by M. S. Parker
The man beating Reed stopped, his face flushed, breathing heavy. He looked annoyed at having been told to stop, but he didn't argue. Instead, he followed the rest of the men as they crowded back around me. They were closer this time than before, making me move at a faster pace until we were off the beach.
I went with them, resisting the nearly overwhelming urge to look back and see what had happened to Reed. It didn't matter that I still loved him. He wasn't my responsibility anymore. I couldn't think about his welfare. I had to think about my people, my family, my sister.
This past week had been like living in some sort of nightmare, one that didn't end when I woke up, but only began. Sometimes, I wasn't sure which was worse, the nightmares about losing Reed or waking up to the reality of what my life had become.
I'd hoped the honeymoon would give me the time to figure out a way to get Halea far enough away from Tanek to be safe. Once she was safe, I might be able to convince my parents of the truth. Instead, I'd been subject to public appearances where I had to pretend to love him, to be happy with my marriage. When I was worn out by them, we went back to whatever hotel we'd checked into for that day, and I'd be subject to Tanek's...affections. I'd stopped fighting him, but that hadn't meant he'd stopped hurting me. At least he'd refrained from hitting me as much.
And every night, before he fell asleep, he reminded me of what would happen if I dared to tell anyone about his treatment.
When we returned to the palace early, he cited an illness on my part, using the excuse to have me confined to my room for a couple days while he wormed his way even more deeply into my family. By the time I was deemed fit enough for a walk outside, Halea was only too excited to tell me just how much she'd been enjoying spending time with Tanek.
I should've had Halea on my mind as we made our way back to the palace. She should have always been the first thing on my mind, the only thing. I should have been thinking about how to get her away from Tanek, how to keep her safe.
The problem was, even with my eyes open, the only face I could see was Reed's.
Chapter 3
Reed
I didn't end up with a black eye, but the side of my face did turn some rather interesting colors. Fortunately, I'd spent enough time on the beach that I'd gotten a tan and the bruises weren't too obvious. My arms and legs were sore from where I'd blocked other hits, but overall, it wasn't too bad. The hangover was actually worse. Still, I refused to lay around in bed. I'd been moping for too long. I needed to get up and do something productive.
I spent most of Sunday trying to figure out the best way to approach the problem. I knew I had to do it from a logical standpoint rather than allowing my emotions to get involved. Whenever I thought of Nami being hurt, I couldn't think clearly. I wanted to go to the palace and demand to see Tanek, beat the shit out of him or challenge him to a duel or whatever it was people on Saja did when something like this happened. I considered lurking outside the palace until Tanek showed his face and then dragging him into an alley for a bit of turnabout.
As much as the idea appealed to me, I knew I couldn't do it. Not that I wasn't capable, but I knew that it would do more harm than good, not the least of which would be humiliating Nami. I couldn't do that to her, not on top of everything else. Plus, there was always the chance that she'd deny it all anyway and I'd end up in jail for assault. Tanek had to have something on her to have kept her from fighting back.
My next option would be to go to Nami's parents. I knew neither of them were very fond of me, but I also knew that they'd look poorly on anyone who risked tarnishing the family name. I had no doubt that Nami was hiding the truth from them as well.
The thing was, I didn't know which they'd consider the bigger scandal; that Tanek was beating their daughter or that someone was going to expose it. Parents who'd arrange a marriage to someone like that...I wasn't sure I trusted them to care more about Nami's well-being than they did about their good name.
I knew my own parents had cared more about the business part of my marriage to Britni than they had about whether or not I loved her, and that was bad enough. I liked to think that if I'd been in physical danger, my parents would've chosen me over business, but, in all honesty, I wasn't sure. If I was that uncertain about my own parents, I didn't think I could risk it with Nami's, especially when it would most likely be my word against Tanek's.
I needed proof. Evidence of some sort. I knew Nami. If she decided that she wasn't going to admit what was going on, she'd stick with it, no matter what. That meant she'd come up with some sort of excuse for any bruises. With her supporting whatever Tanek said, I'd get thrown out of the palace at the very least. Kai would make good on his threat at the worst. Instinctively, my hand went to my crotch. I had no doubt the bodyguard would indeed cut off my balls if he caught me talking to Nami again.
The first thing I had to do was discredit Tanek so that my own accusations would have more credence. That meant digging into his past. If I was lucky, I might even be able to find something bad. The problem was, I'd already proven that I was completely inept when it came to online research. This time, however, I couldn't involve any outside help. I had to do this on my own and discreetly.
That meant asking around.
Fortunately, I was able to play the ignorant American, fascinated with the whole concept of a monarchy. For the next few days, I made my way through various establishments, carefully asking about the new prince. I started at the hotel, asking members of the staff what they thought of Tanek. I didn't get much from them, but I hadn't really expected it. Employees at a place where discretion was certainly prized weren't likely to talk badly about members of the royal family. I had, however, seen the way several of the maids' eyes had flickered as they'd told me about the fairy tale life being lived by their princess. I hadn't been able to tell if it was jealousy or something more like worry.
The people of Saja were loyal, especially when it came to an outsider like me, but not all of them were skilled at keeping their feelings off their faces. By the middle of the week, I didn't have anything solid, but I did have a feeling that Tanek wasn't well-liked among most people. That, however, wouldn't be enough. Dislike of someone who'd been able to marry into the royal family could've easily been chalked up to jealousy. And even if it wasn't because he'd married Nami, Tanek's family was rich. I knew all too well how easy it was to hate people who'd been born into money. There'd been plenty of people in Philadelphia who'd hated my family just because we'd been wealthy. Well, I admitted, that might not have been the case with my entire family, especially my sister. Rebecca wasn't exactly a likable person.
Thursday evening, I found myself in a bar where I hoped alcohol would help people's opinions flow a little more freely. I started with asking about the king and queen, setting up my American curiosity. As I had everywhere else, I got the impression that the people of Saja genuinely liked their rulers. Unlike other countries, Saja had never really experienced any sort of true rebellion against having a king and queen. Their history was relatively peaceful and solitary. Nami's parents were just another in a long line of respected rulers.
When I turned my questions to the princesses, careful not to seem overly interested in one more than the other, everyone expressed similar sentiments. They believed Namisa would carry on the tradition of great queens and that Halea was a sweet and kind princess. I was able to edge into questions about Tanek, feigning ignorance over how the mantle of ruler was passed down on Saja.
Even with the alcohol, no one came out and said that they didn't like Tanek, but people were less enthused about him than about the Carrmoni family. More than one person commented along the lines that they were grateful Tanek wouldn't be their king. While no one was willing to cite specific instances, the general consensus was that Tanek Nekane wasn't exactly a nice person.
Not exactly news to me.
I assumed the king and queen had done their own research into Tanek's background, but I wondered if that had included talking to p
eople. One would think that they'd want to know as much as possible when it came to the man marrying their daughter, but I'd seen enough people fool themselves simply because the alternative would mean they wouldn't get what they wanted. Also, there was always the likelihood that people wouldn't dare to say anything wrong against the man their king and queen had chosen for the princess.
It was past midnight when I finally headed back to my room, more discouraged than I had been all week. I'd really thought I'd get something at a bar. Something solid that I could take to the king and queen. Now, I saw how stupid that had been. Why had I thought I'd find something that the king and queen hadn't been able to find? Sure, there was a good chance that the people of Saja wouldn't have wanted to tell their king and queen what a horrible man their son-in-law was, but I didn't know what had made me think they'd tell someone who wasn't only a stranger, but an American to boot. The people weren't hostile, but it was clear that a line existed between natives and visitors. Even if I could've told them that I loved Nami, I'd still be an outsider. She'd been right when she'd said that I couldn't understand.
I collapsed onto the bed after a quick shower and was fortunate enough to fall asleep right away. Most of the week, I'd been restless, waking every hour or so from strange and disturbing dreams, most of which consisted of me chasing something I couldn't quite get my hands on. I didn't need Freud to tell me the meaning behind that. This time, however, I slept straight through, not waking up until I heard someone knocking at my door.
I glanced at the clock, surprised to see that it was already past nine, and climbed out of bed. I'd gotten in the habit of sleeping naked over the past couple weeks simply to cut down on the need to do laundry, so I had to grab a pair of pants and pull them on as I headed to the door.
I assumed it was housekeeping or room service even though I hadn't requested either, but when I opened the door, the young woman who was standing there wasn't anyone I'd seen before, and she wasn't wearing a uniform.
She was about average in height and build with dark hair and eyes. Pretty enough, I supposed, but I could only view her clinically since my own standard of beauty was pretty much skewed forever. Even the most drop-dead model wouldn't make me look twice.
“My name is Ina.” Her voice was soft and heavily accented. “I have heard that you are asking about Tanek Nekane.”
I kept my face blank and didn't answer the implied question. For all I knew, she'd been sent in by Tanek or the royal family to determine what I knew.
She continued after a moment's pause, “You will want to hear what I have to say.”
I looked at her for a moment, weighing my options. Curiosity and desperation won out. I had nothing on Tanek and if what Ina said didn't have any worth, I wouldn't have lost anything more than a bit of time. I couldn't risk sending her away if she had information that could help me.
I stepped back and gestured for her to come into the room. She stepped past me, careful not to look at me, and that's when I realized I'd forgotten a shirt.
“Excuse me,” I muttered, embarrassed as hell. I hurried into the bedroom, grabbed the first shirt I saw and pulled it on. I was pretty sure it was dirty, but it didn't smell, so that was what counted at the moment.
I came back into the main room and found Ina still standing there.
“Please,” I said. “Have a seat.” I sat on the sofa and she took the chair.
It wasn't until she sat down and started twisting her hands together that I realized how nervous she was. I leaned forward, all traces of sleep gone. Either she was here to try to trick me into something or she had something real. My gut said it was the latter.
“When I was seventeen, I went to work for the Nekane family as a maid,” she began. She kept her chin up, eyes on me even though I could tell she wanted to look away while she told the story. “Tanek paid a lot of attention to me and I tried to discourage it. I told him I had a...” she struggled for the word “a suitor. That I was engaged. He did not care. It became so bad that I began to request a different schedule so that I was sure Tanek was out of the house, but that did not last long.”
I had a bad feeling that I knew where this was going and it wasn't anywhere good.
“When I was nineteen, Tanek forced himself on me.” The words were clipped, as if she had rehearsed them enough times that they no longer had any meaning, though the look in her eyes told me they hurt just as much now as they had the first time she'd said them. “I did not tell anyone the first time, or the second. Who would believe me?” The words were laced with bitterness. “He left shortly after the second time, going on a trip of some kind. I tried to find another place of employment before his return, but it soon became apparent that it would not matter.”
She took a slow breath and reached into her pocket, pulling out a small rectangle. I took it as she spoke again. “I was pregnant.”
The little girl in the picture looked to be about three years-old and she had dark hair like her mother. The eyes, however, were the same clear blue as Tanek's, though the girl's were warm.
“I went to his parents with the truth, telling them exactly what I told you, and they fired me, giving me two week's wages and a caution that I should never speak of this. When Tanek returned and discovered I was gone, he came to find me. He took me by the throat and pushed me against the wall. He told me that if I ever told anyone about what he had done or ever made claim that the child was his, he would kill me and our child.”
A chill washed over me. I'd known Tanek was an abusive bastard, but I hadn't let myself imagine that it would be this bad. A sick feeling settled in my stomach as I wondered if he had forced Nami as well. I pushed the thought away. I couldn't dwell on it, not if I wanted to keep my composure.
“When I saw the announcement of his engagement to Princess Namisa, I considered going to the king and queen, but I was afraid,” she confessed. “I would risk my own life, but not that of my daughter.”
“Why come to me now?” I asked, surprised at how calm I sounded.
“I was at the beach,” she said softly. “I saw the princess and I knew that he was hurting her. And I saw you. When I heard that you were asking about Tanek, I knew you would fight for the princess.”
I found myself nodding without conscious thought. “I will,” I said. I stood and crossed the few feet between us before going down on my knees and taking Ina's hands in my own. “I will save the princess and I will make sure that Tanek can't hurt you or your daughter ever again.”
It was a wild promise to make, I knew, but I wouldn't be able to live with myself if I got Nami away from Tanek and left Ina here to face his wrath. Whatever I did, I would make sure it made things safe for Ina and her daughter as well. I didn't love Ina, but it was the right thing to do, no matter how much harder it would make things. If I was going to be the man Nami deserved, it was the only thing I could do.
Chapter 4
Reed
As I made my way down the road that ran alongside the palace fence, I couldn't help but wonder if someone should tell the security guards about the ease with which a person could sneak onto the palace grounds. I'd gone in through the front door when I'd come to see the king and queen in the hopes that they could be convinced to allow Nami to choose her own husband. The first and last times I'd come in through a side entrance. The last time had been the day of Nami's wedding and I'd pretended to be one of the many people hired to work the event. No one had paid attention to me. The first time, I'd basically walked in through the gate, though not as bold. Somehow, I'd thought it should be more difficult to gain access to a royal family.
It was dusk as I approached the gate and I hoped that someone would be using the service entrance. The one thing I hadn't needed to do was climb over the wall and I didn't want to have to try it. I also didn't want to have to come back tomorrow. After what Ina had told me, it had been hard enough to not rush down here immediately. I'd needed to make preparations though. I couldn't just run in without a plan about what to do i
f Nami agreed to leave with me.
Not if, I told myself. When. She had to come. She couldn't just stay where she was and let Tanek beat on her until he finally went too far. As it was, I couldn't believe she hadn't left. I knew she had a sense of duty to her family and her country, but I never would have imagined that she would ever let a man hit her. If anything, I'd always thought she'd be the kind of woman who'd hit back. Then again, I'd never been able to imagine hitting a woman myself. Even Britni, at her worse, had never tempted me. Rebecca...well, we'd fought as kids, but that'd had nothing to do with her gender and everything to do with her being a bratty younger sibling. My gut told me, however, that something else was keeping her here.
I pushed aside thoughts of my family and everything else. I needed to pay attention. Getting caught trespassing wasn’t the best way to get to Nami. In fact, it seemed like a pretty good way to get kicked off of the island, and I couldn't risk that.
As I got closer to the gate, I heard voices. I couldn't make out the words, or even if they were speaking English, but that didn't matter because I could hear the gate starting to creak open. A minute later, a man stepped out and I pressed myself into the ivy, praying it would hide me. He didn't even look in my direction as he turned and walked the opposite way. I didn't know if he was doing some sort of patrol or if he was leaving for the night, but it didn't matter. The door was starting to close and it was my only chance.
I darted around, muscles tense as I waited for a shout to signal I'd been spotted. Instead, the shadows of the falling night kept me from being noticed. I sidled along the inside of the wall, keeping my eyes on the guard standing by the small security booth. His back was to me as he studiously examined something on the ground, but even from a distance, I could tell that diligence wasn't high on his priority list. If this had been the only time I'd come through, I might've thought he was new or just bad at his job. As it was, I thought his behavior was about on par with everyone else's. From what I'd read of Saja's low crime rate, I supposed I shouldn't have been surprised.
