Chapter 32

Naomi sat still as Yula rearranged her hair. The older woman had a serene look on her face. “You really care about him, don’t you?” Naomi said.

Yula stopped brushing her hair and looked at Naomi through the mirror. “No, I don’t. The fact is, I often hate him.”

Naomi turned to look directly at her. “You do? But you look after him. Take care of him.”

“It’s what I have to do to stay close to him.”

“Why?”

Yula began brushing her hair again. “Because I’m more likely to find my sons if I’m with Lord Tavik.”

Naomi felt a jolt. She hadn’t ever suspected that Yula had a family. She couldn’t believe she hadn’t asked. Maybe she was more a ‘lady’ than she thought not to wonder about something so important to another person.

“What happened to your sons?”

“Lord Tavik’s men go to the towns and enlist the young men. It’s either enlistment or pay for exemption. We were too poor to pay the exemption fee. They were swept up into the army three years ago. I couldn’t follow them. The soldiers wouldn’t let me. I finally latched onto a camp and became one of the cooks. I asked everyone about my sons, but no one knew them. When I was offered the job of cooking for Tavik, I took it. He visits all of the camps. I’m sure to find my sons someday. I pray that they are alive and well.”

Noami looked down at her hands. She remembered her plans to keep Yula with her. She hadn’t known how selfish her request had been. “So you want to go back with Tavik when he leaves.”

“I don’t know, milady. I enjoy being with you, but I want to find my sons, and I can’t do that if I stay here. Don’t worry about this now. It’s time to go.”

Yula escorted Naomi to Tavik’s room. When she raised her hand to knock, Naomi caught her hand and turned Yula to her. “I’m going to help you find your sons. You will see them again.”

Yula smiled at her. “That’s kind of you, but don’t trouble yourself with my problems. Have a lovely dinner with your husband.”

“But Tavik took your family. How can you not want him punished?”

“The gods will punish him for any crimes he has committed. Naomi, remember that he is your husband. You can’t trouble yourself with these things.”

“What so I shouldn’t care that I’m married to a war monger?”

“Naomi, you’re his wife. You can’t look at him that way.”

“He is what he is, Yula.”

“Yes, he’s your husband. He is the man that controls your fate. Don’t go against him. Be his wife. He seems to care for you. Don’t give him a reason to stop.”
Yula reached out and knocked on the door. Tavik called to enter. Yula opened the door and her hand on Naomi’s back propelled her in. Naomi had to clench her jaw to keep from protesting her forced entrance.

Dinner was already set. Tavik stood by the fireplace waiting. He was dressed in a long shirt and soft pants. Naomi looked around the candlelit room. Effort had been made to make the room look softer and romantic. The draped cloth, the flower garlands, the scented candles were appealing, but Naomi also thought all the preparations were somewhat sardonic, after all she wouldn’t be looking at them much if Tavik were going to eat with her. “This looks lovely, Tavik. What is the special occasion?”

Tavik pushed off the mantle and walked over to the table. He held out a chair for her. “Can’t a husband think dining with his wife is special enough?”

Naomi slipped into the seat and put her hands in her lap. With relief, she saw the glint of yellow eyes from under Tavik’s bed. She smiled demurely and reached for her wine glass. Be polite, be cordial, maybe even flirt a little, Naomi instructed herself. She didn’t know what the plan was, but those actions would surely help it go smoothly. She still clenched her jaw when the blindfold appeared in front of her face. After Tavik tied it, his fingers trailed over her hair. They swept forward and brushed her neck and under her jaw. Naomi swallowed nervously.

Tavik leaned down, and he whispered into her ear, “What were you looking for when you came to my room?” Shivers went down her spine, but they weren’t good shivers.

Naomi leaned away from Tavik to try to maintain her composure. “You,” she said.

“But I wasn’t here.”

“I know.” Her mouth was dry. She reached blindly out for her goblet and knocked it over. She felt the wine spill onto the lap of her dress.

“Let me,” he said. She stilled as his hand brushed over her lap. His breath tickled her neck. It was going to be like lunch all over again. There was a low growl, and Agatha knocked Tavik’s hand away by jumping into Naomi’s lap.

“I didn’t know she was in here,” he said in surprise. Naomi petted Agatha shakily. The cat meowed petulantly, and Naomi could just imagine the scolding look she was receiving from the feline.

“She likes to follow me everywhere.”

“She is a fine looking cat,” Tavik complimented. Agatha hissed, and Tavik jerked back.

“Who does not seem to like me at the moment.”

Naomi grabbed Agatha to hold her still. “Did she hurt you?” Agatha let out a low growl.

“It’s nothing.” Naomi smirked and shook her head.

“What?”

“We certainly are a pair. Just can’t seem to keep our hands off each other.”

Tavik leaned into the back of her chair and curled his hands onto her shoulders. Agatha growled louder. Naomi’s hold on the cat tightened. Tavik chuckled. “She acts like your chaperone who is very displeased with me.”

“I wouldn’t say she’s my chaperone,” Naomi said, thinking of whose purity they needed to keep intact.

“Maybe she is your familiar, and you cast a spell on me.”

“I’m not a witch.”

“How can I be sure?”

Naomi rolled her eyes from behind her blindfold.

Tavik warmed to the idea. “Yes, maybe you cast a spell over me that makes me want to do things that would be very bad for me.” His hands flexed on her shoulders.

“Yes, that is all part of my diabolical scheme, while I was tied up that first night, I cast a spell, which I strengthened while being chased by Umbreks. Yula is my second-in-command. Mrs. Boon and Geoff are my allies as well.”

Tavik chuckled. “And what is the goal of your diabolical scheme?”

“Why to corner the market on lederhosen, of course.”

Tavik guffawed. Naomi smiled thinly. Tavik moved his hand to the back of her neck and guided her head to turn toward him. Agatha began clawing her.

“What’s for dinner?” she asked. The food had been covered when she sat down.

She felt Tavik shift, and his arm extend from around her to lift off the tops of the platters. The smell of warm food hit her salivary glands and her mouth watered.
“Lamb, potatoes, green beans, and stuffed mushrooms appear to be our menu. What would you like?” Naomi tilted her head down. She really didn’t want to be fed like a baby, especially without ocular input to help with the judging of distance, mouth opening, and general expectation of what was going in her mouth before she tasted it.

“What’s wrong?” Tavik murmured, and if Tavik were going to reach over her shoulder to feed her, she was going to get food all over her dress to go with the wine. She was sure of it.

“I would rather feed myself,” she said.

“You will have trouble.”

“Not if I’m not blindfolded.”

Tavik sighed. “You do not want to do this.”

Naomi’s hands flopped in her lap. Without sight, she was not even sure about body language. “The first time was fun and kind of kinky, but this is not a way to eat day-to-day. It’s demeaning and just unnecessary. I can feed myself just fine without blindfolds and ropes.”

She felt Tavik leave her back. She listened to him move and sit on the other side of the table. “You can remove the blindfold.” With Tavik out of her immediate vicinity, Agatha jumped down from her lap.

Naomi reached up behind her head and untied the blindfold. When she lowered it from her face, she saw Tavik sitting across from her with the mask firmly in place. If she were to eat, he would not, it would seem. A piece of lamb and the vegetables had already been placed on her plate. Naomi picked up her utensils self consciously.

Tavik was likely going to watch her the entire time she ate. Having someone watch her and not eat, always made Naomi feel self conscious like her table manners were being scrutinized and found wanting and guilty that she was eating and the other person was not, but this is what she had asked for. If she did not eat, Tavik would likely replace her blindfold so he could partake, and Naomi’s stomach would grumble, and she would be grumpy. She preferred self-conscious and guilty to grumpy. She cut into the lamb and ate a bite. Tavik sat silently across from her, inscrutable in his mask. He had one hand resting on its side on the table in a loose fist while the other rested on the front of his hip, bent in a relaxed position. She hoped he did not start toying with his wineglass or utensils because the guilt would really kick-in then. She slanted her eyes to the bed to seek out Agatha or Mr. Squibbles as she chewed. She wondered what their plan was and how it would go into play and if she were to play a part.

Tavik noticed the direction of her eyes. “Dear Calax, I should have chosen a different room.” Naomi stopped chewing in surprise.

“No, this is fine,” she protested around her food. She dabbed her mouth to make sure she did not have any sauce on her mouth that was her biggest fear when dining with someone not eating was that she would be talking with a smear of salad dressing or ketchup or something on her face, and the other person would just stare at it and not listen to what she was saying, but just wait for a break in her talk to tell her about it. “I thought I saw something moving under your bed earlier. I was just checking to see if it was still there.”

Now Tavik turned to look underneath his bed. Naomi wished she had come up with a better story to tell him, but talking about Tavik’s bed made Naomi extremely nervous. “Was it the cat?” He got up and crept over to the bed. He crouched down and looked underneath.

“No, I’m sure it was my imagination.”

“We have had a problem with mice in the castle. Mrs. Boon told me that they had been causing havoc in the kitchen. She has never seen mice with such alacrity. It’s like they have grown smarter.”

Naomi inwardly groaned. Mr. Squibbles had been getting industrious while foraging and maybe had even unionized his brethren. The idea of mice going on strike with little placards gave her a moment of amusement, which was shattered with Tavik lunged beneath the bed and grabbed something.

Agatha let out a yowl and lunged at Tavik’s crouched form. Naomi jumped up. Agatha planted all four claws in Tavik’s back. He exclaimed and shot up. In his closed hand, a pair of whiskers peeked out. His hand reflexively clenched. Naomi heard the crunch of many small bones. He dropped the mouse from his hand. It landed with a lifeless thump.

Continue to Chapter 33.