Kingdom Born

Chapter 18: Kingdom Bound

The surgeon was busy running between Karl and myself for the first week of our journey to the kingdom's shore. From what I gather from Sanderson, Karl carried me through the streets after I passed out. He wouldn't let anyone come near much less touch me and he was in as bad a shape as I. Sanderson finally had to steal a horse and cart and drive us down to the wharves.

My right arm was useless. The surgeon said he didn't know what poison was used so he couldn't make any assurances that feeling and movement would come back. Karl had more luck. The powder that Sanderson had been given back in the days before he were related was the same that Karl had been given. The surgeon, Heinrich, had been experimenting with it and had a good knowledge of what it could do and how to thwart it's affects. Karl had to drink a milky elixir at morn, noon and night but the dullness from his eyes had faded and his characteristic curious intelligence had returned. There were still times when he would stand looking out the porthole, still and silent, but they would grew fewer as the drug faded...at least I hoped so.

I laid flat on my back in the invalid bed and watched as the surgeon held Karl's face between his hands. He peered into his eyes even using his thumbs to open Karl's eyes wider, "I think the high potency is almost out of his system...maybe another day of the antidote and that should be it."

"Thank you for your assistance, healer." I held out my good hand in gratitude.

"My name is Heinrich, Lady Bezer."

"Thank you Heinrich." The older man began to pack his bottled and instruments into a black leather bag.

Karl reached out and touched my face. His finger tips strayed up to my hair, "It's growing..." His voice was soft and music to my ears.

I ran my hand over my scalp self-consciously. "It'll take years to get it back to it's length.

"At least it's not brown any more." He offered me a small smile then turned his attention back to the porthole and the flat horizon beyond. He could have been mistaken for a statute--he stood so still. Dust motes danced around him in the sunray.

There was a sharp rap on the door then Sanderson walked in uninvited his face smiling with familiarity that I did not appreciate. I regretted my weakness and had told him plainly that what we shared was over. We had agreed that the one night we spent was just that...spent and best forgotten. Sanderson had been intimate with me with words around Karl ever since. "You should come up on deck Phara. The sky is a beautiful thing to behold."

I scowled at Sanderson then turned back to Karl, "I thought these quarters were ours."

"I gave them to you." Sanderson returned easily clapping the departing surgeon on the back.

"Then what are you doing in here?"

Sanderson's blue eyed gaze ran over every detail in the room, from Karl's stillness to my non-welcoming glare. "Neither you nor Karl have come out of this room since we set sail so I came down to keep you entertained."

"As you can see, we're not ready to be amused," I gestured over to Karl, "please leave." What was Sanderson doing?

The massive blonde haired giant crossed his arms over his chest and shook his head negatively. I wearily climbed out of bed and stomped toward him. He grinned widely when I tried to shove him out of the room with my one good arm. He twisted with my move, pivoted on his heel and caught me by my waist. He jerked me against him. I could feel his readiness for loveplay. In a loud voice he said, "It's time for those lessons in customs I promised you so long ago."

His hands shifted down to my rear, tugged me to him once, then let me go just as Karl turned around. I reined in my desire to knock Sanderson around the ears. "Where are we going?"

Sanderson stepped around me and took three paces to stand beside Karl. Sanderson stood just a little bit taller but the height was end of their similarities. Sanderson was almost twice as wide as Karl even when he was dressed in silks. The harshness of Sanderson's life was etched on his features, featuring in prominence the parallel lion scars. Karl's face was dominated by haunted grey eyes. His face creased with laugh lines. They were men from opposite side of the spectrum, a warrior and a scholar. They could be no comparisons.

Sanderson clamped a heavy hand on Karl's shoulder, "We're going home Karlen. I'm taking you home."

Karl's voice was barely aobve a whisper, "You're taking us to King Halsem?"

"At least to my father, Thane of Northern Stronghold. Do you remember him?"

"Uncle Mitch..." Karl nodded dully.

"We'll send a message off to inform your father that you're alive and well. He'll probably meet us at the Stronghold."

"My father...you mean he isn't dead yet?"

Sanderson let his hand drop, "He came close on a couple of campaigns...he'll be so happy to see you alive Karlen."

"My name is Karl." My grey eyes scholar turned back toward the ocean view in the porthole. His voice was nonchalant but I saw his shoulder's tense with emotion, "Who has he chosen as his heir?"

"He doesn't have one. He's never remarried. He blamed himself for your death...supposed death." Sanderson's teasing tone had faded away. His expression and his voice was earnest with his sorrow for his uncle.

"I don't know what to say to him." Karl's voice was tinted with bleakness.

"We're still days at sea, Karl. You'll think of something. You look a little pale, you should rest," Sanderson turned back to me, "Cousin Phara, would you care to come with me and take my lessons?"

The gleam in his blue eyes dispelled any misunderstanding about his references. "Any lessons I need, I will get from Karl." I returned angrily.

"Cousin Karl can only do so much."

"I will be fine. If you'll leave our cabin, I think Karl and I need to rest."

"The offer stands."

I closed the wooden door behind him then slid the wooden bar across it. Guilt clenched my heart as I turned to find Karl's eyes staring at me intently. He knew.

"You slept with him."

"Yes," I crossed to him, gathered his hand and pressed my lips to his knuckles. I tensed my grip to keep his from pulling away, but he didn't make the effort. I took this as reassurance, "I have no excuse for what I did. I can't offer any. I needed you, Grey Eyes, and he was there. I still love you. I still need you."

I straightened and inspected him for any sign of movement; a flicker of his eyes; tightening of his fingers. Nothing. He just stood there and stared at me. Slowly, as if he were a man suddenly given sight and he didn't know if it would last, he closed the distance between us. I cradled my injured arm and stood before him defenceless. If he wanted to wail and rail at me, he was entitled. Misha and all those faceless women who had raped my Grey Eyes had taken his body; but I had taken something more delicate, more fragile and far more precious and shattered it to bits. I had destroyed his trust and in the long run...his love. You can't love someone you can't trust.

"What happened? I knew you came for me once and Misha captured you again...wait," Recognition illuminated Karl's face, "It was him! She sold you to Matt Sanderson. Did he force you?"

"No...This was after he let me go. I convinced him that we had to return for you. We had a sea battle with raiders Misha had sent after us...it was after that." I wanted to reach out and touch his warm skin, but I couldn't By the Goddess's laws, I had broken my Oath of Protection to my husband and broken our marriage vows by betraying him with another. I didn't deserve his concern.

"He didn't hurt you?"

"No, he didn't."
Karl laid a hand across my mouth. "Would you have told me?"

I shook my head no, "I didn't want to hurt you."

Clear grey eyes peered into my soul, "He asked you to come to him again. Would you?"

"No..."

Karl lead me to the bed and gestured to me to sit. He crouched at my feet, his hands on my knees, "I owe you my life twice, ssshhh, Sunny. A man doesn't expect anyone to save him. Usually he dies alone. You came for me twice. I could believe that you would have tried once, out of your sense of duty, but twice. That was pure love. I know you, Phara. Your sense of duty is strong but you know when the situation is hopeless. You'd walk away knowing that you truly tried...but love won't let you.'

'You are the strongest woman I have ever known, but your only just so strong. No one can stand alone, no matter how much she loves." He picked up my hand and kissed my palm, "However, if you go to him again, it is within the laws of the Kingdom that I could challenge him to a duel."

"You don't know swords." Alarm sped across my face.

"I love you enough to learn. Sunny, if you ever want to be free from me just tell me. I'll go. Do you want me to go?"

"No."

"Thank the Goddess," Karl rose to his feet and pressed my shoulders backwards on the bed, "I'm not ready to give you up, Phara Longsword." He leaned forward and pressed familiar kisses along my neck, flicking his tongue along my sensitive areas.

"Should we?"

"Are you going to stop me?" His teeth gazed along my throat, gently nipping then laving it over with his tongue. He pulled back, his face intense with his passion held in check, "Should I stop, wife?"

"Don't you dare." I laughed out loud as he playfully jumped on me. I hissed as I hit my wounded shoulder on the wooden support beams.

"Are you all right?" I opened my eyes to see him steadying himself carefully above me. Beads of pain sweat broke out all over my body. The wound started throbbing intensely. All thoughts of love were gone.

Karl read my face. "Sorry..." He gathered me up in his arms and cradled me into his body. "Just rest, that's all we need to do, just close your eyes and rest."

When I awoke, my throat was raw from my snores. Karl had buried his face into the pillow and lay in tranquil sleep. Just looking at him laying there, you would never think that he survived the worst hell anyone could imagine. Carefully I eased my way out of the bed making sure not to wake him. Standing at the foot of the bed, I remember another argument we had in Sandshore a month ago... Goddess that seemed so long ago.

Softly I shook him until he grunted out loud, "I'm going to go up on deck and do some drills. I'm stiff." I kissed him gently on the back of his neck, awkwardly strapped on a swordbelt and headed up into the sunlight.

"When you get back we'll have lunch." Karl's sleepy voice trailed after me. I closed the door behind me and headed up on deck.

Sanderson had picked up my fallen sword and brought it on board with him. Thank the Goddess for that. These huge Kingdom broadswords were too bulky and unwieldy. The sailors on deck said nothing when I came up topside. I took their silence as an acceptance. Heinrich's warnings that I should take my exercises easy just because of the extent of damage to my shoulder but I had to know what I could or couldn't do. Besides, I always was a fast healer. I was hopeful that Misha's blade hadn't cut anything vital, just pinched it a bit. In time, my feeling would come back. I hoped.

Taking the hilt in my left hand, I began to warm up my muscles. Tensing and stretching. Moko had drilled everyone one of the recruits with both hands. "You never know what can happen in a battle. The rules you learn here are for drills and technique. Once you get out into an actual fight, it's you fighting for your life and trust me, your enemy is going to be fighting just as hard.
'You take an cut to your right arm, you use your left arm. They won't be expecting it. If you find yourself in a tricky situation switch, it just might set your opponent off guard enough to save your life."

At the time, I along with the rest of the recruits believed in our invincibility, and thought it was a waste of time, but I wanted the ranking of First Daughter and practised hard. Thank you mother for all you taught. It saved my life many times.

I stretched out my muscles, enjoying the pull at the back of my calves and through my lower back. I took my stance. My balance was wrong. I loosened my wrist and took up point stance again. Better but still off. I worked through some basic steps. My right arm hung lifeless at my side, brushing against my hips or legs at unexpected times. I pivoted, dropped to one knee and spun bringing my sword back in a thrust. I saw in slow motion...my right arm flapped out from my side and flew toward the upper edge of my blade. I flexed my wrist and brought the flat of the blade toward me. My forearm hit the metal hard enough to knock my tip out of the alignment I wanted. Sweat poured off of me and it had nothing to do with the heat of the afternoon sun. I set my blade on the wooden planks and inspected the damage I could have done to myself. There was just a wide red welt on my skin. I tucked my useless hand into my belt, stood and picked up my blade.

I took beginning stance, weight evenly balanced on both feet. My upper body felt restricted. With my right harm strapped down, I was limited with my twisting, thrusting and even mock blocks. Every move was forced and ragged. I couldn't find my centre. I paused closed my eyes and tried to let my body flow through the movements that it knew so well.

I repeated my sets three times. My last set was worse than my first. Sweat beaded my face and rivets crept down my neck to soak my tunic. Everything was wrong. I stopped and turned to head back downstairs. Sanderson stood staring at me with deep concern on his face that suddenly disappeared when he noticed I was watching him.

I swore under my breath, brushed past him and disappeared into the slight coolness of the stairs. Sanderson was an judge of talent. The look on his face told me what I feared. I was crippled as a Daughter. He didn't even offer any advice on improving my drills.

I paused outside of the chamber door, breathing hard and fight back the tears that threatened to wash over me. What was I going to do now? I thought about Karl. I'm crippled now...by our vows, when I can't protect you any more you can marry somebody else. There was a sharp pain in my chest. I was obligated by the Goddess's laws to step aside and let Karl find someone else who could protect him. It was the law.

I opened the door to our chamber slowly. Karl lay on his back, his hands clasped on his stomach. He looked so serene. He deserved so much more that I had given him. I crossed to him, my sword hanging as useless as my right arm. I let my sword fall to the floor and dropped to my knees beside his bed. "I can't fight any more." The sobs ripped out of my control. This was the first time I let him see me cry.

Karl climbed out of bed towards me. "I'm sorry Phara."

"Don't you see? Our marriage is over! I...I can't fulfil my vow to the Goddess to protect..."

"Phara....We're not at home, we're not in the kingdom. We're not bound by any laws at sea, except those we make ourselves. We'll make our own vows with the Goddess that no one can dictate except us."

"But..."

"Our first wedding is nullified because of your injury, that is what you're telling me, right? So what's to stop us from getting married again? Nothing?"

"But..."

"Phara Longsword," Karl climbed off the bed and stood on his knees, his hands framing my tear streaked face, "will you marry me?"

"I'm supposed to ask." I wiped my eyes.

"Our vows, our rules. I asked. Your answer?" Karl's grey eyes burnt with the love and desire he held within his heart.

There was nothing else to say, "Yes."

"Phara, do you promise to love, honour and cherish me, in sickness and in health until death do us part?" He caught my useless hand and pressed his lips to it.

I sniffed and wiped my nose, "Yes..."

"And I, promise to love, honour and cherish you, in sickness and in health until death do us part. Then...with this kiss," He leaned forward and kissed the tears from my eyes then pressed his salty lips to mine, "I thee wed. Your turn."

"With this kiss, I thee wed." I pressed my lips to his so tenderly I started crying again. He gathered me in his arms and began rocking back and forth the way he had done when Kyle was a baby and wouldn't sleep at night. I brushed at the tears still forming in my eyes, "That was beautiful. Did you make that up?"

"I read it somewhere. Now, no one can separate us." He pressed the top of his chin against my head.

"What do we do now?" I was thinking about the time we spent rolling around in our small bed at home after our ceremony at the Temple was over. My fire below was primed but my shoulder was throbbing with pain. If Karl wanted to indulge, I would gladly follow his lead.

"Well, I think we'll take a bath, get something to eat and then go to sleep."

"When do we consummate the marriage?"

"After your bath, meal and sleep. I'm not going to do anything to hurt you."

"Can we just sit here for a while, Karl? I don't feel like moving right now."

"Sunny, you can do whatever you want."

The evening light had faded from the sky. The dim light from the lantern shone on my light armour that was piled on the cabin floor. I would have no more use for it. I laid in the soft mattress, relishing in the warmth and movement of the grey eyed man beside as he turned his head towards me. His breathing had dropped into a gentle familiar pattern. I stared up at the ceiling wondering what I was going to do to support Karl and Kyle. What could I do with the rest of my life?

Sanderson came knocking on the chamber door on the third day after our wedding. He didn't wait for permission to enter and walked in carrying bundles of brightly coloured clothes. Karl pulled a sheet over both of us as Sanderson cheerfully greeted us, "When you're dressed, cousin, you can come out on deck and meet my crew."

Karl looked up from the bed and met Sanderson's face with a cold grey eyed stare, "You greet me with the term cousin, but you slept with my wife." Karl's acid voice cut through the air.

Sanderson's expression dropped into solemness. His blue eyes flicked over to me, surprised that I had told Karl of my infidelity. I tensed as a wave of calm washed over me. Unconsciously I had been waiting for this accusal but I hadn't expected Karl to attack Sanderson verbally.
"I see you still are the self-centred bookbrat I remember." Sanderson returned throwing the clothes at Karl.

I reached for my sword hilt hanging beside the bed before I remembered that my usual arm was useless. Karl climbed out of bed, naked and stood face to face with the Captain unashamed and unafraid, "And you are still the self-gratifying bully."

I could feel the animosity ripping through the small room. "All I did was to try and comfort her."

"I'm not referring to that time after the pirate attack. I'm talking about the innuendos you've been making now. I'm back now, she has all the comfort she needs." Karl returned throwing the clothes back at Sanderson. The cloth hit square on his chest and fluttered to the floor like a fallen gull.

I wrapped the sheet around me and stepped between them, angry with both of them, "You are worse than children playing warriors. I'm not to be spoken of like a thing and I will not be talked about as if I'm not here."

Unexpected fiery pain ripped across my shoulder and down into my right arm. I grabbed my arm and gasped out in a mixture of agony and joy. I could feel my fingertips. My skin burned, hotter and hotter. I must have turned white. Karl eased me back on the bed, and Sanderson was shouting for the surgeon.

"What is it?" Karl's eyes were the familiar grey I was used to.

"My arm....feeling....." I grunted out through gritted teeth. It hurt worse than the initial stab in the back. I tried to move my fingers. They twitched at my command and then the muscles started cramping up. Searing tingles trailed up my hand, forearm and into my shoulder.

Heinrich rushed in with his ever present black bag. "I thought so. The way the knife went in must have pinched some nerves in your shoulder. I was hoping that was the case." He grabbed my hand and began to massage it free from it's cramps. "Lords, I think you could go else where. I have to examine her."

"She's my wife."

"Lord Bezer, I wouldn't care if you were her father. Please leave so I can get to work." Karl grabbed a kilt off the floor and struggled into it.

"Call me as soon as you're finished, surgeon."

The door closed after them. Heinrich lead me back to the bed and helped me lay on my stomach. I hissed at him through the pain, "You could have told me, instead of making me think that I was crippled."

"I didn't want to give you false hope."

"You didn't give me any hope at all."

"So you have a pleasant surprise. Make a fist. Tighten..." Heinrich massaged my arm, tapped me here then pressed on my shoulder. The sensation was over powering. I sturggled to get away from him. "Good, good...I think you're in pretty good shape."

He helped stand and began to show me exercises that were to return strength to my arm.

"What do you know about Sanderson?" Carefully I questioned him.

He looked over at me then replied non-committedly "I think it would be best if you ask your questions to him."

"A diplomatic answer."

"A safer one. Judge the man by his actions."

"He aided in my capture. He tried to force himself on me. Only when he saw that he had something to gain did he turn and offer aid."

"Then the Captain hasn't presented himself in a good light."

"What about the War Thane of Stronghold?"

"Lord Bezer? I don't move in those types of circles, Lady Bezer."

"You have ears. Tell me what you have heard."

"Lord Bezer is a fair man. When he holds court, it doesn't matter if the man be common or noble. He listens and weighs each man's words then pronounces a fair and just verdict."

"Then how can a fair and just man abandon his only child?"

Heinrich stopped his administrations. "These are questions that you should be asking Lord Bezer."

I flexed my arm, still feeling the tingles and sharp jabs "I will."

"I believe you, Lady Phara." Heinrich nodded solemnly and turned back to his work.

After Heinrich had left, Karl returned and began acting like Kyle who was having a particularly wicked temper tantrum when he couldn't get his way. He paced the room, picking up an item, slamming it down, tapping his foot dramatically for a second before beginning pacing again. I was about to open my mouth when the cabin door swung back and Sanderson stormed in holding onto crumpled clothing, "What's the matter with these?"

"I have clothing." Karl gestured down to his plain light woollen tunic and kilt that one of the crew that scrounged up from the holding stores below.

"Peasant at best. That does not do your house any honour."

Karl straightened to his full height and was almost eye level with Sanderson, "These suit the house of Longsword well. These are fine cloth, and well made." I looked over at the two men then sighed, for grown men to behave so childishly was very trying. Karl and Sanderson squabbled about everything, from wine to rigging and now clothes. I didn't feel I should have to separate them every time they came together. I turned my attention back to the book Heinrich had loaned me, keeping my eyes on the printed page but my ears ready for their arguments.

"We'll be sailing into Stronghold tonight. I've already sent off a messenger pigeon informing my father that you will be arriving with us. He'll have contacted your father. Kaleb will be there waiting or else he'll be on his way and I'll not have my uncle think that I wasn't capable of giving his returning son suitable attire," Sanderson stalked past Karl and tossed the silks on the bed. He fixed a cold blue gaze on me, "I would offer you a woman's gown of your station but I already know what you think of our clothing."

"My leathers will be sufficient."

Sanderson turned back to Karl, "Put them on."

Karl marched over to the bed, bundled the silks together and thrust them back at Sanderson. "We're not children any more Matthais, you can't bully me into doing something."

Sanderson matches stares with Karl. I had a feeling I was watching toms staring each other down for supremacy. The battle of wills went on for a small eternity before Sanderson sighed and looked away, "At least cut your hair, you look like a shaggy mutt."

"I would think that a man of your position would have more pressing concerns than trying to groom a visiting man and wife."

"I can't talk to you. I'll send somebody down when we come to the harbour." Sanderson slammed the cabin door closed behind him. Karl dropped the silks on the floor and scowled at the wooden door.

"I don't think Sanderson meant any disrespect." I offered, quickly burying my face back into the book when he pivoted on his heel and glared at me.

"He insults you. I know how hard you worked to give me good clothes to wear and he walks in and throws silk at my feet and tells me to wear it, like I'm still a brothelman."

I set the book down carefully, "That is not the reason for this bad mood."

Karl twisted on his heel and began to pace the floor. I paused not sure whether to touch on the subject that the cause of so much anxiety in my grey eyed scholar. "What's wrong?"

Karl threw himself on the bed and pressed the heels of his hands into his eyes, "My father, just thinking about him brings bad all those feelings I thought I had forgotten. I feel like an unworthy son that he couldn't bear to look at. I feel like I'm that twelve year old boy he sent away."

Karl turned and stared at me. His body was still gaunt with the ravishes of the drugs that were still leaving his system. His eyes held a haunted look that drifted over him once in a while. For a man emerging from hell, he looked remarkably well. "What if he hates me now as much as he did then? What if I disappoint him again?"

I set the book down and crossed to his side, "I wish I could make everything perfect for you, grey eyes. But I can't. But listen...I'm here and I'll stand by you as long as the Goddess allows. If your father cannot appreciate the man you have become then that is his loss. I know you and you've never been a disappointment."

"Come here, sunny." Karl opened his arms and enfolded me to him embrace. He squeezed me gently. We just layed together enjoying each other's closeness.

"If I had made more coin, I would have dressed you in silks."

"You dressed me fine."

"There is a lot of malice between Sanderson and you."

"We did not get along as children."

"Childish problems should be left with children."

"He held me head first in a watering trough for not trying hard enough in the practice arena!"

"What did you do to him?"

"I cut his girth on his horse. He fell in the mud in full regalia."

I laughed aloud at the image of the large Sanderson laying face first in the mud.

"I wanted him humiliated, disgraced. I wanted his father to be as ashamed of him as mine was of me. Old habits die hard." Karl sat up and gazed down at me intently, "I'm not a part of their world now. I want them to see that."

I fingered my short, now dyed red, hair and gestured to my leather armour, "I don't think they'll mistake that when they see me."

"Don't change anything about you, sunny, while we're here. The way you are is just perfect." He leaned down and kissed me gently, then more insistently. "Just perfect..."

Karl's hand began at my knee, rubbing there lightly, just enough to start a craving but not enough to satisfy. I caught his hand and pulled back from his kiss, "Don't start something you don't want to finish. I've missed you too much."

"Back there, when the others would come, I would close my eyes and pretend it was you, sunny. It made it bearable...but I want to see you here. I want to hear you. I want to feel you. Come here."

"My shoulder..."

"We'll take it slow. I want to savour every inch of you." I eased back stretching out on the bed. Karl hopped up, crossed to the door and made sure that it was barred. "No interruptions. I'm going to love you till you can't move, sunny."

He walked to the end of the bed and slowly, tantalisingly, stripped off his tunic and unbuttoned his kilt. His excitement was evident. He undressed me with the care one gave to a newborn, pausing to kiss newly exposed areas. When he came to the long nasty scar on up upper thigh, his tongue trailed it's length. I had taken that wound my first year in the Guard at Sandshore, a year before I first married my merman. He licked it again. "No." I tried to pull him up.

"It's a part of you. It made you who you are." He gave it a final kiss and made butterfly touches toward my sex, "Look at me...I want to know it's you."

The sensation was like nothing I had ever known when his mouth kissed me again. My soul poured itself through our matches gazes. When I was overwhelmed, his grey eyes glowed with my pleasure... "KARL!"

"Go ahead...you can do it again and again.."

I exploded.

Slowly, Karl kissed his way to my breasts then my lips. When he finally eased himself in me, I exploded again, just with his contact. He laughed in my ear and began thrusting, slowly, waiting for my passions to stir again. This time, we lost ourselves at the same time. "It's you....I know it's you." He whispered over and over into my neck as we rested. Slowly, he regained enough strength to shift his weight off me.

"You'll never have to pretend again..." I whispered back, cradling his head against me. Physical scars could heal...the unseen scars Karl had...I could only hope that they would. We clung to each other until we fell asleep.

When we woke, Karl lifted his face out of his pillow and smiled sleepily at me. He seemed to be in a good mood, so I figured it was time to broach the subject that had been in my mind since our leaving Coveport. This probably wasn't the most appropriate place to bring it up but it had to be resolved, "Sanderson told me a few things about the Kingdom. Is it true that men cross swords for a woman? Is any woman exempt?"

Karl wiped his eyes and yawned. His words were tinged with sleep, "Probably the consort to the High King."

"A Thane is not protected?"

"A lower ranking noble wouldn't even dare. Another Thane however would be within his right to challenge." Karl met my gaze evenly. "What are you getting at?"

"I want to teach you swordwork," I continued on with my reasoning, even though Karl looked as if I had struck him, "I can't be with you every minute of the day, no matter how much I want to or what I promised. I don't want you to be defenceless against your enemies."

"I don't need to learn how to kill besides, we aren't going to be in Stronghold long enough to make enemies. Just as soon as another ship is ready to leave, we'll be out of there." Karl returned stubbornly.

"We still can't return to Sandshore yet, and we burnt down a good part of Coveport. We might be here for the rest of the year."

Karl pressed the heels of his palms into his eyes, "Why are you doing this? I've told you how much I hated arms training."

I crossed to his side and grabbed his chin lightly with both my hands, "I won't have you at the mercy of any man or woman again."

"I don't like killing." Karl's voice was softer now, "I don't ever want to kill again."

"I'll teach you so you won't have to. A bad sword-wielder has no choice but to kill in order to win. A competent one has many choices...including mercy."

There was an uncomfortable silence in the room.

"All right," Karl sat silent, staring down at the kilt that he rumpled between his hands, "Phara, you know that this will change everything between us."

"Arms training might bring us together - it might drive a wedge between us if we let it. This is something that has to be done."

Karl sat still. I could see my argument running around in his mind. One by one his protestations fell aside. Calm grey eyes regarded me evenly. "Teach me to be a swordsman."

"I will teach you everything I can." I silently bit back the words, I hope that it will be enough.