She opened the door a bit wider to let the maid in, and a few minutes later, came back out. Her long, dark hair was pulled up into a simple bun, exposing the slender column of her throat, and her face seemed a bit brighter, as if she’d splashed some water on it. Her smile warmed Calrain’s heart as they descended the stairs together, and butterflies began to dance in hisstomach.
It had been so long since the two of them had done more than greet each other in the great hall during meals. Why had he not thought of doing this before? The prayer room was a perfect place for an acolyte of Roisen to meet a woman, provided that they werediscreet…
What are you thinking?he scolded himself. Just becausehewanted Tariel didn’t mean she felt the same. After all, it hadn’t beenhimshe’d tried to visit this morning, had it? No, she had a taste for strong, handsome knights, and that was neither here nor there anyway. He had come to her tonight to offer help, nothing more. Besides, that infernal maid had decided to accompany them. How was he to talk to her with the servant looking over theirshoulder?
“Here we are,” the maid said as they stopped outside a simple wooden door. “While you two pray, I’ll just nip off to the kitchens for a quick bite. Don’t go anywhere else while I’m gone,” she warnedTariel.
“I’ll make sure she is on her best behavior,” Calrain promised. A wave of sweet relief swept through him as he ushered Tariel inside. Finally, a chance for them to be alonetogether!
The prayer room was completely dark save for a handful of candles set in wall sconces, and the flickering flames seemed to emphasize the shadows more than they drove the darkness out. Tariel seemed to notice the same thing, for she shivered as she looked up at the towering statue of Roisen centered in the circular chamber. He was a muscular giant dressed in glorious armor, his hair cropped close to his square head, his teeth bared in a fierce snarl as he wielded a shield in one hand and a lightning bolt in theother.
“I feel like he might smite me as I stand here,” she whispered, her eyes glued to the bolt gripped in the storm god’sfist.
“Roisen might be a stern god, but he is not a cruel one,” Calrain said, though the words did not sound quite convincing even to his own ears. But what else could he say? “So long as we obey him in all things, we shall be rewarded in theafterlife.”
“And what about this life?” Tariel argued, her eyes flashing. “Are we to suffer as we try to hold to his ideals, even as we shun our own needs and desires? And if we do not adhere to his tenets to the letter, will we be flung into the endless storms ofhell?”
“I…” Calrain opened his mouth, then closed it again, realizing there was nothing he could say about their faith that would reassure her. “I did not really bring you down here to pray,” he said, clasping her hands in his. “I came because I heard what Lady Tyrook plans to do with you, and I want to offer my assistance, in any way Ican.”
Tariel’s lush mouth formed a small o, her eyes widening with surprise. She looked so lovely, the candlelight highlighting her perfect features and illuminating the brilliant azure of her irises. Her small fingers curled around Calrain’s hands, making his breath catch in his throat. When was the last time they hadtouched?
“Oh, how I’ve missed you,” she said, flinging her arms around his neck. It was Calrain’s turn to be surprised as she hugged him, and his entire body flared with desire as she pressed her sweet curves against him. “You always were so sweet to me,” she said, pulling back to look up at him, “but I don’t see how there is anything you can do to help me, Calrain. My only hope is to make myself repugnant when Lord Sowell comes to visit tomorrow, so that he might change his mind about taking me as awife.”
Calrain shook his head. “I don’t see how that’s possible,” he said, grazing his knuckles across one of her exquisitely formed cheekbones. “Even if you smeared horse dung all over your face, you would still be the most beautiful woman in theland.”
Tariel’s laugh rang out, echoing off the walls in the small stone chamber. “You are too kind,” she said. “But for my sake, I do hope you arewrong.”
Calrain opened his mouth to say something else, but at the sound of footsteps outside the door, they sprang apart. They had just managed to hit the ground, hands clasped while they knelt in front of Roisen, when the door opened, and the maid came in. Calrain’s heart pounded as he bowed his head and pretended to pray, hoping the maid couldn’t sense anything was amiss. But the woman merely knelt with them and waited until they hadfinished.
“I thought I heard laughing,” she said as they exited the prayer room together. Her eyes were narrowed with suspicion. “If I didn’t know better, I’d say the two of you went in there to do something other thanpray.”
Tariel’s face went pale, but Calrain didn’t miss a beat. “I can assure you, my devotion lies entirely with the storm god,” he said, hiding a flash of anger at the maid for being such a busybody. “I hope you managed to find some peace in your prayers tonight, Tariel. Goodevening.”
He bowed, then turned on his heel and left, heading to the clerk’s office. Hopefully Tariel could convince Lord Sowell that she was not a suitable match. In the meantime, Calrain would continue to think, and see if there wasn’t something he could do to get the woman he loved out of this terriblemess.
7
The next morning,Tariel was awoken by a different servant and told that she would be skipping the morning lessons with the other foster girls. Lord Sowell would be arriving to meet with her at midday, and she needed to bathe and dress to receivehim.
She expected to wear the least threadbare of her dresses, but to her surprise, two more servants came in, bearing a fine dress of deep green, with matching ribbons for her hair. The servants didn’t have to explain the meaning behind Lady Tyrook’s uncharacteristic generosity—she was a sow being taken tomarket.
She just had to make sure Lord Sowell didn’tbuy.
After the servants had finished bathing and dressing Tariel, they left her alone in her room to await Lord Sowell’s arrival. At first, being alone with her thoughts was excruciating, as she had nothing to focus on but the fears incessantly gnawing at her. But the time ended up going far too fast, and before she knew it, she was escorted to an unused drawingroom.
“Ah, here is my bride-to-be,” Lord Sowell chortled as Tariel entered the room. She desperately hoped the servant would come in with her, but instead he bowed his head and retreated, taking up a post outside. Thankfully, the door was left open a crack, so Tariel could scream for help if she truly needed it. But there would be no one to see if Lord Sowell made any inappropriate advances on her, and she knew he would not be able toresist.
“Good afternoon, Lord Sowell,” Tariel said politely, curtsying. She ignored his invitation to sit on the sofa next to him, and instead took up a seat directly opposite him. “Thank you for coming to meet me on such shortnotice.”
“The pleasure is all mine,” Lord Sowell said, his muddy eyes raking across her form. Tariel suppressed a shiver of revulsion, knowing that he was already undressing her in his mind. “Have you had your maids pack up your things yet? You will be moving to my estate very soon, afterall.”
Tariel swallowed, deciding not to mention that she did not have maids of her own—clearly Lord Sowell thought she was better kept than she actually was. “I have not,” she confessed. “In fact, I have not decided to marryyou.”
Lord Sowell’s thick, dark brown eyebrows bunched together, and his fat jowls quivered. “Lady Tyrook assured me that you were in full agreement. The preparations for the wedding are alreadyunderway.”
Tariel squared her shoulders and forced herself to meet the man’s gaze. “Even so, I have not given my consent, and cannot. I’m afraid I would be a terrible wife, Lord Sowell—I hold no affection for you, and there is little about you I findappealing.”
Lord Sowell leered at her. “Your affection is irrelevant,” he said, leaning in. “A woman does not have to love a man to bear him children, and with a body like that, I am confident you can bear me many sons.” His meaty hand closed around her hip and squeezed. “My last two wives were weak, sickly creatures, the first unable to accept my seed, the second incapable of producing anything more than stillborns. You are just what I need to ensure my linecontinues.”
