34

"Approves? I suppose he can afford to lose one of his daughters to the enemy," The old woman did not want to show her defeat and went back to her herb picking from the pots.

"I suppose," Jza replied barely containing her laugh. The animosity Hyacinth showed her was nothing unusual and she knew not when she had lost the ability for those words to bite her.

From afar they watched Tarquin listening intently to James before the boy led the man away towards the orchard. Beyond the trees there was an incline that led them down to a river that only flowed during rainstorm.

"I was wrong about one thing. He's not a nobody is he?" Hyacinth said, tearing her eyes away from the Somerlian. She pressed her hand to her forehead as if in pain.

"Why do you say so?"

"He's got an uppity air. Perfectly congenial but too high brow. And look at him; can't even play a game of grunt. I saw him looking baffled by the soldiers," Hyacinth informed the Princess.

"Not everyone has perfect childhoods," Jza replied as she finished her apple. She left the core for the compost pile.

"Even you know how to play it," Acknowledging how Jza's childhood was as poor as she remembered it to be. The old woman turned away from Jza as if losing interest in the conversation.

The Princess asked Rose if she wished to accompany her to the dry river which she after some prodding accepted shyly. Under Hyacinth's beady eyes both girls ran from the kitchen to the orchard in an impromptu race. Jza lost by a margin since the young girl was ready to be let lose upon the world. Trampling over fallen branches they slowed down their pace until they reached the incline that led to the dead river. It was a shallow valley carved by a once roaring river. It was now dry to the bone and in the middle stood Lord Tarquin and James at a distance from one another. The boy was holding the kite while his companion the string reel.

Jza watched the man once again feeling her eyes unable to move from her target. Tarquin waited for James to let go of the kite and taking advantage of the slight breeze he pulled the string with a force the girl disapproved off. The kite floundered pitifully and landed in a dusty shallow hole waiting to be resurrected. Hiding her laugh she slid down the dusty slope and landed near the boys. Rose tumbled down behind her catching everyone's attention.

"I am aghast the great Lord Tarquin is abysmal at something," Jza laughed with a sarcastic clap on his shoulder.

"I will master it before the end of the day," Tarquin's face was grim and resolute as he helped Rose up while Jza dusted the girl's clothes. She had noticed the poor child had very few outfits to call her own. She vowed to start sowing for the children as soon as possible.

"I have no doubt you will. Is that how you handle all challenges; With mulish bullheadedness?" The Princess asked with a gregarious grin as she circled around them.

"Of course," The man gave her a brief smirk.

"Is that how you intend to win me?" She asked, watching the children run to retrieve the kite.

Tarquin paused his motions and the faint baring of teeth transformed into a bright, hypnotic smile. He grabbed her hand firmly and brought it to his soft lips.

"I am in the running then," He murmured into her skin. To his surprise she did not pull her hand away.

"Perhaps."

Jza acknowledged both to him and herself that she was sizing him up as a potential mate. The fact that he had bound himself to her without hope of reciprocation just to save her life talked about the depth of his emotion more than anything but it was also the small things. How he interacted with James when even some of the stable boys in their free time had shrugged the boy's attempts at conversation. He could have dismissed the boy away like everyone else but chose not to. Even if he was bored she knew his actions held merit.

"I'll show you how it's done!" Jza took the string reel from Tarquin's hands and motioned for James to hold the kite so she could let it free. With a bit of struggle against the wind she tugged it higher and higher until it floated above them. She motioned for Tarquin to hold the reel from her and felt glee at the delight on his face.

-------

That night there was no sleep for the industrious Princess. She tossed and turned in her ancient bed and wondered whether she would ever find resolution to her current dilemma. After pushing her stone like pillow into position for what it seemed like forever she got up and dressed herself.

Walking out of the doors she saw the night guard sit up straight at her presence but she gestured for him to remain seated. She required no chaperone for her late night walk.

"My Lady, Your Higheness, it is a wonder that you're up at this time. Luck must be on our side. The heifer is settling down to give birth," The stable boy ran towards her out of breath.

"Is it having trouble?" Jza asked. She had watched many births and while most cows did not require any assistance there were some that could get stuck, "Get Hyacinth here now!"

The stable boy ran off to find the elderly woman who had more experience than the Princess and would help guide the way as she had done Jza's uncle. The Princess ran in the newly painted barn containing the cow. The animal lay in the furthest corner isolated from the rest of the cows.To Jza's utmost surprise Tarquin stood over the cow looking as if he just woke.

"What are you doing here?" Jza asked, unprepared to face him so soon after the thoughts of him had lain her asunder.

"Considering I sleep here I could not leave my roommate in distress," He answered, barely glancing at her. His attention was on the suffering heifer.

"She will be fine. She's stout and is doing a good job. If all goes well we will not need to interfere. The cow will do it's work."

The cow moaned pitifully and Jza patted her head with a pained expression, "There, there, my love, you're doing a marvelous job."

"Thank you," Tarquin gave her a cheeky grin. Jza's eyes trailed down his bare torso and baggy sleep trousers and turned away with a huff. How can a person barely out of his bed look more presentable then her?

"I thought there was a bed available where the men sleep. I made sure of that," Jza said, averting her eyes to the animal.

"I do not wish to expose myself to an entire horde of Goridian men. I wonder what they would do to me in my sleep," Tarquin explained and Jza wondered what she had been thinking making such arrangements. She knew the man well enough by now to know he would never let himself be vulnerable in front of the enemy and yet she expected him to accept the sleeping arrangements.

"They wouldn't dare. I am not like my father when it comes to transgressions. My punishments will not be a slap on the wrist. The price to pay for any harm they try to inflict on you will be brutal," The Princess assured him although she was certain he would never join the common quarters after her assurance.

"Do not let your preference for me do the talking about inflicting pain on your subjects," Tarquin's voice was nearly acidic as he crouched next to the animal mimicking her earlier words. His chain shook with his movements.

"Preference?"

"If you do not have any partiality then do stop staring as if I were a buffet," The man looked at her as if her actions were an affront.

"It's not exactly the first time I'm seeing you undressed. Your accusation is absurd," Jza's indignance was more to do with the fact that he was not oblivious to her actions than his reprimand.

"Exactly! Why you continue to stare is beyond me."

Jza had no answer to his questions. She had not been expecting to be answerable to her actions in the middle of the night when her mind had ceased to work. To her relief the animal suddenly spurt out the water bag with a great gush. The splatter was all over Tarquin, understandably distracting him.

"Where is Hyacinth? What's taking so long? No one will care if she shows up in her knickers," Jza whined as the animal writhed in pain, "It's time!"

The girl positioned herself besides Tarquin who had settled in a heap and watched the cow's hind legs for the calf's arrival.

"We mustn't interfere since it halts the process. If she stalls only then must we forge ahead," Jza explained to the man who was sitting quite still. Perhaps the shock of the birth water running all over him had rendered him speechless.

While the cow moaned and grunted in a prone position Jza could see the feet of the calf appearing. In a timely fashion they began to reveal themselves further slowly and steadily. She gripped Tarquin's bare shoulder in anticipation who barely flinched under her firm touch.

"Shouldn't we do something to help with the pain," The man finally emerged from his stupor.

"This is the reality of childbirth. This is a hurdle women must bear if they wish to have children," The girl answered gravely.

"I have never been more glad to be a man," Tarquin added after a pause. His eyes looked slightly glazed over.

"You let me sew you up without the aid of any pain relief and yet you balk at such a natural process," The girl marveled but the man remained without speech. They were interrupted by a new arrival.

"You've taken your time," The Princess complained as Hyacinth waddled in, looking incredibly put out by the late night meeting.

"I was asleep like a civilised person unlike you lot. Why have you stripped him naked in front of me?" The old woman asked Jza with a rude gesture at the man sitting next to her.

"I-I sleep like this..." Tarquin tried to look small but failed in his quest.

"He does!" The brown haired girl nodded, vigorously.

"Of course, you know the state of his wardrobe during his private time," The old woman sneered.

"His bed roll is right there!" Jza pointed at the mat she had noticed mere moments earlier.

"Humph," Hyacinth was displeased by their existence, "Well, get on it. You, girl, on the front and you, boy, at the back. Not afraid of the blood are we, pretty boy? The stable boy's flat out refused because he faints at the sight of it."

"No, I have no reservations against a spot of blood," Tarquin was stilted in his mannerisms indicating how uncomfortable he was. Jza moved closer to the head of the cow although she kept herself crouched, ready to assist if the man faltered.

"Hmm," Hyacinth made a face at the sight of his bandages, "Bloodletting your thing, eh? Look it's nearly here. Use your muscles, pretty boy and give it a right pull. Ah! There you go."

In a blink of the eye the cow babe sat in Tarquin's arms drenching him completely in the fluids it brought forth with it. Jza quickly helped him bring the calf to the udder to give it the first taste of its mother's milk.

"You can leave now. Not much to be done other than wait for the afterbirth," Hyacinth dismissed them without taking her eyes off the mother and child, "And send the stable boy in if you see him. Time to see how fast he faints now that the crucial bits are done."

"I need to clean up," Tarquin looked like he would lose his lunch soon. He walked into the other half of the barn and closed the large door behind him. There were troughs of water laid out in rows in the feeding area. Jza followed him trying to avoid touching the wet spots on her dress.

The man swiftly poured all the water over his head from the pail in the trough in one go. Water rolled down over his strong shoulder. There was no other way to get rid of the sticky mess accompanying the birth. He fetched more water in a pail and redid the action once again. Jza handed him soap flakes she found in the cupboard. After working the rough soap over his torso not even minding the bandages he once again submerged himself in the pail's contents.

Jza took her time and soaped up to her arms steadily. Her lips quirked at the sight before her. It seemed like he needed another moment to regain his footing before he embraced the water gliding all over again.

"Blegh," Tarquin shivered under the water assault, "I had never thought in my wildest dreams I would help a cow give birth."

"Is it not the best feeling in the world?" Jza asked with a small smile on her face. The exhilarating experience was one that usually stayed with her for many days.

"You and I have a very different definition of best," The amber eyed man shook his head as if embarrassed by her plebeian choices.

"Admit it. Don't you feel the euphoria to bring life to the world? Is it not better than taking it?" Jza asked as she cleaned her hands delicately. She had managed to get away with the minimum amount of blood on her body which was rarely the case in her previous attempts of cow birth watching.

Tarquin squirmed uncomfortably, shifting the weight onto his other foot. It seemed he was sodden down to the core. The man sat on a bench close to the trough but his face did not lose the look of pain.

Jza watched his pensive face looking at the suds floating above water in the trough. The fondness for him burst through her heart. This was a man who had tolerated a cow giving birth on him just for love. The love reserved just for her.

"Yes," he replied gently not meeting her eyes, "It is."

He was hunched over the trough when she placed her damp hand on his shoulders from behind. He dropped the soap flakes on the floor and turned to her.

"I say yes, I will have you," Jza uttered boldly. There was no hesitation in her brown eyes. Her stubborn mind was made up.

Tarquin stood ungracefully and pulled her close, hands still slippery from the soap and planted a lingering kiss on her right cheek mindful that the door behind them could open any time. His eyes blinked as if he was having trouble seeing.

"I am surprised. I did not expect such restraint," Jza said, truthfully.

"Oh, so you know how to truly kiss," Tarquin teased her. His hands quivered with feeling.

"I may have spied on a couple or two. I expected more passion," The Princess said with smirk on her face.

"And what else?"

"More touching and petting," She answered trying to look nonchalant.

"Is this what you want?" Tarquin stalked closer, looming all over her. She took a step back but reminded herself she had no reason to fear him any longer. Her feet dug themselves into the ground.

Tarquin gently pressed his lips against Jza's. His lips were as soft as she had imagined, "Is this better?"

"Yes," She whispered, not realising her brown eyes were revealing the deepest, darkest desires.

"Like this?" He said but her lips met his before he could lean closer. The warmth in her belly was making her act foolish.

"Hmm," She pulled him in again. This time their lips parted slightly. She could taste him. His wet hands held her waist inflaming her further. She could feel the bite of his touch even through many layers of clothing.

"If I continue on this path then I will ruin you," He whispered in her ear before planting tiny kisses down the curve of jaw.

"How so? A kiss cannot possibly do anything serious ruination," Jza tried to breathe like she wasn't out of breath.

"A kiss is only the the beginning and the light petting leads to one thing after another and before you know it I will have you beneath me. Is this your goal?" The man released her from his fingers before she could reply.

Jza shook as the warmth slid up her face. She took a step back finally breaking eye conatct, trying to calm her breathing and her beating heart. What was wrong with her? Was she truly the girl Hyacinth claimed she was.

"That's a dangerous game you're playing Princess," Tarquin said.

"Call me Jza," The girl asked suddenly not caring what anyone thought of her. The reason she had run away from the castle was to avoid all judgement. She had no right to inflict her own when she was doing nothing wrong.

"It's a beautiful name, Jza," The Lord uttered and he was correct. Her name had never sounded so sweet.

"My mother named me after my grandmother," The girl answered. The two stared at each other silently before the man took a step back and began speaking.

"I have pledged myself to you. I have submitted my love, devotion, my entire existence to the worship on your altar. I demand no less in return. Do you agree?" Tarquin asked with unbridled emotions swelling to the surface.

"I do."