Chapter 31

Gypsy rode along the narrow trail to Kharon’s kingdom with the general in the lead. The scenery was breathtaking with enormous, green, jagged mountains that jutted up from each other’s outlines, the taller ones having just a hint of snow on their ridges. Crisp, cool breezes invigorated her senses and she marveled at how different the terrain was from what she was used to. Even with the risk he might try and keep her there, she had decided to go and visit his kingdom anyway. At least for now she was glad she’d come.

And just as Gavin had suggested, she set up the ground rules in advance: her own room and the freedom to come and go as she pleased. She felt confident that when the time came to leave, she could handle Kharon. After all, he wasn’t an unreasonable man and she had never led him to believe she wanted anything other than a military career.

Suddenly Kharon pulled up and waited for her to ride up alongside him. “Tired yet?” he asked.

“No,” she replied, feeling insulted.

He laughed. “I was hoping you were because I need a break. I’m starving.”

Gypsy smiled. Big males like Kharon were always hungry. It took a lot of meat to maintain all that muscle. “That looks like a good spot,” she offered, gesturing to a small clearing.

Kharon rode up and dismounted with her close behind. Gathering a few sticks, he made a small fire and started boiling some water for a strong tea the soldiers enjoyed called Baku. Then he took dried meat out of his saddlebag and offered her some. She politely declined and pulled out her own rations. It was hard to refuse his kindness but she had to. She knew Gavin was right in what he’d told her; she couldn’t let Kharon feel that she was dependent on him for anything or he might get too possessive. Walking to the edge of the clearing, which sharply dropped off the side of the mountain, she took in the view.

“Beautiful, isn’t it?” he said, stirring the contents of the small metal pot.

She nodded. “I can see why one would like living in this region, although it is a bit too chilly for my taste.”

He leaned back against a large rock and watched her. “Are you really in love with Caraculla?” he asked.

“Yes, very much so.”

“I’m jealous,” he said. “I want you all to myself,” he said.

“I don’t get you all to myself,” she said.

“No, but you could.”

Gypsy let that comment hang. She chewed her meat slowly. “Are you in love with me?”

Kharon grabbed a small tin cup and poured some tea into it. He held it up to her in offering but she shook her head. Nestling back down, he said, “In as much as I know of these things, yes I am.”

“And what of your three wives?” she asked.

Kharon put down his cup and leaned forward. His ice blue eye burned with pure ferocity. “They are good women but I would put them all aside if you would agree to become my bride.”

A cauldron of emotions churned in her belly. She loved him, she wanted him, and a tiny part of her would love to be his wife, but not at the expense of her career or Caraculla. They were starting to venture into dangerous territory. “I don’t see any point to marrying anyone. Marriage is for people who want to fill those traditional roles which, if you haven’t figured out by now, I’m not interested in. There’s nothing wrong with just being lovers.”

“Don’t you see we are more than just lovers? We are a mated pair, destined to be together. A marriage to me wouldn’t be just any common union, it would be a joining of like powers.”

“And what about Caraculla?” she asked.

“I would expect you to give him up, just as I would give up my wives,” he said.

“I see. So I am expected to give up something I love and cherish deeply while you give up something that you, by your own admission, have never loved,” she said flatly. “Not exactly a fair exchange.”

“It’s different for me,” he said.

“Why, because you’re a male?” she countered.

“No because I don’t love anyone except for you. I can’t help it if there is nothing for me to give up that means as much to me as you say Caraculla does to you.”

“Oh you think not? Then here is a hypothetical counteroffer. I’ll give up Caraculla if you resign your commission and return with me to the empire where I’m sure a high ranking military position would be made available to you. It would be a minor demotion, but we’d be able to be together.”

Kharon was quiet for a long time. Then he finished his tea and dumped out the pot. He helped her up and held her hand a little longer than she was comfortable with. His pale blue eye bit deep into her soul. “Are you in love with me?” he asked.

Gypsy took a deep breath. “It’s irrelevant,” she said, shaking her head. “My emotional attachment to you makes no difference and is not going to change anything.”

“I disagree. If you love me, why not be with me? You can finish your training here and assume a role in my army.”

“First of all, I don’t believe that when my training is done, you’ll willingly send me into battle to get killed.”

“That’s nonsense. Of course I’ll allow you to pursue your career. I am trying to recruit you, remember?”

“Pursuing a military career and actually going onto a battlefield are not always the same thing. Believe me I have no intention of forging my career from behind a desk. In fact, I don’t even know how much resistance I’m going to get from Caraculla when the time comes to really let me go to war. And speaking of Caraculla―just because I am not mated to him doesn’t make our feelings for each other any less real. I am not giving him up for you or anyone and nothing will make me hate you faster than if you try to interfere with us.”

“You can’t be in love with two men!” he said, raising his voice.

“Who says I can’t? I refuse to believe that there is a limit to how much love one person has to give. If you want to continue to be part of my life, you had better realize that you will never be the only one.”

The lines around his eyes deepened and he looked like he’d been struck in the face. Suddenly Gypsy was aware of how much she’d hurt him and it drove a bolt of pain into her heart. How she hated having to throw this in his face. But she felt confident Gavin was right about how to handle this. She couldn’t give Kharon any reason to fight to keep her here.

They packed up their gear in silence and mounted up. When Kharon spoke to her, the tenderness was gone from his tone. “We need to ride hard if we’re going to get there before nightfall. I’ll expect you to keep up.”

Then he was gone, galloping up the trail like his enemy was just around the next mountain. Gypsy felt rage boil up from her core and spurred her hyperia. Being less than half his weight she caught up to him quickly. Reaching over she grabbed one of the reins down by his mount’s mouth and jerked the animal to a stop. It growled, hissed and attempted to take a bite out of her. Letting go she sat back and glared at him. He gripped the leather reins tightly trying to regain control of his now very pissed off hyperia.

“Are you insane? He could have bitten your arm off!”

“You listen to me,” she snarled through gritted teeth. “I’ll be damned if I’m going to spend a week at your kingdom and have you be an asshole to me the entire time. So you tell me now if I need to turn back and return to the Empire.”

Kharon sat for a moment brooding. His hard, masculine face set in angry concentration. Then his shoulders relaxed in surrender. “That won’t be necessary,” he rumbled and looked off. “This whole situation is very difficult for me and I’m having trouble coming to terms with it. Please don’t leave. Give me a chance to get used to this. I promise to make your visit enjoyable.”

Gypsy reached over and squeezed his wrist. “I do love you, Kharon, but my life always has been and always will be very complicated. When it comes to my wants and desires I am not going to play by anyone’s rules but my own. If we are going to continue, you need to at least try and accept these things about me. There are no traditional relationships in my future.”