were two lady’s maids. They would
return to Lytheria with Isolde and
Mathilda, but had been selected to
accompany the queen on the journey
to Morden. They seemed afraid to
engage in discourse with her, but were
helpful otherwise.
During the twelve days of traveling,
Vulcan rode ahead of the carriage,
only speaking to Jaisyn when it was
absolutely necessary. When they
stopped for the day and sought shelter
with a land baron or a titled lord along
the way, Vulcan would introduce her
and would usually say pleasantries to
her at supper. They’d only shared the
same room once on their journey, and
for all of the conversing they did, it
seemed like they were in separate
quarters. Jaisyn was tired of it all. She
was tired of seeing her husband, of
seeing his warriors, of traveling and
sleeping in different places each night.
She looked forward to seeing her
sisters, her ladies, and her maids. And
to hearing the idle gossip that would
keep her from thinking of Vulcan.
And soon, she would be able to do
just that.
Lifting her eyes from the snow, she
allowed her eyes to take in the outline
of the castle ahead. In no more than
an hour, she would be back in
Morden Castle, and in no more than
that time, she would see her sisters.
***
Vulcan
remained
seated
atop
Shadowfax as the carriage bearing his
wife finally came to a halt beside him.
One of the servants immediately
rushed forward and placed a stool on
the ground before the door, and
opened it slowly. She stepped from
the carriage, holding the servant’s arm
as she descended gracefully. A warm
fur coat draped around her shoulders
and seemed to flow to her ankles,
hiding well the gown she wore
beneath. Her eyes searched him out
and when they landed upon him, she
looked
away
purposely
before
walking into the castle.
The carriage moved away and
Vulcan noticed that his squire was
waiting patiently beside him. He came
down from Shadowfax, patting the
stallion’s neck, before handing the
reins to his squire. That done, he
entered the castle, wondering how
long it would be before his control
snapped and he visited his wife’s
chambers,
especially
as
those
chambers were attached to his. He
was still upset with her. That she
would risk her life, and the life of his
heir, to free a man who’d condemned
himself, still filled him with disbelief.
Two weeks had done little to appease
his anger with her, but anger and
desire were two different emotions
and his desire for her seemed to
overtake any other emotions in its
path.
He surveyed the castle’s entrance
for Acton, but seeing only bustling
servants and newly returned warriors,
he headed in the direction of his
study. He had been gone for many
weeks and he needed to be updated
on any new events that had occurred
in that time. As his father had told
him, a kingdom was a fickle thing.
One day a king, the next a slave. It
was why he was so involved with the
affairs of his kingdom. He’d taken his
father’s words to heart.
***
Jaisyn had barely entered her
chambers before she was enveloped in
warm arms. She returned the hug
when she recognized the familiar mop
of golden curls so similar to her own.
Mathilda
. Her eyes surveyed the
room, which was filled with her
friends, her maids, and Isolde, who
stood right behind Mathilda. Upon her
head was a patterned red scarf, which
hid her hair. Jaisyn knew immediately
why it was there. Dax had cut her
sister’s hair, probably very close to
her scalp, from the long locks that
she’d seen. She stared at Isolde for a
while but Mathilda was speaking again
so she tried to focus.
“I missed you, Jassy,” Mathilda
said, between little sobs. “I thought
those vile people had done something
to you. I’m sorry for getting you into
this.”
Forehead crinkling, Jaisyn looked
down at Mathilda, whose head was
planted firmly against her bosom,
before lifting a brow to Isolde, who
shrugged her shoulders and shook her
head.
“You didn’t get me into this,
Matty,” Jaisyn assured her little sister,
wondering what on Earth she meant.
“But I have certainly missed you.
How has the beautiful Flower of the
East been?”
At hearing that title, Mathilda
perked up. She lifted tear-filled golden
eyes and smiled slightly, stepping from
Jaisyn. “So you don’t blame me?”
Her tanned arms indicated everything
around her and it was then that Jaisyn
began to understand. Mathilda thought
herself the reason for Jaisyn’s
marriage to Vulcan, and therefore, the
reason for everything else that had
transpired after.
Jaisyn shook her head and smiled at
Mathilda. “No, Matty. Of course not.
I love you.” That was the truth. She’d
never blamed Mathilda for her
marriage to Vulcan. She did blame
Ishat and her father for the trickery
they used to get her into it, but as she
was being held by Dax and Kegan,
she’d come to understand that they’d
had the interest of the kingdom at
heart. Had she been unwed when Dax
and Kegan thought up their ingenious
plan, they would have succeeded. Her
twisted cousin would have either killed
her and her sisters, or married one of
them to ensure his succession to the
throne. She shuddered, thanking Lyria
for the strength she’d received to do
as she’d done. One less Kegan in the
world was a blessing.
Her thoughts were brought back to
the present and her chambers when
Isolde stepped forward and hugged
her, resting her cheek against Jaisyn’s
shoulder. Jaisyn returned the caress,
wondering what Isolde had gone
through at the hands of that monster
who called himself Dax.
“Are you all right?” she asked
softly, pulling her head back slightly to
see the green of Isolde’s eyes.
Her sister sighed and nodded,
smiling. “Yes. I am. Are you?”
Jaisyn stared at Isolde’s face for a
long time, knowing that she was not
telling her everything. Of course she
wouldn’t. The place was crowded.
She smiled and nodded. “We will
speak later?”
Isolde nodded and stepped away.
Magda was the next to take her in her
arms. She rocked her slowly, telling
her that it was all right now that she
was back with them. Jaisyn couldn’t
help the smile that appeared on her
lips. Magda was treating her like she
was eight once more, but she didn’t
mind. Asha next stepped forward, and
curtsied politely. She was apologetic
until Jaisyn held up her hand and
shook her head.
“You have nothing to apologize for,
Asha. You had no choice,” she told
the woman firmly, remembering the
dagger that Dax had held to her throat
to make her drink. She nodded, but
her eyes remained downcast.
Lady Jane and Lady Anne stepped
forward next. They curtsied to her as
well and expressed their gratitude that
she’d returned. After that formality,
Anne walked up to her and threw her
arms around her. Jane was too much
of a lady to do anything like that, but
she did smile lightly at her younger
friend.
“We have missed Your Majesty,
very much,” Anne said, stepping away
from Jaisyn and smiling happily. Her
lips straightened once more. “The
Dowager Queen, Lady Mor’an, and
her niece, have recently come to the
castle as well. Lady Mor’an can be
quite…demanding.”
Lady Jane coughed discreetly and
Anne
blinked
innocently.
Jaisyn
chuckled and proceeded to walk
further into the room. Vulcan’s
stepmother was in the castle? Her ears
perked up at hearing that. Perhaps
after meeting the only woman he’d
ever remembered as a mother, she
might understand a bit more about
Vulcan.
“I am sure that you will tell me all
about her, Anne,” she said, standing
still as Asha began to work at the tight
coils that kept her warm coat closed.
***
Vulcan listened as his general filled
him in on the events that had taken
place in the past month. Montak had
recently had a minor skirmish with
one of its neighboring kingdoms, one
that was under Vulcan’s control as
well. Vulcan shook his head and
contemplated briefly removing Bael
from the position of king. No matter
how badly he wanted to, he could not
do so yet. Bael had yet to actually
rebel against Vulcan’s oversight, but
he sensed that given time, the young
king would. Sighing, he ordered his
general to continue his report, placing
Bael in the back of his mind for the
time being.
When he was finished, he sent for
his steward to report the affairs of the
castle. Malon Vernon had been a
scholar before he became the castle
steward under King Frederick. He had
done a particularly efficient job over
the years and for that Vulcan had
retained him. The man was now in his
late sixties, but just as efficient as
ever. Vernon ranted off a list of things
that had been done to the castle,
various purchases that had been made
in his absence, discussions with the
accountants that the castle employed,
and preparations that were being
made for the upcoming court season.
After hearing enough, Vulcan held up
his hand and dismissed the man.
Vernon was at the door before he
returned and cleared his throat.
Looking up from the papers on his
desk, Vulcan lifted a brow.
“The Dowager Queen arrived at the
castle about a week ago, sire. She
brought with her, her niece, the Lady
Calista Dakar, as well as two of her
ladies, and maids. She has been
placed in the North Tower, Majesty.”
His
eyes
crinkling
at
that
information. Vulcan swallowed, and
nodded. “Did she give any reasons for
coming?”
If Vernon found the question most
unorthodox, a king asking why his
stepmother had decided to come to his
home, he did not show it. Dipping his
head, he offered reply. “She did not,
Majesty, although I believe she intends
to see out the court season at the
castle.”
“You are no doubt right, Vernon,”
Vulcan grumbled, dismissing the man
with a wave of his hand. He stared at
the door as it shut, thinking of his
stepmother. She was supposed to visit
Jaisyn months ago, but had said that
she was ill. He had not pursued it,
deciding she would show up in her
own time.
Lydia had been the daughter of
Alfric Dakar, one of the mountain
chieftains who ruled a large segment
of the rocky plains of Morden under
Frederick. Despite the fact that
Frederick
was
their
liege,
the
chieftains were unlike the nobility in
that they followed their own tribal
rules.
After the death of his wife,
Frederick, along with his warriors,
had gone to the mountains to insist
that the chieftains swear fealty to his
rule, as they had not done so in years.
He’d been gone for months and when
next he returned, he returned with a
wife so beautiful, she had been the
envy of all of the Morden women.
Gracefully formed, with icily beautiful