by Nina Monroe
“Milord! Your majesty!” The second man called out as the first man shuffled Tamzin in his arms. Tamzin watched as the second man ran towards the edge of the camp, behind the tents where she couldn’t see, but after what the man said, the voices of the other soldiers reached her ears. He told someone about what had happened at Thurston Territory. Quietly and without much chance of stopping it, Tamzin closed her eyes. The warmth of the man holding her became too much for her to handle.
She was in that state of consciousness where you were asleep, but still somehow completely aware of your surroundings. She knew the man carrying her was moving as she heard the snaps of twigs beneath his boots, the rustle and touch of the leather straps and the familiar warmth of a room with a blazing fire. With a soft movement, Tamzin was placed gently on a stiffer surface than a bed; perhaps a featherbed? It felt different than their bed in their chambers, but significantly more comfortable than the stone floor.
Tamzin heard Gregory’s voice first, soft but unyielding and demanding. Send men back home! If she hadn’t escaped, all our people would be dead! A part of Tamzin wanted to open her eyes, but she wasn’t ready to face the questioning and face how she let everything escape her control. She could tell that Gregory was angry, but now where that angry would be placed? Was he angry with her? The Northern men were known for their renowned treatment of women, something Tamzin’s father admired greatly and led his own people to follow the same rules. But wasn’t this a normal situation; Tamzin had stood by while their people were slaughtered and lost control of their kingdom. She had already been on thin ice, figuratively speaking, with the Lucy incident and Lucy herself had helped Duke invade.
The bit of sunlight that shined through the leather straps of the tent was now blocked by a hulking figure. Tamzin had opened her eyes to slits to be able to see something and that was when she saw it was Will. He wore his heavy armor, with more bloodstains etched on the metal, and his large furred cloak around his shoulders. At his waist was his sword and a few daggers with wool gloves around his hands. Tamzin could see why men were frightened of her husband; he was nearly twice his normal size with his cloak and armor on. Either it had been too long or she had severely underestimated him when he left.
Tamzin heard his angry voice in hushed whispers not far from her, but she was unable to decipher exactly what he was saying. Soon, she heard the rustle of the leather straps and she had the feeling that she was alone, or at least it was just Will in the room with her.
The bed was warm as she was still covered in a cloak, but Tamzin felt Will pull the fabric back gently. On her side, she knew her belly was protruding and no one could hide it. She also was sure that the soldier that carried her told Will what she had said. A gentle hand swept up the material of her shift and Tamzin realized that her smallclothes were gone, ripped off by Junior Johansson before she stabbed him in the neck. Tamzin wondered if Will hadn’t noticed the blood that stained her shift, but she wasn’t about to question it when she felt Will touch her pregnant stomach.
His rough and calloused hand felt surprisingly nice on her smooth skin. It was a forgotten comfort, remembering how sweet he was with her and how she knew she was safe with him now. Will continued to caress her belly as Tamzin opened her eyes slowly. His handsome face had a fresh scar in the shape of a lazy ‘L’, though his heavy beard mostly hid it. His magnificent blue eyes were weighted down with concern and tiredness, along with fresh bags under his eyes. How was this man only eighteen years old? Tamzin was sure she was a quite a sight as well.
Will hadn’t noticed her eyes open as he lightly swept his fingertips along the deep bruises along her legs, from when Junior would hit her to make her bow to Duke. His fingers continued to trail up her thighs, where there were the fingerprint bruises from Junior ripping her thighs open and the fabric of her smallclothes being ripped from her body. Will didn’t dwell long on her bruises, with his hand returned to her belly.
His eyes looked up to her face where he saw her staring at him. His full lips went into a thin line before he let his hand come and cradle her cheek. Will leaned in and pressed a soft but loving kiss on her forehead.
“Brave girl,” he murmured as he pushed her snarled hair out of her face. “The men are getting you some bath water and I’m shocked to tell you that none of them have any dresses,” he chuckled as Tamzin laughed, her first true bit of laughter in months. “I know you don’t like it when I do this, but I think I may need to keep you in bed for a few days. Do you still have morning sickness?” He asked as he touched her belly again.
“I’m five moons if you’re wondering. I knew before you left,” Tamzin said as she placed her hand on his. “I wasn’t expecting you to be gone this long.”
“We haven’t been able to find the man we were looking for. I don’t think the Johansson Army expected us to harm them as we did,” Will continued calmly as he continued to touch her belly with fascination. “Why didn’t you tell me?” He asked with almost pain in his voice. “Were you frightened?”
“I didn’t want you to carry more burden. This is good news, but not when you’re fighting in a battle. When you were out there, the only thing you should focus on is leaving the battle alive,” Tamzin whispered as she watched Will pull her shift down to cover her legs and wrapped her up in the cloak as he heard his men approach.
“You are not a burden,” Will whispered furiously as he leaned in to taste her lips again. “I love you and I love our baby,” he continued as the men poured buckets of steaming water into the wooden tub in the corner of the room. “Please return in a half an hour with food for her.” The men nodded to his command, as they avoided looking at Tamzin. “My father is putting men together as we speak to return to Thurston. The remaining living men will be brought before me to execute.”
“Why are all of you not going back?” Tamzin asked as she felt Will put his hand under her back and scooped her up. His armor was hard and inflexible against her skin before he placed her into the hot water, still in her shift. Tamzin pulled the shift from her body and leaned back against the tub. Her back ached, but the water was soothing and she rested her hands on her belly.
“You are in no position to travel, and it looks like I may have to plan an attack on Johansson Territory,” Will said as he stood and began to shed his armor. He had been almost numb and detached from their encounter, but he was building towards something. He threw his armor to the ground like it had offended him and even his sword was not safe from his anger.
The months of captivity came back to Tamzin as she shrunk against the tub; the sounds of his armor hitting the floor reminded her of too many horrors.
“I’m going to kill them all,” she heard Will whisper to himself as he dragged his hand down his face. “Did any of them touch you? Were you raped?”
“I was not raped,” Tamzin tried to hide her whimper but her husband was a soldier; he was trained to hear everything. He whipped around to face her, his face alit with shame and more budding anger. He fell to his knees in front of the tub and placed a gentle hand on her cheek.
“If a man touched you, there is no shame in that. No man has the right to put his hands on you,” Will said tenderly before he kissed her again. “You’re safe here. I would never, ever hurt you.”
“I know,” Tamzin said as she felt the tears flood her vision and the pressure in her memory was aching to be released. “A man touched me, but Red cut off his hand…”
“Red?” Will asked as he continued to try to get closer to her without actually slipping into the tub.
“One of the soldiers you left behind. Duke killed all but three, and I didn’t know his name. He didn’t tell me because he didn’t want me to become attached,” Tamzin wiped her face with her wet hand and the warm water felt good on her skin. “Him and two other men named Louis and Jacob protected Kendall and myself. Jacque gave me these potions to keep me from losing our baby and Henry Covington helped me as well. The cook and others, so many people tried to help.”
“And when they are brought here, I will give them all heroes honors,” Will said as he grabbed the rag that rested on the edge of the tub. “Let me care for you, my brave girl,” he kissed the back of her neck before he dipped the rag into the water and ran it up her arms to wipe off the grime.
“Kendall is dead,” Tamzin whimpered against the tub as she felt Will stop his ministrations. “Duke killed her so I killed Junior Johansson. Lucy helped me escape.”
“You killed Junior Johansson?” Will asked with skepticism and slight pride. “How do you know Kendall is dead?”
“I stabbed him in the neck with your dagger. Duke stabbed Kendall in front of me before I ran. I ran up to our chamber and I lit the pit on fire. Junior must have been in there or followed me, but he tried to rape me and I stabbed him. I passed out and Lucy found me. She told me Kendall was dead and that I needed to run. I wouldn’t be here if she hadn’t saved me.”
“I won’t pass on this word to Garrett until we know for sure. Lucy could still be lying,” Will continued to wash her and sucked in a mouthful of air when he saw her back. “Duke?”
“And Junior. Junior beat me with some kind of weapon when they first came,” Tamzin said as the confessions continued to fall from her mouth. She watched, out of the corner of her eye, as Will’s hand gripped the edge of the tub. “I was never submissive to them.”
“Good girl,” Will kissed the crown of her hair before he held out the rag to her. “I know there is more to be washed,” he began awkwardly. “But if you do not want me to touch you…down there…I am not offended. I’ve been distant with you this whole time, but I do not know how to act. I have never wanted you to be afraid of, even more so now, me. Help me understand.”
“These men brutalized me and the people of your kingdom. I want you to kill all of them,” Tamzin replied without missing a beat. Will locked eyes with her and swore he saw fire in her brown depths before she leaned against the tub again.
“And I will do that.”
CHAPTER THIRTY
With a full belly, Tamzin laid on her side as she watched as Will signed a few documents that rested on his desk. He had his men bring her an entire plate worth of food that she scarfed in a very unladylike fashion, while Will watched on with a grim face. They hadn’t talked much since her return but she could see the wrinkles returning to his brow and the familiar hardness in his eyes. He continued to be sweet to her, but the stress was already beginning to weigh on him.
He tossed his quill to the side as he sat down in his chair and ran his hand through his hair. His bare shoulders were rigid when Tamzin felt the familiar stirrings in her belly and she smiled.
“Come here,” she said quietly before Will lifted his head and looked to where she was lying. “Do you want to feel something?” Tamzin smiled as her fingers danced across her belly and her child responded accordingly. Will stood from his chair and walked over, almost nervously. He sat down on the bed next to her knees and watched as Tamzin pushed down the fur from her shoulders. Will inhaled deeply when he saw her naked body, but shuttered as she took his wrist and pressed it against her belly.
Their child moved underneath his hand and Tamzin watched as Will’s eyes nearly sparkled with glee. Will leaned forward and pressed his other hand against her belly as he laughed.
“Tap your fingers. He taps back,” Tamzin said before Will ran his nails over her smooth skin before he tapped lightly. Will gasped when the child kicked forcefully against her belly. “He kicks far too hard not to be a boy.”
“Does it hurt when he kicks?” Will asked as he continued to cradle her belly, his eyes focused solely on it.
“Hurt isn’t the word I would use. It felt so weird when it started, but now it’s the most comforting feeling in the world,” Tamzin smiled as she looked down at her belly. “I began to love him the second Jacque told me he was growing inside me. I didn’t think I could love someone this much without meeting them.”
“I think I know the feeling.” Will smiled before he kissed her deeply. He wasn’t the type of man who readily expressed his feelings, but she felt every emotion he felt in that one kiss. The happiness of feeling his child, the fear of losing that same child, and the unsure nature of what will happen once the child came. Tamzin felt those same emotions, but when he wrapped his arms around her, the fear melted away. “We’ve sent a thousand men to Thurston to bring back the survivors and the men who invaded. When they return, I will execute them.”
Their moment was lost with the reminder of what had happened. As Tamzin felt the tears in her eyes, she shut them to hide her fear and anxiety. The hands on her belly ceased their movement as Will brought his hands up to cradle her face. These rough and calloused hands were used to kill countless men, but they were gentle on her face and on her belly. Will never once struck her or even held her too tightly. Despite his anger in their official meetings, she never feared him.
“My father wants you to identify as many men as you can and what they did,” Will said as he caressed her cheek.
“What difference does it make? They’re going to die anyways,” Tamzin said with irritation as she drew the furs back up to her shoulders. “I don’t want to see them.”
“It makes a difference in how I kill them. For instance, the man that touched you, he will not have a quick death,” Will threatened as his jaw tensed. “And if they recover Junior Johansson’s body, I am sending Douglas Johansson his head and a note saying that a swollen-with-child Princess killed his greatest fighter. I am going to remind Johansson of his place.”
“And what is his place?” Tamzin asked as she let her eyes trail across his bare chest and traced his scars with her eyes.
“At my feet, begging for his life,” Will growled before he removed his hand and twisted his wedding band. “The man who touched you, Rainer, and Duke will be drawn and quartered and if they are still alive, I will leave them for the animals to eat.”
“You’re just as bad as they are.” The word spilled from Tamzin’s mouth and she was shocked she said them. She expected Will to yell at her and tell her she didn’t understand, but he didn’t.
“I am a man, like Johansson. War has shaped me to be merciless to my enemies. I don’t want to think what would have happened if they discovered your mother’s belly sooner. I wasn’t there to protect you and this is how I will make it up to you,” Will said as he touched her belly again.
“I don’t want you to torture them,” Tamzin said as her bottom lip began to tremble. “I know that they wouldn’t have extended the same courtesy to me, but I don’t want to know that you took pleasure in killing someone. They do, and that’s what makes them evil. I don’t want you to be like them.” She said as Will watched her with soft eyes. He took her hand in his and brought her knuckles to his lips where he kissed her fingers.
“If you don’t want me to, then I won’t,” he spoke quietly, though his promise was solid. “If that is how I can provide you comfort, then I will do it.” He swept his thumb under the dark circles beneath her eyes and pressed a kiss to her forehead. “You look exhausted. Sleep as long as you need, my love. You’re safe, you’re clean and full, and now you are warm.”
“Can you hold me until I fall asleep?” She asked him, when his face broke out into a grin. With a nod, he moved behind her and beneath the furs. His warm arm encircled her waist and rested his hand on her belly while the other went underneath her neck. A soft kiss to the back of her neck lulled Tamzin to sleep, where she dreamed of nothing. It was the best night sleep she had in nearly three months.
When she opened her eyes, Tamzin could see that it was still dark outside, but Will was still asleep next to her. His body was no longer pressed behind her back and his head was more level with her belly, his hand still cradled her belly lovingly. The camp was quiet for a bit longer, until she heard the hooves of the horses coming their way.
Will awoke with a jolt; his bleary eyes suddenly came alive as he reached for the dagger at his hip. His hair was wildly cur
ly again and the wrinkles hadn’t returned to his forehead yet.
“The men are back,” Will whispered as he got out of bed and instantly went to his trunk, where he grabbed a fresh tunic and tossed her a pair of breeches and another tunic. “If you’re cold, take my cloak. The fire should have dried your boots by now. I know you don’t want to, but I need you to come outside and identify the men, if you can.” Will was sympathetic before he brushed his fingers across her naked shoulder. “Everything will be okay.”