Rolling her eyes, Reid put her hands at her sides, not knowing how Ackley had managed to see her playing with her hair since she was behind him.
“The gates are open,” Ackley mumbled. “That’s a good sign.”
Dexter pursed his lips. Reid knew he had questions, but now was not the time to ask them. During her stay in Axian, she hadn’t seen a single city surrounded by a wall. Rumor had it Hudson built it to protect himself from his own brother.
They reached the main entrance. Most of the people meandering about were merchants, probably because of all the soldiers nearby. Hardly any citizens were coming and going. Four Marsden soldiers manned the gate. As Ackley, Dexter, and Reid entered the city, the soldiers barely even glanced their way.
Ackley took the main road cutting directly through the city. Malnourished children ran about, people slept in alleys, and others begged for food. Since the road was dirt, dust kicked into the air, making Reid sneeze. When they reached the portion of the city where the wealthier shops were located, the scenery changed. People here wore heavier clothes without holes, all had shoes on, and, instead of rotting trash, the smell improved to baking bread and roasting meat. Every single woman they passed wore a dress and was escorted by a man. Reid kept her head down, hoping no one noticed she was a woman wearing pants.
They finally reached the interior wall separating the castle from the city. Ackley rolled his shoulders back, stepping in front of Reid and Dexter to address the soldiers manning the gate. “Everything secure?” he asked, his voice deep and commanding.
The one soldier’s eyes widened, clearly surprised to find Prince Ackley in front of him.
“Yes, Your Highness,” he answered.
“Excellent. My mother and sister will be arriving in the next couple of days. Please be on the lookout for them.”
The soldier nodded, then granted them entrance.
They headed straight for the castle.
“The bells didn’t ring to announce you,” Reid commented. The soldiers manning the main gate for the city were usually the ones to ring the bells, announcing when a member of the royal family had arrived. However, Ackley hadn’t revealed himself to them.
“No, they did not,” he replied. “I didn’t want whoever is in charge to know I’m coming. Catching them by surprise will be so much more fun.”
“This is Eldon’s home?” Dexter asked, eyeing the castle.
Ackley shrugged. “Idina, my mother, Gordon, that miserable wife of his, and I all live here.”
His brows drew together. “It’s…not what I expected.”
“Rarely is anything what we expect it to be.” Ackley threw open the front door. “I’m home,” he announced. No one responded. The castle smelled musty, and there were no candles lit. Not a single servant was in sight. “Let’s see if anyone is in the great hall.” Ackley strolled down the hallway, whistling as he went.
“Hudson grew up in the palace at the City of Radella,” Dexter mumbled as he followed Ackley.
Reid nodded.
“I thought he would have built something far grander here. No wonder Eldon wants the palace for himself.”
This castle was more in line with Reid’s grandparents’ manor. “Now you can understand some of my astonishment at seeing the palace for the first time.”
Entering the great hall, they found it unoccupied. The curtains were drawn shut, the room was dark, and the fireplace empty.
“Is no one here?” Reid asked. The place felt abandoned.
Ackley tilted his head to the side, cracking his neck. “Let’s go to the barracks.”
They exited the castle, heading to the adjacent building that housed the army. Several soldiers stood outside, talking to one another.
“You there,” Ackley barked, addressing the closest man. “What’s going on?”
The man snapped to attention. “What do you mean, Your Highness?”
“Who is in charge and who are the soldiers outside the city wall?”
The man’s eyes widened, then he swallowed. “Shortly after you departed, the king left with the rest of the royal family, accompanied by half our soldiers. The castle was closed down since he didn’t know when he’d be returning. We were told to maintain our position here.” He pointed at the barracks. “We are to keep a secure perimeter of the castle and city. There are three armies outside the wall. Soldiers from Cartr, Alder, and Bridger.”
Ackley folded his arms. “Why are there soldiers here from the neighboring counties?”
The man glanced between Ackley and Dexter. “To face the invading army from Axian?” He said it as if asking a question instead of giving an answer.
Ackley tapped his chin with his pointer finger. “I want you to announce there will be a meeting tomorrow morning in the courtyard of the barracks. Dismissed.”
The man agreed and left.
“I need a drink,” Ackley muttered before heading back toward the castle. “What are you thinking?” he asked Dexter.
“That these three counties are heeding the king’s letter. The duchesses are here with the soldiers he requested. They’re probably waiting for the remaining counties to join them. Once they do, they will march together into Axian, joining with the Marsden and Melenia soldiers already there. With those numbers, Eldon will be able to easily gain control of Axian, thus taking over the entire kingdom.”
“I agree.”
“Hopefully, the duchesses in the north received Reid’s letter asking for help. I’m optimistic Reid convinced them to join us instead of following Eldon’s orders.”
“What’s the purpose of the meeting tomorrow?” Reid chimed in.
“I want to introduce the men to Dexter. Then we’ll start getting them organized so we can plan our own assault.”
Inside, Ackley went straight to the staircase.
“I thought you needed a drink?” Reid said, wondering why he wasn’t going to the sitting room or the great hall.
“I just said that in case anyone overheard me.”
Now that she was thinking on the matter, she rarely saw Ackley drink. “Then what are we doing?” Because he was clearly walking with purpose.
He glanced over his shoulder. “We’re going to my mother’s room.”
Instead of questioning him as to why they were headed there, Reid and Dexter quietly followed him. When they arrived, the door hung open on one hinge. Inside, clothes were strewn everywhere, the curtains shredded, and the bed flipped upside down.
“What happened?” Dexter asked.
“After Eldon tried strangling my mother, I snuck her out of the castle and hid her at Reid’s home. Once Eldon realized she was gone, he probably had her room searched for the letters.” Ackley went farther into the room, stepping over a drawer.
“I still can’t believe Eldon tried killing Leigh.” Reid moved around a ripped dress, peering into the bathing chamber. It, too, was a mess with wooden buckets smashed into pieces and towels strewn about.
“I’d never seen him so angry before.” Ackley rubbed his tired face.
“Do you think Eldon found the letters?” Dexter asked.
Ackley picked up a chair knocked on its side, setting it upright. “No. They’re hidden.” He knelt on the hearth.
“How did you manage to steal the letters from me?” Reid asked. “They were in a locked box.”
The corners of his lips rose in a half smile. “Mother gave me the key. When I was at your castle, I saw the box sitting on your bookshelf. I used the key, stole the letters, and put that chess piece in there.”
“Why?” By then, she’d been a Knight. He could have been honest with her and told her the truth. She may have even given them to him.
He shrugged. “I was being selfish and doing what I wanted—not what the Knights dictated. And I didn’t want Eldon to have the letters. I also wanted to see his reaction when he found the chess piece, and he realized he was going to be challenged for the throne. You have to understand, at the time, I suspected he’d killed Father,
but didn’t have any proof.” He yanked out one of the stones near the bottom of the fireplace. Reaching his hand in, he pulled out a handful of papers. “Here they are.”
“Those letters prove Eldon is not the rightful king?” Dexter asked.
“They prove Eldon is the son of Leigh and Henrick.”
Which meant Eldon wasn’t Hudson’s legal heir. Which, in turn, meant he had no right to be sitting on the throne. Either Gordon—Hudson’s first-born son—or Henrick had the right to be king. However, since Henrick was considered dead, and Dexter had legally been declared his heir, then Dexter could inherit the throne.
“What’s our next move?” Reid asked, biting her thumbnail.
Ackley stood. “Dexter is going to officially announce his bid for the throne.”
They spent the next several hours holed up in the sitting room, trying to decide how best to word the letters to the dukes and duchesses. When they finished, Reid was impressed at the eloquent way Dexter presented the issue of Eldon not being the rightful ruler and declaring himself the true king. He also stated he wouldn’t move forward without the complete support of the dukes and duchesses. He welcomed everyone to the castle where they could discuss the matter in greater detail. Once those letters were complete, Dexter wrote one to Eldon as well, stating his case.
“I don’t know about you two,” Ackley said around a yawn, “but I’m exhausted. I’m going to bed.” He headed toward the door.
“Do you care where we sleep?” Reid asked.
Without turning to face them, Ackley answered, “You know where the guest wing is.” He left without giving Reid a chance to say anything else.
Silence filled the room, making her suddenly nervous to be alone with Dexter.
He leaned back against the sofa, resting his feet on the low table.
“So,” she said, contemplating the sleeping arrangements. Their marriage hadn’t been consummated yet. Would Dexter want to do that tonight?
He tilted his head as she sat on the chair across from him, unsure what to say or do. Apparently, he wasn’t going to offer his opinion on the matter. Of course, he’d bared his soul, telling her exactly how he felt about her. She had yet to do the same. Not because she didn’t want to, but also because she was embarrassed and unsure how to do so.
Fidgeting with her wedding ring, she tried to decide how to proceed. Should she lead him to a bedchamber, then ask him if he wanted to consummate their marriage? Or would it be better to try to seduce him? Maybe she should just remove her clothes, making her intentions clear.
Dexter let out a long sigh. “Reid, don’t look so panicked. If you’re not ready, you’re not ready. We can wait.”
But that was the problem—she didn’t like the idea of waiting any longer. She wanted him to know how she felt. “I don’t want to be alone tonight.”
“I’ll stay in the same room with you,” he assured her. “You can take the bed, and I’ll take the floor.” He stood and stretched.
Reid rose, then led the way to the guest wing of the castle where she chose a bedchamber at random. Inside, she lit a few candles before going over to the armoire, hoping to find something suitable to sleep in. After finding a large undershirt, she headed to the bathing chamber. It was small and nowhere near as luxurious as the one in Axian. However, it had water and soap, which was all Reid needed right now. She scrubbed away the dirt and grime that had accumulated on her body over the past week from traveling. When finished, she pulled on the undershirt.
Her legs were exposed. Chewing on her bottom lip, she tried to summon the courage necessary to go out there with bare legs. She could do this. They were married—there was nothing improper going on. Besides, showing Dexter how much she loved him was easier than telling him.
Taking a deep breath, Reid entered the bedchamber. Dexter knelt in front of the low-burning fire, stoking the flames to life. His hair was wet, and he had on a clean shirt and pants. He must have bathed in one of the adjacent rooms.
Going over to the bed, Reid pulled back the blankets. Since Dexter hadn’t looked her way, her anxiety eased. “Can I ask you something?”
“Anything.”
“Do you want to be king?” She sat on the bed, crossing her legs.
He stood, shoving his hands in his pockets as he turned to face her. “That’s a good question, and one I can’t answer.” His eyes darkened as he took her in where she sat on the bed in a thin undershirt.
Her wet hair clung to her back. “You did just announce to the ruling families your intention to take the throne.” If he didn’t want to be king, why go through all this trouble?
“Yes, I did. But that wasn’t your question.” He sat on the edge of the bed, two feet away from her. “All my life, I’ve been groomed to lead. Whether that’s as a commander for the army or as a ruler of the Axian people, I have had it drilled into me that I am a servant to my people.”
“So you’re willing to lead, whether you want to or not?”
He leaned back on his elbows, dangerously close to her legs. “Let me ask you something. Do you want to be queen?” His deep voice rumbled in the quiet room.
“No.” She hated being the center of attention.
“But you married me knowing the outcome?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
Well, that was two-fold. “It’s the best thing for the kingdom.”
He nodded, as if expecting that answer.
“And I wanted to,” she revealed.
Dexter went very still, almost as if holding his breath, waiting for her explanation.
“We need to join Axian and Ellington together in order to save Marsden. I understand that. But somewhere along the way, it went from me needing to marry you to me wanting to. Marrying you opens so many opportunities for me. I can change Marsden into the kingdom I want it to be—a place where everyone is equal, women can work and own land, where businesses can thrive, and people don’t go hungry.” She played with the edge of the blanket as she spoke. “And the thought of living my life with you at my side is very appealing. You make me feel things I’ve never felt before. You accept me for who I am, you challenge me, and you treat me as an equal. I want to be your partner in life. And…I want you.” She couldn’t believe she’d just said all that. Biting her lower lip, she waited for his reaction.
“I really want to kiss you right now.”
A jolt of pleasure surged through her at hearing him say that. “The feeling is mutual.”
He crawled on the bed until he was in front of her. She brought her hands up, sliding them around his neck and into his hair. When she tilted her head, his lips brushed hers. Dexter gently pushed her back onto the bed as he kissed her, carefully lowering his body over hers.
Reid didn’t know what he intended to do. However, instead of worrying about what was coming next, she decided to just relax and trust him. What he was doing felt good, so she let him kiss her, his large hands roaming up and down the sides of her body.
And she kissed him back, savoring the taste and smell of Dexter.
They kissed for hours.
Reid woke up in Dexter’s arms, well rested and content. Not wanting to wake him, she remained there, watching him. He seemed so peaceful while sleeping. Last night, all he did was kiss her—her lips, neck, ears. Not once did he push her to go further.
“Why are you staring at me?” he mumbled.
“I thought you were sleeping.”
“I was until I felt you watching me.” He opened his eyes, the corners of his lips rising. “Morning, beautiful.”
She laughed. She’d always been so concerned with looking like a man and not attracting attention that she’d never allowed herself to feel beautiful before. For her husband to see her that way made her heart swell with joy.
“We need to get up,” he said, rolling onto his back. “We have that meeting this morning with Ackley and the soldiers.”
Reid pushed back the covers, sliding out of bed. The fire had died, making the roo
m chilly. Grabbing a blanket off the bed, she wrapped it around her body. “I’ll be back.” Needing something to wear, she went to Idina’s room. On her way to the princess’s dressing closet, something caught her attention. She froze.
“Didn’t mean to scare you,” Ackley said, his voice groggy. He sat in a chair facing the window, his gaze meeting hers in the reflection.
“What are you doing in your sister’s room?” She pulled the blanket tightly around her body, trying to ward off the cold.
“I’ve been in here waiting for you.”
“Why?” She meandered over to the window, gazing outside. A thin fog covered the hills in the distance.
“I figured you’d come here looking for something to wear.”
“That’s not what I asked.” She leaned against the windowsill, facing him. A bottle sat on the floor, and Ackley smelled of mead. “What’s going on?”
He hadn’t shaved, his hair stuck up in all directions, and dark circles shone under his eyes. “You know Anna plans on killing Dexter, don’t you?”
“I do.”
“I won’t let that happen,” he promised. “I see how much you care for him.”
“Once the Melenia army is dealt with, we’ll worry about Anna.” She waited for Ackley to say what was bothering him. When he didn’t, she prodded, “Please talk to me.”
“You know, the one good thing to come out of this is I don’t have to marry Duke Lyndr’s evil spawn.”
Reid laughed. “Yes, being stripped of your title so you don’t have to marry is definitely a good thing for you.”
“I never wanted to marry.”
“I know.”
“You used to not want to marry either. But look at you. A married woman.” Something dark flitted across his eyes.
“Yes.” Where was he going with this?
“Dexter’s a good man.” He stood and stretched. “Which room did you take—so I can make sure to avoid the honeymoon suite?”
“Dexter and I…we haven’t…I think we’re going to wait…” Her face flushed. Why was she telling any of this to Ackley? Pushing off the windowsill, she went over to the closet, trying to find a simple dress to wear.
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