Unbroken (Unarmed Trilogy #2) (35 page)

In anger, Will tried to stab his father but missed as Gregory turned and deflected the blow. Will’s face was red and his eyes were enraged.

“I always told you never to let your enemy see what you put stock in. I knew she was a weakness, but I am happy to see she will be the most useful. I should just put you out of your misery now, but what’s the point? Your stupid nature will kill you before I do,” Gregory said before he punched Will in the face. Will lunged for him and missed, but grabbed his ankle. Gregory slipped on the grass, wet with blood, and Will crawled on top of him.

He, blindly, reached for a rock and held it over Gregory’s head.

“Do it, you coward. It could end everything, but could you live the rest of your life knowing you murdered your father?” Gregory asked. Will hesitated, with the rock hanging over Gregory’s head. Gregory snickered and kneed him in the groin before shoved his son off of him. “Pathetic,” he said as he stood and spit on Will. “Pull back!” He called out to his remaining men. In a daze, Will watched as his father disappeared into the forest, flanked by Johansson men. He rolled to his back and watched as his own men surrounded him.

The sky was blue and, for now, it was peaceful.

The grass was slick with blood and Will’s body ached. The battle was over and he allowed contrition; Gregory was more than welcome to come back to retrieve his dead. However, hours after the battle was over, Gregory had not returned and the soldiers sent to run perimeter told Will there was no sign of the Johanssons.

“What do we do with the injured Johanssons?” Willem asked as they continued to put the surviving Thurston soldiers on stretchers and were carrying them into the palace. “They could be a danger to us.”

“We will take them to the dungeon and have Jacque tend to them. They will be guarded all day and every day. We may be able to use them for information,” Will replied as his body strained to continue lifting the bodies.

“If they are unable to tell us any information or refuse, you should put them to the sword. We don’t need Johanssons running through the palace,” Willem suggested as they brought the soldier into the compound. “No one blames you, for not killing your father. No matter how tough these men act, they couldn’t kill their kin either.”

“I should have. He would have killed me without a second thought,” Will grumbled as Willem followed him into the palace. “If I had fallen, I don’t know how long the palace could have been held.”

“Garrett is a crafty man. He would have created some type of plan to keep the territory safe,” Willem said, though his voice was uncertain.

“You know that my trust in him has been shaken. Garrett is smart, which means I cannot discount the idea that he is double-crossing me. I don’t know what his endgame is,” Will said as he came across the scene in front of him. Many of the townspeople were tending to the soldiers, both enemy and domestic. He had lost many of the Thurstons on the front line of the Johanssons, but some did survive. It was an agonizing sight, but it was nothing he hadn’t seen before.

“You are right. Garrett could double cross you and you must keep that in mind, but he is not your sole enemy. If you destroy your father, then your remaining enemies will fall. But right now, you should be with Tamzin and Liam. Did you not fight this battle for them?” Willem asked.

“I did,” Will responded, his emotion dead and buried with his enemy’s corpses.

“Men will tell you that your most important role is to be a King and a leader. But they are wrong. Your most important role is to be a father to your son and a husband to your wife. If you can keep your family happy and healthy, the territory will follow,” Willem told him before he placed his hand on Will’s shoulder. “Go find Tamzin. I will gather the council in the War Room to plot our next move.”

“Find Garrett and tell him that he and Seraphina are to be questioned. I need to know her role in all of this,” Will ordered before he ran his fingers through his hair. Seeing his dead men, and even the bodies of his enemy, made him feel sick and the bile in his stomach began to burn and bubble.

The stench was beginning to set in and Will nearly ran from the room and to the stairs. He was only a few steps down before people that asked about their loved ones bombarded him. Unable to handle the pressure, Will brushed past them and burst through the small crowds that formed around him. As he approached the nobility wing, the crowds lessened and Will heard Paul’s voice explaining that the battle had been won, but not without casualties. Will had lost men, but not because they were not skilled. The Johansson men were resilient, rising after blows and stabs that could have killed the average man. They were all larger in stature and muscle mass than the Northmen, but if you have little skill, these things won’t save you in the long run.

Will pushed the door to the nobility wing open. He found mostly women sitting in circles, wine goblets in their hands. They were laughing as if someone had just made a jape; like there wasn’t a battle outside that killed men of all ages. Will felt his disgust rise up in him but it was quelled as he found Tamzin. She sat in the corner of the room, surrounded by Katya, Hanna, Nicola, and surprisingly, Seraphina. Nicola was the one that sat closest to her and was cradling Liam in her arms.

Tamzin looked up and found her husband, still bloody and dirty from battle, as he stared at her openly. She pulled herself to her feet and rushed to him, her feet shuffled across the dirt floor and launched herself into his arms. Despite the blood and grime, Will wrapped his arms around her and tightened enough to lift her clearly off the ground. With their faces level, Will wound his fingers in her chestnut hair and wanted to tear his armor off to feel her body fit against his. He heard her soft sob in his ear and pressed his lips to her pulse point.

“It is alright, my love,” Will whispered in her ear, and laughed to himself that he was comforting her after what he had endured. It didn’t matter to him; all he wanted was to crawl into bed with her next to him and Liam on his chest. The war could wait.

“We could hear them. The sounds of the men and I feared that some of the sounds were from you,” Tamzin sniffled as she pulled away and brushed some dirt off his cheek with her thumb. “What happened?”

“My father fled and I had the chance to kill him, but I couldn’t do it. I had him on the ground and I was on top of him, but I couldn’t do it,” Will’s voice cracked and his teeth latched onto his bottom lip. “I could have ended it.”

“You’re safe and our boarders are safe. That is what matters,” Tamzin soothed as she kissed his bearded cheek. “Can we move above ground now? You need a bath and some food, as do your men. Do they need my help?”

“You’re not a full day out of the birthing bed. You and Liam are returning to our chambers and I will see to your bath and food,” Will commanded lightly as he cupped Tamzin’s cheek. “I need to have a council meeting about the state of Garrett and Seraphina.”

“I think it would be useless to question her. She is frightened and she assures me that she had nothing to do with it, Will,” Tamzin explained, much to the shock of Will.

“Weeks ago, you were convinced she was a spy and was carrying my father’s child. Now you think she is innocent in all,” Will asked as he put her back down on the ground, his height difference apparent with her own.

“She is frightened of something, but I do not know if it is because she has been caught or accused of something she did not do. She should still be questioned, yes, but she is swelling with child, so you mustn’t be so rough with her,” Tamzin said before she looked over her shoulder. “Liam has just fallen asleep.”

“May I still see him?” Will asked as he watched Nicola gently shuffle Liam in her arms.

“Of course,” Tamzin grinned as she felt Will brush past her and approached Nicola.

She immediately offered Liam to him and didn’t speak as Liam was placed in Will’s strong, but still unsure, arms. Holding his son still felt awkward and Will was sure, most times, that he would accidentally hurt Liam. But Liam didn’t wake and curled into Will’s accommodating arms. Tamzin stood next to him and gently raised Will’s arms so Liam’s head was now resting against Will’s chest.

“You will become used to it. Soon, you won’t ever want to put him down,” Tamzin said as she ran her hand up and down Liam’s back. “I had to hand him to Nicola because my arms had become so tired that they ached.”

“I don’t want to hurt him,” Will said as his fingers gently touched Liam’s hair.

“You won’t. You know what to do, but you’re just having a difficult time learning it. It will come to you,” Tamzin said before the other soldiers began to enter the wing.

“Your Grace, the council has assembled. His Royal Highness, King Aidan, has asked that you lead the council and the questioning, as Garrett Mason is under your jurisdiction,” the soldier said before he bowed to both Will and Tamzin. Will nodded to the soldier before he turned back to Tamzin.

“I will take you to bed before I attend the meeting,” Will said as he ran his fingers up and down her arm.

“I want to attend the meeting,” Tamzin spoke out just loud enough for only Will to hear. “Unless you think it will be interfering?”

“I don’t know what he is going to say. It may be something you do not want to hear,” Will said as he placed Liam in Tamzin’s arms. He reached down and fixed her robe to cover her completely before he leaned in and kissed her forehead. “If you think you are up to it, you are more than welcome to join me. Please don’t question him. As of right now, Garrett is not our ally.”

Tamzin nodded and Will wrapped his arm around her shoulders and gently led her up the stairs. She moved slower than usual, due to Liam and the pain between her legs, and had to stop at the very top of the stairs. Will listened as she took a deep breath and his hand massaged her belly.

“I can carry you,” he offered before Tamzin shook her head.

“I will need a bath after this, but I am fine,” Tamzin said through gritted teeth as Will placed both his hands on her arms to keep her steady. “I don’t want the men to think I cannot sit through a council meeting.”

“You don’t need to prove anything to them. If a man cannot respect a woman enduring the birth of a child, a Prince no less, than he should have no place on my council,” Will replied slightly menacingly before he noticed Ethan approaching them. “What is it?” Will asked.

“Do you need me to escort the Princess and Prince back to your chambers?” Ethan asked as he peaked on his sleeping nephew.

“We are joining you,” Tamzin said as she showed Liam to Ethan. Liam’s eyes opened slightly before he let out a small cry. Tamzin then pressed him against her chest and he settled down. Ethan didn’t reply to Tamzin, but peered at Will with an uncertain gleam in his eye.

“Some of the council members won’t approve of a woman in the War Room, especially a woman with a newborn,” Ethan began before Will gave him a stern look.

“I don’t live to serve the Bradford Council,” Will said as he steered Tamzin away from his brother and towards the hallway. At the end of the hallway was the War Room, which had the door wide open. Will entered the chambers first, and found the council sitting in a circle. Men sat behind wooden tables and in the center was a small, wooden chair. Will’s place was in the top center of the circle and he led Tamzin towards the seat. Instead of taking the seat himself, he sat Tamzin down in the cushioned chair and stood behind her, with his hands on her shoulders.

As Will stood amongst the council, his eyes were trained on his wife and newborn son. He should have made her return to bed; the birth could have been significantly worst, but Will still felt uneasy at seeing her up and about so early, especially when she refused to be parted with their son.

Liam rested on her chest, his full lips parted as he breathed in deeply during his sleep. The boy favored Will more than he initially thought; no one, not even Gregory, could dispute that this was his son. Will was aware that the rumors still floated about that Junior Johansson had gotten Tamzin with child, when she was his captive.

Garrett was escorted into the War room and stood in the center; the surrounding men unsheathed their swords and placed them on the table as a warning. Garrett had promised Will he would explain everything and now that Will had a temporary victory against his father, now was the time.

“State your name for the council,” Paul said in a monotone voice as he picked up his quill, ready to take notes on what was happening.

“Lord Garrett Mason of Thurston Territory,” Garrett replied as he placed his hands behind his back in a proper stance. “I am here to inform the council that, for the past few months, I have been an informant for His Royal Highness William Thurston.” His admission caused the council to mutter softly and Will looked to his stepfather and half-brother for their opinions. “If I may continue?” Garrett asked, though he looked to Will specifically. Will nodded.

“The girl in our care, Seraphina, was once a girl I had relations with. She worked in the kitchens, and after we parted, she and I stayed friends. She was present, delivering dessert, to Gregory Thurston and King Turner Roth when the Roths arrived for Will’s wedding to Tamzin. Turner informed Gregory that Lucy Johansson was a Southerner, though Seraphina did not hear him say she was, specifically, a Johansson. After hearing a Southerner was in our midst, Seraphina became suspicious of Lucy. She informed me of what transpired between Gregory Thurston and Turner Roth in their discussion.” This comment earned more whispering from the council, but Will stayed focus on Garrett, as he rested his hands on Tamzin’s shoulders.

“Over the course of Princess Tamzin’s poisoning and our arrival in your aunt’s territory, it became obvious to me that something was amiss. When we were attacked in the forest, I tried to explain to Gregory Thurston how odd it was that two Southerners, Duke and Lucy, knew the roadways, but to no avail. When Gregory told me I had nothing to worry about, I instantly became suspicious. It was then that Gregory began to send letters, more so than usual. Seraphina was able to steal some letters, which Seraphina brought to me. In these letters, Gregory spoke of his hatred for Will and that Tamzin was meant to be poisoned to start a war with the Roths, in hopes that Will would be killed in battle…”