by Frost Kay
“Dead,” Sage answered, flatly.
“By whom?”
“His own hand, the coward,” Rafe growled.
That grated on Tehl as well. Apparently the man had no honor at all and now they had no way of getting any more information. “Did any of you recognize him?” He pointedly looked to Sage.
“I didn’t know him. He wasn’t part of the rebellion if that is what you are asking.” Sage massaged her temple and stomped over to his chair, plopping herself into it. She scowled in the rebellion leader’s direction. “Did you know him?”
“No.”
“You’re sure neither of you knew him?” Gav asked again.
“I never forget faces, and I would have remembered his for a certainty. It was exotic, beautiful even. The planes of his face seemed perfectly cut.” Sage interjected. She turned to Sam, “You noted it as well.”
His brother nodded. “He was pretty for a man, hardly inconspicuous.”
A pair of burning golden eyes met his. “And what of your enemies?”
Tehl studied Rafe. “What enemies? You mean the ones you’ve incited against me?”
“You can’t tell me you don’t have enemies of your own?” Sage asked incredulously, pulling his attention from Rafe’s glare. “Nobody’s perfect, and you’re about as companionable as a porcupine. Who have you offended recently?”
“The names would be too long to list,” Gav grouched.
“Mmmhmmmm…” the rebel hummed in agreement.
Tehl gave Gavriel a black look. He didn’t have great people skills, but he wasn’t that bad. A thought occurred to him. He smiled wickedly at Sage. “Now I’m married to you I don’t have to worry about that, you can put out all my fires.”
Her mouth snapped shut. That silenced her.
“We won’t figure anything out tonight. Tomorrow morning we can look into it,” Gav reasoned.
“I will reach out to my contacts,” Rafe added, inserting himself into the investigation.
Swamp apples, he would never be rid of this man.
Sage yawned and tipped her head back against the chair. “How long do I need to stay here before I sneak back to my rooms?” she mumbled.
All three princes darted glances to each other.
Oh hell.
“Did no one tell her?” Tehl asked, ignoring Rafe’s narrowed eyes. How could no one have mentioned anything? And how in the world did it fall on him to do so now?
“Tell me what?”
Tehl pinched the bridge of his nose and gestured to the closet, preparing for the huge fight ahead. “Take a look for yourself.”
He placed a hand over his mouth, waiting for the explosion soon to come as he watched her heave herself from the chair and onto her feet. She then proceeded to do as he’d told her. She opened the door.
One, two, three…
“What in the bloody hell?” Sage stormed from the closet and to him, scowling. “What is the meaning of those dresses?” she demanded, stabbing a finger to the closet.
Tehl lifted his drink and took a fortifying sip. This wasn’t a conversation he really wanted to be having as a group. He faced Sage, but he made sure to track Rafe’s reaction in his peripheral. The rebellion leader was unruly at best when it came to Sage. “Exactly what you think it does.”
Her eyes narrowed. “I am not staying here.”
“It has always been this way. There is not a ruling couple in our history that did not share the same room.” Tehl tried to sound as reasonable as possible. Maybe if he showed her the advantages, they could avoid an argument as this was not something he could compromise on, it simply had to be done. “Everything about this ruse will be easier to keep up if you stay here.”
Her eyes narrowed so much they were thin slits. “I’ll not do it.”
Rafe stepped to her side, placing his hand on her back. Tehl arched an eyebrow at him.
“I would listen to the lady.” Tehl could detect a touch of malice in Rafe’s voice. The rebellion leader was playing with fire, he shouldn’t even be in the room and here he was commanding Tehl and touching his wife. This was not heading the direction he’d hoped.
Tehl blew out a breath. All right, he thought, unreasonable it is.
“In this we have no other choice. Do you think I want to sleep in the same bed as you?”
“She will not share your bed,” Rafe hissed.
Sage’s face turned an alarming shade of red. “Sharing a room doesn’t mean sharing a bed.”
“No, it does not,” Sam said, sounding reasonable. Then he grinned and wiggled his eyebrows. “As a matter of fact I frequently share be—” Sage grabbed a pillow from the bed and launched it at his brother’s head.
Sam held up his hands. “Now, now. No need to be feisty. I was just pointing out the differences.”
“Enough,” she growled, turning her glare from his brother to him. “I promised to marry you, but I never agreed to this. This was not included in our negotiations. I can never sleep knowing you’re in the same room.”
Tehl scoffed, a little offended. “What do think I will do? Knife you in the middle of the night?”
“Among other things.”
Tehl rolled his eyes. “I have no designs on you tonight or any other night. Contrary to your absurd opinions about me, I am absolutely not interested in unwilling women.” Tehl threw his hands in the air and stomped to his bed, yanking back the covers. “Listen. There are guards posted outside our door, they will see you if you sneak out so it’s ridiculous to keep arguing about this. Tonight, and every other night, I am sleeping in my bed. You are welcome to sleep wherever you wish, be it in the chair, on the floor or somewhere else. But it will be in this room. You agreed to this marriage, and this is just a part of what it entails.”
He could see her start to fume. “This was thrust upon me, I had no choice in the matter so I didn’t actually agree to anything,” Sage spat.
“Sage, it’s true about our kings and queens sharing the room,” Gav added gently.
She held his cousin’s gaze for what seemed an eternity and finally spoke. “It seems I once again have no choice in the matter, just as in every other aspect of this mess.” She then swung her infuriated gaze back to him. “If you so much as twitch in my direction…”
Her hand flashed and a dull thwack sounded very close to his head. Tehl twisted to find a dagger embedded in the bed poster a scant three inches from his ear. “Did you just throw a knife at me?” he asked, incredulously.
The smug smile the rebellion leader now wore had Tehl fighting the desire not to walk over and punch him in his interfering, smug face.
“That was a warning. You stay in your bed and I will stay in mine.” She whirled around and snatched something from the closet before slipping into the bathing room. The clicking of the door was followed by the sound of running water.
“Well,” Gav sighed, “that sure went well… “
“I guess the traditional wedding night is out,” Sam deadpanned. That pulled a low growl from Rafe.
“Enough,” Gavriel chastised, elbowing his brother. “It’s well past time we be leaving. If she has nightmares,” Gav paused and winced, “when she has nightmares watch for her blades and call for me. I’ll use the secret passage ways so as not to stir up gossip.”
Gossip about their new marriage was the last thing they needed, Tehl thought.
He nodded to them both so Sam bellowed, “We’re leaving!” in the direction of the bathing room. Sage burst into the room ,and, when Sam opened his arms, to Tehl’s surprise, she walked right into them.
“Thank you,” she whispered.
His brother caught his eye and, over the top of her head, flashed a real Sam smile. “Anything for you, darling.”
Sage smiled softly. She stepped from of his arms to Gav’s, giving him the same treatment. When she reached Rafe, she hesitated a moment before sliding her arms around his middle. At that moment, a spark of jealousy ran through him as he observed the rebellion leader run his hand
s through her hair. He gritted his teeth when Rafe looked him in the eyes and, maintaining eye contact, kissed her forehead. The man was dangerous. Tehl would have to keep an eye on him just to make sure the lecher didn’t steal his wife right out from under him.
Sage pulled away and retreated once again to the bathing room, sparing Tehl only a brief, annoyed glance. When he looked at the other men in the room, they all stared at the door with varying degrees of affection in their eyes. The damn woman had wiggled her way into all of their hearts.
“You better not mess this up,” Sam mumbled. “She is worth her weight in gold. I hope you know how to handle something that precious.”
“I run a kingdom.”
“Women are more difficult.”
“You’ll not find me brooking argument there.”
“You’ll be dealing with more than her family if you hurt her,” his brother said, eyeing him.
“I will not harm her.”
“I’d kill you if you did,” Rafe tossed in.
Tehl didn’t doubt it.
“You better not,” Gav grumbled. “Okay. It is now well past my bedtime and there is still much for me to do before I can even think of sleeping, so I’m going to bid you all goodnight.”
Sam rolled his eyes. “Come along, old man,” he said, exasperated.
The two princes left his room, bickering, while Tehl had a nice little stare off with Rafe. The door closed, the room filled only with the sounds of running water and a crackling fire.
After a few moments, Tehl finally grouched, “Out with it, I haven’t got all night.” He really was tired. Today had taken a heavy toll on him and he needed to rest.
“She may be your wife, but she is not yours.”
Tehl’s hackles raised. Their marriage may be a business deal, but that certainly did not mean Rafe could speak of Sage with any sort of possession. “And who pray tell, does she belong to? You?” Tehl asked, holding his eerie gaze. “From what I hear, she has rebuffed you at every turn.”
The rebellion leader’s eyes turned murderous. “You—”
Tehl held up a hand, cutting him off. “She doesn’t belong to either of us,” he said frankly. “But legally she is mine, and I will care for and protect her.”
“I don’t make idle threats. I meant what I said. Do not hurt her.”
“I would expect nothing less.”
“We have an understanding then?”
“Indeed.”
Rafe dipped his chin and stalked from the room.
Tehl grimaced, the rebellion leader was nothing but trouble. For the next while he went about blowing out the ridiculously large amount of candles that had been placed in their chambers. He slipped into a soft pair of sleep pants and sat on the bed, elbows resting on his knees and hands clasped, just thinking.
Not that much had been altered in it but his own chamber felt so different having Sage here. He had moved to these rooms when he became of marrying age, and, until this moment, Tehl never thought about what it would feel like to bring a woman here. When he imagined getting married, he thought that it would be a sedate occasion to some mousy bride eager to do his bidding. Obviously, he could have never imagined that he’d get a coerced bride who wouldn’t spit on him if he was burning.
The bathing room door opened, interrupting his thoughts. Steam billowed out, announcing Sage’s arrival. Her skin was pink and shiny, her dark hair dripping water onto the white linen shirt she was wearing, making it most-becomingly transparent.
“Keep your eyes to yourself,” his new wife barked. She then strode purposefully to the other side of the bed, ripping pillows off it.
Tehl raised brow. “Keep my eyes to myself? Really? That’s the best you could come up with?”
She growled at him and yanked the coverlet out from under him, apparently refusing to dignify his comment with a response. She then ripped off her cuffs, slapping them onto the side table, and stormed toward the fire where she began constructing a nest on the floor.
“You really intend to sleep there?”
“I do,” Sage sniffed. “It is better than being in the same bed as you.” A dagger appeared in her hand, and she pointed it at him. “You stay on your side of the room, and I will stay on mine.”
Exhaustion tugged at him. He didn’t have the energy to spar with her. Wearily, he ran a hand down his face and returned his gaze to the hostile woman watching him. “I won’t argue with you there. Do whatever you like as long as you don’t disturb my sleep.” Tehl stood and yanked back the remaining sheets and crawled into bed. He stared at the ceiling and listened as Sage shuffled around, mumbling to herself or cursing under her breath every so often. He couldn’t help but smile at a few of the black oaths that came out. A docile wife she most certainly was not. At least his life was about to get a bit more interesting.
“Goodnight, Sage.”
Her rustling paused. “Goodnight, my lord.”
“Tehl,” he insisted.
“Tehl,” she repeated
***
Tehl’s eyes snapped open, instantly awake. Darkness weighed down on him blanketing the room. His hand crept toward the dagger hidden under his pillow. What woke him? Tehl’s brows knitted when he heard a small whimper. What the devil was that?
He sat up and scanned the room, pausing at the slumbering figure before the fire. The tension drained from his body when he realized it was only the rebel. He grumbled and stashed his dagger, irritated at having been awoken needlessly. A dry chuckle fell from his lips as he settled back into bed. Sage was tiresome even in her sleep.
A sharp cry had him bolting upright. “Sage?”
No response.
Tehl yanked back the covers and hissed when his feet touched the cold stone floor. He strode around the foot of the bed, avoiding pieces of furniture, intent on Sage. He barely made out her features in the dark, illuminated by the dying embers in the hearth. She struggled against the covers knotted around her.
“No!” she shouted and struggled harder. “Don’t touch…” She broke off with a cry, tears slipping out the corners of her closed eyes.
Tehl’s heart seized. This is what Gav was talking about. Sage was having a nightmare. “Sage, wake up.” She thrashed harder and let out a wail he was sure would have the Elite crashing through their door. He sank to his knees, trying to decide the best course of action. Sage was so wrapped up in whatever horror she was experiencing he couldn’t get through to her. Gavriel warned him about her weapons. It wouldn’t do to get stabbed while attempting to wake her. If, however, he could clamp her arms to her sides, he might be okay. He would not become her pincushion.
Tehl blew out a breath. Here went nothing.
He snatched Sage and pulled her back against his chest. “Wake up, you’re dreaming.”
A feral cry burst out of her, and she exploded into motion, bucking frantically and throwing her head back, clipping him in the chin. Losing his balance, Tehl landed hard on his butt, his legs hugging her hips. He threw both legs on top of hers, tightened his arms, and pushed his head into the side of her neck to pin her to the ground. Meanwhile he spoke in a soothing voice. “It’s a dream, it’s just a dream, love,” he found himself saying over and over.
Her fighting gave way to teeth rattling shudders and sobbing. He released her legs and rolled up to his feet, standing with Sage hanging in his arms. Tehl shifted her in his arms and carried his broken rebel wife to their bed.
“Shhhh…it’s okay. I have you.”
He set her in it and stared down at her frightened eyes while she fought her way back from whatever hell held her hostage. Tehl ran his eyes over her shadowed features once more before walking around the bed to sit down himself. Emotions washed over him in waves. Guilt. Sadness. Disgust. Anger. He may not have been her attacker, but, to a certain degree, he still felt responsible, as it was his actions that had set the stage for her to be so taken advantage of and hurt. Sage’s defiant face when he’d flung back her hood flashed through his mind followed by
the memory of her broken cries before the wedding. Tehl sucked in a ragged breath and scrubbed a hand over his face. The vibrant woman he’d first encountered was a dim remnant of her former self, and he hated that he’d had any part in that. He wasn’t sorry that they’d thus far subdued the rebellion, but he did regret the way some of it came about.
“We’re never to speak of this,” Sage’s sleep roughened voice pulled him from his reverie. Tehl looked over his shoulder. In the darkness, he could barely make her out as she lay on her back, staring up at the ceiling. “I am not weak,” she insisted.
“I never said you were.”
“You were thinking it, I could hear it in your silence. You were pitying me.”
Tehl pulled one of his legs beneath him and turned to get a better look at her. “No.”
“No? I don’t believe you, husband.”
Tehl stiffened at the title. It wasn’t said in an inflection he remembered his mother using to his father, but as a joke. For a reason he could not quite define, that bothered him. After taking a moment to ponder it, however, he realized it made sense since their marriage was a joke anyway.
“Believe it or not, I was raging at the injustice of what befell you, especially since the burden of guilt is partly on my shoulders,” he said heavily, his confession hanging in the air.
Her profile turned his way, studying him. “You may have contributed to the circumstance, but you are not responsible for everyone’s actions. I have to take responsibility in my part as well. If I hadn’t taken part in treasonous acts, I would never have found myself in that situation in the first place. We must all face what we have done.”
He was momentarily shocked by her humility, he couldn’t believe she was willing to see, much less speak of, her own burden of guilt in this. It was a surprisingly mature response and he respected her for it. “What you speak is true, but, still, I am sorry for what you have suffered. I dare say I will carry a part of the burden all my life.”
“Good.”
Tehl winced and dropped his head. He supposed he deserved her cruelty.
“I don’t mean it like that. I don’t want you to suffer, but I believe if you carry the memory with you always then it will inculcate a lesson into your heart. It will influence the way you rule and how you deal with others. That can be a good thing.” Tehl lifted his head, watching her watch him. “I won’t ever forget what happened to me, but, one day, I will be able to forgive both you and I, it’s just not today.”
