by Nina Monroe
"You can try to blame the babe in your belly, but you and I both know you always feel this hot for me," Will whispered in her ear as his fingers touched the bare skin of her back. Her hand came to join his in the proper dance stance, but it was impossible to hide their intimacy. It was difficult to stand close, due to her belly, but it didn't matter. Will kept her as close as possible as they danced slowly, to keep track of Will's two left feet. "After the baby comes, you should show me how to dance properly."
"You dance fine," Tamzin responded as she looked down to watch his feet. "You could break my toes and I would still find this dance less painful than the one with Rolf."
"But he's a proper Southern gentleman," Will said sarcastically as he peered over Tamzin's shoulder. "So I know there is Rolf and Hudson, the stable boy. Anyone else?"
"Rolf and I only kissed a few times. He's not a very passionate man. Hudson was my first kiss, as you know, until he decided he liked boys slightly more than girls. There were no hard feelings, but I imagine he found you very attractive," Tamzin teased as she reached and trailed her finger down his cheek. "From what Hudson has told me, he likes very manly men."
"And the other men who openly stare at you?" Will asked as he felt his fingers curl against the fabric over her lower back. "Are any of them going to duel me for your hand?"
"We're married and I have your baby. There isn't much to duel for," Tamzin laughed as Will maneuvered her, so she could see the men behind them. "Those men are in the second archers with Rolf. Xander, the oldest in the group, fondled me a bit when I was younger. He had no idea what he was doing," Tamzin smiled as she leaned forward and felt Will tighten his grip on her. “And Rolf thought his kisses between my legs were just mind blowing."
"Rolf has been that intimate with you? But you just…" Will asked as he pulled away and his eyes flickered to Rolf. "I could have gone my entire life without knowing that."
"Lucy told me about it when we were a bit younger. She said it felt good and that I should find a man to make me feel good before I was shipped off to you. I used to think it was because she cared, but now I think she had been trying to ruin the alliance all along," Tamzin said as she twined their joined fingers together. "I never loved those men. I liked them, even Rolf, but never once loved them. I love you and what we do together is that much more special because of it."
"I love you, too," Will said before he kissed her lightly. "So why did you suddenly decide against naming our child Nicholas? I think I would prefer that over William."
"I'm allowed to be fickle," Tamzin replied as the music slowed and came to a stop. "I don't want our child to be associated with pain. You don't say it, but when someone brings up your mother, I see the pain on your face. You don't talk about your mother much, do you?"
"What's there to talk about? She died after I came out of her. My father refuses to speak about her. I don't know what to expect when we leave for Bradford. Will they answer questions, do you think?" Will asked as he and Tamzin pulled away and drifted further into their corner. The Hall began to clear out but it was still crowded.
"I don't know, honestly. Your Uncle sounds interested in meeting you, and I'm sure your grandfather must have some interest in properly getting to know you." Tamzin's hand touched his elbow comfortingly but Will couldn't look her in the eye.
"He hasn't been interested so far."
"You don't know that," Tamzin said before she bit her lip. "I don't think your father has been as open with you as you thought."
"I didn't know Lucy was a Johansson and I don't think my father did either," Will responded with rising anger. "Why would he let the daughter of his enemy into his territory?"
"To undermine you?" The words spilt from her mouth before she could control it. Will's eyes blazed for a moment but he didn't respond.
"And what purpose would that serve? I'm his heir," Will said with gritted teeth as he clenched his hand into a fist.
"He is getting older, Will. He doesn't like the power you wield."
"Power I wield?" Will laughed as he released his fist and raked his hand through his hair. "What power do I have?"
"His army follows you. Gregory has more charisma than you, yes, but you're smarter than him. Some men become drunk off power and they can't imagine losing it. You're a grown man. He can't control you anymore." Tamzin reached and pulled his hand from his hair. "Some men are not an open book. Sometimes, they don't need a reason to betray someone."
"You don't know my father," Will said defensively as his cold eyes came to trace her features.
"I don't, but I watch. I know the North is harsher than the other territories sometimes, but your father is cruel to you. You don't celebrate your birthday, he won't tell you about your mother, and he never shows you any affection. He shows Garrett more fatherly love than you." Her eyes widened slightly before Will turned away from her. "If you're his heir, you should be his pride and joy..."
"It seems I am interrupting a very tense conversation," Turner said as he appeared to Will's side. "The palace is retiring for the night, Tamzin. We shall see you in the morning?"
"Yes, Father," Tamzin said with a fake smile. Turner observed her for a second before he gave Will a grating look and left them alone. "I'm sorry if I've upset you, Will. It's your birthday..."
"It seems you've spent plenty of time thinking this through," Will said coldly before he looked up to the entrance. He offered her his hand. "Are you going to join me in our chambers?"
Tamzin was surprised by his tone and the invitation. Though she didn't need him to ask her to join him in her own chambers, Will was acting very calm for a man who just had his father be accused for various indiscretions. She took his hand and allowed him to guide her through the crowd still present in the Hall. People murmured about them, but Will said nothing as they walked up the marble staircase and into the hallway. He opened the door first and began to discard his tunic as soon as Tamzin shut the door.
Her chambers were well lit with small candles and the lanterns that hung from the ceiling. The sky was brightly lit with stars and Will rested against one of the columns as he watched the water. Though he had no scars on his back, Tamzin could see the ones on his shoulders and more as she came to stand next to him. They were battle scars, but some were places where the armor hid his skin well. She had never questioned them until now. It was like Will knew what she was thinking, when he began to speak.
"I can't remember my father hugging me as a child. He changed when you came. He became kinder in general, tolerated me a bit more. I remember when I was a child, I thought he was a monster from the storybooks. He would rage all the time and liked to hit me," he said as he traced a scar across his stomach. "He had to make me tough, he said. Kings and leaders could withstand anything. I never did a single thing right. When Garrett's father was killed in battle and he came to live with us, my father mellowed some. He stopped berating me in public and spent a good deal of time training Garrett. He said Garrett had to be just as skilled as I was."
"Has it always been like that with Garrett?" Tamzin asked as she gently began to caress his arm.
"I guess," Will said with a shrug. "I don't remember life without Garrett being in it. We've grown up together, like brothers, but Garrett has always been treated differently. There are only a few months between our birthdays and while Garrett has never had a real birthday either, my father always gave him something the week of his birthday. I didn't put it together until I was older, but when I realized, that hurt more than any of these wounds," Will said as he touched a scar again. "Before you, I was always second choice. If you told me tomorrow my father hated me, I would believe you, but why would he want to hurt me? Hurting me is hurting his territory."
"I think some of his decisions are strange. You were supposed to return home much earlier before Thurston was destroyed, but he had to chase down the Johanssons? It could be argued that he wanted this to end, but he knew it wouldn't. You all were aware Douglas Johansson didn't send everyone. It ga
ve more chance that you would be killed in battle. When we were attacked in the forest, how did a man and woman who grew up in the South know the exact road we took?" Tamzin asked as her hand trailed down his arm and took his hand. "It's suspicious, Will. All of it."
"If I die, his line dies with me..." Will interrupted as he turned to look at her.
"He's young enough to father another child," Tamzin frowned. "Or he changed his plan when he saw that I am with child. This is all theory."
"How long have you been thinking about this?" Will asked as his hand reached out and touched her belly. "You're a smart girl."
"I've been thinking about it ever since my father said he told Gregory about Lucy when we first arrived in Thurston. My father told Gregory to keep the alliance intact. Despite our marriage and my condition, your father had every right to execute me for treason when he found out..."
"But he didn't..." Will said. "He didn't because he knows I love you."
"Or he didn't think he could take on my father's army again. If I died during the Thurston invasion, the blame would be put on you. Gregory may be King but you make decisions about the army. Think about it. Everyone has blamed you for what happened," Tamzin explained before she took a deep breath. "But why would he hate you? You're his fresh and blood. You're all he has left of your mother."
"I killed my mother," Will said solemnly and he turned back out to face the ocean. "He tormented me my entire childhood. He probably thinks it would have been better if I died instead of her."
"I guarantee you she doesn't think that," Tamzin said as she pulled on his arm and made him look at her. "I know she wishes she was here with you, but I also know that your mother would have given up her life for you to live. I may not have known her, but I know that much is true."
"I need to sleep," Will said blearily as he wiped his eyes hastily. She could see the droplets on his eyelashes and the smears across his eyes. Her heart sunk to her stomach as he pulled away and walked towards the bed, where he pulled down his breeches and climbed into bed naked. Somehow, Tamzin wondered if this was the worst birthday he ever had.
Tamzin sat down at her vanity and watched the waves for, what felt like, hours. She listened to Will toss and turn and his small sounds of sadness. She wished she hadn't said anything about his father, as to not open the floodgates, but he needed to know. The more Tamzin thought about it, and with the new information provided by Will, the more it made sense that Gregory Thurston could not be trusted. She thanked the stars that she and her child were well out of Gregory's grasp in Roth, but Tamzin wished she knew how to soothe Will's pain. Like everything else, pain could be washed away.
"Will!" Tamzin whispered as she approached him and shook his shoulder. She sat down on the bed as he opened his eyes and sat up quickly. He shook his head and pushed his hair out of his face. "Come with me."
"Tam, I just want to sleep..." he began, his voice slightly hoarse. He tried to lie back down, but Tamzin stopped him.
"You said you wanted to swim in the ocean. As you've learned, the hard way, you can't swim much in the sunlight," she smiled before he rolled his eyes and batted her hand away.
"Don't mock me," Will growled playfully, but paid closer attention as he watched her play with the bodice of her dress. He felt his mouth go dry as her heavy breasts nearly spilt out. His hand splayed across her breast and the weight of her in his palms made his problems slowly melt away. "Will you be naked in the ocean?" His eyes traced the curves of her body before they settled on her face.
"What do you think?" she teased as she reached up and pulled the bodice down. Her breasts came free and Will sat up, where the sheet pooled around his waist. His hand cupped her breast and his thumb swept over her nipple, which made Tamzin mewl. "We can take the stairs outside my balcony down to the beach."
"Or I can spread you across these sheets..." Will said as his lips latched onto her pulse point, where he sucked mercilessly. Tamzin moaned as her fingers fisted his hair and he used his weight to push her to the bed. He sat up quickly and pulled her dress down over her stomach and over her hips. The dress pooled on the floor, where her legs dangled off the bed. Will grinned wolfishly as he spread her legs. He had been ready to put his mouth on her, when he felt Tamzin stop him. "What's wrong?" he asked.
"I want you in my mouth," Tamzin whimpered as she rolled to the side and made him lie down. She sat up and moved forward to straddle his knees. Will groaned as he felt her take his member in her hand. Her hand was impossibly soft, like she had never used her hands before. When Will would pump himself while away at war, it angered him that he couldn't mimic her movements or the feel of her hands. He missed her warm mouth and even hotter...
"Oh, God," Will moaned as she slipped off his body and leaned down, where she engulfed him in her mouth. Tamzin didn't do this nearly as much as she wanted, so she took her time and ran her tongue down his length. Will quivered as her hand came up and cupped him before she took him in her mouth again. She ran her teeth gently across his sensitive skin, which made Will shiver as he wound his hand in her hair. There, he used her as leverage as he gently began to pump in her mouth.
His eyes rolled back into his head as he lifted his pelvis clear off the bed before Tamzin released him from her mouth with a slight pop. She stared down at him with a devious smile as she climbed on top of him. Will's hand held onto her hip and the other massaged her breast as she slid onto him. She was wet, but it didn't stop Will from asking. "Are you sure you don't need me to take care of you?" he asked as she smiled again and slid down slowly on his member.
Tamzin felt the familiar stretching as her knees settled onto Will's side. Slowly, Tamzin leaned forward and began to move on top of him. He slid in and out of her as Will pressed his fingers into her hips to help stabilize her movements. His other hand tweaked her nipple and he growled as Tamzin's eyes slid shut and she moaned in ecstasy. Will began to thrust inside of her and continued to hold onto her hips to help her keep steady as Tamzin lead forward to support herself. Tamzin began to increase her movements as she grabbed Will's shoulders, where her nails dug into his skin. He groaned from the perfect combination of pain and pleasure before he leaned up and took her nipple in his mouth. Will leaned against the headboard to continue to suck and his fingers began to play with the bud between her legs.
Tamzin let out a fierce cry as she felt the familiar tensing and the explosion in the pit of her stomach. Will smirked as he rolled her to her back and sat up, where he slid out of her briefly. Will placed his hands behind her knees, where he pushed them back to rest against her stomach. He then came to stand on his knees where he slid inside her. Tamzin groaned from the tightness of the position as she stared up at Will's face as he pumped in and out. He didn't look pained anymore and it wasn't until their eyes locked that Will lost control. She felt him come inside her and her knees slid from her stomach and fell open. Will slid back and out of her, their legs intertwined. Will sat up and pulled Tamzin gently from the bed, where he hugged her from behind.
"Thank you," he said as he kissed her shoulder. "Thank you for being the best wife I could ask for."
"All I have to do is lie with you and I'm the best wife you could ask for?" Tamzin laughed as she leaned her head back and lulled it to the side.
"Listen to my sob story and still feel the urge to lie with me," Will smiled as he kissed the tender spot on her neck, his love bite. "I wish I could apologize for that, but honestly, I can't wait for Rolf to see it."
"And my father?" Tamzin asked as she gingerly touched the spot.
"He already hates me," Will shrugged as his fingers came to her shoulders, where he began to massage her gently. He strengthened his stance as Tamzin came to lie against him completely. As his arm came to rest across her stomach, Will felt a sense of peace he hadn't felt in a long time. Though he had come to terms with many things that night, Will would not forget the utter tenderness Tamzin showed him. He had been saying he loved her for nearly their entire relationship, but it was th
e first time Will realized that this was love.
Chapter Eleven
"Are you familiar with your target?"
"Will, it's literally a target," Tamzin said as she rolled her eyes. "You said you would help me learn to shoot properly."
"And what do you call this?" Will asked with a grin as he held out the bow to her. "This is a bow."
"At the rate you're going, you're never going to sleep with me again," Tamzin warned warmheartedly before she took the bow from his hand. "I will save you some time; I know the difference between a bow and an arrow."
"That's all fine, but you need to inspect your target. No one hits their target without knowing it well," Will said wisely as he watched his wife shift her feet to accommodate her aching lower back. "Are you sure you don't want to go lie down?"
"You promised you would help me. It's not my fault that you got a child on me before you got around to this," Tamzin said as she reached around to massage her back. "Okay, I see the target. It's freestanding and has a large red circle in the middle of five large black circles. Have we been well acquainted enough?"
