Warrior of Ice by Michelle Willingham

Author:Michelle Willingham
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2015-01-22T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter Seven

Some time in the middle of the night, it had begun snowing. By the next morning, the ground was coated in a sheet of white, and there was no sign of it ending. Worse, Carice still had not arrived.

Taryn had no desire to see Killian after their last conversation. Instead, she walked towards the Queen’s solar, intending to spend the morning with the other ladies. She wore the same emerald silk gown and had left her hair loose around her shoulders. When she opened the door, she found the solar empty, and she went to stand by the fire. The cat, Harold, was curled up nearby. He yawned and stretched, arching his back.

She didn’t move, but the animal padded over to her, seeking affection. Though she was uncertain, she bent down and scratched the cat’s ears as Killian had done. The animal purred, rubbing his head against her. She let out a slow breath, marvelling that the creature seemed to be enjoying her touch. Then he flopped down before the hearth once more.

There was a moment of peace, and Taryn warmed herself, still troubled by her conversation with Killian. His demands were unreasonable, far too ambitious for the man he was. Never had he seemed to be a man governed by greed. Why, then, had he asked her to surrender everything, including herself?

The door to the solar opened, and Taryn turned. The moment she did, the young maid screamed, turning her head away. A flush of embarrassment came over her, and the maid muttered an apology.

‘I am sorry, my lady. I did not know anyone was here.’ But Taryn didn’t miss the way the young woman crossed herself, as if to ward off a demon.

Queen Isabel entered the solar and saw the young maid’s gesture. Her face darkened, and she ordered the girl to spend the morning helping in the kitchen. When the maid was gone, Isabel apologised again, ‘I am sorry. Renna is a silly girl, and her behaviour was thoughtless.’

‘I am used to it,’ Taryn said, pulling her hair forward. But it had stung, realising that nothing had changed. She had let her guard down, only to be reminded of who she was—an ugly woman whose face frightened others. ‘There was a great deal of snow last night,’ she said, by way of changing the subject.

‘A snowstorm will not stop Trahern from bringing Lady Carice here,’ Isabel reassured her, misreading her frustration.

Taryn went to stand beside the Queen. ‘I believe he will, aye.’

‘That isn’t why you’re upset, is it?’

She shrugged. ‘I have only until Imbolc to save my father, and I have no idea what I can do. Killian offered to help me, but now—’ She began pacing across the floor. ‘Now he doesn’t want silver in return.’

‘What does he want?’

‘He wants me to wed him in secret.’ Taryn picked up a wooden cup of mead, wishing she could hurl it into the fire.

‘That is rather bold,’ Isabel mused. ‘Why would he dare to ask for such a thing? Especially when you could wed one of my husband’s handsome brothers instead.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.