“No,” he replied carefully, “yours.”
My mouth dropped open and I felt my eyes get wide.
Then I breathed, “What?”
“Come here,” he ordered quietly.
I stayed still and unmoving.
“Love, come here.”
“They’re… they’re…” I stared in his face, “they’re mine?”
Oh God. If that was true, Sjofn totally left a lot out of her note. A lot.
“Fin –” he started but that was when I lost it.
And I lost it by throwing down the pillow and shrieking, “What did I do to make enemies who would come at me with knives?”
I barely got out the last word when Frey moved, his arm darting out, fingers wrapping around my wrist, he yanked me so I fell forward then he shifted, whipping an arm around my waist and one down my legs to haul them out in front of me, my bottom swung out, I landed in his lap and his arms were around me before I could even twitch.
I twisted to face him, my head tipping back and I whispered, “Frey, I –”
“You have been sharing my bed for five nights now, that’s what you’ve been doing, my Winter Princess,” Frey finished for me and I blinked up at him. “And your uncle and, perhaps, spies from dozens of different Houses would know this.”
I blinked again and whispered with confusion, “My uncle?”
“As far as he knows, and now I know he is watching, though he nor any of the others have approached the cabin, I would know this but even if they have, they cannot see through walls, but as far as they know what we’ve been doing in this bed could conceive a child. And he, nor any of them, wishes us to conceive a child. I was afraid someone would attempt something like this and if it is as I suspect and it is your uncle who has done this then he has, as usual, made his play and shown his hand without delay.”
I stared at Frey.
Then it hit me.
My Uncle Baldur, who stood to inherit Lunwyn upon my father’s death, wanted me dead before I could birth a child to succeed the throne.
Oh my God.
“Oh my God,” I whispered.
“I see you have some understanding of this,” Frey muttered and I focused on his face to see his eyes alert and very focused on mine.
“He’s not a good man,” I guessed.
“No, Finnie, you speak kind but you do not speak true. He is instead the worst type of man, no honor, filled with greed; he is selfish, grasping, avaricious and underhanded.”
Sjofn had written, My uncle is not like my father or grandfather and it is imperative that our beautiful land not pass into his hands…
I turned my face away and whispered, “Oh my God.”
“Look at me, my wee one,” Frey demanded gently and my eyes returned to his. “Those were assassins. Not good ones. It is my guess your uncle wishes you dead and tonight he declared his intent to see to that. Even if it is not him, obviously, someone else wishes this so.”
“Oh God.” I was still whispering and I was again trembling, it was again violently and, try as I might, (and I was trying) I couldn’t seem to stop it.
Frey gathered me closer and when he’d achieved that, he held on tight.
“Listen to me, Finnie, concentrate on me,” he urged and I nodded, staring in his eyes as he kept holding me tight. “I will not allow you to be harmed, my men won’t and your father’s men won’t.” His arms gave me a tight squeeze. “You will not be harmed, love. I’ll not allow it. If it is your uncle, I don’t know why he announced his intentions in this way for those men were not skilled. But I will find out and we will deal with this, your father and I. In the meantime, you will never be harmed; you will not even be touched. I promise you that.” I kept staring at him and said nothing so he whispered, “Do you believe me?”
“I’ve never seen a man die, Frey,” I whispered back and he closed his eyes.
Then he opened them and said softly, “Yes you have, Finnie. Remember when our engagement was announced? An attempt was made on your life then. You dispatched the assassin yourself at the steps of your Winter Palace.” His arms gave me a squeeze. “Remember?”
I stared into his green-brown eyes, stunned at this news, news Sjofn should have shared with me, all of this news Sjofn should have totally f**king shared with me way the f**k before we even made our deal but even as this freaked me out, scared me to death and pissed me right the f**k off, I found it in myself to answer quietly, “Oh yeah, right. It was… unpleasant so I blocked it out.”
He nodded before saying, “Because of that, my wee one, I’m sorry you saw that tonight. If it were to happen again, my men and I will do our best to shield you from seeing it so you experience no further…” his eyes held mine before he finished, “unpleasantness.”
“That would be good,” I replied softly.
His lips tipped up slightly before they moved in to kiss my forehead.
When he moved back, I asked, “Is that how you knew this was going to happen, I mean, if an attempt was made before?”
He shook his head but said, “I do not know how your uncle’s mind works and do not wish to know. What I do know is that I would not put anything passed him. Though, that said, I will admit to being surprised if he has made this decision or anyone has done so if it is not Baldur. When the last assassin was dispatched, an assassin neither my men nor your father’s could successfully trace back to your uncle, or anyone, your uncle declared outrage at this action and we had to pretend we believed his indignation on behalf of his niece. But both your father and I publicly promised retribution should another attempt be made and we both vowed to ride in war against anyone if their motives were political should they actually succeed.”
I felt my body tense and I breathed, “Succeed?”
His arms gave me a squeeze. “This will not happen, Finnie.”
“But, what if it –”
Another squeeze then, “It will not happen, my love.”
“I know, but what if –”
His face dipped close to mine and his voice was quiet but low and fierce when he said, “It will not for you will never be far from my side. It is a measure of a man, my wife, how he cheats in cards. And it is a measure of a man, any man, be he married to a pub wench or a princess, how he cares for his bride. I am a Drakkar, my measure is different than any man’s and there are many facets to that but one of them explains why I turn away without a thought from those whose lifeblood seeps into the snow, those who moved with intent to harm my bride and I won’t think of them, ever. I will only turn my mind to how I can best care for my bride and that now includes undermining any threat that may loom for you and I vow to you, my princess, if it means my own life, this will not happen.”