Unbroken (Unarmed Trilogy #2) (25 page)

"All of that?" Hanna exclaimed as Ethan stifled a laugh.

"My other handmaidens, the one who betrayed me and the one who took a sword for me and died, were not treated this way. They were my best friends and I loved them dearly, even Lucy. She betrayed me, but she saved me in the end. Lucy was many things, but she never openly questioned my virginity in my marital bed or questioned if Will was the father of my unborn child. She knew I was a Princess and treated me as such. I will make sure you two never forget that when Will inherits the throne for Bradford, I will be his Queen," Tamzin smirked and Will crossed his arms over his chest, with pride beaming on his face.

"We won't forget that, Your Grace," Katya curtsied and Tamzin did not correct her. "Is there anything else you need?"

"Yes, I am quite hungry. Which direction is the kitchens?" Tamzin asked with false sweetness, though Will could still sense the anger bubbling just beneath her skin. Hanna and Ethan had both turned away, still embarrassed by Tamzin's words to them.

"At the end of the hallway is a staircase. Take that staircase down one level and the kitchens will be there. I suppose we will see you in the morning, Your Grace," Katya said with a nod and Will took Tamzin by the wrist. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Hanna and Ethan staring at him and most likely his scars. He ignored them before he turned around and he and Tamzin left the library.

"I don't think I'm hungry anymore," Tamzin said with a frown. "Do you mind if we go back to bed?"

"Are you sure? If you're still hungry..." Will began before Tamzin placed a finger over his lips.

"I'm sure," she said as she tried to smile through her sadness. "Waddling around makes me tired."

Will didn't reply and took her hand. Together and silently, they returned to their chambers, where Will stripped off his breeches and Tamzin curled against his side. Though her breathing was normal, Will could hear the slight wheeze under her breath. She was upset about what Hanna had said about her and probably wondered if Will ever questioned if he fathered her child?

"I never believed what people said. I know you were a virgin when we were wed and even if you weren't, it doesn't matter," Will said as he gently scratched her scalp.

"Thank you," Tamzin's voice quaked against his chest. He didn't say anything as he felt the warmth of a few droplets of tears on his skin. She was quiet and soon Will felt her relax enough to fall asleep. Ethan's voice rang out in his mind with his insults, but Will had heard worst. He was used to people not liking him, but Tamzin wasn't the same. She thrived off attention and love from others, but Tamzin was not as loved as she thought. It didn't matter; Will would love her all the same. How could he not?

The next morning, Will stood awkwardly by the bed he shared with Tamzin. She laid on her back, with her legs spread open, with Jacque in between them. He was inspecting her.

"Yes, you only have a few more weeks before you will go into labor. You must avoid stress to stop yourself from going into early labor," Jacque said as he pulled his hands out from under Tamzin's dress. "Until you give birth, we need to have daily checkups to make sure everything is going well."

"If that is what you think is best," Tamzin said as she sat up with some strain. "How are you finding your chambers?"

"They are pleasant enough, Your Grace," Jacque said as he stood up with unsteady feet and grabbed the bed for support. Since the invasion months before, Jacque had not been himself, but no one was exactly the same anymore. "Is there anything else you need?"

"If you come across Seraphina, send her here," Tamzin asked and ignored Will's shocked expression. Jacque nodded before he departed from their chambers and Tamzin continued to lie on the bed in her nightgown. She had woken up earlier than expected and she and Will played a few hands of cards before Katya came to their chambers with their breakfast. He and Tamzin had finished their breakfast before Jacque came to their chambers.

"You want to see Seraphina?" Will asked as he rejoined Tamzin in bed. He wore only his breeches, as he was still unused to the Southern heat. The heat was much worst here than it was in Roth.

"I would like her to join me when I am asked to have afternoon tea with your mother," Tamzin said as she rolled to the side. It hurt her back to lie down flat. "Besides, I want to talk to her."

"About what?" Will asked as he reached over her body and massaged his fingers into her lower back. Tamzin moaned lightly as he worked out a kink.

"I want to know how she is faring with Garrett," Tamzin answered simply. "Garrett does not act like a soon to be father as well. If he is the father..."

"Not everyone approaches fatherhood the same way," Will said as he stopped massaging her lower back. "I will play this game with you for a second. Say Garrett isn't the father..."

"I wouldn't be surprised if he wasn't..."

"Then who is?" Will asked.

"I don't know, but she knows something," Tamzin began as she watched Will sit up and leaned against the headboard of the bed. "Or she's important to someone. Important enough that she has leverage. Is she a native Northerner?"

"If she is a comfort girl, then she was most likely employed at the brothel before she worked in the Thurston kitchens. Most of those girls are natives. I only visited one prostitute in the brothel before you came along, so I don't know much about Seraphina," Will said with blushed cheeks.

"You're loyal, even to prostitutes," Tamzin laughed as she stroked her stomach. "You know, Seraphina kind of looks like your mother."

"Brown hair and brown or hazel eyes are prevalent in the North and the South," Will replied as he stared at the ceiling. "Can we reenter the real world again?"

"I suppose," Tamzin said as she crawled into his arms and rested her head on his broad chest. "Did you sleep well?"

"The noises beneath us kept me awake most of the night. I will have to ask Paul how they keep the underground so well ventilated. It's a brilliant idea to keep the people underground," Will said as he wrapped her in his arms. "You are certain my mother will ask you to have tea?"

"Maybe not tea, but she will ask that I spend time with her, Katya, and possibly Hanna. I want information out of her and she will want information out of me," Tamzin explained as her eyes stared out the large window in front of them. The window didn't oversee the ocean like in Roth, but the front gate. It was a beautiful view, but it wasn't home.

"When this is over, I want to return to the North," Will said as he stroked her arm. "I want to raise our children in the North, away from all of this."

"As long as you permit many visits to my family, I could never say no," Tamzin said with a smile. "We will rebuild your home to be bigger and stronger."

"My worst fear is that I will never make it back home," Will shuddered at the thought before he reached up and ran his fingers through his hair. "I need a bath."

"You do stink," Tamzin teased before she felt Will reach over and place his fingers on a sensitive spot on her side. He tickled her and she shrieked with laughter before she kicked her feet at him. "No!" She cried out. "I'm sorry!"

"I smell delicious. Say you love my smell," Will laughed genuinely as he rolled her to her back as he kept tickling her. "My manly scent."

"Your manly scent is so fragrant!" Tamzin continued to squeal before the door opened and an 'ahem' interrupted them. Will pulled off his giggling wife and turned around to see Nicola standing in the doorway. She seemed alarmed by the sight in front of her before she watched Tamzin sit up with a broad smile on her face.

"Are you all right?" Nicola asked as she took a step into the room, where she observed Will's battered chest. She let out a small sound that Will had never heard before, but he knew it was a pained sound. "How did you get those?" Nicola asked as she pointed to his chest. Will looked down at his skin.

"My father mostly, but some are from battles as well," Will said as he adjusted his breeches and gently pulled Tamzin out of bed.

"I heard her and I thought...I'm not sure what I thought." Nicola adverted her eyes from the couple. "Katya and Hanna are bringing you some more appropriate dresses for the region."

"I was tickling her. Nothing more," Will replied as he looked from his mother to Tamzin. "We have yet to have our baths..."

"I can take you to my chambers, so you can both bathe at the same time," Nicola offered as she watched Tamzin returned to sit on the bed.

"I am fine waiting, thank you," Will said courteously, too tired to fight with Nicola or respond with a smart remark. "She needs the bath first."

"Well, I would disagree," Tamzin meant to say under her breath, but it came out loud enough for both Will and Nicola to hear. Will turned to look at her, where he arched his eyebrow.

"I believe you were just saying that I smell delicious?" Will said as he held out his hands in a claw like fashion. "I think you need to be tickled again!"

It was the first time she had seen her son laugh and smile in nineteen years and Nicola looked on happily. She never had that type of love and happiness with Gregory and it took years to rebuild it with Willem after she returned home. Willem never outright said it, but he had a difficult time handling the fact that Nicola had wedded another man and bore his son. All of the territories talked about how terribly the first meeting between Will and Tamzin had gone, but not many spoke about how they repaired the relationship and moved forward.

Tamzin laughed as Will pulled away from tickling her and watched Nicola with her slightly glazed over expression. This woman clearly had a story to tell.

"I will have your bath water brought promptly," Nicola said before she brushed her finger under her nose and tore out of the room quickly. It shocked Tamzin, but Will curled his fingers around her hip and stared forward.

"We may have been too forward for her," Tamzin said as she felt Will's fingers slide up her side and pulled the strap of her nightgown. "Do you think she knows about what happened last night with your siblings?"

"I don't care if she knows or if we made her feel uncomfortable. I hope I made her feel uncomfortable," Will said, his jolly attitude fading quickly. "I have felt that way for my entire life."

Tamzin didn't respond as she heard two more bodies enter the room. It was Hanna and Katya, both holding two large buckets of warm water. They didn't look at Will or Tamzin in their face before they scurried into the adjoining bathroom and poured the buckets into the long, porcelain tub.

Tamzin didn't move until both girls exited the chambers and shut the door behind them. She felt Will's fingers pull on her nightgown and the fabric slid down her body. She heard the rustle behind her and then the sound of Will's breeches hitting the floor and together, they entered the bathroom.

The bathroom was clean, but dim as the only window was a small one on the furthest wall. Tamzin dipped her toe into the warm water and sighed as she submerged her body into the water. Will joined her on the other side and Tamzin felt their legs intertwine. She watched Will dip his head beneath the water and reemerge, his hair slick and stuck to his head.

"You need a haircut," Tamzin smiled as she ran her foot up and down his chest. "And a good shave."

"I like looking like this. I'm a Northerner and I want to look like one here," Will said as he scratched his beard. He then reached for the oils on the side of the tub. "How are babies bathed?"

"I can put him in a very small tub or I can keep him on my chest while I bathe. Babies like water; it's very soothing for them. My mother told me she used to take me in the water with her when I was colicky. It's very good bonding," Tamzin said as she touched her stomach. "Less than a month. I can't believe it."

"And in less than a month, we will have been married for a year," Will replied. "How have I only known you for a year? It feels like a lifetime."

Tamzin smiled as she reached for the hair oils. She lathered it into her hair before she dipped her hair back in the water. They sat in the water for a little while longer, scrubbing their skin with a cloth and oils before they stood up, Will first.

He dried himself quickly and wrapped the towel around his waist before he dried Tamzin with a fresh towel. It had become too difficult for her to bend down and Will dried her legs and feet. With a towel around her body, Tamzin and Will returned to their chambers. Will dressed quickly in a fresh pair of breeches and a sleeveless tunic, while Tamzin inspected the gowns on their bed.

"We are in an extremely hot territory and they give me long sleeved dresses," Tamzin said as she inspected the thick fabric. "I'm not wearing these. It's too hot and I am far too pregnant."

Will chuckled as Tamzin walked to her trunk and pulled out a canary yellow sleeveless dress, made of a light material. Without her ladies, Tamzin combed out her hair quickly and let the air curl it. Finally, she threaded her crown through her hair. Will liked to watch her get ready, when she was focused on making herself beautiful. It always looked complicated, threading her crown in her hair, but Tamzin was born to wear it.

There was a sharp knock at the door and Hanna entered. She wore a dress similar to the ones on Tamzin's bed and her jaw dropped when she saw Tamzin's outfit, but she said nothing.

"The women of the family take their tea before lunch. Nicola asked me to invite you to morning tea," Hanna said as she placed her hands behind her back. She was nervous to be in their presence again. Before Tamzin could respond, Seraphina entered the room. At four months, her belly had begun to grow and pressed up against the tight fit of her dress. Hanna pulled away from Seraphina like she were a sickness and Tamzin narrowed her eyes.

"Seraphina and I will join you for tea momentarily, but I would like a word with her alone," Tamzin said as she let her eyes linger on Will. "If you don't mind, sweetheart?"

"I will be outside with Garrett and the men. Training the Bradford men will be a difficult feat," Will said before he kissed Tamzin and pushed his way past Seraphina and Hanna. Hanna observed Seraphina for a moment longer before she, too, left the chambers. Seraphina looked around the chambers with mild awe.