Trusted (16 page)

“Shut up! The lot of you!” Garrick said, pushing Jesso away. All of the men laughed. Garrick couldn’t keep from chuckling with them. “Where’s Nann, Killium? Tired of your face as well?”

The men were allowed to keep mistresses or wives, depending on what suited them, in rooms that adjoined each of theirs. At the present time, only two women were living in the Trusted’s quarters.

“She’s out with Sana,” Killium said, his mood instantly sobering. “They are shopping for the child.”

Sana. Ulric’s wife. She had only just been quickening with their first child when he had been lost to them. And as long as the king had refused to acknowledge Ulric’s death, Sana had had a place in the Trusted’s living quarters. But now that they had finished a misra of mourning for him, tradition stated that she be retired to the city to live the rest of her life out in peace and in a modicum of comfort. If she wanted to wed again, the king would pay her bride price, for she had lost her husband and all means while he was in service to the king as Trusted.

But for right now, Sana was pregnant with Ulric’s daughter, and he didn’t have the heart to remove her at least until after the birth. He didn’t have the heart to remove her at all, but this was the way of things and he must accept that. Ulric’s rooms and the rooms adjoining them had to be left open for whomever it was that would step into Ulric’s place.

It was a shame Sana was to bear a daughter and not a son. A son would have become Garrick’s heir. But in Vena women, when they were pregnant with a son a dark line formed from navel to crotch and for a daughter the line formed from navel to the bottom of the ribs. Sana’s had formed in the latter way.

Garrick worried for her. Raising a child alone in this city. It was a safe city overall, but all cities had their criminal element. Garrick would see to it she had a reliable houseman and male understaff to keep her and the child safe. He would see to the child’s tutoring as well. He would never forget to care for his cousin’s widow.

“I hope you have seen to it she has had money to spend in preparation of the child,” Garrick said.

“Your accounts manager has been told many times to be generous with her, much to the miser’s displeasure,” Killium said with a short grin. “You know how much he hates to spend money.”

“A good quality to have in a man who manages all the accounts of the city and all its incoming taxes,” Garrick said. “Gorrum keeps this city’s coffers full, yet not, I believe, at the cost of the people.”

“There are some committees that would argue that, but we’ll let that lie for now. Don’t worry about Sana. We will take care of her to our last breaths,” Jun said, his usually light expressions turning fully serious a moment.

“I know that you will,” Garrick said with a feeling of pride swelling in his heart. “Just as I would expect you to do for me…and for your queen.”

“Provided we have a queen. What will you do if she turns you down?”

“Jesso, come with me,” Garrick said, ignoring Jun’s question.

“Oh come now, Garrick. What will you do?” Jun asked with a laugh.

“Ask again,” Garrick said darkly.

Jun knew his teasing had to come to an end just by Garrick’s tone of voice, so he relented. “Don’t worry, Garrick. She’ll say yes. If not, you could always make her father make the match for her. That’s as it would be in any household.”

“I will not force her to me,” Garrick told his friend. “I will not win her that way.”

“Come, Garrick, let’s leave these two to doing nothing. They wish to grow to fat and have all their skills wane,” Jesso said.

“Hey! You were sitting here, too!” Jun pointed out in protest.

“But I’ve already gotten sword practice in for the day.” Jesso looked to Garrick with humor in his eyes. “I got to spank my manservant again. But…I will say this for the lad, he rarely makes the same mistake twice. He’s a sharp learner and is developing the strength to match with his skill.”

“I’m glad to hear that,” Garrick said. “But does that make him Trusted material?”

“You have yet to weigh in on the matter,” Jesso said. “Will you advance him if he becomes your brother of wed?”

“I will advance him if he suits the role of Trusted…and if I feel I can put my life in his hands. Mine and that of my queen.”

“Well of course he’d look out for his sister,” Jesso said.

“Not necessarily. But…I believe he intends to be a good brother. He has done things I don’t approve of, but overall I feel he cares for her,” Garrick said.

“And what of you? Do you trust him?”

“I hardly know him. But…we will get to know one another if you feel he is ready. Has he passed all of your initial tests?”

“I think so,” Jesso mused. “Let him ride out his misra as my manservant, then you can get to know him better.”

“Don’t try too hard to break the boy,” Garrick said with a grin.

“Now where would the fun be in that?” Jesso laughed.

“My king!”

A page boy came rushing up to them, puffing hard and clearly out of breath.

“Easy, boy,” the king laughed, reaching to hold the boy up. “It can’t be as important as all that!”

“There’s been a raiding party of Umam! They attacked several farms to the southwest!”

The first thing…the
very first thing
…he thought of was that Sarea’s family lands were to the southwest. What if she hadn’t stayed in the city last night? What if, in her tumult of emotion, she had run away to her manor house to think?

Garrick grabbed hold of Jesso’s arm, partly as a command to follow him, partly to steady himself. Killium and Jun had come out of their seats as well.

“Kill, gather troops, some one hundred strong…boy! Did anyone say how many there were?”

“I-I think they said twenty,” the boy stammered.

“Thank you. Well done finding me. Go to the kitchens and rest with some food before returning to your duties,” Garrick said.

“I’d much rather come and be of help to you, my king,” the boy said strongly.

Garrick nodded to the boy, who instantly looked as though he’d been handed the world. It was clear that, though he couldn’t be more than 12 yana…he was bucking for Trusted himself one day.

Any other time that would have made Garrick smile.

“Jesso, ride to Sarea’s home and make certain she is safe here in the city. If she is not, then you are to come to me immediately. We will be in the castle bailey organizing the soldiers,” Garrick said as they entered the vestibule entryway,

Garrick came to an abrupt halt. There, standing in the hall looking so painfully beautiful, was Sarea. She was just pulling the hood of her cloak down, exposing the black gleam of her hair and the intricacies of her virgin’s noose.

She saw him and smiled, then gasped with surprise when he rushed up to her suddenly, hugged her to himself so tightly she could hardly breathe, then kissed her deeply. When he lifted from her she said breathlessly, “But I haven’t even given you my answer yet!”

“I don’t care. You are safe and that is all that matters.”

“Safe?” she queried. “Why wouldn’t I be safe?”

“There’s been a raid in the southlands. To the west,” Garrick said. “The Umam.”

Sarea paled. “Oh no! All those farmers!”

“Hopefully they were just looking for harvested  grain and they weren't interested in taking Vena lives,” Garrick said. “Now, I have to go. Please stay here. I’ll be back by nightfall.”

“Stay here? Are you mad? That’s my home you’re talking about! There will be people in need. Farmers who will have lost their livelihood if not the lives of those they love! I’m coming with you.”

“No! There is no way I am letting you anywhere near what promises to be an active battle area!”

“If I am going to be queen of this land, I am not going to hide out in the castle while my people are potentially suffering!”

Garrick went still. He blinked.

“Did you just say…?”

She nodded, smiling for him.

Garrick whooped, scooped her up against him and spun her about. He bussed her on both cheeks then full on the lips. Then he put her back on her feet and put her at arm’s length.

“As happy as I am to hear that you are taking your new role seriously, you must allow me the time to secure our lands. Once they are secure,” he said, speaking over her brewing protest, “I will come for you and together we will see to the aid and comfort of those harmed by this act. Will you do that for me? Will you wait until it is safe?”

Sarea relented, nodding her head and stepping away from him. He immediately turned to his men.

“Kill, troops. Jesso, you’re with me. Jun, stay here and prepare more soldiers. Have Hannibol meet us in the town square and make sure Xan closes the gates to the city. I don’t want an attack by the Umam to lead us away to one place, leaving another place vulnerable. Make certain Xan triples the city guard.”

“Yes, my king,” Jun said before hurrying off at a dead run.

“I’ll come with you, my king! I can fight!” the pageboy said.

“Boy,” Garrick said, beckoning the pageboy closer. “See this woman?” he said, pointing to Sarea. “This is your future queen. You are to stay with her, leaving her only if she sends you to me with a message of life or death. Otherwise, you are to remain by her side and protect her at all times.”

The boy puffed up proudly. “Yes my king. I will be as one of your Trusted. You can count on me.”

“Good,” Garrick said, shooting a wink to Sarea over the boy’s head.

“Oh, I will feel much safer now,” Sarea said.

The boy practically preened as he went to step by her side.

Garrick left Sarea there in the vestibule, his men at his side. Sarea patted the young man on the shoulder and said, “Let us see about gathering supplies so that we are ready for a relief effort when the time comes.”

“Yes, my lady,” the page said eagerly.

Chapter Fifteen

Sarea turned her face into the breeze, drawing in a deep breath of the cold, fresh air. It had been two shona since the attack on the southern farms, and she was only now beginning to feel like those left behind, those ravaged by the attack, would now be put on a path of recovery.

The Umam had not come for grain. They had come to cause damage…to take lives. They had burnt down five farms, raped three girls and killed their menfolk when they tried to defend their kinswomen.

Sarea looked to the right and saw Ulaiah, one of the female survivors of the raid, who was slowly but steadily digging up potatoes from the ground. It promised to freeze any day now, so it was important for them to get the potatoes aboveground before then. Sarea was on her hands and knees as well, helping to dig. This crop of potatoes was all the girl had left. It was the only way she would survive the coming winter misra. She would sell the crop at market and it would help buy her what she needed to keep warm and fed for the winter. But without menfolk to work the fields, it came down to Ulaiah herself and whoever wished to help her. Sarea had gathered a small contingent of Order new recruits to help and she had gotten down in the dirt as well. The field would be completely harvested by sundown.

The raiding party had not attacked Sarea’s family’s lands, but she felt just as responsible for them. And this relief effort was the first of what she knew would be many new duties as queen. True, others would not require her to get so dirty, but they would be no less serious to her mind.

As she took a breath, she felt sweat trickling down the back of her neck and felt the sun burning onto her head. The weather had turned colder, yes, but it was still hard work in the sun. She saw a man on a horse coming around to the edge of the field, and even before he got down off the saddle she knew it was Garrick. He walked onto the field, his boots kicking up small clouds of dust as he walked over the furrows. He came up to her and squatted down in front of her. He smiled at her and touched a finger to her nose.

“My queen is very dirty,” he said.

“And tired,” she said with a sigh.

“Surely the recruits can do this,” he said, his gaze encompassing the field where the recruits were hard at work.

“As can I,” she said stubbornly.

“Yes. You’ve proven that. But the harvest ball is only hours away and I would not have my escort arriving in muddy skirts and dusty hair.”

Sarea sat back on her heels with a sigh, taking in her muddy skirts. “I suppose you have a point,” she said. “Help me up.”

He stood up and held out his hands to her. He helped haul her to her feet, then drew her into his arms to kiss her.

“Oh no! As you’ve said I am a mess!” she protested.

“I find a mess to be quite attractive then, for the urge to kiss you rides me hard.”

He kissed her firmly, demandingly, uncaring of sweat or dirt. But she would not hold him for fear of getting him soiled.

He broke from her mouth with a sigh and a laugh. “Very well. Let’s get you to a bath!”

He scooped her up into his arms and she cried out in protest that he would get dirty, but Garrick did not care. He was so proud of her he could burst apart from being overfilled with it. He dared any king anywhere to prove he was so blessed with such a caring, humble queen.

He mounted his horse, pulling her up after him and settling her sideways in his lap. They rode the long distance back to the castle like that, soldiers of the Order joining them along the way. The Umam marauders had not been caught. It was believed they had headed back into the Red Forest and on into Umam lands. It was now believed to be a dangerous thing to live along the border of the Red Forest. There were regular movements of troops up and down this side of the red forest, but there was still the possibility that a raiding party might cross the forest border undetected. Of all people, the king should not roam the countryside unprotected, so he had a guard with him at all times, but Sarea worried about those who didn’t have the protection of the Order.

She laid her head on his shoulder and let the sun bake her. She was so tired, and now she would have to entertain a ballroom full of guests as their future queen.

Garrick had begun to include her in everything almost instantly. It was as though she were queen already. He has set the wedding to coincide with winter’s feast, a feast to welcome the winter that always came after the harvest games. The harvest games had taken place earlier that day, but Sarea had not gone. She had deemed it more important to help a girl recover her livelihood. There was no telling what Ulaiah was going to do after the winter with no men to provide for her, but Sarea was determined she would find a way for the girl to survive.

And then it hit her.

“You know…Sana is due to give birth soon,” she said. She had met the widow only last shona and had instantly liked her. She was another lost soul in their world, but at least Sana had had time to adjust to her loss. Ulaiah was still experiencing hers.

“This is true,” he said, immediately knowing there was a point to the query.

“Ulaiah would make an excellent nanny for the child. She has a nurturing soul…has raised all of her young cousins. Before she died last winter, she had a baby sister she was raising as her own.”

“That girl has suffered a great deal of loss,” he said with a frown.

“She has. And she is in sore need of some good fortune. Do you think Sana would take her?”

“I’m not sure. But feel free to ask her.”

“Thank you. I think I will. It would be very useful for both of them. It would solve both of their needs.”

“Does Ulaiah wish to be a nanny?”

“I had not thought to ask her until just now. But…knowing the girl and knowing her situation, I believe she would be grateful for the opportunity.”

“I am sure you are right.”

They reached the city gates which were standing open. But they were closed at night every night at dusk since the raid in the southlands. The sun was low in the sky by the time they reached the city, but it was still an hour until dusk. The harvest masque would be at the night hour, so she had three hours yet to prepare herself.

She felt his lips against her neck as they made their way through the city. The king waved to those who called out to him and waved to him. Sarea did the same when people called out to her.

“May the Joyous One save the future queen!”

She still flushed when people called out to her like that. She wasn’t used to the attention yet. She wasn't sure she would ever get used to it.

She felt his lips again.

“Should you be doing that in public, my king?” she asked archly.

“I should be doing it in private…but, alas, my bride to be is too shy to be alone with me.”

It was true. Ever since that night on the terrace she had avoided him diligently in private or secluded places. Not because she was shy, but because she knew that if he touched her like that again, she would give in to him and become his lover before she became his wife. And it was important to her to come to their marriage bed as pure as possible. Although, since that night, she had not felt so pure. Her mind kept replaying it. Her body kept replaying it. She shamefully touched herself the way he had touched her, making herself orgasm so hard it hurt. It would continue to hurt until he was there, filling her, as he should be.

Her thoughts made her shift on the uncomfortable saddle.

“I am not shy, my king,” she argued. “Merely chaste. And wishing to remain so until the proper time.”

“Of this I am heartily aware,” he muttered.

“Do not sulk. It does not become the king,” she said, her tone teasing. He chuckled.

“Blue balls do not become the king either, but, alas…”

“Garrick!” she exclaimed, her face burning with embarrassment, and awareness.

He laughed out loud. “It is all right, pet,” he said. “I will survive. I but tease you.”

“As always,” she said, meeting his eyes and smiling at him. “I like when you tease me.”

“Good. Because it has become a favorite pastime of mine.”

“I had noticed!”

“Well, how else am I to get you to shout my name at me. I can think of other ways…” he trailed of meaningfully.

“You say these things to make me blush,” she accused him.

“And why shouldn’t I? My bride is most becoming when she blushes.”

“I am not your bride yet.”

“But soon will be. Only two shona stand between us and winter’s feast.” His mouth opened against her ear and his tongue traced the inner shell of it briefly. “And then it will be time for me to feast.”

She drew in an unsteady breath. “I worry…” She broke off.

“You always worry. What in specific troubles you?”

“I worry I will not be all you desire. That I will somehow be lacking. That…that I will not satisfy you and you will look outside of our bed for comfort.”

The statement was met with silence and she dared to peak at his face. She wasn’t sure what she expected, but hurt was not among the options. And yet there it was.

“What have I done that would make you think me capable of such a betrayal?”

She took immediate heart at the word betrayal. Throughout history it was more than common for a king to have both a wife and a mistress at the same time. It was nice to know he would take their vows to be true to one another as seriously as she would.

“You have…you have had many mistresses and even more lovers. The variety of your paramours is legendary. I am but one woman. Where can there be variety in one woman?”

“Sarea, I have told you I was not as prolific a lover as the court made me out to be. That being said, I have had my fill of variety. I have longed for a single mate. One worthy of the title of queen and one worthy of my bed. I have found both in you.”

“But you have not had me in your bed yet. How do you know so surely?”

“Do you remember that night on the terrace? The way I touched you?”

She instantly blushed to be reminded of it…and all the touches by her own hand that had happened since.

“I see by that blush that you do. I barely had to put my finger inside of you before you were coming for me. When I think of how simple a touch that was, I am burning with wonder at how much more passion can be achieved if the touches were more complex.”

She was burning with wonder too now. More complex? How much more complex could his touches get? The very idea of it all made her wet with curiosity and longing.

“If I lifted your skirts right now, I would find you wet wouldn’t I?” he asked, barely suppressing a growl.

She gasped. How could he know that?

He groaned as her reaction solidified the truth for him. “And you wonder if you’ll be enough for me?”

They reached the castle baily and hostlers came to help them down from the horse and to mind the king’s stallion.

“But I need to go home to ready myself,” she protested.

“I have had all of your things moved here. You…and your family…will live in the castle until the wedding.”

“But…is that proper?”

“I assure you it is. It is quite common practice for a foreign queen to live in the castle prior to marriage.”

“Foreign queen? When has there even been a foreign queen?”

“My great great grandmother was from Urandi.”

“Really? I did not know that!”

“She lived in the castle for six misra before marrying my great great grandfather.”

“So long?”

“The Vena were not a wealthy, thriving people at the time. The crown did not have the full bride price until the harvest came.”

“But they trusted her not to turn up pregnant out of marriage?”

“She had chaperones that were far more zealous than our little Isobol or your parents,” he said, pressing a kiss to her cheek. “Now go. Have the serving girls draw you a hot bath.”

“All right,” she said, turning her head to catch his mouth in a kiss. What started off simple grew complex and they lingered over one another…until someone cleared their throat nearby.

Sarea broke away from the king to see the disdainful glare of Gersa staring her down.

“My king,” Gersa said, “my father wishes to have a word with you.”

Garrick clearly was not pleased to be interrupted, but he had made a concerted effort to appease Lord Tyron whenever possible ever since the announcement that he was taking someone other than his daughter to wife.

“Where is he?” Garrick asked.

“In the council chambers,” Gersa said.

Garrick nodded to Gersa then left, heading toward the council chambers. Sarea, not liking to be left alone with Gersa, immediately headed into the castle. But she did not know where her rooms might be. Surely she wasn’t in the queen’s chambers. Where would Garrick have housed her and her family?

She thought to head to the Trusted’s lounge. Surely someone there would know.

“It will never happen,” Gersa hissed from her back. Sarea halted her steps and turned to face the other woman.

“What will never happen?”