The Arranged Marriage (37 page)

Ison noticed Yena sitting very still,
and he couldn’t be more proud of his wife at the moment. His heart
swelling at everything she had said, at everything she stood for.
He had to pull his hands into fists to stop himself from throwing
her behind him so he could protect her and shield her from the
duty, from the responsibility. But oh did she shine from it, the
power and love oozing out of her. He watched as she stepped back
and he knew she was ready to conclude this. “I now bid you
farewell, and thank you for coming today. I wish it could have been
under better circumstances, but next time it will be, we vow. I
offer sympathies for those of you who have lost, and I hope our
words during the burial brought you some comfort. I ask for you all
to stay and dine with us should you wish it, and I ask that you
join me in thanking each of you for what you contribute to these
lands. I would also like to thank King Roscaar and his wife for
their unity, for the Mookai for accepting us on what was once
solely their world, and last of all thank you to my husband, our
Ecripian King who is one of the most strongest and loyal people
that I know.” She looked back at him, her eyes tired, but it was
then he knew. She did see him as ruler, she saw them as equals and
she also had an insight into his heart. Her decisions weren’t made
lightly, but only with him in mind. He knew then that they weren’t
two rulers, they were one.

Rohesia curtsied to the crowd before
moving as quickly as she could towards Yena, who was rising
confidently from her seat. Ison had nodded to his father who had
picked up on the situation to follow Ison, who was following
Rohesia to her target. Ison also noticed Fabian moving towards
them, obviously picking up on what was happening.

“I see you have finally returned for
your trial Yena Vonier of Morica,” Rohesia growled out Yena’s old
name as she approached the woman who had killed her father. She
didn’t see Ison approaching until he was almost upon them, but he
wouldn’t stop her, not this time, and neither would Fabian or
Roscaar who were also closing in.

“For what exactly?” Yena stated, her
stand regal as if she were queen.

“For the murder of my father through
poison as so admitted by Baron Minley. You are henceforth in our
custody and stripped of your princess title.”

“I don’t think so you prissy bitch,”
She looked feral all of a sudden. “And seeing as the baron is dead
there is no one to claim anything. Check your damn law
book.”

All of a sudden, the three men were
behind her. Rohesia stood ready to fight with everything she had if
they even contemplated moving her away, but when she dared to take
a look at them she noticed they were standing with her, not against
her. She felt her heart elate.

“You have no rights here,” Rohesia
practically hissed, her hands already curled into fists.

“Really?” Yena’s smile was smug. “Am I
not a princess? A wife of a king with his babe in my stomach? You
may be queen but you had better hope for a boy, for my child will
supersede any girl you may have. That’s if you survive the
birth.”

That was it. That was Rohesia’s
opening to pound into Yena for a little bit, then have her
arrested, screw the laws. She lunged forward at Yena’s face but
Ison was too quick for her. He gently picked her up and placed her
back by his side, grabbing hard on to her hand whilst Fabian
grabbed on to the other. Roscaar reached into his robes and pulled
out a piece of parchment.

“Before you go on my lady,” Roscaar
addressed Yena. “I should read this document written in the late
King Argarth’s hand.” He cleared his throat and started to read the
parchment that Argarth had written all that time ago, and what he
had copied the day Ison and Roscaar had visited him on his
deathbed.

Rohesia took pleasure in watching
Yena’s smug features disappear through the reading, as Roscaar
continued to read and nodded to her once he had finished. He rolled
up the parchment and handed it to her.

“Your copy,” He advised. “I have the
original locked away with Argarth’s will of rights which will leave
you with a considerable sum to live on my dear,” His tone was light
that aided him from smiling at the thought of Argarth and his
cleverness. Yena snatched the parchment from his hands.

“I will contest this.” She snarled
back at them.

Ison stepped closer to her, his height
intimidating.

“Contest this,” He said, his tone
quietly threatening. “And I will make sure you are trialled for
treason and murder of a king, and I am relentless my lady when I
get started, just ask your baron,” He shrugged. “Oh, I forgot you
can’t do that anymore. My sympathies on the loss of your lover.” He
gave Rohesia’s hand a gentle squeeze as he decided enough was
enough. “If you behave yourself Yena you will have your money and
the house that I originally built for myself in Dondayas. I do not
want you anywhere near my wife again. He pointed to the document in
her hands. “That parchment proves there will be no heir from you,
and a murder charge hanging over your head will ensure that you
stay away from my wife for good,” He turned to Rohesia. “Do you
have anything to add my sweet?”

Rohesia turned up at him with tears in
her eyes. She nodded and looked back at Yena, still in awe that her
father and his friends had protected her and the kingdom all
along.

“You could have had it all,” She
almost whispered. “You could have had a kingdom to love alongside
your riches, or you could have just stolen enough of them to keep
you in good stead by eloping with the baron. But that wasn’t good
enough for you was it? You had to kill him, you had to take him
away from me,” She smiled, the light of it not reaching her eyes.
“All the time you remain on this Isle you will be watched. If I
hear one word that you have mistreated your child in any way, they
will be taken from you and put into our care, then you will have no
one. It is your choice. You have been given this chance to have a
life Yena, something you took away from my father and something I
would never have given you. Be thankful for it.”

She looked away from her then, no
longer able to look at her without seeing her father’s dying face.
Yena didn’t say a word as Roscaar took action and moved towards
her.

“Come Yena, I shall arrange for you to
travel back to Dondayas with us. We will sort you from
there.”

Ison nodded thanks to his father as
Roscaar nodded in return and started to move Yena forward. Fabian
grasped Rohesia’s hand tighter as he felt her feelings almost as
strong as his own. He coughed to get Yena’s attention.

“Oh Yena?” He prompted as she turned
to face him, her face bitter with a quiet rage. “I will be watching
you too.”

She angrily thrust back around to
march ahead of Roscaar and out of Ecripian for good; Roscaar
struggling to keep up with her. Fabian even had the nerve to look
apologetic when he looked back at Rohesia and Ison.

“What?” He said with a slight smile on
his lips. Rohesia grinned, as did Ison, before she leant up and
gave Fabian a big sisterly kiss on the mouth.

“Fabian of the Mookai,” She smiled.
“We love you.”

* * *

“What a day,” Ison sighed as he came
up behind his wife who was stood at their chamber window. “Can we
please just have a rest on the morrow?”

Rohesia laughed as she turned to
him.

“We would have to cancel a few things,
and you were due to start the training on the morrow with the men
Josa brought back from Dondayas.”

“So?” He said as he took her in his
arms. “Josa’s not got anything planned. I’m sure he wouldn’t mind
taking over for a time, and we can get Gilden started in his new
position to sort out the rest.”

She cringed as she realised she was
yet to speak to him about her decision regarding Gilden.

“I am so sorry about not consulting
you first regarding that,” She turned to lay her hands gently on
his face. “Any other time I would have done but it only came to me
once Gilden and I were speaking, and I thought it would be the best
time to announce it with what we were trying to achieve. If I had
thought for one moment you would have disagreed with it, I would
never have done it, but he was so grateful Ison. He couldn’t quite
believe it. He understood it though, completely, and then it felt
even more right,” She went to say more but was silenced with a
kiss.

“What was that for?” She said, her
mind still reeling.

“You talk too much.” He replied with a
smile.

“Will you ever berate me over
anything?” She said suspiciously.

“Absolutely, lots and lots of things
no doubt,” He pulled her closer. “But I will not berate you for
following your instincts Rohesia, for they made me what I
am.”

She gently pushed at him.

“You made you what you
are.”

“How can I make me a lovesick fool who
is such a sap where his wife is concerned? That is your
fault.”

She laughed then, and felt the
happiness flow right through her.

“I love you Ison.”

He kissed her hard on the lips, ready
for more.

“And I love you Rohesia. I always
will.”

Epilogue

Every scream that came out of the
chamber Ison paced before made him feel like taking a sword to
every damn man in Centurias. His wife was inside the chamber, away
from him, with only Nani and the village healer in attendance
whilst she braved the pains of childbirth.

He should be inside with her damn it,
screw the rules or laws or unspoken traditions of this so-called
wonderful moment. He needed to be with her, to hold her, to tell
her all would be well. He needed to hold on to her he admitted to
himself to make sure she didn’t leave him, fully aware of the
dangers for women during this time.

Another scream came from the chamber
that made Ison grip his hair in frustration. His father and Fabian
had both tried to reason with him into leaving his pacing spot for
a time, and both had almost lost their heads with it. They had
gracefully resigned to leaving him to it, relying on Kaya to face
Ison’s wrath for regular updates on Rohesia’s progress. They both
knew he was less likely to run her through with a sword, and she
was being compensated for it with a bit of extra coin.

“I want Ison.” He heard the shout from
the other side of the door, and that was all Ison needed. She
wanted him there and no matter what he would be there. He crashed
through the wooden barrier between them.

“My lord,” Nani frowned at him as he
practically fell into the room. The village healer Jenna, jumped as
Rohesia spotted him with a smile through the pain.

Ison didn’t know where to look as he
saw what position Rohesia was in. She was lying on their bed
holding tight on to Nani’s hand, as Jenna had her hands on his
wife’s legs that were wide apart. Sheets were draped over the top
of them, but it wasn’t fully covering what was there and Ison
suddenly felt like bolting out of the chamber. Nani must have
noticed his grey features and sternly said his name.

“Ison, my lord, she needs you up here
if you intend to stay, but if you feel like you are going to faint
then please leave and wait with your father.”

His head snapped up at her tone and he
mentally shook himself to move to the side of the bed.

“I have never fainted yet Nani,” He
said quickly, mimicking the way she had scolded him. “And I do not
intend to do so now.”

“Very well.” She tried hard to hide a
smile before turning back to Rohesia.

“Ison,” Rohesia practically growled
through gritted teeth. “This is all your fault,” She panted in
between her words. “But I am so glad you’re here.” She let out what
sounded like a roar as the pain assailed her body. Nani and Jenna
started puffing in and out like they were crazy, encouraging
Rohesia to do the same. Even Ison found himself puffing along with
them until Rohesia grabbed hard on to his hand and screamed with
rage as another flood came.

“Good girl,” Nani coaxed. “You’re
doing so well, and it shouldn’t be long now. You’re opening up
nicely.”

Ison looked at Nani as if she had
grown two heads saying such words, but Rohesia only
nodded.

“Come on Rohesia,” Jenna prompted from
in-between his wife’s legs, and Ison had never felt so out of his
depth and out of control in his whole life. He now knew why men
were made to stay outside and then felt instantly guilty – and in
pain he noticed as Rohesia grabbed his hand, hard, as she breathed
through the motions. He thought he was brave, a warrior. He had
seen men sliced up and limbs cut off, and he had never let it get
to him, he couldn’t have afforded to. But seeing his wife in such
pain as the thing inside her ripped her in two was almost too much
for him to bear.

“How much longer Nani,” He practically
begged, wondering how Rohesia had managed to tolerate it for so
long. He could tell she was becoming exhausted, her body starting
to slump after each bout of pain. She had been at it since this
morning and it was beginning to show dusk outside.