Dance With the Enemy (21 page)

Chapter 34

Elenya’s spirits plummeted the following morning when she realized just how little time she would have with her father before he went home. She didn’t begrudge him wanting to get back to fully recover and to see her mother and sisters. Still, her heart was already heavy again with missing him, especially when she learned the
Petit Cadeau
was preparing to leave harbor the next day to return the Aleone warriors to familiar shores.

“Will Shemek go with you?” she asked, almost hopeful her father would nod his head. Shemek had been quite instrumental in aiding in the acquisition of the information that freed the men to return home in the final leg of the battle which meant he would be welcomed at Zanak anytime. Though she’d handled his presence at the family dinner quite well, having him around too much would prove taxing, especially as the time for the baby’s birth came closer. She sighed.

Madrik patted his daughter’s hand, then held it. “I’m afraid Shemek plans to return to Aleone,” he told her, obviously misunderstanding her sigh. “I know you must feel alone here at times, especially
this
family…”

She shook her head. “No, Papa. It’s not the family at all. They’ve been wonderful. Especially taking in the daughter of a Drille that wronged them so many years ago.” She silenced his protest by pressing a finger to his lips and laughing. “You know it’s true, Papa!” He relaxed and she went on. “I do so miss Mama and my sisters though. Is there… Do you think they might come to see me?”

Silence stretched between them causing Elenya’s stomach to churn. Madrik laughed when he sensed her anguish. “We were discussing our trip for your binding ceremony when the unrest broke out. I’m sorry you had to forego that.”

Elenya waved away his concerns. “It’s just a ceremony – one of many in a lifetime, it seems.”

Madrik nodded. “It is, though you’ve always harbored such romantic notions. I was concerned you’d be let down.” He laughed at her look of surprise. “Did you think I wasn’t listening when you and your sisters played with your dolls before the fire in my study?”

Now it was Elenya’s turn to laugh. “You appeared so absorbed in your work.” She sat back, gazing off into the past for a moment. “That old rug you brought from Burnos was the best place to play. With all its patterns and colors, it was rather like a mapped out township for our dolls. It was wonderful.”

“And yet your mother refused to allow it into any other part of her home.” Madrik chuckled.

Elenya smiled. “These matches, most often they’re so unconventional, aren’t they?”

Madrik agreed. “But necessary at times for the greater good of the people.”

They lapsed into silence for a few moments before Madrik added, “Your new family has extended an invitation for us to join you here permanently.”

“I assumed he would.” Elenya perked up and sat forward, her heart beating madly.

“We had such a small amount of time to ponder the offer before I had to leave. There’s no telling what your mother has been thinking about and scheming while I’ve been gone.” They both laughed, their thoughts on Senya and her scheming ways. I feel quite certain she’d have much rather been here with you than waiting without word back in Aleone. I can guarantee she will want to
see
you and the baby, at the very least.”

“Oh, Papa. I hope she’ll come soon.” She threw her arms around him.

Madrik wiped a single tear from his daughter’s cheek when she pulled back.

“I’m okay, Papa.” She smiled, though her lips quivered. She looked away garnering a gentle shoulder bump from her dad. “This ritual of the markings … it’s difficult on the chosen women. It’s not like you with Mama where you got to meet her beforehand, to take some time to get to know her before you were thrust together. I don’t understand why the markings continue to take place. Aleone maintained the bloodlines without it.” Elenya turned back toward him, her eyes asking questions she knew he could not answer.

“It wasn’t that simple with your mother and me either, my daughter. We did meet beforehand and I was allowed to court her, in a way. But even then, our union had already been chosen.” He smiled. “Thankfully, it worked out. Probably because your mother is very much like you – she has a way about her that makes people fall in love with her.” Leaning closer, he whispered, “Besides, without the marking, I have my doubts you’d have found your way into the house of Zanak. You would certainly have missed your warrior, yes?”

Elenya could feel her insides fluttering. Her father was right. Had she not been marked, she would have most likely married Shemek. She shivered realizing her heart truly did belong to the man whose child moved within her.

Nudging her arm again with his, Madrik chuckled. “I have to admit, I was concerned when we first learned of your match. We all were. But he’s a fine man, Elenya. Better than most, I believe. And you believe so as well.” He nodded and raised a brow, making her blush and look away. He laughed again. “I may be a man, but I still know these things. I see the way you look at him, Daughter.”

Elenya’s laughter turned her cheeks an even brighter shade of red. She shook her head. “Oh, Papa. He is fine. Far better than I ever imagined.” She paused, her smile flattening somewhat. “It’s just… To be taken so far away from home, removed from those you love, then put through The Dremis with those men… That’s terrifying for a young woman, and especially when one believes her match must be a mistake. There has to be a better way.” She covered her swollen abdomen with protective hands and whispered, “I pray this child is a boy.” She closed her eyes, her lips trembling again.

Madrik slipped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her close. He kissed the top of her head and for a moment she was his little girl again. “I know, though you can’t change reality.” Silence swirled around them again before Madrik continued, “Perhaps, now that you’re married to a prince, you might find a way to effect change using the power of your position.”

Elenya contemplated his words. “You mean… finding a way to end the markings?” she asked, her head still against his shoulder. She felt his shrug.

“Mmm. I think you’d have a much harder time with that large of a change, at least for now. Maybe instead you could change the way the maidens are presented to the warriors? You have a sister coming of age who is pressing her case to be sent to the next Dremis. How would you like to see her find a match and avoid the courts?” He was speaking of becoming a Lady of the Courts, of course. The very thought made Elenya bristle. She thought of Redahn’s blatant use of Lady Larina even after she’d been removed from the courts to Elenya’s service. It wasn’t right and yet it was considered perfectly acceptable. Many of the families of these women, even the women themselves, considered the positions honorable. Elenya shook her head, anger creasing her brow.

“One change at a time, my daughter.” Her father laughed and tapped her nose. “I know those thoughts that swirl in your head, but you have to remember, you’re not going to do away with everything at once, and even trying would be a death wish.” He waited for his words to sink in, watched Elenya’s eyes round, her lips press into a thin line. “Choose what you would like to see changed first. Concentrate on that one thing, and once you achieve that goal, then and only then do you move on to the next.”

Elenya smiled at him. “You’re a wise man, Papa.”

Madrik returned his daughter’s smile and shook his head. “Years of training. It’s what we do in battle. And it’s exactly how I’ve always dealt with your mother.” They laughed before he began to push himself up from the garden bench. “I must work this leg of mine. Will you walk with me a bit?”

Elenya had already risen and was attempting to help him up. “We’ll make quite the sight: the crippled man and the round lady.” They both laughed again.

“Next time you see me, I vow I shall not have to use this cane, nor will I walk with a limp.”

“And I shall not be so round!” she announced as they walked out of the garden arm in arm.

Chapter 35

Tahruk carefully handed Elenya up into the carriage the next morning, noting that moment when she couldn’t decide whether she should sit next to her father or him. He wouldn’t lie – he’d have preferred no hesitation before she lowered herself into the seat where he would ride. He was working hard at being understanding, especially when she rode staring down at the toes of her shoes peeking beneath her dress hem. He’d noticed since his return her emotions seemed to be running strong. He hoped that was due to the pregnancy and this wasn’t her normal state. They’d had so little time together before he’d left that he wasn’t sure he knew her at all.

As he’d watched her sleeping during the wee hours of the morning, he’d tried to remember whether the young woman he’d left had been so emotionally high strung, though those days probably weren’t the best time for a good assessment either. Even he had to admit the way the Dremis maidens and the warriors were thrown together created a less than perfect starting point. Added to that was the fact of who he and Elenya were. He had to suppress a chuckle remembering the way she’d run that night. That was the first time he could ever recall experiencing anger and attraction at the same time. And he’d definitely felt them both, not only then, but many times after in the presence of this woman marked with his blood.

She looked up at him and returned his smile with slightly quivering lips. Her attempt at trying to be so strong pulled at Tahruk’s heartstrings. He slipped an arm around her shoulders and pull her closer to him – probably not the best thing to do, he realized when he felt the moisture on his shirt. Unsure how to help her, he looked across at her father who merely smiled and nodded causing Tahruk to tighten his hold on her and continue doing what he had been doing. She would be okay. He knew that. So did her father. He’d helped raise a wonderfully strong daughter.

Tahruk and Madrik shared small talk as the carriage made its way to the harbor. Tahruk thought of their conversations during those days he sat by the ailing man’s bedside in the abandoned settlement outside Corigan. They’d discussed many things – life as they knew it and the changes before them, Tahruk’s match to the man’s daughter, whether the wrongs of the past could be forgotten…. He’d learned Madrik was not native to Aleone, that his father-in-law’s grandfather was the head of the Burnos Drille – a line from King Andorak’s younger brother, Kahlan. Madrik Kahlan Avenille, a second son, had been matched to the head of Aleone’s daughter, Senya, so that he might be groomed to lead Aleone’s military forces. He’d done well, making his family proud.

But most of their conversations found their way back to a subject they both very much enjoyed: Elenya. At first, Tahruk was surprised to find himself interested in the stories Madrik told of his chosen as a young girl. Such stories would have bored him if they’d been talking about anyone else. But he enjoyed the stories. He learned with no surprise, that she’d been overly inquisitive about everything, giving the special instructors sent by the Centrehead a run for their money to keep her in books. She learned quickly, had a penchant for reading and writing, as well as exploration. More than once they’d found her missing and had combed the area surrounding Aleone only to have her turn up later with her sisters and a few of the Drille’s youthful population. When they finally realized her friend Shemek was the artful one behind her escapades, they’d put his skills to good use and commissioned him as an infiltration expert within Aleone’s forces where he’d proven to be an exceptional warrior.

Tahruk hadn’t enjoyed hearing about Elenya and Shemek together. Even knowing the young warrior had been the one to sneak into the abandoned settlement as well as infiltrating the ranks of the soldiers who’d seized Dunover Castle, and was instrumental in finding out who was behind the foul play within Corigan’s borders, there was something about him that didn’t sit quite right with the older warrior. The younger man may have cleared the path for him to return to Elenya, for which he was grateful, but the look in his eyes when Tahruk’s chosen was mentioned bothered him. He hadn’t liked it at all that Elenya had been seated next to her old friend when they’d last dined. Their dinner conversation hadn’t even gone beyond proper pleasantries, but the few times Elenya had finished her old friend’s sentences or smiled in anticipation of something he was about to say had reminded him that his chosen knew the other man in that way that comes only from being around someone for years and years. If he didn’t know better, Tahruk would say he was jealous – not a feeling he was accustomed to experiencing any more than this need to protect his chosen, both physically and mentally.

His musings were cut short by the carriage pulling to a stop just short of the docks. Elenya righted herself and pulled a kerchief from the small bag attached to her wrist. Peering out the window, Tahruk could see the
Petit Cadeau
bobbing in its moored position. He waited just long enough for Elenya to dab the tears from her face before he slipped from the carriage, made sure everything was set for her father’s trip, and returned to the carriage to help the other occupants out. He stood back, allowing them a moment that seemed somewhat anticlimactic even though he knew both of them were burdened with emotions. The lack of excitement was probably better for the baby.

The baby
. He felt that rush through his system he’d been getting since he’d first been informed she was, in fact, expecting his child. Then again when he saw her, belly rounded, features aglow… there were no words to explain the joy that flooded his senses. She was even more beautiful standing there beside her father, her eyes and nose slightly reddened from the tears, than she had been the first time he saw her. Never before would Tahruk have believed that possible.

He would have also said it was impossible for his heart to break with hers as she watched her father hobble up the plank to the deck of the ship. But when they were again seated inside the carriage and she collapsed, sobbing, her head in his lap, he felt her gut-wrenching heartache as much as if someone had plunged a knife into his chest. Again unsure how to respond, he rubbed her back with one hand, the other stroking the top of her head until the tears finally stopped just outside the entrance to Zanak.

“I’m sorry, my lord,” she whispered sitting up abruptly and brushing frantically at her tear streaked cheeks. “You must think me a complete mess.”

Tahruk raised his brows, his mouth fairly gaping at the confusing creature who had pushed away from him and was now patting her dress down in an attempt to smooth out the wrinkles from her crumpled position.

“I assure you I am not given to fits.” She could barely look at him.

“Okay.” Quite honestly, she looked a bit… mad. Her breathing was still labored from the crying and she worked over the reticule in her lap, intently picking at the tiny beaded flowers.

A frown pulled at her brows and her lips when she glanced up at him. “You do not believe me.”

Tears again! He could see them welling in her eyes. “I do. I do!” he told her waving raised hands before him.

She laid the bag on the seat and moved closer to him. Taking his hands in hers, he was sure she was attempting to impart some information to him through a stare that made his insides quiver like no opponent on the battlefield ever had.

She sighed, her shoulders drooping. “Please,” she paused. “Please do not take my actions as an indication I don’t want to be with you.” A single tear slid down her cheek. “I just… Seeing him leave, and not knowing when I will see them again… And you’ve been gone… And then there’s this…” She looked down at her moving abdomen.

Tahruk wondered why his training had not included a lesson on keeping up with the thought processes of a woman speaking in only partial sentences. He felt certain he should have been completing them in his head. A pang of jealousy stabbed through him as he considered whether her old friend, Shemek, would have been able to do so.

“I’m sure you’ll be seeing them again very soon. I would not even be averse to taking you to see them once the baby is big enough.”

“Taking me?” She whispered the same question that had popped into his mind the moment his statement hit his ears. She looked so hopeful all he could do was shrug and agree. He was quite certain he looked the part of a jester sitting next to her smiling and nodding his head. Her reaction, however, made the moment of embarrassment completely disappear.

Without abandon, Elenya lunged, as best she could with the added bulk about her middle, and threw herself into his arms. She hugged him tightly then smothered his face with kisses. Only when she finally covered his lips with hers did she slow down. She pulled back and looked at him with slowly blinking eyes that lowered to his mouth before her tongue darted out to moisten her own lips. After their eventful beginning, she’d never been hesitant in accepting his advances, and even initiating a few times only to let him take over as soon as her desires were made known. But for her to take the lead…

Tahruk waited. He knew she wanted him to make the next move. He
wanted
to make that move and close the distance between them. The tension inside the coach was palpable. He could feel her heart racing against his, her breaths coming shallow.
Please
, he thought as the seconds ticked by.

With a groan ripping from his chest when she finally covered his mouth with hers, Tahruk slipped an arm beneath her legs and settled her more securely on his lap. Her tongue tracing the line of his lips much as it had her own just moments before made it hard for him to remember to let her lead, especially when she pressed through and began a tentative exploration of the inside of his mouth. He tightened his hold, his arms still easily encircling her, his fingers itching to undo the tiny buttons that ran the length of her back.

As Elenya ran a hand up into his hair, raking through the thickness, Tahruk was forced to break away. “My lady, if we do not stop, I will be unable to hold back,” he whispered to the wide-eyed woman with the red quickly creeping into her cheeks. “Not that I want to stop,  but I’m not so sure you want to crawl out of this coach after being ravished in the center of Zanak’s undoubtedly busy courtyard.”

Elenya groaned, her forehead dropping to Tahruk’s shoulder. “What was I thinking?” He could barely hear her muffled voice, prayed tears would not come next.

Tahruk hugged her tightly. “Love doesn’t think, Little One. It reacts.”

She lifted her head and looked at him. There were no tears falling, though he could see the pools in her eyes. “Do you love me, my lord?” she whispered.

He hadn’t anticipated her words, hadn’t really thought about it. Love! It was an endearment he’d always used with his family, telling his mother or Nema, even his sisters, he loved them. There was a bond between him and his father, and even Redahn that would most assuredly be described as love. He felt an admiration for Elenya’s father that went beyond simple respect. He even felt more for Elenya than he had for any other woman he’d ever been with. But love…

He felt a certain bumping against his hand as their child made its presence known. Tahruk laughed, rubbing the top of the rounded bulge. “Yes, I love you,” he answered her at last.

“Because of the baby?” she asked turning her head ever so slightly to avoid his eyes.

Tahruk studied her face for a moment before answering. He shook his head. “No, my lady. The baby is the reason you were sent to me. And I am very pleased and proud that you carry my child. I think I knew before I left though, and certainly felt it while I was gone…” He paused, taking the time to caress her cheek and wipe away a stray tear, pleased he was not nearly so alarmed by the moisture droplet this time. Turning her face back toward his, he gently brushed her lips with his. “Somehow, you have crept into my heart and embedded yourself there, Little One.”