Trojan Slave (Book 1)

Chapter 24

Chapter 24

Two months.

It had been two months since she'd been taken and retrieved.

Two months of utter bliss.

And two months of utter foolishness.

How they thought she was actually going to go through with the plan they came up with, well she had no idea. All she knew was Theod had explained it to her. She had disagreed, and somehow by the next morning, he had her agreement to the plan. And she was so angry about it, though she had tried to make sure that anger was hidden and did not get in the way of all the little moments she had with Theod.

He had been the same, and yet different. Now she knew the way he truly saw her. The little things he did had a new meaning to her. It had taken a while, but it had hit her one morning. He truly had feelings for her, as she did for him. And she was free to act upon those feelings. She had taken those feelings with both hands and not allowed him to forget them when he went off to battle. She would always be there waiting. Which brought her back to the foolish plan.

They wished to send her away. And the news she had may just force her into going along with it. She would have fought with all she had only days before. But now she was not sure she could do so. He had been very calm as he explained. It was for the best. She would be safe. And after the battle was over. And no one expected it to go on much longer, he would join her. He would survive. He had her to come back to. He would make sure he survived.

He and Androc had already refined the plan and put it in place before informing her. That was what she was so angry with. That she would just leave them. In the middle of a war. Not that she thought much of her skills, but any healing skills were worth everything in this environment. She did not know how she would feel if one of the men who had become her family died because she was no longer here.

Theod had told her all about the small cottage he owned; she had to admit it sounded idyllic. He had told her stories of his childhood in that home, and she knew it was just to convince her. Yet she found herself charmed by the idea of starting a family there. And now it seemed she may.

Sighing, she placed a hand over her lower abdomen, as she stared out to sea as the rolling waves crashed against the golden sands. Retreating, and reaching closer. A never ending movement that would carry on throughout time. She spied some ships in the distance. Shielding her eyes so as not to squint, she nodded. Definitely ships. It seemed it was lucrative business for merchants, an army at war. It did not matter what side you supported; you could always make money off of hungry warriors.

There was someone from camp who greeted every one of them, though she had not managed to ferret out who yet. They came back with information of where the ship was heading next. So far none had been going in the right direction for Theod's little cottage. And she had been thanking the gods each time they had not.

Now she had no idea what was best. Knowing that leaving could lead to the deaths of those she cared for hurt her deeply.

But she also knew if she stayed she was still in danger. She had a guard wherever she went now. Even when the rest were in battle, at least four warriors stayed behind to make sure she was safe. If it was just her life, that would be her choice to make. And she could argue that point with Theod. Now she could not. Because she would have to agree with him.

It was not just her life any more. There was the baby to think about, the young life being nurtured inside her body at that moment. No matter the guilt she felt about others dying if she left, being in danger put that tiny life in danger, and she could not do that. It changed everything. It meant that she most probably had to go along with the foolish plan to leave the father of her child behind.