I was pretty glad she had somewhere to sleep for tonight, because one of my main concerns for her well-being for the last few months was imagining her stuck with no roof over her head. And even more, she had a functioning facilities to relieve myself.
I took the time to also straighten my curls and shaved what strands of what look like the start of a beard. If I could forget about the bags under my eyes and my bony physique, I would almost look like me again.
Although I offered her to stay at the inn I was at, she said on her ship there is a very comfortable bed, and I was not going to argue if she was offering me time in her bed.
What was I not expecting was the giant four-pool ship with an encrusting golden shape of a mermaid on its front is fully armed with three cannons, at least by my count. Not to even speak of the full crew that she seemed to have. What the hell?
She probably saw my expression but just politely ignored it. I think it's time to speak of her journey now.
I go by the door to the ship's captain, clearly noticeable by its nearness to the stern. and the emblem that I do not recognize is not associated with any noble house that I know. And I know a lot of them, and I mean a lot.
When I entered the room, I realized it's not just a bedroom; it's a library. We are surrounded by books on every shelf. Some are on the desk that's made from wooden oak, and others are on the floor scattered even on the bed.
I whistle, "You had to pick the room with the most books, then you?"
She barely glances up. Helena sits on the chair near a lot of parchment and maps, studying them with an intensity. Rounding on her from behind, I come around the desk and wrap my hands around her shoulders. "Are you okay?"
Helena taps me on my hand twice. Our sign is that she is busy, and she doesn't tell me when she wants to talk. I slowly unwrap my hands from her sitting on the desk until she looks up. I pick up a book and start flowing through it. I get through maybe three pages until she looks up. I give her a shy smile, which she returns.
I expect strong silence to follow, but she surprises me by gingerly climbing up to my lap and kissing me hard. I lean into the kiss, stroking my tongue over her inner cheek.
Surprisingly, once again she pulled away. "I have to tell you something." I arched an eyebrow, ready to hear it. "I need to do something tomorrow alone, and you can't come with me."
Immediately I answered, "That's a no for me."
She scowled at me, and I stuck out my tongue. Helena scowled even deeper at that.
I grinned. "Whatever you say, I'm coming with you, so it does not really matter." Then I shrugged, not really caring if she said no or yes because I was not taking a no as an option.
"There is a reason why I was staying under this false identity. Taj, dangerous people are after me, and I've been looking for someone to help me with the situation back home home."
I'm assuming she is talking about her throne. I didn't really give it much thought, but I knew she did not really care for it, but if she cared about people. Helena would be a great queen if great monarchs were known for providing for people, which most often they were not.
Back at the castle, she handled lots of issues. Local farmer Bill said she had a lot of knowledge of agriculture and something she called "bioscience."
I did not know what any of it meant, some far-off technique from the east. She knew how to fertilize steep terrain and turn it into a growing field in months. She also handled taxes and laws that provided those same farmers with profit from their land so it would be equally distributed so it wasn't just cut away by lords starting to reap from their accomplishments.
The people would have loved her as Queen.
I froze at the notion that I might not be there to see it since I'm not exactly high royalty these days.
I crossed my arms, her hips needing her closer. I scanned her in assessment, pure determination was the only thing reflecting back from her eyes. "It's…" she stopped, her voice sounding strained and awkward, "it's the court of unseelie."
I blinked once, twice.
Nope, she still said what I think she said. "You're going where?
She sighed as if I were being the ridiculous one. "I don't need to tell you how dangerous the Fae are, right, especially in—"
"I know," she said, waving a hand from her sitting position to lie down on the bed. She looked so fucking tempting like that. I groaned, laying my hand over my face, drawing it down, trying to expel some of this energy. I said to myself, I am right next to her. Laying my hand from my face against her thigh. She didn't even move an inch, as if it always meant to be there, me and her like this.
"Listen, I have spent the last two months being worried about you." She glanced down from her sitting position, propping herself on her elbows. I smooth my hand up and down in soothing, measured movements up her stomach. "I want to lock you into this room and make sure you will be safe and content forever, but I also know that you wanted to run away from those exact things when we started this. I'm trying."
Emphasize the very last word because God damn it if she was not getting me angry right now for not to mentioning it before.
She lets out a long sigh. As if the world's burden were on her shoulders, I want to take all that weight away from her and take it into my own shape, or whatever I want, but that's not what she needs or wants. I look up at her finally ready to meet her eyes. Not ready yet to separate from her, our skin touching.
I cup her cheek, letting her know that I'm ready for whatever she needs to say. "I need allies in this war. Allies who have weapons and are ready to help me against—"
Her voice breaks. She's not ready to say her father's killer's name. "I need to take back my country, Taj. "
I nod, knowing this was coming, kissing the shape of her lips but not quite touching them. I whisper, "We will take your country back, my love. But the Fae are not to be trifled with. I knew a fae banished in the circuit of the last known lower courts."
I didn't need to explain what lower courts really meant unless the known crowd among the nobles craved debauchery and mayhem. I was always welcome and desired. My favorite time was usually in the lap of one of them.
Helena's cheeks went flaming red, and she coughed, trying to mask her flush. I nearly forgot how innocent she was. "They have the best archers, sword makers, and the biggest resource of magic. Most importantly, their biggest enemy is the butcher."
I moved strands of my hair, biting my lower lip, trying to think of every angle. I knew the war was a volatile thing. Many warlords came and went, but the fighting never stopped.
Just because they might become allies during this war does not mean it will last.
We didn't sleep that night. I insisted on going over the plan for tomorrow again and again until the sun awoke to touch her skin and wake us.