“What's that?” I ask, chilled that anyone could find a parallel between Ambaris and Tauren.
“Tauren is a good man, who does what he does for his family, for you? Mine did what he did to make himself look better. I suspect that Tauren would give up his crown in an instant if he thought that by doing so he could make things better for you and your son.”
I feel touched, and I turn, walking along in the water beside Gwyndolen as we make another lap. “You know... Tauren isn't the only person in my life who keeps running off to do dangerous things for our family,” I admit. “I have a brother and sister who do the same thing.”
“I know,” Gwyndolen says, reaching out under the water and taking my hand. It feels nice, and I squeeze it back, Gwyndolen smiling when I do. “I've spent a few weeks in the capital now, and Kelbara's spent more time out of the city training and doing missions than being here. I can't worry about Jensen, except second hand as it relates to Kelbara, and his reputation makes me think he's just about the best survivor on the entire planet. But Kellie... sorry, she doesn't like me to call her that, but sometimes I still think of her that way. Anyway, she's just as tough, even if I do worry about her like she's still my little girl instead of a strong woman. But that's another thing that encourages me, really. I could think that Kelbara is going to end up like Ambaris, but I've seen the good in her, and the motivation she has for being who she is. She's not out there charging off to make herself rich or famous. She's doing it because she loves Jensen, and she loves you. I think she'd be just as happy sitting on their estate taking care of your son and helping Jensen. Unfortunately, ...”
“Unfortunately, warrior's hearts beat in their chests,” I finish, and Gwyndolen nods. “They're always going to be protectors, no matter what.”
“Probably. Then again, I see a warrior's heart in you too, Audra. It takes a warrior's heart to agree to go from slave to queen in one night and to do it as well as you have. Never doubt that. Sometimes when I look around the palace, I wonder if I'm the only non-warrior in this whole situation.”
I shrug and keep walking, holding hands with her. “I don't know, but I do know one thing.”
“What's that?” Gwyndolen asks, and I look over, smiling.
“In the past few weeks, even if there's been a lot of stress... I've also made a new friend. I like that part a lot.”
Gwyndolen smiles back, giving my hand another squeeze. “Me too, Audra. Me too.”
We walk for about ten minutes in silence, just enjoying the relaxing feeling of the water. Finally, I look over at Gwyndolen, chuckling. “So?”
“So, what?” she asks, shaken out of her inner thoughts.
“So, are you going to go out on a date with Tryion or not? I mean, I'll help you any way I can.”
Gwyndolen huffs then laughs. “Sure, why not? After all, it's only a date, right?”
Chapter 10
Kelbara
“She's what?”
Audra pours me another cup of tea as I sit with her in her library. It's been too long since I've could just relax with her at the palace, and I'm already fidgeting around with the desire to do something. That is exactly why Audra had me come to the palace to do specifically nothing, though, she wants me to have a little time off. If anything, I think she wants to stuff me full of sweets in the time I'm here, enough to offset my training energy needs.
“She's going out on a date,” Audra repeats, leaning back in her chair and taking a bite of a small cookie. “Come on Kelbara, you have to admit, your mother's beautiful, there's a reason why men would be interested in her.”
“Well yeah, just... okay, okay. Who with?” I ask, wrapping my head around the idea while biting into a lemon bar that Audra put in front of me. It's delicious.
“Sir Tryion, Lord Imogen's younger son. You met him at the Noble Council last time you were there,” Audra says. “Young guy?”
I nod, thinking back. “Oh yeah. Wasn't he the one who pissed me off?”
Audra laughs, nodding. “I think so, but I can't be a hundred percent sure. Still, Gwyndolen thinks he's cute, and I can see where she's coming from in a way. And as for him pissing you off, you must admit, carrying a grudge against things that piss you off at the Council is not a way to keep your sanity around here.”
I nod, raising an eyebrow. “Audra, I don't want to go into it too much, but Jensen and I talked about it some when we heard the news. In Tauren sure about this? The little bit I saw, he looked a little.... well, he didn't look quite like himself.”
“I know,” Audra says, shaking her head. “Honestly Audra, I think that the images from that slaver camp that you guys liberated had a deeper effect on him than he's willing to let on. By the way, how is baby Olivia?”
“Good. She's been gaining weight, and I have the best doctors checking on her. I've sort of had to give her to someone, actually,” I admit sadly, thinking about the newest member of the household. “Being the Ranger Sub-Commander isn't exactly the sort of position that allows me to indulge in my desire to be a mother. On the good side, though, I have found someone who has been more than happy to take on the responsibility while still giving me the chance to interact with Olivia when I am back home.”
Audra perked up, smiling. “Really? Who's that?”
“Justine,” I replied, amazed myself. “When I came in with Olivia from the raid, I asked Justine to find someone in the staff who would be willing to look after and raise Olivia, and immediately Justine just took her into her arms and they started bonding. Apparently, and I didn't know this, but Justine was... well, the only way she can have a baby is by adopting. Thank Neyton for that one. Since then, she's been a nearly ideal mother. It helps that most of the staff have also fallen in love with Olivia too. Chef even takes the time to make her formula especially by hand, insisting that only he can mix it up properly for her. I think for the staff, Olivia sort of represents a chance for them to fix things.”
“What do you mean?” Audra asks, and I think carefully before replying. I want each word to be the right one, and I know I'm not always the best at choosing my words.
“Most of the staff that stayed on with Jensen after he took over from Neyton, well, you know how that house was. Most of the staff were....”
“Most of us were abused, treated badly, and mentally fucked up,” Audra finishes for me, and I nod. “I know, Kelbara. But go on.”
“A lot of the staff, the ones that felt like they could find something beyond the estate, left, which I understood. But you know, there were a lot who were broken, and they stayed because we offer them not only a place to work but safety and a judgment-free area. Maybe I'm like the staff, hurt in a way, nothing like what they've been through. But for all the progress they've made, they still see themselves as being scarred. With Olivia, though, I think the staff sees in her a way to make sure that the pain and scars stop with them. That little girl lost a mother, and she's gained twenty-three aunts and twenty-one uncles.”
Audra nods, giving me a smile. “I know it isn't quite what you and Jensen want, but I'd say it's a start. Besides, it'll give you a chance to see who you need to ask for help when you do get pregnant.”
“Yeah... after this fucking war's over,” I grumble, then shake my head. “Sorry, Audra. I don't mean to rain on the day.”
“Kelbara, you know that's why I invited you. We're both dealing with stress, so we might as well deal with it together,” Audra says, smiling again. “If I can't lean on my sister from time to time, who can I lean on? Besides, with those leg muscles you're rocking, I figure that you'll be able to let me lean on you all the way to delivery, and you'll be able to carry me no problem.”
I laugh, feeling good doing so. “Perhaps. But I think the doctors would rather that you take a gurney to the delivery room.”
“Delivery room? I'm planning on doing a home delivery. The doctors can come to me,” Audra says with a laugh. “Another lemon bar?”
* * *
I feel good coming back from talk
ing with Audra, but I almost always do. Regardless of what disagreements I might have with Tauren's rant, the two of us have always gotten along, and I love her very much. Getting off my hoverbike, I see Justine waiting for me, Olivia in her arms. The two have bonded tremendously, and while Audra may have used the term aunts, I know looking at them that Justine is Olivia's mother.
“How's our cutest member of the house today?” I ask, coming over and stroking Olivia's head. She's nearly bald still, just a few wisps of light brown hair on top of her pale skin, but she's still precious with big brown eyes and a tiny button nose that turns up just a little at the tip. “Hey, baby girl.”
“She's doing just fine today, my Lady,” Justine says, handing me a flexi and adjusting her grip. “She wanted a little bit of skin time earlier, but she's being a baby. She surprised Piedra, though.”
“Oh?” I ask, smiling already. Until recently, Piedra was one of the women on staff who was the most damaged, barely coherent most of the time, and even now she has nervous issues whenever I'm within sight of her. With slightly caramel skin, long black hair and almond shaped light brown eyes, she's as beautiful as Justine in her own way, and I hope that she continues to improve. “What happened?”
“Well, it was time for Olivia's bath, so I took her to the big tub area, where Piedra was already bathing,” Justine says, chuckling already at the idea. “And you know, Piedra's pretty well endowed. Well, she asked if she could hold Olivia while I got her little tub ready, we use a big roasting pan that Chef said would be the right size for her. I handed Olivia over, and Piedra held her so carefully, it was touching. Then Olivia felt the skin on hers, and she turns, squirming around and latching on!”
“You mean?” I ask, laughing at the image, and Justine nods. “Little girl probably thought she was in line for a feast, the size of Piedra's boobs. How'd Piedra react?”
“We both laughed, and Piedra helped with washing Olivia down before she went back to her own bath. But yes, our little girl is quite the entertainer. How is the Queen?” Justine asks. “By the way, the flexi is just a household report for the day. Nothing vital if you don't want to look it over.”
“Audra's bigger by the day,” I joke, going into the house with Justine next to me. “We just took some time to relax. I also found out that my mother has a... has a date.”
Justine laughs, and I look over, raising an eyebrow. “Well, you say that like you're surprised. Lady Gwyndolen is young, single, and quite beautiful. Who's the lucky guy?”
“Sir Tryion, Lord Imogen's son,” I reply, and Justine stops, giving me a surprised look before laughing. “What?”
“Just... I was going to ask you for another night off. Liston asked me to a concert in the city center tonight. I spent a little bit of time this morning asking around, seeing if anyone would be willing to watch Olivia, but I was sort of hoping that maybe...” Justine says, and even before she can finish I nod, reaching out and taking the little girl in my arms, where she squirms a little before looking at me with sleepy eyes, smacking her lips once, and then falling back asleep. “She knows you already.”
“I'm touched,” I whisper, stroking Olivia's tiny, soft cheek. “So when are you taking off on your date?”
“In a few hours. I'll make sure that you're set up for Olivia. Are you sure Lord Jensen won't mind?” Justine asks, and I shake my head. “Really?”
“He's just as charmed by her as everyone else on the estate, Justine. Let’s face it, this little girl is quickly becoming the face that runs this place. Still, make sure that you have plenty of time to get yourself ready for your date, don't worry about us. It is funny, that you and my mother are dating brothers on the same night. Do you think you guys might end up on a double date?”
Justine laughs, shaking her head. “I doubt it. In talking with Liston, I get the impression that he and Tryion don't get along very well, they're just too different. Oil and water is the idea I'm getting. Which I guess is a good thing for me. If they're that different, I won't have to worry about Liston having eyes for your mother.”
I laugh, looking Justine over. “Any man who would look at another woman with you around is either totally in love with her or just a stars-above fool. Let's get what I need to take care of Olivia ready, and then you go relax and get ready. This is what, your second, third date with Liston?”
Justine blushed, shaking her head. “Fourth. I had a date while you were off doing training that I didn't tell you about. Everyone here said that there wasn't a need for me to tell you since you weren't even here. Liston is... well, he's a great date.”
“Boyfriend material?” I ask, and Justine shrugs. “Maybe I'm jumping the gun on that.”
“No, the idea's gone through my head too. I just... the hard part for me, Kelbara is that I can see in his eyes that Liston is interested in me... sexually. And I'm interested in him too, but I've done well the past few months by keeping the physically intimate act apart from my emotional closeness with people. I'm still trying to figure out if I'm ready to bring those two sides of my life back together again,” Justine says, hugging herself. “I don't want to be one of those girls who mixes up the two, thinking that sex has a weight that it doesn't, or giving it too much weight. Still...”
“You've been thinking a lot about this, haven't you?” I ask, and Justine nods. “Good. I know I'm not around enough, what with the Rangers, but if you need to think or to talk it over some more, Justine, I'll always find time to listen. You're not just the chief of staff around here, you know.”
Justine nods in understanding, and I follow her to her quarters, where she gets the things that Olivia will need for the evening. Her room is simple, but she says she likes it that way, without the frills and luxury of the rest of the house. I look around, confused for a moment. “Hey, where's Olivia's bed?”
“She likes sleeping with skin contact,” Justine explains, smiling. “If you want to take a nap, trust me when I say it feels great to have her little body pressed up against you. She fits just right with her head resting on your chest, her body on your stomach.”
Justine helps me take Olivia and her little bag of supplies over to my wing of the estate, Jensen looking up in surprise when we come into his study. “My, what's this?”
“We have a guest for the evening,” I inform him, holding up Olivia. “Justine has a date with Liston again.”
Jensen nods, turning back to his flexi. “Cool. Have fun, Justine.”
Justine and I exchange amused looks, we know Jensen's curious but doesn't want to intrude, so he pretends to be nonchalant as Justine gives Olivia a kiss on the forehead before leaving. I hold the baby, watching her as she opens her eyes, studying me for a minute before cooing. I can't help but smile, sitting down in one of the other chairs in the library. “She's precious, Jensen.”
“She is. You know, when you said you wanted to bring her to the estate I was worried, but since then, I've enjoyed every rare minute that I've had to spend with her,” Jensen admits, coming over and sitting next to me. “I think that work can actually wait for a little while, the Rangers can take care of themselves for an afternoon. I'd like to spend time with my love and our littlest member of the family.”
We spend the afternoon not working on chairs but sprawled around our quarters, on the library floor, on the grass outside for a while enjoying the afternoon sunshine, and even in the dining room, where Chef brings us a perfect meal of all finger foods along with a bottle of formula for the 'Lady Olivia.'
“I don't know if I'd call her a Lady just yet,” Jensen says as he wipes a little bit of spit-back from his shirt and chuckles as we finish, “but she is precious. And watching you today...”
“Watching you today too,” I reply, stroking Olivia's head and watching her yawn. “Jensen, you're going to make a great father someday. It’s just, it's hard for me, knowing that when Justine gets back we're going to hand Olivia back to her, and tomorrow we're going to be off training for another fight. I'm not sure I can handle both sides r
ight now.”
“Then we won't,” Jensen says, reaching over and taking my hand. “Kelbara, I don't ever want you to...”
There's a knock on the frame of the door and Jensen stops, looking up as Justine comes in, her eyes sparkling and a smile on her face. “My Lord, my Lady, I'm back.”
Jensen turns and grins, patting the carpet next to us. “Have a seat Justine, tell us about your date. Olivia here was just finishing her pre-bed bottle and entertaining us with yawns and squinting up her face. Share some dessert with us, or a glass of wine?”
Justine shakes her head but sits down still. “I'll pass on the food and drink Lord Jensen, but I'll stick around long enough for Olivia to fall asleep. It was... fun. The concert was not so nice, but Liston was charming as always.”
“I wonder why it is he lets Tryion handle the Council work,” Jensen muses. “What does he do with his time?”
Justine shrugs, picking Olivia up gently to cradle her in her arms. Olivia squirms for a moment before settling in, a little smile dancing on her lips before she closes her eyes. “From what he's told me, mostly business deals. Lord Imogen is invested in more than just farming back in his territory, but also businesses around the capital as well. I get the impression though that this is mostly an errand by Imogen to get his sons into society. Liston's told me a lot about his time back on the far continent, but he admits that he's rarely come to the capital before. I think his father's worried that Liston and Tryion are a little too much 'country hick' for what Imogen sees for their futures.”
“So that's where they get the accent from,” I joke, and Justine chuckles. “I'm glad you had a good time. So, what about the concert wasn't so nice?”
Justine shakes her head, chuckling. “The reputation was far higher than the actual music, although maybe it was just the hall where they had the concert. Or maybe since it was my first real concert, I expected it to be just like the recordings. Either way, it wasn't the music that made the evening.”
Red Planet: The Rebel War (Tamarians Book 3) Page 9