He lowered his hand down my body until it reached my midsection, and he placed the palm of his hand over my stomach as I covered his fingers with my own.
“I did not think you could become more precious to me,” Branford said, “but you have.”
His lips brushed mine once more.
“I love you, Alexandra.”
“I love you, Branford,” I replied.
Branford smiled and took my hand before leading me first to breakfast and then to the practice field. I took along my sewing and spent most of the day working on a shirt I was making for my husband out of the green silk he had purchased for me when we were first married. He had bought so much fabric, I wondered if I would ever use it all. Then it occurred to me that I would now have someone else to whom I could devote my sewing skills. I smiled as I held up Branford’s shirt, already considering how I would make one to match in a much smaller size.
I touched my belly as I leaned back and looked out over the field. A young recruit from the borderlands swung his sword haphazardly at Parnell as the experienced knight danced away effortlessly. Branford further instructed the young man though the novice did not appear to be grasping the proper movements, and I could see my husband’s frustration in his stance.
Eventually, he waved the young man away, drew his own sword, and attacked Parnell. The two went at it for several minutes, and I must admit I found it hard not to watch the muscles in Branford’s arms and back as he swung his sword. I found myself daydreaming of the previous night as the same hands had caressed my body so gently.
A call from the road distracted Branford from his battle and me from my fantasy. All eyes in the field turned as Sir Rylan rode up on his steed with a farmer’s cart behind him, a pair of slow mares pulling it steadily over the muddy road. Sir Rylan’s arm waved in the air, and I stood to accompany Branford to where the knight had brought his horse to a halt.
“I have a gift for you,” Sir Rylan said. He looked at me for a moment. “Perhaps Queen Alexandra should return to the castle first.”
“My queen stays at my side,” Branford told him. “What gift?”
“I would like to discuss the terms of the gift first, if we may.”
Branford’s eyes narrowed slightly as he looked at our ally.
“Explain.”
Sir Rylan swung his leg up and over the saddle and dropped down next to his horse. Michael stepped forward and grasped the reins, moving the large animal off to the side and out of the way.
“You asked for the heads of Lady Kimberly and Sir Leland,” Rylan said. “You have offered a substantial bounty for them both—more if brought to you alive.”
“I have,” Branford said with a nod.
“I want you to remove the bounty on Sir Leland.”
“Because he is of your blood?” Branford asked as his upper lip curled into a sneer. “Lady Kimberly is of my own blood, I will have you know. It will not prevent her from receiving punishment for her treachery against my kingdom!”
“Not because he is of my blood, no.” Sir Rylan took a deep breath as he looked off toward the cart. “However, my uncle favors him. My uncle will still provide you with men, but he wants the price on Sir Leland’s head lifted.”
“He was part of this plot,” Branford said with a growl. “You heard it from my own cousin’s mouth. He was part of it from the beginning. He interfered with a royal bloodline. How could I possibly let that slide?”
“I intend to compensate you for it,” Sir Rylan stated.
“How?”
“You will cancel the bounty?”
“What compensation?” Branford said, demanding an answer. “What could possibly be offered in return for this grievous favor?”
“In return, I will give you this.” Sir Rylan took a few steps backwards until he reached the edge of the cart. Branford followed and we all peered into the back as Sir Rylan yanked back a rough blanket that covered a form lying in a pile of straw.
It was Lady Kimberly—bound and gagged in the back of the farmer’s cart.
“I need no other payment,” Rylan added.
Though I could feel the tension vibrating through the air as Branford’s hands clenched into fists, I was too consumed by my own thoughts as I looked down at the woman. Nelle’s words entered my head in a rush, reminding me that it was Kimberly’s conniving and information about Branford’s past that allowed Janet to exploit my sympathy and compassion and allowed her treachery into our rooms.
It was Lady Kimberly’s plot to kill Branford’s children as they tried to grow inside of me.
In an instant, my mind traveled to a place it had never before encountered. My vision became focused on the woman in the cart, and my limbs tensed as my throat constricted. She was the one who started this plan by revealing information about Branford’s past to his enemies. She was the one who devised the idea to kill Branford’s children, to deny him an heir, and to force him to take the concubine he did not desire.
A screech unlike any heard before came from my lungs as I lunged onto the cart and began pounding my fists into the former noblewoman’s face. She cringed back, as if she could bury herself within the straw below her, but I was unrelenting. She had no escape, and my hands burned and ached as they made contact with her head and shoulders.
I felt arms gently encircle my waist, but I paid them no heed—I just continued to rain blows down upon the woman below me. Even as the arms pulled me backwards off the cart, I screamed incoherently at her as I reached out as far as I could, trying to inflict whatever damage I could to the horrible woman who caused all of this suffering.
“Shh…hush, my wife.” I heard Branford’s voice as I struggled against his restraint. “She cannot harm you now…remember who you carry inside of you. Do not be upset; do not endanger our son with your anger.”
His words stilled me, and I no longer fought as he pulled me away from the wretched view of the woman in the cart. After he dragged me several feet, he stopped, turned me around to face him, and wrapped his arms around my shoulders.
I let my cheek press into the cool links of his chainmail shirt, finding the feel of the armor on my skin strangely comforting as tears streamed down my face. I fought back choking sobs as Branford continued to run his hand over my hair and whisper quietly in my ear.
“Kill her,” I choked out. “I want her to die.”
“I shall,” Branford said, making his words a promise. “She will.”
Footsteps approached us.
“What do you say to my bargain?” Sir Rylan asked quietly.
I felt Branford’s body stiffen, and he was as still as a statue for several moments. He glared down at the woman in the straw, and the muscles of his jaw clenched.
“I will lift the bounty,” Branford said softly, “but that will not spare Sir Leland’s life should I come across him personally. Whether he is in my lands, in your own, or at tournament—if I see Sir Leland again, he will die by my hand.”
“Understood, King Branford.” Sir Rylan took a step forward and offered Branford his arm. Branford reached out and grasped the other knight’s forearm.
My husband took a slight step toward the cart, and I could see Lady Kimberly’s body still and her eyes widen as he approached. The side of her face was bruised, and there was a small cut on her lip from where I had hit her. He looked down at her with as much hatred as I had ever seen.
Branford brushed his hand down my arm.
“Alexandra,” Branford said softly and without looking in my direction, “return to our rooms.”
“I want to stay,” I told him. I reached up to brush tears from my face.
“No,” Branford said with a shake of his head.
“She did this to me, too!” I yelled back at him suddenly, and Branford turned—his fingers gripping my shoulders.
“You are not staying for this, my wife,” he said most adamantly. “After Janet, you had nightmares, or do you not remember? I will have nothing jeopardize my son!”
I glared up at him. It was true. I hadn’t slept for a week after Janet’s execution, and every time I walked past a fire, the smell of charred flesh invaded my memory.
“I want to stay,” I repeated.
“Absolutely not.” Branford called over to Michael to take me back to the castle, refusing to look me in the eye.
I grabbed for Branford’s hand and moved myself back into his line of vision.
“I am not to leave your side,” I reminded him.
He looked directly at me.
“Alexandra,” he repeated, “I want you to return to our rooms. Stay there until I come for you. Michael will accompany you and remain outside the door.”
“What are you going to do?” I demanded.
Branford’s eyes blazed for a moment but then tightened and darkened.
“I’m going to slowly and publicly torture her to death,” he stated. “I do not want you to see what is going to happen to her. Once her head is on a pike at the front of the castle, you’ll be able to see the results, just as everyone will.”
I steeled myself and tried to stand up taller.
“I want to be there,” I insisted again. “I want to know what is done to her.”
“I will tell you,” Branford said, “but you will not watch.”
“What will you do?” I asked, pressing him for an answer.
Branford’s eyes further darkened.
“She is going to suffer,” Branford said as he snarled through clenched teeth. “She is going to suffer because you have suffered. Because I have suffered. Because all of Silverhelm has suffered for what she did.”
“But I am not to be away from you!” I said again. “If you are there, I must be there as well.”
“I want her blood on my hands.” Branford growled low as he stared at the helpless woman in the cart. Kimberly’s eyes brimmed over with tears as she cried almost soundlessly into the cloth tied around her mouth. “But it is not a good place for you…for our child.”
“Branford…you promised,” I whispered and immediately looked away from him. I could feel the heat in my cheeks as the words came out of my mouth. What I was doing was horrible, but I could not bear the thought of him doing such a thing without being there myself. If I had to use his words against him to make sure I also witnessed her punishment, I was willing to do so.
“What do you mean?” he asked, and I felt his finger underneath my chin, trying to tilt my head up to face him. “Promised what?”
“That you would not leave my side again,” I said. “You said you would not leave me to the protection of others, but you will now leave me with Michael?”
“You are only going from the field to the castle,” Branford said. “I will be there as soon as I am…finished.”
“What if…what if I need protection?” I heard myself ask. “How can I be without you when I remember how close she was to me all that time? You said you would not leave me, Branford.”
I could no longer look into his eyes and, instead, pressed my forehead to his chest. I knew exactly what I was doing—using Branford’s fears to my own advantage. But I was not afraid to watch what they would do to her. I wanted to know exactly how she would suffer for what she had done to us. I did not want to be stuck in our rooms alone while Branford exacted revenge that should be mine as well.
I felt the rise of Branford’s chest as he breathed deeply, and I felt his breath escape over the top of my head.
“Michael! Parnell!” he called out as he turned from me. The two men walked over to us. “I am taking my queen away from this. Prepare Lady Kimberly for public execution, and let me know when it is complete. I want it slow, and I want it painful, and I want her to suffer. In the end, I want to see her head displayed as a reminder to all how I feel about disloyalty.”
“Yes, my king,” Parnell replied with a nod.
While I tried to understand what had just been said, Branford walked with me a few steps and then stopped. He turned me toward him and placed his hands on my shoulders.
“Stand right here,” he instructed before he spun on his heel and walked back to the cart. He spoke quickly into Parnell’s ear before approaching the cart. From where I was, I could see him lean over the bound Lady Kimberly and grab her by her hair. He painfully pulled her head back and spoke, but I could not hear his words to her. As Branford placed his head close to her ear and growled low, Lady Kimberly’s eyes went wide, then squeezed tightly shut as she began to twist her body and fight against her bindings.
“Come, Alexandra,” Branford said as he released the doomed woman and walked back to my side. “I will escort you to our rooms.”
“What?” I stopped and took a step back toward the field. “What are you doing?”
“We are both going back to the castle,” Branford said simply.
“But what of Lady Kimberly?”
“You heard what I instructed.”
“But I want to be there!”
“You are not going to be there,” Branford told me. “I will not have you upset and unable to sleep while you carry my son. You were right—I did promise to stay at your side, and I will abide by that promise. You reminded me of my duty and gave me the options that were acceptable to you. I chose the option acceptable to me. We will both be inside when she is killed.”
With that, he took my hand and wrapped it around his arm before he began to lead me away from the field. He snapped at Dunstan to have someone bring my sewing up to me and then proceeded to the gates. As we approached the entrance to the castle, Branford leaned close to my ear and spoke in low tones so no one else would hear.
“But I will have you know, wife,” he murmured, “that my body is tense because of what I would have done. I will need some distraction for the rest of the afternoon. By calling me from this, I will be sure to take my excess energies out on your body instead. Do we understand each other?”
I glanced up at him, momentarily concerned about the implication of his words, but when I saw the mirth and lust in his eyes, I knew very well his meaning.
“If that is what it takes to keep you at my side,” I replied. I tried to shrug nonchalantly, but my blush and shiver gave me away as he touched the side of my face.
*****
I slept late again the next day, waking to the sound of voices in the morning room. Branford was speaking to Parnell and Rylan though when I spied through the bed curtains, I could see Branford’s chair was still angled so he could look to where I was at the same time.
“It makes no sense,” Parnell was saying. “They aren’t destroying the whole thing; they are taking bits of it apart and putting it back together again.”
“They have to be searching for something,” Rylan replied in his characteristic deep voice. “At least, that was the speculation from my source.”
“Do we not have spies there to give you information?” Parnell asked.
“There is a trusted man there,” Branford said softly, “but I cannot reach out to him. He would be jeopardized, and I need him where he is.”
For a moment, the men were silent. Then Parnell’s voice rang out again.
“There is still danger here, my king.”
“My men will patrol the borders as much as they can,” Rylan said, “but we cannot surround the entire Kingdom of Silverhelm. There will always be the possibility of a breach.”
“Parnell, are there new recruits available if I wish to take some of the more seasoned men for duty in the castle?”
“Yes, what do you need?”
“I want additional guards—men you trust implicitly—around Alexandra at all times. She and my unborn son must be protected. I will remain at her side, but I may not always be enough.
“There is something else,” Parnell said, his tone hesitant.
“What is it?”
“Rylan found more information on Janet and her family.”
“Tell me!”
“Though her parents are long dead, there is a living sibling,” Rylan said.
&nb
sp; “Where?”
“Unknown,” Parnell said, “but I do know his name.”
“And it is?”
“His name is Kolby, my king”
There was a long pause.
“Kolby?” Branford’s voice was just a whisper.
“We believe him to be the same, yes.”
“First Dalton surfaces within my borders, and now we find my wife’s handmaid was the sister to one of the men that murdered my parents?”
“Yes.”
“How was this not discovered before?” Branford bellowed.
“I went back to a previous source,” Parnell said. “At the time, he claimed to know nothing, but when the deaths of Janet and Nelle were publicized, he decided to come clean with his knowledge.”
“He withheld this from us before?”
“Yes, sire.”
“Where is he now?” Branford growled.
“Quite dead, sire.”
“Good. Repost the bounty on Yagmur and Salik. If Dalton has reappeared, those other two are certainly close by. Let it be known they may be in nearby territory, probably in Hadebrand.”
“Already done, sire,” Parnell replied.
“Good man.”
“If those two are both shown to be loyal to Hadebrand,” Branford said, “there could be proof of Edgar’s involvement in my parents’ murders.”
“My king”—I heard Parnell take a deep breath before he continued—“if there were such proof, we would have found it by now.”
“If only I had the strength of men to openly go against him.”
“Seacrest has only agreed to protection, not to go to war.” Sir Rylan’s deep voice reminded my husband.
“I know,” Branford said with a sigh. “Rylan, if you would just give me a hundred and fifty men—”
“Just a hundred and fifty, King Branford?” Rylan scoffed. “How large an army do you think I command? I have to protect my own lands as well, you know. Considering our alliance with Silverhelm, we are now also potentially a target for Hadebrand.”
“They would not make a move against you,” Branford said.
“Agreed,” said Parnell. “Your presence will keep them from our borders indefinitely.”