Warrior (62 page)

Lydia said softly, more to herself, than

to Jaisyn. “I can only give you the

warning I received before I married

his father. Guard well your heart. That

way, it cannot be broken.”

Jaisyn came to her feet, the lady’s

words ringing in her ears. Vulcan was

nothing like the king she’d just

described. He was moreso hot than

cold, as his temper and passion

proved. He would never think to cast

her aside for another, especially when

she was carrying his heir. Frederick

sounded like a madman, but Vulcan

was most certainly not. “You are

wrong. My husband is not the cold-

hearted monster that his father

obviously was. He is passionate,

strong, and loving and he would never

do to me what his father thought to do

to his mother.” Lydia spun and faced

Jaisyn, her eyes widening slightly. “I

thank you for your concern but it is

not needed.” She made a step in the

direction of the door and Lydia hastily

moved in front of her.

“You are blinded by the love you

already hold for him. Do not think that

because you are his wife Vulcan will

treat you any different than a mistress.

Do not think because he married you,

he will not cast you aside. And do not

think that he loves you, Jaisyn. I am

afraid Vulcan is incapable of that

emotion.”

“And what of your son? What of

Varian? Is he incapable of that

emotion as well?” Jaisyn demanded,

glaring at the woman who was telling

her the man she loved could not

possibly love her.

Lydia drew in a deep breath, her

face tightening, even as her nose lifted

high in the air and she pursed her lips.

“Varian is unlike both his father and

brother. I raised my son with warmth.

I showed him how to love and care for

others. Frederick was unconcerned

with Varian until he was of an age to

learn war and therefore could not

instill in him the coldness he instilled

in Vulcan.”

“I have met Varian, milady, and he

can be every bit as cold as, if not

colder than, his brother.”

Lydia’s nostrils flared and she

flicked a piece of invisible thread from

the embroidered bodice of her gown.

“My son is nowhere near as cold as

Vulcan,

Jaisyn.

I

believe

your

emotions are confusing you.”

“Did you never think to teach

Vulcan as you taught Varian?”

Jaisyn’s voice was like ice, cold and

hard. The entire conversation upset

her, and she felt the need to defend

her husband to this woman.

“Frederick kept his heir to himself,

as I told you—”

“I would have still found a way to

—”

“I have told you all that I know,

Your Majesty
. Some of us are not as

strong or willful as the women foreign

to our nation. We are not all raised to

fight the wishes of our husbands. I

pray you do not share the same fate

as Lady Eleanor.” She cast her eyes

downward. “With your leave, my

lady, I am tired and would now rest.”

With that, Lydia gave Jaisyn a small

and compact smile before walking to

the other end of the room, and giving

Jaisyn her back once more. It was a

blatant dismissal.

Not wanting to be in Lydia’s

presence anymore, Jaisyn left. Her

brain churned with what she’d just

learned. Lady Mor’an had coddled

Varian, and left Vulcan to his monster

of a father. That was what she’d

gathered. She’d learned that Frederick

had mistreated Eleanor, and people

believed that had led to her demise.

She wondered if Vulcan was aware of

their thoughts. Was that why her

husband had turned out as he was,

afraid to love? Because he’d learned

of his father’s treatment of his

mother?

She paced her room slowly, her

hand resting on her belly. The swell

was more pronounced, as she was

over four months gone.

She’d also learned that the Morden

kings could break something as sacred

as a marriage quite easily. Vulcan

would never do that to her. He was a

better man than his father: he’d

admitted his love.

After he said he did not know what

it meant,
a voice nagged her.

He’d showed her his love openly in

the past month. Talking, and even on

occasion laughing with her as they

spoke in the Great Hall or his study,

especially in their chambers. As she

could not pick up a sword, while she

was pregnant, she’d taken to walking

down to the courtyard to watch the

men train. He’d allowed it, whereas

before, he would have told her in

succinct terms to return to the castle.

She took in Lydia’s words but

refused to believe that Vulcan was like

his father. If she’d heard those words

months ago, when she hadn’t known

how gentle and loving he could be,

she might have believed them. But not

now. Especially not now.

Vulcan loved her and he would love

their child.

***

Jaisyn lay on her back, naked. The

soft light from the fire at the hearth

traced the curves and angles of her

body, giving shadow to some parts

and pointing at the difference in

complexion to the man who lay

besides her. One hand was at her side

as the other stroked Vulcan’s bare

torso. He lay facing her. A hand under

his cheek propped his head up, while

the other caressed the bump that was

her belly. Since his return to her bed,

Vulcan enjoyed stroking her belly.

She would fall asleep with his

calloused hands gently stroking her,

but tonight, she had something on her

mind. Lydia’s words kept haunting

her and she intended to ask Vulcan

the question that kept pricking at her

mind this very night.

“What worries you?” he murmured

softly, staring into her eyes.

“Can the king dissolve any marriage

without reason?” she asked slowly.

His grey eyes narrowed, but he never

stopped his calming stroking.

“Yes.” Vulcan had tensed when she

asked the question, wondering where

it would lead, and more than certain

he would not like it.

“Even his own?” she continued, her

fingers trailing a path across his

muscles and back to his chest.

Vulcan shifted slightly but he replied

truthfully. “Yes.”

“Even if there is a child?”

“Yes. In Morden, the king is second

only the Gods. Morden law makes it

that, with reason, a king can dissolve

any marriage.”

“And if there is a child, is the child

then considered illegitimate?”

“No. If it is a boy, he is made the

heir, as the eldest son of the king. If it

is a girl, it would not have mattered in

any instance, as she would still face a

political marriage.”

Jaisyn

nodded

but

her

heart

tightened in her chest. He’d just

confirmed some of what Lydia had

told her. If he tired of her, she could

be cast aside. She’d always assumed

that a marriage was binding. In her

homeland, a marriage was a sacred

union that was not entered upon

lightly and could not be broken except

for death or an annulment. The

Lytherian kings could not terminate

marriages on whim and they certainly

could not break their own marriages.

“And what of the mother?”

“Her dowry is returned and she is

returned to her family.”

Jaisyn sat up, forcing his hand away

from her as she glared down at him.

“She is returned to her family in

disgrace. And no one will have her, is

that not so?”

Vulcan pushed himself up and faced

her. “She is in no way disgraced. It is

an honor to be the wife of a king,

mother to a future generation of kings.

Where is this coming from, Jaisyn?”

She shook her head and moved

away from him. Vulcan’s eyes

followed her nakedness as she walked

over to the fading fire at the hearth.

Perhaps Frederick had meant to throw

aside his legal wife for another. And

Vulcan…he spoke of the act as if it

were nothing, as if a woman should be

pleased that she’d whored for a king

and been cast aside. She felt tears fill

her eyes as she stared at the barely

licking flames. When she delivered her

heir, would he do the same? He was a

Morden king. Would he think it his

right to do so?

She suddenly felt him behind her

before his large hands were at her

waist, pulling her against his hard

body.

“Do you fear I will dissolve this

marriage after you birth my heir?” he

asked, resting his chin lightly on her

curls and inhaling her scent.

Jaisyn didn’t reply so he continued.

“If I wanted to dissolve our marriage,

Jaisyn, I would have done so a long

time ago.”

“That isn’t the point, Vulcan. A king

should not have the right to cast his

queen aside for something as fickle as

his pleasure.”

He spun her so she faced him.

Looking up into his face, she found his

eyes warm, and not cold, as she’d

expected them to be.

“That is because you are thinking

like a Lytherian, Jaisyn. You have

your laws. We have our own and so

far, they have worked for us.”

She shook her head frantically. “It’s

a bad law, Vulcan. All it shows is that

a queen is chattel, that she is no more

than the king’s possession. This isn’t

about the Lytherian or Morden laws,

Vulcan. This is about natural rights.

Do you not believe women are equal

to men?”

An arrogant brow lifted. “In what?

Jaisyn’s eyes practically froze in her

head as she replied angrily, “In any

and everything. I can use my sword as

well as any man. I can read, write, do

accounts, name it!”

“You are one woman, Jaisyn,”

Vulcan retorted, glaring down at her.

“And you were also a princess,

ranked higher than the average

woman. It is why you can think of

yourself on equal terms with the

average man.”

“Vulcan,” she beseeched, lowering

her voice and staring pleadingly at

him. “I have female friends not raised

as royals who can manage their

numbers, be in control of their own

businesses. In Lytheria, a married

woman is allowed to keep what

property is given her by family, and

any woman is allowed to start a

business if she has the necessary

funds, without a male vouching for

her.

He seemed thoughtful for a few

minutes before he shook his head.

“Lytherian

rules

work

best

in

Lytheria. One cannot bring Lytherian

rules to Morden and expect them to

work.”

Releasing a deep breath, Jaisyn

nodded. “Will you at least consider

changing the law that allows a king to

dissolve any marriage at whim?”

His hand fell to his side and he

shook his head. “I have already told

you, Jaisyn. I will not break this

marriage. I am very content in the

wife I have chosen.”

“I don’t ask for me, Vulcan, but for

future queens of Morden. The law

does not serve any purpose—”

Vulcan released a deep sigh and

walked back over to her bed, where

he put both hands behind his head and

looked at her.

“Come back to bed, wife. We will

discuss this later.”

She contemplated defying him, but it

was pointless. Jaisyn didn’t wish to

fight at the moment. The last month

had been peaceful, and she’d been

very happy. Her legs took her back

over to the bed and she lay down,

staring ahead. Vulcan’s hand reached

out and caressed her belly again.

Jaisyn turned to look at him. He’d