Unarmed (Unarmed Trilogy)

by Nina Monroe

  “I won’t be able to walk in the morning,” Tamzin said with a shaky voice. She still felt her legs move involuntarily from the shakes and quakes of her orgasm. “The men will think you hurt me.”

  “The men will never question me. They know I would never harm you,” Will said as he ran his nails down her side. Tamzin shivered.

  “Don’t,” she said as she wrapped her arm around her chest. “I’m still too sensitive.”

  Will smiled almost mockingly at her before he leaned in and pressed a gentle kiss to her lips. He brushed the sweaty tendrils out of her face as he felt her cuddle into him.

  “It’s a good idea for you to get some sleep, sweetness. If you think I’m done with you yet,” Will grinned as he pulled Tamzin to rest on his chest. Tamzin didn’t respond as she felt her eyes slide shut.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

  Five days after the attack, Will continued to train, despite Tamzin’s protests. She kept him in bed as long as she could, but the restless Prince couldn’t take it anymore as he returned to his normal responsibilities as well.

  “We are preparing for war,” Will reminded as he opened up a special armoire in the corner of their chambers. Inside the oak armoire was his bulky suit of armor. When he opened it up, Will heard Tamzin take a deep breath as she looked in awe at his suit. After Tamzin’s ‘punishment,’ things had mostly returned to normal between them, though the nobles and townspeople were still wary of her.

  “It’s very cumbersome; how do you walk in it?” She asked as she reached out to touch the darker portions of the armor. She realized it was bloodstains that couldn’t be washed out.

  “It’s not as heavy as it looks,” Will said as he removed his special sword from the sheath around the waist of his armor. “This sword weighs barely anything, but it’s incredibly sharp. It weighs just enough that I always know I have it in my hand.”

  “You’ve killed a lot of men in this,” Tamzin asked as she dropped her hand back to her side. “Have you ever been injured in battle?”

  “I have killed men, yes, and I’ve had some minor injuries, but nothing to concern yourself with, sweetheart,” Will said as he wrapped his arm around her shoulders. “I won’t be gone long.”

  “If you’re gone more than a month, you will miss my name day,” Tamzin smiled before she leaned in and kissed his cheek. “How do Thurstons celebrate name days?”

  “We don’t, honestly. At least, I never celebrate mine. I might get a pint with Garrett, but that’s it,” Will said as he shut the oak doors and turned to focus on Tamzin. She looked surprised and a bit saddened by what he had said. “I imagine you had lavish parties for yours.”

  “I did,” Tamzin smiled at the fond memory. “I saw that stable boy again at my sixteenth name day,” Tamzin teased before she sat down on the bed. “He was quite infatuated with me.”

  “Are you sure he was only your first kiss?” Will asked as his fingers trailed up her thigh and to her hip. “Did he teach you nothing else?” He continued as his lips found a sensitive spot on her neck.

  “You saw the blood after my bedding, darling,” Tamzin breathed heavily as she pulled his fingers to touch her over her dress. “You are the only man to have been here,” she said in gesture to his fingers touching her in between her legs. “You’re the only man I want here.”

  Will groaned as her soft fingers pulled as his breeches and pulled him out of the pouch. She ran her nails lightly over his manhood as his teeth gently bit into her neck.

  “You can’t,” Tamzin moaned when he began to pull at her dress. “You’re still hurt.”

  “I’m leaving for war in less than two days, love,” Will growled as he continued to pull at her dress. “You’d send me there feeling like this?” His comment earned a snarl from Tamzin as she removed his fingers from between her legs as she slid slowly to the ground. Will’s legs hung off the bed as she slithered up and placed a light kiss on his pulsing tip. She delicately ran her tongue across his length before she sucked it into her mouth. “You naughty girl,” Will moaned as his long fingers threaded in her hair.

  Tamzin drew her arms up and wrapped them around his lower waist as she vibrated her throat and her tongue ran up and down his slit. Will always fell apart so quickly when she did this, though it didn’t bring him nearly as much pleasure as being inside her. This was an act that he had the whores do at the brothels, and he never felt an ounce of affection for them. But Tamzin liked doing it; before his injury, she had inquired about a lot of new sexual questions.

  Will continued to lose himself in his wife’s hot mouth as he reached down the front of her dress and palmed her bare breast. She squeaked when he twisted her nipple lightly and Will spilt himself down her throat. Tamzin pulled away slowly, but with a pop and leaned back against her arms as Will gasped for air.

  “I love you so much,” he said before she giggled. He had stood from the bed to go to her, when a knock at the door stopped them. Quickly, Will tucked himself back in while Tamzin continued to laugh softly on the floor. The door opened and Jacque walked in with two vials: one for Will’s pain relief and another for Tamzin’s fertility. She stopped laughing when she saw the physician.

  “It’s right before dinner, Your Grace, which means another pain treatment. Are you beginning to feel better?” Jacque asked as he looked at Will’s mostly relaxed state. “You seem to have unloaded quite a bit of stress.”

  “He has, Jacque,” Tamzin smiled naughtily. “My husband relieves many bouts of stress when he is with me. May I have a private moment with the doctor, husband?” Tamzin asked Will as he downed the blue vial. He took a deep breath before he nodded.

  “Dinner should be served soon, love. Thank you, Jacque,” Will shook his hand before he departed and shut the door behind them. When they were alone, Tamzin’s smile grew broader.

  “I really should have told you about this sooner, but it was of most importance that you tend to the injured soldiers,” Tamzin began almost frantically, though she was all smiles and giggles. “My moon blood is late!”

  “Have you any other symptoms, Your Grace?” Jacque asked as he stepped closer to Tamzin and pressed a hand to her lower belly.

  “I’ve been having such a craving for some foods and I vomited this morning. Not only that, but my breasts feel a bit more sensitive. Before that, I thought it could have been stress, but that last symptom doesn’t have to do with stress?” Tamzin continued before her face fell. Her eyes began to water. “What if I’m not with child? Could this be a fantasy?”

  Jacque continued to press lightly around her stomach before he looked at her with a smile.

  “Unlikely, Tamzin. You are with child. Shall I call the Prince back in to share the news?” Jacque asked as he walked towards the door.

  “No!” Tamzin called out as she touched her stomach. “He leaves for war very soon, Jacque. I don’t want him to worry more when I know he will only be gone for a short while,” Tamzin said as she touched her lips. “And if, if I lose this baby, I wouldn’t want him to know. Aren’t the first three months the most dangerous?”

  “Yes, but you are young and healthy. Life up here in the North is much healthier for women in your condition. A happy relationship with your husband goes a long way in stopping miscarriages, but it is your decision not to tell him. I suspect that you are almost two moons along and by the time Prince William returns, it should be the proper moment to tell him,” Jacque smiled at his young charge. “You will be a wonderful mother, Tamzin.”

  “Will you be able to tell if it’s a boy or girl?” Tamzin asked as she smiled fondly at her flat stomach. “Can the baby hear me?”

  “There are some old wives tales about how you carry your child in your belly will predict the gender, and I don’t know about now, but when you quicken, the baby will often kick at the sound of your voice,” Jacque continued. “There is no bond stronger than one between a mother and child. He or she will know your voice when it is born.”

  “He needs this. Will needs
this,” Tamzin said as she looked up from her stomach with a grave face. “I see how he is, how being a Prince weighs on him. He wants a child with me, just because I am his wife, but he needs this child. It will solidify the alliance and it will solve so many of his problems.”

  “It won’t solve all of them, Your Grace. The man that attacked you and your party is still out there. I fear that William will not feel true relief until he is found and brought to justice,” Jacque said as he watched Tamzin’s face. “But now is a time for celebration. Will shall return soon and he will be beyond thrilled about his child.”

  “He will be safe, won’t he? With his broken rib?” Tamzin asked. “I begged him to stay in bed until he has to leave, but he rarely listens to me on matters like this. As if I don’t know something about healers.”

  “Will has a cracked rib. I initially thought it was broken, but he is able to breathe without difficulty and an infection from a broken rib would have arisen by now. As long as he doesn’t throw himself into an opposing soldier, he will be fine. He knows himself, Tamzin. Now that he has you here, he has more reason to not get hurt.” Jacque’s words didn’t soothe her worry, but she didn’t press on the matter. Tamzin knew Will was waiting for her downstairs.

  “Thank you for your help, Jacque,” Tamzin smiled as she watched the doctor nod and bow to her. “I will see you downstairs for dinner. I know Will is waiting for me.” Tamzin grinned again as she watched Jacque leave her chamber before her. For the brief moment she was alone, Tamzin looked down at her flat tummy. With a tender hand, she whispered, “Hello, little baby. I’m your mama.”

  There was no response, no kick, nothing. At least not yet. Will would be back in time to feel their baby move inside and for him to see him or her being born.

  “Are you my little boy or little girl?” Tamzin asked as she pressed a kiss to her hand and touched her stomach. “Your papa will be so thrilled to meet you, little one.” With a final smile, Tamzin opened the door and walked down the stairs. At the bottom of the stairwell, on the other side of the wall, was Will. He leaned against the mantle as he stared at the battle strategy table. “Are you waiting for me?”

  Will looked up with a surprised look on his face. “Yes, I’m sorry love. I just have a lot on my mind,” he said before he smiled at her. “Is everything all right? Are you ill?”

  “No, everything is fine,” Tamzin smiled as she walked up to him and kissed him softly. “Has your side started to feel better?”

  “I’ve experienced worse injuries before battle, Tam,” Will soothed as he winced to lift his arm around her shoulder. “When I was fifteen, I fought against your father with a broken hand.”

  “My father told me that once. He said you’re very brave on the battlefield. That’s probably why he picked you for me to marry,” Tamzin said as she inspected his fingers, as if she could see old scars from his past injury.

  “What do you mean?” Will asked as he found his fingers playing with the long curls of her hair.

  “I wasn’t supposed to know this, but I guess my father was originally asked by Douglas Johansson for an alliance and my hand in marriage for his oldest son,” Tamzin said as she looked up from his hand. “My father swore he would never let me marry a southern man. I think there was another Northern man, but I’m not sure…”

  “Do you think that’s why Johansson made a large army?” Will interrupted. “His oldest son is only twelve,” Will pondered for a moment as he ran his fingers across his beard.

  “That’s his oldest legitimate son with his Queen, but his oldest son is twenty. Supposedly, his mother is a chamber maid in his castle. That son is the head of the Johansson army. He is the one you will most likely be facing out there,” Tamzin frowned as she entwined their fingers.

  “You seem to know more than I do,” Will said as he tugged on her hand to lead her towards the staircase. Everyone was already in the throne room for dinner as Will felt her fingers move nervously within his grasp. “What else do you know?”

  “He isn’t known for his…patience…” Tamzin said as she struggled to find the correct word. “Between the Johansson army being armed by young teenagers and now men that don’t belong on the battlefield…”

  “It’s safe to say the only men that are joining the Johansson army willingly are the men who want to get out of jail earlier,” Will interrupted before he offered her his arm. He nodded to the two soldiers guarding the doorway as they opened the doors for them. Will and Tamzin were instantly struck with the laughs and chatter of everyone at their tables, the loudest coming from Gregory at the head table.

  “About time the lovebirds joined us,” Gregory called out as he beckoned his son and daughter in law over to the table. “That was certainly a long chat.” Will didn’t answer him as he escorted Tamzin to their side of the table where Kendall and Garrett were sitting together. Tamzin hadn’t spent much time with her lady since the roadway attack as she focused her attentions on Will’s injury. She had never seen her friend so happy.

  As they sat down, Will felt Garrett tug lightly on his sleeve.

  “I need you to do something for me tonight,” Garrett began in a whisper as he looked around the room.

  “Anything,” Will responded without a second thought before Garrett grinned.

  “Only royalty can approve of a marriage between two nobles. I need you and Tamzin to witness my marriage to Kendall tonight,” Garrett continued to smile as Will’s face dropped in shock.

  “You’re getting married?” Will laughed as he poured himself a large goblet of wine. “I must already be drunk. Did I just hear you say that you want to get married?”

  “Don’t mock me, but yes. You’re the most miserable person I know but marriage even makes you happy. You could be leading me to certain death, and well, Kendall is undoubtedly the kind of girl I would want to marry if I ever wanted to get married,” Garrett explained as he looked fondly back to Kendall, who was kneeling next to Tamzin as the girls talked in hushed whispers.

  “Well, I am not one to keep two lovers apart,” Will laughed as he watched Garrett pull two gold rings out of his pocket. One band was thicker than the other, and like Tamzin’s, neither band held any gems. “Afraid you will lose them?”

  “Stranger things have happened, my friend,” Garrett said as he carefully put the rings into Will’s palm.

  “Such as you getting married.” Will reached for Tamzin’s hand as he ran his thumb across her knuckles. She didn’t turn to look at him, but squeezed his hand in return. “I think you’re making the right decision.”

  “I can’t say that I have the purest of hearts. She won’t let me warm her bed until I put a ring on her finger,” Garrett said as his cheeks flushed. “The only way I would get married.”

  “She’s a smart girl,” Will nodded towards Kendall. “Are you prepared to become a father as well?”

  “Sure, one day, but I don’t have a kingdom to think about. No one cares if I have children or not,” Garrett said as he grabbed his goblet. “Those are the times I am thankful I am not you.”

  “I want to have children with Tamzin, regardless of the heir situation. I love her, and I know she will make a fantastic mother,” Will warmed as he watched Tamzin out of the corner of his eye.

  “The men said you change around her. You’re not the frightening leader when you’re with her,” Garrett commented as he watched Will slide his rings into his pocket. “Every man needs something to calm them after the war is over.”

  “The war will never be over. We defeat someone only for someone else to come forward. After the Johanssons, some other Southern family will come to fight. When I beat them, the Johanssons will resurge. It never ends,” Will felt the tension settle in his shoulders and neck. He cranked his neck left and right and rolled his shoulders.

  “Everything ends, Will. One day, there will be no one left to fight,” Garrett frowned. “Your father is King, but the soldiers think you will be an emperor.”