Page 30 of Pawns of Fate
“You met with a leader of the Ojoh today,” Rose said when she could no longer stand the noise of her thoughts.
Nicholas touched his throat as his eyes widened. “I didn’t think you’d want to talk about it so directly.”
“There’s no point in beating around the bush.” Annoyance flickered through Rose. Did he think she was stupid? Or maybe scared? Had he hoped she wouldn’t recognize an Ojoh warrior waltzing out of his office?
“We’ll trade captives the morning after our wedding.” Nicholas struggled to keep his tone neutral. His eyes wandered all over the otherwise peaceful garden, landing on anything but Rose.
“Oh.” It was all that Rose could find in her heart to say. She looked away from him and sighed.
“I don’t want you to go.” Nicholas took Rose’s hands into his own. The words sounded hollow, even though his face looked sincere. He raised the pitch of his desperation-filled voice. “I’ve been thinking of solutions, of ways around it.”
“Nicholas, it will be okay.” Rose tried to smile gently at him. Watching him struggle with this was lessening her resentment. He didn’t want her to go.
His eyes were sunken, and his skin lacked some of its usual youthful vigor. Lines of concern and worry played on his forehead and around the corners of his mouth. He was worriedabout her. This man was worried about her.
A strange feeling tugged on her heart. Was it endearment? Affection? Rose couldn’t quite name it, but when she thought about how no one had ever worried for her before, but Nicholas was, she felt a warmth in her heart that hadn’t been there before.
Tiny blooms of hope burst through the soil of her heart. Perhaps when she returned from her time with the Ojoh, she could find some happiness with Nicholas.
“I came up with one solution,” he said with determination.
“What is it?” Rose asked, her curiosity piqued.
“I’ll get you pregnant.”
She met his proposal with stunned silence, then laughter.
“Be serious.”
“They’ll have to send Ava instead if you’re carrying a Sharp heir.”
“Nicholas,” Rose exclaimed, tugging her hands free and stepping back. The thought of sending Ava to the Ojoh made her bristle. She’d barely handled tea with Lady Dahtey. How would Ava manage half a year’s stay with a clan of desert warriors? “Give me a moment to think.” She pinched the bridge of her nose, then massaged her temples.
“Rose, I—” Nicholas started, but she shot him a glare that made him bite his tongue.
Was he suggesting that they try to get pregnant now? Perhaps Nicholas wasn’t familiar with how long it usually took couples to conceive and confirm a pregnancy. Even if they started tonight, the chances were low, and there wasn’t enough time.
She glanced at her betrothed. His sunken eyes tore at her heart. Nicholas probably did know. He was just desperate.
“This is…” She gulped. “You’ve managed to surprise me. I don’t usually lose my words like this.”
Nicholas nodded and stepped closer to her. A small breeze blew between them, rustling the branches of the trees and filling Rose’s senses with the piney scent.
“I know it’s sudden. I just—” He let out a sigh that carried enough weight to drown a horse. “I can’t think of a better solution. Can you? If my family can’t separate our forces from the Ojoh border to help your uncle with his monster-filled swamps, we won’t be married at all.” He reached for her hand. “I don’t want that.”
Rose chewed on her bottom lip. A small affection for the man who had devised such a terrible plan so that he could still marry her was planting itself firmly in her heart. She gingerly placed her hands in his.
“I’m thrilled you want me to stay, Nicholas.” His eyes widened with hope. “But, I still don’t think it’s a good idea,” she added.
“What? Why not?”
Rose suppressed a wince. She wanted to let him down gently. After all, making a baby with Nicholas certainly sounded more enjoyable than going to stay with the Ojoh. It just wasn’t what was best for their family.
She walked toward a bench in the shade of a large oak tree, still holding Nicholas’s hand.
“I am delighted that you want me to stay, and I want nothingmore than that, too. But everything was put into place before you and I even met. Backing out of these negotiations would cause more than just the dissolution of our engagement. It could cause more fighting and death.” They reached the shady bench and sat down, side by side. “Sending Ava instead of me would strain our friendship and your relationship with York, even if I were pregnant. Besides, even if we started trying to conceive tonight,” —her cheeks blushed pink— “it’s highly unlikely that it would be enough time to confirm a pregnancy.” She angled her body so that her knees bumped against Nicholas’s.
“We could still try.” Nicholas pouted, just a little.
