Bliss was only a few steps from the cottage when her stomach protested most vehemently. She hurried a short distance to the edge of the woods, not wanting to be sick in front of the cottage. She was about to lean over, ready to heave, when an arm wrapped around her waist.
T
rey pressed his hand gently against Bliss’s stomach, and she leaned back against him, taking a deep breath. He had been worried about her after she left the keep. She had turned much too pale while talking with him, and she had refused any sustenance. It hadn’t surprised him when his mum had questioned him, not once but several times. It seemed she wanted confirmation from what she had already surmised, that Bliss carried his child . . . but Trey would not acknowledge it.
It would give his mum another reason to question his marriage to Bliss in ways that would only anger him, and so he kept their secret. Besides, he wasn’t ready to share it. He liked that only Bliss and he and no other knew, and when the time proved right, and they agreed, they would share the news, but not until then.
“I don’t know what power you hold, but you instantly calmed your son, and I am grateful,” Bliss said, relieved to have her husband’s back for support.
“He is a good son; he listens to his da.”
“It would seem he is strongly connected to his da to feel him when he is nothing more than a sprouting seed.”
Trey laughed softly. “A seed I enjoyed planting.”
He barely heard her light laughter though he felt it. It raced through him, sparking his senses and tightening his groin. Now was not the time to grow hard for her.
Her hand slipped over his, resting her fingers between his splayed ones. “I am ripe for planting anytime, my soil always moist and ready for you.”
The growling moan rumbled deep in his chest. “If you were feeling well, I would plant here, right now, in the falling snow, but since you’re not . . .
He scooped her up in his arms knowing, that if he didn’t retreat soon, they would be making love on the snow-covered ground. “You need to rest.” He kissed her quick. “We’ll plant later.”
Bliss wrapped her arms around her husband’s neck and laid her cheek against his and shivered.
“You are cold,” he said, annoyed with himself for letting his groin rule. “I will take you back to the keep to rest.”
“No, Dolca offered me her cottage for a while, and I would like to take advantage of its solitude.”
His chest tightened at the thought that she wanted to be alone. He had intended staying with her and making certain she was well. Did he respect her desire to be alone or did he insist he stay and see to her care?
He wanted to spend all the time he could with her, for he knew that battle drew ever nearer. Warriors were sent out today to MacAlpin land’s farthest borders to camp, keep watch, and relay messages about the soldiers’ movements. It was only a matter of time before the first skirmish erupted into full-fledged war, and the time would come for the true king to lead his people.
Trey entered the small cottage and walked over to the bed, much too narrow for two people though not if one lay on top of the other. He shook his head as he lowered her feet to the ground.
She giggled and looked up at him. “As much as I’d like to stretch out on the bed, it is much too small to hold us both, and, at the moment, I’d much prefer to snuggle against you and . . .” She took hold of his hand and rested it against her stomach. “Calm your son again.”
Trey placed his cloak on the ground before the hearth, and, after she settled in his lap, he used her cloak as a blanket for added warmth. Once comfortable, he slowly stroked her stomach.
“When I said I wished solitude, I never meant that I wanted to be alone,” she said.
He knew it shouldn’t have surprised him that she had known his thoughts. She always knew his thoughts where she was concerned, and perhaps that explained why she was always moist with desire for him.
“I did not invade the privacy of your thoughts; I felt your disappointment and saw it in your eyes, just like now I see a flicker of desire.”
“It burns constantly for you.”
“As does mine for you,” she said, and brushed her lips over his.
“I am having a difficult time keeping my hands off you.”
“Perhaps you can convince your son to remain calm so that his parents can . . .” She touched her lips to his and kissed him gently.
He responded, telling himself that they could share a kiss, a tender one that led nowhere, but when had kissing Bliss ever led nowhere. Whenever their lips met, passion flamed, whether the kiss was simple or hungry didn’t matter.
He felt it then, the unease in her stomach, and it forced him to end the kiss.
“Kissing will wait until you feel better,” he insisted, and tucked her cloak around her.
“I could erect a shield so that you don’t sense anything,” she offered.
“No,” he snapped though not meaning to. He softened his tone. “I will not have you shielding me from anything. I will share it all with you.”
She grinned and laughed briefly. “Even when it is time to birth the babe?”
He cringed. “I hadn’t thought of that.”
“It is for me alone to do,” she said.
He shook his head. “I never want you to think that you do anything alone. We have each other; we’re never alone . . . unless you prefer to be.”
“I have always embraced solitude, perhaps because I had no choice. But now, since falling in love with you, when I think in terms of solitude, you are always included. There may be times I need quiet, time to think and focus, but that doesn’t mean I don’t want you near.” She smiled. “I have come to enjoy having you around.”
“That is good,” he said with a playful tap to her nose, “for you are stuck with me.”
She shook her head slowly. “Never. Never will I feel stuck with you.”
He tucked her closer to him, too afraid to kiss her again since his groin was tightening by the minute, and he knew that if he kissed her again, he’d spring as hard as a rock.
They sat silent, enjoying the heat of the fire, his hand having gone still, afraid it would inch down and find her moist and ready for him. And then . . . there would be no stopping.
She dozed off, and he watched her sleep, this woman whom he had magically fallen in love with or whom fate had delivered to him, or who had always been meant for him. It didn’t matter; he didn’t care how they came to be, he was simply glad they had. He couldn’t imagine life without her. He couldn’t imagine not being connected with her. He couldn’t imagine loving an ordinary woman instead of an extraordinary one.
She belonged to him, and he belonged to her, and nothing, nothing would ever change that.
She stirred after only a few minutes, her eyes going wide. “I’m famished.”
He laughed. “Hunger woke you from your brief respite?”
“Hours haven’t passed?”
“No,” he confirmed. “You closed your eyes only a few moments ago.”
“I feel refreshed, as if I have slept for hours, and more hungry than I ever recall being.”
Bliss scrambled to her feet before he could help her up, and he laughed. “You truly are hungry.”
She hurried them on with their cloaks and pushed a laughing Trey out the door. It didn’t take them long to get to the keep, Bliss’s rushed steps setting a fast pace.
The keep had quieted, all the warriors having gone off to their prospective duties. The MacAlpin family were the only ones left, along with Dolca, who looked to be having a grand time with her great-grandbabies.
It was obvious to him that Mercy knew that Dolca was her grandmother, but why hadn’t others been made aware of it?
“I asked them to wait until I was here,” Bliss answered, as if he had spoken the question aloud.
He eased their gait, not wanting to get too close to his family before he had a chance to say, “It seems that since learning that you carry my son, your ability to know and hear my thoughts has multiplied substantially.”
Bliss stopped with a gasp and turned stunned eyes on him. “You’re right. Your thoughts have gotten clearer in my head. It’s as though I feel and know your every thought.”
He shook his head. “That’s not good. There are things you do not need to know, things that do not concern you, and things I do not want you worrying over.”
She smiled. “How about things you want to keep private?”
He laughed. “Is that even possible? Keeping something private from you?”
Her smile vanished, and he knew he had made a mistake.
“I’ll just erect that shield, then you’ll have all the privacy you want.”
He chuckled. He couldn’t help it. “I have never known you to get angry with me. You’re delightful when you’re angry.”
Her eyes narrowed, and she looked ready to give him a tongue-lashing when suddenly she stopped. “Where is this anger coming from? This is not me. I do not like it.”
He almost chuckled though he thought better of it and instead went to speak, but she stopped him with a warning.
“Don’t dare tell me again that I’m delightful when I’m angry.”
Being wise, he said nothing.
She leaned against him for support, and he quickly slipped a firm arm around her. “I should eat,” she said.
“Yes, you should,” he agreed with a smile, and they went to join his family.
His chest swelled with such happiness that he thought he would burst. It had been so long since he had felt so elated, and he had thought he’d never know such a thrill again. But now, with Bliss as his wife, the strength of her love, and a son on the way, he finally knew contentment. Even with war looming on the horizon, he had confidence that the true king would prevent as much bloodshed as possible.
They had not been sitting long, Bliss enjoying the fresh food brought to her, when Roan arrived, with Langward leaning heavily on his shoulder. Bliss took one look at him and stood. Trey was about to stop her but thought better of it. This was who she was and what she did. He admired and respected her for it, and he would not stand in her way.
She turned to him. “Can I put him in your bedchamber?”
“Put him in Reeve’s. I have my bedchamber back, and I intend to make use of it.”
“Are you sure of that?” she asked quite seriously.
He nodded. “I am.”
She shook her head, and he wondered if he had just made a mistake though he couldn’t figure out what it could be.
Roan looked to Trey as he approached. “We need to talk after I am done settling Langward.”
Trey nodded and helped with the injured Pict. He didn’t like leaving Bliss on her own after she hadn’t been feeling well. He walked over to her where she hovered over the ailing Langward.
“Are you sure you are well enough to handle this?” he asked.
She smiled and pressed her cheek to his. “It is so good to know and feel how much you worry over me, but know that I am fine, feeling much better and looking forward to the noon meal.”
He laughed, and he knew her words were not only truthful but meant to lighten his spirit. “If you need anything . . .”
“I will reach out to you.”
“I will be listening for you,” he said, and gave her a quick kiss before reluctantly leaving her.
He and Roan joined his brothers and his da in the solar. They were all waiting impatiently for news.
Roan didn’t waste time. “The attack came quick and ended just as quickly. The strange thing about it was that the soldiers ended it after one shouted to the others that there was no woman there.”
“They search for a woman?” Reeve said, sounding as puzzled as the others looked.
“It would seem so,” Roan confirmed. “We assume they search for Bliss, the king having learned of her powers and wanting to use them to his advantage”—he shook his head—“though no mention was made of a seer or healer, so I cannot be sure.”
“Who would they search for if not for Bliss?” Duncan asked.
No one had an answer, and, for some reason, Trey had the distinct feeling that it wasn’t his wife whom the soldiers were after. The problem was he had no idea who else it could be if not for Bliss.
The men talked further, then Trey realized how exhausted Roan was and offered him food and rest. The Pict gladly accepted and went off with a servant. The others briefly discussed the situation but could find no answers, and so they all went their separate ways to see to the day’s duties, with plans to discuss the matter later.
Since Trey had only just returned home, he had no pressing duties. And so he went to join his wife, only to find a servant girl watching over Langward. She explained that Bliss had finished tending the young Pict warrior and left.
Trey checked his bedchamber but found it empty, then it hit him; Bliss was hungry. There would be only one place she’d be.
Sure enough, he found her in the kitchen, talking with Etty and munching on cheese and freshly baked bread. He realized that she had barely had a chance to eat when Roan had arrived. She had left her food to attend to Langward.
As soon as she saw him, she hurried to his side and gave him a quick kiss, then offered him a piece of cheese. He accepted it with a smile, pleased that she was finally able to eat.
He spoke too soon.
Reeve entered the kitchen. “We need you in the great hall; one of our warriors has returned with urgent news.”
Bliss looked from Trey to Reeve. “The king’s soldiers have crossed the Pict border.”
T
he MacAlpin family was gathered in the great hall. Reeve joined his wife near the hearth, slipping his arm around her waist, Mercy and Duncan sat snug against each other at the table, Charlotte stood in front of Bryce, his arm draped protectively across her chest and his hand snug at her waist. Carmag, Mara, and Idris stood off to the side, speaking in whispers, and Roan and five of his men stood in a circle talking. When they caught sight of Bliss, they rushed to her.
“What do we do?” Roan asked.
“At the moment, nothing,” she said to the surprise of all.
“Do you know whom the soldiers search for?” Roan asked.
“Aye, I do, and I believe others here know as well,” Bliss said, turning and looking from one to the other until finally . . .
“Oh hell,” Mara said, stepping forward. “I suppose it’s time for the truth to be made known.”
Dolca stepped forward as well. “Aye, it’s been a long time coming.”
Mercy smiled at her and hugged her husband’s arm, which tightened protectively around her.
“You know who the king searches for among the Picts?” Roan asked.
Mara nodded. “King Kenneth searches for the woman who will be queen.”
Silence hung heavy in the air, no one uttering a word.
Mara continued. “You are all aware that to be a true king of Scotland, you must be born of a Pict mother. The king then must marry a Pict if he wishes his heir to have a claim to the throne. It is the reason King Kenneth has no true claim on the title. He was not born of a Pict mother. His wife conveniently died shortly after he took the throne; he intended to wed Tara for her substantial dowry, then kill her, and, finally, after having learned that the future queen was with the Picts, I’m sure the king’s plan is to find her and wed her himself.”
Tara spoke up. “That means that Reeve is not the future king since I am no Pict.”
“Is that relief I hear?” Reeve asked as he hugged her.
“Yes,” she said, cuddling closer to him. “You’re a handful now. I could not imagine how you would be if you were king.”
Everyone laughed, the brothers’ teasing remarks agreeing with her.
Charlotte was quick to point out. “That would omit Bryce and me since I am no Pict, and Mara is no Pict so that eliminates Trey, leaving Duncan to be the true king.”
Dolca stepped forward. “I am the king’s grandmother, and Mercy is his half sister.”
There were several audible gasps from the women.
Charlotte took several steps away from Bryce. “It’s you. You’re the true king?” She shook her head. “I’m not a Pict. You knew this all along. You knew you could never wed me.”
Bryce squared his shoulders and stepped forward, his head high, his muscles taut. “I am the rightful king, and you will be my queen.”
Charlotte shook her head. “No, I will not. My da told me how important the true king was to Scotland. The good he would do, and how his queen would help him and bear him many children, one of whom would be king.” She shook her head again. “I will not see you sacrifice that for me. It is not right.”
“You will be my queen,” he repeated, and stepped toward her, but she scooted back away from him. Odin made his way to her side, taking a protective stance next to her.
“Your queen waits for you amongst the Picts,” Charlotte said. “And why don’t you seem surprised to know you have a sister?”
Mara answered. “Bryce has known for some time that Mercy is his sister, and so have his brothers.”
Bryce looked to Mercy. “I’m sorry I couldn’t tell you and sorry that Duncan was forced to keep it from you, but it was a matter of protection for us both.”
Mercy nodded. “I understand. It’s just that all that time I thought my mum was trying to find you to make me your mistress when she was—”
“Seeing to your protection,” Bryce said, “seeing you safely reunited with your brother, the king. She gave her life for both of us.”
Charlotte shook her head. “I don’t understand any of it.”
“Let me explain,” Dolca offered, looking to Bryce for permission.
He nodded, and she continued.
“After Bryce’s da was killed in battle, my daughter, Kate, knew that she had to do everything possible to protect the future king, and so a plan was set in motion. She had yet to receive her Pict markings, and so she decided that the best way to protect her son was to get close to his enemy. She had told Bryce time and again that if anything were to happen to her or his da, he was to go to Mara, her best friend, and she would take care of him. Once Kate was certain that Bryce had arrived at Mara’s safely, she left, and it took her a little time, but she made herself known to King Kenneth. Since she was a beautiful woman, he could not resist her; and so she became his mistress.”
Dolca looked to Mercy. “She had no plans to give birth to the king’s child, but the herbs she took to prevent it from happening failed once, and so she gave birth to Mercy. She loved her dearly and knew that if the king ever found out that his daughter was half sister to the true king, he would surely kill her.
“Kate spied on the king for years, supplying the MacAlpins with information they could never have learned any other way. She would pass the information to me, and I would pass it to Mara. Not many men pay attention to gossiping women. When she learned that the king knew of her deception she—” Dolca choked back tears.
Mara continued. “She contacted her son and asked to meet with him so that she could be the one to tell him the truth. She also requested that he bring the piece of hide with him. It needed to be destroyed. No one could get it and learn the truth.”
“What truth?” Charlotte asked.
“That his queen was not living among the Picts,” Mara answered. “Bliss’s grandmum predicted the birth of the queen and how important it was to keep her safe, and so when she was born, her mum and da, Picts, left Pict territory and set out on a journey to do just that and to teach her all she would need to know to be a great queen.”
Idris stepped forward. “Forgive me, dear daughter, for not telling you the truth, but it was imperative that you be kept safe for the king.”
Charlotte shook her head, as if trying to comprehend it all. “I’m a Pict,” she said, as if saying it helped it to make sense. “What if I hadn’t fallen in love with the king?”
Trey laughed. “Fate had decreed it. You and Bryce were always meant to be.”
“You knew?” Charlotte asked.
Trey shook his head. “None of us knew about you. That was for the king alone to know, and we all believed that was why mum was not too happy when you showed up with Bryce. You were no Pict as far as we knew.”
“I wasn’t sure either since I was kept from knowing the queen’s identity,” Mara said. “It was only until later, when I spoke with Dolca, then with Idris, that I was told the truth.”
“Again, I am sorry, Charlotte,” her da said. “I did what had to be done. What I knew would make you happy, and I was so very happy when you introduced me to Bryce. I knew when I saw how much you loved him that your mum and I had made the right choice those many years ago.”
Charlotte turned sharply to glare at Bryce. “When did you know I was to be your queen?”
“I knew nothing until after I fell in love with you and decided I would wed you whether you were a Pict or not,” he said.
“That was a foolish and selfish thing to do,” she scolded walking over to him, then smiled. “But I am glad to hear it.”
He took her in his arms. “It is also why I have waited to wed you. We will have a wedding ceremony and huge celebration once I am crowned king. And then I will crown you my queen.”
There were many misty-eyed women and grinning men as the king kissed his future queen.
Bliss leaned back against her husband, and it was a good thing she did. The vision hit fast, and she felt her body go limp and Trey’s arms close around her.
Charlotte and she ran from the keep into the woods, snow covered the ground, and the skies were gray. She couldn’t sense if anyone followed, and yet she knew danger was near. She urged Charlotte to go faster, then, suddenly, they both stood on the edge of an open field, and she felt it heavy around her . . . death.
She woke with a gasp and was grateful to find herself cradled in Trey’s arms, where he knelt on the floor. He held her close and looked relieved to see that the vision had ended.
Everyone else stood in a circle around them, each looking more concerned than the other and for different reasons.
Bryce asked the obvious question. “What did you see?”
“Charlotte and I running from the keep and into the woods, snow on the ground, a cloudy sky, then an open meadow—” She grabbed her throat and coughed, unable to bring herself to finish.
Trey stared at her, letting her know that he knew she had not told them everything. She turned, pressing her face against his chest, silently imploring him to leave it be for now. Thankfully, he did, though she knew it was only a temporary reprieve. He would want answers, and she would have to tell him.
“It is time for this to end. I will not see any more of my people suffer,” Bryce said. “The seer predicted that when I meet death on my own, that is when I claim the throne. It is time for me to face King Kenneth. It is for him and me alone to join into battle and settle this once and for all.”
Bliss sensed that his words rang true. The true king would bring an end to this, and peace would reign, but who would live to see it?
I
t was a long evening, with so much to discuss. Dolca went into detail about Mercy and Bryce’s mum, and caused many a tear to fall. There were so many questions that could finally be answered and so many secrets allowed to be revealed.
It seemed like yesterday that he and his brothers had been young and been told about the true king. They had all known it had been Bryce but since his mum never treated any of them differently, and Bryce had never tried to rule over them, they had grown up equals. That didn’t mean they would not give the king his due and show him respect, but Trey knew that to them and to Bryce, he would always be their brother first and king second.
As the evening wore on, Bliss wore out quickly. With all that had happened since their return to the MacAlpin home, she hadn’t gotten much sleep. And as anxious as he was to ask her about her vision, he was more eager for her to rest. When they reached his bedchamber, she immediately climbed into bed and fell asleep in seconds. He thought to undress her, but he didn’t wish to disturb her, and so he lay down beside her and slept.
He woke just as dawn was breaking, as he always did, and was surprised to find the spot beside him empty. He sat up and didn’t need to look far to find her.
She was pacing the floor in front of the glowing hearth, her expression troubled.
He got out of bed and approached her though he kept a distance from her. He wanted to reach out and take hold of her but wasn’t sure if he should, at least not just yet. “You are upset. Has it anything to do with your vision?”
She shook her head, stopped pacing, then nodded and started walking again, only to shake her head once more.
Trey thought he’d see if he could sense what agitated her, but after several minutes of feeling nothing, he had had enough. He stepped in front of her and grabbed her by the shoulders. “Tell me what’s wrong. We will handle this together.”
“Fate—”
“Has sent me to help you,” he finished. “Now tell me so that I may do what fate intended.”
She spoke fast, as if she feared she wouldn’t have the courage to finish. “Death hangs heavy in the air, and I know not whom it will strike.”
Trey went cold inside, and every muscle in his body tightened in fear. “I will not let it take you.”
“It is not your choice.”
He knew he could not stop death, and yet he would battle death itself to keep her safe. A shiver raked her body, whether out of fear or chill, he did not know. “You are cold, come and let us talk in bed—”
“No,” she snapped, and wrenched out of his arms. “I will not lie in that bed.”
It took Trey a moment to make sense of her hostility, and when he realized the cause, he went to her side, slipped his arm around her, and hurried her out of the room.
“I’m sorry,” he said once in the hall. “I should have never brought you here. Leora’s feelings linger, don’t they? How long have you been awake?”
“Hours.”
“Why didn’t you wake me? I would have moved us out of here.”
“I was going to at first, then her feelings took hold, and I had to explore them.” Bliss shook her head. “She is not a happy woman.”
“She has been through much.”
“Perhaps, but she is free now to be with her family, and yet I sensed that she is more unhappy than ever.”
Her words got Trey thinking as he directed her down the hall. What if Leora still lied to them? What if she still spied on them?
Bryce and Mercy were in the great hall at the table when they entered.
Trey and Bliss were reluctant to approach, knowing the two had much to discuss. Bryce waved them forward, and they joined the half siblings.
“We’ve been talking for hours,” Mercy said. “Neither of us could sleep and found the other one down here, so it gave us time alone to talk.”
“She’s told me so much about my mother that I never got a chance to know,” Bryce said.
“And it has made me see her differently,” Mercy said, “and love and admire her more than I thought I ever could.” She grinned. “And to think it is my brother who will be king. I am so proud.”
Bliss tensed suddenly, grabbing Trey’s arm. “Soldiers approach.”
Bryce bolted off the bench just as the bell tolled, signaling the same.
Bryce turned to Bliss. “Keep Charlotte safe.”
“And yourself,” Trey added, before he and his brother ran out the door.
R
eeve and Duncan flew off the stairs and raced past them.
“You women stay together,” Duncan ordered, before they disappeared out the door.
Carmag and Mara followed, scurrying into the hall, Carmag taking after his sons and Mara turning to the women.
“Get Tara, Charlotte, and the babies and bring them here,” Mara ordered.