acquainted with my new castle. I will
start with the solar.”
Jaisyn knew she’d heard him
correctly but the solar? It wasn’t
ready to be occupied as yet. She
wanted to tell him to go to Pantalus,
but she refrained.
Instead, her lips moved and she
found herself saying, “Yes, liege.”
Vulcan waited until she’d moved to
his side before speaking to his brother.
“Varian, find that High Priestess. We
may need her copy of the betrothal.”
Mathilda
whimpered
again
as
Varian nodded and turned to Isolde.
“I’m sure Princess Isolde can show
me to the Temple.”
***
Vulcan hadn’t needed to be shown
to the solar. He’d seized castles and
fortresses enough to know a terrified
servant would have hastily given
direction. What he wanted was to
remove the veil from Jaisyn St. Ives’s
face and see if she was the one who’d
attempted to murder him.
They walked up a stone staircase,
followed by a shorter staircase, before
they came to the solar. Jaisyn stopped
before the door, just ahead of the
matronly woman who chaperoned
them from a few feet away.
“This is the solar, King Vulcan.”
With that, she prepared to leave but
Vulcan’s voice, and the arm that
reached out and grabbed her, kept her
still.
“Will you not show me around,
Princess?” he told her, his voice low
and firm.
***
Jaisyn tugged her arm free and
pushed past him, grabbing the brass
handle and pushing inward. No fire
had been lit in that hearth in the days
since her father’s death. Just thinking
about that made her want to cry. Her
father was dead, the kingdom was no
longer theirs and a large, evil wretch
of a king now occupied Wilhelm’s
chambers. What had her father been
thinking, giving Mathilda to someone
lik e
him
? Of all his daughters, he
betrothed the one who would run
screaming from this giant of a man?
As she’d sat across from Vulcan,
Jaisyn had critically assessed him. She
knew that many would find him
handsome, with his thick head of silky
black hair that cascaded past his
shoulders, and stern yet sensual face,
but he was in no way approachable.
She had no idea how to reach him.
She had to do something to get her
kingdom back, but she didn’t know
what. The people of Lytheria didn’t
live for war, and this man did.
So lost was she in her thoughts that
she didn’t recognize Vulcan was
pushing the door in until she heard an
audible snap of the latch. She spun
immediately, recognizing that the door
was closed and his tall body was
against it.
His eyes looked dangerous and that
scowl still loomed on his lips. What
was he doing?
“Remove your veil,” he said in that
pompous voice of his. Was he serious?
She was a princess, a daughter of
Lyria!
“King Vulcan,” she began stiffly,
her hands clasped tightly at her
midriff. “You are in my castle
because I wish it. Do not think to
disrespect me in such a manner.”
***
Vulcan could have laughed at how
she phrased that statement. He was
not here because she wished it; he
was in
h i s
castle because he had
conquered it. Twice. He took a step
forward and with her fighter’s
instincts, Jaisyn took one backwards.
“Take off the veil,
Princess
.”
***
Did he suspect it was she who’d
tried to kill him on that horrid night?
She’d tried her best to put that night
from her mind but she’d still had
dreams—nightmares—about it.
“My
liege,
you
are
being
disrespectful. I am a princess of
Lytheria—”
Two quick strides brought him
directly before her and in the next
instant, he was plucking the crown
from her head, pulling the veil off and
tossing it aside.
Jaisyn let out a startled cry and spun
away from him, moving over to the
fireless hearth. Vulcan’s voice came
from somewhere behind her.
“Turn and face me,
Princess
. Or are
you afraid your face will bring back
memories of a night not so far gone?”
He did suspect her. How? It didn’t
matter, but he did. Which probably
meant that he wanted revenge. And he
had promised to continue where he’d
left off if he ever saw her again. Her
eyes darted to the broadsword above
the hearth.
Her father’s sword rested there as a
reminder of the great king who had
once occupied the place. She sent up
a quick prayer to Lyria, and one to
her deceased father, praying she
would not soon be joining him soon.
Quick as a fox, she reached for the
heavy weapon, unsheathed it, spread
her legs wide, and spun to face him.
***
Vulcan was accustomed to the
unusual. He prided himself on not
being shocked easily, but this...girl—
not just any girl, but a princess—
wielding a sword? It was almost
comical, with her flowing dress and
brandishing a man’s sword. The he
remembered that this same woman
had almost killed him as he slept.
There was nothing funny about that.
He lifted his eyes to her face. Her
skin was lovingly kissed with the sun’s
rays—a dark bronze. Her mass of
golden curls was pinned intricately
atop her head, and her eyes, cat’s
eyes—almost yellow in their vivid
brightness—flashed angrily at him.
This was his princess. This had to be
his princess, or else she wouldn’t be
gripping a warrior’s sword, looking
like she was ready to decapitate him.
“Put the sword down, lady,” Vulcan
said as calmly as he, known for his
bouts of temper, could manage.
Jaisyn lifted it higher as her soft lips
curled into a snarl. “So that you can
rip off more than my veil? I do not
think so! Lytherians are not as
barbaric as your people,
my liege
!”
“Put the sword down before I am
tempted to take you over my knee!”
Vulcan bit the words out angrily, and
took a menacing step forward.
She moved to the left, and the grace
with which she did so made Vulcan
recognize something: she was at ease
with the sword. If it wasn’t completely
unheard of, he might even say that she
was a swords
woman
.
He began to tread more carefully.
More than likely she wasn’t skilled at
using the weapon, but he was taking
no chances. Stupidity did not a High
King make.
“I am giving you to the count of
three. If that sword is still in your
hand after that, you cannot hold me
accountable for what I do,” Vulcan
threatened.
She held onto the sword. Vulcan
had had enough. He took a few steps
forward, intent on twisting her arm, as
he’d done a few nights ago, and
pulling the weapon away from her. He
didn’t even get close. As soon as he
was in range, she flicked her wrist so
the flat of the broadsword faced him,
and swung. A resounding crash
reverberated in the room as the sword
caught his breastplate, pushing him
back a step and making his ears ring.
“I will not warn you again! Do not
come any closer!” she hissed out, her
hands aching slightly.
Vulcan recovered from his state of
shock as anger took him by full force.
Steel screeched as he pulled his
broadsword from its sheath and
advanced on her.
***
Whatever Jaisyn had expected, it
hadn’t been this.
Knowing there was nowhere to run,
especially clothed as she was in full
skirts, Jaisyn attacked. He easily
blocked and pushed her back,
showing her just how strong he was.
She attacked once more, lunging at
him and hoping to at least throw him
off guard to escape. He sidestepped
easily and brought his sword crashing
down against hers. The force knocked
it out of her hands and it clattered to
the floor. His sword was still in his
hand as he advanced on her. Jaisyn
pressed her body to the wall. She
wanted to close her eyes but she
didn’t. Instead, she tilted her head and
faced him bravely.
***
Vulcan stopped only a hair’s
breadth away from her. His dark eyes
penetrated hers in their intensity.
“Don’t ever—
ever
—pull a weapon
on me again. I have never had cause
to strangle a woman but by the Gods,
I will.” Just to show her that he wasn’t
joking, he lifted his left hand to her
throat—his right still had his sword—
and let it rest there.
Her lips quivered slightly and his
eyes dropped to them. Slightly parted,
quivering lips. His eyes lifted to hers—
her yellow gaze seemed to dare him,
defiant to the end—and back to her
lips.
In the next instant, he crushed his
lips to hers. She released a muffled
squeak, which parted her lips beneath
his, but he didn’t do as he would have
done on other occasions. He still
remembered that she bit. But he
traced the fullness of her lips with his
tongue, sucking them into his mouth
as he braced her between the wall and
his body.
***
Shock held Jaisyn still for a moment
before she remembered that infamous
night and kicked up a struggle. She
turned her face to the side, feeling
distaste, and something that she
refused to acknowledge, as his lips
caressed her cheek.
“You—you—savage,” she hissed.
“Barbarian! You honorless man! You
call yourself a king. You’re not—you
—you—
wolf
!”
He glared at her, even as she
unknowingly confirmed that she was
the one who’d slipped into his tent
nights ago. She tasted the same and
referred to him by names that seemed
to compliment rather than insult.
“I may be all of that,” Vulcan said
roughly as his head lowered once
more and her eyes grew round and
wide. “But this time,
Princess
, no
biting.”
And then his lips were on hers again
and Jaisyn was pushing against armor
and solidly-built warrior and getting
absolutely nowhere. He lifted slightly
from her lips and as she opened them
to hurl more insults, he lowered his
head once more. This time, he slowly
pushed his tongue into her mouth.
Jaisyn went still as his tongue
caressed hers, daring her to respond.
To reach out her own to his. The
growth of beard on his face tickled
her nose slightly. Unsure of what she
wanted to do, she did nothing. She
remained still, tense, wondering at her
racing heart and the warm feeling
engulfing her body.
When his lips left hers, the look of
contentment on his face fueled the
anger that had been on halt.
Seeing that rebellious look come
across her face, Vulcan tightened his
grip on her neck slightly. “Whatever
you are thinking,
Princess
, do not do
it.”
With that, he released her and
walked over to the large wooden chair
near to the hearth. He sat down and
said calmly, “Fetch my squire and
have the servants bring water for a
bath.”
Jaisyn seethed and without thinking
snapped, “I am not your servant,
Vulcan of Morden! Call your squires
to do your bidding!”
She turned immediately for the
door. Suddenly, he grasped her arm
and pulled her against him. Her breath
left her in a rush as she came against
his armor. His eyes promised swift
retribution.