by Nina Monroe
"If we do, then we do," Will said with as a shrug of his shoulders before he gently swept the dagger upwards on her leg. "Does it feel okay?" He asked as he watched her nod, but didn't say the words. After every touch of the blade to her skin, Will washed it in the stream. He kept his eyes focused on the delicate skin behind her knee and the mole on her inner thigh.
He took his time caring for her, until her legs were smooth again and Tamzin sighed as his rough hand touched her legs.
"Are you relaxed?" Will asked before he reached for his breeches. "I wish we could spend all night here, but I imagine the men want to take their bathes as well."
"Just one more minute," Tamzin groaned as she opened her eyes, the moonlight streamed onto her face. "It's so peaceful here. I wish we could stay forever."
"On a river bank? Does it take much to make you happy?" Will smiled as he pulled his breeches on. He laid down next to her and put his arm over her belly.
"It's quiet here," she said as she turned to look at him. "Sometimes, when the moment is just right, all I want is to be with you forever." She leaned in and pressed her lips against his in a gentle kiss.
"I know the feeling," Will breathed against her lips. "I want you to feel it always."
"Of course you do," Tamzin laughed genuinely as she touched his face. "Tonight, under the moonlight, promise me you will always love me."
"I promise it under moonlight, sunlight, or no light."
Chapter Three
With her dress put on haphazardly, Will led Tamzin back to the wagon, where he laid with her for the rest of the evening. The wooden floor of the wagon was uncomfortable, but the pillows and furs kept the couple warm as Will watched his men. Tamzin kept her head on his leather clad chest and sighed happily as Will gently ran his fingers through her hair.
Will had slept some, but he mostly stayed awake. Every snap of a twig or rush of the stream woke Will from a fitful sleep and by the time he relaxed enough to fall back asleep, the sky began to lighten. Tamzin slept much more peacefully when Will kept his arms around her, like an iron cocoon. He felt her breath on his neck quicken as she opened her eyes and looked up at the awning of the wagon.
"Where do you think we go when we die?" Tamzin whispered as she pushed her hand into the warmth of his leather jerkin. She ran her nails over the taut skin of his stomach, over the ridges of his muscles as Will pressed a kiss to her forehead.
"Some place nice. We go where we want, I suppose," Will said, unsure of what to say. Though he faced death more than the average man, he never wondered what happened when he would go. He was too young.
"I dreamed that Kendall was back home. I hope she is somewhere warm and where the sun is always shining," Tamzin said as she snuggled her face into his chest. "If I was to die..."
"You're not going to die," Will interrupted as he looked down at her. "We're too young."
"That didn't stop Kendall from dying," Tamzin said with a raised eyebrow. "Women die every day from childbirth. Both of our mothers did."
"You're not your mother and you certainly aren't my mother. I will keep you alive," Will explained as he reached down and touched her belly. His child kicked when Will tapped his fingers on her belly. "I will keep you both alive."
"It isn't that simple. If I could have willed everyone in Thurston to stay alive, I would have. My best friend would still be alive, then," Tamzin said bitterly before she scraped her fingers against his skin again. "Are we almost home?"
"This will be our last day of travel," Will replied as he continued to touch her belly. "Your father is going to despise me even more after he finds out."
"You're afraid of my father?" Tamzin asked with a slight smile. "You're going to be a father yourself, soon. You can pick up some pointers for when it's time for you to be angry with your daughter's husband."
"I think you're carrying a boy," Will said as he turned onto his side to see her face. "What will we name him?"
"William, naturally. We can call him Liam for short," Tamzin smiled as she felt Will continue to touch her.
"We're not naming him after me," William said with an eye roll.
"We can name him Turner, then," Tamzin giggled as Will frowned. "He is being named after his father or his grandfather."
"Gregory is an option, then?" Will teased as he ran his fingers over a ticklish spot on Tamzin's side. "I remember how I found this spot."
"You thought you were being sexy when you kissed my side," Tamzin responded as Will rolled her onto her back, his lips at her throat. "You should have seen your face when I laughed."
"I wasn't the most experienced lover, but no one had ever laughed!" Will exclaimed as he tugged her dress down to expose the tops of her breasts. "I may keep you with child if your breasts stay this size."
"They're not any bigger," Tamzin remarked as his rough beard touched her sensitive skin. She shivered. "We can't do much, love. The floor is too hard." She felt Will nod as he adjusted her dress again.
"I don't want you to name our boy after me," Will whispered into her hair before he sat up. He watched her as he retied his jerkin. The air was warmer than the night before as they drifted further south. Will could hear the dissatisfaction of his men.
"I will name our boy or girl what I want, and for a boy, I want another William in my life," Tamzin smiled as she sat up. "Perhaps Kendall for a girl?"
"I wouldn't object to that, sweetness," Will said as he reached out and took her hand in his. "We will discuss names more if I survive your father when we reach Roth."
"Don't worry, I won't let him hurt you. I killed Junior Johansson; I can handle my father," Tamzin smiled meekly as she wrapped her arm around Will's broad shoulders. He stared at her for a moment; tried to memorize how wavy her hair was and how dark her eyes were. Will leaned in and pressed a gentle kiss to her lips as he wound his fingers in her hair.
"You're a brave girl for what you did. When you can't sleep and remember all the bad things that have happened to you over the past three months, remember that you killed him. By doing that, you've saved many more than you think," Will said as he kissed her cheek. "Stay in the wagon. We're going to leave shortly."
"My father has no idea we're coming, does he?" Tamzin asked as she sat up and against the wall of the wagon. "My parents have no idea I'm swelling. I wanted to tell you before anyone else."
"And our enemies knew before I did," Will said gruffly as he jumped out of the wagon and onto the ground. He wiped the sweat from his brow as he left Tamzin behind. He would never admit it to her, but Will was angry that he didn't know of her condition when he left. Tamzin hadn't maliciously kept it from him, but he should have known. He was the father, after all.
Will kept his anger and thoughts to himself as he walked by the other wagons and his men. They regarded him with nods, but no one spoke as they packed what little was taken out. Will found Angus being tended to by Seraphina. Will still hadn't spoken to Garrett and this was the first time he saw Seraphina in their travels.
"I have fed and brushed him, Your Grace," Seraphina said as she handed the brush to Will. "He is a suspicious horse."
"He doesn't know you. Where is Garrett?" Will asked as he tossed the brush into the nearest wagon and turned his attention back to Seraphina.
"He is speaking to some men," Seraphina said softly as she looked to her stomach. "I saw you with your wife last night. You love her very much, don't you?"
"I do love her, which is why I want you hidden. It would upset her to see you and Garrett after what has just happened to her best friend," Will said with a slight sneer. "Garrett couldn't have waited until her body was cold?"
"I didn't know he was married," Seraphina said, though Will knew it was a lie. She didn't look him in the eye when she made that statement, but Will didn't bother to call her out on it. "I am being kept in another wagon. I didn't have much room to move around, so I thought to do something before we started traveling."
"We are going to start again soon, so I suggest you return
to your wagon," Will said cordially as he put his foot in the stirrup and lifted himself onto Angus' back. "When we are in Roth Territory, I will inform Tamzin of your presence, but not who you are. If she invites you to join her for anything, Garrett was not your lover and is not the father of your unborn child. Do you understand me?"
"Yes, Your Grace. Thank you for your hospitality, Your Highness," Seraphina said with tears in her eyes as she bowed to Will. Will said nothing as he took Angus' reins and pulled him away from Seraphina. The sun was rising just over the horizon as Will roused his men and led them up front down the path. As the sun continued to rise into the sky, the heat continued to rise as well. The air was thick with humidity and Will heard the groan of his men and himself as they wiped their foreheads clean of sweat and dirt.
With one hand on the reins, Will loosened the ties of his jerkin and pushed them off his shoulders with a light tunic on underneath. The jerkin was still tucked into his breeches and hung off the back of him as the roads became clearer. They were close to Roth Territory.
Though it was unbearably warm for Will and the other Northern men, the trees and grass were a lush green and a new smell invaded Will's senses. It was salty, but still pleasant. The air smelt clean and fresh, like Tamzin's skin after her bath. There were purple flowers that grew on the trees and wrapped around them in vines. Will was enraptured by the sight.
"No wonder more people want to live in the South," Garrett said behind Will as he reached out and picked a purple flower. He brought it up to his nose and inhaled deeply. "I have no words for how good this smells." Garrett handed Will the flower and Will tucked it into the bridle around Angus.
When he looked up, he saw the grandest outer walls he had ever seen. Thurston's gates were made of iron and other metals, while this gate was a cream white and solid. The actual gates were a darker marble of sorts, with a large "R" in the middle.
"Halt!" a brusque voice called out and Will looked up the high walls to see an entire line of archers pointing their arrows at him and his men. "We have no orders from the King to expect visitors."
"I am Prince William Thurston of Thurston Territory. I am traveling with one thousand Thurston men and my wife, Her Royal Highness Princess Tamzin Thurston of Thurston and Roth Territory," Will called out with his hands around his mouth to project the sound.
The archer looked taken aback as he turned to his men and they conversed for a brief second.
"Present the Princess!" the archer called back to Will. "You present her and she confirms who you are, we will let you in." The archer seemed suspicious of Will and his men. He could only imagine how he was portrayed to these men after Turner Roth returned home after his wedding. Will handed the reins to Garrett to hold onto Angus as he hopped down.
As he walked, Will removed his jerkin completely and held it in his hand as he approached the wagon where Tamzin was resting. She was sitting up when she saw him approaching her and she sat up on her knees, her belly protruding more.
"Will?" Tamzin began as she approached the edge of the wagon. "Is everything okay?"
"There is an archer that won't let us in until he sees you," Will said as he held out his hand. He approached her again and picked her up like a child, with his hands beneath her armpits and lifted her effortlessly. Her feet touched the ground and she took his hand.
"It's most likely Rolf," Tamzin said their fingers laced together. The men watched as Tamzin led Will back towards Angus and the entrance to Roth Territory. "I've missed home," she said as she breathed in the fragrant air. She craned her neck up to look up at the archers and raised her hand towards them. "Rolf, is that you?"
"Princess Tamzin? We wanted to make sure that this man is who he says he is," Rolf responded as he glared at Will.
"This is Prince William and his men. Please open the gates. I need to speak to my father," Tamzin said in a strong voice. Will turned to look at her as Rolf and his men began to open the gates. On the other side of the gate was the courtyard, surrounded by trees with white and pink flowers. With the gate open, Tamzin stepped forward, with Will in tow, and he saw the Roth Palace for the first time.
In front of the palace were the homes of the Roth people. They were huts, like in Thurston, but were much better made. The people wore shorter breeches and sleeveless dresses. The men didn't have longer hair or thick beards and the women wore their hair high on their heads to expose their necks, backs, and shoulders. There were miles between the entrance to Roth and the first steps to the palace, but Tamzin pushed past the people who had begun to congregate around Will and his Northern men in interest.
"Tamzin!" Will called out, which made her stop. He ran to her, where he put his arms around her. "Tamzin, I..."
"It's best if I speak to my father first, Will," Tamzin interrupted before she cocked her head to see Rolf and some of his men come down from their post. "Rolf, please assist my husband and his men. We have been traveling for three days and my husband's men have been through a war and more."
"Yes, Your Grace," Rolf said as he stared at her very pregnant body. Rolf then turned to Will, who openly glared at the man. "Your father is in his study and your mother..."
"Is taking tea with her ladies. I haven't been gone for that long," Tamzin said as she picked up her gown with one hand and steadied her stomach with her other arm. Will watched helplessly as Tamzin left him alone with the archer, who looked at him with open disdain.
Will took that time to study Rolf. Rolf was Will's age, easily, with tanned skin, brown eyes, and dark hair. He had a sharp nose, similar to Will's, but smaller lips and was slightly shorter than Will. Rolf, however, was more agile with an archer's lithe body.
"Rolf, is it?" Will asked with slight irritation.
"Lord Rolf Dawson," Rolf responded as he put his bow behind his back. "I'm Captain of the Second Archers."
"Second Archers?" Will questioned as he crossed his arms over his chest.
"I'm training to move up to First Archers, who are our first line of defense. It's very honorable," Rolf said with a grumble as he looked at Will's men who continued to pour through the gates. "It takes one thousand of your men to escort Princess Tamzin back home? And they say you're excellent in hand to hand combat."
"We're not here for a visit," Will said grimly as he uncrossed his arms. "If you want to question my skills in combat, perhaps you should challenge me."
"I wouldn't want to embarrass you in front of the Princess. I heard you did plenty of that at your wedding," Rolf remarked before he motioned for his men. "The Princess ordered me to help you, so I will."
Will didn't respond as he turned away from Rolf to his men. They spent hours unloading the wagons and carts, as well stabling the horses. The sun was high in the sky when they finished and Will collapsed against the stable door, Angus in his stall. His hair was curlier and slick with sweat and Will smelt his masculine scent become more pronounced.
"You're the Prince?" a voice said beside Will. He looked up to see the stable boy. The Stable Boy. Will immediately stood up and adjusted his tunic. This had been his number one competition from Tamzin's home territory. Realistically, he knew the ring on her finger, the child in her belly, and her sheer love for him bound her to him, but Will eyed the Stable Boy with mild interest.
Tamzin did seem to have a type.
His eyes were light like Will's, but not as blue and his hair was dark as well, something that seemed to be a trait in most Roth people. Will could see the boy's hands were calloused from stable work and his upper body had considerable strength as well.
"I am," Will responded in his most regal voice as he pushed his shoulders back. "And you are?"
"Hudson," he said enthusiastically as he held out his hand. "It's a honor, Your Highness. Tamzin speaks very highly of you in her letters."
"My wife writes to you?" Will asked with skepticism as he ran through in his mind all the times Tamzin wrote back home.
"Well, she hasn't written in quite a few moons, but yes, she has. Tamzin
came home with you, didn't she?"
"She did..." Will said as he looked around the stable. "Could you show me the entrance to enter the castle from here?"
"I'm sorry, Your Grace, but we don't have a joint entrance. If you will follow me, I can escort you back to the entrance?" Hudson offered with an eager smile. Will felt slightly uncomfortable from Hudson's grin but said nothing as he followed the stable boy from the stables towards the entrance on the other side of the palace. It was almost unbearably warm for Will, but the people working didn't seem to mind. The people stopped to openly stare at Will and his pale skin. He looked like he had never seen sunlight in comparison to their bronzed skin.
Will could see Garrett standing on the stairs of the palace with the other men, who looked openly unsure of what to do.
"Oh, is that Garrett?" Hudson asked as Garrett pushed his shoulder length hair back. "He looks like Tamzin described."
