he’d told her settled into her brain.
His mother was dead. His mother had
tried to kill her sister.
His mother
.
Without giving it a second thought,
she moved into him and wrapped her
arms about his waist. He stiffened but
made no move to push her away. “I
am sorry, Varian.”
***
So am I,
he thought bitterly to
himself, staring down at the soft
tendrils of hair that had escaped from
the ribbon. He lifted his hand and
gently brushed at the stray auburn
strands. He felt her body shake
slightly, and pulled away to look into
her eyes. Her face was wet with tears
and that almost undid him.
“Don’t cry, Isolde. Your sister is
well.” His impenetrable exterior fell
for some moments as he watched her
struggle to compose herself. He even
used both hands to leverage her.
“I’m not crying for Jaisyn,” she
managed through her small little
gasps. “I’m crying for you.” She
pushed close once more, burying her
face against the dark cloth covering
his skin. “I can’t imagine how you are
feeling. And you always try to look so
unaffected, Varian, but you can let me
in. I—”
A rapid knock sounded at the door,
and Isolde sniffled and pulled back.
She might have hopped feet away had
his hands not been around her waist.
She hadn’t even felt them there.
“Yes?” His eyes never left hers.
The door opened and a young squire
rushed in, only to stop in his tracks
when he saw Isolde in Varian’s arms.
Isolde turned a shade of pink and tried
to push away. His grip only tightened.
“Yes, Haden?”
“The coach is ready, my lord. The
men were wondering if you need help
bringing her down.”
“Good. I believe I will need some
extra hands.”
Haden bowed. “Yes, of course, my
lord.” He beat a hasty retreat.
Varian continued to stare at Isolde’s
blush. Even with what had happened
in the last hours, he still felt pleasure
pulse through him as he watched her
color prettily.
With the squire gone, she leaned
into him once more.
Minutes passed without words
before Isolde lifted her head. “Where
are you going?”
“To the Mountains,” he replied
evenly.
Isolde nodded. “When will you
return?”
Varian did not know the answer to
that question. He was going to bury
his mother, return his cousin to her
father and see that she was punished
appropriately, and then…everything
went blank.
“I do not know.”
***
Feeling her heart skip precious
beats, Isolde drew a deep breath.
“Who will be in charge of Lytheria?
You are needed—”
“Hector and Urian are more than
capable of overseeing Lytheria.”
She pushed away from him and this
time, he opened his arms and watched
as she moved away. Finally, she
turned and asked, “And what of me?”
He didn’t answer.
“What of me, Varian? Shall I wait
for you for indefinitely? How long?
Weeks, months? Years?” Isolde felt a
little pang of guilt as she questioned
him, but something about Varian’s
aloofness frightened her. It was as if
he were parting ways with the life
he’d led before his mother’s death.
Varian thought of that question and
after long, silent moments, answered.
“I won’t hold you to anything,
Isolde.”
She was still as her gaze searched
his. Where was the man who’d told
her he would never leave her? Where
was the man who’d introduced her to
the pleasure that could be had
between two people in love? He stood
still, emotionless, staring at her. As if
suddenly understanding, she nodded
and approached him.
“You don’t intend to return to
Lytheria.” She looked behind him to
the gauze-wrapped body on the bed.
Her gaze lingered there before she
returned it to his. “You don’t intend to
return to me.”
***
Varian didn’t speak. What could he
say? He didn’t have anything planned
but what he’d thought was necessary.
He was going to bury his mother,
return his cousin, and the rest he
intended to figure out while he was in
the Mountains. Her perceptive gaze
disconcerted him but he remained
impassive.
A knock sounded at the door and he
called on the person to enter. Two of
the warriors under his command filed
into the room.
“Goodbye, Prince Varian.” She
executed a stiff, formal curtsy.
“Princess,” he returned calmly,
pressing his shoulders and head
forward in a slight bow.
With that, Isolde spun on her heels
and walked briskly to the door. He did
not move until she was out of sight.
***
Shifting her body slightly, Jaisyn
blinked and allowed her bleary gaze
to search the room. She was lying on
her back and as her head felt heavy.
Peach colored curtains hung around
the bed.
Where am I
?
She
swallowed
slowly
and
attempted to sit up. Finding she was
too weak to do that, she tried to think
back to how she’d come to be in a
bed. It all came back to her in fast
rushes of images. As she remembered
Lydia relating her plan to murder her,
her baby and Vulcan, a ragged
scream tore from her throat.
***
Vulcan had drifted to sleep for the
first time since he’d returned to his
castle two days ago. Earlier in the
afternoon, the healer returned to her
village, leaving with Magda the herbs
that were to be administered to Jaisyn
if she showed signs of pain. A midwife
had also come, and Vulcan had
watched as she prodded at Jaisyn’s
distended belly, nodding all the while.
He’d also watched his wife’s face
for any signs of pain, but the most
she’d done when the midwife had
been there was shift slightly. When
the woman left, she told Vulcan that
Jaisyn seemed about six months
along, and that she would return in a
few weeks to check on both the queen
and unborn child. After that, Magda
and Asha had used warm cloths to
bathe Jaisyn while Vulcan took an
hour to bludgeon his unsuspecting
warriors as they partnered him in
training. He’d cleansed himself in the
stables, as his warriors did, before
heading back to the chambers where
his wife slept peacefully. Within
moments of crawling into the bed next
to her, he drifted off.
He came awake as soon as the
scream left her mouth. Shaking his
head and blinking rapidly, he sat up
and looked at her. Golden eyes
blinked up at him, then her eyes
moved frantically from his, and she
opened her mouth to scream again.
“Jaisyn.”
His
hands
gently
restrained her against the bed and she
began to struggle furiously. That
brought a smile to Vulcan’s lips
because he knew her strength was
returning. “You are safe. No one will
harm you.”
“No, you don’t understand.” She
shook her head frantically. “It’s
Lydia. Lydia tried to kill me.”
Vulcan opened his mouth to
reassure her but she rushed on.
“I couldn’t remember because she
drugged me. She tried to poison—”
Nodding, he leaned down and kissed
her forehead. “Ssh, all will be right. I
know everything. Anhur told me.”
She calmed visibly, relaxing against
the bed as her breathing regulated.
“What happened? Where is she?”
Her voice was bitter and angry.
Vulcan’s teeth snapped together and
he barely resisted the urge to grind
them. “The tip of her dirk was
poisoned. She’s dead.”
Jaisyn’s eyes widened for a fraction
of a second before she sighed in relief.
“My baby?” she asked. Hope
looked out at him from her eyes but
he could see the underlying fear. She
was afraid for their unborn child.
He smiled and brushed away a
golden curl that had fallen across her
forehead and cheekbone. “Is fine.
You are both fine.” Releasing her, he
braced himself against the bed, staring
down at her. She was alive and well.
His wife. The only person who held
his heart.
“How are you feeling?”
Her lids drifted shut before she
blinked them open once more.
“Tired…and hungry.” She groaned
softly before continuing. “How long
have I been asleep?”
“Two days.”
A gasp left her lips and she opened
her eyes instantly. “Two days? Why?”
Vulcan did not like what he was
going to have to tell her. He disliked
that Lydia had come so close to taking
her from him.
“You swallowed some of the
poison.” When her face went from
curious to horrified, he continued
quickly. “It is out of your system now.
Anhur and the healer took good care
of you.”
***
Jaisyn nodded slowly, allowing that
piece of information to float in her
mind. Lydia could have won. She
could have died, and with her,
Vulcan’s baby. But she had not
succeeded. Lydia was out of their
lives forever.
Shaking thoughts of that woman
from her head, Jaisyn stretched,
unlocking tense muscles. It felt good.
Lifting her hand above the warm
covers, she rubbed her belly. Vulcan
had told her that she was fine. She
tried to focus on her belly, tried to feel
anything odd. As if knowing she were
awake, the baby moved slightly. It
was but a shift in position, or a
demand for food. He was fine. She
was starving. It was then she
remembered that her husband had
ridden to Montak.
Bael
. Innocent
Bael.
“What of the King of Montak?” Her
eyes searched his frantically as she
sent up a prayer that her husband had
not killed an innocent man.
A small frown touched Vulcan’s lips
and he seemed none too happy as he
considered his reply. “He is alive…for
now.”
She released a deep breath and
closed her eyes briefly. Seconds later
they flew open again. “And Varian?
How is…Varian?”
Vulcan’s eyes clouded with sadness.
“Varian has left for the Mountains.”
“Does he know everything? About
Lydia?”
Jaisyn could not imagine how
Varian would feel if he did. He was
unwaveringly loyal to his brother, and
would kill anyone who threatened
Vulcan’s life or position as king, yet
his own mother had been the worst of
Vulcan’s enemies.
“I don’t think so. Anhur will tell him
if he wishes to know.”
Jaisyn nodded and continued to
stare at him. Before she could say
anything else, he began to speak. “I
am sorry. I should have trusted you.
But I was jealous and angry. I did not
want to believe it, but you—you didn’t
remember, and Bael fled.” He paused
and took a breath. “I have never
needed anyone with the intensity that
I need you, Jaisyn, and I’ve never
loved anyone as I do you. You taught
me what it means to feel a woman’s
love when I’d never felt it before. I
have misjudged you gravely and I will
understand and accept it if you do not
forgive me.” He looked away briefly.
“I told you once, when you were
trying to keep me from marrying
Mathilda, that I would allow her to
return to Lytheria after she conceived.
If that is your wish, as soon as you’ve
regained your strength, you may travel
to Lytheria with your ladies.”
Jaisyn felt her heart pounding and
focused her eyes on the weave of the
sheet that covered her. Vulcan cleared
his throat. She met his eyes.
“I intend to alter the laws to make it
such that an able queen may rule with