Unbroken (Unarmed Trilogy #2) (12 page)

"My father wanted ports that could be used to launch attacks simultaneously. Until now, the Roths and the Johanssons were his two greatest foes. Attack both from the water when they don't see it coming. Strategically, it could be brilliant," Will said as he felt her nails touch the inside of his elbow. "I would rather face that than face a dinner with your Court."

"Don't worry about them," Tamzin said as she offered him a sweet smile. "They will gossip no matter what happens. My father probably won't say a word to you, so you needn't worry about that. If we have a nice quiet dinner, then there will be nothing to gossip about. Don't worry, I will protect you, my love," Tamzin smirked as she watched Will's cheeks flush. "The Court is just interested to see what you look like. They haven't gotten too good of a look."

"What do they care about what I look like?" Will asked as they stood in line and waited to be announced. "And this is tedious. You're a Princess and I'm a Prince. Why do we need to wait to be introduced?" The look on Tamzin's face told Will of his ineptitude to handle their present situation. He knew nothing of Southern customs.

"When they announce our names, walk like you have something to prove. Walk with a purpose. You do that, you can silence all your critics," she said as she leaned in to whisper in his ear. "You want them to take you seriously? Show them why they should." With that, Tamzin pushed her shoulders back and lifted her head to keep it straight. Will watched her with fascination and felt the familiar stirrings in his stomach. She was right; he had won countless battles against her father and he should have earned their respect. He may have been young, but he wasn't young enough to lead the most feared army in the North. Will clenched his hand into a fist, his nails digging into his palm.

As they slowly made their way into the Throne Room, the announcer looked at Will. The man looked ready to ask Will his name before Will stared him down, his eyes turning to ice and his lips turned into a mild sneer.

The announcer coughed nervously as he placed the horn to his lips and blew, therefore announcing royalty. Will turned to look at Tamzin, who returned his stare. His eyes softened as he took in her appearance and remembered his intense affection for her, before they both turned back to look down the aisle. The Roth Grand Hall was significantly larger than the Thurston one (or had been) and it looked like there were tables miles forward.

In the center was a dance floor that was kept completely cleared and a large table at the front, where the Roth family, their guests, and advisors sat. Will could see that Turner Roth had many advisors as his land and population was much larger than Thurston. Will remembered from his lessons that Turner had someone to handle all the important factions in the kingdom: money, the ports, the army, the navy, the city soldiers, agriculture, relations, and spying. There was a similar set up in Thurston, though Gregory handled most of the affairs. It kept him away for the majority of the day and was the reason why he handed over the reins of the army to Will. As Tamzin and Will approached the table, Will decided that when it was time for him to run a country, he would run it similar to Turner.

Will could feel the stares of the Court on him, but he kept his face looking forward. He allowed his eyes to drift over to Tamzin, to see how she was handling it all. She was radiant, as she enjoyed the attention of everyone staring at her. Her tanned face glowed and her eyes sparkled as she turned and smiled to the people she knew. Will observed that she seemed to know very many people. She was beloved here, and he was the arrogant and haughty Prince that plucked her away.

Will allowed himself to look to the opposite side, where he saw very many women and men clearly saying something unkind about him. Will supposed he was handsome; he certainly wasn't ugly. However, Will did not possess natural charismatic grace and knew he would remain mostly quiet throughout the dinner, unless Tamzin conversed with him.

The couple finally made it to the front table, where Will watched Gemma and Turner stand to greet their daughter. They each kissed her cheek and Turner pulled out the chair for her, while Will mentally scolded himself that he did not do it first. Both of her parents didn't spare a glance at Will as they sat down. Tamzin sat next to her mother and Will on the other side, though he was at the very end of the table. With him placed at the very end, Will felt like he stuck out even more. It would be impossible to blend in, as it would be obvious if Tamzin did not pay him much attention.

As Tamzin settled in her seat, Will watched as she crossed her leg in his direction and pushed her chair more towards him. She reached out, took his hand, and held it in her lap as she looked around at the people. As she played with his fingers, Will felt his nervousness begin to dissipate.

"First, they begin with a fruit dish and then a salad. After, we have our main entree and then dessert. Dinners take time and are leisurely activities," Tamzin whispered as she leaned closer to him. "Sometimes, we eat dinner while watching a play or watch the dancers. Before the main entree, there is a break for dancing, and after dessert is more dancing." Tamzin laughed when she saw the look on Will's face. "No one is forcing you to dance."

"Would you be fine if I don't dance?" Will asked as he reached for his goblet, which was already filled with wine. He took a sip and found it to be pleasant, tasting more like fruit than alcohol.

"As long as you are fine with the number of men that ask me to dance. There were plenty before you came tonight and I see a few of my old friends wish to make their presence known to you," Tamzin said as she nodded to the various men that sat at a table together. They were clearly all without wives and they openly stared at Tamzin. Amongst them was Rolf.

"Have you been with all those men?" Will asked, though his wording could have been better.

"'Been with' is such a definitive term," Tamzin said as she reached for her goblet of water. "I was a virgin when you bedded me, but I've enjoyed the company of men. Might I remind you it is similar to how you were with girls before me? You have no right to judge me," Tamzin said dangerously as she looked away from the men.

"I don't judge you, but I was wondering your relationship with Rolf?" Will asked as he sipped his wine again. "Have you enjoyed Rolf's company?"

"I was going to marry him before my father decided to make an alliance instead," Tamzin said as she watched Will nearly choke on his wine. "As you can probably tell, Rolf was not very happy that I was sent off to marry a dirty Northerner." She made a face at him, which made him smile. "He was even more upset to learn I was happy with our marriage and that I returned joyously swollen with child."

"Did he think you two could possible start an affair?" Will asked as he kept his eyes from lighting Rolf on fire.

"I suppose. He has approached me multiple times since I've returned home. He wants me to run away with him and he says he would raise our boy together," Tamzin said as she raised her eyebrow at Will. "Apparently, we can have a tortured love affair as my brutal Northern husband does everything he can to keep us apart."

"Where is the part of the story where we find out the Southern Princess loves her Northern husband and they have their happily ever after?" Will asked. He felt Tamzin take his fingers again as she leaned in to kiss him.

"Right here," she whispered against his lips before they touched. Their kiss was soft and loving, but it was enough to make the volume in the Throne Room increase. Tamzin broke the kiss and leaned her head against his shoulder. "I think that sent the message?"

"Princess," Rolf appeared in front of them. "I was wondering if I could have the first dance of the night."

"Apparently not," Will murmured, only loud enough for Tamzin to hear.

"Do you mind, love?" Tamzin asked as she reached and trailed her finger down the side of his tunic.

"I don't mind," Will responded as he locked eyes with Rolf. "Just don't keep her for too long."

Rolf didn't seem to care much about Will's response as he grinned at Tamzin before he walked away. After that success, Will had to endure four more men approach them and ask Tamzin for a dance before and then after dinner. Tamzin giggled and said 'yes' to all, as Will grumbled next to her. However, after each of them approached, Tamzin laced herself around him even more.

The first course of fruit came, and Will enjoyed the taste of what was called pineapple and pomegranate, which he remembered from earlier. Tamzin told him that he was drinking a pomegranate wine. Will didn't enjoy the salad as much. The substance on top was sweet, like the fruit, but he didn't care for the crispness of the greens. He was still picking at the greens, when Rolf approached them again and held out his hand to Tamzin. Will watched as she took it and Rolf lead her around the table. As they walked towards the dance floor, she turned to look back at Will.

Will couldn't quite understand it all. Tamzin was unbelievably beautiful (to him, at least), but all these men still wanted her, though there was another man's child in her belly? Didn't that alone make her slightly less attainable? Rolf placed his hand on Tamzin's hip and Will watched as his fingers reached around to touch the bare skin of her back. They couldn't stand too close because of her stomach, but that didn't stop Rolf from whispering in her ear and made her laugh. Will felt his cheeks burn from anger and the feeling of everyone watching him again.

The other men from Rolf's table watched them with envy. Will looked away and in the direction of Tamzin's father, who had been staring at him. Turner gave Will a look of 'you think you're the best for her?' and Will turned away with a frown on his face. The music ended, and thankfully so the did the dance. Rolf and Tamzin bowed to each other before Tamzin began to walk back to her seat. Will watched as her face morphed from one of happiness to irritation as she took her seat.

"The man loves to talk about himself," Tamzin whispered as the servants came and placed the entree in front of them. Will was happy to see meat again, though there was no potatoes or any other type of starch. "He says his archers can now take out the Thurston men. And he said he's stayed faithful to me since I've left."

"It's not considered faithful if he can't find anyone to sleep with him," Will grumbled as he stabbed the meat with his fork and began to cut into it. "He has no respect."

"Don't worry about them, my darling. It is impossible for my heart to love anyone but you," Tamzin said sweetly as she placed the piece of meat in her mouth. They ate in companionable silence, when Will decided to ask the question that had been gnawing at him for the entirety of their nine-month marriage.

"Do you think you could love me enough to not speak so freely in front of my men?" Will asked as he stared into the endless abyss of Roth nobles on the dance floor. "I have worked my entire life for the respect of some of those men and it's amazing how quickly a word from you can erase that progress." He said these words angrily, and it made Tamzin frown. "I'm on thin ice with the men."

"What do you mean by 'thin ice?'" Tamzin asked as she felt the hard stone of guilt fall down her throat and settle deep in her abdomen.

"It means I'm that much closer to slipping through the ice and drowning," Will said gravely as he clenched the utensil in his hand. "I look like a child scolded by his mother, but it's worst because you're my wife. I don't want to control you; I don't believe I have the right to control you but I am floundering and you should want to help me if you claim to love me so much."

"Will, I'm sorry," Tamzin's voice quaked slightly.

"Do you know how much you humiliated me? You haven't been to war, you don't know how these men think. Having a Southern mother somehow makes me less of a Northerner and now they think having a Southern wife makes me weak," Will said as he dropped his utensil and let his head rest in his now empty hand. "You need to know your place. You must be silent to them, but I listen to you. I want to know what you think and what you would do, but not in front of my men. Please, Tamzin."

"The men think I make you weak?" Tamzin asked.

"They know you make me weak. I love you, but sometimes I feel like our love is a curse. When I'm with you, I question myself constantly. I wonder if you would have married me if I had come here and asked for your hand? If you hadn't been forced? I'm consumed by the idea that I am not good enough to be King or your husband," Will said as he leaned back into his seat, the look of the people around him making him feel uncomfortable. Tamzin waited a moment before answering; she wiped her lips with her napkin before she turned to look at him.

"I was never forced to marry you. If you remember correctly, my father was all but ready to take me home. I knew it would be good for my people if we were to marry, but I remembered how you were when we first met. Your hand felt right in mine and you were so quick to offer your cloak to me. I could see that you were a good person, underneath all that hostility," she teased as she reached for his hand. "If you had come here and had to compete for my hand, I think I still would have chosen you. No matter what happens, I will always choose you. I want you to always be happy and if it means to be silent in public, I can do that. If you want me to apologize to your men, I will do it..."

"I don't want you to apologize," Will murmured. "I have learned to admit when I am wrong. You think all Kings need to admit when they're wrong, but I think Queens should be held to the same accountability."

"I was wrong. I can be wrong and I was definitely wrong when I spoke up in front of your men. I know how you feel here, because I felt the same way in Thurston. The people loved me, but your men didn't. Like you, I want to prove myself. But I don't want to hurt you to make myself feel better. You certainly wouldn't hurt me to make yourself feel better. You think you aren't good enough for me, but I'm starting to think I'm not good enough for you."

"Don't ever think that," Will said, his words strong and deliberate. "I love you and I want you forever."