Chapter 37 #3
“You will come with me to the border. You’ll stay out of sight and out of my way.
You will do as I fucking command or else I will take my wife and leave this skiesdamned realm.
Tundrayn can flood the palace and drown you for all I care.
The Rebellion can set you on fire, and I.
Would. Laugh.” My hands clench and unclench at my sides.
Faramir rises slowly, crazed eyes manic.
A thin line of blood mars his cheekbone.
“How dare—”
“Listen to your brother.” My father’s tired voice cuts through the room like an old blade, weary but still sharp. “It will be good for morale for the soldiers to see you. And I’ll send some of my personal guard.”
Surprise flickers in my chest, quickly tamped down. “It’s decided, then. I’ll meet you in the courtyard.”
The bed is unsurprisingly empty when I return.
Mayah’s in the washroom—her energy signature pulses faintly through the wall.
I’d gone to the armory after the council chambers, rage simmering as I strapped on armor and sheathed my weapons.
I take several deep breaths, hoping to quell the fury that still clings to my skin before I see my wife.
My heart stutters as my boots cross the threshold of the washroom. Dark hair piled atop her head in a messy bun, lips still swollen from my kisses, and a rosy flush painting her cheeks that I know has nothing to do with the steaming water.
She’s in the bath instead of our bed. My lips twist in displeasure, though logically, I know I was gone for nearly an hour.
Frothy suds lap at her shoulders, concealing her from my view. My wife grins at me, the cruel, beautiful woman. Then her gaze drops to my armor, and her brows knit together.
I cross the room and kneel behind her on the tile. “My wife was not where I left her,” I murmur. A loose tendril of hair has escaped her bun, and I brush it to the side before pressing a kiss against her fluttering pulse.
“Your wife grew impatient.” A beat. “Where are you going?”
I don’t answer immediately. Instead, I skim my nose along the column of her neck, inhaling her tantalizing winter rose scent. It’ll be far too long before I’ll be this close to her again. My arm snakes across her chest, water soaking my sleeve.
“The border. We suspect the Rebellion will launch another attack.”
“When do you leave?” A quiet whisper.
“An hour ago.” Faramir is likely throwing a tantrum in the courtyard as we speak.
Her breath stutters. “Zev—”
“I’ll be all right.” I cradle her cheek, tilting her face toward me. “I need to know that you’ll be.”
“I will,” she promises. “How long will you be gone?”
“It’s hard to say. A week? Maybe more.” A deep sigh escapes me as I rest my chin on her shoulder, leaning my head against hers. “But I won’t miss the Equinox Festival. Not when my wife has been tirelessly planning it.”
Mayah leans back into me, eyes fluttering closed.
My heart has never felt so full and empty at the same time.
“If they breach the Arbinji defenses, we won’t be safe here either,” I add quietly.
She freezes. “You think they’ll come for the palace?”
“If I were leading them—” A soft kiss pressed to her temple. “—I would.” With two fingers, I scoop some of the suds, rubbing the white foam into her collarbones. Even in the bath, she wears her necklace. “I convinced my brother to come.”
I don’t mention the vicious words he’d uttered about her. What he’d do without me here.
“We’ll keep him out of danger, but I said it would raise morale for the soldiers to see him. My father will remain here, though. Try to avoid him.”
She nods, and I press another kiss to her temple. “When I return, let’s visit Tundrayn.”
Surprise lights my wife’s eyes. “Really?”
“Yeah. I know you miss your father. And it’ll be nice to escape the palace for a while.”
“What about the Rebellion? Your father and brother?”
I shrug. “They’ll figure it out. Or they won’t. If it becomes too pressing, I’ll head to the border from Tundrayn. But at least I’ll know you’ll be safe in your home.”
A myriad of emotions pass through her gaze. “I’d like that,” she whispers. Her wet hand rises out from the water and tangles in my hair as she nuzzles my cheek. Contentment gathers in my chest. “But aren’t you worried? You wouldn’t stay in the palace for more than an hour last time.”
“You’ll protect me, right?” I chuckle. “And I’m hoping your father and people will warm up to me once they see their princess is safe and well cared for.” A deep, hopeful breath. “And happy. That I make her happy.”
My words are more a question than anything else. A desperate plea for reassurance.
Mayah shifts in my arms, the water splashing gently as she turns to study my face. Then she grabs me by the collar and seals her lips to mine in a deep, aching kiss.
I feel her answer—her love—in her lips, tracing mine with reverence.
When we part for air, I don’t let go, our foreheads pressed together tightly.
“Tides protect you, Zev,” she whispers. “I’ll miss you.”
I wait for telltale pinpricks.
They never come.
Her eyes are open, vulnerable, and Skies be merciful, I think she’s fallen in love with me. I nearly voice the words bubbling inside me.
I love you, Mayah. I have for ages now. Perhaps since we met. My life is better because of you. My life is a life because of you.
You own me. I’d do anything for you. Name it.
Just … love me, too.
But I swallow them down. I don’t want her to dismiss my confession as an overly emotional farewell.
I’ll tell her of my undying love when I return.
One more hungry kiss is all I allow myself. Then I rise, force one foot after the other, and leave my world behind.