Rule (Roam Series, Book Five) (12 page)

“You move too quickly. Stand still. We have a conversation to finish,” he spoke so close to my lips. “Privately.”

“Yes my lord,” I agreed, disappointed as he lowered me back to the ground.

“Come, my beautiful little witch.”

“Don’t call me that.”

“Enchantress?”

“Better.”

“Queen?”

“Better,” I echoed, grinning. We passed a room in the queen’s chambers, and I noticed that the door had been closed since I arrived. “What’s in that room?”

Will continued toward my quarters. “It is sealed. It was your mother’s chamber.”

“Why is it sealed?”

“
Do not go in there.
Your mother suffered. The ghosts in that room will not depart.”

“There are
ghosts
now,
too
?”

“Just a figure of speech, Eva.”

Mom gave up everything… so that I would live.
His expression told me that he thought of that often, and I remembered my behavior the night I fell from my balcony at home.
I must have sounded like a spoiled, selfish brat.

“Do we know any more about the shooter last night?” I asked quietly. He nodded, moving to my bed to sit. He patted the space next to him, and I lowered to the mattress.

“He was aiming for you. He carried this,” he reached into his pocket and removed a dirty scrap of fabric. A black sun was crudely painted on the rough material. “Eric believes he is part of an organized rebellion.”

“You’re carrying that thing around in your pocket? Nasty.” I shrunk back with a disgusted grimace.

“Eva, we must take this very seriously.”

I fell backwards to the soft bed, not caring that my hair would be mussed in the impact. “I can protect myself. It’s protecting everyone
else
that exhausts me.”

“You are… extraordinary.” He grinned, nodding toward the window. His word made me think of Logan, and I smiled. “And it is ten degrees cooler today… for the first time in a year.”

He turned, propping one arm to my side and leaning over me. I sighed, gazing up at his perfect features. “It looks like an artist sculpted your face. Like the assignment was ‘create the perfect looking man.’”

A slow smile spread over his lips, and the sudden color in his face only added to his charm. “Flattering child.”

“I am not a child,” I repeated, exhaustion setting in. “And I need a nap.”

“Then have a nap,” he agreed, tugging the bedding over me. “Your maids will wake you when it is time.”

“Will?”

He lifted my head gently, pushing a pillow beneath my curls. “Hmn?”

“Thank you.” I yawned, trying not to think about his lips on my throat. “You’re the nicest king in all the worlds... so far.”

He grinned, standing and humbly bowing to me. “I shall see you at our wedding.”

“Yes, my lord.”

I heard him chuckle before the door closed.

The ceremony was brief, with only my grandfather, Eric, a
nd a priest present. We exchanged rings, and when we were declared to be husband and wife, he pressed a G-rated kiss to the corner of my mouth.

I w
asn’t expecting white doves or the fairy tale, but I was admittedly let down. Will led me to the great hall; elaborate decoration adorned the space, with the floor cleared for celebratory dancing. The cheers that erupted from the people as we entered lifted my spirits some, but as the music began, I felt the depression weighing on my chest.

I wish my parents were here.

“Are you well?” Will leaned toward me, speaking into my ear to be heard over the music.

I stiffened, forcing a nod. “I’m fine.”

“Our first dance, very soon,” he promised with a reassuring smile, though I could tell the expression was half-hearted.

Will excused himself after dinner, and I waited patiently for five whole minutes before scraping my chair back and getting up from the table. As I walked through the hall, I noticed two guards flanking me on either side. I stopped, turning to one. “Are you my bodyguards?”

The soldier nodded once. “We protect and serve the queen.”

“Okay, then. You, please go find me a Glock 19. The Beretta is too heavy for my taste. Holster too. You,” I turned to the other guard, ignoring the first’s shaken expression, “Please go order a group to sweep every level of the castle hourly. I want every soldier armed.”

“My queen…,”

“Do it, I’ll be right here. Look, I’ll stay right here with Eric until you get back.”

Eric turned to me, offering me a surprised smile. “Your majesty?”

“I asked them to go organize an hourly sweep of the grounds. Tell them.”

Eric took a long, amused look at me, and then turned at the two helpless guards. “Do as your queen commands.”

“Yes, sir.”

I nodded imperially. “Thanks.”

“My pleasure.”

“Where is Will?” I moved toward the stone arches that led out to the hall, but Eric hurried ahead of me.

“He’ll return momentarily. Do you need refreshment, your majesty?”

I watched a servant pass by with a golden tray of champagne flutes. Ignoring them, I caught movement from behind a pillar. “No thanks…,”

I saw her golden hair, freezing in midstride. Backing against the wall, I watched as Will held Gabrielle very close, speaking rapidly to her. She was sobbing, pressing her face to his chest.

“Your majesty-…,”

“Stop calling me that,” I growled, my throat burning. Eric moved in front of my vision, his brown eyes earnest.

“Eva, you will allow them a farewell.”

“I thought they already
had
a farewell,” I scorned, betrayal knotting in the pit of my stomach.

“Will has told me that your requirements have changed. You call for monogamy.”

“He told
you
that? And he’s telling
her
that?”

“He will respect your wishes.”

Guilt… resentment, anger…
the torrent of emotions ran through me so quickly, I nearly screamed. Eric reached for my hand, forcefully pulling me out into the hall. I tried to yank my arm away, but he jerked me into the men’s restroom, slamming and locking the door. His touch instantly weakened me, and the vertigo caught me off guard. Wrenching away, I glared.

“Take your fucking hands off of me.”

“Eva.” His stern voice, combined with his emotionless tone, silenced me. “I won’t let you create a scene. Don’t embarrass yourself.”

“Shut your goddamn mouth!”

“What you lack in
maturity
, you can compensate for in
control
. I know you possess the ability to control yourself.
Do it
.”

I fumed, grinding my teeth. If I was ten years younger, I would have stomped my foot.

“He will not betray you.”

“You mean screw his ex-girlfriend on our wedding night?”

“That is exactly what I mean.” Eric continued to block the door, despite the incessant knocking. “He speaks of your sacrifice, and he feels he must carry the burden himself.”

“Oh, what an enormous burden, keeping his pants up,” I sneered, reaching for the door.  He blocked it again, lifting one eyebrow.

“I hope that I haven’t underestimated you, your majesty.” He stared me down. “He feels very much for you.”

Ignoring him, I pushed past
. He allowed me to leave, and I stormed past the few men outside, holding my chin up proudly as Eric followed behind me.
Great. Start some rumors.

Back in the hall, Will watched me enter through the door, smiling broadly. “There she is.”

“Will,” I replied stiffly, shooting Eric an aggravated look.

“
May I have this dance?” His smiling, crystal blue eyes softened my rigid mood- a little.

I let him take my hand, gui
ding me to the dance floor. The cerulean wedding gown fit snugly in all the right places, and I insisted on my push-up bra from home while the Hens helped me dress. Though Mother-Hen muttered under her breath about me being indecent, I ignored her.

The orchestra played something romantic that I didn’t recognize. “I thought there was music from my world here?”

“Up through the year of your birth- 2012.”

I scanned the room for Gabrielle, and when I couldn’t see her, I turned to him. “Do you like my gown?” Moving easily, I remembered the ballroom dancing lessons I’d taken two years ago. My hair, piled high in tendrils, shimmered with diamonds in the soft chandelier light.

“Every woman in this room is envious of your beauty. You dance extraordinarily well,” he added, sweeping me across the floor.

“You do, too.”  I tilted my face up to his, my eyes closing with purposeful, heavy lids. “That’s not all I do well, my lord.”

He released my left arm and sent me into a twirl before snapping me back into his hold. His cool, blue eyes stared me down. “When you speak as such, you shame yourself. Respect your innocence.”

“My innocence?” I skipped once before turning to the music, careful to watch the fluidity of my lines. “
How do you know I’m a virgin?”

He stopped moving, his hands gripping mine almost painfully.

While he held his polite smile, his voice nearly seized my confidence. “The boyfriend you spoke of?”

He
was
listening
. “Boyfriend…?”

“His name.”

“Liam,” I managed, wishing my words back.

He caught me in his arms, his mouth lowering to my ear. “And you are not an innocent.”

“Define ‘innocent’.”

He smiled and nodded at a regal looking couple who danced by us before jerking his face back to mine
and talking through gritted teeth. “Do you understand sex?”

“What the
hell- are you
kidding
me?”

“We are retiring for the evening,” he pulled me to his side, clapping at the end of the song. I followed suit, my eyes darting nervously around the room.
Where did Eric go?
Unnerved by Will’s reaction, I struggled with the urge to run.

“Come.” He
hauled me toward the private stairwell, and I looked back over my shoulder at the applauding crowd.

“We’re leaving so early-…,”

“They will understand.”

“Will, slow down,” I protested, doubling my pace to keep up with him. “Will-…,”

“My
lord
,” he snapped, stopping in front of his bedroom door. I realized two guards were behind us, having followed us from the great hall.

He swept me up into his arms, taking me by surprise; I cried out, grasping for his neck. The bedroom was lit with several
flickering candles, darkening his silhouette and shadowing every corner of the space. Soft music played from somewhere in the room.

Slamming the door behind him, he carried me to the edge of the bed, tossing me to the pillows.

“What is your
problem?
”

“Eva,” he threw off his coat, tugging at the buttons of his shirt. “You tell me
that you are not a child. You throw yourself at me… and beg me to kiss you. You insist on a change in our arrangement, and ask to be my wife- in every way. And yet, you do not even know if you are a virgin?”

I glared at him, my temper rising.
Count. Don’t lose it. One, two, three…

“Who do you
think you are?
You are their king, but you are not
my
king. I don’t have a king! I’m here to keep an eye on your crazy subjects and
protect my brother
. That’s
it
.
Sorry
if I’m not comfortable with you screwing Bleach-Bottle
Barbie
and then feeling me up on the bed.”

He tossed his shirt next to his coat, and I paled, backing against the headboard at the cold wrath in his eyes.

“Oh, and P.S. - this little candle-lit, porn set-up?
Tacky
.”

His eyes turned to cold, gray stone.

“My valets prepared this room for our wedding night.” He stood at the foot of the bed, staring at me sternly with his arms crossed over his broad chest. “I’m going to tell you what to expect over the course of the coming weeks. Are you listening?”

I stared at him, crossing my own arms over my chest and leaning against the headboard.

“You’ll be up at dawn each morning and take breakfast in either the hall or in your room. Immediately following, you’ll begin conditioning. Eric has taken responsibility for weaponry. Fencing and swordplay will be my responsibility. After that, you’ll bathe and dress for the day, and I have a female instructor for your etiquette. Her name is Valerie.”