Page 11 of Protected

I was starting to question my sanity, when they stopped just a few feet from us and jumped down looking more like gods than men. They practically glowed, one with a violet aura, and the other dewy green, and don't think I missed their pointy ears under their long flowing locks. Were they some kind of grown-up fairy men? Perhaps the little pixies who'd worked so hard to help me and Nuss were their children.

"Princess ClaraMarie. Forgive us for taking so long to find you. Are you well? Have you been injured?" The man who glowed with a soft green aura, jumped off his horse, pulled me into his arms, and kissed me frantically.

Those same tingles that skittered through me when I first saw Nuss and the warrior with the mice, warmed me once again. The way he explored my mouth as if kissing me was his last dying wish, and the feeling of this being so incredibly right made me forget for a good long minute that I didn't know him, and he certainly hadn't asked my permission to get so up close and personal.

When he broke the kiss, I felt as though I'd been drinking dandelion wine. He placed a hand on my cheek and then I was whisked into the other man's arms and the tingles started all over again. I looked up into eyes that were as purple as a ripe summer plum. He stared back down at me like I was the most beautiful girl in the world.

"You are even more delectable than I imagined you would be." He lowered his mouth to mine and where the other kiss had been frenzied and exciting, this one was sensual, intoxicating, and sweet. He literally tasted like sugared fruit and brandy.

If this was about to turn into a sex dream, I was so down for that. I'd still liked a good fairy tale, this one was just much dirtier. I could confess my sins at church tomorrow. Tonight, I would happily revel in this male appreciation and passion. It's not like I had much of that in real life. That's what dreams were for, right?

The second kiss broke far before I was ready, but I looked forward to what might happen next. I'd admit, only to myself of course, that I'd had naughty fantasies about being taken by two men. I was even more sure now that all of this was a clear manifestation of all the things I knew I'd never have, once I married.

Drosselmeyer would dote on me, but I could never feel any real passion for him. I never should have agreed to the arrangement in the first place. Perhaps in the morning, I would use the quiet Christmas day to consider whether there was another way to save the Stahlbaum name and help my father.

"Luscious Princess, where is Nuss? Why has he delayed your arrival? You two haven't--" He waggled his eyebrows at me.

"What? No. Oh, oh, no. Nuss was injured in a fight. A warrior with an army of mice, said he came to kidnap me." I was thoroughly embarrassed that I'd gotten so distracted by these handsome men and their kisses that I hadn't immediately directed them to Nuss. They might have first aid supplies or at least be able to take us somewhere with a doctor.

The green fairy immediately dropped to the ground beside Nuss and ran his hands over the injuries from the sword, and his broken arm. "I see you've started the healing process, did we interrupt you?"

"Me? I didn't do anything but give him a bit of the hot chocolate these nice little pixies brought us. I was hoping you'd know some first aid or where the closest doctor is located." I glanced between the two men and found them both with surprised looks on their faces.

He rose and cupped my cheek. "Then the stories are true. You truly don't know who and what you are."

The stories are all true. Drosselmeyer's characters from his tales of adventure in the Winter Realm were reflecting his own words back to me. I got a strange uncomfortable feeling like pins and needles, but inside my brain.

"I know exactly who and what I am." That was a lie straight from the pits of hell, but if felt good rolling off my tongue. I was many things to many people, a daughter, a bratty sister, a fiancé, someone to be pitied, someone to be picked on. But none of those were the real authentic me. Here in this dreamland, I could decide who I wanted to be and make it so. Tomorrow morning my life might go back to whatever it was before, but tonight, I was an adventuress like never before. "I am ClaraMarie Stahlbaum, and I am... a... dancer. Now if you don't mind, I'd like you to explain how I can help Nuss here since he practically sacrificed his life to save mine."

The purple Fae prince's eyes went dark and sparkly. "I'd very much like to see you dance, ClaraMarie Stahlbaum. But you are so much more than that here in the Winter Realm. You are the lost princess of the Land of Spirit and Magic. More importantly, you are the one woman who has the power to defeat the Mouse Queen and free us all from her despotic reign."

Lost princess, huh? Nuss had also called me a princess. None of Drosselmeyer's stories had a princess in them, only a warrior woman who fought alongside her consorts. That clearly wasn't me, so I guess I'd conjured up a more appropriate role for myself. Not as interesting as the Vivandiere.

I remembered them from the stories, but how did these Fae princes know me? "I recognize you as Fae royalty, but who exactly are you?"

The two of them gave each other a look communicating something without words. "More apologies, my lady. We assumed Nuss would have filled you in, but we now see there were troubles getting you to the realm. I am Zucker, Fae Prince of the Land of Sweets."

"And I am Tau, Fae Prince of the Land of Flowers, at your service." The way he said service gave it a very naughty connotation.

Kissed by two princes, fought over by two warriors. What was next, carried off and bedded by the first-born Viking from the stories?

I shouldn't have said that.

A third horse pounded in through the trees, sending the pixies and angels scattering in its wake. A huge mountain of a man with a braided red beard and an axe strapped across his back jumped down, swooped me up, threw me half over his shoulder and strode back toward his mount.

"Put me down. Let go and put me down." I kicked and pounded at his back, but I got a slap to the ass for my troubles. If he wasn't so big with more muscles than I'd ever seen in my entire life combined, I would have worried he would drop me. No one had ever picked me up before. Not since I'd been a small child, anyway. Here he was toting me around like a fluffy marshmallow.

"Come lads, I've seen the footprints of our little mouse friend about. If he's here, the Queen's army won't be far behind. Let's ride and get our prize to safety." His voice boomed with a slight accent and self-confidence of no one I'd ever met before. Not like Fritz's arrogance, but more like he was the alpha in the room, and everyone knew it.

I also understood from what he was saying that he was on Zucker and Tau's side. That emboldened me enough to chastise him. "I am not your prize, and I'm not going anywhere without Nuss. So. Put. Me. Down."

"She's a fiery little thing, isn't she?" He turned back to the Fae princes, and I got a mouthful of horsetail. "We'll need that to melt the hearts of the realm."

"Leb, put the princess down before she melts you. She's already got a loyalty to our captain here, and I for one would prefer if he didn't die just yet." Tau dashed over and stopped the giant before he could climb on his horse.

"Yeah, what he said," I yelled while trying to right myself. From this upside-down position, the world was wonky, but I noticed things I hadn't before. Like the tiny homes that must belong to the pixies, like little mushrooms tucked around the base of the trees. I also spotted dozens of mouse footprints in the snow.

Out of the corner of my eye, something dark flashed, streaking from one tree to another, moving closer. Yech, I hoped it wasn't more mice. I might just climb up on top of the Viking's horse myself, if we had to fight off the squeaky little monsters again.

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