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"I am not on shift, so I need two of you out in the sitting room and one of you in that chair," Hartwin pointed to a chair in the corner. "Preferably someone who can stand freezing temperatures."
"I will take the inside watch," Elite Chas stepped forward.
"Good. Go fetch your winter uniform and a few blankets for the others in case this permeates into the other room. Clovis, find the Princess and the others some food. I will stay until you all get back and settled."
"Utz and I will take the sitting room, Captain," Elite Tancred bowed.
Hartwin bowed his head, and the Elite left. "Shut the doors, so the Princess's mood stays isolated." The doors closed quietly, then Hartwin turned to watch me. "Looking for a fight, are we?"
"I wasn't, but I got it," I replied coldly.
"That you did." In the reflection of the window, Hartwin assessed the ceiling behind me. "You are in no condition to be getting physical, Zira."
Sighing, I glanced down and caressed my abdomen. "I'm not going to be dictated to about when I have to sleep, eat, and breathe."
Growling, Hartwin spun me to face him. "Luther cares about you, Zira. He cares about you a lot. Now that you carry his heir, he is going to be even more protective of you. So give him a break and just do what he wants."
"Do what he wants?" I snarled. "What do you think I've been doing? He wanted me as his companion. He wanted a son. I have done nothing but what he wants since I was dragged from my home a week ago."
"And now he is taking two planets to war for you," Hartwin replied quietly.
Gawping at him, I shook my head. "I never asked for any of this, Hart. I never wanted any of this. If he'd left me alone—"
"Then Abaddon would have taken you before you even came of age."
Swallowing the bitter pill Hartwin just shoved metaphorically down my throat, I scowled at him.
"Luther has been protecting you for years, Zira. So do not even pretend this is all new. For the time he has already invested in keeping you safe from that barbarian, the least you could do is open your legs and give him an heir."
Beyond insulted, I slapped his face, again and again, and continued until he grabbed my wrist and pinned me to the window by it and my good shoulder. "You are running on empty, Zira. Refuel and save all this hate for the man who deserves it. Which, just in case you have forgotten, is the man sitting on your brother's throne." Hartwin released me roughly.
Slumping to the floor, too exhausted to even cry, I clutched my stinging hand to my chest. It felt like I'd broken it on Hartwin's stubborn face. The doors slid open again, and Clovis carried a tray of food in, setting it on the end of the bed while Chas set his stuff down by the corner chair.
Taking in their assessing gazes of his standing over my obviously distraught form, Hartwin started walking to the door. "Chas, make sure she eats and sleeps. I will relieve you at shift change."
Hartwin and Clovis left, shutting the doors quietly behind them. Chas stood waiting for me to move for a full minute before he came and crouched beside me. "I have an aunt who is Avalonian," he informed me quietly. "My uncle encountered her in the Metasystem. She was a mercenary and kicked his ass. He tracked her down and kept fighting with her until she agreed to join with him. She thought he was quite insane, as did the rest of us. But, he adores everything about her, mostly her feistiness, and she is so passionate about her love for him…"
When I looked up confused, I noticed Chas's eyes were unfocused, as if he could see them in front of him. Blinking, Chas focused on my lips with a strange smile. "My parents died when I was ten. Aunt Mahalath was like a second mother to me, so I get the emotion behind you, Princess. In fact, out of all your Elite, I am the only one who has any personal experience with an Avalonian woman that did not involve lust or violence. The only time my aunt ever got hostile like this" –he indicated the cracked roof— "was if she felt like she was being disrespected."
Taking my arm, Chas helped me to stand. Amazed by his story, I didn't bother brushing him off as he set me on the bed. Retrieving the food tray, Chas considered the damage to both the ceiling and the floor. "Of course, I don't think Aunt Mahalath can throw a man three times her body weight twelve feet into the air with that much force." Shaking his head, humored, Chas carried the tray over and placed it on the bed beside me. "But, she can arm wrestle my uncle and win."
"She possesses abnormal strength?"
"Probably a good thing considering the trouble I got into the first year I lived there." He smiled. "But, after a couple of ass whoopings by her, I became a lot more respectful and well-behaved. In fact, it was her discipline which allowed me to go through the rigorous training to become a royal guard and then Elite." Chas sat on my other side and absently picked up ost slathered vetekex.
He took a bite, my stomach growled. While he told me more about his childhood, I started eating. How his cousins, who were half Avalonian, made him a better fighter. They'd fight unfairly as kids having combined strength and one or two random abilities. He even made me laugh once or twice before I'd finished everything on the tray, including a double serving of hälsodryck. It wasn't until he'd removed the tray to the floor, pulled back the sheet, and tucked me into bed that I realized that first bite of food had been his only bite.
"You manipulated me," I accused, half asleep.
Collecting the tray, Chas started for the door. "Did I mention I had a younger cousin? She was like a sister to me, and she was exactly like her mother. Stubborn as all blackness too. When she dug her heels in about something, it took some very gentle nudging to get her to move past it. She could manipulate the cold as well."
Opening the door, Chas waited. A second later, Utz removed the tray from his arms, and Chas closed the door again. Then, moving to his chair, Chas removed his winter jacket, and I realized that the room was back to average temperature.
"Was?"
Chas nodded sadly. "Was. She's with the stars now."
"I'm sorry." Feeling the weight of sleep approaching, I closed my eyes. "Is your experience what got you stuck on my guard?"
