Crown's Shield: The Aermian Feuds: Book Two

by Frost Kay

  Her head snapped up, her eyes glittering with true emotion for the first time. “I may brush aside what you do but that does not mean I will sleep in a bed that smells of another woman. I have more self-respect than that.”

  Sometimes, he laughed at the oddest times, and this was one of those times.

  Her eyes narrowed, and she jerked out of his grasp, rounding the bed and yanking back the covers. “Don’t you dare laugh at me.”

  “I’m sorry, I’m not laughing at you,” he wheezed. “It’s the situation. You haven’t let me speak. You’ve twisted everything around.” Tehl watched her whack the pillows. “Sage.”

  She ignored him and smoothed the sheets.

  “Sage.”

  “What?” she yelled, her chest heaving.

  “I didn’t sleep with her.”

  She whipped out a dagger and stabbed the air with it. “Don’t lie to me. I saw what happened with my own eyes. I’m not a fool. I’m a fake but no fool.”

  “Caeja is a snake.”

  “On that we can agree,” she huffed.

  “I swear to you on my mother’s memory she did not come to our room for that purpose.”

  Sage paused in making the bed before sitting on the smooth sheet to stare at him. “Then what happened? She was all over you during the Sae.” His wife shrugged. “She’s beautiful.”

  Now it was his turn to scowl. He vividly remembered the rebellion leader taking liberties. “I am not the only one who needs scolding about dancing with another.”

  His wife rolled her eyes. “I can’t even stand the sight of Rafe at the moment. Are you sure you can see properly?”

  “I know what I saw, it might not have been you, but the rebellion leader…”

  “Rafe is just being Rafe.”

  Tehl shook his head. They could argue this for hours. “We’re getting off topic. Caeja only came to our room so she could help you out of your dress, but when you weren’t there she tried to seduce me.”

  A choked sound came from her throat.

  He squinted at her blank face. “Your blank face shows me more than you know. You doubt me, I get it, but this is what happened. She had her damn dress pulled so low she tripped on the skirt and slammed into me. We ended up sprawled across the bed.” Tehl cleared his throat when Sage’s face cracked, and she sniggered. “When I booted her from our suite, she tripped on her skirt and about brained herself against the wall, again.” Tehl sighed. “I don’t want her. Ever.”

  Sage eyed him in the quiet of the room. “I believe you.”

  He blew out a breath, surprised by how much her answer calmed him. “Thank you.”

  “But I am still not sleeping in there ’til the bed sheets are changed tomorrow. The whole room reeked like roses.” Sage’s nose wrinkled up in distaste. “I’m staying here.”

  “I hate roses.”

  Sage gasped. “You hate roses?”

  “Well, not the flowers, just her perfume. It gives me a headache. If you’re staying here, then so am I.”

  Her eyes narrowed. “This is my room.”

  Tehl sauntered to the other side of the bed and flipped back the covers. “It’s mine.”

  “It’s your father’s,” she countered. “He gave it to me, now out!”

  “A technicality. Plus, my father always said you sleep with your wife no matter what. You never let the sun set when you’re upset with each other.”

  “I thought your mother said that.”

  “They both believed it true.”

  Her lips pursed. “Fine. Sleep on the floor.”

  He pulled off his boots and unbuttoned his vest, tossing it next to his boots before plopping onto the bed. “If I’m in my own home, I don’t sleep on the floor.”

  “Then I’ll sleep on the floor.”

  “Stars above,” he growled. “When’s the last time you had a good night sleep and woke up without an aching back?”

  Silence.

  Tehl closed his eyes. “I would like a full night of sleep. I’ll just end up moving you in the middle of the night after you experience a nightmare. Save us both some time and sleep; get in the damn bed.” He cracked an eye and peeked at her. The anger and fear warring on her face softened him. She was a warrior. Stronger than she knew. “I’ll sleep on top of the covers.”

  Uncertainty still showed in the way she stood.

  Time for a different tactic. “What are you afraid of?” She never backed down when challenged.

  Her jaw tightened before she stormed around the room, blowing out each of the lanterns and candles. Tehl spied on her through slit lids as she hovered by the side of the bed before making her mind up and slipping in. A smile spread on his face when he closed his eyes. They had survived today and they would survive tomorrow. Tehl jerked upward when a large pillow slapped him in the face.

  Sage smiled innocently at him.

  “Sorry, I didn’t see you there.”

  His eyes narrowed. Devious wench. Lying down, he watched her build a pillow wall down the entire length of the bed, except for where their heads would rest. Nodding, she lay down and stared at him.

  “Don’t try anything or I’ll stab you.”

  He couldn’t help rolling his eyes. “Like I haven’t heard that before.”

  She nodded and closed her eyes. Tehl’s gaze traced over her arching brows, long lashes, full lips, and high cheekbones. It would have been easier if he had been married to a hag.

  “Would you stop watching me?” she muttered.

  “Sorry,” he mumbled, still looking at her.

  “If you were sorry you would stop it.”

  Tehl nodded even though she couldn’t see him and turned on to his back. He thus far had found their marriage surprisingly entertaining, and he was finding it more intriguing by the day. “I really am sorry for any pain our misunderstanding I caused you.”

  “You didn’t hurt me.”

  His brows furrowed. “It didn’t bother you at all?” He turned his head to look at her. “If it had been you in my position, it would have bothered me.”

  Sage blinked her eyes open and gazed at him. “It didn’t hurt me but I did feel disrespected.” She swallowed. “And lacking.”

  That surprised him. “You’re not lacking, that’s why I was staring. You may be annoying, but you’re also beautiful.”

  Her eyes crinkled before she laughed. “Tehl, you have a horrible way with words.”

  “I know.”

  “And atrocious manners.”

  “I know.”

  “But a loyal heart.”

  He blinked. Sage had said something nice to him. “Thank you.”

  “Now, stop talking and go to sleep, it’s been a long day.”

  Tehl turned to stare at the ceiling. “You have a brave heart.”

  The fire crackled, and, it was so quiet, he was sure she didn’t hear him. It wasn’t until he had just about drifted off, that he heard a soft thank you. Tehl smiled. They would make it through the mess of their lives.

  Chapter Thirty

  Sage

  Fingers and steel trained along her skin, pain kissing her all over. “I will break you…”

  Sage jerked away and blinked, her breath sawing in and out of her chest. Frantically, she searched the room for the monster that lurked in her dreams. The room was dark, except for the glowing embers of the fire. She gulped a deep breath of cool air and tore the covers back, swinging her feet to the side of the bed.

  It was just a dream, Sage. He’s not here. You’re okay.

  “Sage?” a deep voice rumbled.

  She jumped, her hand going for her dagger before she remembered who was next to her. The crown prince. Tehl. It was just Tehl. Sage craned her neck and peeked at him over her shoulder as he stared at her, half asleep, his hair messily tossed across his forehead. Her panic loosened at the sight of him. He wouldn’t hurt her and Tehl slept with as many weapons as she did. No one would be able to get past the two of them together.

  “Go back to sleep,
my lord. It’s nothing.”

  “You sure?”

  “Yes.”

  The crown prince nodded and rustled around in his blanket before falling back asleep with deep, measured breaths. Sage stared at him for a moment, jealous that he’d fallen asleep so quickly. Part of her wanted to whack him in the face with a pillow again and pretend to sleep so that when he jerked awake, he wouldn’t know it was she that disturbed his sleep. She stared at him for a beat longer, feeling restless, before deciding to go for a walk.

  She slipped on her boots and silently slipped out the door, startling Garreth. When he’d recovered, he raised a brow in question.

  “I couldn’t sleep. I need to walk.” Sage paused, her brow furrowed in confusion. “How did you know where—”

  “We always know where the crown prince is.”

  “That sounds…tedious.”

  A silly smile turned the corners of his mouth up. “Sometimes.”

  Garreth turned and whispered to the other Elite posted by the door and walked to her side. “If you’ll allow me, I’ll escort you.”

  She wanted to argue, but she also understood it wasn’t really a request. Royalty required protection and she was now considered royal. She’d spent time with Garreth in training, so he wasn’t a complete stranger, and at least he knew how to be silent. He was almost as sneaky as she and Sam were. Sage nodded curtly and spun on her heel, heading to the hidden room the king had shown her to when she first arrived. He hadn’t visited her in a while but today she’d make sure to track him down for some tea or a walk.

  Sage pushed into the suite, Garreth on her heels. She paused, waiting for him to close the door, and then hastened to the bookcase. Her eyes searched in the dim light to find the silver leafed book. She pressed firmly on its spine until a faint click sounded and the bookcase rolled to the side, revealing the hidden doorway.

  “Stars above, how long have you known about that?” Garreth breathed.

  A grin touched her lips at the censure in his voice. “The king showed me when I was being held here.” She ignored his cursing and began to descend the dark stone stairwell. “Be a darling and light a lantern. It’s pitch dark in here, and I would prefer not to break my neck or have to explain why you broke yours.”

  He grumbled behind her but soon enough was stepping behind her with a soft light. “I’m not too comfortable with this. The stones are slick as snot, my lady.”

  Sage waved off his concern and descended the spiraling staircase. It was slow going, but it brought her a measure of peace. When the sound of thundering waves echoed up the stairs, she felt a spark of excitement. “We’re close,” she said, gleefully.

  When they rounded the last corner, Garreth’s sharp breath of awe warmed her. He found the sea cave as beautiful as she did.

  “It’s lovely isn’t it?” she asked as she stepped over a porous rock, running her finger over a starfish.

  “It’s wondrous.”

  “Indeed.”

  When they reached the mouth of the cave, Sage sat down in the sand that had turned silver by the light of the waning moon. She pulled her boots and socks off, enjoying the feel of the sand between her toes. Garreth followed her lead, placing his boots and the lantern off to one side. Once he finished doing so, she meandered down to the beach, savoring the feel of the cool breeze as it ruffled her hair. She listened to the crashing waves and entertained herself, discovering small treasures the ocean had deposited on the beach, curling her linen shirt up to contain them. When her makeshift sack was filled, along with the Elite’s hand, she decided it was time to return. Her restlessness had faded, as had the memory of her nightmare, so fatigue weighed heavily upon her.

  When they arrived at the cavern’s mouth, Sage carefully placed her treasures in the sand so she could pull on her boots. She shuddered when she remembered how she’d previously been forced to walk through the slime since she hadn’t any shoes. Never again. She eyed her treasures and then the cave.

  Garreth rolled his eyes. “You’ll break your neck if you try to haul all of that up the stairs. Leave it for now.”

  “But…” Sage glanced at the sea loot longingly.

  He sighed. “Fine, I’ll carry them.”

  Sage beamed. “Thank you.”

  “Yeah, yeah. I’m supposed to be an Elite, and yet I find myself a glorified beast of burden,” he grumbled some more as he collected her shells and sea glass, this time using his own tunic front.

  As they began the long ascent, Sage thought about her quiet companion. Their entire walk had been comfortable. She appreciated the quiet, the peace. It was times like these that she realized just how skewed her perception had been of the Crown and those loyal to it. She’d found true friendship in places she never expected. Sage peeked over her right shoulder at Garreth, smiling. “Thank you for coming with me,” she said simply.

  The happy smile which lit up his face and eyes was the perfect ending to their walk. “My pleasure.”

  Sage’s smile widened as she weaved back through the cave, approaching the stairs. She eyed the stone steps with distaste and groaned, remembering the long trek ahead of her. “All those stairs to hike up, how miserable.”

  A snigger sounded behind her. “You’re the one who chose to come down here. Didn’t you account for the trek back?”

  She sniffed. Now he decided to have something to say. Sage blew out a breath and took the first step up the endless staircase. After a few flights of stairs, her legs burned and her lungs labored. She really needed to train more. The further they trudged, the more Sage questioned her sanity. Why in the world did she decide to come down to the beach? She paused as something plinked against the stone behind her. “Everything okay?” she asked looking over her shoulder.

  Garreth was struggling to hold onto all of her sea treasures and the lantern. He glanced up at her. “Actually, no. Could you hold the lantern for a moment while I adjust your loot? I will lose all of them if I don’t figure out a different way to hold them.”

  She carefully spun on the step and took the lantern from him, trying to hide her grin as the highly trained soldier fumbled with the dainty shells. “And here I thought the Elite could do anything with ease,” she teased.

  He snorted while he adjusted his hold on her treasures and his tunic. “That sounds like propaganda from Sam.”

  Sage chuckled as she turned and lifted the lantern to one of the darkened hallways. “Indeed.” The darkness was so thick she could only see a few feet down them. There were so many hidden passageways in the castles. It would take her years to explore them all. “I wonder where this one leads,” she mused out loud. “Eventually, I would like to explore them all. Do you know where it goes?” she asked, hitching a thumb over her shoulder.

  He lifted his head from arranging the shells wearing a teasing smile that quickly shifted to horror.

  “Sa—” was all she caught as pain exploded in her head. Spots of light and dark danced across her vision, and the world spun around her. She blinked once and the last thing she saw was Garreth exploding into action while her treasures flew through the air. Then she knew only darkness.

  ***

  Something was thundering, and the pain in her head pulsed with the sound. Where was she? And why did everything hurt? Sage groaned, wishing the pounding in her skull would stop. Groggily, she lifted her head and slit her eyes only to slam them shut as bright light brought on another wave of pain.

  Suddenly, the pounding made sense. A horse. She was on a horse.

  Her stomach lurched as the horse’s speed increased, aggravating her head. How did she hurt her head? Why was she on a horse? She couldn’t remember anything.

  “You awake, consort?” a familiar voice sneered.

  Her breath froze in her lungs and her entire body locked up.

  No. It couldn’t be.

  The arm around her waist tightened and warm breath dampened her neck. “I know you’re awake. You can’t hide from me, love.”

  Bile burned her t
hroat and panic clawed at her chest.

  No, no, no, no, NO!

  “Yes, yes, yes,” the deep voice crooned in her ear. “Your training is slipping. I know exactly what you’re thinking. Now look at me.”

  Her body trembled, and she squeezed her eyes tighter closed.

  “Defiant to the end?” the monster mused. “Well. He will relish breaking you.”

  Stop being the victim. Don’t let him take you without a fight.

  She blew out the breath she’d been holding, hyper-aware of his arm below her breasts.

  Open your eyes, Sage. Open them!

  She turned her neck and forced them open to stare into ordinary mud-brown ones.

  Rhys.

  A sinister smile curled his lips. “Hello there, love. Shall we play a game?”

  To be continued…

  In Book Three of the Aermian Feuds: Enemy’s Queen.

  Thank you for reading CROWN’S SHIELD. I hope you enjoyed it!

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  From bookworm to bookworm: reviews are important. Reviews can help readers find books, and I am grateful for all honest reviews. Thank you for taking the time to let others know what you’ve read, and what you thought. Just remember, they don’t have to be long or epic, just honest❤

  You’ve just read a book in my AERMIAN FEUDS series. Other books in this series include REBEL’S BLADE and SIREN’S LURE (more information on the next page).

  The Aermian Feuds: Book One

  Rebel’s Blade

  Frost Kay

  War. Secrets. Betrayal.

  Tehl Ramses is drowning; crops are being burned, villages pillaged, and citizens are disappearing, leading to a rising rebellion. As crown prince, and acting ruler, Tehl must find a way to crush the rebellion before civil war sweeps through his beloved kingdom.