by Nina Monroe
"I'm with child. How do you think it happened?" Tamzin continued to argue as she rolled out of bed and grabbed her robe and shrugged it on. "We're clothed."
"As I was saying," Turner said as he turned to face them. "You were supposed to be in your booths by now. The nobles are filing in and everyone was asking about you."
"No one came to wake us," Tamzin said as she walked to her armoire where she grabbed the first dress she saw.
"You appear very awake to me," Turner sneered slightly as he looked to Will. "What you did was improper."
"While I wished you had never seen what we were doing, I am married to your daughter and what we were doing was not against her will. She likes it when..." Will said before Tamzin smacked his arm.
"Stop talking!" She screeched as she wrapped the robe tighter around her body. "We will be down momentarily, Father." Tamzin didn't make a move to stand next to Will as she watched her father exit their chambers. Tamzin felt her cheeks turn bright red as she realized what her father had seen. It would have been awkward enough for her father to see her and Will literally having sex, but he walked in on Will pleasuring her. And Tamzin did not attempt to hide her wanton behavior. She shouldn't; Will was right that they had every right to do what they want. Plus, Tamzin had always been thankful that she had a husband that enjoyed pleasuring her so. "I think I'm going to die."
"It wouldn't have been so bad if you had, at least, finished," Will said as he pulled a fresh tunic over his head and combed his fingers through his hair. "I'm sorry, Tamzin. I didn't hear him until it was too late."
"He should have waited to come in. At the very least, I could have still been dressing," Tamzin said as she removed her robe. "Will you help me with my dress?" she asked.
"Of course," Will replied as Tamzin handed him her dress. The dress was backless, with a tie across the shoulders. It was long sleeves, but made of a light fabric, which was cream colored. It was sprinkled with a red shininess and the gown was a deep red, though it was flowy and light.
As Will held out the dress, Tamzin stepped in and he pulled the fabric up, where she put her arms in the sleeves. Will delicately tied the back before he leaned in and kissed her spine. "I'm sorry I embarrassed you earlier."
"You didn't embarrass me. The situation was embarrassing, but you weren't. We have nothing to be ashamed of. We're married and we were in our private chambers. My father should have waited to come in," Tamzin said as she turned around, where she adjusted his tunic. Will watched as her lower lip began to tremble lightly before she looked down. "I'm sorry. I just realized that, by tomorrow, we'll be gone."
"It's not forever," Will said as he wrapped his arms around her. "When our baby is old enough, we will visit or your family will visit us. I know how important your family is," he said as he smoothed her hair out. "If I could, I would find a way for us to stay here. The last thing I want is to bring you to have a baby surrounded by strangers."
"They're your family," Tamzin said as she blinked away her tears. "We still have the day, and it's your first tournament!"
"And what happens during these tournaments?" Will asked as he bent down to help Tamzin slide her sandals over her feet. As she entered her seventh moon, her belly expanded even more, which made it difficult for her to bend over.
"Many things. Jousting is the most popular sport, but there is also shooting a bow, and hand to hand combat. It's mostly just an event for people in the territory to get extremely drunk," Tamzin laughed as Will finished putting her sandals on her feet. Will stood and held out his hands to her to help her stand. "Now is the time to get drunk!"
"Not when we leave late tonight," Will said with a frown. "My men will be annoyed to know that they cannot drink either."
"It is not much of a party for you then, is it?" Tamzin said as she laced their fingers together and began to retreat from her chambers. "I'm sorry, Will."
"Maybe it will be pleasant in Bradford?" Will offered as they walked out of the chambers and down the stairs, hands linked.
"I never thought I would hear you think something could be pleasant," Tamzin answered with surprise. At the bottom of the stairs were Turner Roth's advisors, all of which were busy ordering the servants to pack the Thurston goods for their trip. "I feel like I'm being thrown out."
"Your father would never ask you to leave if he didn't have to," Will soothed as he observed his men on the outskirts of the gates around the stands. Near the groves was an open space that was closed off by gates. The entrance of the space had various seats, where people were scrambling to get a good seat. The rest hung off the gates and watched as the people who wanted to take part in the tournament.
There were more seats under a large pillar, which Will could see was for the royalty and nobility. At the top of these seats was King Turner and Queen Gemma, with Thom sitting next to his mother. A little further down were two more seats, which Tamzin was bringing Will to.
"We have excellent seats," Tamzin smiled as Will helped her up the stairs into their booth. In their booth were two plush seats, like mini thrones, and next to the thrones were their wine goblets. Will and Tamzin took their seats, where Tamzin adjusted her dress and gently blotted her forehead. "Even with the shade, it's still terribly hot."
"Can you say you miss the North?" Will asked as he adjusted into his seat. It was a very prim seat and he was unable to lounge much. He, too, was very warm from the heat.
"I can't say I didn't enjoy all the nights we had together where you had to keep me warm," Tamzin smirked as she watched the various men begin to line up for jousting.
"And my father certainly wouldn't walk into my chambers while my face was in between your legs," Will teased as he noted some of his men were in line. "Are my men allowed to participate?"
"Of course. It's all good-natured competition. If weren't leaving tonight, you would see the party the townspeople have. Basically, nothing gets done for the rest of the week," Tamzin laughed as the first of the men began to mount their horses. "In the very strict territories, only knights would be able to participate in jousting, but it's open here. Townspeople, Thurston men, doesn't matter."
"You try to knock your opponent off the horse with a long stick?" Will asked skeptically as he raised his eyebrow. "That is certainly a sport that requires skill."
"Maybe you should get up there, then?" Tamzin dared as she rested her hand on her stomach. "If we have a boy, he will learn how to joust. He may have a Northern father, but his mother is very much Southern," Tamzin said as Will rolled his eyes.
"I would go up there, but I'm enjoying my wife's company far too much," Will said as a shadow darkened their view.
"I'm shocked to see you here," Rolf appeared in front of them. Both of his eyes and the bridge of his nose were bruised a dark blue. His mouth was upturned into a smirk. "Your father has ordered my men and I to follow you to Bradford. He said for me to keep an eye on you," Rolf said as he looked to Will.
"You are literally the most irritating person I have met," Will said as he kept his hand around Tamzin's. "Please go participate in the joust. Nothing would give me greater pleasure than watching you be pushed from a horse."
"How about we settle this rivalry the old fashioned way?" Rolf offered as his eyes darted to Tamzin.
"There is no rivalry," Tamzin interrupted. "Will and I are married and I'm carrying his child..."
"But you never stood a chance anyways," Will said as he stood up and adjusted his tunic. "But what do you have in mind?"
"Will," Tamzin warned.
"Bow and arrow and then hand to hand combat. Whoever wins gets bragging rights and the loser will have humiliation in front of his soldiers," Rolf said with a mean smile. "And it will impress her," Rolf nodded to Tamzin.
"It's not going to impress me," Tamzin said in a deadpan voice as she watched the jousting. "As for humiliation, I broke your nose, Rolf. Just go to your seat and leave us in peace."
"If I win, you stop whatever you're trying to do with Tamzin. No more askin
g to dance or trying to get a rise out of me in front of my men. All of it stops," Will said with a grim voice.
"And if I win?" Rolf asked.
"We don't need to discuss that. You're not going to win," Will responded as he looked back to Tamzin, who looked irritated. "Can you at least look excited about this?"
"My husband is an idiot," Tamzin sighed as she stood and placed a kiss on his lips. "Don't hurt him too much. He is a great archer," Tamzin whispered before Will kissed her cheek.
"It will all be fine," Will said before he and Rolf exited the Royal booth and onto the dirt road on the outside of the makeshift arena. Will could see Garrett with the Thurston men, pointing and laughing at the jousting, when he and Rolf passed them.
"Will, what are you doing?" Garrett asked as he reached out and grabbed Will's shoulders. Garrett regarded Rolf with a slight look of revulsion, like he smelt something foul in the air. "Especially with this person?"
"Rolf and I are going to have our own competition. North versus South," Will said as Rolf opened the gate and the men stepped into the arena. Garrett followed Will into the arena. "We're shooting arrows first and then hand to hand combat. Three guesses who will win that one."
"Tamzin looks like she is ready to cut you with your own sword," Garrett said as Will and Rolf walked to the bow and arrow station, which was not heavily populated yet. The noble and townspeople had lost interest in the jousting, and those who were waiting to participate had turned to watch what was brewing between Will and Rolf. In the distance, Will could see Tamzin sitting alone in their booth and her parents and brother watching with keen interest in their own booth. Turner, in particular, was sitting up straight in his throne to watch with interest.
"I think we should use the same target. It will be easier for everyone to see how much I beat you by," Rolf smirked as he grabbed his personal bow that was resting near the target. "One arrow each. Obviously, whoever hits the middle of the target wins."
"And when you hit the target first, I won't have a chance to hit the target because your arrow will already be there. Two targets," Will said as he went for the bow and arrow that rested at the next target. The bow was tense, like it had never been shot with before. Will grumbled; a part of him knew that Rolf probably meant for this to happen.
Will took the bow and stretched it as he assumed the position. He imagined he had an arrow in his hand and aimed it at the target. He imagined the target was Rolf's face, complete with his black bruise across his face.
Rolf took his arrow in his hand and placed it against the bow. As he stretched, he took a breath and released it, which allowed him to let go of the arrow. The arrow traveled at the speed of light and hit the target perfectly in the middle. Will felt his heart drop into his stomach. He was certainly proficient in shooting an arrow, but nowhere near as excellent as Rolf.
Rolf was only in the second wave of archers, which made Will wonder exactly how well the first wave was. Quietly, Will put together his arrow and bow before he looked back to Tamzin. She suddenly looked interested in what was happening, as was everyone else. The jousting had ended and everyone stared at Rolf and Will.
Will felt a hand on his shoulder. It was Garrett.
"No pressure," Garrett began as he looked at the target. "This may change how everyone looks at you."
"You really know how to calm a man down," Will responded sarcastically as he kept his eyes on Tamzin. "Her entire territory thinks I'm a joke."
"But she doesn't, and your men don't," Garrett said as he looked back to the Thurston men. "Who cares, honestly? You're married to her and you're going to be King. What does this jealous, little weasel actually mean? Nothing."
Garrett's pep talk made Will smile as Garrett backed away as Will extended his stance. With a deep breath, Will exhaled and watched his arrow hit the target. It was in the middle, but just a slight bit off. He heard Rolf's breathy laugh as the Roth men jeered and called out names to Will. When Will turned to face Tamzin, she was standing in her booth and leaning forward to try and see how close the targets were. Turner was also standing as well.
When Will faced his men, they were all murmuring and pointing at Will's target. Garrett approached him with a slack jaw.
"That was actually very, very impressive," Garrett said as he reached and cradled his jaw with his index and middle finger. "The Roth men are mocking you, but no one else is. I didn't even think you would do this well."
"Remind me to demote you," Will said with good natured tone as he tried to hide his smile. "Now we have hand-to-hand combat. I think it may be cruel for me to fight him."
"Re-break his nose," Garrett said bluntly. "For every Northmen, break his face."
Will chuckled at this before he and Rolf began to move away from the targets. Will watched, with slight amusement, as Rolf began to stretch his arms over his torso. Like that was going to help him win this fight. Will pulled his tunic over his head, knowing that having loose fabric could be used against him. He heard the slight gasp of the nobles and townspeople at his torso. His skin returned back to its natural pale color, but his scars still stood out with prominence. Tamzin hadn't been frightened of his scars, but Will could understand why someone would be. The scars were numerous across his torso and down his arms, but his back was spared mostly.
Will felt the familiar feeling of embarrassment rise up in his throat as he heard the whispers of the Roth people. He swore he heard someone call him a monster or a beast, but he tried to contain himself as he looked to Rolf. Rolf took his idea and stripped off his own tunic. Rolf was similarly built, but was a few inches shorter and his tanned skin had no extreme amount of scars. Rolf looked at his torso and then back to Will's, and Will could tell that he was comparing their builds, when they heard Turner's voice.
"And what is this?" Turner asked as he came down from his throne and stood out in the sun.
"A competition between the North and the South," Will responded as he looked back to Rolf. "We have had an arrow competition and now it is hand-to-hand combat."
"And what happens if it ends in a tie?" Turner asked. "If you don't know, I think I have an idea."
Tamzin turned towards her father when she heard him speak those words. She could only imagine what he had in mind.
"If Will wins this competition and this has to go to a third game, then it will combine both physical combat and archery," Turner said as he pointed to the two large totem type poles at the edge of the arena. "You will both shoot an arrow at the very top and then you will climb to the top and retrieve the arrow. The first one to bring the arrow to me will win."
"And be able to crown the Princess?" Rolf asked with enthusiasm.
"Crown her as what?" Will asked. He felt the familiar heat on his skin and hoped he wouldn't receive a severe burn again.
"The winner of the tournament gets to crown a girl he likes. If a worthy man crowned Tamzin, I would be forced to consider him as marriage material," Turner said with a slightly evil grin. "But Tamzin is already married, as you know, Rolf."
"And with child," Will growled. If he had any doubts about not possibly winning this tournament, that feeling was just thrown out the window. "And I am fine with this additional task, Your Grace."
"I had a feeling you would be," Turner said as he looked to Rolf. "You're representing the South, apparently. I wouldn't mess this up or I might just let Bradford keep you."
"Where you may never see Tamzin again," Will taunted as he crossed his arms over his chest. "Well, I am certainly ready to begin. You are more than welcome to back out before I break your nose."
"It's already broken!" Rolf retorted like it was some great insult.
"What can I say? My wife has an iron fist," Will shrugged his shoulders as Turner chortled.
"Tamzin broke your nose? Short, small, pregnant Tamzin broke your nose?" Turner asked as he tried to hide his grin. "My amazement with her is at an all time high."
"Can we this begin?" Rolf asked with his cheeks flushed. "Let me beat you a
nd name your wife the loveliest girl in Roth and end it."
"Don't worry. Tamzin will be named the loveliest girl, but not by you," Will said as he bent his knees and held out his arms in a proper stance. Turner returned to his booth as Rolf mirrored Will's stance. It was obvious that the Roths did not study hand to hand combat the same way the Thurstons did as Will noticed various errors. Will was not built for speed, but that didn't mean he still couldn't surprise Rolf. He braced his legs and dug his foot into the ground; he listened to the sound his foot made when he smashed the dirt beneath his sandal as he loosened the fists at his side.
Will pushed off with his right foot and ran to Rolf, where he leaned down with his knees, grabbed Rolf by his waist, thrust him up in the air, and slammed his body onto the dirt ground. Rolf's quick descent to the ground made the dirt puff out in smoke around his body as Will straightened to stand up. He heard the cheers of his men and the sounds of the noble Roth class. Will looked back to Tamzin, who was trying to hide a smile behind her hand.
