by K. Young
Derrick looked at Scott, wondering how much he would tell Oliver since Oliver was the only one who didn't know the whole story. Scott flicked his eyes to Derrick and Derrick lifted a brow. Either Scott could tell him, or Derrick and Tristan would. There had been too many secrets between them, and that had to stop.
Scott sighed. "Very well, it seems if I don't tell you someone else will. Have a seat everyone. We need to talk."
Everyone sat as Scott told the story of why Tristan was banished, and that he had contacted Tristan shortly after the decision to rescind it and requested Tristan come home. Tristan had refused, still angry and blaming Scott, but they began a correspondence and exchanged information. It was Tristan who had first informed Scott of Derrick's nocturnal affairs, at which point Derrick threw a lamp at Tristan's head, and Scott continued by telling everyone that he and Tristan had conspired to involve Kristen by adding a cease and desist clause to her marriage contract.
Tristan filled in the blanks there by adding that Kristen flat out refused to add something like that to her contract because she had no wish to make Derrick unhappy. Derrick smiled sadly. His little Viking was quite endearing. Once the story was told, Derrick glanced at Oliver to see his reaction, and he almost laughed. Oliver was the unflappable brother. Nothing ever got to him, and he was happy to go with the flow whenever possible. But, just now, he was staring daggers at Scott.
"Unbelievable. You all kept this from me?" He looked accusingly at Derrick.
Derrick raised his hands. "Don't look at me, dear brother, I was in the dark until recently myself."
Oliver frowned and looked at Charlie. "What the hell, Charlie?"
"It wasn't my decision, Oliver. I wanted to tell you both." Charlie said quickly.
"The blame is with me. I made the decision for Tristan to leave, and I chose to keep it from you and Derrick." Scott interrupted before Oliver exploded.
"Well, you're a bloody idiot." Oliver huffed.
Everyone looked at Oliver in surprise. He was not the type to outright disrespect his brothers, especially Scott. He was more the type to charm them out of whatever pique they found themselves in. Even when the girl he was set to marry broke his heart, he was still willing to believe there was someone else better for him. He was so positive all the time that an outburst like that was definitely a shock to them all.
"What? Don't look at me like that." Oliver said. "There were any number of ways to cover that up that didn't involve sending Tristan away. That simply made him look guilty. And, you shouldn't have put the burden of secrecy on Charlie, either. All you've managed to do with your meddling is drive a wedge between us all when a solid front against the ton would have been the better option. We are weak apart, you know that. It is better that we are all together on an issue, and we can't be that when you keep us in the dark. We are no longer children, Scott. It's high time you stopped treating us as such."
The silence in the room following Oliver's speech was deafening. Derrick was proud of Oliver for speaking up, and grinned ear to ear. He glanced around the room, and the rest of his brothers had similar reactions. Oliver had given voice to complaints they'd had for years, and it felt amazing to have it out in the open. Scott, on the other hand, looked taken aback.
Scott looked at his four brothers in surprise. There weren't many issues that united them in agreement, but in this, they were agreed. Scott supposed he had been trying to protect them their whole lives. He raised them after their parents died and he supposed he never left the father role in favor of the brother role. He cleared his throat.
"Everything I've done, I've done for the four of you. I may not have made the best choices, but I only did what I thought was right. I realize that none of you are children, but my greatest fear is being awoken in the middle of the night with the message that one of you is dead, just like our parents. It is not a pleasant thing to live with. But, I'm sorry."
Tristan cleared his throat. "Bloody hell, it's getting too emotional in here. Let's skip the touchy-feely nonsense and get down to business. I think we're all in favor of forgiving each other, right?" He glanced around the room as each brother nodded in turn. "Excellent. Moving on."
Scott laughed. Leave it to Tristan to be uncomfortable with discussion of any kind. "Very well, let's discuss Kristen's disappearance. How the devil did you two make it back if both of your ships were destroyed and Derrick's crew was killed?"
"We had a small stroke of luck. Guy Atchkinson was sailing back from America and was planning to stop by Tristan's island to let the crew stretch their legs a bit. When he saw the smoke, he came ashore himself and found us. We sailed back to England straight away."
"Where is Guy now?" Scott asked.
"With his wife." Derrick answered.
"Well, he would make a very good ally in this, being the king's ambassador and all."
"He's already offered to speak to the king."
Scott nodded. "And what is your plan, then?"
"I have to find her, Scott. My guess is they took her to Norway, so I'll sail there and tear the entire country apart if I have to."
"But, you have no plan?"
"No."
Scott sighed. He wanted to help Derrick, he did. But, he didn't think it was a good idea to go head first into a situation they knew nothing about. "Derrick - "
"Don't bother. I'm aware of the risks I'm taking, and you'll just have to accept them. If it were Nicole you would do the same."
Derrick had a point there, Scott reasoned. But, still. It wasn't in Scott's nature to just let this happen. He pinched the bridge of his nose as he thought.
"I'll make this easy for you, Scott. I'm going, whether you like it or not." Derrick stood up and strode to the door. "My ship leaves in two hours, so I must be off."
"Wait!" Oliver cried. "I'm coming with you."
"Me too." Added Tristan.
"Now just a minu - "
"We just discussed this." Oliver said pointedly.
Scott swallowed his objection. Oliver was right. They were adults and they could do as they pleased. Besides, he would want all of them to help him if it were Nicole.
"Very well. Just watch your backs, if you please." Scott grouched. He understood, but he still didn't have to like it.
Derrick nodded solemnly from the door, and then left. Oliver and Tristan were close behind.
Chapter 36
Kristen was escorted to the palace throne room by the guards who had been with her since the docks. As they approached the double doors leading into the throne room, Finn tightened his grip on her arm.
"When we get inside, bow when I bow. Don't speak until you're spoken to, and watch your tone. The king is easily offended and will order you to your death. Do you
understand?"
There was a note of pleading in his voice that Kristen frowned at. She still had no idea what was intended for her, but word of her arrival had spread quickly. There were hushed whispers as she and her guards passed through the court. But, Kristen would not cower before a false king, no matter how much Finn begged her.
"I cannot make that promise, Finn. I'm sorry." She held her head up high.
On the one hand, Finn was certainly proud. She was everything he hoped his daughter would be. On the other, he thought her a fool.
"You are making a mistake. It would be better for you to go along with his majesty's wishes."
"I will hear him out, but I promise nothing beyond that."
Finn frowned. She certainly had her mother's stubbornness. They reached the doors to the throne room and the guards standing at attention threw them open, admitting the party. Kristen immediately looked around for any and all threats and exits. There were the double doors behind her, some windows, and the doors at the back of the thrones which no doubt lead to the royal chambers. But, there were also enough Viking guards to make Kristen rethink her plans of escape.
They approached the dais and Kristen noted there was a king and queen, as well as a prince, looking regal upo
n their stolen thrones. On the one hand, if they hadn't done what they had, she might not have met Derrick. On the other, her mother and grandfather would still be alive and she would know her father. She still couldn't bring herself to feel any sort of respect for them.
Several feet from the dais, Finn stopped and dropped to one knee, bowing his head. All of the other guards did the same. Kristen stood tall, her spine erect and her chin high. She would not be cowed by the likes of them. The king and queen chuckled their amusement, but the prince frowned. He and Kristen stared at each other for several seconds before he turned away and looked at his father.
"You cannot be seriously considering a marriage between me and her, father. She is rather plain. And insubordinate." The prince yawned in boredom.
Kristen lifted a brow but didn't say anything. She studied them carefully, taking in anything about them that would help her. The king was advancing in age, so it made sense that he wanted to marry his son off and ensure his bloodline continued. But, there was a dangerous power just below the surface that promised trouble for Kristen if she didn't cooperate. The queen was a simpering fool. She married the king because of his ambitions to be king, and his plan to execute those ambitions. She had nothing of value to offer beyond her looks. But, she was rather handsome, even in her older years.
But, when Kristen's eyes came back to the prince, she was surprised. Before she had seen someone who had destroyed her family, but that was the father, not the son. In the son she saw compassion. There was more going on there than met the eye, and she briefly wondered if perhaps she might have an ally in the prince. He was handsome enough, she supposed. He was tall and broad, like most of the men there, and his blonde hair flowed in soft waves to just below his shoulders. His blue eyes were vibrant, and could easily be seen from across the room, and there was stubble on his cheeks and chin that made him look rugged and charming.
If Kristen hadn't met Derrick first, she could have easily said the prince was one of the most handsome men she had ever laid eyes on. But, in her mind, he didn't compare to Derrick. Still, something about him told her not to dismiss him completely.
"Son, I'm sure you can handle a little willfulness. Besides, marrying her will ensure your rule continues unquestioned."
Kristen's eyes returned to the king. She kept her face neutral, though she truly wanted to leap across the room and scratch his eyes out, and she stared at him with the same intensity she had given the prince. The king laughed again.
"She certainly has no fear. Finn, rise and report."
Finn and his men stood up, and Finn recounted the details of their journey. Kristen remained quiet and still, waiting to see what they would do with her. After Finn finished his report, the king nodded and scratched his chin thoughtfully.
"She's a bit willful, so perhaps a week in the dungeon will teach her to be more appreciative of her good fortune." The king rose from his throne and walked down the steps toward her.
He was perhaps twice as large as his son, and he wore a heavy mantle and helmet that indicated he was a warrior. He was battle-hardened, and years in the sun had made him tan and leathery looking, though he looked fit all the same. But, his eyes were a stormy gray that weren't the least bit friendly. Despite his outward cheery demeanor, Kristen could feel the waves of loathing rolling off him the closer he came. Whatever had transpired between him and her family, it was a matter of pride. He would show her no kindness if she disobeyed him.
When he reached them, he yanked her chin up to look him in the eyes. Kristen felt Finn stiffen next to her, but he stayed where he was. The king's amused appearance vanished, and the hard king appeared before her. His lips thinned into a straight line, and his eyes became the color of steel. He pulled her close and narrowed his eyes.
"Listen well, girl. You're here by my leniency alone. You will do as I say, or I'll have your head on a platter, just like the rest of your family."
Kristen felt the rage bubble inside of her. She knew she would regret her decision, but she didn't care. She spit in the king's face, then squared her shoulders and faced him unflinchingly. The king backhanded her, knocking her to the ground. Finn immediately moved to help her up, but the king interrupted him.
"Leave her. She should learn the position well, for she will learn to respect her king."
Kristen grinned a little wolfishly as she got her feet under her and stood up on her own. Even with her hands behind her back, she had little difficulty.
"I don't respect a false king whose sense of entitlement outweighs that which he deserves." She said.
Those in the throne room gasped. Kristen saw the prince hide the ghost of a smile behind his hands and knew she was right about him. She didn't know how much help he would be to her, but she knew he was nothing like his father. The king's face turned purple with rage and he drew back his fist and punched her in the mouth. Kristen's head whipped to the side, and she stumbled into Finn who stood firm to help her catch her balance, though he didn't raise his hands.
Her teeth scraped the inside of her mouth, and it filled with blood. She laughed as she stood up and spit on the floor. The punch had hurt, but she wouldn't tell him that. She looked him dead in the eyes.
"You hit like a girl."
The king blinked. The room was so silent you could hear a pin drop, until he snarled and punched her again, this time knocking her unconscious.
"Take her to the dungeon." He spat as he walked back to his throne.
Finn lifted her from the floor and tossed her as gently as he could over his shoulder. When he turned to leave the room, he smiled. Kristen had unsettled Sander, and Finn was beginning to believe the stories from the soothsayers were more than just stories. They always said a girl would come with the courage of one thousand men, and she would destroy the king who does not belong. Naturally, Sander had ordered all soothsayers be exterminated. Any whisper of prophecy or visions was considered treason, and the guards were ordered to kill them immediately. No trial, just death.
But, as Finn turned to look at the king, there was definitely concern and a little fear branded in the harsh crease of his brows. Kristen had waltzed in without fear and done what no one else had been able to do. She didn't know it, but she had just earned the undying loyalty of about half the king's guards.
***
Adrian tossed Alice onto his bed and slammed the door. He went to the windows and drew the curtains, then returned to the center of the room where an opulent water fountain sat, still and out of use. Adrian had convinced the king that the sound of the bubbling water helped him train his girls, but the truth was that the sound of water made it more difficult for the guards outside his room to hear what he said. Adrian turned a knob on the fountain and water bubbled from the top and poured over the side of a basin, then splashed to the collection pool below.
Alice watched him carefully, afraid of what would come next. The king had granted Adrian possession of her, so she was his to do with as he pleased. He walked toward her slowly, his face an impenetrable mask. She searched his eyes, praying that whatever Kristen saw in him would be there, but she saw nothing. When he sat down next to her, Alice curled into herself and tried to pull away, but he grabbed her arm. She expected there to be pain in that touch, but there was only gentleness.
She looked at him in alarm, wondering what sort of trick this was, but he remained silent. His black hair and blue eyes complemented his tanned skin perfectly, and looking at him without any of their history clouding her judgment, Alice found she was rather attracted to him. But, she shook herself mentally. It was dangerous to go down this path again. She had loved him once and he shattered her heart.
"Alice, you don't know what you do to me." Adrian whispered.
"I'd like to rip your throat out." She replied coldly.
Adrian smiled sadly. He supposed he deserved that. She had known nothing but pain and aggression at his hands, and he didn't know how to begin unraveling that now. If he could take her away from this place he might hav
e a chance of making her believe him, but here he still had a role to play. With his free hand, he reached up and brushed a strand of hair from her face. It caused him pain to see her flinch away from his touch, but he had done that to her. She looked at him suspiciously and the words he prepared failed him. He simply didn't know what to say.
"Alice - "
"What do you want from me?"
"I want us to start over. Things can be different this time, I swear it."
"Pretty words for a black heart."
Adrian pulled her to him. She didn't fight him, but she remained rigid and unyielding. He kissed her forehead and cheeks softly and ran his hands up and down her stiff arms. But, she would not soften to him. He sighed and leaned his forehead against hers.
"What can I do to show you that you mean everything to me? You always have."
"Then let me go."
"I can't do that."
She hissed and tried to pull away from him, but he held her firm. "Not for myself, Alice. I swear it. I could endure your censure if it meant you would be happy and safe. But, if you leave here, Sander will hunt you. None of you have been safe, except for as his assassins. I've tried to protect you, can't you see that?"
"What I see is a man who has shaped me with lies and cruelty. I am what you made me, Adrian. I will not change now because you profess to be something different. Why should I believe you?"
"I knew it would not be easy, but I had hoped the girl who once loved me was still within you. Can you ever love me again?"
Alice turned away. For years when she first came to the palace, she dreamed Adrian would love her as she loved him. But, he had been cruel and hurtful, deliberately causing her pain and suffering. It would be foolish to believe his lies now. He wanted something from her, and she would need to ignore the longing in her body and pay attention to the truth that her mind was well aware of when dealing with him. She turned her head in his direction, her jaw set and lips thinned.
"No. I don't think so, Adrian."
The look of earnest hope faded from his eyes, and his shoulders slumped forward with the rejection. His mannerisms seemed so real to Alice that she wanted to cry out and reach for him, but she stopped herself. She must remember who he was.
