“Have you eaten this morning?” he asked, pulling her gaze away from the sparkling city nestled in the sea. She shook her head. “Come, let us eat together.” He twined his fingers with hers, leading her down into the cabin.
* * *
After they finished eating, Callum left her to speak with the ship’s captain and the other men. Now that she sat alone, she let their earlier conversation sink in again. Felix would be on his way to them. Her husband, the love of her life, would go up against her own brother. What if they faced each other during the battle? What if Callum killed her only living family member? Would he even know it was her brother, or would he be lost in his rage? She hated what Callum was doing, and yet she loved the man with all her heart and more. One of her hands instantly went to her stomach, rubbing soothing circles.
What if she lost him before their unborn child was even brought into the world? The thought was a regular one, and one that haunted her constantly. If she could run away with Callum and hide, keeping him safe from any peril, she would. She knew it was impossible. This war had been his life goal, and she knew nothing would make him turn away from it. Not even her.
Rose went up to the deck, breathing in the fresh, salty air. The sun was shining that day, the air warm. It was so different down here than it was up in the north. She loved it. The water sparkled like thousands of tiny diamonds. At night the sky was a magnificent mixture of vibrant purples and pinks. It was breathtaking. Then the twin moons would come out and cast their blue glow on the land, while the city of the Sun People lit up like a beacon in the sky. She wished with all her being to be able to walk the streets of the city. It was so unlike the small farming village she had grown up in, or the cold castle where she spent the six months after her capture. There was beauty in this place, and a promise of love and laughter.
Rose looked out at the city, now quiet in the early morning. She knew it would be a while before she would be able to see people moving around the shores, or hear the bustle of people within. Things were slower down here. There was no getting up at the crack of dawn to go work in the fields. If only she could sneak over there, she thought wistfully. It was impossible though. For one, she would have to row herself over in one of the smaller boats, which she wouldn’t get far in doing. For another, the soldiers stationed in the city had spotted them shortly after their arrival. Before she ever reached their shores, arrows would most assuredly rain down on her, effectively ending her short quest.
“What are you staring at with such longing?” Callum’s voice came from behind her. “I thought I told you to only ever look at me that way.” She looked over her shoulder to see him grinning. He was so utterly handsome when he smiled. She could remember when they first met, how rare it was to catch one of his smiles. He had always been so serious, except with her. She could often incite a smile from him, even in those days. Even when, according to him, he had no idea what to do with her – his prisoner of war. It amused her to know how much he argued with himself when he had first captured her. To think, she spent so many of those nights worrying about him, and what he wanted, while he was practically thinking the same thing. It hadn’t taken either of them very long to figure out they had fallen in love with one another.
“Why don’t we sneak off and go to the city?” she asked, knowing what the answer would be, but deciding to ask anyway.
Callum laughed lightly. “That, my love, would be extremely difficult, considering we would be watched the entire time by an array of men just waiting to shoot us,” he answered, placing a hand on the railing on either side of her body. She leaned back into his chest, welcoming the enclosure of his arms. “That,” he continued, “and we would need to take one of the smaller boats, and I’m not sure it could handle your extra weight.” Rose scoffed, smacking him in the chest indignantly. He chuckled, catching her hand in his and bringing it to his mouth for a quick kiss.
“Sometimes I prefer the days where you were quiet and brooding all the time,” she replied.
He laughed again, burying his face in her neck. “But then you would not hear me say how much I love you all the time,” he replied, his voice muffled against her skin.
“I did not realize jesting about my weight was a term of endearment in your eyes. How silly of me,” she answered dryly.
“’Tis all it is, but a jest my love.”
“Uh-huh”
He straightened up. “Do you grow restless?”
“A little,” she lied. She was extremely restless, but she hated to make Callum feel even guiltier than he already did.
He slowly turned her to face him. “Since when do you mince words with me, Rose?”
She smiled sheepishly. “Fine, yes I’m extremely restless. I hate being on this boat all the time. I want to be able to move around more, see what the land is like down here. I’ve never been this far from home and I’m curious.”
He smiled down at her. By the Gods did she love when the man smiled. “That’s better. I know how frustrating this is Rose. No one here likes being cooped up on this old boat. Which is why the captain and I have decided to leave.”
“Leave?” A ray of hope ignited in her chest.
“I told him about Aziz wanting us to wait, and we both decided the strategic thing to do is to have our men stationed on the shore, so that we effectively cut off Markus and my brother from the city, and stop the men in the city from getting to Markus. Once we eliminate the threat of the King’s army, we can turn our attention to the city, and easily take whoever is left in there.” All hope slipped away. He didn’t mean leave completely, he just meant the ship. She desperately tried not to think of where her brother would be during this plan. A small kick pushed at her stomach from inside. The baby seemed to always feel when Rose was worried or upset. She placed a reassuring hand on the growing bump.
“When will be leaving?” she asked, steering away from the harder issues.
“The captain and my men are preparing now. They’ll have a tent set up for us shortly. First we need to move the ship closer to the shore, further back along the coast where we won’t be seen leaving it.”
“I’ll go pack our things then,” she said, quickly moving herself around him and disappearing down into the cabin, before he could see the tears building in her eyes.
* * *
Once they had successfully disembarked, they walked through the forest that lined the sandy shoreline. The sun filtered through the trees, warming her whenever she passed through its rays. It felt wonderful to finally move again. She caught a few worried glances in her direction, as if they expected someone to swoop down and take her from where she stood. Their protectiveness made her smile.
It was only a short time before they came to the clearing where the main docks to Nysa sat. Small establishments, mostly taverns, sat along the shore as well. Rose could see that all of them had been abandoned, probably at the first sign of the northern army. It looked like a ghost town now. No ships sat in the harbour, and no people could be heard or seen in what was probably a busy place during normal times.
Callum immediately began shouting orders. The camps were set up close to the forest for extra protection, while shifts were organized for the soldiers to watch both the shore and the land where the opposing army would soon arrive. Now all they had to do was wait.
The tent was the same one they spent countless nights in the last time they were at war. Rose inhaled a deep breath of the familiar scent of man, dirt, and fresh air. Their bed was set up with the same fur blankets and pillows, as well as the familiar ornamental rug on the floor, which helped to keep the small area warmer than normal. Callum had yet to unpack all his maps and books, but she knew he had brought them.
He entered their tent long after the sun had set. Rose sat combing out her hair as he opened the flaps and stomped in. His boots were caked with mud and he wore no shirt in the warm air of the south. His black riding pants sat low on his hips, showing off the muscles of his stomach and chest. Long dark hair flowed free
ly down to his shoulders, for once, instead of tied back like he normally wore it. His dark eyes raked over her as he sat down to remove his boots.
“Here, let me,” he said when he was done, moving to sit behind her and gently taking the brush from her hands. He put one leg on either side of her, while running the brush slowly through her long strands. She relaxed, enjoying the feeling of his hands, which looked so tough normally, but were surprisingly gentle when it came to her. As he swept her hair to one side, he placed a slow, warm kiss to the sensitive skin behind her ear.
“Do you think Aziz will come this time?” she asked, tilting her head further to the side as he continued his kisses up the side of her neck.
“I doubt it,” he answered, sitting back again to continue his brushing.
“Why doesn’t he fight? Is this not his war as well?” she said, her voice betraying the anger she felt towards the mysterious third party in all of this.
She could feel Callum’s chest vibrate as he laughed softly. “Aziz is not a soldier, Rose. He is not used to the hardship of war like we are.”
“No, his role is to provide you with an undefeatable army, and yet he fails at that too.”
He laughed loudly now. “My Rose, if I didn’t know any better I would think you feel less than favourable of the man.”
“You never know any better,” she replied dryly.
He circled his arms around her, crushing her back to his chest. She rested her head against his shoulder. “Aziz is a complicated man, and definitely not an immortal. The last time he created those creatures, it took far more out of him then I think anyone imagined. It will take time for him to recover enough to begin again.”
“How do you know he hasn’t created them again? We know nothing of what he does. No one even knows where he is!”
“True, but when someone is your ally, you must trust them. I can only take what he tells me as being honest. What reason would he have to lie?” Rose could think of many reasons, but she knew none of them were based on facts, simply her gut feeling.
Instead of answering his question she asked one of her own. “Why does he push you to fight before he can provide you with reinforcements? He sends you on a mission where you’ll likely be outnumbered. He did it with Brutus too, and look what happened.”
“I will not die Rose, I promise you that,” he said softly against her ear.
“You cannot promise those things Callum. We’ve been through this before. Don’t offer me words that I will use to curse you with should they prove false.”
He chuckled. “Ah my wife, you are always so ready and willing to curse me.” She snorted, but remained quiet. “We will fight this war, and then figure out what to do with Aziz. For now, let us not discuss him anymore. I’d rather be doing other things with you then talking about another man.” She laughed as he quickly, and effortlessly moved her from between his legs to lay her out on the bed. He stretched out beside her, holding himself up with one elbow as he looked down. All his love was in his eyes, and she basked in it. His other hand rested on her belly. “Do you not look forward to being a Queen?”
She remained silent for a moment, caught by surprise at the question. She let it roll around in her head, deciding what her honest answer would be, but she already knew what she would answer. It was easy for her. “I only want to be your wife,” she said, putting a hand on his cheek. “I don’t care about titles, I don’t care about riches, I just care that we’re together, alive and healthy. I want us to grow old together, to see our grandchildren born. I want to have more children with you, and have a loving home to raise them in. I just want us to be happy.” The last part was said on a whisper. She watched as so many emotions crossed his face. There was sadness there, a longing for the same thing, and guilt. Always guilt. For bringing her into his life, one that was solely centred on war and destruction.
“I will make you happy, Rose. No matter what. I promise you that.” He leaned in and kissed her softly on the lips at first, then deepened it as she brought her arm around his neck, holding him close. She let the conversation drop, and simply enjoyed the moment with the man she loved. The days to come would see many changes, and right then she wanted to be with him while it was just them, and things were as they should be. One never knew if that moment could be the last.
CHAPTER SIX
Jameson hurried along the halls. Most of his men were waiting outside, the sun having just risen. He and Chancellor Ottman had sat all morning going over everything that needed to be addressed before he left. He had complete faith in his chancellor and the High Priest, Alistair, to run the Capital in his absence.
The sky outside was grey still, the morning sun not quite at its fullest. It was cool, but he instructed everyone to pack light. It would be warmer in the south, and it didn’t make sense to carry more than they needed to.
Lost in thought, it wasn’t until he almost walked past her that he realized Diana stood waiting in the hall. Taken by surprise, he faltered to a stop in front of her. “Diana,” he greeted casually.
“Jameson,” she replied, addressing him informally like she always did. Her brows were drawn together, causing fine lines between her eyes. Her normally smooth features looked tight with worry. There was something different about the look in her eyes, and he didn’t like it.
“What is the matter?” he asked, a spike of worry immediately forming in his chest.
“I want to come with you,” she said in a determined tone. He gave her a searching look. She shift nervously under his stare, her eyes lowering towards the ground momentarily, before she looked back up to meets his, beseechingly. “I failed him last time Jameson, I won’t do it again. I know how you feel about me being near the battle, but I can’t stay behind knowing something might happen again. I want to be there in case he needs me.” Jameson didn’t need to ask who she was referring to. Diana had a strange bond with Aiden, one that Jameson respected. Her crystal blue eyes begged him to understand, her lips pursed together in anticipation of his refusal.
Slowly, knowing she wouldn’t expect it, he smiled gently at her. The tension in her mouth eased slightly. “You can come,” he said, surprising them both. He hadn’t known he would say it until he did. Truthfully he wanted her as far away from the war as possible, but he was smarter than that. Despite his own wants and needs, Jameson knew that there was a high possibility that Aziz would make an attempt on Aiden again, especially since he failed in the west. Diana was the only one who could send him back to his home if the need arose.
“Really?” she asked, her voice almost a whisper. Instinctively Jameson reached out to tuck a white blond strand of hair behind her ear. Her spine stiffened at the act. He tried to ignore it, and the pain it caused to see her react to him in such a way. Letting his hand drop, he smiled sadly at her now.
“I know what he means to you, so I will not deny you this. You are not to get anywhere near the actual fighting, but you may stay close behind in case we need help.”
Diana raised a hand to touch the strands of hair he had just tucked away. She didn’t even seem conscious of the fact that she had done so, he noticed. “Thank you,” she smiled hesitantly. “I confess, I thought we would argue about this.”
Jameson chuckled softly. “I gave up arguing with you a long time ago, Diana. It’s never gotten me anywhere.” They looked at each other in silence. So many things were unsaid between them.
Suddenly someone cleared their throat. Jameson turned to see Melaine standing a short distance away. The two women were so different than the other. Where Diana was soft, pale, and blonde, Melaine was darker, her raven hair pulled back from sharp cheekbones and accented eyes. Jameson and Melaine had been lovers for years now, but Diana still held a special place in his heart. The two women were never together like this, and for some reason, he became extremely nervous. Not that he thought either of them cared, but he could still feel sweat on his neck and palms.
“My King,” she greeted, curtseying gracefully in her elegant
yellow gown. She turned her head and inclined it towards the other woman. “Diana,” she said lightly. Jameson swallowed nervously. He felt like a child again, caught doing something he shouldn’t. You didn’t do anything, he reminded himself. They were simply talking in a public hallway. There was nothing wrong with that.
“Melaine,” Diana greeted back, smiling at the other woman. Did her smile look slightly forced? Jameson wondered. He mentally shook himself. Of course it wasn’t Diana was the most genuine person he knew, and she had no reason to feel ill towards Melaine.
“I thought I’d come to see you off,” Melaine continued, turning her attention to him.
“Of course, that would be lovely,” he said in a calm voice, regaining his composure. He would not show these two women that anything was wrong. Because there wasn’t, he reminded himself again. He turned to look at Diana, returning to their regular formal demeanour. “Was that all you needed then?” he asked. He thought he saw her slightly flinch at his dismissal.
Diana smiled, and nodded. “That was all,” she replied. In a quick movement, she walked forward and placed a kiss on his cheek before stepping back again. “I’ll see you outside.” With that, she turned and walked down the hall, her slippers barely making a sound against the marble floors. Jameson stood stunned, wanting to touch his cheek, but knowing Melaine was watching him for a reaction. There was no way she would know that this was the first time Diana had ever done such a thing in over ten years. Perhaps she would just assume that was a normal exchange between them. With extreme effort, he turned to Melaine and smiled gently at her.
“Shall we?” he said, offering her his arm.
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