Chapter 18 #4
I shake my head. “No. I couldn’t do that knowing your anxiety over the prophecy. It’s important to me that you feel safe and comfortable too, Cor.”
He takes my hand and kisses it. “We’ll figure something out. A compromise.”
“I was unaware you knew the meaning of that word.”
He smirks. “My husband is a wise teacher, besides, perhaps another vision will come to bring clarity to my first. Tristan, I’m feeling an immense amount of faith in the future unlike any I’ve felt before; an amount that makes it easier to surrender.”
“It will be bright, Husband.”
“So long as Alrik is relieved he won’t have to marry you and reinstate me as before.”
That’s worrisome. I hadn’t even thought of that. “Why wouldn’t he?”
“I never would.” There’s the arrogant Corrik I know; it’s comforting. “If I won you any which way, I’d keep you forever.”
I laugh. “I doubt Alrik wants to keep me,” I say, but I remember how he was the night before I left.
I had no choice but to serve him. Through that, I found out he has some softness to him and I daresay he has some amount of care for me.
But enough to go through with a marriage?
No. He said so himself, marrying me would be a waste—he could forge a whole new treaty with a kingdom more important than Markaytia.
“I suppose I can’t imagine anyone not wanting to keep you.”
Corrik shivers, he’s still healing, the fire isn’t enough. I lean away from him so I can remove my fur. “Tristan.”
“We’ll share it. I will be okay in the fire for a bit and then when we sleep, we’ll warm each other with body heat under it. Please, Cor. For me?”
“That isn’t fair.”
I shrug. “I never agreed to play fair, and neither did you.”
“Which is ironically fair. All right, for you I’ll wear your fur for some time, but then I’m giving it back. I look forward to meeting you under it.”
The road home is hard, but uneventful. Corrik heals faster than Salamir, who is halfling, but Salamir is more alert and I work a few smiles out of him by the time we reach the edge of Mortouge.
Corrik makes friends with Jagar and Aldagir; I can tell he’s protective of the little one he was taking care of.
I’m shocked to learn how good Corrik is with children.
“Have you always liked children so much? You never mentioned it,” I ask him.
He smirks. “I envisioned having many children with you, Kathir.”
“Yes, but who was going to look after all those children in your vision, hmmmm?” I widen my eyes and raise my brows. I know it was me.
“You say ‘was’, like it’s not going to happen.”
“I’m game for the ones we have to have as per the treaty to begin with and go from there, my husband. Answer the question.”
“All right, I did envision you looking after our brood, but that’s the way it’s been.” He looks off to the palace in the distance then back to me. “I wouldn’t mind a more active role, but Tahsen, I have no idea what to do with an infant.”
“You think I do? I’ve been playing with swords since I could hold one, I have just as much experience as you do.”
He nods. “Then the woman who carries our baby for us, she’ll have to do most of the work.”
I whack him good in the arm. “Corrik.”
“I’m only teasing. We’ll have to learn together.”
“Right, together. So, we’ll start with one and see how that goes.”
He leans into kiss me, nodding. “Let’s do that.”
“I guess this is where we part ways,” Jagar says. “Unless, you want us to come with you, Highness?”
Jagar has been uneasy because he knows hiding me from the palace guard is a punishable crime.
Embarking on a mission with me, while not itself a crime, always held the potential that he would feel Corrik’s ire, especially under the circumstances.
“That won’t be necessary. Bring Salamir here,” Corrik says hopping off the horse.
Salamir is still not well enough to walk.
Corrik puts a hand on his head, white light bursts from Salamir in rays and then vanishes.
When Corrik’s done, little Salamir can stand, he wraps his arms around Corrik’s leg.
“Highness,” Jagar says, his eyes popping as wide as they’ll go.
“You did not have to use your powers on us. You’re still healing. ”
“I am healed enough. We are in debt to you, but unfortunately, I’m not sure all will see it that way. Best we try to keep this between us.”
Jagar gives a curt nod as Corrik runs a hand through Salamir’s golden hair. I wish I could see Cilindra’s face when she gets her babe back, but Corrik and I must head up to the palace. I jump down from the horse. “I know I’m forever in debt to you, sir.”
“Highness, please don’t be so formal with me.”
I know I’ve made him uncomfortable, but I want him to know I respect him. “And Aldagir, hopefully, there will be an opportunity for that pint of mead we talked about.”
“It would be my pleasure, Highness.”
We part ways and I start to worry about what’s going to happen when we get up there. I’m not bound to escape trouble so easily, but I’m holding onto hope that the king and queen will be so overjoyed with Corrik’s return, they’ll go easy on me.
Alrik.
He might be another story.
When we return, he’s not back anyway. He’s still out, looking for me. He went personally? That was unnecessary.
It ends up being a long day and a long night, but it ends with Corrik and me up in our room under heavy guard. For once, I’m fine with it. Corrik spends a long time washing. I help him with his hair, and I get him one of my white silk robes and wrap him in it. He’s still not one hundred percent.
We collapse on the bed together when we’re both refreshed. It feels like we’ve traveled a long road to get here. The window’s open and the cool Mortougian air drifts over us as we lay entwined together beneath the covers. “What do you think will happen to us, Cor?”
“Nothing we need to worry about. Alrik will concede. I know my brother. He’s been saving his marriage. He gains nothing politically from marrying you and he’s far too pragmatic to do anything else.”
And a few thousand years is a long time to save a marriage, but I guess when you have so many other sons and daughters to marry off, it’s possible.
We pass out and it’s the best sleep either of us has ever had.