Warrior (21 page)

his. Instantly, she remembered how

Vulcan felt, how right it felt. Although

like Vulcan, Malcolm was muscled

and tall, this felt wrong.

Jaisyn stiffened in his arms and

blinked. What was he doing?

***

Varian couldn’t believe his eyes. In

fact, he did not wish to believe his

eyes. From behind his tree, feet away

from the two men, he could barely

make out the words that passed

between them. What he could make

out was what they did. After an

intense

fight

with

swords

that

entertained

Varian

quite

nicely,

Malcolm pulled the other man close

and kissed him. It was no brotherly

kiss or a friendly kiss. It was a kiss

that a man bestowed on a woman he

wanted. He’d heard of such things

happening in different kingdoms but

had never witnessed this expression of

love—especially from one warrior,

which these two obviously were, to

another.

He turned his head and leaned it

against the tree. So this was why the

message was to be conducted in

secret. Jaisyn must have known about

Malcolm’s relationship with this man

and organized the entire thing. He

didn’t know what her motives were

but could guess that she was being a

good friend to these two. And there

was no doubt in Varian’s mind that

Malcolm’s father, the esteemed army

general, did not know of his son’s

preference.

Hoping their embrace was over,

Varian turned back to the couple and

was glad to see they were speaking

once more.

***

Jaisyn came to her senses seconds

after Malcolm’s lips pressed against

hers. She pushed him back and wiped

her lips with her hand.

“What are you doing, Malcolm?”

she demanded, turning angry eyes on

the man she loved as a brother.

Malcolm’s eyes fixed on hers as he

replied solemnly. “I love you.”

Caught off guard, Jaisyn could only

stare at him and try to keep her mouth

from falling open. Malcolm stepped

closer to her and leaned down, his

blue-green eyes easily showing the

emotions running through his heart. “I

love you, Jaisyn. I have loved you

since—”

She shook her head and stepped

back quickly. “Malcolm, you cannot

do this. I am married to your king.”

That didn’t deter him. He advanced

upon her. “And if you weren’t? If you

could still choose?”

Unsure of what he was asking,

Jaisyn stopped and drew in a deep

breath. “Malcolm, I like you. You’ve

been my closest friends for years.

Please, don’t do this.”

Malcolm’s eyes dropped to the

ground before lifting to hers again.

“If you weren’t married, and I

confessed my feelings to you, what

would you say?”

With a slight shake of her head,

Jaisyn turned from him, and continued

to the boulder. After long moments,

she looked to him. His back was to

her as he gazed out across the water.

She approached him and touched his

arm. “Will you continue to practice

with me? I will understand if you

don’t wish to.”

Malcolm nodded once. “Send the

squire in search of me whenever you

are ready. We will meet here.”

Jaisyn nodded as she looked at him.

He was staring unblinkingly at the

water. Deciding that it was best if she

left first, she turned and headed

further down the lake, wondering if

he’d always felt this way about her

and why she hadn’t seen it.

***

It had been Jaisyn’s intention to

swim after practicing with Malcolm,

but

Malcolm’s

confession

had

changed her plans. After slipping into

her regular clothing, she’d gone back

to the castle, intent on having the

servants bring up water for a bath.

Jaisyn had been so caught up in

thoughts of Malcolm’s confession that

as she entered the castle via the

drawbridge, she failed to recognize

that Varian was standing right there

until he called out to her.

Her heart almost leapt from her

chest as she turned, wide-eyed, to

face him. He stood by the drawbridge

as if waiting for someone to return.

He bowed to her and said, “I

apologize for startling you, my queen.

Have you been out?”

Jaisyn feeling her heart batter

against her chest, prepared to lie to

her husband’s brother. She tucked

stray curls behind her ears. “Yes, I

have. I went to visit a friend in the city

today.”

Varian nodded, those pale eyes of

his appearing warm and friendly. “Ah,

an old friend of yours?”

Nodding, Jaisyn sought to change

the topic. “Has my lord returned?”

Varian’s gaze seemed to penetrate

her before he replied easily. “No, my

queen,

your

husband

has

not

returned.”

Jaisyn nodded and dipped her head

to him, forcing a smile. “Well, if you’d

excuse me, there are things I must

do.”

With that, she hurried away from

Varian’s calculating eyes and to her

bedroom, where she called for a bath

and had given her sweaty clothing to

Magda, who acted as her ‘squire’

whenever she practiced or fought.

Two servants brought up the water

and her maids prepared her bath.

Before long, Jaisyn submerged her

body in the lavender-scented water.

After helping her wash her thick mass

of hair, her maids left her to her

thoughts.

***

Vulcan was not happy, but he made

no claim to a happy nature, so that

was an understatement.

Vulcan was angry.

His first day away and Jaisyn had

somehow slipped from the castle to

only Rika knew where! Varian had

reported to him as soon as he

returned, telling him about the secret

affair that Jaisyn had planned for

Malcolm and another man, which he

would deal with later, and how she’d

disappeared from the castle for at

least an hour, according to the

Morden

soldiers.

Where

she

disappeared to, he didn’t know but

was certain that she hadn’t gone to

visit ‘a friend’ as she had stated.

It was for this reason that Vulcan

stormed up the stairs, heading to the

solar, in search of his wife. He’d just

reached the door when a homely maid

suddenly

stepped

forward—she’d

been sitting in a chair on the opposite

side—and bowed her head.

“’er Majesty’s ’aving a bath, King

Vulcan.”

Vulcan nodded and dismissed her.

She was having a bath, was she?

He pushed the door open the same

instant that Jaisyn’s eyes flew up and

she hurriedly placed her hands across

her gleaming breasts.

“It’s a bit late for modesty, isn’t it,

wife?” Vulcan snarled as he leaned

against the door, closing it.

***

Jaisyn didn’t know what to do. Why

was her husband in the solar in the

middle of the day? Since Vulcan had

been residing here, he hadn’t used the

solar except to sleep. Had someone

found out about her encounter with

Malcolm? She prayed not, but from

the expression on his face, she

surmised he’d learned of something.

“My liege, why are you here?” she

asked in what she hoped was a

submissive voice.

“Is it not my solar? Am I not

allowed to come and go as I please?”

was the cold response.

Jaisyn’s heart began to race.
He

knew.
Oh Goddess, he knew. What

would he do to her?

“Where did you go today?” Vulcan

snapped out, approaching the tub

slowly. His grey eyes narrowed as he

drew closer to her.

Jaisyn’s

heart

stopped

for

a

moment. He didn’t know.

“My liege, I do not know of what

you speak,” Jaisyn told him firmly,

feeling the chill of the air on her bare

shoulders as the water lost its warmth.

“Do not know—” Vulcan was

incredulous. “Jaisyn, I am going to ask

you this question one more time and

may the Gods help you if you don’t

answer appropriately!”

Jaisyn

stared

up

at

him

unflinchingly. She refused to let him

intimidate her.

“Where were you today?” he tossed

at her again.

Jaisyn’s met his gaze squarely, and

she saw his eyes narrow even more.

“If you are referring to the hour I took

to visit an old friend in the city, then

your anger is uncalled for. I am a free

woman, as all Lytherian women are,

and if it does not—”

Vulcan’s voice was thunderous.

“You dare lecture me on Lytheria! I

am king! If I wish it, I could make it

such that women of Lytheria must be

completely

subservient

to

their

husbands, as it should be! I could

force the laws of Morden on Lytheria!

Do not lecture me on my kingdoms!”

Jaisyn listened to his statements and

like the budding of a new flower, felt

anger unfold within her chest.

“Lytheria has been blessed with its

rulers. We are the most forward-

thinking of the kingdoms. Women are

allowed to own their property and

wealth and even make livings on their

own! That is something you, even as

king, cannot take from us. It has been

this way for generations!”

Jaisyn let out a squeal as he reached

down, grasped her upper arms, and

pulled her from the tub. Water sloshed

as he forcefully removed her and

placed her directly before him,

making her very aware of his

commanding height when she had to

lean back to stare into his eyes.

“If all Lytherian women are like

you, I really will consider changing

the laws. You forget your place. You

are queen to my king and as such, you

will respect me!” Vulcan was no

longer speaking; he was roaring and

bristling and on edge.

At times, Jaisyn wished she were

more like Mathilda, more able to hold

her tongue, keep the peace, but she

wasn’t. She was Jaisyn.

“I cannot and will not respect a king

who refuses to respect the ways of his

people. That is not a king,” she told

him levelly, her arms now at her side.

She was completely naked before

him. Her next words, she considered

carefully and even though her mind

told her not to say them, her mouth

opened and she spoke with force.

“That is a barbarian who managed to

secure a kingdom that is not his!”

His hands tightened against her

upper arms but Jaisyn refused to

flinch. She held herself still, staring

into the grey eyes that had just turned

black.

Oh Lyria
, she began in her mind.

Protect your ever-loving daughter
.

“You are right, my queen,” Vulcan

began in a dangerous tone that let her

know that he was in no way agreeing

with her. “I am a barbarian. I am the

barbarian

who

has

conquered

Lytheria twice. I am your king—and

you belong to me! As your king, I

think that there are much better uses

for your mouth!”

With that, his unyielding lips fell to

hers, pressing against them harshly

even as Jaisyn struggled to turn her

head away. His hand came up, and

large hands dug into her scalp, holding

her in place as he brutally crushed her

lips beneath his. Jaisyn managed to

turn her head away a fraction, the

heat of his lips on her cheek.

“Beast!” she hissed. “Savage!”

Vulcan’s nose flared at those insults

but he brought her face back to his.

“Yes, Jaisyn of Lytheria. I am all of