by Lily Thomas
She felt guilty about hiding so many important things from him. Here she had been sleeping with him when she was due to marry another, but it was a man she had never seen before. A man she wasn’t keen on marrying, especially since she knew Stryme.
He watched her closely, as he asked her another question. “You want to marry this prince?”
“If they will help my kingdom with the war, then yes I want to marry the prince.” She said quietly, averting her eyes from the sight of his flashing eyes.
He paced a few steps, grabbed a sword and swung it at the wall. Sparks showered across the room, and Elizabeth's eyes popped wide with amazement.
“Are you alright?” She asked, as she jolted to a standing position.
He held out a hand, stopping her from approaching him. “Now I can see why you have been trying to escape me. You have another man whom you love and who you want to run to.”
With that said, he turned and left the chamber, slamming the door behind him.
“I’m not in love with him.” She murmured to the wooden door.
Elizabeth wondered why it had upset him so much. Surely, he couldn't be in love with her. She was a human. It shouldn’t bother him that she was to marry a different man. Perhaps everything in the past day she had told him was just adding up. Maybe she had overloaded him with too much information to process.
She walked over to the door slowly and peered out into the hall. There was no sign of him or anyone else. Gradually, Elizabeth closed the door, while sighing deeply. It felt nice to have it out there.
The fire crackled throughout the night, as Elizabeth sat next to it on the floor. She used it's light to help her sewing. Every once in a while, Elizabeth would glance up at the door, hoping, wishing Stryme would come back to her.
She had some things to explain. It wasn’t like she loved the prince, but she loved her people. She wished she could abandon her people to pursue a life with Stryme, but Elizabeth just couldn’t do it.
Chapter 16
A knock on the door roused Elizabeth from her restless dreams. Uncurling from her position on the floor, Elizabeth sat up.
“Come in.” She called out, as she rubbed the sleep from her eyes.
Kiyla entered through the doorway and as her eyes landed on Elizabeth her eyebrows went sky high.“Should I even ask why you are on the floor?”
There were some cricks in her neck from the way she had slept. “I was waiting for Stryme to come back, after he stormed off last night. I suppose I must have dozed off, at some point.”
“Looks like it.” Kiyla sat on one of the chairs. “It would explain why Stryme looked exhausted when he came for breakfast this morning.”
Elizabeth looked up at her quickly. “What time is it?”
“Past noon, I believe.”
Elizabeth watched her carefully. Kiyla was acting kindly, but Elizabeth had to wonder if her actions had caused her to lose a friend.
“How may I win your forgiveness, for what I have surely put you through?” She hoped that Kiyla would be willing to forgive her. If she was going to be stuck here, she needed to keep her friendships as healthy as she could.
Kiyla exhaled loudly. “Is there anything to forgive? You are only trying to save your people. I can understand what drives you, I just wished you hadn't done it on my watch.”
“I can’t believe you aren’t angry.”
“Oh, I am. But I also understand, as I am sure a lot of us do. Stryme may not be pleased, but he understands as well. As a king he knows what obligation can force you to do.”
“Sarah and I thought it would be a perfect moment for escape, when you took us to the market.” Elizabeth smiled shyly. “If I could do things over again, I probably wouldn't have left. It was foolish to think I would be able to escape from Stryme.”
She and Sarah had been too eager or too desperate. They should have waited for a better opportunity.
Kiyla shook her head. “I’d bet it was Sarah's plan and not yours. Either way, it doesn't matter. What is done is done. What I came to ask was, what you and Stryme talked about last night. He’s clearly troubled by something, and I know it has to do with you.”
Elizabeth shrugged, not wanting to tell Kiyla why she had to leave so badly. After Stryme’s reaction she wasn’t sure Kiyla wouldn’t freak out on her. She stood, brushed off her dress, and put away her sewing.
Kiyla came up behind her, rested a reassuring hand on her shoulder, and talked to her gently. “You can tell me, Elizabeth. But if you truly don’t want to, than I won't pressure you any further.”
Elizabeth huffed. She might as well get her opinion on the matter. She had one blow out. She could handle another. “I told him what my father, the king, has promised to give Sardarn.”
Kiyla sat to wait patiently for Elizabeth to continue, but her eyes did widen a bit at the mention of who her father was.
“I told Stryme my hand has been promised to the prince of Sardarn to unite the kingdoms by blood.”
“Ah. I can see why that would have upset him.”
“I may have told him about my brothers as well.” Elizabeth cringed as she said the last sentence. Kiyla would understand why that might make her worry. Stryme had every right to despise her for her relations.
Elizabeth let the silence hang in the room, not knowing what to say next.
“I thought you might have felt something for him.” Kiyla broached the subject Elizabethherself had been warring over. “Was I wrong with that assumption?”
“No!” Elizabeth exclaimed forcefully. Then more calmly she explained. “I do feel something for him, but my people need the assistance of Sardarn. I’m their princess, and I can’t fail in my duty to provide for my people.”
“It makes sense to me, but I’m not the one who holds feelings for you.” Then she added, “I just feel sorry for the men on the practice field.”
“Why?”
“I suspect Stryme went there after leaving the great hall, and from the black cloud over his head, those men are in for a brutal practice day.”
Elizabeth winced. “My fault.”
“Oh, don't blame yourself too much. He whips them into shape every once in a while, but today he will just bloody them up a bit.”
“Perhaps, I should speak to him.” Elizabeth said as she made her way over to the door.
Kiyla scrambled after her, grabbed her shoulder, and whipped her around. “I wouldn't. Wait until tonight and stay inside the castle walls. I think allowing him some time to cool down would be a good idea. You gave him a lot to think about.”
With a gulp Elizabeth nodded. She knew Stryme would never hurt her, but she still had to admit she didn't know him all that well. She had shared his bed many a time, but that didn't mean she knew him inside and out. He might hate who she was at the moment. That sword strike against the wall had scared her.
“Then, will you join me for a meal in the great hall?” Elizabeth asked.
“I would enjoy that. Your friend Sarah has been waiting for you, since this morning.”
“I’m sure she has.” Probably sick with worry that the fire giant had done some evil deed to her.
Elizabeth was amazed at how well he had restrained his anger so far. She would have expected a much larger blow out, like throwing her into the dungeon for what her brother had done.
Stryme inspected the warrior lying on the ground before him and huffed with contempt. He strolled over to Keylz.
“These men are worthless today.” He growled low in his throat.
“Actually, these men are the best we have. You’re just better.” Keylz informed Stryme. “And you’re showing them no quarter.”
Stryme growled at him.
“I don't know what crawled up your butt this morning, but don't take it out on us. Figure it out and leave us to practice amongst ourselves already. Using the men like a whipping post isn't going to help you or them.”
Stryme left the arena, allowing another warrior take his place. “Elizabeth crawled
up my butt.”
Keylz raised an eyebrow, clearly wanting to hear more.
“You asked what was wrong. Elizabeth is what’s wrong. I took your damn advice, and now look what’s happened. I found out the reason she’s the only one trying to get back to the human kingdoms, among other information.”
“Blame me for being tactless when you asked her.”
Stryme slammed his sword into its sheath, with a metallic hiss.
“She is promised to a prince. I never thought it could be something as large as that. I should have known though. Why else would they be sending females to another kingdom? Humans don’t entrust their females to broker deals. The deal had already been made.”
“Is it surprising they would try to unite the two kingdoms? If you want to win her affections, I have to say you’re going about it wrong. She could just be fulfilling her role by wedding him. She might not hold any feelings for this prince. It could just be duty.”
Stryme grumped. He wanted to believe it was just duty, but she still wanted to leave him.
“Why does it upset you so? She’s only a human female.” Keylz looked him over. “Unless you love her, and you are resentful that she will marry another. Or you’re upset she’s related to the humans who brutalized you.”
Stryme snarled. “The thought of another man touching her makes me want to rip his throat out.” He was the first to touch her sweet body, and he was going to be the last. Stryme wasn’t ready to say he loved her, but he did know he wasn’t about to let her go. “I don’t even know how I feel about her relations yet.”
“I understand, but what can you do?”
“Keep her under guard, so she can't escape.” Stryme seemed satisfied with his answer.
Keylz shook his head in dismay. “She won't be content, and you know it. Where is the joy in having a female around who just wants to leave your side? You shouldn’t keep her here by force.”
“Elizabeth will have to learn to deal with what I decide.” Stryme said, not even listening to a word Keylz was saying to him. All he could think about was keeping her from marrying another male.
The day passed slowly for Elizabeth. Since she wasn’t allowed to leave the castle, she found boredom plagued her. Eventually, Kiyla joined her in Stryme’s chamber.
Elizabeth watched Kiyla, as she worked on a piece of clothing.
Now that everyone knew what she was up to she had to ask, “Would you ever help me to get back to my people, if I asked?”
“I’m sorry, Elizabeth, but it would never be possible. I can't go against my king's wishes to keep you here.” Kiyla looked up from her sewing and gave Elizabeth a sympathetic look. “Even though I understand why you want to go back, I can't bring myself to ruin my friendship with Stryme.”
Reaching out a hand to pat Kiyla's arm Elizabeth said, “I thought so, but I had to ask.”
“Are you going to keep trying to escape?”
Elizabeth heaved a sigh. “I need to get back to my people. I need to help them.” Even at the cost of her own happiness.
Elizabeth had already vacated the room, when Stryme arrived to bath and change for supper. There was a small part of him that had hoped Elizabeth would still be in his chamber.
In some ways, he had been hoping to apologize to her for his anger last evening. He truly hadn't meant to let it go to his head, but the thought of another male handling her just made him want to ram a fist into a wall. Any wall, it didn’t matter.
He wanted the chance to explain his feelings to her. Stryme was sure he would make a hash of it, because he wasn’t sure he could put his feelings into words properly. He was a jumble of emotions, which made him wonder if he did love her.
Could he love her? Probably, but her brothers kept hovering at the back of his mind. He had always thought he would someday get his revenge.
Could he give up his revenge for her? Maybe, but he just wasn’t sure if his love outweighed his need for the taste of sweet revenge.
As he was about to strip off his armor, a knock resonated off the wooden boards of his chamber door.
“Come in.” He called out. He wanted Elizabeth to walk through the doorway.
Kiyla peeked her head in instead. “May I speak to you?”
“I will be down to the hall in a few minutes. We can speak then.” He tried to keep the disappointment from his voice.
Kiyla coughed and entered the room, closing the door behind her. “Actually, this needs to be spoken in private.” Stryme waited, and she continued on. “Elizabeth is planning on escaping, for as long as it takes.” She held her hand up before he could speak. “I know you plan to assign a guard to her for a day or two, but I would suggest a longer period. Unless of course, you are willing to let her return to her people.”
Stryme took in what she was saying. “Thank you, Kiyla. I will take care of it.”
She inclined her head and left.
Stryme was once more alone with his thoughts. It seemed as though every one had an opinion on how he should treat this decision.
He exhaled sharply, while shaking his head free of everything running through his mind. Was Elizabeth never going to give up? Would she ever realize he wouldn’t let her go? She was definitely driving him insane.
He peeled off his armor and clothing, and then stepped into the tub of hot steaming water. He could feel all his sore muscles sighing with pleasure. He had worked himself extremely hard all day, and he was happy to finally be able to unwind, if just a little bit.
With a swift rub of a wet cloth over his hard body and muscled limbs, Stryme finished with his bath, redressed in clean clothes, and made his way down to the hall.
Everyone in the great hall was eating, drinking, laughing, and having an all out great time with their friends. Seeing his people this way made him smile with joy.
Then the thought of Elizabeth crossed his mind. She might be lovely, but she was a big pain in his neck. The smile spread a little more across his face, at least she was keeping things entertaining for him.
Speaking of his pain. There she was sitting at their table, looking like a queen. Could she be his queen? The question kept plaguing him.
He had no idea what his people would think of the idea, and he still didn’t know how he felt about it. First, they had her brothers standing between them. Second, he knew she wouldn’t give up trying to help her people.
Strolling over to the table, his heart sputtered against his chest, as she turned towards him. He saw happiness spark within her sapphire eyes. They were deep pools of blue he could easily get lost in, but he also saw the spark of cunning in those sea blue depths.
Stryme sat down beside her, gave her a nod, then turned to his fellow warriors. He had yet to come to terms with her wanting to go off to wed another male. Frustration still boiled hotly inside him, and he didn’t want to open his mouth before his head cooled.
Again she had received a slightly icy treatment from him. Was he really going to be furious with her for wanting to save her people? This was ridiculous. She knew he would do the same, if he had been in her shoes. And she was sure she would feel the same, if she were in his shoes.
As dinner drew to a close, she found herself troubled.
When Stryme got up from the table he didn't offer his hand to her, instead he just left without her. Soon after, she watched as Lele cast her a glance of triumph and trailed after him.
Bitterness rose up in her throat, as jealously choked her. Glancing away she got up and headed for Stryme's chamber.
Elizabeth couldn't think about what Lele would try, and who could say if Stryme would deny himself the beautiful giant female. At least, Lele wasn't trying to escape from his clutches. Lele was running towards him, any moment she could.
Elizabeth spent another night alone in Stryme's chamber. This time she didn't wait next to the fire for him to return. Elizabeth decided to wait in the bed. It was warmer and a lot more comfortable than the stone floor.
All night, she watched the firelight play acro
ss the furniture, tapestries, and walls.
A few tears slipped down her cheeks, as she thought of Lele. What were they doing? Had Lele tried to win Stryme's affections this night? Had he accepted her offer?
She’d march out of this room to confront them if she knew where they were. Or would she? She might not want to see him and Lele together. It might just break her heart into a million little pieces.
Turning over in the bed she stared at the wall. Elizabeth let the tears pour from her eyes, soaking the pillow beneath her head. She feared she might have pushed him into Lele’s awaiting arms.
It surprised her she could feel such an intense sadness and worry. Stryme had really wormed his way into her heart. She just wished he could understand where she was coming from.
“At this rate, I’m going to tear myself into several pieces. I can't have everything.”
Leaning up slightly on an elbow she punched her pillow. Doing it made her feel just a little bit better. She wasn’t prone to violence, but she was imagining the pillow as Lele. She would love to wipe Lele’s smug smiles from her face by staying and winning over Stryme.
Elizabeth tossed and turned all night, until a knock at the door stirred her from her restless dreams. Sluggishly, Elizabeth threw back the covers.
She held back a squeal, as the frigid air rushed over her. She rushed to put on some clothing. On the way to the door, she grabbed a blanket to throw over her shoulders.
She opened the door only to see Sarah standing in the hall.
“When you didn't show for the mid-day meal, I grew concerned.” Sarah explained as she stepped through the doorway. “Are you doing well?” Sarah asked quickly, when she noticed Elizabeth's puffy eyes.
“Yes, thank you. I had a bit of a sleepless night, as I’m sure you can tell.” Elizabeth sank onto the edge of the bed and rubbed her eyes. A huge yawn escaped, as the softness of the bed beckoned to her.
“Would you like to talk about it?” Sarah asked, as she sat down beside Elizabeth.
