I turned around to face him. “Two?” I wasn’t used to surprises or gifts of any sort. For my birthday, my father would give me a special treat from the bakery, but that was all I ever received.
He smiled. “This is the first one.” He pulled out an ornate ring. “It was my mother’s. I want you to have it.” He slid it on my ring finger—where a wedding band should be.
The ring was stunning—the edges sterling silver, the middle yellow gold inlaid with three diamonds, the middle one set in the silver crest of the royal family. “Your mother’s ring?” I repeated, stunned that he’d kept it all these years.
“Yes. Her wedding ring and the ring of the queen.”
I didn’t know what to say. It seemed strange that I was wearing something so symbolic and important. It made my calloused hands look even more worn than before. “I can’t.” This ring should be saved for someone worthy.
“It’s a gift,” he said. “And I want you to have it.” He turned and headed toward the stairwell. “Come. I want to show you the second surprise.”
I hesitated.
“No more gifts,” he assured me. He led me down the stairs and through the corridor, stopping before a set of double doors where two sentries stood guard. When they saw Morlet without his cape, their eyes widened. He paid them no attention as he placed his hands over my eyes. “Do you trust me?” he whispered in my ear.
“Yes.”
“Open the doors,” he instructed one of the guards. “Wait out here. No one is to disturb us.” He gently pushed me forward.
“Where are we?” I asked.
“Shh. Have some patience.” I heard the doors close behind me. “Okay, I’m going to remove my hands, but I want you to keep your eyes closed.” I nodded, and he released me. Then he removed my cloak. “Wait there.”
I shivered at the sound of his voice and the cool air. Standing there, feeling quite exposed, I wondered what he planned to show me. I fidgeted with the ring. Maybe I shouldn’t have put the nightgown on. Maybe I’d been too presumptuous.
“Almost ready,” he said.
My stomach cramped from nerves.
“Okay,” Morlet said. “Open.”
I opened my eyes. I was standing in an unfamiliar bedchamber. A large bed draped with heavy fabric stood against the left wall, a small dressing area was to my right. “What is this place?”
Morlet cleared his throat. “It’s um…the bedchamber from my childhood. You know, from before.”
“I assumed the room you slept in was your room. I didn’t realize you had another.”
“I never come in here anymore. It reminds me too much of what I’ve lost.”
“Then why did you bring me here?” I asked.
“Because when I’m with you, you remind me of who I used to be. The person I wish I still was. When I’m with you, I’m finally me.”
Several candles had been lit and a fire roared in the hearth in the corner of the room. I said, “I would have liked for you to see where I grew up.”
“I’ve seen it.”
I stilled. He knew where I lived? The small two-room apartment where I grew up?
“When I first learned of your identity,” he said, “I went there. I wanted to know more about you.”
“And what did you discover?”
He went over and sat on the sofa situated near the fireplace. “I’d never been inside an apartment building before.”
“The living conditions of your citizens are atrocious.” I sat on the sofa next to him, keeping some space between us.
“Yes. I forced myself to enter your apartment. To see where you grew up. It made me realize what lengths you’d go to in order to overthrow me.”
“Well, I never saw this coming.” I pointed at the two of us. If someone had told me I’d be married to the king, I would have punched him for making such a cruel joke.
“I never thought we would be here, either.”
What were we supposed to do now? How could I let him know that I was ready to spend the night with him? “Why don’t you tell me your happiest memory in this room?” I was so nervous I started sweating. I’d never felt so awkward around Morlet before.
“Okay,” he drawled, relaxing as he leaned back onto the cushion. “I remember coming back from a hunting trip with my father and brother. I must have been twelve at the time. I hated hunting. Hated killing an innocent animal. When we arrived home with two large hjorts, I went straight to my room. I knew we’d be having the meat for dinner.”
“If you hated hunting so much, why did you go?”
“My father usually only took Vidar. My brother loved to hunt and excelled at it. For some reason, this time my father insisted that I go. He said it was time to make a man out of me.”
I scooted closer to Morlet, resting my head on his shoulder.
“Anyway, when we got home, I went straight to my room. My mom was here waiting for me. She told me Father had planned a large celebration for that evening. The hjort was going to be served. She knew I detested that sort of thing, so she had our cook make my favorite pastries. She told me she’d tell Father I was ill so I could stay in my room.”
“Did you not eat meat as a child?”
“Oh, no, I ate meat. Just not meat that I’d seen my father or brother shoot.” He smiled sardonically at me.
“So as long as you didn’t see the animal killed, you were okay with eating it.”
“Precisely.”
I couldn’t help but laugh.
“Don’t mock me. The rationale of a twelve-year-old is nothing to be trifled with.” He wrapped his arm around my shoulders, pulling me closer to him.
“So you hid in this room while the party went on downstairs?”
“Yes. I played cards with the servants, ate my pastries, and had a jolly time.”
“And your mother?”
“My mother indulged me far too much as a child. Now, tell me about your favorite childhood memory.”
“I don’t know. I suppose it would be sparring with my father.”
“Did you actually enjoy sparring with him? I didn’t think women liked that sort of thing.”
“Where I come from, it was more about survival. If I showed weakness, the soldats would have descended upon me faster than a fugl.”
A comfortable silence fell between us. “Can I get you anything?” Morlet asked.
“No. Just being here with you is more than enough.”
“I agree.” His fingers gently pushed the hair off my neck and he leaned closer, his lips pressing against my bare skin. “Kaia,” he whispered. “I can’t make love to you just to end the curse. I won’t do it.”
My heart pounded. Before I could think it through, I said, “What if I want to be with you that way?”
“I know you love Anders.”
I didn’t respond. I didn’t know what to say because it was true. I loved Anders, but it was a different form of love.
“I’ll only go through with it if you want me. I will only share something so intimate and special if your heart is in it.” He held so still he barely moved as he waited for my answer.
“What you’re saying is that you don’t simply want to create a child.” The air around me felt hot, explosive.
He leaned forward, his lips brushing my cheek. “My life has been a disaster filled with nothing but hatred and murder. Until I met you.” His lips brushed against my jaw. “You have saved me.” He kissed the corner of my lips. “You have made me remember what it’s like to be human, and I can never repay you for that. What I’m trying to say is that I want to make love to you.”
My body tingled from the feel of his lips on my skin. His hand slid to the back of my head and he kissed me, slowly and tenderly. I twisted my body toward his and he picked me up, carrying me over to his bed.
“Are you okay?” he asked, his voice deep and gruff, making my body warm.
“Yes. I want this.”
His blue eyes flashed with desire as he set me down. His lips found mine
as he laid on the bed next to me. I fumbled with the bottom of his shirt, pulling it up and over his head. He hesitated.
“What’s the matter?” I asked.
“I don’t know what the future holds.” A look of pain, anger, and doubt crossed his face.
Placing my hands on his torso, I gently ran my fingers over his smooth skin. “I don’t know what’s going to happen in the future either. One of us is going to die. But we can’t think about that now.”
He shook his head. “If it were up to me, I’d let you kill me.”
I’d asked him this before—to allow the Krigers to kill him so we could end the curse.
“I don’t want to end your life,” he said. “But you have to understand that when the Krigers join powers, I won’t be able to control myself.”
“What do you mean?”
“My magic will take over. It will protect me. I won’t be able to stop it.”
I traced the side of his face from his eyebrow down to the corner of his mouth. “Let’s worry about that later. I want to enjoy this night with you.”
Tears filled his eyes. “I want the same thing.”
“Then what’s wrong?”
“I feel the magic hovering close by, wanting to destroy you.”
“Then I suppose you should kiss me so you feel something other than the magic. I want you to feel me. To think of me and nothing else.”
I peeled my eyelids open. Morlet’s hands rested on my bare stomach, his chest to my back as we laid on the bed.
“If I die today,” he murmured against my neck, “I will die a happy man.”
“I still wish there was another way to end this curse.” If only we could save Espen while ridding the world of Morlet. Grabbing the sheet, I held it against my body as I sat up.
“Please tell me it’s not morning yet,” he groaned.
“The sun is already up,” I replied.
He sat next to me, his hand sliding down my bare arm. The sheet bunched around his lower stomach, leaving his chest exposed. “You’re blushing,” he whispered. “Don’t tell me you’re embarrassed. Especially after everything we did, everything we shared, only a few hours ago.”
I wanted to make sure he knew that I loved him. Letting the sheet drop from my chest, I went up on my knees, my hands resting on Morlet’s shoulders. His eyes darkened and his lips curled into a smile. I gently pushed him back and he laid down, pulling me with him. My hair fell forward, shielding his face so the two of us were cocooned together.
“I love the part of you that is Espen.” My lips brushed his, trying to convey all the emotions I couldn’t articulate with words.
A hard knock sounded on the door. “Your Highness!” a male voice called out. “Skog Heks wishes to see you.”
Morlet’s arms tightened around me. “I wish we had more time.”
“Me too.” I kissed his cheek and sat up. “I need to get dressed.”
“One last kiss before I go.”
I leaned down and kissed his lips, trying to savor the feel, memorize the smell, and sear him into my mind.
After he left, I shivered remembering his hands on my skin…his lips…still fresh in my mind. How was I going to kill him when the time came? Closing my eyes, I took a deep breath. I’d made my choice. By killing him I would free all of Nelebek. I could do this.
11
I descended the staircase to the great hall. Morlet was standing near the fireplace, his back to me and a soldat at his side.
“Your Highness, there was no trace of the Krigers in the cave. Nor did we find the bo staff anywhere.”
I froze mid-step, not wanting to draw attention to myself.
“I grow tired of this,” Morlet replied. “I want them found.”
“We’ll continue our search.” The soldat bowed and left.
I resumed walking. “Why are you searching for the Krigers? Why not wait and let them come to you?” I demanded. He couldn’t kill us until we were certain I was with child, and I wouldn’t let him imprison the Krigers. Most of them had already spent years in the dingy underground dungeon. Folding my arms across my chest, I stopped next to him, waiting for him to answer.
“My plans are none of your concern.” He wore his black cape, the hood concealing his face. I hated that thing and wanted to burn it. It felt like it blocked Espen and fueled the evil residing in Morlet. He turned toward me, the cape floating from the sudden movement. “I have work to do. You are not permitted to leave the castle.”
“You can’t force me to stay here. I am not a prisoner.”
He leaned down and whispered in my ear, “Is that what you think?”
Where was the man from last night? The one who was open and honest with me? I shoved Morlet away, disgusted with him.
“I wouldn’t do that if I were you,” he snarled. “My men might arrest you for treason.” A dozen soldats stood guard around the perimeter of the room, while the half dozen assigned to me hovered near the bottom of the staircase.
Power filled me, begging to be released. I curled my fingers, making two fists, trying to stifle it.
He chuckled. “Upset with me, are you? I feel your power responding. And here I thought you wielded good magic. But your anger is fueling it nonetheless. Interesting.”
“I hate when you act like this. When you’re Morlet.”
“I know.” He stepped around me and left the room.
The carriage pulled to a stop on one of the heavily trafficked streets. People hurried away assuming Morlet was about to exit. My hands shook from what I was about to do. Taking a big breath, I climbed out of the carriage with a sack filled with food. I opened it, pulling out two loaves of bread. “Here,” I said to no one in particular, holding the loaves out before me.
An elderly man eyed me suspiciously. “Is this some sort of trick?”
“No. I just want to help.” I shoved the bread at him, and he took it.
“She’s the Kriger Morlet married,” someone across the street yelled.
“My name is Kaia,” I said loudly. “I am a Kriger. And yes, Morlet forced me to marry him.” I handed another loaf to a young woman with two small children hanging on her skirt. I pulled out more bread.
“Why are you doing this?” a man asked. His greasy hair clung to his forehead.
“I think it’s time some changes are made around here.” My heart pounded. “I want to help you.”
“Is that the king’s food?” a little girl asked, her face streaked with dirt.
“It’s my food. And I want you to have it.” I handed her a loaf of bread. The mood slowly shifted from weariness to excitement. I walked away from the carriage, down the street, handing out loaves of bread. The street gradually filled with more people. The soldats guarding me were jostled amongst the crowd.
A man grabbed my arm, his boney fingers digging into my skin. “Thank you,” he said, his teeth black and decaying.
I handed him a second loaf. I was almost out of food. People surrounded me on all sides, bumping into me. I could barely move. My hands tingled with pain, alerting me to potential danger. “Everyone line up,” I ordered, trying to bring a semblance of structure to the chaos. Not a single one of the soldats dared to help me. A few of the citizens formed a line, but most reached their hands toward me, begging for food. I withdrew the last loaf of bread from my sack. Someone grabbed it from my hands. There were still so many people, all of them hungry and desperate.
A child yanked the hem of my tunic. Her cheeks were sunken in and her thin, worn clothing hung on her body.
“I’ll be back,” I promised. “I have to get more food.”
“Please!” a mother holding an infant yelled, tears in her eyes.
“I’m sorry. There isn’t any more.”
The crowd surged forward. The soldats moved closer, trying to surround me, but there were too many people.
“Don’t hurt anyone,” I said to the soldats. “Stand down.”
“We’re here to protect you from these animals,” a sol
dat said as he tried to withdraw his weapon. Bodies were packed too closely together, and he couldn’t get his sword out of its scabbard.
“These people are not animals. They’re hungry and tired. You will not lay a hand on them.” Panic flooded me. I had to find a way to disperse this crowd before someone got hurt. I called on my power, willing it out of my hands and into the people. I sent out thoughts of peace, love, and home. Nothing happened. Maybe I needed to be more specific.
Faces crowded all around me begging for food. “I’ll be back. I promise.”
“We need food now!” a man cried, his teeth missing.
“I’m so hungry!” a child wailed, his cheekbones protruding.
“Please help my children!” a desperate mother pleaded.
Hands grabbed at me, and my empty sack was ripped from my fingers. I was jostled farther down the street, away from the carriage, not a single soldat in sight. I had to get out of here.
A loud boom echoed along the street, and my body froze in place. Everyone around me was also still, unable to move or talk. An eerie silence descended. A horse with a man sitting astride it wearing a black cape billowing around him, pranced next to the carriage at the end of the street.
“Where is she?” the king demanded.
No one answered. Morlet waved his hand and one of the soldats who had accompanied me began to move. He said something and pointed in my direction. Morlet’s head snapped up, and his bright blue eyes sought mine. When he saw me, he reached his hand out and I could once again move. He twisted one of his hands above the other one, and my body lifted off the ground, rising above the crowd. I floated to Morlet. He lowered his hands, setting me on my feet.
“Are you okay?” he demanded, his eyes starting to glow as his magic flared.
“Yes,” I assured him. “These people wouldn’t intentionally hurt me.”
He roughly grabbed me, shoving me inside the carriage and slamming the door closed. He waved his right hand and blue light glowed from his fingertips as he sealed the door shut. Morlet turned to face the still frozen crowd. I yanked on the handle, desperately trying to open it, but it wouldn’t budge.
“I gave the order that she was not to leave the castle,” Morlet said, his voice harsh.
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