the assistance of advisors.” Her eyes
remained on his but she made no
move to interrupt, so he continued. “If
the child is a boy, you may keep him
until the age of four, then I will expect
him at Morden.”
“And if it is a girl?” she asked
carefully, fighting the two warring
urges inside of her. Although weak,
she wanted to strangle him, but she
also wanted to kiss him.
“If it is a girl, you may keep her. I
will expect her to visit Morden a
number of times a year.”
“And what of other children?” She
continued in that same, unaffected
voice.
His eyes narrowed, and she saw a
flicker of the beginning of an emotion
grace his eyes before he became
impassive once more. “You are still
my wife, Jaisyn. I would expect you
to suffer me a few times a year until
you conceive again.”
She did not bat an eyelash. “How
many children?”
He blinked down at her and pulled
back, staring ahead. She saw his jaw
flex and bit back the urge to smile.
“Three. At least a son,” he bit out.
Jaisyn nodded, and carefully twisted
her body so that she was on her side
facing him.
“Will the three include or exclude
the son?”
Vulcan looked down at her and she
saw anger pulsing behind the beautiful
grey of those eyes. Suddenly, he
moved and was leaning over her, his
face inches away.
“Does it matter, Jaisyn? Will it be
such a penance to suffer the husband
who loves you until you conceive a
son?”
“It is just that I believed I heard you
mention something about a dozen little
girls with my smile…” She trailed off
slowly, waiting for him to remember.
Her lips pulled up in a slow smile as
his brows furrowed in confusion. “…
and I was wondering if you wanted
the boy before the girls, after them, or
in between?”
She’d been delirious when he’d
spoken
to
her
but
still
she
remembered.
Understanding settled in his eyes
and a large grin touched his lips. A
dark brow lifted and he appeared to
take her question into consideration.
“I think I’d like sons first, to protect
the dozen little girls.”
She shook her head slowly and his
smile faded a bit. “Perhaps the little
girls will be the ones to protect their
brothers?”
A deep chuckle rumbled from his
lips. “Perhaps they will.”
He leaned down to capture her lips
but her finger lifted to them,
preventing him from doing so.
Her face and her eyes were serious
as she spoke. “You were right. You
should have trusted me more. I love
you and would never do anything to
hurt you.” She paused and drew in a
deep breath, her eyes locked with his.
“Still, I think I might have reacted the
same way if I found out that you’d
awoken naked in a bed with Calista.”
A hand caught her own and he
kissed her palm softly before leaning
down and gently brushing her lips
with his. “I love you, Jaisyn. I love
you more than I’ve loved anything.
Anyone.”
Warmth shot through her at his
confession. His lips curved before he
captured hers in a deep kiss.
***
Jaisyn turned her head away first,
needing air. Unperturbed, Vulcan
began to place soft kisses along her
cheek. A soft smile touched her lips as
she received them. “I will hold to you
to changing the laws of both Morden
and Lytheria so that a woman can rule
without men.”
His lips stopped briefly and Jaisyn
tensed.
“With trusted advisors.”
She
nodded.
“With
trusted
advisors.”
“Yes.”
“And Vulcan?”
“Hm?” His lips nuzzled her ear.
“Will you change the law that allows
a Morden king to cast aside a wife
without reason?”
He froze once more, remembering
that his mind had been filled with
thoughts of exactly this, tossing his
wife aside, when he’d thought her
unfaithful with Bael. He would have
been unable to do it in the end, but his
mind had been wrought with all sorts
of images of Jaisyn being denounced
and returned to Lytheria. He sighed.
“I will amend it.”
Jaisyn nodded.
“Vulcan?”
“I will give you anything you desire
as long as it does not disrupt the
workings of my kingdoms.” His voice
sounded rushed and a bit hoarse.
A soft laugh tumbled from her lips.
“Your son and I are hungry, Vulcan.”
It took a moment for what she’d
said to settle in, for he continued
placing kisses along her cheek and
had made it to the beautiful arch of
her neck, before he fully understood.
He froze, lifting his head, and stared
down at her. She turned to look at
him, her expression warm and loving.
“Perhaps it will be one of our many
daughters,” he replied, taking in her
shining eyes and hoping that if it was,
she would look just like her mother.
Jaisyn shook her head. “Your son,
Vulcan.”
“My son?” he repeated, as if he
thought she’d said another word, and
was making sure that he’d heard her
correctly.
She nodded. “Our son.”
“How can you be certain?”
“Anhur has seen it.”
A radiant smile broke over his face.
He leaned down and kissed her lips
once more. “Our son.”
He jumped from the bed, staring
down at her. Jaisyn leaned onto her
elbows, which took some effort, as
she was still tired.
“A son.” He kissed her quickly and
was striding to the door. As he
touched the carved handle, he turned
and said, almost in awe, “Our son.”
***
Isolde and Mathilda had been
allowed into Jaisyn’s chambers just
once since the queen became ill.
Although reassured by Vulcan that
she would be fine, Isolde couldn’t
shake the feeling that Jaisyn would
die. She had said nothing of her fears
to Mathilda, but her younger sister
seemed to suspect. Isolde, who was
usually very optimistic, was suddenly
uncertain and afraid, and sought out
Mathilda for comfort. It was the first
time
something
like
that
had
happened.
Mathilda barged into Isolde’s room.
“I think we should pay another visit to
Jaisyn. I’m sure she’s awake by
now.”
Although early in the morning, most
early for Mathilda to be awake, Isolde
was already clothed and sat before the
long, oak-encased mirror in her bed
chambers. Upon hearing Mathilda’s
voice, she jumped slightly and
immediately looked to her sister.
Mathilda walked over to Isolde and
knelt by her side. “Why are you sad,
Isolde? Jaisyn is fine and soon, we will
return to Lytheria.”
A smile touched her lips, but did not
quite meet her eyes. “I know. I am
not sad, just thoughtful.” She stood
slowly, pulling Mathilda up with her.
“Come. Let’s visit Jaisyn.”
Arm in arm, the sisters stepped from
Isolde’s chambers.
***
When
they
entered
Jaisyn’s
chambers, it was to find their sister
sitting up on the bed, a long bed gown
covering her, as Asha slowly pulled an
ivory comb through her hair. A tub
with soapy water rested in the middle
of the room, and Magda was near the
window, shaking out a dress. Lady
Anne sat on the bed beside Jaisyn, her
eyes highly amused, while Lady Jane
sat on a chair before the queen,
smiling demurely. A smile was on
Jaisyn’s lips as well.
Mathilda immediately rushed to
Jaisyn and Asha retreated slightly to
allow the queen to envelop her sister
in her arms. Her eyes remained on
Isolde, who stared at Jaisyn as if she
were a ghost, and whose eyes were
growing moist as the seconds passed.
“We knew you would be fine,”
Mathilda whispered fiercely, and
Jaisyn kissed her sister’s cheek. She
pulled away from Jaisyn, laughing
slightly as she wiped the hints of tears
from her eyes, and then looked to her
side, expecting to see Isolde. When
she didn’t find her sister, she spun and
stared at the door. Isolde had not
moved. Mathilda’s eyebrows crinkled
and she turned to Jaisyn.
Isolde moved to Jaisyn slowly,
stopping before her sister as if afraid
that at any moment, she’d disappear.
“I’m all right, Isolde.” She nodded
to emphasize that she was. Isolde
leaned down and Jaisyn pulled her
into a hug. “Are you?”
She nodded against Jaisyn’s neck,
feeling hot tears slide down her cheek
and onto her sister. “I will be.”
Pulling back, Jaisyn stared at her for
long moments. “Will you come to me
again before the day is out?”
Isolde did not wish to speak about
Varian and she knew Jaisyn’s reason
for requesting her presence again
would no doubt lead to that. She
nodded and brushed the tears from
her face in a quick gesture. “I will be
fine, Jaisyn, and I will come back to
visit you.”
Smiling, she squeezed her sister’s
hands in hers and indicated her bed.
Looking to Mathilda and Isolde, she
said, “Find somewhere to sit. Anne
was just speaking of her latest suitor.”
Anne chuckled and continued on.
Isolde pretended to listen but her
mind was on Varian. Was he hurting?
Had he reached the Mountains yet?
***
Vulcan awoke on a sigh that turned
into a groan, and finally, a low curse.
He was hard, painfully so. After a
long day, which had been spent
vigorously training with his warriors,
appointing soldiers to the rank of
warrior, appointing squires to the rank
of soldier, taking requests from
nobles, speaking with his Justices and
other things that were too insignificant
for Vulcan to remember, he’d walked
to his wife’s chambers, stripped bare,
and slipped under the covers with her.
She’d already been asleep as he
brushed his lips across hers and
proceeded to sleep the sleep of the
dead.
At some point in the night, his wife’s
body had spooned into his, her bed
gown had ridden up, and her naked
bottom was pressed against him. He
was about to move his hips away from
temptation when she moved against
him. It was a slight shift of her hips,
but it sent a full swing of need straight
through his body.
He moaned low in his throat. Even
in sleep, this woman could arouse
him.
Scooting away, he was about to roll
onto his back when her body moved
with his, pressing up against him once
more. His shaft grazed the soft hairs
between her legs and he felt the heat
emitting from her. Vulcan remained
immobile. More than anything, he
wanted to push her onto her back, and
delve
into
her
body,
but
he
remembered she’d been ill only two
days ago. If he took her in this state,
he would probably hurt her.
Vulcan was in the process of
throwing the furs from his body and
moving from the bed when her hand
suddenly landed on his hip. He stared
at the back of her head in amazement.
Was she awake?
“Make love to me, Vulcan.”
She pressed back against him again,
grinding her hips against the erection
she’d worked hard at getting in the
past minutes. Jaisyn had awoken from
a vivid dream of Vulcan touching her,
and had immediately wanted the real
thing. After pulling her bed gown to
her waist, she’d pressed herself
against him slowly, moving herself