Unbroken (Unarmed Trilogy #2)

by Nina Monroe

  "Princess," Rolf greeted as he came from across the courtyard. He ignored Will as he took Tamzin's hand in his and placed a kiss on her knuckles. Will nearly lost his eyes from them rolling so harshly. "It is good to see that the Northerners haven't made you any less beautiful."

  "Honestly, Rolf. The Thurston men have the same culture as us, except in a colder climate. We are friends here," Tamzin said as she felt Will place one hand on her back. "We have one bloodline to make us family as well."

  "Don't remind me," Rolf said as his eyes flickered to Will. "Your men got drunk off their ass last night. You may need to collect them off the street, still."

  "My men fought a great number of battles against Johansson. They can do whatever they want. My wife said for them to treat this visit as a holiday before we must travel again..."

  "These men have lost their entire families," Garrett interrupted as he blood boiled over. "Let them drink to forget and you have no right to judge them." With Garrett's statements, Will watched Rolf's demeanor falter slightly before he returned to his rigid stance again.

  "We may be allies, but we are not friends. Your families are dead because your commander was too arrogant to see straight," Rolf said as he looked to Will. "He also put his Princess and his heir in danger as well."

  "I don't care who you are, but you will stand down," a Northerner stepped forward, his wild eyes angry. "No Southerner insults our Commander and Prince."

  "You’re the one who will stand down," Will growled at the man, who instantly shrank back. Despite the man's size being comparable to Will's, Will's control over his army was always stronger. "The blood of my unborn child is part Roth, which is the only thing that stopped me from allowing my man to kill you. Do not forget my strength," Will said as he took a step forward, his height imposed over Rolf. "My men have been through enough. Do not antagonize them further or there will be a purge."

  "Will," Tamzin roared behind him as she reached out and grabbed him by his tunic and pulled him back. "You are not in the North. You are not the most powerful man in the room anymore. Most people would think what you just said was a threat."

  "It is a threat. From your father's frosty welcome, I've discovered that my men are surrounded by covert enemies," Will uttered the words quickly and regretted them with the same speed.

  "You think I am your enemy? You think I would allow harm to come to these men?" Tamzin asked, her voice hoarse and her eyes filling with angry tears. Her face became red from frustration. "I am not your enemy and my people and my soldiers are not as well."

  "I didn't mean you..." Will tried to explain but she beyond gone. Tamzin let go of his tunic and put distance between them before she looked behind Will to see her men and his.

  "I suggest you reevaluate your statement after you spend a night away from my chambers," Tamzin said with a raised eyebrow. Her eyes had begun to dry without spilling a single tear. "Unless you get on your knees now and beg for my forgiveness. For our reign, our people will know that you and I are equal."

  "I am on my knees every night for you," Will said as he lightly gripped her arm and pulled her closer so his lips were close to her ear. "But if I do that, I will lose the respect of my men."

  "But it is fine for me to stand by and let you call my soldiers your enemy?" Tamzin asked as she stared at him incredulously. "We are either equal or we are not. As your wife, I bend to your whim most times. When will you bend for me?"

  "I am here, aren't I?" Will asked as he gestured to Roth Territory. "I knew what would be awaiting here for me, but I came to make you happy..."

  "Oh, please. My father told you that you were awful to me before. Did he embarrass you? No." Tamzin pulled her arm away. "You make me think that I will never be forgiven by you for what happened with Lucy and my part in it. I made an absolutely stupid mistake. But so did you. You left me alone and your people were betrayed by your own man."

  "I am not having this argument with you now," Will said as he shifted uncomfortably and changed balance from his left to right foot.

  "Then we are not having it at all," Tamzin said with a deadly stare. Will could hear the uncomfortable sighs and sounds from the men behind him. Soldier or not, Tamzin Thurston was terrifying when she was angry. "If you will excuse me, I will join Jacque in tending to our medicinal plants."

  She turned on her heel quickly and Will watched, with pain and irritation, as she walked away. He felt Garrett touch his shoulder.

  "She won't be angry forever. Women who are with child tend to have hotter running blood," Garrett tried to comfort but Will shrugged off his shoulder.

  "And she still doesn't know about your secret woman," Will said as he turned to push past his men. "Don't murder the Roth men."

  Will walked towards the cliff on which the palace resided. He dropped to his knees and leaned back on his heels to feel the cool breeze on his face. It was only midday and he was in a strange land with a wrathful wife. He shouldn't have said those things about her people, but tensions were running high for everyone. Why couldn't Tamzin understand that it was hard to be in a strange place where you were unsure of the intentions of the people around you?

  That was when it dawned on him.

  Tamzin had endured that before, when she came to Thurston for the first time. She was in a new place and knew very little about the customs and what did Will do? He treated her lower than dirt. Even if he had been a perfect gentleman, it still would have been difficult for her to adjust.

  "God damn it all," Will spat as he nearly ripped his tunic off over his head. His stupid, inconsiderate mouth nearly ruined everything always. How could he make Tamzin forgive him now?

  Chapter Seven

  Tamzin had once told Will that the sun was everything. The sun could both nourish and destroy and decide at a whim what its intentions were. Will did feel the slight heat on his skin from the sun, but he never expected actual pain would be involved. He had spent the rest of the afternoon on the cliff, where he watched the fisherman on the ports. It appeared that the men on the ports didn't take breaks like the rest of the workers, as they worked only until halfway through midday.

  When they were finished, Will moved his shoulders and arms to stand up but felt like his skin had shrunk multiple sizes. When he scrunched his nose, the skin across the bridge felt the same tightness. Will turned to look down at his skin, where he saw it was a deep red. Will touched his skin roughly and groaned as he felt the burn. The last time he felt that feeling was when he literally burned his finger as a child. It was from one of Gregory's punishments after he broke a sword; Will had to learn how swords were made and burned his finger.

  Haphazardly, Will stood up from the ground and tried to steady his movements. He saw, with relief, that his legs were not red and didn't hurt like his shoulders did. The sun was setting as he waddled towards the palace. He held the tunic in his hand, with fear, that if he put it on, the slight weight would provide only agony. The palace was busy with people and he could hear the snickers from the nobles.

  "Apparently Northerners have never seen sunlight before," a woman said as she pointed to Will's burned skin. He rolled his eyes as he gently walked up the stairs towards Tamzin's chambers. She had told him she wanted him to stay away for the night, but Will hadn't been given the proper tour to find Jacque's chambers and study. As he neared Tamzin's door, Thom stepped out from his chambers and laughed when he saw Will's appearance.

  "You look like a lobster!" he teased as he approached Will.

  "What's a lobster?" Will asked before Thom slapped his shoulder. "Kid, I don't care if you're a Prince or my wife's little brother, I'm going to pummel you." Will reached forward to grab Thom, but winced and groaned from his skin stretching.

  "I will order a hot bath for you. Tamzin is already in Court, but I will be sure to let her know that you've gone and burned yourself," Thom grinned as he pushed past Will and the fabric of his tunic felt like a grater against his skin. Will gritted his teeth together and took a few more steps and o
pened the door to Tamzin's room. The servant girls had come in and changed the sheets, which felt like bliss against his hot skin as he laid down gently.

  The silk was cool for a few brief moments before it felt like it was suffocating his skin. The heat from the burn had nowhere to go, so it felt like Will was being burned all over again. Despite this awful feeling, Will felt uncharacteristically tired. It became difficult to keep his eyes open and when he opened them next, a few girls were bringing steaming water into the room with the tub in it.

  "You requested a hot bath, Your Grace?" One of the girls asked before she shrieked. "Are you sure you want a hot bath?"

  "Why would I want a cold one?" Will asked gruffly as he rolled quickly out of bed, stupidly believing it would minimize the pain. It felt like his skin had tore open, but it was just the burn. He walked slowly towards the other room, enjoying the feel of the cool floor beneath his feet. He wished he could feel this feeling all over his skin. When the other girls saw him, they exchanged looks, and some look like they wanted to say something.

  "Prince Thomas ordered this bath?" the girl asked as she tentatively reached out to touch his skin, but stopped.

  "He did," Will responded as he dipped his foot into the large tub, without removing his breeches. "He said this helps with my skin."

  "Your Highness, I'm not sure..." one girl began, but another stopped her before they curtsied and quickly scurried from the room. Will sighed as he gripped the edge of the tub and slowly slipped into the warm water. He cried out from the pain of it but continued to submerge his body into the water. "This will help?" Will questioned no one as he settled into the water as he felt the tears in his eyes. He hadn't cried since he was a child and his father let him know that boys did not cry. Will had felt excruciating pain since them, both mentally and physically, but he had not cried. Today was a different day.

  Will wanted to believe that he was a tough man, but he lasted only a few minutes in the tub before he tore himself out, nearly screeching on the way out. He saw the towel resting on the hook in the wall, but he couldn't imagine patting his sensitive skin down with that rough material. His soaked breeches dripped onto the floor and the wet material felt uncomfortable, so Will stripped out of them. He was thankful that the candles had been lit to illuminate his way and the fact that the door was shut. The heat mostly dried his skin before he made it to the bed, but he knew he would probably ruin the sheets as he laid down.

  He didn't care. He didn't think it was possible for him to be in this much pain as he laid down on the bed. Will bit his lip so hard that he tasted the copper of his blood and tried not to cry out. The pain felt like his skin was being torn off by large chunks from a blunt object. Will took deep breaths and felt himself fall into a slumber.

  ~~~

  Tamzin continued to glower as she left the Throne Room and climbed up the stairs. She thought for sure that Will would have come and begged for her forgiveness, but she ate dinner without him and hadn't seen him for the rest of the day. She enjoyed her hours spent with Jacque as he showed her the medicinal plants that kept growing in his absence and their properties. However, it wasn't enough to hold her attention completely.

  She was wondering where Will was when she opened the door to her room and she heard the labored breathing. Nervously, she peered in from the door, where she saw Will lying completely naked on the bed. She stomped into the room with the intention of yelling at him when she noticed the blisters on his torso and the fact that he was shivering.

  "Will?" Tamzin whispered as she gently touched his skin. It was hot to the touch and it jolted him out of his fitful sleep, where he groaned.

  "I know you're angry with me, but I am in a lot of pain," Will said as his eyes began to water again. He watched Tamzin's face morph into one of compassion as she very lightly pressed a cool hand to his arm. "Please do something. Please," he cried as he tilted his head back to try and hide his tears.

  "I will order you a bath..." Tamzin said as she tried to stand but Will grabbed her wrist roughly.

  "No, no! Not another one!" Will cried again as Tamzin looked on with concern. "It hurt so much."

  "A cool bath with a bit of lavender doesn't hurt, Will," Tamzin said as she gently touched a blister on his chest. "You took a hot bath? Who told you to?"

  "Thom saw me and he said he would order a warm bath for me. My skin was very red and when he slapped my shoulder, it hurt..."

  "Did the servant girls see your skin and still offered you a warm bath?" Tamzin interrupted as she left the bed and walked to her vanity where she grabbed a vial. Will watched as she dabbed some on her hands and returned, where she gently ran her hands over his burned arms. "This is lavender. It will help with your burn, stop the scarring, and it will help you sleep. A cool water bath will make your skin feel better and the drops of lavender will help you."

  "I really don't want another bath," Will cried like a child and Tamzin felt her heart ache.

  "Do you trust me?" Tamzin asked. "Do you trust that I am not your enemy?"

  "Yes, yes, you're not my enemy. Please help me," Will sobbed as he recoiled from her gentle touch. Tamzin nodded and tried to smile, despite his pain, if only to soothe him.

  "I will be right back, I promise," Tamzin whispered to him before she walked back out into the hallway. "If a servant girl does not bring my husband a cool bath very soon, do not think I will let you get away with it." Then she walked across the hall to Thom's chambers, where she opened the door without knocking.

  Her brother was sitting as his desk, where she walked over to him and grabbed him by the tunic.

  "Hey!" Thom yelled before Tamzin dropped him to the floor. "Why did you do that?"

  "Will has blisters and is in agony because you had to play a prank!" Tamzin yelled at him before she swiped the contents of his desk onto the floor.

  "I'm going to tell Father!" Thom called out as he watched Tamzin stalk out of his bedroom.

  "Do it! I dare you to. After you finish that, tell him what you did to Will, and I expect you to apologize to him after I stop his skin from bubbling," Tamzin said as she placed her hands on her hips. "Father could die tomorrow and that means you will be King. You cannot commit malicious acts like you did to Will. He thinks, with the exception of me, that our family is his enemy. You making his skin blister from a burn is not acting like a family."

  "He treated you awful! You may have forgiven him but I haven't. Will Thurston is a bully and he deserved what happened," Thom said with the same fire in Tamzin's eyes. "He and I may be brothers by marriage now, but that doesn't mean I have to like him."

  "That is true, but that doesn't mean he doesn't deserve your respect. Let me make something abundantly clear, and feel free to pass on this information to our father, but he married me to Will for a reason. Will's army may be the only difference between the Johansson's invading Roth or not. With Thurston burned to the ground, Douglas Johansson views it as a victory and he will become bolder. Do you want to chase away the one man that can defend our territory?" Tamzin asked as she turned to walk out of the room.

  As she walked out into the hallway, she saw the servant girls come out of her chambers, all of them carrying buckets.

  "You gave my husband a hot bath and allowed him to take it, knowing full well he had probably never had a burn from the sun before. I am not the softhearted Princess I once was and I will not let you get away with this," Tamzin warned as she reached out and shoved them aside.

  "Your Highness! We're sorry, but your brother ordered the bath. What were we to do?" the first girl named Holly asked.

  "Preferably not assist in my brother literally burning my husband," Tamzin said as she looked to the three girls. "When Will is no longer in excruciating pain, I will allow you to ask for his forgiveness. You best hope my husband is in a forgiving mood," Tamzin warned as she walked into her chambers and shut the door behind her. Will was still on her bed and perked his head when he saw her.

  "Those girls saw me naked," he said a
s he kept his hands over his nakedness.

  "It's okay," Tamzin said as she approached him and gently helped him out of bed. She made sure not to touch his skin with her nails as Will allowed his weight to be supported by her.

  "I'm supposed to be taking care of you," Will said softly. "You're having my baby."

  "Having a baby does not make me an invalid, Will," Tamzin smiled as they entered the bathroom. "Right now, just relax and let me help you." She watched as Will stepped into the tub and sighed from the temperature.

  "This is much cooler," he said as he slowly sank into the water. Tamzin could already smell the lavender in the water and Will sighed gratefully as the water submerged him. "I'm sorry I was ever an idiot to you. This had to have been punishment for every stupid thing I have ever done."

  "No," Tamzin said as she gently pushed the water against his face. With her wet hand, she ran it over his face. "My brother just acts his age sometimes. The lavender and the water will help decrease the temperature of your burns and the lavender will also help you sleep. When you're tired, I will bring you to bed."