The Sword and The Rose. ((Kolath x Butterfly))

"You mean I WAS injured. I am feeling quite fine AND the doctor has already said I am no longer in danger of death," Terra reached across the table and placed her hand upon his. "And just think, when you return from your business, I'll be like I'm magically better." She smiled, "Please Nathan. It's bad for your duties to the land and the people. You've been wonderful so far in your duties to me."
 
He smirked at her and moved over to sit behind her on the couch so she was leaning back against him rather than the back rest. He kissed her neck softly nuzzling against her. â??I have nothing that requires my attention right now but making sure that my wife doesnâ??t over do anything and make herself sick again.â? He chuckled softly his arms slipping around her having become used to holding her as she was sick and not really ready to stop yet hoping she would stay relaxed still.
 
Hopefully to his joy, she did indeed stay relaxed. If there was one thing that they both benefited from this was that she was far more comfortable with him holding her and even showing her light affection. "Thank you," she said softly as she leaned back against him. "You have not left my side in this whole time. You gave me your own strength when I had none of my own to use." She sighed, "I can never thank you enough for that. I feel I surely would have died without it."
 
He smiled and felt his heart leap as she snuggled back against him and smiled enjoying her closeness. He nuzzled her hair not being able to stop himself from smirking at the disapproving glare that they were getting from Anya. He picked up a strawberry and to irritate Anya more he offered it to Terra in a very playful way. There was just something about being able to make Anya glare at them that made his life so much better. Maybe it was because of the bitch she had been in the camp.
 
Still rather oblivious to the alternative motives behind the the playful way he playfully fed her the small piece of sweet fruit. "Mmm, thank you," she commented as she chewed it. The sound of Anya quite literally slamming a tray down on the table, placing the already cleaned off plates onto the tray. "Is everything alright Anya?" She asked, noting the maids foul temper.

Anya just smiled sort of sarcastically, "Just doing my job your grace." Picking up the tray, she left the room and Terra turned to look at him, "I wonder what that was about."
 
He smiled and snuggled closer to Terra lightly kissing her hair. â??I think that she is upset because I shipped her out of the room when you were sick and insisted that I be the one that cared for you rather than her.â? he smiled and just lightly held his love as he thought things over knowing that he would have to return to real life sometime soon and that meant leaving again since his people were going to be clearly worried.
 
"You did?" She asked, actually moving then to turn and face him more fully towards him. "And you survived the sting of her eyes?" She moved her face close to his and whispered to him, "They can so be like daggers sometimes, can't they? I sometimes think that was one of the reasons my father picked her to be my maid. She seemed so meek and mild but if you get her mad..... she is more like a guard then a ladies maid."
 
He smiled and leaned in conspiratorially with her and lightly kiss her lips. â??I know she can be, but I made it very clear she would follow my orders or she would no longer be your maid.â? He smiled and stroked her hair, â??I knew it would get to her and so it was really a empty threat. I also think she might have heard that gossip also about where I was going on my business trips and so she might not like that you enjoy my company again.â?
 
She blushed a little and sort of lowered her eyes a moment from his, "It was her that told me you were off with a mistress...." she confessed before she raised her eyes to his again. "I know now that it was silly to believe it but.... I would like to know, just one thing and be honest with me Nathan. Was there ever a mistress? Be it the woman you love or someone else, was there?"
 
He thought for a moment then looked down into her eyes. â??Back when I was younger and a little on the wild side there was one girl that I fooled around with. It was mostly because it was how my father taught me to act. When he died so suddenly it shocked me into rethinking my life. it was then that my mother helped me become what I am. Since then there was only that one girl that I loved and it only happened once before we were forced to part. That is everything I have ever done and you will be my only partner from now on Terra so you will know what more happens in my sex life when you are comfortable having me in your bed again.â? He lightly kissed her not suggesting anything just almost a friendly kiss though it was shared between husband and wife.
 
She smiled a little, pleased with the report she got from him. "Your servants seemed to think that you had a grand love affair going on with a mistress, not just a one time thing with a past love. Perhaps they do not know their lord as well as they all think." She bit her lip once more and had to ask, "I have another question... and it's more just so I know, JUST in case...... who was she? The girl you spoke of. From how you speak of her, she seemed to be in a higher standing. I would like to know just so if I ever cross paths with her in court it will not grow awkward."
 
He was struck dumb for a second as she sacked that questionâ?¦it was the logical question to ask since she cared about their appearances to the other nobles. â??You wonâ??t see her in court, â?? there were no mirrors there after all, â??She was engaged to a noble of higher political position then I was then, and she didnâ??t let me know before our first and only night together. â?? he sighed and shook his head lightly, â??I left things on very bad ground with her that night and I havenâ??t patched things up yet.â?
 
"Oh dear," she said, not realizing it was she he spoke of. "That's horrible, but how are you so sure I will not see her? And how do I not know she will not come seek you or I out? If things ended so very badly, she might have ill will towards you. She could hold resentment or malice. She could try and hurt us...."
 
He shook his head slowly. â??No she doesnâ??t, she left me a note and though it took me a long time to read it because of my own anger she didnâ??t blame me. She understood feeling that it was all her fault.â? He sighed and shook his head trying to come up with something that wasnâ??t a lie about why Terra wouldnâ??t see this other woman. â??She is the wife of a border noble that rarely comes into the court except when he is specifically summoned.â?
 
She was rather dim to not catch the similarities between his tale and what had happened between the Fox and she. Lucky for him, she finally let it drop as she reached for more to eat, "Very well BUT if you ever see her heading my way, you better warn me ahead of time. Fair?"
 
He smiled and nodded slightly that was a promise that he would easily make. â??Fair enough my dear if I see her coming your way I will let you know that she is.â? Though he would like to see that situation of Terra walking toward herself. He nuzzled in close and kissed her neck lightly before joining her in eating more playfully feeding her and himself.

It was a few moments later that Arnold came to the door knocking lightly. â??Your grace forgive me for interrupting but there is some business that most be attended too.â? Arnold brought some papers into the room setting them on the table beside Nathan and then bowing to leave.

Nathan sighed before snuggling closer to Terra. â??Can you possibly save me from having to do these things my dear?â? she should have realized a while ago that he hated having to deal with the administration of being a duke.
 
She shook her head, "Afraid not. I am only in charge when you are not in residence here at home. So unless you go away," she pointed to the pile, "THAT is allllll yours." A yawn overtook her then, "Besides, I think I might need a little nap. My stomach is full and now my body tells me to rest." She started to move to return to her bedroom.
 
He didnâ??t even let her get off the couch before he had scoped her back into his arms and stood carrying her to her bedroom. â??You might be feeling better but you still need to rest.â? He gently lay her down onto the bed leaning in and kissing her lips lightly just enough to be more then friendly his hand brushing her cheek. â??Sleep well my wife, and get better soon.â? he turned to leave the room to go handle that stack of papers.
 
Terra did not take long to drift off. Bottom napping at her side.

And it proved a good thing he did not let her go through the mail for mixed in was a message from Jacob. It was in code so she could not have been able to read it, but it would have still brought up questions.

The letter simply stated that while the tax raid went well without him, the Fox's people were unhappy. They did not understand the circumstances of his leaving and many were feeling betrayed by him in such a way. Jacob urged him that even though Terra may still be ill he MUST return at the Fox AND more often or he feared that he would loose the loyalty of his followers in no time at all. They needed to see he still cared for them.
 
Nathan was wondering why Arnold had brought him this stack of papers since most of them were finished work that he had done before leaving. It was when he got to the letter from Jacob that he realized it was all a rouse. He sighed deeply looking over at Terraâ??s bed room and then standing to walk over and look at her sleeping. He stroked her hair lightly and sighed leaning down to kiss her lips and her forehead. She was better and he knew it but he didnâ??t want to leave her not like this. He sighed and kissed her again before turning and leaving the room. He would just have to leave her a message explaining that something very urgent came up while she slept and had to go see to it.

When she woke again Arnold would deliver the message giving the dukeâ??s most humble apologies for having to run off while she was sleeping again.
 
When Terra awoke and found him gone, it was bitter sweet. She appreciated that he listened to what had said about him going about his business. But at the same time she lamented a little to herself that he had not said goodbye again.

And this time while he was gone... she found herself missing him even worse then before. It was so much like the time she had spent with the Fox only to be separated from him. She had grown so use to having him near that when it was taken away it was terribly depressing.

However.... the servants were much more inclined to let her walk about without him there to make she was always abed. Sure Arnold watched her like a hawk, she presumed on orders from her husband, but even he was a big softy for her. By now the whole household loved her and were all thankfully she had recovered so beautifully. But no one, NO ONE, would let her ever go off alone. There was still fear for her safety. She feared it the most. She had not told Nathan yet, but did share what she recalled from it that day with Arnold.

She had been out on Buttercup, not very far. Just to ride and clear her mind. She made it out towards the edge of the wood when she was about to turn back when the bolt hit her shoulder and she fell. The horse stayed nearby, loyal to her until the sound of footprints came forward. She could not look up due to her pain, but she saw booted feet. They came right up to her, stopped, looked, and then they sent buttercup off and running, leaving her to die.

Terra accepted everyone's caution over her though and welcomed it. Some of the servant ladies grew closer to her while Anya drifted away. One afternoon, she welcomed a number of them to come join her in the sewing room for some light conversation and laughter. "Your husband was so worried over you," one said and it made Terra smile. "And here we all thought he'd pine over lost love forever."

She was glad the ladies could speak so openly with her. "Yes, he has been so sweet and kind to me and we have truly grown close."

"It's more then close," another lady said, "That man is in love with you my girl. I have not seen him look into anyone's eyes like that before. Not since his mother whom he loved dearly."

Terra smiled slightly, feeling a bit happy about that statement before she sighed, "I just wish I could show him how thankfully I am to him for all he has gone for me. He helped me to pull through in my time of need and he has made me.... made me fall in love with him as well." One of the younger girls giggled and Terra had to ask, "What was that giggle for?"

She smiled a sort of devious smile, "We are being frank with each other as women.... correct?" They all nodded before the girl went on, "Welllll I know what I do to show my husband I am in love with him and very thankful for all he does for me......."
 
Nathan returned to his people and began to mend fences. They all still loved him and had all quickly come to love the prince so the fact that the prince vouched for the Fox and that he was still loved made them all forgive him easier. He spent a week with them but during that week he would be very busy but always with others of the group so they could see what was going on.

He heard a rumor that the Fox and his men were being blamed for the attack on the Duchess of Mount Point. It was said that a defector from his ranks was admitting to it. The Fox and his best men spent a better part of a week looking for that man as well as starting to track anything they could from where the duchess had been shot.
Nathan had been there for nearly a week and a half when the prince came to him.

â??Nathan I command you to go back to your wife, I know you want to find out who did this to her but you are a newlywed and she just got shot. You need to be with her.â?

Nathan had been about to argue when Jacob came in and the two pulled him out kicking and screaming placing him on his horse.

â??We will find him Fox.â? Jacob nodded and then slapped his horse sending the Fox back to his love.

He arrived in the dead of night and slipped into his room to change before going to lay in his bed and closed his eyes slowly. However his mind started to race at that moment and he slipped back out of bed and slowly made his way down the hall to Terraâ??s chambers. Silently he slipped inside her chambers and moved to her bedroom looking in on her.
 
Terra had been laying for a long while in the darkness, unable to rest without him once more. She was just starting to slip off to sleep when the door opened. She lay still and quickly shut her eyes, only opening them ever so slightly to peek at who it was. Her heart fluttered and soared when she saw that it was Nathan but she still pretended to be asleep.
 
Nathan smiled at her sleeping form and slowly walked over to her his hand brushing over her hair softly. â??Mmm good you need your rest.â? He whispered lightly. He leaned down kissing her hair softly his hand rubbing her arm before he pulled the covers up over her more. He stood there looking down at her for a few moments more before leaning down and kissing her hair again. â??Sleep well my love. I will be home when you wake.â? And turned to leave her to sleep.
 
"You seem to be home now..." she finally said as she stirred and moved to sit up, a soft smile on her face as she hugged her knees to her chest. "Welcome home. I didn't expect you to come sneaking home in the middle of the night like this. I would have loved to greet you more properly rather then like this."
 
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