Warrior (54 page)

released a deep breath. Could he

release Malcolm…for his wife? Could

he live with it if Jaisyn was forever

cold to him? If she stopped responding

to his touch? He could not.

A curse penetrated the silence of the

chamber as he stepped from the bed.

Crossing over to the chair, he grabbed

his breeches and tugged them on. He

was pulling on his tunic when a knock

sounded at his door. He slung his

sword around his hips and beckoned

the person in.

Varian entered the room, looking

very grim. He too wore only breeches,

a tunic and sword at the waist.

“We have a problem, Vulcan,”

Varian began and Vulcan wondered

at the time. It must be early morning

by now.

“What is it?” he demanded. Vulcan

did not move, preferring to hear

whatever it was where he stood.

Varian ventured into the room and

approached him. His lips curled down.

“Malcolm Sudbury has escaped.”

Vulcan nodded, absorbing that

information. Sudbury escaped. That

saved him from the trouble of actually

pardoning him for the sake of his wife.

Malcolm would now be an enemy of

Lytheria, but he was alive. So long as

he did not venture anywhere near

Vulcan, he would stay that way. His

wife would be happy once more.

“The soldiers tried following him but

lost him in the Lytherian countryside.

It is believed he has sought sanctuary

with a family loyal to his.”

“Is that it?” Vulcan wondered,

feeling as if Malcolm had just done

him a favor. Varian seemed surprised

by his question but he shook his head

slowly. “I am afraid not. He was

assisted by your queen.”

Vulcan felt like someone had taken

a hammer to his stomach. He had to

strain to hold himself up as the news

sunk in. Jaisyn had helped Malcolm

escape. Which meant she’d probably

fled to escape his anger.

“Did she flee as well?” he asked,

wondering if she would do something

so stupid as to flee at night, in her

delicate

condition.

Numerous

emotions rushed through him, anger

and fear the most intense.

Varian’s eyes narrowed before

turning cold. “No, she did not. The

soldiers escorted her to her chambers,

where she is currently being held.”

Releasing a deep breath, Vulcan

began to make his way to the door,

his face turning to granite as he

thought of what she’d done. Varian’s

voice halted him.

“Remember her condition, brother,”

Varian said softly.

That only served to earn him a glare

from an already enraged Vulcan.

***

Jaisyn was surprised when the

soldiers did not take her in the

direction of the dungeon. She had

been almost certain that she would be

held there until Vulcan could be

summoned, but the soldiers simply

escorted her to her chambers, and

locked her in. She sighed and took a

seat at the edge of the bed. She began

to fidget nervously with her fingers,

knowing that her husband would soon

enter her chambers. She went over

what she would tell him, preparing

herself for his anger, his rage. It would

eventually leave, wouldn’t it? He

cared about her, even if he did not

love her, and she carried his heir. He

would forgive—

She heard the sound of a key

turning in a lock and the door was

pushed open. Vulcan, a fuming

Vulcan, entered, slamming the door

closed behind him.

Jaisyn found her feet immediately

and faced him, lifting her head to

better see him.

“I know you are upset, but you left

me no choice, Vulcan,” she began

immediately, deciding it would be best

to speak first. “I could not let an

innocent man die for your pleasure!

And I refused to sit back and let

Malcolm Sudbury, who has been a

loyal soldier to my family, and a very

good friend, have his head separated

from his body due to your
mercy
!”

Her husband advanced until he

stood a foot away from her. She could

see his face clearly now and although

it frightened her, she was even more

afraid to look away. Whatever

happened, she wanted to see it

coming.

“Jaisyn,” he began coldly, taking in

the black outfit that she wore,

obviously to conceal herself when she

helped Malcolm escape. “I am your

husband and your king. You made

vows to obey me and honor my

decisions! You have done neither!

What you have done is make it appear

as if I cannot control my own wife!

Had you left it alone, I might have

been inclined to offer Malcolm a

pardon due to the fact that his father

has served me well and up until this

treason, he had done nothing to irk the

former king! Now, you have left me

no choice but to brand your friend an

enemy of Lytheria and to make it such

that any soldier under my command

who sees him, has a duty to kill him!”

Her eyes had widened during his

speech and when he finished, she

spoke forcefully, “In your vows you

promised to heed me, but have you

ever done so? No! Instead you parade

around and expect me to obey

everything you say as if I do not have

a usable brain in my head! I told you

Malcolm was innocent, but you

ignored me!”

“Do not worry, wife! You have

made it quite clear with this betrayal

that your brain works deceptively

well!” He paused when she gasped

before continuing coldly. “You will be

kept here until I am ready to leave for

Morden. I will not punish you as I

wish because of you carry my heir!

Did you even think for a moment that

you could have injured yourself and

the baby with this scheme of yours?”

He paused at her surprised look. “Of

course you did not. You are soon to

be a mother, Jaisyn. It would not hurt

if you acted accordingly!”

He spun and was heading from the

chamber when she screamed, “How

dare you? I have not betrayed you! I

would have betrayed Malcolm had I

depended on you to find it in your

heart to pardon him. You say that you

might have pardoned him? We are

talking about his life, Vulcan!
Might
is

too probable a word when it comes to

someone’s life!” She paused to survey

his reaction. He stood still. His eyes

stared coldly at her. “And am I to be

kept a prisoner in my own home? Am

I to be held as I was in Sulan, with

guards outside my door, with no

access to fresh air? And you are a fool

if you think that I did not think of my

child! Unless I was attacked by one of

your soldiers, there was hardly any

danger to my child!”

He turned and stepped closer to her,

his eyes blazing down at her. “You

will be allowed a walk daily, but will

be heavily escorted. You will take

your meals here. I have no wish to see

you

anytime

soon!

Is

that

understood?”

“Perfectly,
liege
!” she snapped and

turned her back to him. Vulcan

resisted the urge to spin her around

and make her face him. His hands

clenched and unclenched at his sides

as he turned and headed for the door.

Stepping

from

the

room,

he

motioned for the guard to lock it and

turned to Varian. Finding his brother,

he told him what he’d told Jaisyn, that

she was to be guarded at all times,

that she would take her meals in her

chambers, was to have no visitors, a

daily walk no more than two hours.

He was heading back to his room

when Varian fell into step beside him.

“What will happen when you return

to Morden?” he asked easily.

Vulcan seemed on the verge of

dismissing him but he sighed and ran a

hand

through

his

hair

instead.

“Honestly, brother. I do not know.”

Varian nodded. “Perhaps it would

be better if the queen were allowed to

take her meals with you, brother.”

Grunting, Vulcan’s reply was quick

and filled with anger, “No, I won’t

reward her for going against my

wishes. She has to understand that I

am king to her queen
if this marriage

is to work. Is that all?”

***

Varian

was

wise

enough

to

understand a dismissal. He nodded

and quickened his step. His brother

needed time then perhaps, he and his

wife would start understanding each

other. Vulcan disliked having his

authority questioned; Jaisyn disliked

having to listen to opinions that did not

agree with hers. They would either

find a way to compromise, or they

would drive each other to insanity, or

worse. He hoped for the former.

***

Jaisyn had been in her chambers for

three days before she was notified that

they were to leave for Morden. She’d

been given the news by Varian, who

was, as usual, calm and polite. She

thanked him and watched as he left,

wondering how two brothers could be

so different. Vulcan was all passion;

Varian all control. At least Varian

seemed relaxed most of the time while

his temper-throwing brother was too

thick-headed

and

arrogant

to

understand something as simple as

love. He probably couldn’t conceive

that she loved him, probably didn’t

understand what love meant, and

certainly didn’t return it.

She sighed. Vulcan saw her as

something to be controlled, something

to be gentled, like a wild falcon. He

did not wish to hear her ideas, would

not listen to her reason. Why had

Lyria allowed her to fall for such a

man? Why not Malcolm, who had

loved her since they were young?

Who would have gladly listened to

her, respected her ideas despite her

womanhood? Why had she not fallen

for him? If she had, she would have

left this place that was now controlled

by Vulcan of Morden, would not have

felt the heartache as days passed and

he still did not come to check on her,

even to hear of the well-being of his

child.

Her hands went down to her belly

and she caressed it lightly. A small

smile touched her lips as she

remembered that she was never alone.

This child was always with her. She

was about two and half months along,

and mercifully, the vomiting and

nausea had subsided. If she had warm

milk the night before, the sickness

would not come in the morning. She

leaned back against the soft pillows of

her bed and stared at the small

windows. It was bright outside and

rays of sunlight speared into her room.

She had not yet gone for her walk and

anxious to do so.

Three days of being cooped in a

place, no matter how luxurious, with

only a two-hour margin for walking

outside, left one looking forward to

those walks. Jaisyn relaxed further

and wondered if she would be

confined to her chambers in Morden

as well. Had she not been punished

enough for going against him? Would

he be so cruel to the woman who

found it hard to hate him, despite

these transgressions?

***

The Northlands,

Morden

Their party arrived in the cold

kingdom that was Morden exactly

twelve days later. A soft sheet of

white covered the grounds and Jaisyn

looked from carriage and knew that

this was snow.

She’d never seen it before but her

tutors had instructed her on the

different weathers of the different

kingdoms. In the carriage with her