Unarmed (Unarmed Trilogy) Read online

  CONTENTS

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  Chapter Thirty

  Chapter Thirty-One

  CHAPTER ONE

  They had been battling for what felt like decades, and the two kings stood over, what seemed like, endless bodies of dead soldiers. William Thurston, only child of King Gregory, stood next to his father. The father and son were both blue eyed, but William had wild dark brown hair and a stern look on his face. He took his job more seriously than most, so he was upset at what his father was doing.

  His father was making a deal.

  “We have been fighting for a long time, Gregory,” Turner Roth, the opposing king said as he ran a hand through his muddied brown hair. “We are no closer to deciding who will control this land.”

  Gregory, who was also exhausted from the endless fighting, sighed and looked to his son before he spoke.

  “The only way we can resolve this is by joining forces. Our combined armies will make us unstoppable. All I know is that I am tired,” Gregory almost smiled at his adversary. He carried the utmost respect for King Turner, and viewed him as a worthy opponent. “Your eldest child is a girl, is it not?” King Gregory asked he looked back at his son.

  “She is not much younger than your son,” Turner responded, as he looked William up and down. “You are still unmarried, young prince?”

  “I have no interest in marrying,” Will answered angrily and with fierce irritation. He could see the two older kings wheels spinning in their minds. “I’m a soldier and commander. I have no time for a bride.”

  “Tamzin is a very skilled healer,” King Turner responded with a smile. “Every soldier prince needs a healer.”

  “Tamzin is a lovely name,” King Gregory continued as Will felt like he wanted to sink into the ground. “She is sixteen?”

  “Just turned. A prime year for a marriage, if you ask me,” King Turner continued as he held out his hand. “A gentleman’s pact?”

  “The marriage of our two oldest children to bring an end to the bloodshed? The land will belong to them, naturally.” King Gregory said as he took Turner’s hand in his own. Will took a deep breath and held it. “You should return home and tell your daughter the wonderful news.”

  “I imagine she will be thrilled,” King Turner continued before he looked back at Will. “I wish I could say the same about your son.”

  King Gregory scowled and looked his son before he slapped him upside the head. Will rolled his eyes as he rubbed the back of his head. His life was on the battlefield with his men, not staying in the castle and taking care of the prissy daughter of his enemy. Will wasn’t about to question his father in front of King Turner; it would make them look weak by not being united.

  “It’s just a lot to process. I went from single to engaged in a five minute conversation,” Will said as he tried to hide his scowl. From the looks of King Turner, he couldn’t even hope for a pretty wife. Will looked behind him at his remaining soldiers, including his best friend and second-in-command, a young man named Garrett. Will turned back to watch the two kings laugh and shake hands again.

  Will took his leave and walked towards Garrett.

  “I am now an engaged man,” Will said as he stared at his best friend.

  “Your future bride has my condolences,” Garrett laughed as he smacked Will on the back. “She may be nice.”

  “She’s the daughter of King Turner. She’s going to be a nightmare.”

  ~~~

  Tamzin Roth wasn’t a nightmare, but if she were, she would be a lovely one. She hated when her father went off to war, especially with the Thurston’s. She always worried that he would not return and their country would be left defenseless. Tamzin understood that she was not his heir; her younger brother, Thom, was. Thom was only twelve years old and was nowhere near prepared to be a king.

  Tamzin opened her brown eyes when she felt the blazing sun shine on her eyelids. Her ladies in waiting must have opened the curtains to wake her. She sat up slowly in her bed and wiped her eyes free of sleep. She took a deep breath and slid out of bed and into her slippers. Her dark blue robe rested on her bed and the morning chill made her grab it. Tamzin slowly crept out of her room and darted across the hall to her little brother’s room.

  Tamzin held a strong bond with her younger brother, Thom. She was also close to the rest of her family, but Thom always held a special place in her heart. She quietly opened his door to find that his curtains were still drawn. She squealed as she ran and jumped on his bed.

  “Tamzin,” Thom complained as he buried his face into his pillow. Tamzin was brought up and encouraged to be fun and energetic, but always supportive. Thom had carried more burdens on his shoulders, but he always pranked his sister and played games with the other children. “Father woke me up late last night. I’m still tired.”

  “Father is home?” Tamzin asked as she stopped jumping on his bed. “Why didn’t he wake me?”

  “It was late. He only woke me because he had to talk to me about you,” Thom said as he sat up. He looked incredibly similar to Tamzin, with his wavy brown hair and deep brown eyes. “You’re going to get married.”

  “I’m getting married?” Tamzin asked as she stopped jumping up and down on the bed. She brushed her curls from her face and looked down at her brother. “To whom?”

  “Father ended the war against the Thurston’s yesterday when the kings decided that you and Thurston’s son, William, would be wed and combine the armies. He said they aren’t keeping the land either. They fought over rocky grounds.” Thom stepped out of bed before he grabbed his matching blue robe and wrapped it around his shoulders.

  “Really?” Tamzin continued as she sat down on her brother’s bed. “Do you know what he looks like?”

  “He looks like his father, and you know what Gregory looks like,” Thom said as he watched the servants come into his room and open his curtains. “A perfect day for archery.”

  Tamzin, too, watched the servants as they quickly cleaned Thom’s room and nodded to the young prince and princess.

  “Anything else I should know?” Tamzin asked as she traced her family crest on Thom’s sheets. “You seem to know more than I do.”

  “William is not thrilled to be marrying you.”

  “He doesn’t know me. How can he already not like me?” Tamzin asked with an eyebrow raised. “He sounds peculiar.”

  “He’s not like you, Tam,” Thom said gently. In some ways, he was wiser than his sister. “They say he never laughs. Ever.”

  “Everyone laughs. What if something funny happens?” She asked as her stomach began to drop. Was William really that awful?

  “He stands as still as stone. He only laughs when he takes a life. They say he’s invincible on the battlefield, like he’s Achilles himself,” Thom said, almost in awe. “Perhaps he will help me with my sparring?”
r />   “Achilles?” Tamzin asked with a grin. “I think you’re in love, Thom,” she continued as she ruffled his hair. “C’mon, sister is hungry.”

  Tamzin took her brother’s hand and dragged him out of bed and into the hallway. They ran together towards the kitchens, laughing about stern William Thurston.

  ~~~

  “You couldn’t ask me if I wanted to marry Tamzin Roth?” Will grumbled to his father as the men led their soldiers back home on horseback. “What if I had someone else in mind?”

  “But you don’t,” Garrett said behind the two men. Will turned around and scowled at his friend. “You’d still be a virgin if we didn’t go to that brothel when we were fourteen.”

  “Tamzin is a lovely and well accomplished girl,” Gregory said to his son as he focused on his palace in the distance. “Our country needs peace and you need a wife.”

  “You couldn’t let me choose?” Will snapped as he gripped the reins of his horse.

  “I didn’t choose your mother, but she and I got along delightfully. You will learn that marriage does not always equal love. Sometimes, you need a mate that makes you better,” Gregory explained calmly. He did need his son to get married to a girl of worth and produce an heir, and Tamzin Roth would end this endless war.

  “I wanted to decide for myself,” Will grumbled like a spoiled child. “I’m not home enough to be a husband.”

  “With the ending of this war and the combination of our armies, war will not be as prevalent,” Gregory continued to haggle with his son. “Why are you so against this?”

  “We look weak by striking a deal. I don’t know this girl. What if she tries to poison us?” Will questioned as the grand gates of his kingdom opened for them. His thriving kingdom, full of people, all bowed to him when they walked by. They didn’t know the news yet.

  “Saving human life from slaughter is not a sign of weakness,” Gregory scolded lightly. He understood how his son felt; he felt similar emotions when his father announced his own betrothal to William’s mother. Nicola, may God rest her soul, was a lovely young woman and provided him a strong heir in William before she died in her his childbirth. It saddened Gregory that Will never got to know his mother. From a lack of a mother growing up, Will didn’t carry a very high opinion of the women around him because he rarely interacted with them.

  “The Roth’s are our enemy. We’re inviting the enemy into bed, literally,” Will continued as he dismounted his horse in the stable. He smiled softly at the beauty of his horse before he fed her a carrot from the bucket on the wall.

  “It may sound odd, son, but the Roth’s are a good enemy,” Gregory explained as he saw his son’s confused look on his face. “The Roth family has been a worthy opponent. They fought fairly and with dignity. I have no quarrel with Turner himself. I respect him very much as an adversary, a king, and a father. But as a King among other Kings, we must always keep our power, which is why we fight. More land and people means more power.”

  “I’ve heard Tamzin is lovely,” Garret interrupted and reversed the subject as he led his own horse into the stable. “If Will refuses her, might let me marry her?” He asked the King with a smile on his face. Will watched his best friend with narrowed eyes. Garret was handsome himself, with many women throwing themselves at him. He was tall with shaggy blond hair and unearthly green eyes. He loved Garrett like a brother, but there was always a rivalry.

  “I’m sorry to tell you, Garrett, but Will has to marry Tamzin Roth when she arrives. Don’t worry, son, you’ll have a few weeks to come to terms with the sentence I’ve given you,” Gregory teased. Will scowled as his father walked away, and left him and Garrett alone.

  “Are you going to tell me how a life of wealth and privilege isn’t as good as everyone makes it out to be?” Garrett asked as he tied his hair in a low ponytail. Will rolled his eyes and said nothing. “Honestly, I’ve heard Princess Tamzin is beautiful and funny. You could have a worst wife.”

  “You watched him. He married me off without even asking how I felt about it,” Will growled as he and Garrett began to walk out of the stable. “I’m an adult. I will rule this kingdom. My opinion means something.”

  “And what about your countrymen? This marriage is saving them from death,” Garrett pointed out as the girls from the village rushed over to him. “Oh, Mary, love, I’ve sprained something below my buckle. Could you help me out?”

  Will felt the familiar nervousness in his belly as Mary, a young girl, dragged Garrett away from himself and the other girls. Garrett was always smooth and the girls loved him. Will was the crowned prince, but the girls never cared much for him. He didn’t care much for partying or fun, as there was always more to do. He enjoyed war strategy, chess, reading, and other activities that stretched his mind. Pretty girls made him feel awkward when they raised their eyebrows at his conversations. He doubted this little girl they were sending his way could keep up with him mentally.

  The Prince returned to his palace, where the other nobles sat and discussed various events. They stood and bowed when they saw him, but no one actually paid attention to him. They knew where he was going; off to the library to read more. Books and thinking were his salvation from the battles. Garrett couldn’t understand why he didn’t have fun after returning home. How could he? Some of his comrades were now dead, and he studied hours on end so the next battle, he could bring them all home. That was so much more important than searching for a wife or dallying around with the likes of Tamzin Roth.

  It was her family’s fault that he lost so many of his soldiers, and now his father expected him to welcome her with open arms? Expected him to share a bed with her and allow her to bear his children? The heir of the Thurston family was to be carried by a Roth girl.

  Will shook his head as he continued to walk. Such ideas were blasphemous.

  CHAPTER TWO

  “Can’t I bring Rupes?” Tamzin asked as she scooped her small dog up in her arms. Rupes had been a gift for her fourteenth birthday from her father and the two grew to be very close.

  “That will be up to your future husband,” Tamzin’s mother, the Queen Gemma, said as she continued to help her daughter pack. Rupes, the small and reliable pug, sat on his owner’s bed and watched with fascination as Tamzin packed grand and beautiful dresses.

  “I don’t wear these dresses,” Tamzin said as she stuck her tongue out at the offensive fabric. “Their weather is different from ours?”

  “It is primarily warm here, but in Thurston territory, it is warm and then cold at different times of the year. You will see snow.” Gemma smiled at her daughter as she finished placing the last dress in the trunk. “You will also learn how to ride a horse.”

  Tamzin smiled, but her conversation with her father about the imperative nature of her engagement to William made her feel nervous. Thom had been right; William was nothing like her. He was hardhearted and serious and never had fun. Her father assured her he was handsome, with his thick and curly brown hair and bright blue eyes and full lips, but what use was a handsome husband if he didn’t talk much?

  “Your father, brother, and I will be coming with you to the drop off point to sign the agreement with William’s father. Your ladies in waiting may come, if you so desire, but William may not allow you to take them with you,” Gemma warned as she watched her daughter stare absentmindedly at her clothes. “It was something I never thought I would need to warn you about, but Tamzin, darling, not all husbands are kind.”

  “If he is such a troll, then why must I marry him?” Tamzin asked as she pushed her brown hair out of her face and across her shoulder. She wore a simple white lace dress with short sleeves and a long skirt. Her country abhorred corsets and encouraged the natural female form, which Tamzin was blessed with.

  “Because you are the crowned princess, my darling. You are beautiful, funny, and intelligent. He will love you, I promise,” Gemma smiled at Tamzin as she touched her face lightly. “Your father didn’t love me right away either.”

&n
bsp; Tamzin rolled her eyes as she shut her trunk and watched as her ladies in waiting rushed into her bedroom. Lucy, Tamzin’s blonde best friend, led the pack and collapsed dramatically on Tamzin’s bed.