“You’re going to be dead if you do not release me,” I answered through gritted teeth.
Alexandre released me and I winced as my arm fell back down and fresh blood oozed out of my wound.
“You’re injured?” he said in shock as he moved towards me.
I spun around him and out the door. “I will take care of it and you will accept my offer.”
“I admire your spunk, but you can see that you and I are a good match. In time you will see that I am the best mate for you.”
“Not going to happen,” I said as I walked out of the house and to my horse.
“The wedding is in three days,” Alexandre said from the doorway. “I’ll have the seamstress meet you at the Inn.”
“Don’t waste her time. I won’t marry you.”
“Then you’ll be locked up in prison for forfeiting a deal and stealing money.”
“I have twice the money!” I yelled at him. “You’re just being unreasonable.”
“You’re being childish,” he answered with crossed arms.
I mounted my horse and trotted away from his house and to the Inn. What had I gotten myself into? The owner of the Inn showed me to a room and I collapsed onto the bed as soon as I entered. No one except the elves had ever been able to pin me. And I’d never met a human man like Alexandre. There was something different about him, something that reminded me of myself.
I groaned. It didn’t matter if he was attractive or strong or not. I couldn’t marry him. I refused to be someone’s prize or be forced to quit my job. I had worked too hard and been almost killed too many times to give it up.
Plus, I couldn’t be without Favian. The thought of never seeing him again caused me physical pain and nausea. I wondered how he was faring or if he had found and killed the ogres yet. What if he got hurt and I was not there? I shook my head at the ridiculous thought. He would be fine. I on the other hand was still bleeding and needed a healer. I changed clothes and walked down to the Inn keeper. “Can you please fetch your healer?” I asked.
He smiled. “The healer is waiting in the dining room for you. As is the seamstress.”
I walked into the dining room and sat down at the table where two older women were talking quietly. “Who’s the seamstress?” I asked.
The plumper of the two women stood. “That would be me.”
“Your services are not needed, please leave.”
She frowned. “I was giving instructions to measure you. I do not fail.”
“You are not failing. You are simply leaving.”
“I cannot leave.”
“Tell Alexandre that I threatened to cut off your hand if you so much as held a measuring rope out.”
“But you haven’t threatened me,” she said in shock.
I smiled. “I was hoping to avoid it, but I will not hesitate.”
She stared at me in horror and shock a moment and then hurried from the Inn.
“You didn’t have to scare her,” the healer said.
I exhaled. “I am in an extremely foul mood and wish only to get out of this ridiculous arrangement and be on my way to the Elven Kingdom.”
The healer pulled my shirt down and inspected my wound. “We’ve heard tales that you favor an elf, but thought it idle gossip.”
“I favor elves in general,” I answered truthfully. “Most human men are frightened of me.”
“Alexandre is not,” she said matter-of-factly.
I frowned and looked at the table as she began cleaning my wound. “No, he’s not. I believe it may be due to a brain abnormality.”
She laughed. “Or perhaps you have underestimated men.” She finished bandaging me and smiled. “You should be fine by tomorrow.”
“Thank you,” I said as I waved at the Inn owner. “Food please.”
“You might give Alexandre a chance. He is attractive, wealthy and a very nice man. I don’t think a marriage to him would be so bad.”
I didn’t say anything because she wasn’t trying to be rude or nosey so she deserved no rudeness from me. The Inn owner set food down in front of me and I ate it all despite the fact that I had suddenly lost my appetite.
I finished my food and then sat in front of the fireplace. I was in a daze when someone sat in the chair next to me. “You threatened the seamstress?” he asked.
I turned and met Alexandre’s eyes. It took me a minute to find my voice. “She wouldn’t leave.” He studied me a moment and then linked his fingers behind his head. I stared at his bulging biceps and then turned my attention to his face. “What do you want?”
“I want you to give me a chance.”
“Why?” I asked. “You don’t even know me.”
He grimaced and dropped his arms. “I did know you when we were little. You and I used to play together.”
I could only remember bits and pieces of my childhood here, but I did remember that we had played together. That did not mean he knew me though. “I’m not the same little girl you knew then. I don’t even remember that.”
He dropped his arms and leaned forward, peering at me with intense eyes. “Why are you so afraid to let me court you? Are you worried that you will realize I am actually a good guy and you could be happy with me?”
“Just take the diamonds so I can go. Please,” I whispered.
“Give me two days to prove myself and if you still want to go then, I’ll let you.”
“I have a job I’m supposed to be at,” I said angrily.
“Two days is all I am asking for. Two days and then you’ll never have to see me again,” he said with a bit of steel to his voice.
It was a good deal. I knew there was no way I would fall for him so I had nothing to lose except the time. I had always wanted to be courted and this was probably my only chance. “Fine, you have two days to court me.”
Alexandre smiled happily and kissed my cheek before leaving. “See you in the morning.”
I sat dumbfounded in my chair as I stared at the fire. After these two days I would stay away from men for as long as possible, except for the Elves. Obviously Favian was right and I needed to learn a few things about men before I flirted with them again. I made my way to my room and laid down on the bed. At least tonight I would be on a bed instead of the ground, though I still felt cold and slightly nervous without Favian with me. I knew I needed to get used to being alone to prepare myself for Favian inevitably leaving me to be King and choose a wife, but that thought had only made me crave his presence more and want to make the best of it.
I closed my eyes and pretended Favian was singing to me in Elvish like he did when I was sick or scared. I wrapped the blankets tightly around me and as I drifted off to sleep I swore I could hear him singing from Avonlea to me.
Chapter Twelve
Two loud knocks woke me from my fitful sleep and then someone entered my room. I jumped up and held my swords out in front of me, leveled with my intruder’s throat. Alexandre smiled pleasantly at me, apparently not worried that I had almost slit his throat open.
“Good morning,” he said as he pushed my swords down with his fingertips.
“You should not startle me awake. I could have killed you,” I said as I set my sword down on my bed and calmed my racing heart. I was also glad to learn that my shoulder did not hurt anymore. I was healing faster than normal lately.
“Breakfast will be ready in a few moments, so I’d appreciate it if you would wash up and get dressed so we can begin our day.”
“What are we doing?” I asked as I looked at his muddy boots, short pants, and sleeveless shirt.
“I’m taking you on a short hike to the waterfalls.”
“Waterfalls?” I asked in shock. “It’s been years since I’ve seen waterfalls.”
“Be sure to wear something you can swim in under your clothes,” he said as he closed the door behind him and walked down the stairs.
My opinion of him rose slightly at his nonchalance at me nearly skewering him. I changed quickly due to my incessant grumbling st
omach and brushed through my hair. I walked down the stairs and was pleased to see a smile on his face from my freshened appearance. Alexandre pulled a chair out for me and then scooted it in as I sat down. Luckily I was used to this treatment by the elves when I visited them so I knew how to behave as a lady. Even though I would never tell mother, I did enjoy being treated like a lady now and then.
“Coffee or tea?” Alexandre asked as he poured himself a cup of coffee.
“Tea, please.” He poured my cup and then the owner’s wife brought out food for both of us. I laid my napkin on my lap and then took a sip from my cup. “Delicious,” I said happily and in truth it was. Although nothing compared to the tea that Favian made.
I chastised myself silently for thinking of him and turned my attention back to Alexandre to give him a smile before eating my food. After our food was devoured he led me through town and up the small hills that bordered the town. I felt a sense of familiarity with this range even though I hadn’t been here since I was four.
“How was your breakfast?” Alexandre asked softly as we walked down a well-worn path.
“Very good,” I answered.
“Do you not eat meat?” he asked. “I was under the impression that Elves ate meat, just not as much as humans and other species.”
“I am not an Elf,” I reminded him, “And they do not eat meat, but I do when I can.”
“I am very aware that you are not an Elf, Marin.”
The way he said my name sent a pleasant thrill through me. “Excuse me!” yelled a young voice. I stepped to the side and watched as two boys and one little girl sped down the path in front of us, cheering happily.
I smiled at the youngsters and then felt envy for them having a normal life. I had been like them until my parents had moved and then been killed. Alexandre held up a flower in front of me. “A beautiful flower for a beautiful woman.” I stared dumbly at the flower. Alexandre reached out and slipped the flower on top of my ear in my hair. “I didn’t think it was possible, but you are even more beautiful now.”
I smiled politely back at him and said, “Thank you.”
He continued down the path again and I gently brushed the flower. It was a beautiful flower.
The laughs and shrill yells of the kids announced the river just before I heard the pounding of the waterfalls. I walked faster and then stared in awe at the large waterfall. I watched in shock as a six year old child leapt from the top of the waterfall, plummeting down into the water below. “I am so doing that,” I said excitedly and then heard Favian’s voice in my head accusing me of trying anything possibly life threatening.
“Race you to the top,” Alexandre said.
I stripped my swords and outer clothes off and then raced up the hill to the top of the waterfall. I peered over the edge and smiled in excitement. Alexandre came up behind me so I turned to him and I said, “It’s so pretty, isn’t it?”
He pushed loose strands of hair behind my ear and said, “You are the prettiest thing I have ever seen in this land.” His body was layered with thick slabs of muscles that I wanted to touch. How could a human man be so muscular? Was he like me? Was he only part human?
He leaned down as if to kiss me and I panicked, flinging myself backwards off of the waterfall and twisting in the air to dive down towards the water. I screamed in joy and then plunged into the cold water. The current pushed down at me forcing me further under water. I kicked and surfaced a few yards away from the waterfall. The children smiled happily at me and I smiled back. “Woohoo!” yelled Alexandre as he leapt from the top of the waterfall. I watched as he slid into the water almost silently in a perfect dive.
He surfaced near me and smiled happily. “Fun isn’t it?”
I nodded my head and kicked myself a little further away from him. “Yes.”
One of the kids yelled a war cry and launched himself at Alexandre. I watched in surprise as Alexandre caught the child and tossed him up into the air. The child laughed happily as Alexandre caught him and then tossed him into the air again. The other children climbed onto Alexandre and he wrestled with the squirming children in the water.
“Throw me!” the girl yelled.
Alexandre picked her up and tossed her down the river. She squealed happily until she dropped into the water and then started swimming back. The other children began clamoring, “Me next! Me next!”
I was rarely around children so I wasn’t used to their rambunctiousness. I also wasn’t used to seeing a man who was obviously a warrior playing with children and handling them delicately. Alexandre’s smile never left his face as he played and tossed the children around. I faintly recalled my father tossing me in the air when I was little and felt a tear slide down my cheek. Cesar had been a wonderful father to me, but it was not the same. Alexandre’s gaze caught mine and his smile disappeared. I swam a ways away from him and wiped at my face.
“What’s wrong?” he asked softly as he swam to me.
“Nothing,” I answered.
“Throw Marin!” the little girl yelled.
“Yea!” the boys said together.
Alexandre’s smile returned and he grabbed me. I squirmed trying to get out of his hold. “No,” I said, but without any real heat to it. Alexandre lifted me effortlessly over his head and then tossed me. I sailed through the air and then splashed into the water. I surfaced to hear the children laughing happily and see Alexandre’s happy smile. Something in my heart sputtered and a distant part of me felt as though this is where I belonged. Was it possible that I could be happy living a normal life? A life where my greatest accomplishment would be teaching my child to ride a horse?
Alexandre splashed me with water and the war was on. The children ganged up on me with Alexandre at first, but after a little bit they came to my side and helped me drown him in tidal waves of water. He finally admitted defeat much to the pleasure of the children and I floated on my back in the river as I relaxed. I rarely had opportunities such as this in my regular life. Normally I would be traveling through the province protecting towns from bandits and the nasty creatures of the world or at the Elven Kingdom training with the elves to increase my skills.
“Marin,” Alexandre called. I sat up and he waved his arm at me from near the base of the waterfall. “I want to show you something.”
I swam to him and then followed him around the waterfall, having to kick extra hard to avoid the pull of the water. It was worth it though to see the little cave behind the waterfall. I pulled myself from the water and walked around the cave, running my hands along the cave walls where townspeople had drawn and carved names, symbols and initials into it. “Wow,” I whispered.
“I thought you might like it,” he said happily.
I stopped next to a carving in the wall of a heart which had “Gwen + Marcus” inside it. I reached out slowly and laid my palm over the heart.
“Your mom and dad were the first to start the carvings when they were teenagers,” he whispered from close behind me.
I was a warrior, the Death Bringer, one of the most feared people in the province, and yet as I stood here with my hand over the heart my parents had carved to preserve their love, tears streamed down my face. I missed them so much and yet I hardly remembered them. It pained me even more to know that the father who had been raising me was not my real father and I still had no idea who he was.
Alexandre wrapped his arms around me in a comforting hug. “I didn’t mean to upset you. I thought you’d like to see it,” he whispered.
I turned and kissed his cheek. “Thank you. I am very happy you brought me here.”
He gently wiped the tears from my cheeks and asked, “What happened after you left here? I have heard rumors, but we never really knew what happened to you.”
I stepped away from him and wrapped my arms around myself as I walked along the cave walls again, trying to hide my emotions from him. “My parents decided they wanted to move to Crentown to help a family member with their farm. Mom had been pregnant at the time
.” I personally didn’t recall most of the story, but had apparently told it to Amadis and she had told it to me last year when I admitted that I could not remember parts of it. “We were halfway on our trip when a band of ogres attacked us. My father was brilliant with a sword, but there were six ogres and only my father was able to fight. He killed one before the last ones were able to take him down. My mother hid me in the back of our wagon to protect me, but after seeing my father killed she climbed out only to meet her demise. Apparently she was too pregnant to fight well. After seeing my father and then my mother killed, something inside of me snapped. I picked up my father’s fallen sword and slaughtered the remaining ogres.” I remembered nothing of that day, but father had seen me slaughter the last ogre.
“Why didn’t you come back here?” he asked from across the cave where he was watching me.
“The King of the Elves watched me kill the last ogre and said I was covered in ogre blood. When he approached me I began to cry and clung to him. Since my parents were dead and I could not stop crying or remember the name of the town we had come from or were going to, they took me to their land and the King and Queen raised me as if I were their own.” I stopped talking and looked at the ground. Favian had been the first one there when I had woken up. He had taken my hand and told me that I was safe and he would protect me from any harm. It had been the beginning of our friendship, a friendship which could end in the next couple of months.
“My father would have taken care of you,” Alexandre whispered from closer to me. “He would have raised you as if you were his own.”
I looked up at him. “Or would he have looked at me in fear like all of the other humans did? I was only four when I slayed those ogres. Do you really think you would have wanted to play with me when you were playing on this waterfall and I was practicing with swords to kill more ogres?”
“I’m like you,” he whispered, “I’m a demigod too.”
I had sort of known it, but it still shocked me. “Your mom was the Goddess?” I asked.
Protector (Little Death Bringer, #2) Page 17
