his. Instantly, she remembered how
Vulcan felt, how right it felt. Although
like Vulcan, Malcolm was muscled
and tall, this felt wrong.
Jaisyn stiffened in his arms and
blinked. What was he doing?
***
Varian couldn’t believe his eyes. In
fact, he did not wish to believe his
eyes. From behind his tree, feet away
from the two men, he could barely
make out the words that passed
between them. What he could make
out was what they did. After an
intense
fight
with
swords
that
entertained
Varian
quite
nicely,
Malcolm pulled the other man close
and kissed him. It was no brotherly
kiss or a friendly kiss. It was a kiss
that a man bestowed on a woman he
wanted. He’d heard of such things
happening in different kingdoms but
had never witnessed this expression of
love—especially from one warrior,
which these two obviously were, to
another.
He turned his head and leaned it
against the tree. So this was why the
message was to be conducted in
secret. Jaisyn must have known about
Malcolm’s relationship with this man
and organized the entire thing. He
didn’t know what her motives were
but could guess that she was being a
good friend to these two. And there
was no doubt in Varian’s mind that
Malcolm’s father, the esteemed army
general, did not know of his son’s
preference.
Hoping their embrace was over,
Varian turned back to the couple and
was glad to see they were speaking
once more.
***
Jaisyn came to her senses seconds
after Malcolm’s lips pressed against
hers. She pushed him back and wiped
her lips with her hand.
“What are you doing, Malcolm?”
she demanded, turning angry eyes on
the man she loved as a brother.
Malcolm’s eyes fixed on hers as he
replied solemnly. “I love you.”
Caught off guard, Jaisyn could only
stare at him and try to keep her mouth
from falling open. Malcolm stepped
closer to her and leaned down, his
blue-green eyes easily showing the
emotions running through his heart. “I
love you, Jaisyn. I have loved you
since—”
She shook her head and stepped
back quickly. “Malcolm, you cannot
do this. I am married to your king.”
That didn’t deter him. He advanced
upon her. “And if you weren’t? If you
could still choose?”
Unsure of what he was asking,
Jaisyn stopped and drew in a deep
breath. “Malcolm, I like you. You’ve
been my closest friends for years.
Please, don’t do this.”
Malcolm’s eyes dropped to the
ground before lifting to hers again.
“If you weren’t married, and I
confessed my feelings to you, what
would you say?”
With a slight shake of her head,
Jaisyn turned from him, and continued
to the boulder. After long moments,
she looked to him. His back was to
her as he gazed out across the water.
She approached him and touched his
arm. “Will you continue to practice
with me? I will understand if you
don’t wish to.”
Malcolm nodded once. “Send the
squire in search of me whenever you
are ready. We will meet here.”
Jaisyn nodded as she looked at him.
He was staring unblinkingly at the
water. Deciding that it was best if she
left first, she turned and headed
further down the lake, wondering if
he’d always felt this way about her
and why she hadn’t seen it.
***
It had been Jaisyn’s intention to
swim after practicing with Malcolm,
but
Malcolm’s
confession
had
changed her plans. After slipping into
her regular clothing, she’d gone back
to the castle, intent on having the
servants bring up water for a bath.
Jaisyn had been so caught up in
thoughts of Malcolm’s confession that
as she entered the castle via the
drawbridge, she failed to recognize
that Varian was standing right there
until he called out to her.
Her heart almost leapt from her
chest as she turned, wide-eyed, to
face him. He stood by the drawbridge
as if waiting for someone to return.
He bowed to her and said, “I
apologize for startling you, my queen.
Have you been out?”
Jaisyn feeling her heart batter
against her chest, prepared to lie to
her husband’s brother. She tucked
stray curls behind her ears. “Yes, I
have. I went to visit a friend in the city
today.”
Varian nodded, those pale eyes of
his appearing warm and friendly. “Ah,
an old friend of yours?”
Nodding, Jaisyn sought to change
the topic. “Has my lord returned?”
Varian’s gaze seemed to penetrate
her before he replied easily. “No, my
queen,
your
husband
has
not
returned.”
Jaisyn nodded and dipped her head
to him, forcing a smile. “Well, if you’d
excuse me, there are things I must
do.”
With that, she hurried away from
Varian’s calculating eyes and to her
bedroom, where she called for a bath
and had given her sweaty clothing to
Magda, who acted as her ‘squire’
whenever she practiced or fought.
Two servants brought up the water
and her maids prepared her bath.
Before long, Jaisyn submerged her
body in the lavender-scented water.
After helping her wash her thick mass
of hair, her maids left her to her
thoughts.
***
Vulcan was not happy, but he made
no claim to a happy nature, so that
was an understatement.
Vulcan was angry.
His first day away and Jaisyn had
somehow slipped from the castle to
only Rika knew where! Varian had
reported to him as soon as he
returned, telling him about the secret
affair that Jaisyn had planned for
Malcolm and another man, which he
would deal with later, and how she’d
disappeared from the castle for at
least an hour, according to the
Morden
soldiers.
Where
she
disappeared to, he didn’t know but
was certain that she hadn’t gone to
visit ‘a friend’ as she had stated.
It was for this reason that Vulcan
stormed up the stairs, heading to the
solar, in search of his wife. He’d just
reached the door when a homely maid
suddenly
stepped
forward—she’d
been sitting in a chair on the opposite
side—and bowed her head.
“’er Majesty’s ’aving a bath, King
Vulcan.”
Vulcan nodded and dismissed her.
She was having a bath, was she?
He pushed the door open the same
instant that Jaisyn’s eyes flew up and
she hurriedly placed her hands across
her gleaming breasts.
“It’s a bit late for modesty, isn’t it,
wife?” Vulcan snarled as he leaned
against the door, closing it.
***
Jaisyn didn’t know what to do. Why
was her husband in the solar in the
middle of the day? Since Vulcan had
been residing here, he hadn’t used the
solar except to sleep. Had someone
found out about her encounter with
Malcolm? She prayed not, but from
the expression on his face, she
surmised he’d learned of something.
“My liege, why are you here?” she
asked in what she hoped was a
submissive voice.
“Is it not my solar? Am I not
allowed to come and go as I please?”
was the cold response.
Jaisyn’s heart began to race.
He
knew.
Oh Goddess, he knew. What
would he do to her?
“Where did you go today?” Vulcan
snapped out, approaching the tub
slowly. His grey eyes narrowed as he
drew closer to her.
Jaisyn’s
heart
stopped
for
a
moment. He didn’t know.
“My liege, I do not know of what
you speak,” Jaisyn told him firmly,
feeling the chill of the air on her bare
shoulders as the water lost its warmth.
“Do not know—” Vulcan was
incredulous. “Jaisyn, I am going to ask
you this question one more time and
may the Gods help you if you don’t
answer appropriately!”
Jaisyn
stared
up
at
him
unflinchingly. She refused to let him
intimidate her.
“Where were you today?” he tossed
at her again.
Jaisyn’s met his gaze squarely, and
she saw his eyes narrow even more.
“If you are referring to the hour I took
to visit an old friend in the city, then
your anger is uncalled for. I am a free
woman, as all Lytherian women are,
and if it does not—”
Vulcan’s voice was thunderous.
“You dare lecture me on Lytheria! I
am king! If I wish it, I could make it
such that women of Lytheria must be
completely
subservient
to
their
husbands, as it should be! I could
force the laws of Morden on Lytheria!
Do not lecture me on my kingdoms!”
Jaisyn listened to his statements and
like the budding of a new flower, felt
anger unfold within her chest.
“Lytheria has been blessed with its
rulers. We are the most forward-
thinking of the kingdoms. Women are
allowed to own their property and
wealth and even make livings on their
own! That is something you, even as
king, cannot take from us. It has been
this way for generations!”
Jaisyn let out a squeal as he reached
down, grasped her upper arms, and
pulled her from the tub. Water sloshed
as he forcefully removed her and
placed her directly before him,
making her very aware of his
commanding height when she had to
lean back to stare into his eyes.
“If all Lytherian women are like
you, I really will consider changing
the laws. You forget your place. You
are queen to my king and as such, you
will respect me!” Vulcan was no
longer speaking; he was roaring and
bristling and on edge.
At times, Jaisyn wished she were
more like Mathilda, more able to hold
her tongue, keep the peace, but she
wasn’t. She was Jaisyn.
“I cannot and will not respect a king
who refuses to respect the ways of his
people. That is not a king,” she told
him levelly, her arms now at her side.
She was completely naked before
him. Her next words, she considered
carefully and even though her mind
told her not to say them, her mouth
opened and she spoke with force.
“That is a barbarian who managed to
secure a kingdom that is not his!”
His hands tightened against her
upper arms but Jaisyn refused to
flinch. She held herself still, staring
into the grey eyes that had just turned
black.
Oh Lyria
, she began in her mind.
Protect your ever-loving daughter
.
“You are right, my queen,” Vulcan
began in a dangerous tone that let her
know that he was in no way agreeing
with her. “I am a barbarian. I am the
barbarian
who
has
conquered
Lytheria twice. I am your king—and
you belong to me! As your king, I
think that there are much better uses
for your mouth!”
With that, his unyielding lips fell to
hers, pressing against them harshly
even as Jaisyn struggled to turn her
head away. His hand came up, and
large hands dug into her scalp, holding
her in place as he brutally crushed her
lips beneath his. Jaisyn managed to
turn her head away a fraction, the
heat of his lips on her cheek.
“Beast!” she hissed. “Savage!”
Vulcan’s nose flared at those insults
but he brought her face back to his.
“Yes, Jaisyn of Lytheria. I am all of