The Arranged Marriage (27 page)

“Really?” She asked sweetly. “And what
is my punishment?”

“Making love to you until you can no
longer stand without my help.”

She smiled.

“But Ison, don’t you
realise?”

“Realise what?” He growled as he
started to kiss her neck.

“That would be no
punishment.”

He moaned as he sunk his head lower,
determined to claim his wife back with maybe just a little bit more
to play for this time.

Chapter
Fifteen

Whenever a death of a royal occurred
in Centurias, a grieving period of a full cycle was required
throughout both kingdoms to grieve. No other would be able to take
their place on the throne until the full cycle had ended, and it
would be up to the remaining royal to hold and rule the kingdom
until any coronation took place. In the case of Argarth’s passing,
Rohesia would solely rule as Queen of Ecripian until the time came
for Ison’s coronation.

The grieving cycle was nearing to an
end as Ison watched Rohesia sitting peacefully on a tree stump in
the courtyard of the castle. She was reading to a group of children
who were all sat entranced in front of her. She looked beautiful
sitting there and reading out loud, the children laughing at the
parts she made funny. The size of her slightly swollen stomach was
starting to show beneath her gown, and he was aware he felt the
peace settle in him every time he noticed it; a lovely reminder
that she held and carried his babe in there, his babe.

She had been through a lot lately, he
thought. Thinking back to when he had informed her about Yena’s
exit to stay with relatives in the Foreign Lands whilst she
grieved. Rohesia had only just started to speak to him the last few
days, blaming him for letting her go. She was convinced Yena would
be up to no good if she was unable to keep an eye on her, but Ison
had let her go to try and avoid another murder in the castle. He
had seen the looks Rohesia had been throwing her since the funeral
and they did not bode well.

He continued to watch his wife from
the archway as she brought the characters of the story to life and
made the children giggle helplessly. She truly was an enigma to
him, and he deeply wished that he could tell her that he loved her.
But he did not believe in the word, let alone the emotion, so
saying it would feel empty to him and it would be lying to
her.

He felt something, and he was aware he
would not be the same without her. She made him feel alive instead
of just existing and he couldn’t wait for the eve to come to just
to hold her in his arms. He wanted to be with her again, just to
prove to her time after time that she was his, and his alone. He
listened as she spoke of a wolf approaching in the distance, seeing
this as his entry to get her attention.

Rohesia noticed the figure out the
corner of her eye as Ison started to creep silently up behind the
children. She cocked her head to question him so he put his finger
up to his lips for silence. She tried hard not to smile and
encouraged the approach of the wolf more forcefully.

“And then, as the children sat silent,
unaware of the dangers around them,” She whispered to the engrossed
children. “The wolf decided to pounce.” And with that statement
Ison made his move and started to growl behind them. All of the
children started to screech excitedly as soon as they realised Ison
wasn’t really a wolf, and the excitement in them spiralled as he
lifted each of them in turn, tickling their bellies and growling at
the same time.

She laughed with them all as she
realised this wasn’t the only change she had seen in Ison since the
size of her stomach grew more apparent. He had become a lot more
relaxed and humorous around her, making jests and always nagging
her to ensure sure she was comfortable. It was a nice side to him,
she thought, and probably the only reason she had forgiven him for
Yena leaving; the thought of it still making her angry.

She obviously wasn’t the only one to
notice this new playful side of Ison as she perused the courtyard.
Others had stopped to notice their soon-to-be king, drop his
monarchical act and harsh façade to play with their children. It
promised a good future for them all, she thought as she watched him
return the children to their chaperone and come back to
her.

“The wolf needs his main course now my
lady, and you look ample enough to eat.” He advised, as laughter
broke out around them. She rolled her eyes and walked with him into
the halls. As soon as they were in private he grabbed her to him
and kissed her, hard. But as soon as she started to get into the
kiss, he pulled away.

“I didn’t hurt you did I Rohesia?” He
asked as his hand flew to her stomach. She didn’t know whether to
be elated or jealous towards the love he seemed to show towards the
growing bump rather than to her. She swallowed her
malice.

“The babe is stronger than that I
assure you my big bad wolf.”

He laughed and she instantly felt
guilty for thinking those envious thoughts. It was a nice change to
see a smile instead of a frown on his features.

“Well, if you’ve finished ravishing
me,” She continued. “I need to go and make further arrangements for
the coronation.”

“I thought Nani had hired in someone
from the village to help you with that?” He asked, his concern
evident for how much she was taking on lately. However, he had also
noticed with everything she was taking on, it didn’t include much
of the specific duties regarding her new status of Queen of
Ecripian. He was resistant to remind her due to her taking on more,
and tried to do as much of it as he could himself; only now it was
proving more and more difficult due to the piling items that needed
special royal authorisation. He would speak with her later, he
promised himself.

“She has, but there is a lot to be
done.”

“Very well, I shall let you go now,
but I am still a very hungry wolf and I will be expecting to have
my fill this eve.”

She smiled and felt herself go red at
his tease.

“Then I will try to be as appetising
as I can be when I look like the size of this castle.” She avoided
his gaze and he lifted her chin so she was forced to look at
him.

“You are very beautiful to me and you
always will be, size of the castle or not.” He smiled. She decided
to take it as a compliment.

“Thank you my lord,” She sighed. “Now
I know when I eat myself into oblivion and become the size of a
woman with ten waists, that you will still love me.” She laughed to
herself at his drop in features and tiptoed to lightly kiss him on
his brow. She couldn’t resist a wink before leaving him in his
stead and making her way back to her father’s study
chamber.

Rohesia looked at the plans laid out
in front of her for the coronation ball, with an invitation list
that included all of Centurias, including the Mookai. She had
chosen the colours of red, black and gold as the theme, but she had
also ordered flags to represent unity of Centurias under the new
king.

As she checked through her list, a
sudden chill came over the room. The hairs on the back of her neck
stood on edge as the cold air remained. She rubbed her shoulders
and suddenly remembered the blanket that her father always kept in
the cupboard of his desk. She leaned down and opened the small
door, grateful when she saw the embroided blanket lying at back of
the opening.

The sight of the blanket made her
think of her father, sitting there with the blanket wrapped around
his shoulders. She remembered the times when she was younger and
would come looking for him to urge him to retire. He would wrap the
blanket around her own shoulders as he ordered her back to her
chamber, and she would stubbornly remain there and wait for him.
She would always end up falling asleep whilst she waited, waking up
the next morning back in her chamber where he had carried her.
Rohesia felt a tear fall as she remembered him like that, and the
anger towards Yena suddenly amplified until she couldn’t breathe.
She was still certain that she had been the one who had provided
the poison that had taken him away from her. His decanter still
stood there on the table, now empty, and she refused the urge to
throw the cause of his death against the wall. She quickly lifted
the blanket and just about noticed the shiny object that was
positioned beneath it. Her thoughts went back to the day she had
discovered the baron’s ring in Yena’s basin and realised she had
never told Ison about that, she would have to remember to do so
when she saw him again. She removed the small item from the
cupboard.

The shivers ran down her spine as she
recognised the item to be a key that had hung from her father’s
neck chain. She realised it was the key to the underground room
they had entered all that time before; the day that they had
discovered the tunnels. How had it gotten there? She thought to
herself as she didn’t hesitate to place it around her own neck,
hiding it beneath her gown. Her father must have placed it there
before he had died, although why would always be unknown. She felt
herself move back to her seat as the grief came up from nowhere,
wishing the pain would stop.

As soon as Rohesia sat back in her
father’s chair, the door crashed open to reveal an out of breath
Kaya.

“My lady, oh I am so glad I have found
you.” She advised as her breathing refused to steady.

“What is it Kaya?” She asked as she
moved round to where Kaya stood.

“My lord sent me to tell you, he has
had to ride into the village,” She put her hand to her chest to
catch her breath. “The villagers have been attacked.”

“Oh my, when did he hear of
this?”

“Just now, Claimont Stewart is
apparently hurt.”

“I have to go also, get me a horse
ready.”

“I have strict instruction to ensure
you stay here where it is safe my lady, they do not know if the
attackers are still out there.”

“Have my horse mounted Kaya.” She said
with a harshness she did not want to use, but it was required if
Ison’s instructions were to be overridden.

“Yes my lady.” She replied sheepishly
before making her way off to notify the stables.

“Rohesia what are you doing here?”
Ison groaned inwardly to himself as he saw her striding up to them
on her horse.

“What has happened?” She ignored him
as he came forward to help her dismount. “Have you summoned Nani
and the village healer?”

“Yes, they are in the Inn tending to
the injured as we speak. My men are now patrolling the
grounds.”

“How did this happen? A second attack
without a batter of an eyelid.”

“It appears the rebels are becoming
more confident in their attacks.”

He watched the pain in her eyes as she
took in the sight of houses still burning. The villagers and both
Ison’s and Ecripian men were still squashing the flames.

“All for a bit of land? Where they are
treated well and protected?” She looked at him so innocently then
that he felt his own heart strain beneath it. He was starting to
understand what it was like to be responsible for so many, and what
it was you had to feel for them before being considered a good
ruler.

“That means nothing to them Rohesia.
They have probably been brainwashed into thinking they will be
better prospered if they stand against something that doesn’t
exist. I feel the men who are organising this are only after power
and greed.”

“What do you mean a few
men?”

“What we found in the caves were not
only those of fighters and warriors, there were remnants of
farmers, working men. They are obviously being led by some others
who have such motives to drive them, using others to do their dirty
work.”

She thought back to the ring that she
found by Yena’s basin.

“Could it just be one man?” She asked
him inquisitively, not quite certain that this was the time to tell
him of her concerns regarding Yena again.

“I doubt it. It would take one man a
lot of already ascertained power and money to drive this force and
have organised and dedicated followers, and if he already had that
what would he have to gain?”

“A throne?” She said suddenly, unsure
why it came out of her mouth. Ison looked at her
strangely.

“Your father was wary of the same
thing. What makes you say that?”

She shook her head.

“You know there may be someone out
there wanting to get inside the castle, hence the tunnels, and you
know that they are linked with the rebels because of the cave. Why
are you so unconcerned that the link could be the rebels causing a
smoke screen whilst another tries to get hold of the
throne?”

“Your father’s throne was threatened
because there was no heir Rohesia. If anyone would have attacked
him and put the blame on the rebels, they then could have claimed
the kingdom. But we don’t have that problem now you are
wed.”

Rohesia still didn’t feel right. Yena
being with child, the possible link with the baron and her father
being poisoned, were all connected to the rebels somehow. She just
didn’t know how to say so without sounding vengeful.