“Okay.” He leaned on his cane. “Erm… Abigail… could you keep this just between us? I don’t know what’s happening here, but if she is having her cycle, and nobody else is, that might bring us all kinds of trouble. You know what I mean?”
“True, it very well could,” she said, a thoughtful look on her face. “Don’t worry, Marcus. I won’t tell a soul. I delivered young Mariselle and only want the best for her. You can absolutely trust me.”
“I figured I could.”
She leaned closer to him. “A free word of advice, however?”
He nodded. “Yes.”
“You must know that if it’s her menses, and she’s the only fertile woman in the land,” Abigail whispered, “she would be invaluable. Especially to King Griffin.”
Marcus’s eyes widened.
Abigail patted him on the arm. “Whatever the case may be, keep a close eye on her, Marcus.”
“I will.”
AFTER A FEW days, the bleeding lessened and eventually stopped. Mariselle told her father the good news.
“If it happens again, let me know,” he replied. “And whatever you do, don’t go telling anyone else about this.”
“I wouldn’t,” she replied, horrified of the idea. It was embarrassing enough admitting such things to her father.
Sure enough, the following month, Mariselle started bleeding again. When she Marcus, this time instead of looking worried, he appeared jovial about the news.
“Mariselle, do you know what this means?” he said, grabbing her hands, his eyes glittering.
“That I might be able to conceive?” she replied, not stupid. She’d overheard the conversation he’d had with the midwife the month before.
“Yes. It also means that your future is set, my dear.” He hugged her and then stepped back. “Now, put on something pretty. We’re going to visit King Griffin.”
Her heart did a little flip flop. The last time she’d seen the king was at his wedding. Although neither had spoken to each other, she’d caught him watching her more than once.
“Wait a second, why are we going to see the king?” Mariselle asked her father.
He smiled. “To tell him the news about your monthly, of course.”
Her eyes widened in horror. “What? No. You can’t.”
“He needs to know. Now, do what I say and change.”
23
GRIFFIN WAS IN the stables, getting ready to leave for North Haven when he was told that Marcus and Mariselle Langer had arrived and needed to speak with him urgently. Surprised, he told the steward to send word that he’d meet them in the courtyard.
“Griffin!”
Hearing Georgina’s voice, he groaned inwardly.
Forcing a smile to his face, he turned to face a woman he couldn’t stand to be around. Not that she wasn’t easy on the eyes. In fact, the queen was lovely and he’d been more than relieved, especially after his father had notified him of their engagement. But, she was a chronic complainer, turned her nose up at everything, and was impossible to please. Even his sister didn’t get along with the woman and Eva was the most patient and accepting person he knew.
“Where are you going?” Georgina asked, staring at him with suspicion.
For the last few weeks, she’d been acting very resentful and even jealous, for no good reason. At one point, she asked Griffin if he was bedding another. He’d told her that he wasn’t, although his wife was frigid and didn’t particularly seem to like sex, claiming it was “messy”. He could count the number of times on his hand that she’d performed her ‘wifely’ duties since her arrival in Syracuse.
“I’m off to visit Aiden.”
Her lips pursed together. “Really? Were you going to tell me? Or was I supposed to figure it out after not seeing you for several days?”
“I told you at dinner last night,” he replied, trying not to lose his cool.
She stared at him for a moment and then sighed. “You may have mentioned that you were leaving, but you didn’t tell me that it would be today.”
“What part of ‘I’m leaving for North Haven in the afternoon’ did you not understand?”
Georgina scowled at him. “That’s not what you said.”
“Yes, Georgina, it is exactly what I said. Look, I’m sorry if you didn’t hear me correctly. I’ll try and make myself more clear next time.”
She huffed. “Are you making fun of me?”
“No. Of course not,” he replied, his patience wearing thin. Every conversation seemed to end up in an argument, which was another reason he avoided her as much as he could.
“When will you be back?”
He told her he wasn’t sure and then excused himself. “I’m meeting with the sheriff in the courtyard, if you’d like to join me you may.”
She wrinkled her nose. “No. I’m getting fitted for a new dress in a few minutes. I just wanted to catch you before you left.”
“Okay.” He stared at her for a minute and thought about kissing her, since it would be the right thing to do, but he just couldn’t bring himself to do it. Knowing her, she’d flinch anyway. “Well, pick out something nice for yourself,” he said before walking away.
“I will.”
He looked back over his shoulder. “Good. You deserve it.”
With a loud “harrumph”, she headed in the opposite direction.
When Griffin reached the courtyard, he noticed Mariselle first, her beauty jarring him just like last time. He knew she’d grow up to be pretty, but nothing like the vision standing before him.
“Marcus, Mariselle, what a nice surprise,” he said, meaning it.
“Good afternoon, Your Majesty,” Marcus said. “I hope we’re not catching you at a bad time?”
“No. I was just getting ready to visit Aiden. I heard that you had some important news to share,” he replied.
“We do, actually,” Marcus said, lowering his voice. “Might I have a word with you alone?”
His eyes widened. What was this about? “Of course.”
Marcus looked at his daughter. “We’ll just be a minute. Why don’t you go and sit down on the bench over there?” he said, motioning toward the one by the flower garden.
“Yes, Father,” she replied and then walked over to it.
“She’s beautiful, isn’t she?” Marcus said, turning to him.
“Yes,” he admitted. “I imagine she has many suitors?”
He chuckled. “Yes, indeed. She’s already had a couple of proposals too, but those aren’t going to work out.”
Griffin looked at him curiously. “She’s not interested?”
“No, but even more than that, she has something of great value. Something I imagine would be more suitable for a king.”
“I have to agree, she’s… beautiful enough to make any king a happy man. Unfortunately, if you’re meaning that she marry one of my brothers, it’s not possible. They can only wed another noble, mainly for alliances. Lord knows we need all the help we can get these days,” he said with a sigh.
“As king, you could over-rule that, if there was a plausible enough reason, I’m sure.”
Griffin thought about it and nodded. “Yes, I suppose that I could.”
Marcus grinned. “Then, that will be part of the offer.”
“I don’t understand where this is going. What offer?”
“To father the child of a king, she must be made queen. I won’t stand for anything less for my daughter.”
Griffin stared at the sheriff, wondering if he’d lost his mind.
The older man laughed. “Sorry. Let me get down to the point – I believe that Mariselle can produce an heir to the throne. She’s… menstruating.”
24
MARISELLE WATCHED THEM from the bench and knew exactly when her father dropped the bomb. The shock on the king’s face was almost comical.
And what a fascinating face it was.
Sighing, she stared dreamily at Griffin, remembering all of the times she’d secretly fantasized that one day
he would come for her on a big, white steed, sweep her off of her feet, and carry her off into the sunset. Instead, he married someone else who looked more like his mother than a wife. Marcus had explained that their union had been forced upon Griffin by King Edward, to secure an alliance between their kingdoms. Even so, it seemed so unfair to have to spend the rest of one’s life with someone they didn’t personally choose.
Mariselle thought of the other brothers, whom she hadn’t seen in years. She imagined that they’d also grown up to be very handsome, and wondered what they looked like now. She knew that the other three were living in different sides of the country, ruling their own part of the territory. Unlike Griffin, she’d heard that neither of the others were married, but imagined it wouldn’t last long.
“Mariselle,” called out her father, motioning to her.
She stood up, smoothed down her tunic, and walked back over.
“Good news, my dear. You’re going to be traveling with King Griffin to North Haven,” he said, looking excited.
Her eyebrows shot up. This was totally unexpected. “I am, why?”
King Griffin cleared his throat. “Your father has informed me… it appears that you…”
She waited as he fumbled for words and still couldn’t believe that Marcus had spoken to the king about her menses, of all things. Part of her understood why, but it didn’t make it any less uncomfortable for either of them. As far as she was concerned, talking about sex itself was less humiliating.
He turned toward her father. “Marcus, maybe you should explain?”
“We believe that you might be the only fertile woman in all of Syracuse. King Griffin wants to consult with his brother Aiden, about it,” he replied.
“Why discuss it with him? To see if he’ll make me his queen so that I can bear him a child?” she asked dryly.
“Let’s not get ahead of ourselves,” King Griffin replied, still looking uncomfortable. “First, we’ll need proof. If it’s true, then we’ll go from there, I imagine.”
“Wait a second, proof of what?” Mariselle asked, her eyes wide. “That I’m bleeding like a stuck pig?”
The king grimaced. “You never were one to mince words.”
“I find that being direct saves everyone a lot of time,” Mariselle replied. “And, considering the history we’ve had together, Your Majesty, if I were you, I’d take my word that I have it. Of course, if you really want to see the blood-”
“Enough, Mariselle,” her father cut in, looking embarrassed. He turned to the king and smiled grimly. “Well? If you want proof, you heard her. She’ll give it to you.”
“That’s okay,” Griffin replied, his eyes holding Mariselle’s. “If she says that she’s a woman now, I believe her.”
“I was a woman long before I bled, Your Highness,” Mariselle replied, holding his gaze.
Marcus put a palm to his face and muttered something under his breath.
25
GRIFFIN’S MOUTH WENT dry. She was still a tease, only now instead of a child, she was definitely a woman. A very beautiful one with a wisdom in her eyes that made him wonder if she were still a virgin.
Marcus had mentioned her having suitors, and of course there were the offers of marriage. One night with such a beauty would probably make any man bend a knee. His eyes lowered to the curve of her breasts for a split second and what might be hidden under her tunic.
This time it was Marcus who cleared his throat. “Perhaps I should accompany Mariselle on this trip? She should have an escort.”
Griffin tore his gaze away from Mariselle. “She’ll be more than safe in my care. We’ll be traveling with my best knights and soldiers. No harm will come to her. You have my word.”
“And you’ll notify me of your decision before… it’s acted upon?” Marcus said.
Griffin smiled. “Yes. Of course.”
“Okay. We should probably go home and pack some of her belongings then, for the trip. How long will you be gone?”
“Originally, I was thinking a couple of weeks. But, considering the change of events, it might be longer. Don’t worry, Marcus, I’ll make sure to send you word as soon as I know for sure.”
Marcus frowned. “Your Majesty, no offense but I don’t know if I feel comfortable sending my daughter away for so long, without a guardian.”
“If it makes you feel any better, I’ll have two personal attendants accompany us. They’ll treat her like a queen, I promise you,” Griffin said.
“Very well,” he replied with a sigh. “I can’t abandon the farm anyway. I guess it will have to be.”
Griffin relaxed. He knew it was wrong of him, but the thought of having Mariselle away from her father’s watchful eyes was making his cock swell. He was thankful that his surcoat covered the evidence of his wicked thoughts. “As far as gathering her belongings, there isn’t time for that. I’m already behind schedule. Allow me treat her to a new wardrobe in North Haven,” Griffin said, wanting to get away from the castle as soon as possible. He knew that if Georgina caught wind of what was going on, she’d throw a fit and that wasn’t anything he felt like dealing with.
Mariselle’s eyes lit up. “Really?”
Griffin smiled. If there was one thing most women had in common, it was the love of new clothing. Seeing the excitement on her face, he promised himself to lavish her with whatever she desired. She would appreciate it, unlike the queen who expected it. “Yes. Anything you need.”
“Father, is it okay?” she asked, looking at him.
“I suppose,” he replied, still looking troubled.
Mariselle’s touched his arm. “Are you okay?”
He gave her a reassuring smile. “Everything is happening so quickly. I just wasn’t prepared for it is all. I’m fine.”
She threw her arms around Marcus and hugged him. “Don’t worry about me. I’ll be fine.”
“A father always worries about his daughter,” he said, looking directly at Griffin as he said it. “Especially when she’s all he has.”
Griffin assured him again that she would be safe in his care. “And, if she needs anything from home, we can send for it,” Griffin added.
Marcus nodded. “Thank you, Your Majesty.”
26
AN HOUR LATER, after a tearful goodbye with her father, Mariselle found herself seated in a box carriage with King Griffin. A small army accompanied them, along with the two attendants the king had promised. They were in a separate carriage and from what she could see, the women seemed excited about the trip.
“Where’s Queen Georgina? Isn’t she going to wish you farewell?” Mariselle asked, noticing that the woman had yet to make an appearance.
Griffin smiled wanly. “We already said our ‘goodbyes’.”
“She’s very pretty,” she said as their caravan began to move.
He nodded.
Mariselle had a feeling that the king wasn’t happy at all with their union. She didn’t dare ask him about it, although she was dying to.
“Tell me about your brothers,” she said, changing the subject. “I haven’t seen them in so many years. Did they all grow up handsome, like you?”
Griffin gave her an arrogant grin. “Of course not.”
She laughed. “You goof. Still as cocky as ever. Tell me about Aiden. Does he still have a short temper?”
He nodded. “It’s worse than ever. He still spins those tall tales of his and exaggerates like never before, too.”
“Tall tales? If I remember correctly, many of his stories turned out to be true,” she replied.
He grunted. “That was then. This is now. Sometimes I think he gets confused on what is real and what isn’t.”
“Maybe he just needs a good woman to turn him the right way?”
“From what I hear, he has more than he knows what to do with,” he said dryly.
“What do you mean?”
He sighed. “Forget it. I shouldn’t be telling you all of this.”
“I won’t tell if you won’t,” Ma
riselle whispered with a grin.
Griffin was silent for several seconds and then relented. “Fine. Ever since moving into his castle, he’s had a harem of women, willing and ready to do his bidding.”
“An entire harem, huh?” Mariselle laughed. “I guess I can relate to that. I remember when I was really little and had crushes on all of you boys.”
“You did, huh?”
“Yes. What little girl wouldn’t?” Mariselle stared ahead, smiling wistfully. “All I know is that I always jumped at the chance to visit the castle whenever Father offered to take me. Tell me, you must have known why I was always following you and the others around?”
His eyes sparkled. “Maybe.”
“Oh, of course you did,” she said, slapping his shoulder playfully. “Anyway, I used to pretend that you were all mine. I guess kind of like my own little harem, although… back then, my thoughts were strictly innocent.”
“And now?” Griffin asked in a low voice.
Their eyes met and in that instant, Mariselle knew the king was thinking dirty thoughts. It gave her a secret thrill, one that she felt all the way down to her pelvis. “Truthfully? I think it’s better to keep those things to myself. They could get me in trouble.”
27
GRIFFIN DREW IN a shaky breath.
This is wrong.
The wicked thoughts he was having about Mariselle was driving him crazy with desire. If she knew how badly he wanted her, she’d probably slap him.
And yet, he also knew the little imp was flirting with him again.
“So, what do you plan on doing with me when we get to North Haven?” Mariselle asked with a small smile.
What he ached to do was take her someplace private, tear off her clothes, run his hands over her soft curves, and bury himself deep inside of her heat, monthly or not.
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