The Arranged Marriage (29 page)

She stepped back at his harsh
words.

“I am not doing that, just bringing
them in to answer a few questions.”

“And to do that you go in with force?”
He held hard on to her arm and pulled her back closer to him. “You
send in men who may attack first and think later against the people
they will blame for the attack here?”

“Give the men credit,” She tried to
pull her arm away but Ison gripped tighter. “They are aware it is
not them who attacked here, they know it is the rebels.”

“Rohesia, believe me. You, in your
very own words, have given them the right to punish anyone they
think is guilty for the attack. Their anger will no doubt override
any willingness to show anyone remorse,” He lowered his voice. “You
may have just ordered an attack on the Quart.”

She snatched her arm away then and
stepped back from him, rubbing where he had held.

“You are being far too wary and
dramatic my lord. I know my men and I would request that until you
are king you leave this to me,” She turned to leave him before he
could stop her.

“Do you want us to go into the Quart?”
Josa asked quietly as he came up to Ison’s side. He was about to
nod in reply when a report came back to him that the men were
returning with a cart full of people from the Quart. Ison felt his
blood grow cold.

“You had better stay Josa, and rally
the men,” He told him of the report. “They will bring the men to
the queen in the village which will no doubt cause riots. I shall
just try and get her as far away from them as I can.”

Rohesia hesitantly followed Ison as he
led her to the fountain on the way out of the village. He was
trying to urge her back to the castle before her men returned with
their catch, but unfortunately he wasn’t quick enough. They both
came to a standstill when a cart full of captives was brought
before her.

He quickly noticed that all of the
captives’ hands were held behind their backs with twine, some with
cuts and bruises. Rohesia watched as Ison nodded to his men, as if
it was a silent order to keep the gathering crowd under
control.

She felt angry as she turned back to
the cart. Her heart was telling her to show these people remorse,
but how could they truly go about their day to day business and not
know about the growing numbers of hatred amongst them? She moved
forward, and the men who had brought in the prisoners addressed
her.

“We have arrested them on suspicion of
withholding information concerning the attack on Ecripian my queen.
I lay them before you.”

She looked around at the angry and
grief-stricken faces before her, and the hatred for Yena, her
father’s death, the harm to her people, rang through her like
fire.

“I order you to speak.” She said as
she walked up to the cart, shrugging off Ison’s arm as he tried to
hold her back. One of the elderly men in the cart was the only one
to speak up.

“We know nothing of the information
you request my lady,” He addressed her. “We were just going about
our daily tasks, that is all.”

Again she felt the pain of her people
as the flames from the eve before flashed before her eyes; the
image of Claimont dying turning into that of her father.

“You have people amongst you who have
willingly caused this havoc around you, take a look,” She urged
them to look around but no man in the cart followed her orders.
Ison looked at her then, lost at what he was supposed to do, how he
was supposed to help her. He could take her and order her back to
the castle but aside from tying her up in the tower there was
nothing to stop her from coming out here and doing the same again
the next day, or the next. He needed to reach out to her he knew,
but as the sounds of his own heart conflicted with his past and the
words from Argarth and Fabian, he felt himself struggling. The
words were on the tip of his tongue but he was frozen. He now knew
what she needed and that he was the only one to give it to her but
he couldn’t move. He just watched her touch one of the men’s faces,
urging it up to look at the scene around her. Her movement was
harsh, and it was the way she shouted “Look” to the man that had
Ison jumping out of his reverie.

“Rohesia,” He boomed, the tone of his
own voice forcing her to look round at him. “Let them
go.”

“My lord?” She prompted, through
gritted teeth. He waited a time before speaking.

“I love you.” He finally spoke, as if
someone else was controlling his mouth, but now he had started he
couldn’t stop.

“What?” She eyed him suspiciously as
the crowd around them looked on confused.

“I love you, deeply. I have since the
day I dragged you out that damn lagoon and I love you more now than
I ever have.”

She couldn’t quite contemplate the
words that were coming out of Ison’s mouth as she felt her own
cheeks flush red at his declaration.

“Ison, what does this have to do with
now?” She hissed, aware of the situation folding out around
her.

“I should have told you sooner but I
was a coward and a fool,” He kept his distance as he spoke. “I ran
from my feelings as you embraced yours and now I see how much good
that did you, how strong that made you,” He paused to find the
right words, knowing it was too late to think of his reputation as
his own men and Josa stood close. “Now you are pushing them aside
as I have done for so long and Rohesia you will not beat it. You
will go to sleep every eve with a heavy conscience and wake up each
morning with some additional hatred for the world,” He stepped
closer to her then, aware that more people had joined his audience.
“I was like that, until I met you. Until I was able to wrap your
love around me like a blanket that enabled me to think again, to
live again,” He brought her to him as he noticed her eyes softening
under his words. “Let my love return the favour to you Rohesia, let
me wrap you up this time and make you realise that you don’t have
to sink to the depths of harm with me here to hold you tight,” He
noticed her tears fall and he wiped them away. “I love you, and we
will get through this together. I vow.”

Rohesia felt the dead weight that had
been around her shoulders since her father’s death float away as
the warmth of Ison’s arms engulfed her. She blinked her eyes to
ensure she wasn’t in a dream.

“I don’t know what to do.” She said
quietly as more tears fell.

“Then let me guide you, as you have
guided me.”

She held him then, as he wrapped his
arms tighter around her. It seemed an age before she was able to
let him go and wipe her tears.

“Let them go,” She ordered to her men
as she started to untie the twine that held the prisoner’s hands
together. She felt a hand on her arm as she turned to notice the
man whose face she had pushed earlier in her anger. The apology was
ready on her lips but the man spoke to her first.

“I am sorry for your loss my lady.” He
advised her with understanding, but the only thing she was able to
do as a lump formed in her throat was to nod back. She numbly
watched on as Ison approached the people from the Quart and ordered
his men to take them back to their homes.

Once everything was sorted, he took
Rohesia by the hand and led her back to Ecripian castle, both of
them saying nothing, yet feeling everything.

Chapter
Sixteen

It was the day after Ison’s
declaration of love and Rohesia was relaxing in a tub full of
water, bathing in their chamber. She looked down at her swollen
stomach, knowing that something deep inside her had changed. It
didn’t feel like relief she thought, or a sudden happiness, but it
felt more like she had morphed into someone else that felt more
right for her. She put her hand to her stomach and eased deeper
under the water, understanding more now than she ever did, and
finally understanding what it was she had to do.

Ison entered the chamber and she
looked up at the man who had led the way to her answers. Her heart
warmed at his presence as she tried to push even deeper into the
water to hide her body. He guessed what she was doing as he stopped
at the side of the tub.

“Don’t you dare hide that beauty away
from me my lady otherwise I will jump in there with you.” He
playfully threatened as he knelt down beside the tub. He looked so
handsome in his red and black tunic that he seemed to favour. She
could also see he was still wearing some remnants of his
armour.

“Ha, like there would be any room
whilst I am big enough to fill twenty bath tubs. Where have you
been?”

He followed the direction of her eyes
to what he wore and smiled.

“We have been perusing the borders,
checking for camps or any signs of attack.”

“Anything?”

“Nothing. I am still convinced the
people who did this are operating from the Quart, but without the
majority of the locals’ knowledge. If they do know anything I
believe that they are feared into silence.”

“I am certain of it.” She whispered as
she lifted the sponge out of the water and squeezed it down her
back. Ison removed the rest of his armour and gently took the
sponge from her, dipping his hand into the water.

“What are you doing?” She asked with a
playful smile on her lips.

“Finding the soap.” He announced, his
face full of innocence as his fingers started to stroke her legs.
She felt the familiar shivers start to vibrate through her
body.

“Have you found it yet?” She
whispered, as the heavy breathing betrayed her.

“No, I’m afraid that I don’t have a
lot of room to manoeuvre in,” He said teasingly. She took no
hesitation in splashing him for his taunt until his tunic was
soaked through; their laughter vibrated through the
room.

“You my lady, are going to pay for
that.”

“No you don’t, if you do anything to
me regarding a soaking I will just sit on you.”

“Mmm,” He murmured as his hands delved
back into the water. “Make sure you’re naked and wet when you
do.”

“Oh you insufferable toad,” She said
as her hand lifted again to splash him. He gently gripped her by
the wrist and pulled her towards him as his lips descended on to
hers.

She felt alive the instant their lips
touched and she didn’t hesitate to accept the invitation of his
tongue as he launched his attack of kisses on her. He wanted more,
she could tell that, from the deep groans escaping his throat, the
water on both their lips adding to the sensuality of the kiss. He
found it hard to pull away.

“Rohesia,” He pleaded with a husk in
his voice. “Please get out the tub.”

“Why? Are you going
somewhere?”

“To bed with you.”

“But it is still light outside.” She
teased.

“The Sun nor Moon will guide me when I
should be making love with my wife,” He reached for her towel and
stood up ready with it open. “Anytime, anyplace, anywhere are my
rules. I think my lady had better accept that if one requires an
easy life.”

She laughed.

“I live for an easy life my
lord.”

He groaned aloud and jigged about like
a spoilt child.

“Oh damnation, will you hurry up and
get out of that tub before you do your husband an
injury.”

She lifted her hand for
assistance.

“Gone are the days when I leave this
tub gracefully Ison. I am afraid I need your
assistance.”

He suddenly felt like a complete an
utter fool for not offering his assistance earlier. He always
seemed to forget her state with the babe when his mind was,
elsewhere.

“Oh Rohesia I am so sorry, here let me
help you.”

She watched in fascination as her
rampant devil of a husband changed into a complete and utter
gentleman right in front of her eyes. He will be a very good
father, she thought, and it made it all the sweeter after his
declaration of love to her. She felt her heart swell in the bosom
it. The Bloodhunter had been put to rest.

“Do not fret so Ison, I hate that you
have to see me like this, this growing piece of dough you have to
call a wife.”

He aided her out of the tub and waited
until she got her balance before moving to get the
towel.

“If you insult yourself again my lady
I will ensure that you sleep outside, naked.”

“You have an obsession about my being
naked.”

“Why not? You’re beautiful, and if I
had my choice I would keep you locked up in here naked all day so I
could have my wicked way with you at my choosing.”

“You ogre.”

“You tease.”

He held her then, noticing a
difference in her demeanour since yesterday. The grief of her
father and worry for her people still lay on her shoulders, but
more so in a way where she was ready to share the load. It was as
if she had grown into a natural strength to handle her
responsibilities, and his love for her. He kissed her
lightly.

“I’m proud of you wife.” He whispered
against her lips. He wrapped the towel around her and guided her to
their large bed, lying her down and kissing her senseless before
she could even ask him why.