As the day came to a close, I settled down in my bed and stared out of my arched window. The moon was rising and it was full, as it always seemed to be. Closing my eyes, our dream escape unfolded before me. The sounds of the crashing ocean against the rocky shore line.

“There you are Maria.” He wrapped his arms around my tiny frame. Pulling me into his chest. His scent of icy nature filled my nostrils and his heart soothed my nerves.

“How long were you waiting?” I glared up at him.

“Long enough.” He smiled, kissing my lips gently.

“What is it that you wanted to tell me earlier but couldn’t?” I had recalled our earlier conversation with him wanting to tell me something but refused.

He pulled me to our log and sat me down on his right leg. “It’s just a thought really. Since I was unable to stop another dragon from entering my…I mean our territory. I had an idea.” I looked at him with a bit of curiosity in my eyes. “I have thought about it before, but I was unsure how to approach the subject with your parents. But now…it’s up to you if it happens.”

“What is up to me?” My curiosity was peaked.

“Hmmm….how to put it simply.” he thought briefly, “I want to make Winterfall my lair so to speak.”

“Your lair?” I remember reading about dragons as soon as I saw him when we were young. It did mention that most dragon’s marked their territory by forming a barrier of sorts around their claimed land. This marked their lair. It gave them certain attributes along with their own abilities. Like heightened senses for example.

“Yes, my lair. I have yet to do this because I was unaware of how your father and mother would take that a dragon was in the area. Some of our stories haven’t been the best.” I knew what he was talking about. Dragon’s like Crimson did not help. As most dragon’s deemed dangerous, it was not heard of for one to be in a civilization, with the threat of it being hunted and killed. It did not matter the type of dragon. Or its overall personality and attributes.

“What’s the downside?”

“Well, it could heighten my presence. Making adventures and other threats like other dragons more curious to enter. But we already have another dragon in the territory. Who’s to say she won’t make Winterfall her lair, giving them the advantage?”

He made a damn good point. “You think you will be able to stop whatever comes our way?”

“Yes, and with your abilities added to my own, we will be unstoppable.” He said with confidence. “If this is something you want me to do, you can think about it. But the sooner I do this, the better our chances will be.”

I thought briefly. There was a chance it could attract unwanted attention but it will prevent Crimson marking Winterfall as her own. “Do it.”

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He looked down at me surprised, “are you sure?”

“Yes. Protect our kingdom at all costs.”

He kissed my lips firmly. “Thank you for having so much trust in me. I’ll do it first thing in the morning. You may notice a change as it is completed.”

I looked at him curiously, “Change?”

“It may be a few degrees colder…It won’t overtake the heat by no means, and it won’t affect land growth or animal growth. The lairs tend to reflect on how the dragon who creates them acts and behaves.”

“Interesting…what else is going to change?”

“With my protective barrier, or shield, it will provide an invisible force shield over the entire kingdom. Making direct attacks on the kingdom a bit harder to penetrate. I’m not sure how strong the shield will be but it won’t be weak.” He told me, “As for the other things, time will tell. The lair’s abilities will not affect the kingdom badly.”

“What happens to our enemies that are here?”

“Unaffected at the moment. That is until they start attacking you or I. Any minor destruction to the kingdom, nothing will happen, or should happen. Any random murders or theft, piety crime really, nothing will happen. I may be able to respond quicker to those things as I will sense them sooner.”

“Got it. Perhaps we should have done this ages ago.”

“Would your parents have let me?”

I thought about it, “You're right, probably not. Considering what we know now about my mother.”

“I’m just glad you are open to it. It will give me a bit of peace of mind.” He kissed my forehead.

“Why wouldn’t I be? I wholeheartedly trust you. And you know that.” I pulled his face down to me where his forehead touched mine. “I. Trust. You.” I kissed his lips firmly.

“Maria…” Théoden whispered against my lips, “I think we need to do something else tonight.” he kissed my lips between words. I smiled against his lips as he pressed firmly against mine.

He leaned my body against the log softly, reaching back and taking off his shirt. He looked down at me with a grin. “Have I told you I love you?”

I smiled up at him, “All the time…” I breathed as he pressed his body against mine, causing a soft moan to slip. “Don’t tease…” I told him that he just grinned in return.

“I’m not allowed to tease you but you tease me all the time?” He questioned me as he reached his hand down to unzip his pants, kicking them off. He moved his hand up my shirt, gracefully pulling it off over my head. “You do something to me…you know that right?” He bent down before I had a chance to respond and kissed my lips. He teased me further by trailing his hands down to my lower body, unzipping my pants and playing with me lightly.

As he knew I was enjoying every minute of this, he finished pulling off my pants, taking off both our undergarments, and moved his tongue to where his fingers were. After a few more moments, he knew I was close. He inserted himself into me, causing another moan to slip my lips. A moan that he silenced with his own lips. Always gentle first, but as time passed, he became more rough. Something we both liked. As he finished he moved his mouth back down and continued to pleasure me until I finished as well.

He pulled me on top of him, resting his back on the other side of the log breathing heavily. “Maria, I love you.” He whispered in my ear.

“I love you my dear.” I whispered back as I brushed his sweaty hair out of his face, kissing his lips. I rested my head against his chest after a few moments had passed.

“Tomorrow the lair will be formed.” He told me as he kissed my forehead, “the kingdom will be fully protected.”