Anger that someone hid her existence from him. Years of mourning and missing her. Years without her by his side.
The door to his bedroom opened and Mati stuck his head in. Questions glittered in Mati’s eyes but his training kept his lips sealed. Tarik guessed he’d be in for a long night once everyone settled down.
Maliya came over to his side. Tarik glanced down but her attention stayed focused on the opening and her friend glaring at Hensel who barred his way from entering.
“Maliya, if you don’t wish to speak with him right now, you don’t have to.” Tarik made the offer hoping he’d have five minutes with the hapfe dung. It was all he needed to drive his fist into the tight face.
“No.” Her shoulders pulled tight. “I want to hear the rest.”
When they both entered the room, Kord looked from Maliya to Tarik then back to Maliya.
“You have accepted the truth?”
Maliya nodded. No longer pale, the color in her cheeks gradually returned.
“You’re Queen Maliya Sabarn, wife to King Tarik of the Desani.”
She flinched but remained steady. Tarik’s admiration for her rose.
“After Shara switched places with me what happened?”
Kord’s eyes shifted to Tarik’s men. “For her safety, the few that know details the better.”
Tarik considered letting them stay. He trusted Mati as he trusted no other and Hensel’s job was to protect his King. Still, he tipped his head to the side and dismissed them. Mati’s mouth parted to protest but Tarik shook his head quickly.
After the two men left, he waved a hand at Kord. “Now tell us how my wife ended up with you and why you chose to keep her off of Taka.”
Kord’s blue eyes narrowed but his tone when he spoke was even. “After Thenl’s attack, Maliya suffered a severe head injury. The guard who escaped with her was grievously wounded.”
“Roanal.”
Kord inclined his head and continued. “Roanal realized the assassination attempt would have been successful because of the accuracy of the attack. The Queen loved to go out and mingle among the people. This was not a secret and part of her that endeared Desani citizens to her.”
Maliya’s brows dipped. By her expression none of it seemed familiar to her.
“But she also respected your concern for her safety due to the other attacks. Her schedule varied day to day.” Kord’s mouth twitched. “Sometimes hour by hour.”
Tarik’s own humor lightened. Maliya had hated the restrictions placed on her due to her royal status. Together they compromised on her freedom of movement within reason. Her clever mind devised a schedule that followed no specific routine. He’d once called her travel erratic but she was well liked by his people and he had a difficult time telling her no when she rewarded him so prettily in the bedroom for his good favor.
“We found Roanal’s body, how could he have helped her?” The guardsman had taken the job of watching over Maliya with utmost gravity. When Roanal’s slain body had been reported less than ten kilometers from the castle Tarik had bowed his head and prayed like never before. He’d spent the day between his office and state room as word of the attack dribbled in.
Rumors and snippets ran rampant but no confirmation of who suffered injuries or loss. It was the hardest hours of his life and Tarik had longed to assist in the search but his Captain of the guard put the castle under lock down as armed guards paced within feet of him. When news of Maliya’s death soon followed, Tarik dropped to his knees with a pained cry in front of the poor man who’d delivered the confirmation. Without speaking with anyone else, Tarik confined himself to their room grief stricken.
Mati handled the arrangements telling Tarik when and where he needed to be. During the death rites he’d been numb to it all. Blind to the condolences of his people as he walked through the motions in a daze.
In the end, right before they sealed the royal crypt, Mati asked if he wanted to view her body one last time before they put her to rest. Up until then, Tarik had managed to avoid having anything to do with the process. Finally the moment was upon him, to gaze upon her face in repose.
But Tarik had shot Mati a look of anguish and stormed from the crypt leaving the vault and his wife behind as fast as his legs could carry him. Now he wished he’d taken the opportunity to look. Perhaps then he would have known that the innocent woman in the black lacquered cylinder trimmed in gold wasn’t his wife.
It also explained where Shara had been all these years. He would contact her family personally to make arrangements for her sacrifice. Because of Shara he had his Queen.
“Where was Maliya?” The more Tarik listened to Kord the more questions began to rise.
“Roanal managed to get her to a space port. Dressed in servants clothing, no one paid Maliya any mind when he brought her in. Roanal used his sash to stop the bleeding on her head and it covered half her face and eyes. Keeping her presence a secret in a storage room, he hoped the heavy security of the port would keep her safe until he could make it back to the castle to notify you and return with more royal guards as escort.”
Kord glanced at Maliya before continuing. “I came too late on the scene of Thenl’s battle and tracked you there. We met as Roanal prepared to leave. He wanted to inform King Tarik of your survival but must have been ambushed. After an hour when he didn’t return I took matters into my own hands and chartered a shuttle to Terra V.”
“You had no right,” Tarik snapped. His hands clenched at his side.
“You had a traitor in your home! Her father wanted me to keep her safe and I deemed her life with you unsafe.”
Tarik spun and slammed his fist into the wall. He gritted his teeth to still the words he wanted to spew. Maliya jumped and hurried to Kord’s side. Seeing him wrap a comforting arm around her shoulders drove him insane.
Tarik roared and pounded the wall twice more.
“Tarik! Tarik stop.”
Maliya’s shout got through to him.
The hall door opened, Hensel and Mati with Tarik’s other guards rushed in.
“Get out!” Tarik yelled.
The door shut with a swish.
Tarik dragged in his breath with rough inhales. He faced both of them ignoring the way his hearts fluttered at their united front. She should be standing by his side. “Thenl is to blame. That doesn’t mean I have a traitor in my home. Maliya was safe with me.”
“And the three babes she lost? Do you think those accidents too?”
Kord’s words caught Tarik off center. He struggled to focus. “W-what?” Maliya never carried for long. The doctors claimed her female systems not capable of holding a child to birth. He’d adjusted to the possibility that they might not have children together.
“Someone poisoned her each time she conceived.”
Maliya placed a hand over her mouth. Horror widened her white eyes.
“You lie,” Tarik charged.
“She’d recently lost a child before Thenl’s attack. I had the doctor onboard the shuttle run tests and there were still traces of poison in her system. Poison that would guarantee she’d lose any child she carried and potentially her life. Do you see now why I took her King of Desani?”
Tarik ignored the slur on his title. His mind whirled with this information. To think someone in his home, servants he’d been with for years could do this. His people. One of them sought to harm his wife. Conspired with the hapfe dung Thenl? Not possible. “Do you have proof of this?”
He’d kill those responsible.
“What more do you need? When Maliya awakened and I realized she had no recollection of her life with you, it provided the perfect opportunity to get her away safely.”
***
Lea absorbed everything Kord said. Someone had deliberately attacked her and plotted her death. For the last three years, all the travel they did was a means of keeping her from staying in one place too long. It also explained Kord’s anger when they’d been unable to go anywhere else for repairs. With the Unit
ed Alliance in session the odds of her running into Tarik would have increased.
Surprising her, Tarik regained his calm. “She’s returning with me.”
Kord’s arm tightened around her, his low growl making his thoughts on that clear. “She will not return to Taka.”
Tarik’s grin was slow and filled with menace. “You can’t stop me. As you mentioned earlier, I’m the King of Desani, a member of the United Alliance and her husband.”
Lea pulled away from Kord. “Stop both of you.”
Arguing would get them nowhere.
“Tarik has a point. I need to go back with him. It might jar my memory and if he has someone in his home responsible for…” Lea faltered. “He should know if someone in his home plotted against him. My presence will help with that.”
“Or get you killed,” Kord snapped.
His outburst was the most emotional reaction she’d seen from him. He needed to understand that she had to do this. “Kord, Tarik can assign protection for me.” She raised her brow in his direction and received Tarik’s abrupt nod.
“As he did before?”
The truth of those words slammed into her but Lea stiffened. The choice was obvious. She wanted those missing years back. Going with Tarik could help.
“This time, you’ll be with me, Kord. And I’m not weak.”
His lips firmed and silence settled around the three of them. Finally, he shot Tarik a glare then faced Lea. “We should talk more. This isn’t a decision to take lightly.”
She agreed. “Fine. But we need to delay our departure. I’m sure King Tarik has things to attend and we can all discuss this later.”
Tarik looked beyond frustrated but Kord was right. She couldn’t make a clear decision with her thoughts soaring all over the place.
“Are you okay with that?” She asked.
Lavender dipped toward deep purple as he answered, “I don’t really have a choice.”
Tarik was definitely pissed. Lea reached out to touch his upper arm then thought better of it. “Thank you.”
How much more difficult was this for him? She couldn’t imagine and stared a moment longer before they said their goodbyes and left. She and Kord went back to her room where her friend listed all of the reasons why she shouldn’t return to Desani.
Lea heard him out but couldn’t get over the possibility that she could get her memories back.
“Is it that important to you that you would risk your life, Lea?”
Instead of answering, she asked one of her own. “Why, Kord? Why would you never tell me about my past when you knew how much I wanted to learn about those missing years?”
He cursed but never broke eye contact. “Your father left his family against their wishes to be with your mother and you. The two of them kept to themselves. Lived a good life. Family was everything and all your father asked was that I watch over you if something happened to them.”
“My father asking you to protect me had little to do with you keeping something like this from me. I have a husband. I…I” she could barely spit it out. “I was Queen of an entire country.”
Saying it aloud caused her breath to shorten and spots danced in front of her eyes.
“Breathe.” Kord’s command had her drawing in a deep breath.
Lea stumbled to the corner of the bed she’d shared with the King this morning. A few hours ago she’d reflected on the magical night she shared with a stranger and now she had more questions than answers to her history.
Chapter 14
Tarik had wanted to leave the Alliance meeting and return to Taka as soon as possible considering the recent events. Instead, Maliya and Kord convinced him to continue on as usual to minimize suspicion and knowledge of his wife’s resurrection. The two days dragged on and when he departed he’d had to trust Kord’s word that he and Maliya would join him.
Now he stood on the landing pad at the space port in Desani with Mati, Hensel, Baylor, as well as a contingent of twenty royal guards while they all watched the out-dated silver shuttle dock in the third available slot at the end of the bay.
“I’m still in awe and shock about all of this, Sire.”
Mati’s statements mirrored his own. Tarik maintained his casual stance though tension kept his gaze scanning every uniformed employee walking around. The royal privacy order he had in place allowed them only one hour to have the space port closed during Kord and Maliya’s arrival.
The officials thought Tarik cautious and concerned for his own well being. They had no idea that he’d put as much protection in place as possible for the return of his wife.
“I think we’re all going to be in for a surprise.” Tarik murmured his answer since no one outside their circle was aware of the guest arriving on the shuttle.
Mati glanced at him. “Do you have any doubts about her coming back?”
Tarik’s brow pulled down. Why would he have any doubts? He had his wife again. “We’ve got years of friendship between us. Speak clearly.”
The thrusters of the shuttle quieted and the landing lights dimmed. Tarik centered his attention on the wide shuttle doors waiting for it to open when Mati spoke.
“She’s been gone for three of the five and a half years you were married. I just wonder at the wisdom of bringing her back to Desani.”
Tarik froze. He filtered Mati’s words over and over in his head coming up with the same answer. Anger rose in a flash as Tarik turned and whispered fiercely, “Never wonder about your Queen returning to her rightful place at my side.”
Mati held his stare. “I mean no harm. I believe you’re moving very quickly and suggest time to consider all angles.”
After Maliya’s death there had been no more accidents or attacks. Tarik assumed this was due to Thenl’s death and the new relationship with Kaban but the twitch in his gut warned him nothing was as simple as it seemed. Kord’s revelations and concern for Maliya’s safety was not to be dismissed lightly. He had a traitor in his home.
“I won’t lose her again, Mati.” He couldn’t.
In a rare show of affection, Mati gripped his forearm and squeezed before letting his hand fall to his side to resume his official demeanor.
The hiss and whine of a vac-lock releasing dispelled any further conversation. Metal doors slid open as the mechanical ramp lowered with a grind. Several guards winced at the sound indicating bad gears on the equipment.
The two people that exited didn’t glance left or right as their boots clomped down the grate. As usual the sight of his wife lodged the air in Tarik’s chest. He wasn’t sure he’d ever get over the miracle of finding her. Kord true to his word maintained his vigilance by her side. When they reached the bottom, the doors closed and the ramp reversed with the same telling noise.
Upon Tarik’s signal, the guards spread out further and Baylor hurried over to take up position on Maliya’s right side while Kord hovered on her left. Tarik didn’t want to take any chances.
Maliya scanned the area, her gaze coming to a stop when her eyes met his. Tarik held his breath for what seemed like forever until her steps quickened in his direction. He exhaled softly and mentally cursed his nerves.
Unable to relax, Tarik checked around them but nothing had changed. He’d done as much as he could to put security measures in place without drawing undo notice. Several of the guards paled, mouths falling open when they caught sight of her. Tarik hadn’t revealed the identity of the guests they were expecting but as she headed towards him no one could mistake her resemblance to his Queen.
The simple blue jumper also drew stares for the way it hugged her curves. In Desani women wore clothing just as fitting but the garments tended toward formal not seductive. A lady sported dresses only, never pants. Maliya’s hips swayed with every step, her body made to entice.
Short red hair was slicked into spikes in the front and close at the nape. Very different from the red gold waves he’d run his fingers through in the past. The subtle differences he’d noticed during their night together wer
e still there. Aside from the shorter hair, she was thinner which could have been due to her recovery from the accident or from consuming processed meals onboard a shuttle with limited options. Tarik had the feeling this Maliya was vastly different from the one he’d married. Whether that was good or bad remained to be seen.
He waited until they were closer before stepping forward. He clasped Maliya’s hand and couldn’t help the smile of relief curving his lips.
“Welcome back to Desani.”
She returned the smile and raised her brow in a questioning look at the number of guards. “Worry much?”
Tarik’s chuckle burst forth. Her humor eased some of his remaining tension. “I have a reason.” He stared a moment longer unable to wipe the grin stretching his lips, “We’re traveling by hapfe and should reach the castle in no time.”
Maliya’s eyes widened in delight. “I love hapfe but haven’t had the time to ride in years.”
They both froze then Tarik cleared his throat. They both knew why she hadn’t ridden in years. Tarik turned to Kord and gripped his forearm in greeting. He ignored the extra squeeze from the man’s hand. They may not agree on Maliya’s presence here but they were both committed to her safety.
Tarik signaled his men with a raised hand. “Let’s go. Maliya will be in the center of the guards. Kord and I will ride on each side around her.”
He sent Mati to give his thanks to the space port director for the inconvenience. Hensel approached and offered Maliya a slight bow. “Your Highness, it’s a pleasure to have you home once more.”
Maliya extended her hand. “I remember you from the meeting with Tarik. I’m sorry I didn’t catch your name.”
His guard wore a stupid grin Tarik wanted to knock off his face.
“It’s Hensel, my lady.”
Hensel shook her hand briefly before stepping back with another bow. When his gaze met Tarik he flushed. Tarik gathered his thoughts and reminded himself that others would remember their love for Maliya and if she greeted all of them as warmly as Hensel, he would need to curb his jealousy.
A King's Revenge: Warlords Series Book 2 Page 8