No Words Alone (31 page)

She looked at him in surprise. “You called me
‘beloved’!”

“Yes,” he said simply. “I meant it.”

She still looked amazed. “You love me?”

Now he was annoyed. What had she thought this
was about? “I said so, didn’t I?”

“Not in so many words.”

His noisy exhalation was all the answer he
gave.

But then she grinned, and it was like the sun
peeking out of a fog bank. “You love me!”

He was ready to give a flip response when he
noticed the tears still standing in her eyes. His annoyance
softened. He caressed her cheek with the back of his hand. “Almost
from the first. Haven’t I shown you?”

“I’m a human, dummy! I need words.” She tried
to glower at him, but her smile kept glimmering through, as though
her chest were filled with sunlight. “You love me,” she said in
wonder.

He was going to blush if she kept saying it,
so he offered a distraction. “I’ve been thinking…you’ve really
proved yourself. Not just with the last situation with GE, but with
the way you handled Rysing. If you still wish to be an ambassador,
I will permit it. It will no longer be an empty role.”

She sat up and stared. “You mean it?”

His smile was self-mocking. “You’ve made many
sacrifices for me. I think I can give up my idea of a ‘perfect
family’ for this. You do want it, don’t you?”

She grinned and threw herself at him to
deliver a jubilant kiss. “Yes! You are such a sweetie.”

That did it. He blushed. To take his mind off
the embarrassment, he took his wife in his arms and soon caused her
cheeks to glow, too.

At least they had one less worry. Tovark’s
body had turned up at a hospital with a knife wound in his back.
He’d been pronounced dead on arrival. A search was being made for
the culprit, whom authorities assumed was his accomplice.

Whoever he was, Tovark’s killer had done them
all a favor. Xera was glad he was dead, and Ryven was almost
inclined to let the man go. Almost.

Rysing was inclined to hold a grudge over
Xera’s rough handling, but reluctantly admitted it had saved her
life. Xera thought the moodiness was lingering fright over the near
disaster and decided to give the girl time to get over it. Rysing
soon began to resume some of her former ease.

The experience changed Xera. She sent off a
carefully edited message to her sister of her adventures, then
decided it was time for a rest. She and Ryven moved out to the
country house and met the neighbors, commuting back to the palace
whenever needed. The more time she spent at the estate, the happier
she was. In the privacy of the county, Ryven relaxed. It was easier
to demonstrate her love when she was allowed to touch him.

Spring had come, and she enjoyed walking in
the gardens. She’d had her fill of adventure for now, and was able
to enjoy simple pleasures like strolls in the sunshine. She no
longer felt so restless.

It was also fun to plan her child’s future,
though she tried not to map it much past the fifth year; the kid
needed some room for spontaneity.

The child arrived in due time, and Xera was
surprised to find out he was a she. “You didn’t tell me,” she
chided her husband after she’d caught her breath.

He smiled at her. “You were so sure it would
be a boy, I didn’t want to ruin the surprise.” The nurse handed him
the child. Swathed in a towel, the tiny bundle looked absurdly
small in her husband’s arms, but the look of tenderness in Ryven’s
eyes...

Xera had to swallow tears. She didn’t even
mind her sister’s absence now, not with this kind of love here for
her child. She had no doubt the baby girl would earn similar looks
from her grandfather and uncle. Toosun had a special soft spot for
children, and his brother’s child would be especially dear to him:
he’d want to vet all her suitors. The poor child was going to have
a terrible time dating.

“Time to meet you mother, little love,” Ryven
said, gently placing the baby in her arms.

Xera gasped. “She has your eyes!”

“The next one will have yours,” he
soothed.

She frowned at him. “I like her eyes. I like
your
eyes. They’re very pretty. Don’t get any ideas on
starting another one anytime soon, though.”

He ignored the last part of her statement.
“You never told me you liked my eyes.”

“You’re arrogant enough as it is.”

He smiled wolfishly. “We’ll continue this
when you’ve regained your strength. Rest. Let me show her to her
family. I think Aunt Tessla and Toosun will storm the room if they
have to wait much longer.”

“Perhaps a wash and a clean diaper, first, my
lord?” the nurse suggested. She practically had to wrestle the
child away from her frowning father. Ryven gave way, but stood
nearby and waited impatiently for the nurse to finish, carefully
watching her every move.

“Fathers,” the nurse tending Xera murmured
wryly. “They’re all alike.”

Xera smiled. She was tired, but more content
than she’d been in a very long while. With him by her side, she was
comfortable with whatever the future had in store for them. Let him
hover; her child would know the full measure of her father’s
love.

With Ryven, she’d learned, no words alone
could ever demonstrate the depth of his heart, but his actions were
all in the language of love. They required no translation.

The End

About the author:

Autumn is a professional writer and stay at
home mom with three kids, a dog and an active imagination. She’s
married to her high school sweetheart, John, who is known to bring
her flowers "just because".

After 34 years in Alaska, she moved to
Washington with her family to enjoy a state with actual
seasons.

She started self-publishing in 2010 after a
string of rejections that read, “We love your writing, but we’re
not sure how to market it.” She published on Smashwords, Amazon and
Barnes & Noble, which lead to a number of bestsellers. After
The Charmer
hit #1 on Barnes & Noble for fantasy
romance, she threw herself into editing and uploading her
backlist.

The next year and a half passed in a blur as
she worked non-stop, and productivity declined as she took time to
homeschool her autistic son, who was suffering from bullying
issues. With boxing lessons and a year to boost his confidence and
academic skills, he’s looking forward to attending mainstream high
school in 2012.

The strain of maintaining a business and home
schooling while taking care of her family was draining, but God
blessed her efforts and the results were worth it. Her income for
2011 was $100,000, far exceeding her best year with traditional
publishing.

Though she remains grateful for the
opportunities traditional publishing provided, Autumn is currently
pursuing the self-publishing market full time.

Connect with me online at:

www.autumndawnbooks.com

http://authorautumndawn.blogspot.com

Bibliography:

Spark Series:

When Sparks Fly
Dorchester

No Words Alone
Dorchester

Solar Flare

Anthology for the Mammoth Book of Time Travel
Romance:

Hemlock & Iron

Indie books:

Dark Lands Series:

The Charmer

Dark Lands: Homecoming

Scent of Danger

The Golden Bell

Ghost in Her Heart

Beast Wars

Dark Lovers
Anthology (includes
Homecoming
&
Scent of Danger)

Dark Warriors
Anthology (includes GIHH
&
Beast Wars
)

Ladies in Waiting:

The Woman Inside

The Other Woman

Through the Looking Glass

Draconian Series:

Ride The Stars

Careful, He Bites

Aliens Do it Better
: Anthology
featuring
Ride the Stars
and
Interstellar Lover

Interstellar Lover

Under the Bridge