Page 47

“I’ve kept my distance. Besides, the crowns weren’t at the hut. I didn’t go back there. They were with Lexanne. We were working on them the day before Sanjit pulled a fast one on me. I knew something was wrong when she invited me to dinner. I never should have gone.”

“Sanjit has made it clear that she thinks you’re a threat to her.”

Visla rolled her eyes. “A threat? She holds a title. She’s a princess. Why would she be threatened by me?”

“I think you know.”

“What? Why? I barely know the wench.” Visla looked blankly at me.

“You will be my queen…something she will never be.”

Visla blushed. “You keep saying that.”

“You will reject me…is that your plan?” I asked.

“I’m just a jeweler,” she replied, avoiding my question. “With no plans,” she added.

“You’re more than that, Visla. That was clear from the moment you marked me.”

“Marked you? I didn’t mark you.”

I chuckled. “Need I remind you how you resisted me at first. It wasn’t so long ago. I still have the scaring on my leg to prove it.”

She cheeks reddened. “Oh. That? Marked you like that. Yes, I guess you can say that I marked you.”

I took her hand and then with my palm I gently coaxed her lips toward mine. “So do you see, Visla? We’re already connected, you and I. And you’re much more than you know. You caught my attention, my interest, when nothing appeased me other than my work and my warriors. You’ve shown me something I never thought possible. You’ve healed me in many ways. I don’t want to lose you.”

As if gravity were pulling us together, our lips met, and I pulled her soft, lithe form over mine. I wanted to take her, to mate her, to fill her with my seed a million times over and then even more. My fingers had just begun to roam over her body when there was a loud thud at the door and one of my men burst through.

Visla must have been so used to people bursting in on us. She wasn’t startled this time. She just gracefully pulled the sheets up to her chin.

“What is it?” I grumbled lifting myself to a seating position. I was glad to see a few of my hordesmen standing in the doorway. They were not in their normal armor, but in metal farmers rags, which was probably done to ensure that they wouldn’t unknowingly lead a trail back to Visla or I.

“My King, it’s about Sanjit. She’s at the capitol and she’s just declared herself the interim Queen of Dretis, spreading lies about how you are AWOL and presumed dead from battle injuries,” Nurhet announced.

Anger boiled through my veins and pain wretched through my body as I swung my feet over the bed. “Lies. She has no grounds to announce herself Queen,” I hissed.

“Her uncle was executed for his crimes just last moon by King Oderas himself. Sanjit is now the Queen of her Isles with legal claims to lands and the authority to take possessions. As such, her presence in the capitol during your presumed absence has given her grounds to name herself Queen of Dretis in the interim,” the warrior called Bremis replied. “She has officially usurped you.”

My fingers dug so hard into my palms that I almost drew blood.

The only thing calming me down was Visla’s supportive hand on my back, quietly begging me to allow my wounds time to heal. She would soon learn that a hordesman did not resolve conflicts on his back.

I stood. “Nurhet? Get me my armor and my axe.”

“Yes, King.”

My warriors turned and filed out of the room.

I sat back down on the bed and pulled at the cloth bandage around my torso, steadily unwrapping it. I’d seen enough wounds to know that I’d only healed enough to develop a very thin layer of flesh over the gash.

Visla kneeled between my legs, placing her palms on my knees for leverage. She had this look of defeat and fear on her face that I’d not seen before. She understood what I was about to get myself into and I understood why she was concerned.

“Khol, please…she’s trying to lure you out,” she urged. “She’s playing games with you. I’ve only known the wench for a short time, but I know what kind of person she is now. She won’t stop until she gets what she wants just exactly the way she wants it.”

I gently cupped Visla’s chin and led her up until she stood directly in front of me. She was never meant to kneel before me. As I’ve known since the moment she captivated me, she was always meant to be my queen. Visla was smart. I heard her loud and clear, and for that reason, I had to act.

“I’ve lied down long enough, Visla.” I kneeled down on one knee before her and bent my head to kiss her flat belly through the thin underdress she was wearing. Her warmth was inviting and all I wanted to do was stay connected to her. When I rose to stand again, I kissed her lips and then declared, “I’m doing this for our future.”