Page 87 of Tusks & Saddles
“Miss Eaves—”
“Beatrix,” she corrected. “Save the Miss for when we’re in bed together.”
The dark green that flooded Welborn’s face was quickly becoming Beatrix’s favorite shade of green. When he gulped, the bump in his throat bobbing—well, Beatrix couldn’t help but find the poor thing charming.
“Beatrix,” he said, uncertain. “I didn’t mean to be dismissive, I’m just surprised. I imagine that’s a lot to have to deal with. Arranged marriages, nobility—having your family put a bounty on you… it’s all so big.”
“I know. And I know it’s a lot for my family, having a daughter who…well, is like this…”
Beatrix had long since accepted what she was, but that didn’t lesson the guilt. Not for running from her marriage, but for being born different. As the only daughter in her family, her marriage was a tool—one that even her father had little choice in the matter.
Lower station or not, expecting Welborn to accept the complexity of her station and her choice to be on the run…well, Beatrix wouldn’t blame him if he preferred to keep their relationship strictly for the bed. Professional, even that much she could accept. But the thought that Welborn might reject her completely left an awful hollow feeling in her chest. Odd, given she had completed many quests in the past—withmanypeople—but she had never felt so attached as she did then.
The realization hit her harder than any bullet would.
Welborn is the exception. The only exception in my entire life.
It brought tears to the corner of her eyes that Beatrix hadn’t noticed until they slid down her cheeks. Visible panic tore the tender expression from Welborn’s beautiful face. He dropped his hands, as if she had burned him.
“Oh, no, Miss Eaves—I mean—” Welborn exclaimed, voice suddenly much higher in his distress. “I didn’t mean to imply your problems weren’t fixable! I’m sure we can come up with something so you can live your life without the threat of your family’s bounty hunters! There are a lot of religious texts that imply that marriage is outdated—a lot of people choose to live without! In fact, you know a lot of clerics and paladins opt to devote themselves entirely to their god. Maybe you can do something like that!”
His platitudes—even wrapped in such panicked kindness and consideration—only seemed to make Beatrix cry more. The tears were heavy, but dried quickly beneath the hot sun.
“Oh, please don’t cry, Beatrix,” Welborn murmured, pulling her frame against his. “I hate to see you cry.”
Such gentle words.
The kind that Beatrix could only vaguely remember being said while her father patted her head. Beneath Welborn’s hands, Beatrix couldn’t deny the tender look in his eyes as he pushed the tears away. Had she really been this starved for affection? Was that where the emotion had come from? Or perhaps, it was rising to the surface because Beatrix could no longer deny the truth. That this silly orc cleric had completely—
Perhaps it was a moment of clarity from the exhaustion of survival. Or maybe the sun had done something funny to Beatrix’s brain. She supposed it could be debated later during the reception, a story to tell the close circle of guests that would be attending. Either way, the decision had been made and Beatrix was never one to deviate to far from a plan once fully realized.
“Are you feeling better?” Welborn asked.
“I think so,” she whispered.
The cleric nodded, satisfied with the answer. His hands fell to her shoulders, leaning close as to properly pull her into a hug. Beatrix’s raised her hand, pressing gently against his chest. He paused—because of course he would—and waited patiently.
This is madness,Beatrix thought.But I suppose there are worse things than—
“Welborn?”
“Yes?”
“There is one way we could stop my family from pursuing me…”
She hoped he could take the hint as he became thoughtful. Suddenly, his eyes went wide, the dark green coloring his cheeks.
“I…um…are you asking to…to—”
“—to join the temple of the All Seer as a—”
“—marry me?”
Oh.
“Well, there’s also that,” Beatrix cheeks warmed. “I wasthinking more of pledging myself to your temple as some kind guard and dedicate my life to serving as a way to avoid marriage.”
The heat that radiated off of Welborn rivaled the sun.
