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“I hate what I did,” Branford said, his eyes closed tightly as he touched his forehead to mine, “and to discover now how pointless it had been. To know it was not necessary…it makes me…makes me want…”
I slid my fingers up the tense muscles of his arm, over his shoulder and jaw until I cupped his face with my hands.
“It is behind us now,” I told him. “We have another chance. I may still bear your child.”
“You will,” he said with conviction as his mouth covered mine suddenly. His words became muffled against my lips as he angled me backwards against the mattress. “You will have my child…no one else. No one…ever…I swear…”
“But what if I cannot—”
“Hush,” he said, and his mouth covered mine again.
“But we do not know—” Again he cut off my words with his mouth. His tongue touched my lips for a moment before he moved slowly to my chin and up my jaw.
“I will never, never touch another woman,” Branford whispered with hot breath into my ear. “I would die before I ever let that happen again. It almost killed me, knowing what I was doing to you…”
“I know, my Branford,” I replied.
“I hated it…hated what I was doing…hated myself for not knowing what else to do…”
“Hush,” I whispered, repeating the word he had used with me many times before. My lips trailed over his neck. “No more. It is only us now…”
“How can you not hate me?” He wrapped his arms tightly around me, and his body stilled completely atop mine. “After so many mistakes and so many failures, how can you still trust me to provide for you and keep you safe? How can you even believe the words that emanate from my mouth?”
Our eyes met, and I could see the sorrow darkening the green of his irises.
“I love you, Branford,” I reminded him. “When I fell in love with you, I knew you were not a perfect man. I would not stop loving you for making mistakes, especially those you believed were right at the time. I only want you with me—loving me. I do not expect perfection.”
“I am very far from perfect.” Branford agreed with a nod. “Yet somehow I have been delivered you, so at some point I must have done something to please God.”
His lips brushed softly across my mine, and I felt his smile.
“After all, he did send me one of his angels.”
Heat rose to my face, and Branford quickly kissed each of my cheeks. His fingers trailed down my side until they reached my hip. Using it for leverage, he slowly entered me with a single thrust, then continued gradually, pulling nearly all the way out before burying himself in me again and again. In this way, he slowly brought me over the edge before I felt the warmth of his climax inside of me.
He collapsed on top of me, and I relished the feel of his weight against my body. I wrapped my arms around his shoulders and my legs around his waist, holding him tightly to me as his hot breath coated my body.
“I will not let you down again.” Branford breathed against that spot of skin on my neck to which he was so often drawn. “I will be at your side, protecting you, always. Edgar would have to kill me before I would allow any harm to come to you again.”
*****
In the weeks that followed, Branford kept his word. We were never far from each other, and if we were more than a few feet apart, it was when Branford trained with his army, or I was required in the Women’s Room. Against my wishes, he brought a farm woman in from the borders of Silverhelm to prepare and test my food and drink before it was offered to me. Though I argued against it, both Sunniva and Branford were adamant—my safety was more important, and the woman’s family would be well compensated for her loyalty.
Her name was Chelsea, and she spoke quickly and brightly of how honored she was to be placed in such a position, for the Commoner Queen—as I was apparently called in th
e borderlands—had to be protected. Her family had lived in Silverhelm for many generations, and her father had served in Camden’s army years before. Though I had heard from Father Tucker that I was favored by the people of Silverhelm, and Branford had certainly mentioned it many times before, I had never really encountered someone from outside the castle who made the sentiment so clear. She told me her granddaughter, born the spring before, had even been named Alexandra in my honor.
Hadley was officially released from her service as Branford’s concubine, and not a day later, Sir Brigham asked Branford’s permission to court and eventually marry her. Branford merely turned to me and left the decision in my hands. Of course I agreed, and it was not long before their wedding day was upon us.
Though the air in the room was cool, I woke up to the warmth of blankets pulled up around my shoulders and Branford’s body wrapped partially around mine. His hand was in my hair, stroking through it again and again, as he did most mornings.
“It is late,” I said as I looked at the light coming through the windows. I half expected Branford to comment on how I had been sleeping later these past few days, but he did not make mention of it.
“A bit,” Branford said with a shrug. His lips touched my temple as his arms held me tighter against his chest. “You looked so peaceful; I could not bring myself to wake you.”
“It is a wonderful excuse for you to lie in as well,” I commented. Branford’s body shook slightly with a quiet chuckle.
“Perhaps.” He hugged me to him again. “You know me too well.”
