***
Alric joined Trox and the knights in the war room.
“How is she?” Trox asked him softly.
He was outwardly furious. “They didn’t get far, but they were attempting to have their way with her.”
Trox nodded. “But they didn’t?”
“No, they didn’t. I wasn’t aware the Qualsax would go to such extremes to get to me.”
“We have to protect her then,” the knight’s Captain told them.
“We will. I assure you. First, I want to pay a visit to the Qualsax with the heads of their Warriors.”
“We brought the bodies back, that won’t be hard,” one of the knights said.
“I’ll not stand by while my wife is assaulted and made a prime target of Qualsax!” Alric yelled.
“They’ve never bothered the Lady of Valhara before.”
“Well, they are now.”
“We’ll go and talk to them,” Trox said, “you and me, and the knights.”
“I can’t leave her yet. She’s upset and confused,” Alric said, and he softened some. “As soon as she feels safe again, we’ll go and confront them.”
Trox nodded and turned to the knights. “No word of this can get out. We don’t need the people of Valhara knowing how far the Qualsax got with the Lady. They can’t feel they are in danger.”
The knights nodded and then left the war room.
Trox watched Alric. “Are you certain they didn’t succeed?”
“Yes”
“I’ve been thinking about this morning.”
“What about it?” he asked, irritated.
“How you refused to let us into the room.”
Alric just watched him.
“Then I realized why you wouldn’t allow us in. You haven’t consummated the marriage,” Trox said.
He sighed. “It’s complicated.”
“It’s not a true marriage until it’s consummated.”
“It will be. I can’t throw all of this at her at once.”
Trox nodded and stood up. “Maybe we should assign knights to Kyrin, just until things with Qualsax calm down.”
Alric nodded but his mind was a million miles away, so Trox simply left.