Unbroken (Unarmed Trilogy #2) (21 page)

"And who are you?" Will asked with mile suspicion as he lowered his sword, but didn't sheath it again.

"Oh, me? I am Paul Bradford. I am your uncle," Paul said with a smile as he stepped forward with open arms. Immediately, Will took a step back, which made Paul chuckle. "I don't mean to frighten you. The last time I saw you, you were a tiny baby. You couldn't have been more than a few weeks old..."

"You met me?" Will asked skeptically.

Paul raised an eyebrow before he chuckled again.

"There will be time for all questions to be answered. I see you found the passage only the traders know about," Paul said as he peered over Will's shoulders. "Do I count over one thousand men?"

"About 1500, to be exact," Will replied as Paul brushed past him and inspected his men.

"And a girl tucked somewhere amongst these men? The Roth girl?" Paul asked. Will took the moment to inspect him. Will knew the reputation his uncle had, and Will had seen other men with similar tastes, but Paul did nothing to give it away. Will scolded himself for thinking that way; he hated when people made assumptions about him for being a Prince. It was the same thing that Will assumed Paul would be a certain way because he loved men the same way Will loved women.

"Is she welcome here?" Will asked, unsure of the state of relations between the Roths and the Bradfords.

"She is your wife and your family. Therefore, she is under our protection," Paul replied, though Will couldn't quite grasp what that meant. They could still be untrusting of the Roths. Paul turned back to face the men as Will inspected their spears. Had they been the ones to kill the village they had seen earlier? "Step aside, men. The Thurstons are our family."

Will's first instinct was to distrust Paul. They may have been related, but that didn't mean the Bradfords couldn't turn on Will in a moment's notice. However, Will had no choice but to follow Paul with his men in gold out of the crevice in the mountain. Will felt the blinding sunlight in his eyes and on his skin and the familiar heat.

Will blocked the sun with his eyes and found the most beautiful sight. Down a slightly twisted hill was a grand estate: a palace hidden behind large wall that extended across much of the land in sight. The gate was a strong wired one with pieces of iron sticking out of them, like thorns on a rose.

"I thought your territory was on top of a mountain?" Will asked as he extended his arms to keep his balance as he began to walk down the hill.

"That is what we let our enemies think. No one wants to walk to the top of that mountain and if they do, they find nothing. When my father settled the area, he found the crack in the mountain, walked through it, and found this spot. We are on the ocean, but not close enough to see the palace from the ports. Only merchants and important allies knows the secret," Paul answered as he stared forward at the territory. "It is a fine piece of land. It is different from the North, but it will serve you well," Paul said before he coughed lightly. "I'm sorry about your home and your people. The Johanssons are foul people."

"Thank you," Will replied awkwardly, unsure of what else to say. Will listened to the sound of the wheel against the ground and it lulled him into a strange sense of security. He and Paul said little else as Paul brought him through the gate and into Bradford.

The individual territories were set up similarly; behind the walls and the gates were usually the houses of the common people, followed by the palace. The small number of nobles often resided in the palace or their houses rested on the grounds of the palace. Bradford had a large piece of land, but there were no houses behind the gate. The grass looked like it had been completely untouched as Will led his men closer to the palace.

The palace was significantly larger than both Thurston and Roth and was made of stone, like Thurston. The palace looked ominous, with its black stone-walls and deep brown colored doors. Though it looked frightening, the palace also appeared to be well built and sturdy. Will wondered if this palace could withstand fire if it were invaded. The pain settled in his chest as Will clenched his hand at his side. He would not make the same mistake again.

"I had a feeling you would come," Paul said as he waved to the soldiers around the perimeter, who opened the gate. Will strained his neck to see over the walls. "All the territories know what has happened."

"And what do you know?" Will asked. He scanned Paul's face for signs of deception as he began to speak.

"You and your father left to battle the Johanssons, but your wife's Johansson handmaiden and your father's second-in-command betrayed you and invaded. Your wife escaped and now you need a place to stay so she can have a baby. Who the father of the baby changes with whomever you speak with," Paul said with a slight frown.

"She is carrying my heir. She was with child before I left," Will defended fiercely as he felt his fingers linger on his sword.

"I wouldn't presume otherwise. Johanssons like to cause trouble," Paul said with a slight tremble in his voice. "Has anyone ever told you that you are quite imposing for someone so young?"

"I'm nineteen. I’m old enough to be imposing," Will said with slight offense as he and his men began to walk up the stairs to the castle. The oak doors opened and on the other side should have been a large foyer, but instead, it appeared that all of the common people of Bradford were inside. They were covered in dirt. "What in the world?"

"Your territory turns out the weapons and we send you the materials to make it. Our people mine gold for money and what is necessary to make weapons. Between that and the use of our ports and selling of indigent fish, we are a wealthy territory," Paul smiled with pride as he reached out and shook the hands of the men around him. "The palace is large, but a good portion of it is underground. All of our common folk live on the lower levels of the castle and at the very bottom is where they mine. There are also other things down there, but one step at a time."

"But everyone says you only use ports. How do you explain the gold?" Will asked as the miner men began to descend down a staircase in the corner. The stairs were made of a metal, perhaps iron, and the sound of their boots on the stairs rang out. The sound set Will's teeth.

"The people who need to know are aware," Paul answered before he walked forward and placed his hand on a door that was as large as the wall. "This is our Throne Room. My parents are dealing with the problems of the territory, but they will be beyond thrilled to see you!"

Will looked behind him to his men. They all had a wary look on their face as they kept a circle around Tamzin. Will could barely see her over the shoulders of the men, who all had their hands on their weapons. The Throne Room was not decorated as grandly as Roth or Thurston. There were no weapons on the walls, the armor of their enemies beaten from battle, or even the family colors. The thrones were simple wooden chairs that didn't look particularly comfortable or grand. There also was not a long table for the royal family to sit in during dinner. It was bland and the space severely underused. Will could see a man sitting in a throne.

Aidan Bradford was an ugly man. The top of his head was bald, but the hair on the sides ran long and well down his shoulders. That hair was thin and greasy. He was laughing about something, which made his face look like a rat. Will could see his eyes were brown, and his hair was a lighter shade. He was very thin and gangly, and his drab clothes hung on him. Despite this, he appeared to be a jolly fellow. He was laughing at something his constituent said, and was then joined by his wife.

Aurelia Bradford was far too pretty for her husband. Not much was known about her, except she was a Northerner from an extinct territory. She had dark hair with streaks of gray, and her eyes were kind. She was slightly plump from her age and bearing three children, but she was pleasant enough to look at.

There was a younger man standing next to Aidan. He was tall and handsome, with tanned skin and jet black hair. His eyes were the same color as his hair, though he had wrinkles around his eyes and mouth. They were smile wrinkles, from a life spent in happiness. He wore traditional Southern garb, and Will noted that his clothes were significantly nicer than Aidan Bradford's. As Paul led Will and his men into the Throne Room, Aidan became aware of his guests.

"And who is this?" Aidan Bradford asked as he stood from his mock throne on shaky legs. "Is this another friend of yours, Paul? If I didn't know any better, I would think you brought a Northerner into my midst." Aidan grabbed his goblet, which was made of wood, and brought it to his lips.

"He isn't just any Northerner, Father. He is
the
Northerner," Paul smiled. "Nicola's son has come back home."

Aidan Bradford dropped his goblet. A loud shriek escaped the lips of the Bradford Queen and the man next to Aidan smiled the broadest grin Will had ever seen, especially from a stranger. Aurelia stood from her throne and wept before she ran to Will and threw her arms around his neck. She was shorter than Will and she stood on her toes to embrace him. Tamzin watched, from behind her army of men, and bit her lip to hide her broad grin. Will didn't have a chance to return the hug to his stranger grandmother before she pulled away and cupped his face.

"You look most like your father," she said with slight disgust before she smiled again. "But you have your mother's hair, and her lips, eyelashes, and eyebrows. There's a bit more of her in you than you think," Aurelia said before she placed a kiss to his bearded cheek. "Nineteen years old," she said as tears flooded her eyes. "I never thought I would see you again."

"Again?" Will questioned. Aurelia had opened her mouth to answer before the dark haired man appeared behind her and placed his hand on his shoulder.

"Will Thurston!" His voice bellowed happily as his hand tightened on Will's shoulder. "Fetch my children!"

It was then that Paul intervened and pushed on the man's shoulder.

"You don't want to overwhelm him, do you?" Paul asked with a hardened stare before he looked to his father. "The Thurstons travel with the Roth Archers. They need protection."

"The men don't need protection," Aidan asked with a rat grin. "The lone Roth girl needs protection."

At hearing Tamzin's mention, Will stood straight and his hand returned to the sword at his hip.

"Tamzin is my wife and she carries my child. If you protect me, you protect her," Will said in a demanding voice. He was to be a King and it would be his job to ensure the safety of his men, as well as his family. "In the wagon outside, we have brought supplies. Food, medicine, cloth for clothes, as well as many other things in trade for protection."

"While I do appreciate the gesture," Aidan replied before he let out a phlegm covered cough. "We are family. I do not need supplies to compel me to help you or your wife. All I ask is that you present this wife of yours, so I may put to rest the rumors about what child she's carrying."

"Is my word not good enough?" Will asked before he shoved Paul away from his and unsheathed his sword. "My wife does not carry another man's child. I am a good enough husband to keep my bed warm with her in it."

"Was there a suggestion that she carried another man's child willingly? If a Johansson compelled her into a bed or onto the floor, than it certainly isn't willing. Isn't that what all your Northerners say?" Aidan asked before he leaned forward and placed his goblet on the floor. "I am only a curious man."

With his back to the wall, Will took a deep breath and sheathed his sword again. He turned slowly and his eyes locked with Garrett's. With a nod, the men parted and there Tamzin stood, her lilac dress torn at the bottom, but her cream cloak covered the damage well. Despite her layers, her belly stood prominent. Will extended his hand to her and Tamzin approached him. She stood next to Will, their hands entwined, as she stared at Aidan Bradford defiantly.

"You are either expecting twins, or you were indeed with child before the Johanssons invaded," Aidan smiled as he took a sip from his goblet. "Your clever fingers killed Junior Johansson. He liked to raid neighboring towns for the fun of it, so we would shelter you for the simple fact that you killed him."

"It was luck, nothing more," Tamzin answered sweetly before she curtsied. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Your Grace, and your family," Tamzin said as she smiled to Aurelia and then Paul.

"You have a very pretty wife, indeed," Aidan said. "If she had been your wife for the last nineteen years, one could understand why you haven't returned our letters and invitations."

"What?" Will asked as he turned his attention from Tamzin to Aidan. "Letters?"

"Letters from us to you, and invitations to our various name day celebrations. Over the years, the birth of your siblings..."

"Siblings?"

Aidan gave Will a strange look.

"Your mother..." Aidan began.

"My mother is dead. She died as I came out of her," Will barked angrily, like a mad dog. "Is this your idea of some cruel joke?"

"Will," Tamzin interrupted as she tightened her grip on his hand. It was then that the entrance behind Aidan opened and in came four people: two teenaged girls, a teenaged boy, and the woman with the same color hair as Will.

"Who told you your mother is dead?" Aidan asked as he stood up from his throne again. The man no longer looked like a rat; he looked irate.

"My father," Will responded, though Tamzin thought he hadn't yet spotted the woman. "And my aunt."

"Your father tells you a lot of things, doesn't he?" Paul asked as he put his hand on Will's shoulder, tight enough to restrain him.

"Will?" a small squeak of a voice spoke from behind Aidan's throne. And there she was, as Will's breath caught in his throat and he heard the gasp from Tamzin and his men.

It was Will's mother, alive and well.

You could have heard a pin drop in that Throne Room when Nicola Bradford made her presence known. Tamzin noted that, despite her aging, she still looked very much the same from her portrait in Thurston. Her long, deep brown hair was untouched by grays and her eyes were a vibrant hazel. Her skin was sun-kissed and she was tall and slender. Tamzin could see why a man like Gregory Thurston would want her for a wife.