Unarmed (Unarmed Trilogy)

by Nina Monroe

  “Technically, they’re not my people,” Will smirked before a few men came up to them.

  “You’re Will Thurston, the Prince?” one of the men asked before his beady eyes darted to Tamzin. “And you’re the new Princess.”

  “We are,” Will confirmed as he rested his hand on the sword that hung on his hip. “We are here to attend a friend’s wedding.”

  “The blond man and a small brunette girl? They’ve been going at it all night,” the second man laughed as he brought a large mug up to his lips. “Does the Princess drink?”

  “I do not care for beer, but my husband does,” Tamzin smiled as she looked to Will.

  “The Prissy Prince drinks?” The first man asked as he raised his eyebrow.

  “I’m a fair fighter, too,” Will’s eyes narrowed as he stepped in front of Tamzin. “If you’re interested, I’m sure I could give you a few lessons now.”

  “They say you never smile, except in the company of this little lady,” the second man returned his attention back to Tamzin. “Has the pretty kitten attracted the attention of a black bear with ice for eyes? That’s what we call you here,” the second man continued, as he looked Tamzin up and down. “You’re very lucky, Your Highness.”

  “I am, good sir, but if you want to keep your tongue, I suggest you stuff it back in your mouth before I slice it off,” Will threatened before the first man let out a boisterous laugh.

  “I guess you’re not the spoilt rotten thing we thought you were,” the first man said before he took Will’s arm. “Let me buy you a drink.”

  “I do thank you for your hospitality,” Tamzin interjected as she took Will’s hand. “But we must attend this wedding. Afterwards, my husband will show you how well he drinks and how well he plays cards.”

  “The Prince gambles as well?” the second man asked as he finished his goblet of ale.

  “Princes do much more than just whine and be spoiled rotten,” Will said as he looked to the first man, as the man’s wide eyes widened even more. “But I will happily join you men after my friend marries.”

  “Then it’s true that you leave for war very soon, Your Highness?” the first man asked as his eyes darkened as he looked to Tamzin. “That Johansson scum went after our Princess.”

  “Which is why they need a gentle reminder not to go after a Thurston, whether born or married,” Will spoke in a controlled tone as his eyes drifted to Tamzin. “I am not a man to be trifled with.”

  “Spoken like a true King,” Tamzin grinned as she squeezed their intertwined hand. She looked over the shoulder of the second man, who was shorter than the first man, to see Garrett standing outside the chapel, which was attached to the Inn. “Excuse me, good men, but our friend is waiting.”

  Will gave a false grin to the men as he walked around them and kept his hand locked around Tamzin’s His conversation with the men left a bad taste in his mouth and he bit his tongue so hard as to not lash out at them. Will didn’t need to turn around to know that the two men watched them as they walked away; their stares burned through Will’s wild curls.

  “You’re hurting me,” Tamzin cried softly as she tried to pull her hand away from his iron grip.

  “I’m so sorry, love,” Will said truthfully as he looked at her red fingers. He brought the digits to his mouth where he kissed each one lovingly. “I was just thinking…”

  “When are you not?” Tamzin teased as she hooked her fingers into his belt buckle. “You promised that we would just be us, tonight. Not every man is an enemy and not every situation needs to be analyzed.”

  “Did you spend a great deal of time outside your kingdom when you were home?” Will asked as he ran a hand up her arm. “Did you frequent the pubs in the surrounding towns?”

  “No,” Tamzin bit her lip as she looked away from his face. She knew that he would immediately make his point with her answer. “I never left the gates of the city, except on official business.”

  “It is incredibly stupid that we are out here,” Will pressed as they stepped into the chapel. “If you and I died right here, my father is left without an heir as we go into battle with a man who wants to take my family’s crown.”

  “But not everyone is bad, Will…” Tamzin began.

  “But sometimes they are,” Will countered as he interrupted. “Sometimes men are bad. Sometimes a rock won’t be there to save you.” His words sliced her deep as the memory of what had happened slapped her across the face.

  “And if that rock wasn’t there, I probably still wouldn’t be a Thurston,” Tamzin growled as she stood defiantly with her shoulders straight and her eyes aglow with fury. “Even the noblest of men can be wretched things.”

  “I would never have sent you away,” Will said as he gripped her wrist lightly. “If I had met you in a whorehouse, it wouldn’t have mattered to me.”

  “You’re such a liar,” Tamzin spat angrily. “If my purity had little to do with anything, why do you get so angry when you know that you weren’t my first kiss or dare I let the stable boy see me naked before you?”

  “He saw you naked?” Will asked with a surprised look on his face. Tamzin rolled her eyes.

  “No, but that’s not the point. I’ve spent my whole life following the rules so I don’t appear to be acting with impropriety. You’ve been able to be free your whole life just because you’re a boy. It was encouraged for you to visit the brothels and to be open about your sexual pursuits. I’m not a virgin for my bedding and I break up entire alliances,” Tamzin pulled her arm from his grasp. “I just wanted to have one night of fun. I just wanted one night where you weren’t so stuffy all the time. The men didn’t lie, you know.”

  “About what?” Will said as he endured his verbal lambasting.

  “You almost never smile,” she said as she placed a gentle hand on his bearded cheek. “You have an amazing knack at looking old and young at the same time. Sometimes, if I see you in just the right moment, you look just like a young boy but every other time, you’ve seen too much.”

  “I’ve been to war, Tamzin,” Will pressed. “The same hands that hold yours or comfort you, they’ve killed men. I am not open with many people, and I don’t smile at many people because I do not trust them, but I trust you. I believe you are one of the most truly loyal people I have met, and not just because our relationship is in a good place. I believe with all my being that you are inherently a good person. You are most definitely naïve at times and sometimes you don’t think too much before you make a comment, but a good person. When the time comes, I think you will prove that a Queen can be just as fierce as a King.”

  “I hate to break it to you,” Tamzin said as Will began to place light kisses on her face, “that you will not have a docile Queen when it comes time for our reign.”

  “I am more than happy to have that, my dear, sweet Queen,” Will leaned in and nipped the skin of her neck. “I believe we have a wedding to witness.”

  “But I would much rather find a quiet room with a bed,” Tamzin whimpered as she felt Will’s arms wrap around her and played with the ties on the back of her dress. “Fighting leaves me in quite a tizzy.”

  “It’s my witty banter,” Will teased before he felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned quickly and abruptly to see Garrett standing there with a grin on his face.

  “I’m so happy my wedding leaves the royal couple so enamored,” he rolled his eyes as he pulled Will from his embrace. “Kendall wanted to talk to you before she came down. She’s in the first door on your left upstairs.” Garrett pointed to the stairs in the back. “Might I have a word?” Garrett said to Will.

  “Of course,” Tamzin smiled before she kissed Garrett’s cheek. “You are most deserving of Kendall, Garrett. I know you will make her happy!” Tamzin exclaimed happily while Garrett smiled mawkishly. With a final grin towards Will, Tamzin darted off to the back and up the stairs.

  “I think I’m making a mistake,” Garrett said as he looked down at Will’s finger with his wedding ring.


  “I’m going to pretend that I didn’t hear that,” Will said as he ran a hand through his hair. “Is it just cold feet?”

  “I’ve never been with a virgin before,” Garrett said as he sat on a bench and brought his face to his hands. “If I said I had been before, it’s a blatant lie.”

  “That’s what frightens you?” Will laughed. “Not the forever part or the one woman part, but Kendall being a virgin?”

  “God, I can’t believe I’m asking you this, but what do I do?” Garrett asked as he looked to his best friend. “Tamzin was a virgin, yes?”

  “She was, but all it means is don’t be a total dick about it. Be kind to her and engage in lots of…activities beforehand,” Will blushed as he placed a hand on the back of his neck.

  “The servants in the castle are literally amazed by the amount of sex that you and Tamzin have, but you can’t even say what exactly you do?” Garrett laughed as he ran both his hands through his hair. “I’m doomed.”

  “You’re not doomed. You just need to make sure that she’s…um, aroused?” Will winced at how awkward the words sounded coming from his mouth. “I mean, I don’t know how it is for you, but it was never just lust driven, when Tamzin and I have relations.”

  “Relations? You two literally shake the bed. We should have known sooner that Lucy was spiking the fertility drinks with the amount of copulation between you two. It’s not a technical thing and it most definitely will not be when I finally get Kendall into that bed,” Garrett licked his lips. “Roth girls blood runs hot.”

  “As ridiculous as it sounds,” Will ignored Garrett’s comment. “Go with your gut. You’ve been with more women than I can count, and I think if you just relax, you will make Kendall’s first time really great.”

  “I should have asked your wife,” Garrett rolled his eyes again. “You’re awful at giving advice.”

  “Which is usually why I let Tamzin do all the talking. I have something smart to say but she says it so prettily. And smarter and more eloquently,” Will laughed as he rubbed the golden band around his left ring finger. “I love her more than anything or anyone.”

  “I know you do. It’s been good to see you happy these last few months. Remember those moments when we’re in the battlefield,” Garrett said wisely as he watched Will pull the golden bands from his pocket. “I should have married Kendall a long time ago.”

  “You probably have the worst case of blue balls,” Will laughed as he placed the bands in Garrett’s hand.

  “Ah, she lets me do some things and her to me. That girl is a very apt pupil,” Garrett smirked. “This may be stunning news, but she talks dirty very well.”

  “I’m calling bullshit,” Will knocked Garrett’s shoulder. “There they are.” Will pointed to Tamzin as she came down the stairs with a white clad Kendall behind them. Her dress wasn’t nearly as beautiful and intricate as Tamzin’s wedding dress, but it was very Kendall. Long, thick sleeves with a straight gown and a dark cloak covered her shoulders. Tamzin must have fixed her hair, because Kendall’s normally straight hair was slightly curled and her lips were a ruby red color.

  Kendall walked out as a giggly and flushed face Tamzin followed. Kendall walked to Garrett, who met her in front of the altar as Tamzin and Will sat in the front row, the only two people in the chapel. A priest stumbled out of the doorway; his breath reeked of booze as he carried his book to the altar.

  Will chuckled at the sight before he took Tamzin’s hand in his. Their fingers interlaced as he felt Tamzin’s arm touch his. The ceremony was quick, but the words were the same and it left a warm feeling in Will’s chest. He wished he were in love with Tamzin on their wedding day like he was now and a part of him could never forgive himself for how he treated her when he first met Tamzin. But, in this quiet moment, he allowed himself to be happy.

  Kendall stumbled over the words she was meant to recite, and Tamzin smiled. She understood the nervousness perfectly, though Tamzin was nervous on her wedding day for entirely different reasons. Tamzin knew she may have been facing an utterly miserable marriage, until she and Will found a way to bond over their mutual losses. Will still put forth a hard exterior, a seemingly impenetrable shell, but Tamzin regularly broke through. He trusted her, perhaps more than he trusted Garrett, and their love grew stronger every day because of that. Tamzin knew she would rather face certain death than ever betray him, especially now that their bond had deepened. They would now be tied together forever, as their child grew bigger and stronger in her belly.

  Garrett seemed to be calm, but Will could see his hands shaking. He spoke the words without stuttering but Will could see his nervousness as his Adam’s apple bobbed in his throat. Will remembered laughing during his ceremony, Tamzin cracking so many jokes. He knew he could love her then, just like he knew he could love her when she agreed to marry him though he had been a brat. Tamzin did so much out of duty, but their marriage was one for love now.

  Kendall let out a small shriek when it came time for the couple to kiss and seal their union. Will quietly lifted Tamzin’s hand and pressed his lips to her hand, while she blushed crimson as Will stared at Tamzin unabashedly. Quickly disconnecting their hands, Will wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her body to press up against his. Tamzin laughed as she watched Kendall grab Garrett’s shoulders and bring him into a passionate kiss; a moment so unlike the chaste girl Tamzin had grown up with.

  Will smiled at Garrett’s shocked face, though the young man quickly recovered.

  “I give my thanks for witnessing our ceremony, but I’m off to bed!” Kendall smiled before she grabbed Garrett’s hand and forced him to follow her up the staircase. Garrett waved before Tamzin and Will watched him be dragged up the stairs by Kendall. Tamzin turned to look at Will when she saw an absolutely glorious smile on his face.

  “I like it when you aren’t so serious,” she said as she poked a small smile wrinkle on his cheek. Will caught her finger in his broad hand and kissed the tip of it before he leaned in and pressed a kiss to her forehead. “Don’t we have papers to sign?”

  “We do,” Will began as he used his body to slowly push Tamzin out of the chapel and back outside. “But my wife thinks I need to be more daring and break a few rules.”

  “And what will we do?” Tamzin asked breathlessly as Will’s hands ran down her back and rested just above her hips. Despite the discomfort in her stomach, Tamzin felt herself becoming warm and aroused as she felt Will’s bearded cheek rub against her face and neck.

  “I have come to the realization, my love, that you and I have only made love in our castle,” Will said as his tongue darted out and tasted the sweet flesh of her neck. “But right now, I am not interested in making love to you, my sweet.”

  Tamzin gasped lightly as his long fingers traced over her bodice and her sensitive breasts tingled under his very light ministrations. Will peered up from Tamzin’s neck and maneuvered her so her back was pressed against the cool wood on the outside of the chapel. Quietly and quickly, Tamzin felt her skirts being pulled up to her waist and a familiar hand pull at her smallclothes.

  “Do you want this?” Will asked as he pressed feather light kisses to her face. Tamzin groaned as she took his hand in her own and pressed his finger against her clitoris.

  “Please,” Tamzin moaned as she felt Will slide a finger inside of her. With their noses pressed together, Tamzin opened her eyes and saw Will staring at her face. Feeling how slick she was, Will added another finger as he began to slowly pump his digits in and out. “No,” she breathed again. “You’re hurt.”

  Will growled as he remembered his pain. The endorphins from his erection made him forget, but her words were a brutal reminder.

  “You’re my wife,” Will grunted as he pressed his hips into her and his fingers slid out from between her thighs. He was rock hard against her outer thigh as Tamzin’s hand palmed him. “I want to spend inside of you. I need you.”