Betrayal (13 page)

              “My brave Grace, I have waited for this moment.”

              My body froze solid.  I didn’t have one iota of an idea he would do this
now
.

              “Will you marry me?”

              My face went through about ten different emotions all rolled into one answer, “Ian.”

              He made his one brow rise like I liked.  He was expecting something else.  ”Yes, Ian.  Of course.  There was never a doubt.”

              He beamed, slid something on my finger and pulled me to him.  It was a band, silver, much like a wedding ring, but with litle silver etched leaves in it.

              He wasn’t human.  The Fey didn’t do this.  “Why are you asking me?  Should I take this off till the wedding at least?”  I licked my lips for his answer.  Plus, he kind of already asked. I didn't get the ring before the marriage bit.

              His face fell. “I know you sometimes wish you could go back to the human world.  Live a normal life.  I just wanted to grant you a piece of that.  Our wedding will not include an exchange of rings so this is the promise ring I heard the human boys discussing often.”

              He thought I missed it.  I would never tell him an egagement ring means the same.   “Ian, I only want to be where you are.  It’s just....”

              “What?” he pulled at my fingers, touching where the ring sat.

"The other isn't magical, just in case you wondered.  This one either.  They are just because."

              I didn’t want to ruin the moment.  If he’d just confessed that he really did want to marry me despite his far awayness lately, I should at least be honest with the guy.  “It’s just...you are never here.  I worry you aviod me for a reason and then suddenly you produce a ring.”

              He leaned on both knees.  “I will be now.”

              “So, no more late night games?” Why couldn’t he play in the day where I could see him play?

              His face guarded, but was happy.  “No, they will be done soon.  Your insecurities are as unfounded as your belief of what you think goes on.”

              I was so excited the games would end even if I didn’t understand why he had to go to them in the first place.  Maybe it was building relations, who knows. 

              He really felt this way whether it was true or not.  I couldn’t deny him like he couldn’t deny me.  If this is what he needed.  Fine.  I could still be me and enjoy the courts as I saw fit. I didn’t have to play warrior queen either unless he needed it.

              “So you’re also saying that you don’t expect me to go all Zena Warrior Princess on you unless it deems necessary?  And you’re okay with that?”

              Finally, a sly smile returned.  “Yes, that is exactly what I’m saying.”

              I scooted over and moved his arms apart looking at the effort he made to make this moment special.  I know all my thoughts and comments were all mixed up into a pile of confusion, but he took it all well.  He always did.  No more worrying about secrets and job status for now.  I just wanted him.  I nudged his legs indicating to separate them not at all feeling comfortable enough to touch him below the belt area.  Not.gonna.go.there.

              He raised a brow and I copied it to make my point.  He laughed and moved his legs apart.  I nestled down against him and put my head against his chest.  He sighed and I knew he was as content as I was.

              “Ian, I just want to be what you want me to be.”  I hated vulnerability, but I trusted him.

              “That’s all I want.”             

              Here goes.  “Then I want to have more than just leisure time looking like a bored queen.”

              He buried his face in my hair, then rose up and said, “Then teach the young what’s in these great human books you hold in your head.  Share some of that fire with them so that some of these girls may grow older having the power to wield men at their mercies.”

              He talked so unlike humans sometimes. 

              “Ian, is that what you call this?”  I shifted my head up to see him.

              He looked down at me, “Oh Grace, I would call this exactly what I said.  You have the power to make me cluck like a chicken at our wedding if you so deem it.”

              I laughed out loud and felt my stomach turn.  I pictured it of course but only because it was so far from anything Ian would ever say.

              “Don’t tempt me,” I laughed more.

              He narrowed his gaze sideways to wrap around and see my face and I knew what he would do next.  His eyes held all the power they needed to make me succumb to his lips.                                           

              Ian took me back, had the guards clean up, and dropped me off at his bedroom.  I knew where he would go so I gave him an out.  I asked to bathe and take my time in the mass of bubbles his tub would hold.  He was not too quick to answer a fast yes so he could get to his poker whatever it was when I said it though.  His mind must have pictured images I knew men had but for the life of me, I wouldn’t let him go there long.  He would never forgive himself for he was the chaste one.  Ha!  I was the sinner.  The one who wanted to move forth.  But inside, I knew I’d be upset too.  I wanted our wedding to be perfect.

              He kissed me solid and hopeful as if there was a promise of more later, then left.

              Asleep as I was not, I didn’t hear him enter.  He had come back before my bath was over.  He was so nervous to be in the room with me he sent for Danella to hurry the process.  I was such a tease though.  I dressed in the slippery thin gown and robe given to me from when I first came.  His eyes said as much when he came back into the room after Danella left at the same time. 

              “That’s not very nice of you,” he looked me over twice.  A third time. 

              “Oh, I know exactly what I’m doing.”  My stomach fluttered like a thousand pins needling me at once.  In a good way.

              He coughed. 

              “I believe you called it wielding you to my mercy.”

              He coughed again.
Faker.
 

              I motioned for him to get in the bed.  He didn’t even take his shirt off like usual.

              “What, no naked man chest?”

              “No way, Grace.  I can barely get in as it is.  You’re killing me here,” Ian said, looking everything the bit of surprise.

              Good.  I just wanted to remind myself that I was in charge of something.  Him.  And that gave me the boldness I needed to cut him slack, keep his secrets, and maybe even take him up with teaching the others about Shakespeare and Frost.  Bronte and even one of my least known favorites, Ben Franklin.  He is superbly quote worthy.

              So when I awoke and he was gone again, I didn’t think.  I just went.

              Intending to sneak and just know for peace sake, I never guessed I would run into Danella.  She demanded I tell her what I was doing lurking in dark corners like a human burglar.  I tried like anything to convince her I was just getting a bite to eat. 

              She finally relented but only after she resolved to join me. Harrumph!

              After twenty dreadfully long minutes, I told her I would head back to the room.  I even yawned for effect. 

              She took it.

              I took off wanting to find my peace now. 

              “What are you doing?” a voice from the darkness shout whispered to me.

              Not only did I jump forward and up, I squealed a little too loud.  I darted my eyes in every direction, but nothing else came out of the darkness, except Sarah.

              “I know what you are doing and you are not doing it alone,” she pleaded really hard.  She tried to look so serious but her bouncing up and down where she stood made it hard not to see two of her.  I couldn’t tell her no.

              So here we were now on our way to the peace I felt I needed,
wanted
, but yet another sidestep in the mission. He wouldn't have to know I know.   I just wanted to know what poker had to do with my wedding.  It didn’t add up.  I wouldn’t spoil the surprise.  I wouldn’t tell the big bad secret.  I just wanted to know what it was.

              Pike.

              There he stood on the edge of the woods checking behind his back like he was sneaking off. 
Change.of.plans.

              Sarah balked profusely with her fingers poking into my arm and back.  I ignored them.

              Not far into the brink of the tree line Pike was standing with a guard.  They talked about cards, human money, and then
me
.  Not his mother.

              “Why are you not at Grace’s door?”

              “She is not in
her
room,” the guard announced.  I didn’t know his name.  And he didn’t have to say it
that
way.

              “Shut it, Eric.  I know that.  Who is at the door?” Pike barked as if angry, but I knew it was his fear button being pushed as I have watched these men for a while now.

              Eric’s raised eyebrows gave the not so happy news away.  I was unguarded. 

              At that, Pike turned abruptly and started the direction of Ian’s room. 

              Uh oh!

              Not thinking clearly or with the best of being a sneak, I turned my body to race ahead of him.  Well, obviously I couldn’t get past him.  I was a raving lunatic for leaving the room.  And though my scent was strong to them, I was making it stand out in every direction.  And that helped.

              So of course the hunter in Pike missed nothing regardless of my attempts.  His freeze-frame halt sent a fear in me that not even the worst of the worst goblins sent through me.

              “We’d better hit the road,” Sarah whispered.

              “Nah!  If we just sit still he’ll leave us alone.  What could he do?” I ignored Pike eyes falling on the two of us.

              “He could tie us up and drag us to Ian.  I may fare okay, but you are dead meat girl.”

              “Okay.  What else can he do?” I tried to shrug off the
dead meat
feeling.  She was right.

              Guess my sleuthing needs a little work.

              “Sarah.”  It was a warning from Pike, “Get to your room and lock your door.  A guard will be there shortly to make sure you do not leave it again tonight.”

              She squealed and ran faster than a jackrabbit on Antifreeze totally giving herself away.

             
Please don’t turn to me!  Please don’t turn to me!

              “Grace.”

              My turn.  Same voice, only different.

              He took a step towards me after looking to the trees.

              I swallowed.

              “You are not safe here.”

              And you are?  You’re talking about me with guards I don’t even know who are.  Distracting him I asked, “Where did Eric go?”

              Another step.

              Swallow.

              “Why are you watching me Grace?”  His slow sideways glance to the trees happened a third time making me look with him.  I saw nothing.

             
Oh my!
  “I...um...was getting something to eat when I saw...you.”  How lame was that?

              Last step.  He leaned a little too close.  So much for the public display of choosing one prince over the other.  Pike didn’t seem to ever play by the rules though.

              The game has changed.  Score
uno
number
one for Pike.  Score negative five
thousand
for me
!

              “Come up with something better.  You scared?”

             
Oh yeah!  Majorly.
  “Of you, no!”  My brave face on.

              I forced myself to loosen up.  He had one arm above me keeping me forced against the tree.  I wasn’t entirely comfortable with Pike being this
close
.

              “So, is there another excuse coming or not?” He moved his face too intimately.

              “What’s going on here?” his too deep to be a happy voice sounded through the darkness. 

             
Uh oh!

              Pike still hovered over me. 
Double, uh oh!

              “Why is he leaning?” Ian demanded.

             
Dang!
  Why did he have to see Pike and his chumminess?  Why did Pike have to be so chummy?

              After not turning from my face with Ian’s first requests, he finally lifted off me.  I had my hands twisted so tight behind my back that I felt the blood rush back when I let the tree go.  

              It wasn’t that Pike affected me so much or that he needed to put some major distance between the two of us, but rather the way he made me reevaluate my reasons behind my motives.  Why did I follow him?  It’s not like he shouldn’t have been there or something.

              Pike said nothing else.  Just left.  I was left
leaning
against the tree in wait.

              Ian’s face fell in disappointment.  He didn’t even say anything.  His chest went up and back to its normal speed to match his heartbeat.  He was hurt, by me.  

              I so want a do over day!

              I followed him with each step, but he wasn’t stopping.

              I begged him on the inside to turn around,
 
“Ian, he cornered me.  I heard him say my name to a guard and I was curious.  I didn’t mean for him to see me, but he did.  He was angry with me for listening and attacked.”  Besides, I was now
leaning
toward wanting to leave him standing here in his unprecedented jealousy.

              He turned to face me, “Attack he might have, but you didn’t look upset.”

              Ohhhh!  I was mad now!  “Upset!  I am not the one who is sneaking around at night doing who knows what while your girlfriend is expected to just sit and wait for your return. I just want to know.  I—“

              “Grace, you have no idea what you’re talking about.  You think you know.  You think you need to know everything, but there are some things that are...that are...”

              Ian grunted loud and angrily at the last tree before we would step into the garden.  And then...he hit the tree.                “Grace, you can’t sneak out anymore.  And you’re not my girlfriend.”  He held his hand in his hair forcing the hair to stick up and out. 

              “I won’t be pinned up,” I said through gritted teeth. 
Maddening!

              He hit the tree again.  I was glad it’s not someone’s face this time.  Pike.  

              I guarded my thoughts just in case.  If emotions sometimes made me vulnerable, then I needed to watch what I thought between the magic of the blocking technique.

              “Fine.  But a second guard goes with you.”

              Guess this was my cue to compromise. 

              Guess again.

              “I didn’t do anything wrong.  I am tired of you two acting like I have.  When you want to grow up, come see me.  I have a right to know when my name is said and I’m allowed a midnight snack. Knowing where my future husband sneaks off to is not wrong of me to search out so don't make me the bad guy here.  I’m going to my room and I am staying there till you decide I am worthy of your time.  Good night, Ian.”

              He let me go.  He actually let me go.  He had never done that. 

              I hit the cold bed that still belonged to me with wet tears and a runny nose.  I hated myself for sneaking out.  Tears were the bane of my exposed feelings.  Ian could see every ounce of what my mouth refused to say and my heart panged so loudly with. 

              No, not my fault.  Checking on Pike’s secrets wasn’t a crime.  I shouldn’t feel bad.  Yes, I tried to
just ask.
  And no, they never said.  This is my court too, and by golly, I didn’t have to be in the dark about everything.

              Two seconds later, I slapped myself into a sitting position.  I didn't want to be here when he came.  If he came at all.  I couldn't be everything he needed and just accept each time to remain in the dark.  I needed some solace of equality.

              I checked the door.  No second guard,  except Rion.  I didn’t have much time.