Armored Hearts

chapter 14

Gareth stared at his house servants kneeling before him, their words and actions sinking in. In an instant, he pulled away from Jessamine and leapt back, hovering on the other side of the room. “I’m no king. Stand up, now—this instant! I demand it!”

Sarah stood first. “Ye very much be our king, grandson of King Tristan the first. He and his nephew, Tinkton, assigned us to yer protection and trainin’ when ye were just a wee lad. We’ve done our job to ready ye fer this day and now it’s here. The Court of Ansleigh’s claymore was delivered to yer door pronouncin’ ye the new king.”

Gareth shook his head, his eyes wide with fury. “I don’t want it. I don’t know anything about being a king or being Fae. I’m the crippled grandson of a penniless lord whose only wish, my entire life, has been to be left alone. Find yourself another king because I’m not him.”

Thompton stood and moved to his wife’s side. He brushed a hand through his brown hair. “There be no one else. Ye be the heir. If ye don’t return to the Seelie Court of Ansleigh with us, we will be overthrown by whomever it be trying to kill ye and claim the throne. And dona think by turning away from yer birthright and yer calling that ye will na be in danger. Whoever the false king be, he willna stop ’til he be sure ye are out of the way. He’ll na leave any chance fer ye to change yer mind and come after the throne. As far as what ye know or dona know about being king, I’ve taught ye a great deal and will continue helping ye, if ye allow it.”

Gareth only considered the man silently.

Thompton shifted his weight from one foot to the other and then hovered just above the floor. “Yer a natural protector. That’s yer instincts from yer Fae half. Ye don’t see the elder Lord Smyth concerned about the people of the village. When ye were just a lad, ye knew ye had to save a girl falling from a tree. I watched ye from me porch. Then later, ye felt it yer duty to protect the townsfolk from vandals. Yer meant to protect the people under ye, just not here in this shire.”

Jessamine moved to where Gareth hovered. Her face had lost color, and her wide eyes showed she was as stunned as he was. She took his arm protectively and spoke to the couple. “I think this is a bit much for all at once, don’t you? Perhaps we should go home and get some rest and discuss it further tomorrow. The decision doesn’t have to be made at this moment.”

Gareth’s chin jutted out. “There’s nothing more to discuss now or tomorrow.”

Sarah nodded in agreement before turning to Thompton. “It’s their wedding night. We should send them home and talk more about it when Lord Smyth, Tabitha, and the guests be gone.”

Gareth replaced the helmet on his head and pulled Jessamine to him. This was too much, and he’d had enough. He headed for the door.

Thompton blocked their exit. “Sir, I’m afraid I can’t let ye leave alone. We will escort yer majesty and yer bride back to Waverly Park. After two attempts on yer life in one week, we can’t allow ye to travel about at night by yerself.”

Heat rose to Gareth’s cheeks. How dare he? Gareth hated the idea of an escort when all he wanted was the freedom to be alone. He shook his head and spoke through clenched teeth. “I can handle things myself, thank you.”

The worried look in Thompton’s eyes gave him pause. And the man servant held out a hand with a slightly bowed head.

“Mi’lord, I know ye be very capable and strong. After all, I had a hand in yer trainin’. But the Unseelie fairies be cunning and harbor knowledge of the dark arts. If ye and the lady were to be attacked, it would be far better that the four of us were at hand to defend.”

Gareth swallowed. The man was right. He didn’t know anything about how to fight Unseelie fairies should he and Jessamine be attacked. It seemed he knew no one, not even himself. People he thought he knew were not as they seemed and neither was he. Sarah and Thompton had been in his household his whole life, and he never realized anything was off about them. Mr. Strong wasn’t even real. With a nod he acquiesced, more out of numbed shock and simmering irritations than true agreement.

Thompton led the group from the house, motioning to Gareth when it was clear for him and Jessamine to follow. Jessamine released her wings upon exiting the door while Sarah took the rear of the group. The four of them traveled over the darkest parts of the fields and forests back to the estate and onto Gareth’s balcony. Sarah and Thompton checked the room over, looking behind furniture, curtains, and under the bed before heading for the hallway.

Thompton turned and faced them. “I’ll be taking first watch by the door in the form of Rory, the dog. Sarah will take second watch. We’ve bolted the balcony entrance. We ask yer Highness not to step foot on it tonight.”

Jessamine smiled at Thompton as she padded toward him. “Thank you Mr. Thompton. We will remain in for the night.”

Once Sarah and Thompton exited, Gareth landed in the chair, ripped off his helmet and tossed it to the floor. It clattered with a loud thud as it bounced off the hardwood floor.

Jessamine sauntered to the footrest in front of him and took a seat. “Not quite the wedding night I had in mind.”

Gareth said nothing, his mind overflowing with thoughts. He had no interest in being King of the Fae. All he’d ever sought was to be left alone. Now he was not only saddled with a wife he never wanted but a kingdom and a couple of bodyguards he realized had napped in his lap from time to time. The whole thing was ridiculous. He had a mind to turn them all out of his house and lock himself away from the madness.

When Gareth refused to acknowledge her, Jessamine stood. “I’m going to ready myself for bed. Perhaps you should do the same.” She made her way to the screen where she had changed just hours earlier.

Gareth stood and pulled off his armor while she was dressing. His mind wasn’t on what he was doing or the change to his sleeping arrangements. He climbed into bed in his underclothes rather than his nightshirt.

Jessamine came around the screen, again in her dressing gown, only this time it was open and revealed a satin crème gown with pink lace. His breath caught. The top of the gown was open and the thin lace barely hid her accompaniments. He glanced away when she removed her robe and climbed into bed beside him. Gareth swallowed and quickly reached out and turned down the lamp to hide in the darkness. He turned in the bed and faced away from Jessamine, hoping that not seeing her would help. But her scent and warmth were enough to stir up his already muddled mind.

“Tomorrow, I think you should return home with your father.”

The bed shifted as she bolted up. “What?”

His voice cracked, so he hardened it. “It’s not safe here for you. You won your personal quest to find me, the boy who saved you. Let that be enough of a victory for you and go back to America with Tabitha and your father. My life has become a jumbled tale from the Brothers Grimm, and there’s really no place in it for a wife.”

Gareth heard her feet slap the floor as she stomped her way to his side of the bed. She turned up the gas lamp when she got there. Her face screwed into a pout as she spoke in a harsh whisper. “What do you mean there’s no place for me in your life right now? I’ve promised to be with you through good and bad, and I take my vows seriously.”

The amount of flesh showing along the laced top of her gown made it difficult to remember what he was going to say. He shut his eyes as if to try to sleep. “I don’t remember attempted assassination by evil fairies being in the vows. Now please turn the lamp down, and let’s get to sleep. It’s been a long day, and you’ve got to get up and pack in the morning.”

Jessamine shoved at Gareth’s shoulder. “You don’t get to decide if I’m leaving. I decide if and when I ever leave. And I’m telling you now—I’m not going.”

“You also vowed to obey me. The decision’s made.” Gareth pulled his pillow from below his head and placed it over his face.

Jessamine yanked the pillow from him and threw it across the room, hitting a mirror on the wall and tilting it askew. “I thought we were making progress before the assassin showed up. What’s going on in your head? I don’t understand.”

Gareth sprang up from the bed and retrieved his pillow, trying to avoid eye contact with her. “The problem is you’ve made all kinds of assumptions about me. Some proved true, so you think you’ve got me figured out. In your mind, I’ve secretly been pushing people away when all the while I’ve wanted something else. The truth is, I like my life of isolation. I’m not interested in more. I don’t want anyone around who depends on me. All I want is to be left alone. So if you care so much about my happiness, you can leave on the boat which brought you here.”

Jessamine stood upright, staring back at Gareth. Her lip quivered and her dark eyes shone with unshed tears. “But you kissed me. We were talking like normal people before the pets came crashing in.”

Gareth flew to the bed and placed his pillow on it. He took a breath and steadied himself before turning to face her. “You’re a beautiful woman, and you’re alone with me in my room. I reacted to it. I’m still capable of reacting to that if you want a more normal wedding night. But a kiss or even making love doesn’t mean I have any more feelings for you now than I had yesterday. Earlier, I was shocked to learn you knew my secret, and it threw me. Now, I don’t wish to discuss it any further tonight. I’m tired, and I just want to sleep.”

Gareth threw himself into his bed and pulled the covers over his head. No one was going to assume they knew him or what he should do with his life. He had a plan before the wedding to send everyone away, and he would stick to it. He didn’t owe anyone anything. And with that he reached up and turned the lamp down, leaving Jessamine to stand alone in the dark.

He tucked himself into his blanket, convinced the conversation was over. He expected some kind of sniveling from the corner where he heard her creep off to, but there wasn’t any such sound. His heart sank at the thought that he’d hurt her, but he sucked in a deep breath, convinced it was for the best. There were too many unknowns in his future. Unseelie Fae assassins were trying to kill him, and Seelie Faes were trying to drag him back to their court and make him king.

Gareth flipped onto his back. He was in no position to protect her, not the way a good husband should, and how could he even hope to be a good husband. He’d never seen one before. Well, there was Thompton but he hardly knew the man…er…fairy.

Gareth flipped over to his other side now that Jessamine was no longer in the bed. The cool cotton sheet no longer held her body heat. He breathed in. Ugh. Her scent was still there.

Her scent always made it hard to stay angry. The memory of her warm body inches from him flooded his mind along with the ache that she wouldn’t be there any longer. He reached out to touch the spot when water splashed over him, drenching him, the blankets, and bed.

Gareth bolted up. His eyes locked on Jessamine’s silhouette standing over him with the pitcher from the wash stand. He wiped the water from his face. “What the devil?”

Jessamine lowered the jug and shifted her hip to the side. “If I can’t sleep, neither will you. And I’m not going anywhere. That is the final decision. ”

With that she slammed the pitcher down on the nightstand and stomped off to the other side of the room.