Redemption by M J Marlow (librera reader .txt) 📕

Please see that quarters are arranged for our guests. They will be spending the night.”
“Yes, my lord Atherton,” Brek bowed his head and left, eager to be gone. The tension in the hall had been mounting progressively since these men had entered.
“Captain,” Andrew said as he beckoned to Raven. “My lady needs to return to our chambers. She requires rest.” He saw her frown and turned his attention to her fully. “You know you need to rest, my love,” he said as he pulled her hands up to his lips, ignoring their guests completely. “It was unwise of you to take up Canby’s healing on your own as you did.” His hand moved down to her abdomen, and Marit blushed. “You carry our child now, and must think of his or her welfare as well as your own.”
“Yes, my lord husband,” Marit bowed her head to him.
She looked up at him with such love shining in her eyes, that every other man in the room was struck dumb. She bowed her head to the guests and left the room, taking the warmth with her. Andrew took his seat as the servants brought in chairs for his guests and all softness fled from his rugged face. Taryn knew he was facing a man more than his equal. Lorenz and Martyn were impressed by the change in tack and knew they would have to watch their step. Rafel began to squirm, realizing that his cousin had, once again, found a man who could quite easily thwart his plans.
“Now, gentlemen,” Andrew said, his eyes hard, his voice chill. “Suppose you tell me the real reason you are here.”
Marit entered her chamber and wondered why the door had not closed. She turned to see Raven watching her closely and she knew there was going to be trouble there. Raven closed the door and she met his eyes coldly. He froze, stunned by the censure in her expression. He had not expected her to be hostile with him. Not when she was so free with her affections among her companions.
“You and your brothers will be leaving us, Captain,” Marit told him stiffly. “It is apparent that you need to find yourself a woman.” She held up her hand as he started to speak. “You will not find me a willing recipient of your affections, Northlander. I am quite happy with the man I have chosen and have no wish to look elsewhere.”
“Man, lady?” Raven hissed and took a step towards her. “Are you not more correct in saying ‘men?’” He had his hands on her arms and held her so she could not move. “Surely there is room in your collection of bed mates for one more?” He clamped his lips on hers and felt her stiffen. He was stunned. He had never had a woman refuse his touch before. “No?”
“No,” Marit shook her head, enjoying this newfound ability to shut her responses away. “You will take your hands off of me and make your preparations to leave. My lord husband will tell you what is required.”
Raven released her and bowed his head, still stunned. This was not the same girl he had run across only last year. This princess had a core of steel that had been only hinted at before. And she stood there looking at him with such disinterest that he felt his anger mounting. How dare she treat him like he did not matter! He had to admit that, if she had to choose a man other than him, she had chosen well in the lord Andrew. There was a man who could face down a full-grown bear and not flinch, especially if it had to be done to protect his wife.
“I will not apologize for being attracted to you, lady,” Raven told her. “I pray you are always as happy with the lord Atherton as you are today.”
Marit nodded and watched him go. She locked the door behind him and then collapsed onto a nearby chair, shaking. It had taken a great deal to keep from responding to his touch, his kiss. Raven was a man that any woman would kill to possess. But she was not in the market for another man. She was, as she had told Raven, quite happy with Andrew. She had chosen him, and her other men, freely and with her whole heart when she could have been with Tavin. But leaving Reyma in her place at that point had not been right. She would have turned her glorious men into people they were not meant to be. Marit had seen that in her sister’s eyes. There was a knock on the door and Marit unlocked it.
“My lady,” the guard bowed as he remained in the corridor. “The new members of the household have arrived. “Lord Atherton thought you might wish to greet them.”

*
Marit stood at Andrew’s side at the evening meal that night and smiled to herself. Her men were near her, and their household had grown by thirty. The children of Stormkeep, all around her own age, were quite eager to serve and learn. And it was nice to have people near her who were of an age with her. She had forgotten what it was like to be so eager to learn and experience new things. Her own attempts, she frowned a moment, had only led to heartbreak and pain. She gripped Andrew’s hand and he looked down at her. The love shining in his eyes soothed her and she smiled up at him. She found herself turning to her cousin and surprising a hate-filled expression on his face. Rafel blinked and smiled at her. He patted her hand and Marit controlled the shudder his touch awoke.
“We really have missed you, cousin,” Rafel told her, his smile not quite reaching his eyes. “Your old friend, the lady Susa of Fellstone, was asking after you just last week.” He had a wistful expression in his eyes. “She is happily expecting a child with your former husband.”
“I am glad,” Marit said honestly. “She will give Edmund another heir to love.”
“Yes,” Rafel nodded. “They are very happy with each other and they raise your son and daughter quite well.” He looked at her curiously. “Are you not in the least bit curious to see how your own children are doing?”
“They are loved,” Marit replied. “That is what is important. Perhaps one day,” she added as she thought it over, “after their father has explained things to them, I will wish to be presented to them.”
“I would speak with you in private, cousin,” Rafel said as he rose to his feet. He held his hand out to her. “Would you walk with me?” Marit told Andrew and saw her husband frown. She did not need to see it to know that he had alerted the guard to keep an eye on her and her cousin. They went out into the gardens and Rafel took her over to a bench and saw her seated. His civility slipped as he met her eyes. “I must admit, Marit, you are not the same wide-eyed child who was brought to court last year. I quite admire you now.”
“I am not in the mood for this falseness, Rafel,” Marit told him and watched him flinch. “I know you are angry that I appeared in your life just when you thought you were going to inherit the throne. I also know that you went out of your way to look innocent when your men tried to murder me. I have been told of your meetings with the lord Talbot and remember how he tried to murder Justin of Northfell to keep the alliance between us from occurring.”
“You have been a busy girl,” Rafel smiled coldly. He caught her arm as she rose to leave. “Oh no, cousin. Please stay.” He leaned closer to her and his voice was hard. “You are correct,” he told her bluntly, “about all of it. But let me add one more event to your little list. I know you are not married to the lord Atherton, for all the show.” He saw her flinch and knew he was correct. “So you,” he smiled coldly as he pulled her towards him, “and your little heir are going to come with me. You are going to marry me, Marit, and keep the throne in our family; where it belongs.”
“You are crazy, cousin,” Marit laughed and shoved him away from her. She was on her feet and heading away. He yanked her back and slugged her across the face. “How dare you!” she snapped as he dragged her into his arms. “Let me go!”
“Why should I, cousin?” Rafel laughed as he planted his lips on hers and heard her choke in protest. “Come on now, Marit,” he snarled as he pulled her closer; “you are no virgin. Surely you can spare a little affection for your loving cousin?” He bit back a cry of pain as she bit him and he slapped her. She hit the wall and crumpled to the ground. “Little slut! How dare you put on airs to me!” He hefted her over his shoulder and carried her along the back passages and down to the boats. He dumped her inside one of them and took off. “Hurry, Talbot,” he hissed as the other man joined him. “They will be raising an alarm.” He fell to his knees as Talbot struck him across the jaw. “What are you doing?”
“I am tired of being ordered around by you, brat,” Talbot told the stunned Rafel as he bound the prince’s wrists behind his back. “You, I take to your uncle,” he told the boy as he dumped him in a cage. “Your cousin,” his smile went quite warm, “I return to her husband.” He turned as Andrew came out of the shadows. “It is good to see you again, brother.”
“As it is you, Lawrence,” Andrew smiled and picked his wife up in his arms, holding her close. He glared at Rafel coldly. “You are a fool, prince Rafel. Did you never once stop to consider how the lord Talbot could still be alive after apparently betraying the lord Barnabas, the prince Alexander, and others? He is your uncle’s man, through and through; set out as a stalking horse to keep Marius apprised of threats from outside the borderlands. And,” he said as he nodded to his brother, “he is my brother.” He looked over at the fortress. “Atherton is once more in our family, where it belongs.”
“And allied through marriage to the King of the Borderlanders himself!” Talbot smiled as he looked at his brother and the princess in his arms. “There is to be marriage is there not, brother?”
“Only if that is what my lady wishes,” Andrew smiled down into Marit’s eyes. He saw the joy blossom in her eyes as she finally found a man who thought of her feelings before his own need for status or power.
“It is,” Marit nodded and claimed her husband-to-be’s lips with all the fervor in her healing heart.