Chapter 7: Chapter 7

Arius

Gwenn was crazy, totally and completely crazy! When Faye distracted me from my sparring session with my brother, Kastav which Gwenn accused of wanting to kill me, I actually thought that maybe Gwenn was wrong about who was going to kill me, it was not going to be Kastav but rather Faye. Well that was my thought until she started to talk about my wife who have a death wish.

On getting there, the brat with no self-preservation in her actually turned to greet me with a smile on her face.

“Gwenn I know that you are angry but this is a little bit out of hand, don’t you think?” I approached her and the council members who were strangely not doing anything to harm Gwenn, I had been on the receiving side of their wrath once, although it was a long time ago, I still remember the hopeless feeling that arose from that experience and how my father waged a war on the council. Kastav mother, after being punished was sent away from the king quarters, my mother still carried a grudge against her because she almost lost Silana who she was pregnant with then.

“Out of hand?” She actually had the audacity to look like she was not aware of what I was referring to.

“Gwenn.” I called through gritted teeth. “Leave them alone after you apologize for disturbing them.”

Gwenn snorted. “Good luck trying to make me say sorry. You don’t need to worry about me and them, we have come to an understanding. If they try to harm you, I will give them hell and destroy the kingdom.” Gwenn answered before she smiled at them then tilted her chin at them and walked to me.

“Now that I am done guaranteeing your safety when I am not around, we can take care of the other reason why I am still here so that I can get out of your hair as quickly as possible while you go back to your fornicating ways.” With her words, she smiled as she walked out while the councilors looked at me with surprise.

“She knows of your dalliances.” Isolde, the women who wanted to teach Gwenn respect the day before asked.

“Yes, she does.” I shifted uncomfortably, her look made it seem like I was not a king but rather a naughty child who has been misbehaving by playing with things he has no business touching.

“And even with that, she chose to still protect your life.” Isolde frowns.

“We have a good queen, I approve of her. Render her whatever help you need to so she should return to us. I have a feeling that by the time she returns to us, things will be more interesting that they currently are.”

I nodded to the council as I left the hall to see Gwenn waiting for me outside. When I reached to grab her, she threw herself out of my reach.

“If you can taint our marriage already, you have lost all rights to touch me. Walk and I will follow behind you.” Gwenn spat out and her tone was all fury and fire, I knew I had hurt her with my ways and also the fact that I couldn’t keep it hidden, especially in a house where she is going to be staying but I did not know that it would be this bad.

“Gwenn please.” I started but she shook her head.

“We need to talk about the army support from Northshore so that I can be on my way. This was never a social visit. Let’s go somewhere quiet so we can talk about your new terms and then we can progress with our lives.”

“The new terms is just the same as the former one. The only difference is that, no wedding ceremony, from your people. You will come here immediately after the war with your soldiers and then go about starting with your rites and obligations, both to the crown and the people.” I said suddenely, hoping that she would at least argue with me and put the fire in her eyes to good use rather than using it to hate me.

“You are depriving me of the last goodbye from my people.” Gwenn said softly then raised her head to look at him, she looked so broken that I felt bad. I did this to my wife. I hurt her deeply and I was still hurting her.

“You can choose not to agree to them.” I shrugged, hoping she would not. Hoping she would chose to get angry. Her broken look was harder for me than her anger.

She shook her head. “If me abandoning my family is the least I can do to get their support, well I have already started the sacrifice. Might as well continue with it.” She pinned me in place with her glare.

“You will pay for this. You will regret your decision but then it would be too late to do anything about it. When do I get my army?”

“Don’t you want to know the rites and obligations…?” I asked, trying not to seem desperate. This was not going the way I wanted it to go, why can she not just fit into the mold that I thought she belonged in, why does she have to have different facets.

“Why would I want to know? What’s so special about it?” She shrugged.

“You are required to give me an heir, are you sure you want to accept that duty when you cannot stand my touch?”

“I will be able to distance myself from that situation when the time comes. It is not something you made up right?” She asked and I just pinned her with a look and didn’t say anything. Letting her come up with her own answer for that question.

“Get my army ready for me and the sooner we win, the sooner it will be for you to trap me here. After all, it was what you wanted.” She walked away while I rested my head in my hands.

I keep making mistakes when it concerns my wife and telling her lies that will come back to haunt me.

I was going to go to hell for my words to her, there was no two ways about it.

***************

Gwenn

“I am not broken, I am just sad.” I kept whispering to myself under my breath as I hurried away from Arius as fast as I could go. My life and marriage was not supposed to be this way. This is not fair!

No matter how much I could whisper to myself that I was fine, the truth was that, I wasn’t fine. Not when I had just lost the rest of my family. Orel and Elison, my brothers in every bit of the word except blood, would not be happy with this. It will be a miracle to keep them from coming here so they can pound Arius in the ground for what he just declared as his new terms.

I let out a shiver as I thought about what my new duty will be when I return to Northshore after the war, I would be required to warm Arius bed, to swell with his heirs and eventually birth them. I didn’t want that.

Yes I wanted children but not to that terms, not because it was necessary but because me and my husband want to share the joys of our marriage with our future generation.

That was the plan anyway, the plan I had with Baxter and no other man.

I shook my head as I reached my room, I knew the way without being lost, I was have basked in this fact before now but I am too busy, trying to prevent the tears from falling.

I better stop thinking about Baxter that way, not when he is married to another just like I was.

We might love each other but our beings belong to others.