“Really?” Guirre stroked his beard. “I should talk to her.”
Leisle waved a hand. “There she is.”
Nathan followed the king’s gesture. Selia wove through the crowd toward them, her hair piled on her head and secured with gem-encrusted combs save for a few tendrils brushing her bare shoulders. He swallowed. The red gown fit her form like a glove and sparkled with garnets at the neckline, drawing the eye to the gentle rise of her breasts.
She smiled at Nathan then curtseyed. “Majesties.”
“Are you well, my dear? A horrible experience,” Leisle said.
Selia’s hand fluttered near her throat to an inch-long wound. “Quite well. Thank you.” She turned to Nathan and smiled.
“A soldier?” Guirre asked, his eyes appreciative.
“No, Majesty. A barkeep willing to serve her king in time of need,” Selia replied.
Guirre turned to Leisle. “How do you inspire such loyalty?”
Leisle laughed. “Off with you two. Dance. Be merry.”
Nathan and Selia inclined their heads and turned back to the crowd.
“You do look beautiful tonight,” Nathan said in her ear.
“Thank you. You don’t look so bad yourself.” She accepted a glass of wine from a passing servant. “What will happen to the southern realm? Does Josiam have an heir?”
“No. Leisle’s sister will rule the land as queen.”
“Is that why Leisle’s so happy?”
Nodding, Nathan reached for Selia’s hand.
“Commander. A word please.”
Nathan turned to see one of the landowners approach. His heart sank. “Excuse me, please.”
Selia smiled and drifted across the room.
Nathan listened to the man’s blather before a hush rippled through the room. Nathan turned to see Jaden standing at the door flanked by two Svistra. One a man, the other the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen.
Jaden made his way to the dais and Nathan had to admit, he could have sat among the kings. Only Jaden’s majesty didn’t come from his clothing but his bearing. He moved with dignity through the crowd, ignoring the stares and whispered comments.
After a seemingly pleasant exchange Jaden turned and headed toward Nathan. The landowner excused himself.
“Nathan.”
“Jaden, I’m glad you could make it.”
Jaden raised an eyebrow and glanced around the room. “This king of yours is an interesting man.”
“You could say that.” Nathan sipped his wine then signaled a passing waiter to bring another, which he handed to Jaden. He raised the cup. “To a long peace.”
Jaden lifted his cup. “To a long peace.” He sipped. “Nice.”
“I’m curious. What did you do with the siege weapons?”
“How do you know I had them?”
Nathan smiled. “I would have, in your place.”
Jaden shrugged. “They’ve been disassembled.”
“What will you do now?”
“Go back to the council. Help move my people into their lands. There will be disputes.”
“There always are.”
“And you?”
Nathan looked across the room, where Selia stood speaking to a woman. “I think farming.”
“Farming?”
“Yes. My family owns land a little south of here.”
“I see. You resigned? Had enough of bloodshed?”
“Let’s just say I had a difference of opinion with the king that could not be resolved.”
Jaden took another sip of the wine. “When I saw the southern king approach the castle, I was afraid there would be a difference of opinion.”
“You were right.” Nathan finished his glass. “There’s only one thing that puzzles me. The other forts never responded to my order to retreat south. The king explained one but the other—”
“The other never received your message.” Jaden smiled. “And a good thing. They would have been in our way. Do you think they would have just let us pass?”
“They would have slowed you down.”
“Perhaps, and more blood would have fertilized the land. We would have still come.”
Nathan nodded and glanced at the Svistra female. “She’s very beautiful and changing many soldiers’ opinion of Svistra women. Is she…”
Jaden smiled. “She’s my brother’s widow, Noe.”
Nathan raised an eyebrow. “I see.”
Jaden watched Noe smile at a human male. “You really can’t tell she’d rather slit that man’s throat than look at him, can you?”
“She’ll fit right in at court.” Nathan saw that Selia had just slipped out to the patio “Excuse me. I’ve a lady to speak to.”
The music from the hall drifted into the warm night. Selia closed her eyes and breathed in the heady fragrance of the gardens below. The sky seemed like velvet strung with sparkling crystal so sharp and clear she was tempted to reach out and touch one. She turned and stared out over the fields toward the forest, where Svistra fires blinked like dejected stars fallen to earth. She recognized the woman on Jaden’s arm. Images of Keldar’s cruel eyes flashed before her vision. She needed air.
Selia stared out over the gardens, gripped by a wave of something like homesickness, not for the tavern but for something intangible she knew she’d never had. A cool breeze tickled a lock of hair across her shoulders, sending a shiver down her spine.
“It is a little cold out here.”
Nathan. How long had he been there? He held out his cloak and gently placed it around her shoulders.
“Thank you,” she murmured.
He leaned on the balcony rail, not looking out but facing her. “You’re not enjoying the party?”
Selia shook her head. “How do they live with themselves?”
He shrugged. “It must be bred into you.”
“And they call the Svistra savage. I’d be more worried about anyone with royal blood.”
They shared a smile.
“What will you do now?” she asked.
Nathan glanced at his feet then met her eyes. “I’ve resigned my post. As soon as I get my men settled and on their way, I’m going back to my father’s farm. I have a little piece of land that is all mine. It’s a beautiful place. There are apple trees, and the land is rich and good for growing things. The water is sweet.” He took her hands in his. “Selia, it’s a good place to raise a family.”
She rescued one of her hands and raised it to his face. “Nathan.”
“Don’t say it,” he begged. “I know you feel something, and that something could grow into love. We could be good together.”
Tears blurred her eyes. “I care about you deeply.”
Nathan’s mouth moved into a crooked smile. “Why does that sounds like a polite refusal?”
“I’m a barkeep. It’s not just what I do. It’s who I am. You deserve to have everything you desire. A woman to pick apples and press cider and fill your house with children.” She stared into his green eyes. “That woman is not me.”
“But these days in the castle—”
“Dressed up like a doll? Yes, I suppose I liked it at first. It was a different kind of respect, one I never imagined would be mine.” She waved her hands over her dress. “Borrowed. It’s not me. I’m more comfortable in leggings with a knife at my belt and another in my boot.”
Nathan swallowed. “Then you will go back to the crossroads?”
Selia nodded. “It’s where I belong.”
“If you ever change your mind…”
“I hope you have five kids and one on the way by then.”
Nathan smiled. “I’ll never forget you.”
“Good. It’s mutual. Now go in there and find a woman to dance with you. They’re lining up.”
Nathan stepped away then turned. “Is it Jaden?”
She froze. “Jaden is…well, he has his path and I have mine.”
“You’re very good at not answering questions you don’t want to answer.”
/>
“And you’re very observant, Commander.”
“It’s just Nathan now.”
“Then Nathan, I suggest you start with the lady in the pink dress with the white ruffle. She hasn’t taken her eyes off you all evening.”
He bowed and then returned to the hall.
Selia stared out into the night. Tomorrow she’d leave for home.
Jaden watched Ashani and Noe mingle among the humans. Noe was in her element; magnetism radiated from her like light from the sun. It had been a good choice to allow her to come to the castle.
Ashani took a woman’s arm and led her to the dance floor. Jaden hid a smile. Either she was a brave woman or his friend was pouring on the charm—probably both. He kept his eye carefully away from the door to the balcony in an attempt to keep his mind from what he assumed progressed out there. Then Nathan walked back in, alone. From his expression, things had not gone as he expected. Jaden felt a surge of satisfaction. Selia was his woman. He stared down into his empty goblet. Was she? Suddenly everything else seemed like gossamer. Only one way to find out. He set the glass down and walked out onto the patio.
Selia stood against the white stone railing, leaning against Nathan’s discarded cloak. She wasn’t cold, and the air felt good on her bare skin. She thought about walking down the broad stone steps into the gardens, but her silly little slippers weren’t meant for such things.
She froze when the scent of sandalwood drifted on the breeze. Jaden walked slowly as though he were unsure. For a moment she thought she’d tell him he looked magnificent as a commander, but the words died before they left her lips. As he neared, her knees trembled. He was beautiful.
So much had happened. He saved me. She hadn’t thanked him. She should. “Commander, huh?” she said instead.
He glanced down at his clothes, almost in surprise, and then his golden gaze found her face. She couldn’t look away. “You look beautiful tonight.”
Her stomach flipped at the sound of his voice, and her cheeks warmed.
“Would it offend you if I said I prefer you in leggings?”
She shook her head. “No. I prefer me in leggings too. I feel like a doll.”
Jaden smiled.
“Nice aim.”
“It got the job done.” He shrugged but his gaze never left her face.
“I guess you don’t need lessons after all.”
“I don’t know about that.” He stepped nearer.
Selia’s mouth went dry. “So I guess my tavern is on the northern frontier now.”
“Does it bother you?”
“No, I like it. Now it’s the tavern farthest east and north.”
“Notoriety?”
“Helps business, you know.”
“Wait, you’re going back to the crossroads?” A look of confusion dulled the intensity in his eyes for a moment.
“Yes. Tomorrow.”
He smiled, and she looked down, studying the stone floor. “When are you going back north?” she asked.
“Soon.” He took another step closer.
Her skin tingled. “Life will be different for you now.”
“I hope so.” He paused. “I have something for you.”
“What?”
Jaden reached into a pocket of his tunic and extracted a piece of parchment. “It’s a little worse for wear but…” He offered it to Selia.
She reached for the parchment and gasped. “Where did you find this?”
“It was in your pack. I went back for it.”
Tears blurred her mother’s image. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.”
“But…what will you do?”
“I have obligations to the council first, but then…” Jaden paused and took another step toward her. He cleared his throat. “I was hoping you’d help me decide.”
Selia looked up into his eyes. She could reach out and touch him now. The heat from his body warmed her skin. Her heart stalled before beating in a lopsided rhythm. She swallowed. “Me?”
“Yes. Only you.” Golden irises softened.
Did he mean…? She was almost afraid to believe it. She searched his eyes. Raw vulnerability and need stared back at her. Profound joy filled her heart. “Does that mean you’re looking for a job?”
His eyes outshone the moon. “Depends on the offer.”
She glanced out over the meadow to the tree line, not bothering to hide the smile. “Well, I’m short of muscle. Without Oren…”
“I believe the word humans use in this situation is ‘bullshit.’ You’re more than capable of defending your tavern.”
She smiled. “Okay, I need another barkeep. I can’t do it alone.”
“The villagers?”
“Will get used to you.”
He stepped closer and the heat of his body washed over her skin. “And you?”
“I’ve gotten used to you too.” Her heart felt as though it would burst. “The Svistra?”
“Will respect you,” he answered.
“So it’s a deal?”
He smiled. “Done.”
“Good.”
“One thing?” He reached to trace a finger down her jaw.
“Yes?”
Bending slightly, he whispered in her ear. “Do I sleep in the barn?”
She reached out, grabbed his tunic and pulled him closer. “Oh, not a chance.”
About the Author
Since she could remember, one of Shawna Thomas’s favorite places has been the library. She always has one book to read and another for backup. Some of her earliest adventures took place in Narnia and Middle Earth. The fact that she started scripting plays for her sister’s Barbies and rewriting the ends to some of her beloved stories that didn’t have a happily-ever-after confirms she was destined to be a writer.
In 2005, she turned the hobby into a profession and started seriously working on the craft of writing. Since then, she’s published four books under a supersecret pen name, and makes her living writing nonfiction articles.
When she’s not writing or editing, you’ll find her playing in the garden, weeding the flower and vegetable garden or picking fruit from her eight fruit trees. She also spends a good deal of time in the kitchen where she loves to develop new dishes, especially desserts, to feed her husband and their six children.
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ISBN: 978-1-4268-9226-4
Copyright © 2011 by Shawna Thomas
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