Arokan jerked his head at two Dakkari warrior escorts that would lead Hukan out into the wild lands, far away from the horde. Arokan stood from his throne. He descended the steps of the dais and stopped in front of his aunt. From his belt, he drew a dagger, which he gave to one of the escorts.
“This was my mother’s dagger,” he said. “May it serve you well.”
And then he bent his head low and spoke in Hukan’s ear. A goodbye, I knew. Perhaps even a thank you, for all that she had done for him up until that point. Because for all of her faults, she had protected Arokan when he’d been a child. She had given him council whenever he sought it. She had been his only remaining family.
I didn’t know what was said. It was a moment only for them and my heart twisted in my chest when Hukan reached up to touch Arokan’s cheek.
Then she looked at me. Our eyes held for a brief moment. I saw hers flicker over my healing split lip, the bruises on the side of my face from the Ghertun leader, the burn that took up half my shoulder.
Her eyes dropped to my belly, where my child grew.
“You are at the mercy of Kakkari now,” Arokan said, breaking her gaze. “Pray that she is merciful. Pray that she is more merciful than I.”
Hukan’s head dipped.
Then she turned away slowly, towards the warrior escorts.
Wanting to give Arokan comfort, I descended the dais to stand beside him. Discreetly, I slipped my hand into his as we watched the two escorts, on theirpyroki, lead Hukan away. I squeezed his hand as we watched them grow smaller and smaller in the distance. The entire horde remained silent, watching until darkness fell over Dakkar. Watching until Hukan could be seen no more.
She was lost in the wild lands now, never to return.
Arokan kept a tight grip on my hand and I stood there with him, long after the horde members left, until it was just the two of us, staring into the dark night.
Arokan’s eyeswere closed as I smoothed the washing cloth over his shoulders, over his chest. The day had been hard on him, the grief still raw.
The water was warm around us, in our bathing tub, our skin pressed together. I spread my fingers wide over his chest, felt his strong heartbeat underneath my palm. Steady and slow.
I didn’t ask him if he was alright. Of course he wasn’t. I couldn’t make the pain go away. Time would help heal it, but it would always be there, like a scar. A reminder.
And I was doing my best to comfort him, but I worried that it wasn’t enough.
His eyes opened and he looked at me. He caught my hands and brought them up to his lips, before he slid his own hands down my body, to rest against my belly.
“I don’t even know what to say this night,” I confessed, licking my bottom lip, the cut stinging.
His eyes met mine. “Tell me that you love me,” he said, his voice guttural, deep.
“I love you, Arokan,” I whispered into his ear. Words just for him. Though my shoulder was still healing, I brought my arms up to rest on his shoulders, wrapping my hands around the nape of his neck, holding him close.
“Tell me that you will be with me always,” he murmured.
“I will be with you always,” I said softly, “until my last breath.”
“Tell me that…” he trailed off, meeting my gaze. “Tell me that you forgive me, for taking you from your village the way I did.”
My brow furrowed. I’d never known that he’d had doubts about that, about how we’d been brought together.
“There’s nothing to forgive,” I told him truthfully, the water trickling as I shifted over his lap. “I didn’t understand it at the time, Arokan, but I realize now that it was blessing.Youwere a blessing. You gave me a more complete life. You help me enrich it every single day.”
His shoulders loosened. His gaze softened. It was a look just for me.
My heart fluttered in my chest. Leaning forward, I kissed him, slow and soft, memorizing him though I knew I had no need.
And I knew, right then, that our future would be bright. That day, the past couple days, had been bittersweet. They had been difficult, emotionally, physically, for both of us, for all of us. I knew that there would be more difficult days ahead. With the uncertainty of the Ghertun threat, with the challenges of horde life, with the cold season approaching, the days ahead would be unpredictable.
But I knew, without a doubt, that as long as Arokan was at my side, as long as I was at his, we could face anything. Together.
When the baby came, when I brought our son or daughter into this world, we would be even stronger.
