just telling me how you handled the conspiracy plot.”
Since she’d been laid up in bed recovering, Diavolos had been ruling both Stormholt and Abanthus alone in her absence. His solution was a little less merciful than hers might have been, but she was willing to acknowledge that the time for mercy had passed.
“No one messes with my family,” Diavolos told her quietly, his hand resting on her back.
Kenna leaned into his touch, reflecting on how nice it felt. For too long things had been so strained between her and Diavolos and she’d missed the little intimacies.
But, she thought hopefully, things were finally back on track. Or at least, she’d thought they were, however as they moved away from Raydan and continued to walk through the castle, greeting various courtiers, Kenna noticed that Diavolos was preoccupied.
During a conversation with Val about the new recruits, Kenna glanced over at Diavolos to get his input and frowned when she noticed the troubled look on his face. Something was definitely bothering him.
Kenna wanted to ask him what was wrong, but it proved impossible to get a moment alone.
There was castle business to attend too and then the children demanded their attention.
Kenna noted that Diavolos’s troubled look disappeared for a while as he practiced sword-fighting with the boys. She watched her sons work together to attack their father and smiled at Diavolos’s patience. He was such a wonderful father.
“I’m making Daddy a crown,” Adriana announced from her place beside Kenna, carefully stringing flowers together.
“Daddy’s going to love that,” Kenna said with a smile.
Sure enough, once the sword fight was finished, Diavolos made his way over to where Kenna was sitting with the girls in the grass and dutifully accepted the crown from Adriana who beamed as she set it on his head. He placed a quick kiss on Kenna’s lips before taking Livia out of her arms and holding her up in the air.
Kenna smiled happily as she took in the scene around her and then frowned as she thought how close she’d come to losing it all. Her eyes met Diavolos’s and she noted that the troubled expression was back, though he was trying to hide it as the two of them gathered the children up and headed back towards the castle.
There was more business to attend to and then dinner and bedtime routine and it was hours before Kenna finally got her husband alone.
“Something’s bothering you,” she commented once they had retired to their chambers for the night.
She could see him starting to deny it and then he sighed. “I’m so damned jealous,” he admitted in a low voice, avoiding her eyes.
Kenna blinked, she didn’t know what she had expected him to say, but that wasn’t it. “Jealous?” She asked curiously, “of who?”
Diavolos had been the only man in her life for more than ten years. They had built a life and a family together, what reason did he have to be jealous?
“Of the spymaster,” Diavolos admitted.
“Raydan?” Kenna asked in disbelief, she’d thought that they worked those issues out long ago.
“Not like that,” Diavolos dismissed and then he let out a frustrated sigh, “he saved you, Kenna. I wasn’t here when you needed me, but he was.”
Oh.
“Diavolos, you had duties in Lykos,” she said quietly, putting her hand on his arm, “it wasn’t your fault.”
“We both know that while I did have business, that isn’t why I left,” Diavolos said quietly, finally meeting her eyes, “I wanted to get away from you, Kenna, and I’ll never forgive myself for that.”
Kenna bit her lip. They hadn’t really talked about how things had been before the shooting. Instead, they had just focused on being together and being a family, which she knew they’d needed, but they also needed to address the issues they’d been experiencing.
“You weren’t the only one at fault for how we left things,” she said finally, “things hadn’t been good for a while and we both let it fester.” She sighed. “After Livia’s birth, I was upset,” she admitted, “angry that the decision to have more children had been made for me.” She looked at him. “It bothered me that you didn’t seem at all sad about not having more children.”
Diavolos reached for her, placing his hands on her waist. “All I cared about was you,” he told her quietly, “I would have loved more children, Kenna, but not at the cost of your life. You are the most important thing in my world. You taught me how to love, how to be a better person, to be more than my father’s dutiful soldier.”
“And you’ve proven yourself countless times over the years,” Kenna assured him, leaning into him. “You and I might not always agree on how things should be done, but you are a good king, Diavolos and I know that.” She sighed again. “Your goal is to not be like your father, and you succeed, but I want to be like my mother and sometimes I think I try too hard.”
“Your mother was a good queen,” Diavolos told her, his hand moving up her back, “But you are a better one. You can’t rule the way she would have, because the situation has changed. Your mother dreamed of peace, you achieved it.”
“It’s maintaining it that’s the problem,” Kenna said ruefully, touching her chest briefly. “But I realized I can’t do it alone,” she told him, “and I think that was another one of our problems. We’ve always considered Abanthus yours and Stormholt mine.”
They ruled together in name but had always made decisions separately. It had never been an issue, until the recent uprising, but then they had suddenly realized how different their approach to ruling was and it had blind-sided them. Whereas if they had worked together from the start, they might have reached a compromise in style long before they fit crisis mode.
“We can’t change the past,” Kenna said after a moment, “all we can do is focus on being better in the future, and that means being a team, not just as parents, but as rulers.”
“There’s no one I’d rather by my side,” Diavolos told her sincerely, “I need you, Kenna.”
“Is that so?” Kenna asked teasingly, “just how much do you need me?”
Diavolos eyes darkened with need. “Kenna.”
The word came out in a low groan and then his mouth covered hers as he pulled her body tight against his. Kenna kissed him back hungrily. It had been so long since they’d made love and she’d missed him desperately.
They pulled at each other’s clothing impatiently, reminding Kenna briefly of the first time they’d made love and how desperate they had been for one another. Once their clothes were out of the way, Diavolos walked her back towards their bed, his lips and hands still on her.
He paused when they reached the bed, bringing one hand to gently touch the ugly mark on her chest. “Are you sure you’re up for this?” He asked her, “I don’t… I don’t want to hurt you.”
“You won’t,” Kenna assured him, “I’ve been given a clean bill of health. If I’ve been given the ok to resume my boring queen duties, then I should also ok to make love with my husband.”
“Is that what we’re going to do?” Diavolos asked her softly, pushing her onto the bed and kneeling between her legs. “Make love?” There was a warm, teasing look in his eyes and then he leaned forward and kissed her. A long, slow kiss that left her sighing.
“Do you have a better plan?” Kenna asked him, resting her hands on his broad shoulders.
“No,” Diavolos assured her, “I think making love sounds perfect.”
He leaned in and kissed her just above the knee and the continued to work his way up, placing light teasing kisses all along her thighs, his hands rising up to cup her breasts, massaging them gently as his lips moved higher and higher.
“Diavolos,” Kenna sighed as he licked and sucked at her, before going in deep with his tongue, something that she loved. Between his hands and his talented mouth and tongue, Kenna didn’t last long. She dug her fingernails into his back as she came name, his name a hoarse cry on her lips. “Diavolos.”
He placed a tender kiss on her thighs and then began to kiss his way up her stomach, not seeming to mind that it wasn’t as flat as it once was. She could see the love and desire in his eyes before his lips met hers in another deep, passionate kiss, his hand tangled in her hair.
She reached out between them, cupping him in her hands. She moved her hands up and down with practiced ease, causing him to groan against her lips.
After a moment, Diavolos captured her hand in his, stilling it. “I believe I said something about needing you,” he whispered in her ear as he pushed her onto her back.
“I remember,” Kenna told him, her eyes locked with his as he positioned himself over her and entered her slowly.
Despite the fact that it had been so long, neither one of them was in a rush. Their movements were slow and deliberate, their bodies in perfect sync. Their legs tangled together as he thrust into her and she arched her hips to meet him. Her hands were gentle on his back, tracing circles along the firm muscles. His hands threaded through her long hair. He placed kisses along her neck and shoulders.
“I love you,” he assured her.
“I love you too,” she told him, pulling him closer for a kiss.
Finally, their movements became less deliberate and more frantic, both of them getting close. Diavolos sped up his thrusts and Kenna met him eagerly and after a few more movements, they came together.
Afterward Diavolos rolled them both over so that he was on his back and she was on top of him, laying against his chest.
“I’ve missed this,” Kenna told him, looking into his eyes, “I’ve missed us.”
“I have too,” he admitted, running his hands along her back, “I love you, Kenna, more than anything.”
“I love you too,” Kenna assured him.
She knew that their problems couldn’t be fixed in one night. That they would have to work at it, but she was confident that they would succeed. She and Diavolos had come so close to lose everything, but they’d survived and they would build a strong future, together.
Always together.
- End
