“Then let him bring her home with him,” Royden said and Oria voiced his own thought.
“The clan might not accept her.”
“I will take the message to your da that you are home and wish him to return home as well,” Clive said.
“You are a messenger then, not a merchant?” Royden asked.
“I am whatever I need to be,” Clive said.
“Tell my da to come home and bring Wren with him,” Royden said. “Her skills will serve the clan well.” He looked between the both of them. “What else do you keep from me?”
Oria shook her head. “I have sworn an oath and, as much as I want to tell you, I cannot break it.”
“And you?” Royden asked, turning to Clive.
“I know nothing more,” Clive said.
“I don’t believe that, but something tells me to let it be for now,” Royden said.
“You’re a wise man, Chieftain Royden,” Clive said with a nod.
“Don’t mistake wisdom for patience that will last only so long,” Royden warned.
“Time will reveal what you need to know,” Clive offered and stood. “I need to be on my way. If all goes well, your da should return home in about a week’s time.”
“And if he doesn’t?” Royden asked.
“Then he will have made his choice,” Clive said and with a bob of his head left the solar.
“I’m sorry,” Oria said as soon as the door closed behind Clive.
Royden placed his hand on the back of her neck while he brought his brow to rest against hers. “You have no reason to be sorry. You gave your word and it protected my da and for that I am grateful. It took courage for you to keep that oath when you knew what it would mean to me, yet you kept it, continuing to protect my da. I’m proud of you, Oria.”
She didn’t know what to say, the guilt of knowing more that could further assuage his pain, hurting her.
He kissed her lips gently. “When the time is right, you will tell me the rest. What matters now is that my da is alive and Arran will return home soon. Then we will search for Raven together.” He drew his face away from her when he felt her tense again. “It’s Raven. You know about Raven.”
Oria nodded, knowing she could say no more.
“You fear for her.”
Oria didn’t answer.
Royden smiled. “That means she’s alive, which means Arran and I can find her, return her home, and finally keep her safe. This is good, so good. Da will be relieved to learn that his only daughter is alive. And I am overjoyed that our family will one day be reunited.”
He kissed her, a strong and solid kiss, then rested his brow to hers once again. “I missed you there beside me when I woke this morning.”
“It was difficult for me to leave you when all I wanted was to,” —she smiled— “wake you and hurry you inside me.”
“The place I most want to be,” he said and kissed her again.
She loved when they kissed. Their lips strong against each other’s. The way he would nibble along her bottom lip or tug at it with his teeth. It was when his tongue entered her mouth or hers entered his first that all but guaranteed they’d soon be making love. Like now, his tongue having pushed wickedly fast past her lips.
She tore her mouth away from his with reluctance. “If you don’t stop kissing me, I will expect to find you inside me very soon.”
“Then you won’t be disappointed, wife,” he said, pushing her chair out from the table and snagging her around the waist to hoist her off the chair and onto his lap.
Oria rushed her hands to his shoulders to steady herself, her smile spreading. “I wondered how it would be to ride you.”
He was a lucky man that she had given thought to the possibility and that she didn’t shy away from different ways or places to make love.
“You’re about to find out,” he said and smiled when her hands left his shoulders to reach down and yank her garments up.
A knock at the door had a mumbled curse leaving his lips and a scowl settling over Oria.
“Chieftain Galvin demands to see you,” Bethany called out.
Royden seriously wanted to kill the man and it took great restraint to stop himself and not to stop his wife from slipping off his lap.
“Later,” she said and kissed her fingers to press against his lips.
Royden stood and turned his back to his wife, knowing if he looked at her his shaft would never soften. With his anger getting the better of him, he stomped to the door.
Oria’s hand covered his when it settled on the latch. “You look ready to kill.”
“I am,” he said, staring at her slender fingers that should be wrapped around his shaft and guiding it in her just about now.