Branford half walked, half dragged me back to our chambers as my mind whirled.  His harsh words under his breath sent shivers down my spine—and not the same kind of shivers I had experienced the night before.  I couldn’t speak.  I couldn’t swallow, and I could barely draw breath.  I couldn’t hear every word he said, growling under his breath, but what I did hear chilled my heart.

Scheming.

Traitorous.

Liar.

When we reached the door to our rooms, Branford threw it open and pushed me inside.  My body screamed for me to run—either back out the door or at least to the other side of the room—but my mind knew the action would be fruitless.  With a push from Branford’s palm on my back, I was jarred against the wall in the morning room.

Before I could turn, I heard Branford’s roar followed by a crashing sound, and I nearly threw myself right out the eastward-facing window.  He had lifted one of the couches and thrown it into the wall near the fireplace, breaking off chunks of the wooden legs and causing it to collapse in a heap.  I could see his hands grabbing for the small table next to the door right before he flung it toward me.  It splintered into pieces against the stone, and I finally found my voice long enough to scream.

“I just want to know how”—Branford snarled as he slowly stalked closer—“how in the world did you do it?  How did you get me to pick you?  Did Edgar plant nothing but spies in his audience?  Tell me!”

He grabbed a large log from the stack near the fire and flung it into the shutters of the window, causing further damage as he marched across the room.  He towered over me as I raised my arms up to protect my head and face.

“Please, Branford!” I cried.  “I’m sorry…I’m sorry…”

Branford’s fist slammed into the wall right next to my head, and I screamed again.  There was no point in trying to explain—it would have been the same as when the carriage driver had begged for mercy, and there was no one here to stay Branford’s hand.  I had no doubt that he was going to kill me.

“Tell me how!” he screamed right next to my head, and I jumped.  “And to think I was buying that innocent little servant girl act of yours!”

“No…Branford…I didn’t…I swear…”

“No more lies!”  Again, his fist hit the wall next to me, and I squeezed my eyes shut.  Tears flowed freely down my cheeks, but I made no move to stop them.  I tried to cover my head with my arms, but Branford grabbed my wrists and held them to my sides.  “How did you do it?  How did you get past all my senses?”

Before I could even consider trying to either answer his questions or beg for his mercy, a shout from behind him startled me nearly as much as Branford’s own yelling had.

“Branford Sterling!”   I heard the Queen of Silverhelm’s voice but couldn’t see her from my position up against the wall.  “Get away from her this instant!”

“I don’t think so!” Branford shouted without turning toward the queen.

“Don’t make the mistake of thinking that was a request, Sir Branford.”

Immediately, the grip on my wrists relaxed.  I pulled my arms back up and covered my face with my hands as I tried to turn away from my husband, seeking comfort from the cold, stone wall.  I could not turn though, for Branford’s body was still pressed up close to mine, and his rapid breaths blew over the bare skin of my shoulder.

“You hadn’t even shown me this much of you.” Branford’s low whisper burned my ear as his hot, rapid breaths coated my skin and caused me to shiver.  My skin went cold as he stepped back, and I dropped to the ground, curling my legs up underneath me and holding my arms protectively over my head.  I tried to remember if he was already wearing his sword or if I would have to wait for him to retrieve it before he cut me down.  Sunniva’s voice registered in the back of my head, but the meaning of her words didn’t penetrate as I waited for the final blow.

“Have you lost all your reasoning?”

“I’m just seeing the light, Mother.”

“Seriously, Branford?  You think inappropriate dinner clothing is a plot against you?”

“It’s not that simple!”  Branford yelled.  “There was the carriage driver, her behavior when we arrived, and our wedding night…”

“Don’t be ridiculous!”

“I’m not being—”

“You most certainly are!  I don’t know if I have ever been more angry and disappointed in you than at this moment.  You keep pushing your wife onto everyone around you and then fly off the handle at her when things don’t go the way you expected!”

“Mother, I—”

“Did I give you permission to speak, Sir Branford?”

“No…my queen.”

“Then don’t do so again unless I ask it of you.  Understood?”

“Yes, my queen.”

“Down!  Now!”

Daring to peek from between my fingers, I watched from the corner of my eye as Branford first held the queen’s stare and then slowly dropped to his knees in front of her.  He placed his hands, stilled balled into fists, on his thighs and bent his head down.  I quickly hid my face again as my heart continued to pound.

“You listen to my words, Branford Sterling, Lord of Sterling, and listen well.”  The queen’s voice was low, and I could hardly hear her words.  “This has been a complete and total disaster, and there is one person and one person only who is responsible for it.”

“I think I’ve figured that—”

“SILENCE!”

“Yes, my queen.”  His words to her were soft, but the queen spoke loud and clear.

“You, Branford,” Sunniva said.  “You are responsible for this.  You brought a young, lost, commoner child here as your wife and expected her to know how to behave like a princess.  You’ve spent no time with her, apart from your nights, and you know nothing about her.  It is obvious I know more of her character than you though I’ve spent barely a handful of hours in her company.  Did you think she smuggled that outfit in here herself?  You presented her to me, covered in mud because she had nothing else to wear.  How can Camden and I trust you with the crown—with the leadership of your people—if I cannot trust you to lead your own wife in her new life?”

“Mother, I—”

“I have not given you permission to speak.”

“Yes, my queen.”

I heard the queen sigh heavily.  The volume of her words dropped, but the tone remained just as hard.

“This is your own doing, Branford.  You’ve practically abandoned her on her own since you arrived.  What kind of a king will you be if you can’t take care of the needs of your own wife?”

“She could be a traitor!” he said, and I heard a whimper come unbidden from my throat.

“Branford, in the name of God!  Are you even listening to yourself?  You chose her from an arena full of maidens!  That was your whole plan to avoid treachery, was it not?”

“You knew about…?”

“I know a lot of things, Sir Branford.  There is very little that happens here without my knowledge, including what you believe to be your secret meetings to plot war on Hadebrand.  I allowed your wedding scheme to occur because it is time for you to take on more responsibility, and I was thrilled you were considering a wife.  And now, to see you shirk the duty of her care the very first day is beyond disappointing.”

“It wasn’t a good time for—”

“You will make the time, Sir Branford.  In fact, for the next three days, that will be your sole focus.”

 “Three days?”

“Yes, because until then, you and your wife will be isolated.”

“What are you saying?”  Branford’s tone was incredulous.

“You are going to fix this.  You are going to behave like a man and not a spoiled child.  You are going to teach your wife about our customs, how we live, what is expected of her, and you are going to teach her about you.  You will also learn about her and honor her thoughts and her beliefs.”

I chanced a look from under my arm.  Branford remained on his knees before the queen as she continued to speak.

“In my homeland, there was a custom for newly married couples.  For three days and nights after the wedding, they were not to leave each other’s company.  They would spend that time learning of one another and understanding the person with whom they would spend their lives.  We called it the honeymoon, and you and Alexandra are on your honeymoon as of this moment.  You are not to leave her side—not even for a minute.  You will tell her about yourself, including why you reacted this way tonight.  You will explain it to her, Branford.  All of it.”

“I don’t want to talk about—”

“I am not interested in your wants, Sir Branford.  You created this situation, and you have made a mess of it.  Now you are going to resolve it.”

“Resolve it?” Branford took a deep breath, his voice moderately calmer.  “I have a tournament to prepare for.  I can’t spend three days—”

“I didn’t choose the time of your wedding, Branford,” the queen told him.  “You did that yourself, and now you can live with your choices.  How do you expect to be able to protect an entire people as king when you cannot protect your wife?  When were you going to get around to that?  Were you waiting for the timing to be convenient for your schedule?”

“Protect her from what?”  Branford cried out.  “She’s the one who—”

“If you had looked around the room for a moment,” Queen Sunniva said over her adopted son’s voice, “you would have seen those wretched sisters cackling to each other as soon as you reached the door!”

There was a moment of silence before Branford spoke, his voice now hushed.

“Kimberly and Nelle?”

“Yes.  Am I finally getting through that thick skull of yours?”

“What did they do?”

“If you are so good at conspiracies, you figure it out!  One look at them told me exactly what happened this evening.  Maybe those two whores of yours are trying to find a way to regain your attention.  I don’t care what their reasoning is.  You can determine their involvement after you take care of your first priority—the girl you’ve got cowering in the corner!  She thinks she is going to be beaten or even lose her life at her husband’s hand because those conniving little trollops strong-armed her into wearing that dress.”

She knew.  I didn’t understand how she could, but she knew what they had done to me.

“You think they did this deliberately?  You think they did this to humiliate her?  They would not do that to my…”

He paused, gasped, and for a moment, I could hear nothing but his breathing.

“Yes, Branford.  To your wife.  Who else thought she had a chance at such a position?”

“I don’t know what you mean.”  Branford’s voice had become hollow and almost emotionless.

“Who thought she had a chance at being more to you?  Who may have let her jealousy get the better of her?  I will no longer tolerate her actions in my kingdom, Branford.  I expect you to take care of that.  I have gone beyond all expectations when it comes to honoring Everleigh’s sister’s daughters.”

“But Ramona was with Alexandra all afternoon.  How could they have—?”

“Why don’t you ask Alexandra to tell you?  It’s a good place for you to start mending.”

“She did nothing wrong, did she?”  Branford’s voice was barely a whisper.

“No, Branford,” Sunniva said.  I heard the queen inhale deeply before she continued, her voice now devoid of its previous ire.  “Alexandra is a kind, sweet, common girl who needs your care and your leadership.  Look at what you have done to her.”

As Branford’s head swiveled in my direction, I quickly hid my face.  I heard nothing but his short, clipped breaths.

“Time to make amends, my son,” Sunniva said, her voice finally softening.  “Whether it was by accident or not, you chose a fine woman to be at your side, and now you have to talk to her, Branford.  You have to give her the chance to know and understand you, and you have to take the time to know and understand her.  Did you think marriage just happened by itself?”

“I never thought of it at all,” Branford said.  His voice was now quiet and subdued.

“It’s time to start thinking, Branford.  I will discuss it with you again in three days.”  I heard her retreating steps and the gentle thud of the closing door as she left me alone with Branford.  For many, many minutes I kept my hands over my head, waiting for his rage to return with the buffer between us now absent.  The only sounds were my muffled sobs and Branford’s labored breathing.

“Alexandra, please.”  I heard the shuffle of feet moving toward me, and Branford’s softened voice. “Don’t cry, please, Alexandra.  Please look at me.”

I felt his hand against my shoulder and heard a cry escape my mouth as I tried to jerk away from him, and my shoulder scraped against the stone wall.

“Dear God in Heaven,” I heard him say quietly.  “What have I done?”

I felt his hands on me again, and I tried to push myself away, but I was still up against the wall with nowhere to go.  I screamed as I pushed against the hands and arms that wrapped around me. Again I wondered if his sword was clasped to his belt or if he would need to retrieve it.  I futilely tried to make sense of what I could recall of Queen Sunniva’s words, but I was too overwhelmed to understand what all of it meant.   Branford couldn’t have been on his knees.  I must have imagined it.

“Please!  Don’t kill me!  Please, my lord!  I didn’t mean to…”

“Oh no!  No!  Alexandra, no…please don’t think that.”

“I’m sorry…I didn’t mean to…I’m sorry…I’m sorry…”

“Alexandra, shh…hush now.”

I felt myself being lifted from the floor and realized I was cradled in his arms.  Where would he take me?   Would I die tonight?  Would I first be paraded down the street to an executioner’s block?  It was only after a few steps that he stopped and stood still.  I could not fight his grip, so I gave up instead.  I fisted his shirt and tucked my head into his chest.  There was no comfort there as tears flowed freely down my cheeks, but I had nowhere else to turn.

“Don’t hurt me…” I heard myself repeat the phrase as I felt my body rise slightly, and then it was lowered, and I realized Branford had climbed into the bed and now held me across his lap.

“Never, Alexandra.  I won’t harm you.  You are safe.”

Safe.

I had no idea what such a word meant any longer.  Back in Hadebrand, I had at least known my place and what was expected of me.  I acted the way a servant should and rarely needed any kind of reprimand.  Here, having done nothing against them, the nobles were willing to harm me at their whim.  Though before I had felt safe being held like this in Branford’s arms, he had left me alone when those two women had come for me.  His arms were still warm and strong against my back, but I could no longer believe they would offer security.

I felt myself shudder as another sob broke free of my chest, and Branford’s grip tightened on my shoulders as he rocked back and forth, telling me I was safe, and I didn’t have to cry.  I didn’t believe him, but I finally gave into exhaustion and let the world go black as I closed my eyes.

*****

The room was quite dark and chilled when I woke, and the fire had gone out completely.  Though my first thought was to restart the flames, I found myself unable to move as I realized Branford was not in the bed with me.  Indeed, the blankets on his side were quite cold.

I rolled slightly and felt the cool sheets hit my bare shoulder, aggravating the scrape from the wall.  I cringed as I realized I was still wearing the horrible garment and started to sit up so I could get out of the bed and change when I heard something from the other room.  It was the soft echo of a woman’s voice just outside the doorway in the morning room and Branford’s hushed response.  I craned my head and tried to make out the woman’s words.

“…where I found Ramona and the dress Alexandra was supposed to wear.  Ramona is just beside herself, especially after she heard about you taking Alexandra away.  I should have gone myself, but there was the disaster in the kitchen and…well, it doesn’t matter now, but at the time…”

It was Ida’s voice, I realized.  She sighed heavily.

“And Ramona confirms it?  Kimberly and Nelle are responsible for all of this?”

“She did.”  There was a brief pause.  “I know that look, big brother.  You can’t…Mommy promised to take care of them…you can’t do that.”

“I swore to Alexandra I would protect her.” Branford’s hard voice rang out against the stone.  “I failed her already.  The very least I can do is place their heads on the castle wall as a reminder of how I feel regarding betrayal.”

“But Sunniva promised Mommy they would be cared for, Branford.  You can’t…” I heard her breath hitch and her voice crack on her words.  “You can’t do that.  Not to Mommy’s sister’s daughters.  Not to our cousins.”

“I cannot sit back and have them humiliate me and practically torture my wife.” Branford’s voice was a low growl.  “My God, if Mother hadn’t come in…or if Ramona had been harmed …I can’t even imagine it.”

“Do you think executing them will fix all of this?”

I strained but could hear nothing at first.  There was a long moment of silence before Branford replied.

“No.”  Again, there was a long pause when no words were spoken.  “Tell me what to do, Ida.  I scared her.  I’ve been trying to gain her trust, and I have certainly ruined that now.”

“Do you want to fix it?”

“Yes, I do.”

“Then stop acting like a conceited ass and think of her first.”

“Is it too late?”

“Only Alexandra can answer that question,” Ida said conclusively.  “If she does give you the opportunity, which you do not deserve, you will have your work cut out for you.  No more half-truths and hiding things from her.  Tell her everything, Branford.  Let her know you.  She will either accept you or not, but at least it will be out in the open.  You are not such an awful man even if you are an ass.”

I could hear their soft laughter, the murmur of additional words, and the closing of the door before I heard Branford’s footsteps getting closer.  The dim light from a candle he carried flickered over the walls as he approached me sitting up in our bed.

“You’re awake,” Branford said quietly.  He sat himself on the edge of the bed and placed the candle on a nearby table but did not come close enough to touch me, and I was grateful.  Remembering I still had not changed out of the dress that had started all of this, I pulled the bed sheets up to my shoulders.

“Only for a minute,” I replied though I realized he would wonder what I had heard of his conversation with his sister.  I did not want to be deceitful to him, so I answered the question I knew he would ask.  “I heard you and Ida talking.”

“She was afraid you would think she had something to do with it,” Branford said, gesturing toward me and the accursed dress.  “She wanted you to know she had a proper dress for you and sent Ramona to deliver it and help you get ready.  Something happened to her along the way.  Ramona is trusted.  We thought she had been with you all afternoon.”

Perhaps I should have felt comforted by his words, but I did not.  My mind was still hazy from sleep, and my eyes were sore from the tears I had already shed.  Remembering myself walking into the room with all those people looking at me and seeing Branford’s eyes made me shudder.

“When I saw you walk in, wearing that…that dress”—Branford’s voice turned cold and hard, and I flinched back toward the headboard, gripping the sheets tighter to my chest—“I thought the worst.  It was irrational—I know that now—but at the time, all I could think was you had somehow managed to trick me.  I thought you were a traitor sent to spy on Silverhelm.”

I could almost feel the phantom grip of his fingers on the flesh of my arm as he growled that word—traitor—into my ear as he dragged me back to these rooms.  I closed my eyes, both to him and the memory.

“Look at me, Alexandra.”

I tilted my head and opened my eyes again slowly.  He had leaned forward with one of his elbows propped against his knee, and his eyes flickered darkly in the candlelight.

“I was wrong,” he said.  He spoke in a quick, hushed whisper.  “I realize that now.  I know you didn't...you didn’t wear that intentionally.”

I didn't understand his change of tone or the look in his eyes.  He seemed almost as if he were in pain, and I fought back the same desire I had when I had shaved him—to run my hand through his hair and tell him everything was all right—because it was not all right.  I didn’t even know what he now planned to do with me.  Even as I tried to make meaning of the queen’s words in my conscious mind, I didn’t know if he would heed her wishes.

“Are you going to kill me?”

“God no,” Branford said immediately.  “Alexandra, I won't hurt you.”

He sighed, and I watched him run his hand through the strands of his hair, much in the same way I wanted to do myself.  He closed his eyes and placed the heel of his hand tight against the skin of his forehead.

“But I've lost any chance I had of gaining your trust,” he said.

Trust.  Did he no longer trust me?

“I didn’t mean…I didn’t know…” I started to say, but the tears overflowed yet again, preventing me from speaking clearly.  It didn’t matter what I said to him—he didn’t trust me.  He was not going to listen to my word over that of two noblewomen.  Branford’s hand reached for my arm, but I cringed away from him.

“Hush, Alexandra,” Branford said in his soft, calming voice.  “Please don’t talk of it just yet.  I must speak to you first if you are willing to hear my words at all.”

“Of course,” I replied.  My stomach tightened, and I found myself nearly disgusted by the ingrained responses that flowed so easily from my lips when the words I wished to use were caught in my throat, refusing to come out.

Branford reached out and grasped my hands before I could move away, and then he stood, pulling me from the bed to stand in front of him.  I wanted to bring the sheets with me to keep myself covered, but he took them from my clenched hands as I stood.  He took a deep breath and closed his eyes.  I watched him slowly lower himself to the floor, on his knees in front of me.  He then opened his eyes and looked up at me.  My mouth dropped open, and I stared at him.

“What are you doing?” I asked with a gasp.

“Alexandra,” Branford said, “I don’t deserve the opportunity, but will you please, please hear me out?”

“You shouldn’t…be like that,” I whispered.  I tried to pull back on his hands to encourage him to stand again, but he shook his head.

“Please, Alexandra.  Will you listen?”

“Of course, Branford.”

Branford took another deep breath.

“I’m sorry, Alexandra,” Branford said.  “I’ve acted in a most hideous manner toward you this evening for something I know now was not of your doing.  I should have known it then, but I let my emotions get the better of me, and my mind did not follow with any proper reasoning.  I was angry, and I directed my anger at you, which was not deserved.  I’m sorry for what I said and what I did tonight, but there is much more I need to say to you.

“I didn’t think,” Branford continued, stammering somewhat.  “I didn’t know…I should have known, but I didn’t think about you…about marriage.  I thought only of the concept, not what you would need from me or what I should do for you.  I didn’t consider you as a woman…as a person.  I only thought of a wife as someone who would bear my children and be in my presence when it seemed necessary.”

He took in a long breath.

“I have never done this before, Alexandra,” Branford said.  “And in my ignorance, I have failed you completely.  I have failed to protect you, to teach you, or even to let you have the opportunity to teach me.  I have barely spoken to you about anything other than…well…other than our nights together.  Though it seemed important at the time, I can see now I was quite negligent in matters most paramount.”

“Alexandra, my wife—I don’t know if you can forgive me for my actions against you tonight.  I acted without soundness of thought and obviously scared you terribly.  I don’t ever wish to frighten you again, and I will spend the rest of my days making it up to you if you will allow me.  I do not deserve your forgiveness, but I will ask for it anyway.  If you find you…cannot bear to stay with me, I will still care for you.  I will not return you to Hadebrand, but I will take you far from here where your life with me would be unknown, and I would make sure you did not suffer in any way.  You do not have to remain my wife if you no longer wish to be.  You have choices, Alexandra.”

“Choices,” I said softly, considering the strange word and what it was supposed to mean.  “No, I don’t think I do.”

“Of course you do, Alexandra.”  Branford eyes tightened as he looked at me.  “As I said, if you do not wish to stay here as my wife, I will take you somewhere else.”

“Where?”

“Anywhere you like.”

“I have never been anywhere but here and Hadebrand.  I would not know anyone, and I would have no idea what to do so far away.  It would be worse than…”  I stopped, for the words that nearly escaped my mouth would have been very unfortunate.  “No, Branford.  I don’t believe I have had any choices since you laid eyes on me in the arena.”

For several seconds, Branford looked into my eyes as he seemed to slowly understand what I was saying to him.  When I could no longer bear it, I broke his gaze.  His hands gripped my fingers slightly.

“You can stay here in the castle, then,” he said softly.  “I thought it would be too difficult for you, but if you wish to stay and not be my wife, I will make sure you are…cared for properly.”

“Is that what you want?” I asked, my voice breaking on the last word.

“No, Alexandra,” Branford said as he shook his head.  “I want you to be my wife.  If you will consent to stay with me, I swear I will do better by you.  I can’t promise perfection because I am far from perfect, as you already know, but I swear to do better. I will be a proper husband to you if you will help me understand what that means.  I thought I understood before, but I know now I did not.”

“But…what must everyone think of me now?” I whispered.

“They will know who is responsible, Alexandra,” Branford said, his voice once again holding the hard edge of his anger.

“My word over theirs?” I huffed and turned, pulling my hands from his.  Branford rose from his kneeling stance, but the movement was slow and uncertain.  “No one will believe me.”

“I will,” Branford said quietly. “Will you tell me?  Will you tell me what they did to you?”

My mouth dropped open.  Speak against nobles?  How could I even consider such a thing?  But Branford was asking me a direct question, which I could hardly refuse to answer.  The consequences would have been equally dire.  Was this another “choice” in his eyes?  Taking a deep breath, I resolved to do as he asked.

“They said they were here to help me dress,” I told him, feeling all the more foolish.  “They said everyone would be dressed the same, and…”

My voice trailed off.  I didn’t know what to tell him.  The words they said to me?  How they wore the same dresses and changed later?  Should I tell him about how she referred to him without his title?

“What happened?” Branford prompted.

“They came to the door,” I answered.  “I thought it was Ida, but they were there instead.”

“Who, Alexandra?  Say their names to me.”

“Lady Kimberly and Lady Nelle,” I finally mumbled.  I felt as though I was making the most heinous accusation, and part of me wanted to curl up and protect myself from the coming blow.  Commoners did not accuse the court of any misconduct.  It would be a death sentence.

“What did you do?”

“I didn't want her in our room,” I said quietly.  “I thought you had...been with her.  I didn't want her here.”

“Go on,” Branford said, and I did not miss his lack of denial.

“They had this dress…” I said.  I paused and sniffed, trying to hold back tears caused by the repulsive frock that I still wore.  “Can I please take it off now?”

“Of course, Alexandra.”  Branford huffed through his nose.  “I’m sorry—I should have thought about that.  Please, let me help you.”

Branford led me to the changing area and handed me the nightdress I had worn to bed with him the night before.  I changed quickly, leaving the humiliating garment on the floor, not wanting to touch it ever again, not even to hang it up.  When I came back from around the screen, Branford was there, looking at me with his brow furrowed.  He reached out and took my hand in his before leading me back to the bed and sitting me in the center, under the sheets.  He tentatively climbed onto the bed but stayed atop the blankets and sat far enough away to not touch me.  I wondered if he did it for my sake or his own.

“Please tell me the rest,” he said.

“Lady Kimberly said…she said I could help them dress, and then they would help me.”

Branford hissed through his teeth.

“Are you telling me they came to my rooms and asked my wife to DRESS THEM?”

Branford’s sudden outburst caused my shoulders to squeeze tightly together, and I had to fight against the urge to cover my head once again.  Instead, my fingers gripped the blankets tighter, and I crossed my arms in front of myself as Branford fumed with his tight fists pushed hard into his thighs.

“What else?” He snarled through his teeth.

“I didn’t think it looked right,” I said, my voice barely a whisper.  I was sure Branford leaned closer just to be able to hear me, but his eyes were wild, and it was too difficult to look at him.  He was truly frightening in his anger even though I was fairly certain it was not directed at me.  I had no idea how quickly that could change though.  “But they said…she said…she said everyone else had a dress like that…and that she knew you would like it.”

“I don’t understand why Kimberly would do such a thing,” Branford said.  I wasn’t sure if he spoke to me or himself.  “She’s vindictive, but you’ve not done anything to harm her.”

“She is not angry because you did not marry her?” I asked, thankfully recalling in this moment Sunniva’s words.

“I suppose that may be true, though honestly, I never considered marrying her nor did I ever intend to give her the impression that I would.  I grew up with Kimberly and Nelle.  We were…close cousins.  When we were first adults, but still quite young, we…spent time with each other.  It was nothing more.”

“So now she is convenient for you?”

“Whatever do you mean?”

“Well, you did spend the evening and well into the night with her,” I finally blurted out.  “Perhaps going to her bed might have given her such an impression!”

“Alexandra!” Branford’s eyes went wide.

“Are you telling me you were not with her last night?  That you haven’t taken her to bed?”

Branford’s eyes darkened, and he looked away.

“I have bedded her,” he finally said softly, sounding contrite.  “And I was with her briefly yesterday evening.  She expressed some interest in continuing our previous relationship despite my marriage, and I made it quite clear that I had no interest in a relationship with her.”

My mouth dropped open, and I quickly closed it again.

“Where were you?” I finally stammered.  “You were gone most of the night.”

“With Camden,” Branford answered immediately.  “When I return from a journey, we usually spend the night speaking with each other.  He wanted to know more of you.  I spent the entire evening telling him about the tournament and how I chose you.  We talked of the wedding as well.”

I covered my mouth with my hands.  My wide eyes stared at a spot down at the end of the bed without seeing it.  He had not been with her but was only speaking with Camden.  He had not been unfaithful to me.

“You thought I was with her instead of being here with you.”

I could only nod, ashamed to have made such conjecture about my husband.

“You should have asked me.”

“I feared your answer.”

“You had already made your assumption.” Branford’s voice was harsh but only for a moment.  He took a long, deep breath.  “I think I understand now.  It’s what you said earlier when you told me you heard us talking about replacing Lily.  You thought we had been talking of replacing you, and you thought Kimberly was to be your replacement.”

Again, I nodded.

“Tomorrow we’ll go to the marketplace, and I’ll show you exactly what we were talking about.”

“The marketplace?” I repeated.  He nodded and raised an eyebrow.

“A lot of things are making more sense to me now,” Branford said.  “That’s also why you tried to throw yourself at me when I returned, is it not?”

“Yes.”  I looked down at my hands where they wrung the sheets.

“I didn’t touch her,” he said definitively.  “I have no reason to lie to you about this, Alexandra.”

It was true.  Wife or not, if he chose to bed another, it would be an embarrassment, but there would be nothing I could do about it.  Lying would serve no purpose, for I could not accuse him of anything.  Yet here I was, accusing two noblewomen of wrongdoing.

“What will happen now?” I asked quietly.

“With Kimberly and Nelle?”

“Yes.”

“I have not yet decided.”  Branford shifted a little closer to me.  “I don’t wish to talk about them.  It’s getting late, and you look exhausted.  We have much to speak of, but before I tell you anything else about me, I’ve been…instructed to explain my behavior this evening.  Sunniva seems to think it’s rather critical to knowing me, and though I can’t say that I want to do this, I’m going to tell you what happened to…to my parents.”

“You don’t have to tell me,” I told him.

“Actually, yes, I do.  Sunniva made it pretty clear it was part of her mandate.  Regardless, it is too long a story for this hour and will have to wait until morning.”

I nodded, feeling my fatigue.  It seemed these past days, though little work was involved, held more hours than any other days in my life.

“You have not responded to my request,” Branford said softly.  “Will you please tell me before we lie down?  Otherwise I fear I will not be able to sleep.”

“What request?” I asked.

“Will you give me another chance?” Branford asked.  “Will you let me try to be a good husband to you?”

I did not know how I should respond.  He spoke of choices, but was there really any choice in this for me?  We were already wed in the church, and anyone would know that we had been together if I stayed here in Silverhelm.  I dreaded the idea of going to another land where everything would be strange, and I would have no one there I knew.  What choice did I have whether he wished to be good to me or not?

“I…I don’t know what that means,” I admitted.  “To be a good husband…or wife.”

“Could we figure it out together?”

I looked up and met his eyes, bright green and earnest.

“I wish to ask you something,” Branford said.  He sat back away from me a little and placed his hands on his thighs.  “When you answer, I need your honesty.  Please, do not answer in a certain way because you believe it to be my desire to hear the words.”

“If you wish,” I replied.

“Do you want to be my wife?”

All breath left me, and I could not speak a word.  How could I answer a question honestly when I didn’t really understand what it meant?  Indeed, he did not seem to know either.

“Does your silence mean the answer is no?”

I took a deep breath and forced words from my throat, as truthful as I could be.

“I don't know.”

“That's fair, considering how I have failed you,” Branford said with a nod.  “I haven't been a husband to you thus far.  I haven't considered your needs except when they fall in line with what I want.”

“What do you want?” I finally asked.

Branford reached out and cupped my chin, tilting my face toward him as he liked to do when he spoke directly to me.

“I want to be a good husband to you,” Branford said quietly.  “I enjoy waking up with you in my arms.  I want to take care of you and keep you safe…protect you.  I want to be in the arenas, look at the spectators, and see you watching me.  I want to offer you whatever prize I take home.”

He reached up with his other hand and caught my face between his palms.  His dark eyes gazed at me, and I could feel my will slowly seep into them.

“I want to show you pleasure,” he whispered.  “I want to see desire in your eyes when you look upon me.  I want to know you, Alexandra, and I want you to know me.”

My heart began to beat harder, which reminded me of the feeling of his hand as it danced over the sensitive flesh of my breast.  I remembered the feeling that ensued so far away from his exploring fingers and how he seemed to know exactly what I felt.

“We agreed upon three days,” Branford said suddenly, and I wondered if he could hear my thoughts.  “Pray, would you consider allowing me to alter the deal?”

“Alter it?”

“If after three days, you decide you no longer wish to be my wife, we will find a way for you to be safe and provided for but still free from me if that is your desire.  If I have proven myself to you—earned your forgiveness—we will consummate our marriage.”

I stared at him, unable to form a reply.

“The timing would be the same,” Branford said, continuing.  “This was supposed to be our first night.  Since we will be in each other’s company, I think I could keep our other plans…well…on schedule.”

I dug my teeth into my bottom lip and found I had to look away from the blazing green eyes that threatened, yet again, to capture me.  After everything that had occurred, the unknown had a brand new appeal it never had before.  Even considering the idea of beginning again in a new place was more frightening than staying under any circumstances.  Despite my concerns, I could feel the increase in my heartbeat as his fingers graced over my cheek.  When he spoke of our “other plans,” a deep ache surfaced in the most intimate area of my body.

“I beg you, Alexandra,” Branford said when I still hadn’t responded.  “Will you allow me?  Will you allow me to make amends to you?”

I didn’t know what to say.  Part of me wanted to tell him no, that I just wanted to go as far away as I could, but another part of me wanted to wake up in the morning, surrounded by the warm strength of his arms.  When my silence became too much for him, he spoke again, his tone more earnest than before.

“Are you agreeable, Alexandra?”

I recalled my answer to the same question back in the stables in Hadebrand, just three short days before, and how it had altered my existence.  If it were possible for him to offer to send me back to my life prior to meeting him, I would have gladly taken it.  But that option was no longer available to me.

“Please, Alexandra.”  Branford’s eyes spoke of his desperation.  Indeed, they seemed to beg me as much as his words.  “Please let me use the next three days to make up for the last three.”

My heart pounded.  I knew I was at a crossroads, and my reply may bring me either happiness or misery, but I did not know which path I should take.  With thoughts born of hope and fear, I finally gave him my answer.

“Yes, my…Branford.”

And that was how our marriage began again.