by Pride, Mia
Laying down beside Juan, Kat wrapped her arm gently around him and closed her eyes, feeling at peace beside him as she drifted off.
Chapter Eleven
Something soft and warm enveloped his aching body, the only comfort he had felt since being captured. The last thing Juan remembered was seeing the people who mattered most to him surrounding him and hearing Kat return his love before he was carried out and fell asleep.
Cracking an eye open, he saw red waves of hair sprawled across his shoulder and her arm draped across his waist, carefully avoiding his bandages. Smiling, he just stared at her for a few moments, admiring the softness of her skin, touched with freckles, long sweeping lashes, and her soft, plump lips that he enjoyed kissing more than anything else in life. He loved her. So much, it made his heart physically ache to be away from her. He ached now and she was as close as ever. Her soft breath fanned across his neck and he touched her hair, enjoying the silkiness on his fingertips.
“I love you, Kat. So fecking much,” he whispered.
“I fecking love ye, too, Beast.”
He chuckled, wincing at the pain in the ribs and smiled when she cracked one eye open. “I thought you were asleep.”
“Was I not meant to hear yer devotions, then?” she said wryly. “I shall go back to sleep and ye can say all manner of sweet things if ye prefer.”
“No, I prefer you to hear all I have to say to you.”
“Juan, ye are injured. Mayhap ye need more rest. We have a sennight to discuss things. Ye cannae leave until then. Yer ribs are bruised, not broken, but yer head will need time to heal, as well.”
“I cannot wait for a sennight to pass before I say how I feel. I waited too long as it is. When I was tied to that post on the ship, my only worry was that I would never see you again, never say what I felt for you.”
Kat carefully pushed herself to a sitting position and kissed his cheek, sweeping his dark hair aside. “Well, I am here now,” she said, giving him a soft smile that melted him all over.
“I hope you will be with me every day for the rest of my life.” Saying those words out loud felt like a balm to his soul after all the pain and heartache and loneliness he had been living through.
“What are ye saying?” Kat asked, taking his hand in hers and squeezing reassuringly.
“Will you marry me, Kat?”
Taking a deep breath, Kat licked her lips and hesitated, making his heart squeeze painfully. She did not look certain of her answer. “Juan, I love ye more than I aught. But ye vowed never to marry or love again. Ye actually look sad every time we kiss, like ye regret it or feel like ye are betraying her.”
“Kat, I look sad after we kiss because I am sad the kiss is over. I no longer feel as if I am betraying anyone but myself if I deny how I feel about you. You make me happy. Lucia was a wonderful woman and a great mother to our daughter Gabriella… that is the first time I have been able to speak her name since losing her. The pain will never subside from her loss. I will always love their memories, but the way I love you is simply different. I am older, wiser. I know what I want, and I want you if you will have me.”
Squeezing his hand again, Kat flushed, looking more beautiful than ever with a truly genuine smile that lit up her face. “Aye, Juan. I will have ye as my husband. I love ye and never want to be without ye either.”
Leaning down to meet his lips, Kat kissed him softly, lingering there for a moment before Juan gently gripped the back of her head and pushed her closer, slipping his tongue into her mouth. She felt so soft and he wished he could do more than this, but he would take all the kissing he could for now. She drove him mad with a need he never knew existed before. She groaned and grabbed his face, twining her tongue with his in a frenzy… until the door to his chamber opened slowly with a creak and she stopped to look up at the door.
“Well, I came to see if Juan was doing all right. I dinnae expect him to be quite so well.”
Juan looked at Tomas, unsure how he would take the news, but not afraid to tell him. He would not live without Kat. “I have asked Kat to marry me.”
“Oh? Good. I am glad I dinnae need to kill ye,” he said calmly and began to leave the room. “I will leave ye be.”
“Wait.” Juan put out his hand and looked at his only friend, ready to confide all to him, to tell all his truths. “I believe I owe ye a few explanations.”
“Nay, ye dinnae. Yer life is yer business, Juan.”
“Si, I do. If I am to be your brother and Kat’s husband, I want no secrets.”
“Verra well.” Tomas rose a brow and looked at Kat before sitting in the wooden chair near the hearth. She did not appear at all upset or embarrassed from being caught kissing him by her brother, which made Juan feel even more right about their situation.
“I will start at the beginning, though I should say that I do not know much about the situation. My true name is Ferdinand Hapsburg, Prince of Asturias, the eldest living son of Philip II and heir to the Spanish crown. When I was seven, my mother, Anna, Queen of Spain and the daughter of the Holy Roman Emperor, faked my death.”
“Dear God, Juan! Ye are the bloody King of Spain!” Tomas shouted and jumped out of his seat, mouth slack and face draining of color.
“Not if I do not want to be.”
“Mate, ye cannae decide such things. If ye are the heir, that is not something ye can change.”
“Si, but my brother is already on the throne. Few know I exist. I do not know why my mother faked my death. Alonso Sanchez, the man who raised me, was a great artist for the royals and traveled all over Europe to paint portraits. My mother was quite fond of him and trusted him. A child in the village died who was my age and my mother saw the opportunity. She asked Alonso to take me and keep me safe. He changed my name to Juan and raised me as his own. I had an education and grew up well. I knew my mother loved me but I never knew why she did what she did.”
“I am so sorry, Juan,” Kat said with a frown, taking his hand.
“Do not be. I have had a hard yet rewarding life. Better than I would have had at the palace, and I am here now, with you.” Juan kissed her cheek and she smiled widely. Tomas cleared his throat, reminding Juan to continue before he started kissing Kat once more. “My father had been married three times before and every male heir died. Two brothers after I was born died, as well. Philip is the only remaining son of our father, as far as the world knows. Perhaps my mother feared for my life since all the males died, yet she did not remove the others. Nothing I can think of makes any sense.”
“So, the man who helped capture ye was Alonso’s son?” Kat asked.
“Si. He was always a bit mad. He never accepted me even though his father loved him and doted on him, perhaps too much. After the Battle of Turnhout, I thought Alonso was dead. He never returned. I went home to my wife and daughter, Lucia and Gabriella. But soon after, the plague swept through Seville and I watched them die, helpless to save them.”
Speaking of that moment still hurt and always would, but the images, though still constant, grew hazier with time. Suddenly realizing he had not had one of his frequent nightmares since the last time he had grabbed Kat, he looked at her and touched her face. “You have helped me heal and learn to live again, Kat. When I decided there was nothing left for me in Spain without Alonso, my wife, or my daughter, I boarded a ship that was part of the second armada, meant to sail to England against Elizabeth.”
“And that is when ye arrived on the Irish coast,” Tomas said, clearly recalling that fateful day when he had saved Juan’s life.
“Si. My ship was blown off course and landed in Ulster. Ireland was not our enemy. We were both facing war with England and our ship was safely docked, or so we thought. A madman blew up our ship when ye and yer grandmother Grace attempted to steal it in the night. He decided to kill us all, rather than allow pirates to have a ship that was never his.”
“Aye. That madman was my wife’s father. He was cruel and greedy. I am sorry that my actions caused yer crew
mates to die. I needed a ship for an important mission. My grandmother told me about the Spanish galleon being held by Katherine’s father. I kenned ye were all to be held as slaves and I needed a crew. My plan was to steal the ship and allow yer men their freedom or to work for me fairly. I wanted to help. Instead, many men died.” Tomas hung his head and sighed, looking ashamed.
“Tomas, you cannot control other men, no? You did not expect such an outcome. But when you saw me in the water drowning while rubble fell all around, you jumped in and saved me. You, an English knight and sworn to Elizabeth. I was your enemy and you chose to save me. I vowed to be loyal to you ever since, and I have. I do not wish to go back to Spain. I do not wish to be king. I wish to be in Clew Bay with my wife and my brother. I only hope you do not see my love for Kat as a betrayal to you. Before we set sail, you had said you would kill any man who dared to touch your sister.”
Kat scoffed. “Sounds like something he would say.”
Standing up, Tomas walked over and looked down at Juan, putting out his arm. “I would be honored to have ye be my brother, Juan. Ye are not just any man.” Hearing those words from Tomas made Juan feel truly at peace. He would have a family again and though he would always love Lucia and Gabriella, it was time to move on. He wondered if Alonso would be interested in staying at Clew Bay with him but decided that was something to ask at a later time. He grew weary and his head was aching fiercely once more. The linen bindings were tight and did not help the pain, but he knew they were important to keep in place.
Reaching out, Juan took Tomas’ outstretched arm and clasped wrists, seeing Kat beside him wearing a wide, proud smile. “I apologize, but I must rest. I grow tired once more.”
Kat shifted to get off the bed and Juan frowned. “You are leaving me?”
“Not for long, mi amor. I do like saying that,” Kat said with a giggle and wide smile. “I have some things I need to see to, but I shall return to check on ye.”
Yawning, Juan nodded and closed his eyes, falling asleep far easier than he had in a very long time. He had a second chance at life and would do anything he could to make this one count.
After asking a few servants and receiving odd looks instead of responses, Kat was finally able to locate Rose’s quarters in the servant rooms below the hall. Rose had risked herself and become injured because of that bastard who tried to defile Kat once more, but he would never hurt another woman again. Now that Juan was safe and settled in his bed, Kat wanted to visit Rose and extend her gratitude for the woman, then she would seek out Niall and do the same. He may have attempted to trick her into courting him, but he had been kind and, in the end, he attempted to save her and then went along to rescue Juan.
Walking down a long, dimly lit corridor in the servant’s quarters, Kat knocked on the third door to her left, as instructed to do by one of the scullery maids who finally responded to Kat. Apparently, having guests wish to visit the chamber of a servant was highly unusual, but Kat was never a conventional lass.
The door opened slowly and, much to her surprise, Niall’s bright blue eyes met hers from the other side. “Kat?”
“Oh, I didnae ken she had company. Should I return?”
Stepping aside, Niall gestured for her to come into the room with a flourish. “Of course not, my lady. You are most welcome. In fact, ’tis better now that ye are here. Rose refuses to believe ye are all right until she sees ye with her own eyes.”
Kat lit up inside with affection for Rose. What a kind-souled woman. She hardly knew Kat at all, and yet was so concerned for her. Stepping toward the old servant’s small, wooden-framed bed, Kat looked down at Rose who looked so much frailer than she had even a few hours ago with her gray hair loose around her pillow and her eyes closed, covered by crepe-thin lids.
“Rose? ’Tis I, Kat.” Gently touching the woman’s shoulder, she was pleased to see her eyes pop open and a small smile grace her wrinkled lips.
“Aye, so it is. Niall didnae tell me a falsehood. Ye are all right, lass?”
“Thanks to ye, I am,” Kat responded, taking Rose’s small bony hand in hers.
“Hogwash and bollocks, I say. Ye killed that man on yer own, ye did. And good riddance to him. He was always foul. I never did like him.”
“I am sorry ye got injured because of me, Rose,” Kat whispered, getting on her knees beside the bed.
“Ye are not the one who hurt me. Charles did. And I hurt myself trying to break down the door, which was foolish for an old woman to do. Ye were attacked, lass! Stop apologizing!”
Kat nodded and closed her eyes, remembering the horror she felt every second of being attacked, the nightmare of having to take a man’s life. She had not had time to truly consider the events that had transpired with her attacker, as she had soon discovered that Juan was missing. The morning was still early but she would need more sleep. Weariness and exhaustion weighed her down.
Standing up, Kat squeezed Rose’s hand one last time. “I shall never forget yer kindness, all the same. Rest now, sweet Rose.” The old woman’s eyes closed, a satisfied smile on her face as she drifted off to sleep.
Turning around, Kat looked at Niall and stepped closer to him. “May we speak in private?” she asked him.
“Tomas told ye he never said I could marry ye… didnae he?” Niall winked and opened the door, stepping into the corridor.
Laughing quietly Kat, nodded. “Aye, he did. Ye had me fooled.”
“Well, he never agreed, but I had asked once a year ago. I meant what I said. We would have been well-matched. But, I suspect ye are better matched elsewhere.” Niall sighed and Kat looked up at him and wondered about Niall MacDougall. Born the legacy of a Scottish Pirate Lord, he was violent when needed and took whatever he could get from his enemies. Yet, he was refined and somehow she knew he was a good man.
“Aye. Juan asked me to marry him tonight and I accepted. Tomas seems most content with the match, which did surprise me.”
“I dinnae ken why it should. He is yer brother, lass. He wants for yer happiness. ’Tis why he wouldnae let me marry ye. He kens ye need more than I can offer and I must admit the sea is no place to start a family.”
Stopping in her tracks, Kat put out her hand and widened her eyes. “I never said I wished to have a family. Children are… awful.”
Niall chuckled and shook his head. “Mayhap we are better suited than I thought. Though I suspect this is not what ye wished to speak to me about?”
“I wanted to speak to ye about Charles.”
“Oh?” Niall stopped and looked at her with surprise in his eyes. “Did he… do anything to ye before ye killed him, Kat?”
Shaking her head, she took a deep breath and swallowed hard, wringing her hands together. It was not an easy conversation to have. “Nay, not… this time.”
“Oh? Oh.” Niall frowned, then scowled. “Why didnae ye tell me, Kat? Immediately? I would have killed him!”
“It happened mayhap two years ago. I didnae ken ye yet. Tomas was still in England and I was just the unruly granddaughter of Grace, though I dinnae think he knew that. I didnae ken who he was. Many men come and go from Clew Bay. It was terrible and I have had nightmares about it for years. It changed me. Made me wild, defiant, angry, and determined to prove I was strong enough to defy any man. I caused much trouble for my family I am afraid, and nobody kens what happened, besides Juan.”
“I see,” Niall said softly. “I am so sorry, lass. Real men dinnae behave that way.”
“Nay, but too many do and a woman cannae take her chances.”
“Indeed.”
“I want to ask that ye never tell Tomas about Charles. Not about my first attack, my second, or that I killed him. He will always pity me and treat me like a priceless artifact from the holy lands that needs constant protection. I dinnae wish to live that way. I want freedom from Charles and all his memories.”
Putting his hand on his heart, Niall vowed never to tell Tomas and she trusted his word. “What of Juan?” he asked.
>
“I shall tell him in time. He will want to ken my attacker is dead so he doesnae need to wonder if he needs to kill every new man on Clew Bay. But he will be angry and blame himself for not having been there to protect me. Of course, he was fighting a battle of his own. ’Tis best I tell him once he is healed and things are more settled.”
“Verra well. Ye are a good lass and will make a fine wife. Ye do ken if he ever decides to take on his birthright, ye will become the Queen of Spain.”
Kat choked on her own saliva and coughed until her face turned red, Niall pounding gently on her back with a chuckle. “Oh, dear God, nay. Look at me. I am a… well, I dinnae ken what I am. I am not a pirate, am I? Perhaps I am. I did kill two Dutchmen, but not for gold. I did it for justice. What does that make me?”
“Braver than most men and stronger than most lassies.”
Kat bumped Niall with her hip and snorted. “Ye think too highly of me. I dinnae ken what I am, but I am not royalty. I will go wherever Juan wishes but I tell ye this: we will be laughed off the continent if he shows up to take the throne with me by his side.”
“Och, ye are the one who underestimates yerself. Ye looked like a queen last night in that silk dress. Ye have a regality about ye that is natural. Wherever ye end up, ye will be just fine, Kat O’Malley.”
She felt herself flushing slightly, yet so glad she had met Niall. He was a man she would not soon forget and she hoped someday he met a woman who could make him happy and keep him on his toes.
“If ye say so,” she quipped. “I need to get back to Juan. He is doing well enough but he is rightfully sore and wasnae too glad to see me go.”
“I dinnae blame the man,” Niall said with a grin.
“Thank ye, Niall, for allowing us to stay here at Castle Dheomhan with the Devils, for helping Juan when he needed it, and showing me that there are decent men in this world beyond Juan and my brother.”
“Och, lass. Ye make me blush,” Niall said, grabbing his heart dramatically, and she rolled her eyes.