The Warrior King

Twenty-two

My elation (and frankly my heightened state of arousal) was short-lived. Tristan pulled away and while I stood there, radiating heat and unable to see straight, he stood there, unreadable. His eyes returned to their normal storm gray and I felt my heart drop a little. Thunderous applause filled my ears as I blinked, trying to gain my bearings. Tristan’s cabinet stood and congratulated us, clapping him on the back. Raoul took my hand and gently kissed my knuckles, causing Silas to come out from under the table and emit a low growl. My fingers felt for his thick fur and he pressed himself up against me, helping to steady my swaying body. Brielle was all of a sudden next to me, intertwining her fingers with mine. I turned and saw the look of concern on her face.

“I want to go back to my room,” I said slowly. She nodded and motioned for my Elite guards to come over. I noticed a look pass between Ross and James but I dismissed it. Tristan was engaged with speaking to other members of his court and I was able to slip away from him, unnoticed. As I headed toward the nearest exit, Ross and James appeared on either side of me, my guards moving to the front and Brielle and Shelby bringing up the rear.

“Are you alright?” James asked in a low tone. I took a deep breath and while I was screaming What the bloody hell do you think?! on the inside, I knew hysterics on the outside wouldn’t help me. Nothing like a blubbering ball of snot to inspire trust in a future queen. 

“I just need some air. It’s not every day I go from farmhand to future queen,” I replied, trying to keep my tone neutral. James eyed me as if he didn’t believe me, but to his credit, he didn’t say anything further. 

We all walked along in silence until we reached the door to my chamber. James pulled the Elite to the side and spoke to them quietly. As I went to enter, Ross laid his hand gently on my arm.

“Sasha, I’m sorry,” he said. I looked at him confused. Shelby and Brielle came around me and entered my room, allowing us to have some sense of privacy.

“Sorry? For what?” I asked, tilting my head to the side. He sighed and clasped his hands behind his back.

“It was not my place to say what I did earlier, about Tristan. I only meant it as a compliment but I think I may have caused you some discomfort and I’m sorry. It was not my intention,” he explained. I couldn’t help but smile. Here was the leader of a group that was known for their killing prowess, who flew his dragon in the most reckless manner, and had done nothing but crack jokes since I met him offering me a sincere apology. His light brown eyes had flecks of gold in them and while they usually looked like they were part of some secret, now they reflected sorrow. I sighed.

“Thank you,” I said and he visibly relaxed. “However, I wish everyone would stop treating me as if I’m too stupid to understand the gravity of my situation.” Ross flinched at my tone. “I may not understand everything that is going on but I’m not going to pretend like this is some sweet love story. He’s the Warrior King, for Miel’s sake. I’m pretty sure I don’t want to know the number of women he’s pounded into but I’m also not going to delude myself into thinking this is something that it’s not. He needs a mate and through some random act of a deity who seems to have something against me, I was chosen. I suppose I should feel flattered or grateful but instead, I know that the person I’m intended to spend the rest of my life with is so far out of my league that I literally have to fly on a dragon to be with him. Plus, he’s surrounded by women who are so gorgeous, they make me want to bash their faces in with bread rolls. None of this is your fault and so far, you’re one of the few people who has treated me like I’m not made of glass. So thank you for the apology but I’d appreciate it if we just forget the whole thing and keep being ourselves.” Ross blinked at me as I finished my word vomit. 

“No wonder Tristan wants you,” he said, his tone touched with awe. “I’d f*****g mate you this second if I could.” I shifted uncomfortably. 

“Uh, thanks?” I replied, not sure what to say. Ross pulled himself to his full height, which towered over me, and saluted.

“You have my pledge that as long as you are mated to Tristan, I will treat you like a normal farm lass that I cannot sleep with,” he promised. I let out a short laugh.

“Good night Commander Casely,” I said in dismissal.

“Good night Sasha Liaz,” he replied and then turned on his heels, whistling. James looked from me to him and after a short bow to me, followed after him. 

When I entered my chambers, Alexia was serving tea to Brielle and Shelby in my sitting room. I dropped into an overstuffed chair next to Brielle and accepted the steaming hot beverage from Alexia.

“So,” Brielle said, clearing her throat, “are you sure you don’t want to know how many women Tristan has pounded into?” I groaned as she and Shelby began to laugh.

“Shut up and drink your tea,” I muttered. 

“If it’s any consolation, the number isn’t nearly as high as his brother’s,” Sarah commented as she entered the room. I practically choked on my drink. She accepted a cup of tea from Alexia with a wicked grin.

“I can’t believe you actually used the word “pounded” and kept a straight face,” Brielle snorted. I frowned. 

“I was trying to make a point.”

“Oh, believe me, you made your point,” Shelby said, setting down her cup. “Ross is going to be telling everyone what a badass our future queen is and how she can hold her own.” The thought of Ross bragging about me to others, including Delaney, made me smile. Although, then the thought of Delany brought me back to reality.

“Shelby, Sarah, has Tristan had any serious relationships?” I asked. The mood in the room instantly shifted as the two of them shared a look. I shook my head. “Well, that answers that question.” I stood up.

“Sasha, the answer is yes. Tristan has had one other serious relationship,” Sarah said. “But it’s not our place to tell you about it. It is complicated and you deserve to hear about it from him.”

“It ‘is’ complicated? Don’t you mean it ‘was’ complicated?” Another look passed between Sarah and Shelby. I could feel the tears that I thought were gone starting to form again. Brielle slapped her hands down on her thighs.

“Well on that note, I think it’s time for us to give Sasha some space,” she said. She stood and gave me a bone-crunching hug. “He chose you, dear heart,” she whispered in my ear and I could only nod as tears started to well up in my eyes. Shelby and Sarah also hugged me and then the three of them left. 

Alexia helped me change into a soft nightgown and then she gently tucked me in. After dousing the lights, she quietly slipped from my bedroom chamber. Alone, in the quiet, I couldn’t stop the tears from falling. As I desperately tried to rein in my sobs, I felt a presence on my bed. A cold wetness touched my cheek, causing me to gasp; then a soft furry head rubbed against mine. Silas let out a soft whine and I threw my arms around him, crying into his fur. He let me hold onto him, soaking his fur. After a while, he started to make a sound like a purr and soon I drifted off to sleep, still clutching him.