Prisoner of Chaos (Redemption Book #4)

Chapter 6

"Princess Kyla, Prince Wes asks you to join him in his gardens," my guard tells me with a bow.

"Of course," I answer. I'm wearing new clothes provided for me curtesy of my new friend, Hanna. I'm thankful. It's much warmer than any of the flimsy, loose, and thin, Underlund clothing I've packed. My dress is a dark grey with brown fur trim. It's not quite as comfortable as Underlund clothing, but it balances itself out by being warm. It also covers my wings.

What should I tell, Wes? How can I cover for the fact that I'm pregnant? I also can't stop thinking about the encounter I'd had with the child I'd seen.

You'll have to tell Wes the wedding should be soon, otherwise they will all suspect that you've been with another man, and you know how much the people of Erlund dislike infidelity, I tell myself.

I follow my guard out and he leads me down a hall to a winding stairs. He opens the door at the bottom of it and I see it leads to the outside.

I see Wes standing, waiting for me. He is talking to someone. A tall bulky man, with buzzed hair and an aquiline face.

"Whatever you think, I'm sure it'll be fine," Wes tells the man. "You're in charge of that."

"Of course, your majesty," the man says, his voice is as deep as I expected given his appearance. The man turns and looks at me, a frown is set on his harsh features. "Princess Kyla, I do not believe we had the pleasure of meeting, I'm Bjorn. Duke of Hyland. Wes' uncle on his mother's side."

"Nice to meet you," I tell him.

"Bjorn is here for the wedding," Wes explains. "He also is a general in our militia."

"Ah," I say. I try to crack a smile, but it's getting harder to fake my emotions all the time.

"I'll leave the two of you to talk," Bjorn says. "Good to meet you, Princess."

As soon as Bjorn has left Wes motions toward the snow covered courtyard. "What do you think of my garden, Princess?"

"It's unlike any garden I've seen," I tell him amicably.

"There are plants here, they are just dormant with the winter," Wes says. He walks through the snow toward a stone bench. "Care to sit with me?"

Brrr... it's so cold. I'm practically shivering already and I've only been out here a minute. Why are we outside even?

I nod, and join him. I remember a time when the Sorceress was controlling Wes and the horrible things Wes had said to me.

But what if it hadn't been the Sorceress? What if Wes was playing me for an idiot? I shudder. It's not easy for me to trust anyone. After everything I've been through I long for simpler days.

Wes puts an arm around me. "I'm so glad you agreed to marry me, Kyla."

"You are?" I look at him, and search his face. Is he telling me the truth?

"I think I should be honest with you, though," Wes says, his eyes glazing over with a distant memory. "I've been in love before."

"You mentioned something about that to me when we first met," I tell him. Recalling our time back in Underlund when his sister was supposed to marry my brother instead of I marrying him.

"She was betrothed to someone else, my Uncle Bjorn," Wes says.

The gruff man I just met? Poor thing. I furrow my brow. "Why couldn't you change anything?" I ask him.

"Before I could get my father to change the arrangement, Bjorn showed up and claimed his right to her virginity," Wes says and my eyes widen in horror.

What kind of sick practice is that?

"So, he just could claim her like that? And there aren't any laws against such a practice?" I ask him.

"No, he had every right," Wes says. "By our laws. If I wanted to, I could do the same thing to you."

"What?" I blink at him. "You told me--"

"Of course I'm not going to do that! I'd only do that if you wanted me to," Wes says. He leans forward on the bench and he cups my chin under his hand so I'm looking into his eyes. "But I want to wait until we're properly married."

I'm also not a virgin. I'm way past that point.

"You do?" I ask him. And I swallow. This is making me nervous. I don't like him touching me like this, and I don't like how close he is to me. It holds too many triggers for my body to take. But maybe this is a good thing to know. Maybe I'll tell him he can have my "virginity" so I can cover up my pregnancy.

"Unless you want me to," Wes says, he brushes my windblown hair off my face. "You're so beautiful, Kyla. May I kiss you?"

What's one more kiss from Wes to me? I lean forward and let his lips press to mine. They are warmer than the cold around me and I put my arms around his neck. I know how to play the part. I know how to save the world, even while I die inside myself.

Wes reaches out toward me, putting his hands around my waist, and pulling me toward him. This signals a reaction from me, I gasp as fear strikes me and I abruptly part us from our kiss.

Wes is panting with need already. The arousal in his eyes clear. He gives me a lopsided smile. "You taste so good, Kyla."

I realize he read my gasp as a positive reaction. No, Wes, I hadn't been on the verge of climax from that.

"What are you thinking about?" Wes asks me, cocking his head. "Your eyes have gone red."

"I was thinking about what you told me," I say. "About Bjorn. It makes me angry. What was her name?" I'm trying to cover it. Cover all the lies.

"Diana," Wes says. His smile vanishes and he stares out at the snow covered conifers.

I'm sorry to hear about what happened to you, Diana.

"When do you want our wedding to be?" I ask Wes, staring out into the snow with him and relaxing.

"How soon do you want it to be?" Wes counters back at me.

"Soon," I say, with a broken heart. I rest my hand on my abdomen. "As possible."

"We shall marry in a month then," Wes says. "That's as soon as we can have all the guests out here. And I assume you definitely want your brother and his wives out here too."

"Oh," I say. "Of course."

A month is too long to cover up a pregnancy. You'll have to let him have you before that time. Are you really ready to be the hero and save your country from war? The Dark Lord is laughing at me. He's just waiting for me to give in to him. Once that war happens, you know I'll gain the most. So why don't you just skip all the agony and join me now?

"Wes, why don't you take me for a tour of the castle?" I say. Rising from the bench. I'm relieved to lose my proximity with him.

"Of course," Wes says. He takes my hand in his own. "I'm so glad you want to marry me soon. I want to marry you as soon as possible too."

My stomach does a turn, but I raise my head high. My beast snarls at me and turns her back. She wants Rift and will hate me as long as I'm not with him.