Forever and a Thousand Times

Chapter Six

He stared at her closed door with a frown furrowed deep. Othniel knew he'd not handled that well, but part of him had gone—he wasn't sure—senseless, idiotic, unreasonable, or dare he admit jealous, when he'd seen Ismene with Kendric . . . of all people.

The man was a wolf in swan's clothing; if the phrase ever had a perfect example, it was Lord Kendric Selin of Lithgrall Hall. Not only did his blue eyes and winning smile garner the favor of every lady he came in contact with, but his father was one of the richest lords in Taisce with the largest diamond mine ever to be unearthed.

In fact, the Selin mine was from where Othniel and his father had just returned after helping to defend it against Dark Land raiders before the wedding. Kendric had been nowhere to be seen, supposedly having been sent on an errand to trade in Larue. Othniel didn't believe it, knowing Kendric to be irresponsible and more likely to have run off on some path of debauchery. As the only male heir to his father's fortune, Kendric had been allowed far too much rein.

How Ismene knew the rake, Othniel could not fathom. And then finding her enjoying his company . . . alone . . . in his mother's rose garden. His fist clenched involuntarily and he shook his head, backing away from the door. Entering his own room, he found Finn waiting by the fire, always waiting to be of service.

"Find Lady Ismene's maidservant."

Finn's eyebrows quirked in question, but he made no comment on Othniel's sullen command. "Yes, Sire." He bowed and glided out, leaving Othniel alone with his morose thoughts.

What is wrong with me? Is it even me? This should be one of the happiest days of my life.

But he already caught his new wife alone with another man. He slumped into the chair by the empty hearth and leaned forward, elbows on knees and fingers gripped in his hair. The heels of his hands pressed into his eyes.

If he knew one thing, it was that Lord Kendric needed to make a hasty exit. There was little Othniel could do in light of the fact that his father, the king, was friends with Kendric's. It was a strategic friendship, of course, built on mutual power and control. The king would not likely back Othniel if it came to him insisting the other man leave. Almighty forbid any bad relations arise between nobles over something so slight as a naive princess being seduced by a lascivious lord.

Othniel yanked harder at his hair. Pulling his fingers free, he growled low in his throat. He needed to calm down and not overreact. The worst part was that he actually thought he could come to care for his wife. Ismene was rough around the edges for life at court, but it was that very unrefined part of her paired with the brief glints of defiance sparked in her eyes that raised his heart rate and drew him in to her spell to begin with.

The soft creak of a door opening and closing in the salon brought his attention around. The maid must have arrived, but now he wished she'd leave. He'd surely upset Ismene, and he wanted to apologize. How could he make things right?

* * *

Ismene did her best to be silent, but the door chose not to cooperate. She cringed at the low squeaking as she closed it. The last thing she wanted was to face Othniel again after his obvious displeasure and near disgust with her. She'd never been shamed like that before. Even her father's disapproval hadn't had the same effect on her when being disciplined as a child. And for the moment, she wanted to escape . . . at least for a little while.

Helein had showed up at her room within minutes of Ismene closing the door in Othniel's face, and right away she'd decided she would take a ride on Rising Wind to clear her head. After quickly changing, she made her exit.

Seeing Othniel's closed door acted as a silent warning: you are not welcome. Ismene grimaced. Her unsettled feelings were getting the best of her, she knew, but her heart ached from the feeling of being abandoned by her family, out of her element, and surrounded by strangers. She didn't think she could trust anyone outside Helein . . . and her horse. Rising Wind at least could be fully trusted beyond a shadow to keep a secret.