Goddess of Legend (9 page)

“Has he, then, betrayed you? Is he now a threat to Camelot?” This feigning ignorance was getting tough. “And if so, why do you still invite him to your table?”

“A threat to Camelot, no. I have no doubt that he would be the first into battle, should it, heaven forbid, ever come to that. And I am certain he never meant to betray me.”

“But he has.”

Arthur looked down at the ground, almost as if he couldn’t face her as he whispered, “I feel, to my soul, that he wishes to be true to me. But I am certain, in my heart, that he . . . has fallen in love with Gwen.”

“Uh-oh. And Gwen?”

“I believe she returns his love.”

“Has she said as much?”

“No, no, of course not.”

“Have you asked?”

“I have not been able to bring myself to confront her. If the truth is spoken, the consequences are grave. A queen’s unfaithfulness to her husband and king is considered treason, and is punishable by death.”

“Wow. Does she happen to be aware of that little bylaw?”

Arthur opened his mouth to answer, but then a rustling in the garden behind them stopped him short. He put a finger to his lips, then mouthed, “Stay here.” He then stood and silently treaded farther down the garden path.

Isabel watched him go, her heart drumming as he disappeared into the shadows. If there was someone spying on them and they had overheard, the consequences would be huge. Too huge for Isabel to want to contemplate. She grasped her teardrop necklace, wondering if this was one of those times where she should put the powers it held into play.

But she thought of Viviane’s warning. There were repercussions for its use, and she didn’t even want to think of just what those might be. If she banished the intruder, what would she, or they, face as punishment?

She heard a soft chuckle in her head. Then a thought occurred to her.

Hey, wait a minute. Are you watching and listening like,
all
the time? I mean, I haven’t decided my path, but should it take me . . . a little or a lot closer to Arthur . . .

“That’s a relief,” Isabel murmured.

“What is, m’lady?” Arthur asked.

Isabel nearly jumped a foot. He’d returned as silently as he’d left. “Oh!”

He smiled down at her. “My apologies. I ne’er meant to startle you.”

“I . . . I was just worried for your safety. You are unarmed.”

“’Twas just but a rabbit. No need for concern.”

Isabel had to wonder what it had been before Viviane intervened.

Arthur sat again, but then looked at her and stroked her cheek with his knuckles. She barely stifled a moan of pleasure.

“I am sorry to have unburdened my private troubles upon you, Isabel.”

“Believe me, your concerns and heartache are safe with me. I feel honored you felt you could trust them to me. Although I must admit that I am so sorry that such an honorable man is having to deal with all of this.”

“Not dealing well, I fear.”

“Talk to her, Arthur. Tell her how you feel. Allow her at least to give an explanation. Perhaps there is nothing to your suspicions. Or perhaps this will jolt her into realizing the seriousness of her actions, and promise to stop this thing before anything horrible happens to any of you.”

He nodded. “You are very wise, Countess Isabel. And I thank you for your ear and your thoughts.”

“You are very welcome, Arthur. I do hope that things work out for all of us . . . I mean, you.”

“You have had a long, tiring day, and I have kept you far too late into the night. Perhaps you would like to retire to your chamber?”

“I’m far from tired, Arthur, but if you would like to hit the hay, I understand.”

He shook his head, chuckling. “Betimes I feel that we speak different languages. I assure you that the beds in the upper chambers are made of down and very comfortable. At least I hope you find yourself comfortable.”

Images of them testing the comfort of the bed together bloomed bright in her mind. And by the glitter in his eyes, she had the feeling they were pretty much on the same page, fantasy-wise.

Isabel cleared her throat. “And are you ready to retire, sir king?”

“I feel as if I could talk to you the entire night, Isabel. Why is that, do you think?”

Now how did she answer that?
Because we wanted to jump each other from the moment our eyes met?
She opted for a more demure response. “I believe, sir, that we have much in common. Many would envy our stations in life, but truly, it is often lonely at the top.” Oh, Lord, did she just say that? “What I mean is, we understand one another.”

“You are a good woman, Countess.”

“Besides,” she said, trying to bring back a little levity, “on the ride to Camelot you laughed at all of my knock-knock jokes.”

He had the most heart-thumping grin. “I ne’er heard such things afore. I must say that I would most enjoy to travel to Dumont some day. It must be a happy place.”

How the hell would she know? “Laughter is the best medicine,” she said, then nearly groaned. Platitudes were pouring out of her mouth at an alarming rate. Some shrink she’d make. “You and the queen are welcome at my castle anytime.”

His eyes clouded, which reminded her of what they’d just been discussing.

She grabbed his hand. “My apologies, Arthur. You and your men are also welcome anytime. You can do the bachelor thing.”

“The ba—”

“Never mind. What I mean to say is that my doors are always open to you.” Did she have doors to open?

She swallowed another groan.
Shoot me now before I choke on my own slippered foot.

“I thank you for the offer of hospitality. And shall most definitely take you up on your kind invitation one day.”

They stared at each other for several heartbeats. During those silent seconds, Isabel knew exactly which road she was going to travel. Heaven help her.

She let go of his hand—albeit reluctantly. “Now before we retire, you have yet to answer my question, Arthur.”

CHAPTER EIGHT

“MY apologies, “MIsabel. I have forgotten the question.”

So had she.

“I believe I asked if Gwen is guilty of this indiscretion, is she aware of the consequences of her actions?”

“What saddens me is that she is. And she is willing to risk this. As is Lancelot.”

“Doesn’t seem like true love to me if Lancelot is willing to put Gwen in that kind of danger.”

“I believe they cannot help how they feel. I am understanding it more and more with every moment I am in your company. There is a phrase my mother told to me as a kidling. ‘The heart wants what it wants.’ I can no more direct the wants of Gwen’s heart as I can explain how I managed to remove Excalibur. As I cannot explain this . . . feeling for you.”

Isabel wasn’t just flattered, she was on fire. Or, at least, her hormones were. But even as she knew the path she’d chosen, she had to play devil’s advocate. Because adultery went against her fast-and-loose moral code. “Arthur, is it possible that this is a retaliation of sorts? Are you playing tit for tat? To hurt her as she’s hurt you?”

“I know not of the tit-for-tat thing, but I understand retaliation. Should that have been the case, I would have chosen to take up with any number of women long afore now. ’Tis not in my nature to even events this way.”

Isabel knew this. She didn’t know how, but she did. Arthur wouldn’t jump into the sheets, or in this case bed furs, with another just to get back at his cheating wife. He could even have gone further, were he a vengeful jerk. He could have exposed Gwen at any moment, have her judged, found guilty and killed. Instead, he continued to protect her, no matter how much it hurt him, day in and out.

“You still love her very much,” Isabel said softly.

“That I do. But not as afore. Not in the same way. ’Tis not easy to look at your wife, play the dutiful and loving husband, when you know that she yearns for another.”

Isabel suddenly realized that she was totally sober, even after the delicious cognac. Her earlier overindulgence was gone, her mind clear. Which should have made her earlier clouded judgment return to practical reality. And yet she still wanted that one kiss, and she wasn’t drunkenly falling in temporary love.

Permanent lust was already a given.

She was falling, hard, but with a completely clear understanding of what this all meant. Well, shit. She had to fall back in time centuries to find the one? Fate wasn’t necessarily cruel, but it had a really warped sense of humor.

“Is there no such thing as divorce in Camelot?”

“Divorce?”

“Dissolution of marriage? Annulment? Bye-bye?”

“Between a king and his queen?”

“Sure! I mean, certainly. In Dumont we allow for bad marriages to be annulled. So that the partners are free to remarry.”

“Without cause? Does not one partner have to admit to wrongdoing?”

She wasn’t certain how to word it, but then just went for the big one. “It’s called irreconcilable differences. No one is to blame, it just . . . is. The marriage is no longer palatable to either partner.”

He seemed to ponder that for quite a while. “I have not heard of this. When there are grievances within the bonds, I am of course faced with the task of assigning blame. The aggrieved man will then—”

“Hold it. Don’t tell me it’s always the man who has been aggrieved.”

“Should the woman lie with another, there is cause—”

“What if it’s the man who’s been cheating?”

His laughter almost echoed off the walls of the castle. “Isabel, I know not the laws in Dumont, but in all other lands of Briton, men are—”

“Held to a different standard. Of course.”

He frowned at her. “I am confounded by your sudden aggravation.”

“I’m sorry, Arthur. I just find the double standard upsetting. But I should not be surprised. And I should not be taking my irritation out on you. It is what it is.”

“Nonetheless, I apologize for upsetting you at all.”

“No, you have been nothing but gracious. It’s my fault for feeling so strongly about something that you cannot understand.”

He shook his head, chuckling. “But I wish to take up this topic again at a later date. You intrigue me, Isabel. I look forward to many more conversations with you.”

“And I, you.” She didn’t know what drove her to say it, but she added, “Arthur, before we do something that we both might regret, it’s time to talk to Gwen. Tell her your feelings.”

“She knows naught of my awareness.”

Isabel shrugged. “So tell her you know. Ask her to choose. After all, the heart wants what it wants.”

“At this moment, I do not know which answer I would prefer, Isabel.”

She curtsied, a little better than before. “I look forward to those future conversations, Arthur.” And, man, she looked forward to a kiss. And more. But not tonight. His attraction to her was heady, but she wasn’t about to kiss a married man if he was only kissing her, or more, to show his wife that he, too, was capable of cheating in the marriage.

Arthur bowed, then straightened and looked her in the eyes. “I wanted you tonight. But I understand your reluctance. And accept your decision.”

“I appreciate that, sir. My honest advice? Talk to Gwen.”

“I admit to not wanting to hear her answers.”

“Man up, King Arthur.”

CHAPTER NINE

ARTHUR entered his bedchamber, and Gwen was already there, waiting for him.

Her dressing gown was open, her auburn hair falling down over her shoulders.

There was a time when the sight of her would have him hard and ready to pick her up and take her straight to the bed furs. The truth was, even with what he had known, he most likely would still have taken her. So it surprised him that for once the sight of her beautiful young body did not make his member hard as a bed post. In fact, his member couldn’t have lifted a flea from a dog at the moment.

When had he stopped wanting his wife? When had he stopped desperately loving her? It was not before his suspicions had been confirmed. He had tried to bring her back to him with lovemaking and romantic gestures.

But her response to his love gestures were obvious. She no longer desired him as afore. What was shocking to him was that at this moment, he no longer desired her. The blue eyes and blond hair of a woman with a smart mouth and smart ideas kept running through his mind. He could not get Isabel out of his head.

Gwen headed to him. She smelled of sex already, and he wanted to back away and beg her to bathe. “Where have you been, Arthur?” she asked.

“I was debating with the countess,” he said, figuring that was no lie. “We had so much to discuss about our lands.”

‘Twas true in a sense. He was so very intrigued with her thoughts on matters of laws and realms. He was eager to travel to Dumont at his earliest opportunity to see in practice many of the ways she had mentioned of how she ran her realm.

The lie was that he had wanted to be with the countess, in so many ways. In all of the ways he used to want his wife after a long day. Was not voicing this thought a lie of sorts? ’Twas another question he was eager to bring up to the countess the next time they had the chance to discuss such intriguing matters. He could not wait to delve further into her thoughts. And truth be told, delve into her in other ways, as well.

Arthur began to undress, and Gwen came up behind him. “Shall we call for bath water?” she asked.