Warrior (15 page)

acquainted with my new castle. I will

start with the solar.”

Jaisyn knew she’d heard him

correctly but the solar? It wasn’t

ready to be occupied as yet. She

wanted to tell him to go to Pantalus,

but she refrained.

Instead, her lips moved and she

found herself saying, “Yes, liege.”

Vulcan waited until she’d moved to

his side before speaking to his brother.

“Varian, find that High Priestess. We

may need her copy of the betrothal.”

Mathilda

whimpered

again

as

Varian nodded and turned to Isolde.

“I’m sure Princess Isolde can show

me to the Temple.”

***

Vulcan hadn’t needed to be shown

to the solar. He’d seized castles and

fortresses enough to know a terrified

servant would have hastily given

direction. What he wanted was to

remove the veil from Jaisyn St. Ives’s

face and see if she was the one who’d

attempted to murder him.

They walked up a stone staircase,

followed by a shorter staircase, before

they came to the solar. Jaisyn stopped

before the door, just ahead of the

matronly woman who chaperoned

them from a few feet away.

“This is the solar, King Vulcan.”

With that, she prepared to leave but

Vulcan’s voice, and the arm that

reached out and grabbed her, kept her

still.

“Will you not show me around,

Princess?” he told her, his voice low

and firm.

***

Jaisyn tugged her arm free and

pushed past him, grabbing the brass

handle and pushing inward. No fire

had been lit in that hearth in the days

since her father’s death. Just thinking

about that made her want to cry. Her

father was dead, the kingdom was no

longer theirs and a large, evil wretch

of a king now occupied Wilhelm’s

chambers. What had her father been

thinking, giving Mathilda to someone

lik e
him
? Of all his daughters, he

betrothed the one who would run

screaming from this giant of a man?

As she’d sat across from Vulcan,

Jaisyn had critically assessed him. She

knew that many would find him

handsome, with his thick head of silky

black hair that cascaded past his

shoulders, and stern yet sensual face,

but he was in no way approachable.

She had no idea how to reach him.

She had to do something to get her

kingdom back, but she didn’t know

what. The people of Lytheria didn’t

live for war, and this man did.

So lost was she in her thoughts that

she didn’t recognize Vulcan was

pushing the door in until she heard an

audible snap of the latch. She spun

immediately, recognizing that the door

was closed and his tall body was

against it.

His eyes looked dangerous and that

scowl still loomed on his lips. What

was he doing?

“Remove your veil,” he said in that

pompous voice of his. Was he serious?

She was a princess, a daughter of

Lyria!

“King Vulcan,” she began stiffly,

her hands clasped tightly at her

midriff. “You are in my castle

because I wish it. Do not think to

disrespect me in such a manner.”

***

Vulcan could have laughed at how

she phrased that statement. He was

not here because she wished it; he

was in
h i s
castle because he had

conquered it. Twice. He took a step

forward and with her fighter’s

instincts, Jaisyn took one backwards.

“Take off the veil,
Princess
.”

***

Did he suspect it was she who’d

tried to kill him on that horrid night?

She’d tried her best to put that night

from her mind but she’d still had

dreams—nightmares—about it.

“My

liege,

you

are

being

disrespectful. I am a princess of

Lytheria—”

Two quick strides brought him

directly before her and in the next

instant, he was plucking the crown

from her head, pulling the veil off and

tossing it aside.

Jaisyn let out a startled cry and spun

away from him, moving over to the

fireless hearth. Vulcan’s voice came

from somewhere behind her.

“Turn and face me,
Princess
. Or are

you afraid your face will bring back

memories of a night not so far gone?”

He did suspect her. How? It didn’t

matter, but he did. Which probably

meant that he wanted revenge. And he

had promised to continue where he’d

left off if he ever saw her again. Her

eyes darted to the broadsword above

the hearth.

Her father’s sword rested there as a

reminder of the great king who had

once occupied the place. She sent up

a quick prayer to Lyria, and one to

her deceased father, praying she

would not soon be joining him soon.

Quick as a fox, she reached for the

heavy weapon, unsheathed it, spread

her legs wide, and spun to face him.

***

Vulcan was accustomed to the

unusual. He prided himself on not

being shocked easily, but this...girl—

not just any girl, but a princess—

wielding a sword? It was almost

comical, with her flowing dress and

brandishing a man’s sword. The he

remembered that this same woman

had almost killed him as he slept.

There was nothing funny about that.

He lifted his eyes to her face. Her

skin was lovingly kissed with the sun’s

rays—a dark bronze. Her mass of

golden curls was pinned intricately

atop her head, and her eyes, cat’s

eyes—almost yellow in their vivid

brightness—flashed angrily at him.

This was his princess. This had to be

his princess, or else she wouldn’t be

gripping a warrior’s sword, looking

like she was ready to decapitate him.

“Put the sword down, lady,” Vulcan

said as calmly as he, known for his

bouts of temper, could manage.

Jaisyn lifted it higher as her soft lips

curled into a snarl. “So that you can

rip off more than my veil? I do not

think so! Lytherians are not as

barbaric as your people,
my liege
!”

“Put the sword down before I am

tempted to take you over my knee!”

Vulcan bit the words out angrily, and

took a menacing step forward.

She moved to the left, and the grace

with which she did so made Vulcan

recognize something: she was at ease

with the sword. If it wasn’t completely

unheard of, he might even say that she

was a swords
woman
.

He began to tread more carefully.

More than likely she wasn’t skilled at

using the weapon, but he was taking

no chances. Stupidity did not a High

King make.

“I am giving you to the count of

three. If that sword is still in your

hand after that, you cannot hold me

accountable for what I do,” Vulcan

threatened.

She held onto the sword. Vulcan

had had enough. He took a few steps

forward, intent on twisting her arm, as

he’d done a few nights ago, and

pulling the weapon away from her. He

didn’t even get close. As soon as he

was in range, she flicked her wrist so

the flat of the broadsword faced him,

and swung. A resounding crash

reverberated in the room as the sword

caught his breastplate, pushing him

back a step and making his ears ring.

“I will not warn you again! Do not

come any closer!” she hissed out, her

hands aching slightly.

Vulcan recovered from his state of

shock as anger took him by full force.

Steel screeched as he pulled his

broadsword from its sheath and

advanced on her.

***

Whatever Jaisyn had expected, it

hadn’t been this.

Knowing there was nowhere to run,

especially clothed as she was in full

skirts, Jaisyn attacked. He easily

blocked and pushed her back,

showing her just how strong he was.

She attacked once more, lunging at

him and hoping to at least throw him

off guard to escape. He sidestepped

easily and brought his sword crashing

down against hers. The force knocked

it out of her hands and it clattered to

the floor. His sword was still in his

hand as he advanced on her. Jaisyn

pressed her body to the wall. She

wanted to close her eyes but she

didn’t. Instead, she tilted her head and

faced him bravely.

***

Vulcan stopped only a hair’s

breadth away from her. His dark eyes

penetrated hers in their intensity.

“Don’t ever—
ever
—pull a weapon

on me again. I have never had cause

to strangle a woman but by the Gods,

I will.” Just to show her that he wasn’t

joking, he lifted his left hand to her

throat—his right still had his sword—

and let it rest there.

Her lips quivered slightly and his

eyes dropped to them. Slightly parted,

quivering lips. His eyes lifted to hers—

her yellow gaze seemed to dare him,

defiant to the end—and back to her

lips.

In the next instant, he crushed his

lips to hers. She released a muffled

squeak, which parted her lips beneath

his, but he didn’t do as he would have

done on other occasions. He still

remembered that she bit. But he

traced the fullness of her lips with his

tongue, sucking them into his mouth

as he braced her between the wall and

his body.

***

Shock held Jaisyn still for a moment

before she remembered that infamous

night and kicked up a struggle. She

turned her face to the side, feeling

distaste, and something that she

refused to acknowledge, as his lips

caressed her cheek.

“You—you—savage,” she hissed.

“Barbarian! You honorless man! You

call yourself a king. You’re not—you

—you—
wolf
!”

He glared at her, even as she

unknowingly confirmed that she was

the one who’d slipped into his tent

nights ago. She tasted the same and

referred to him by names that seemed

to compliment rather than insult.

“I may be all of that,” Vulcan said

roughly as his head lowered once

more and her eyes grew round and

wide. “But this time,
Princess
, no

biting.”

And then his lips were on hers again

and Jaisyn was pushing against armor

and solidly-built warrior and getting

absolutely nowhere. He lifted slightly

from her lips and as she opened them

to hurl more insults, he lowered his

head once more. This time, he slowly

pushed his tongue into her mouth.

Jaisyn went still as his tongue

caressed hers, daring her to respond.

To reach out her own to his. The

growth of beard on his face tickled

her nose slightly. Unsure of what she

wanted to do, she did nothing. She

remained still, tense, wondering at her

racing heart and the warm feeling

engulfing her body.

When his lips left hers, the look of

contentment on his face fueled the

anger that had been on halt.

Seeing that rebellious look come

across her face, Vulcan tightened his

grip on her neck slightly. “Whatever

you are thinking,
Princess
, do not do

it.”

With that, he released her and

walked over to the large wooden chair

near to the hearth. He sat down and

said calmly, “Fetch my squire and

have the servants bring water for a

bath.”

Jaisyn seethed and without thinking

snapped, “I am not your servant,

Vulcan of Morden! Call your squires

to do your bidding!”

She turned immediately for the

door. Suddenly, he grasped her arm

and pulled her against him. Her breath

left her in a rush as she came against

his armor. His eyes promised swift

retribution.