Unbroken (Unarmed Trilogy #2) (30 page)

"Are you well, Tamzin?" Katya asked as she placed her hand on Tamzin's arm.

"Wait until you are much older to have a child, Katya. It is not a favorable feeling when you are our age," Tamzin gritted her teeth again as she felt the tensing pass. "And to think I thought my monthly bleeds were terrible before this."

"Tam?" She heard Will's voice in front of her as she opened her eyes. He was standing in front of her with no shirt and sweat covered his pale skin. He was breathing heavily and she could see the heat spreading from his face to his neck and chest. The same heat on his skin made her feel warm and prickly and Tamzin clenched her thighs together.

She was uncomfortable, so large and swollen, but she was in constant want and need for her husband. To see him how he was now sent a primal shock through her body and all she wanted was to feel his lips on her skin, his bearded cheek scrape against her inner thigh, and the warmth of his body pressed against her.

"Is it the baby?"

"It's nothing, sweetheart," Tamzin said as she tried to hide her pain as another cramp began deep in her belly. "Jacque says it's my body preparing for the birth."

At the mention of the birth, Will's shoulders squared out and for a moment, he seemed uncomfortable to be talking about the baby in front of his sister. The truth was that Will acted like her pregnancy was something that should have been kept in their chambers. It was beyond personal for him and it was something that Tamzin couldn't understand.

In many ways, Will viewed this child as his only family, though both his parents still breathed. His father was betraying him, his mother was found to be alive, as well as other family but Will knew, from the second he found out Tamzin was with child, that he would do everything in his power to protect his child and wife. Other than Garrett, Tamzin was the one who stuck by him through everything. The thought of losing her in the birthing bed would be a loss that he would never be able to recoup; she was beyond irreplaceable. She was everything.

"Would you like me to escort you back to our chambers?" Will asked as his fingers curled gently around her arm. Tamzin was taking deep breaths and he felt her arm muscles tense up and relax for a few moments before she smiled at him and shook his head.

"I'm fine. I promise," Tamzin said as his hand sunk down her arm and took her hand in his. "I miss the sunlight, so I want to enjoy it before I am confined to a bed."

Will nodded before he pressed a kiss to her hand and returned to his men. Katya and Tamzin had just taken a seat on the steps when a commotion began behind the gates. Tamzin strained to see what was happening, but saw Will as he threw on chain mail over his chest and gripped his sword tightly in his hand. One could hope that the people behind the gate were friends, as they knew about the secret passageway but no one could be sure.

Suddenly, there was yelling and the sound of hooves beating against the path and Tamzin watched Quincy and a rash of Roth men enter the compound. She tried to sit up straighter but the pain in her back was becoming too great. The pain was returning with a greater frequency and it was slowly building to be an extreme feeling. Her eyes watered as she watched the Roth men dismount from their horses, with their bows around their backs and the carts they brought were beginning to be unpacked.

"Who is this?" Tamzin heard Aidan Bradford bark from behind her as he hobbled down the stairs. "More Roth men?"

"We have been sent by King Turner Roth to offer our services and protection for Her Royal Highness, Princess Tamzin. The King has reason to believe that the Johansson Territory is no longer being controlled by the Johanssons. We also have reason to believe that Gregory Thurston is going to declare war on the North," Quincy said as his men began to bring the supplies into the palace. "And this site is going to be ground zero."

"What word have you received?" Will asked as he appeared next to Quincy and was flanked by Garrett and Willem. His blue eyes were filled with urgent worry as he reached forward and had Tamzin stand up. He tucked her into his side and it took all Tamzin had to muffle her cries of pain as the pain from her back stretched around her body and radiated from her thighs to her stomach.

"What was left of your people is now gone, Your Highness," Quincy said bluntly and kept his eyes locked with Will. "Your aunt has provided proof that your father has been conspiring with the Johanssons and that is why they invaded. When your father married you to the Princess, it set off a chain of events. The chain of succession, with the right deaths, would leave you as heir to the entire North. But if you die and she does not have your child, the only way succession can go is to name Gregory. A good number of your Thurston soldiers were not fond of the idea of murdering you and they were either put to the sword or escaped and took refuge with your aunt or Turner Roth. These are dangerous times."

With those last words, a large explosion was heard in the distance and over the walls and above the mountains, black smoke could be seen rising high into the sky. Tamzin watched Will's mouth set into a grimace as he looked to his grandfather.

"What is in that direction?" Will asked, though he already knew the answer.

"Johansson Territory."

The explosion sent the territory into disarray as the people outside ran into the castle to escape the falling debris. Tamzin felt Will pick her up by the arms and dragged her inside. He pressed her body against the wall as his advisors, Roth, Thurston, and Bradford, all swarmed him, demanded action and a council meeting. The pain she felt made her stomach harden and her head ached from the screams of the people and the orders of the men. Will's fingers loosened on her arms and Tamzin hoped he would continue to hold her up; if he were to let go of her arms, she would slither to the floor.

"We need to do something now!" One advisor yelled.

"If we make a stand now, he won't invade!" The second joined in as Will laced their fingers together and nearly dragged her down the hallway. Tamzin heard nothing but chaos around her as she, Will, and the other men entered Aidan Bradford's study and instantly walked to the battle strategy table. Will sat her down on the lounge and watched as she stretched out. He gently placed a hand on her face as he looked at her with concerned eyes.

"You're in pain," he whispered as his hand left her face and pressed lightly on her belly. "Your stomach is as hard as a rock. Should I call for Jacque?"

"You have more pressing issues than the Princess, Your Grace!" The Bradford advisor said as his shadow loomed over their bodies. "You no longer have the option of hiding away in your chambers and shirking your responsibilities to spend another day between her thighs."

Will stood up abruptly and grabbed the man by the shoulders and rammed him into the wall. Tamzin heard the sickening crack of bone, the yells of the men, and watched as Garrett pulled Will off the man.

In his thick Northern accent, Will yelled, "The first thing I will do as King is remove you from your post. That is if I don't kill you first!" He struggled against Garrett's arms before he disentangled himself completely. "She is my Queen and is carrying my child. If she is in pain, I want to know about it!"

"The yelling is not helping me," Tamzin groaned as she pressed her hand over her eyes to block out the light. She could feel the discontent looks from the men as they stared at her.

"It is bad luck to have a woman in the study while planning for war," the first Bradford advisor said as he tried to hide the slight sneer on his face.

"I don't trust the idea of her out there alone without adequate protection," Will said as he sat down on the lounge next to Tamzin and gently combed his fingers through her hair.

"I can escort her back to her chambers and stay with her," Quincy offered but Will shook his head.

"I need your council on security and the state of the Realm. This is the first we have heard that my father has been down in the South," Will said and took a deep breath before he stood and walked to the battle strategy table. "What do we know?"

"The most recent information we have is that Douglas Johansson invited Gregory and the Thurston soldiers with him to his territory. What exactly was the nature of their discussion, we don't know, but we know that they are allies. Our spies have told us that the Northerners arrived nearly a month ago and none of the people have seen Douglas Johansson in that time. We have no idea what that explosion just was," Quincy said as he took the Roth figurine and put it in the Bradford compound. "My King is aware of the situation and is sending reinforcements. All he asks is that you allow a few days for more soldiers to arrive."

"What of my men?" Will asked.

"The Thurston soldiers that fled are not in good shape and your aunt fears for her children. Many have arrow wounds or direct contact wounds. Do you know how many Thurston soldiers traveled with your father?" Quincy asked.

"Between fifteen and twenty thousand men. He wanted to begin to rebuild the North immediately," Will replied as he ran his hand through his hair.

"Only six thousand men have made it to Roth. The men who were well enough to speak said that Gregory allowed the Johanssons into the camp and tried to convince them to turn on you; when the North refused to attack you, the Johanssons attacked. Some have said that some soldiers did stay with Gregory while others were killed. As of right now, we have no idea the exact number of Thurston and Johansson soldiers," Quincy said with a frown. "We are safe here, but know that a fight is coming to you."

"We will be ready," Garrett said confidently as he crossed his arms over his chest. "We have the smartest battle strategist in the North and the South. Your father can't compete with you."

"My father taught me everything I know," Will said as he felt his best friend come to stand next to me. "It is not a level playing field."

"For him, it's not," Garrett said. "Your father's number one flaw and downfall is his arrogance and belief that everyone will side with him."

"What do you mean?" Will turned and looked Garrett in the eye, trying to decipher what Garrett would say.

"Gregory does not know that the information being funneled to him is not true. Sometimes, people make you believe something that is not true," Garrett said as he placed the Thurston figurine into the Bradford compound. "Gregory's greatest council has been lying to him."

"What do you know?" Aidan asked as he approached the table.

"The Johanssons have a lot of men, but we had an idea about that. The estimation is roughly thirty thousand, but they are all untrained, a good number are convicts, and we know Gregory is not the strongest trainer, especially with severely undisciplined men. Obviously, the Bradfords have sided with us, as have the Roths, and the rest of the North will join you, Will. If we called all the banners, that will give us twenty thousand men, possibly more. Gregory is going to come to Bradford and demand that the Bradfords submit to him and turn you over," Garrett said as he continued to move the figurines.

"This is very distinct information. How do you know all of this?" Quincy asked as he backed up to stand next to Tamzin and slowly unsheathed his sword. "Have you betrayed your Prince?"

"Since we left Thurston Territory after the burning, Gregory Thurston has been writing me and asked me to spy on Will and Tamzin for him. Every bit of information I have given him has been a lie. He thinks the Bradfords have shunned you, that your relationship with Tamzin has deteriorated, and that she has given birth to a sickly daughter that should die any day now. I also told him that the Roth soldiers were ready to turn against you. I made it seem like you were the worst possible leader," Garrett said as he felt the eyes of all the men on him.

"You have been lying to me this entire time," Will said as he felt his hand clench into a fist at his side. "You put my family in danger. You put my child and my wife in danger. What if your false information spurned my father to attack while we were traveling?" Will yelled as he grabbed Garrett by the collar of his shirt.

"I haven't been lying! I have just been not so forthcoming. That's why I have kept my distance," Garrett said as he made Will unhand him. "I don't know exactly when Gregory will arrive, but it will be in the next three days. He is bringing less than a thousand men. I told him Aidan Bradford would open the door to him and meet little resistance. Tamzin would sign an agreement to end your marriage and join Gregory to save her family. Gregory thinks everything is going his way."

"You're joining the councilman on his way to meeting my blade," Will growled as he shoved his friend away from him. "We need to plan."

"The tunnels would be of great use. No one else knows about them," Aidan said as he pointed to them on the map. "Did Paul show them to you?"

"I did," Paul said just as he entered the room. "The people have moved into the underground bunkers and the passageway in the mountain has been closed off. If someone still wanted to get through, they could, but it will buy us some time."

"What exactly are the tunnels?" Quincy asked.

"Underground, there are tunnels that go miles from the compound to the woods on the outside. They are large enough to be able to have hundreds of soldiers travel them at once. There are breaks in the tunnels that can lead to different pathways," Will said as he inspected the map. "I have an idea."

As Will explained his plan to his men, Tamzin was in silent agony on the lounge. Her cramps were so intense that she felt her toes curl in her sandals. She gritted her teeth together so hard that she was sure she cracked a few and her fingers left tiny tears in her dress from her nails. She stared up at the ceiling as she tried to control her breathing. Her back had begun to burn and her thighs quaked from the pressure in the lower portion of her body. Unconsciously and with no control, she sat up and felt her legs slide open. The pressure in her belly increased over the minutes and Tamzin knew she had begun labor. She screamed "NO!" in her mind, but it was something that couldn't be stopped.