“That’s how far you’ve fallen. You can’t bear the light of Dracor,” Sir Matthias growled at the lord. “You will leave this house. If I see you here again, or within five-hundred feet of Sapphire, I will deem killing you justice.”
Lord Bartley snarled, and keeping his eyes turned away from the glowing sword, he fled.
Sir Matthias waited, sword raised, and once Bartley had left, he lowered his weapon and wrapped his arms around Sapphire.
She shivered against her husband, but the warmth of him soothed her. She stopped trembling as he stroked her hair and whispered meaningless words. Holding him tightly, Sapphire laid her head on his shoulder as the rush of fear leaked away. Her whole body quaked, and the candlestick was suddenly too heavy to lift.
Matthias set it on her vanity. “Did he hurt you?”
She shook her head.
“We need to report this. To see justice done.”
“We’re in the Hero of Tamryn’s home, and we’re supposed to announce our marriage tonight. Lady Brelynn wants to make a formal declaration. I won’t let him tarnish that.”
“You broke his nose.”
“He won’t tell anyone, or he’ll be a laughingstock.”
“I’m a Knight of Valor. If I don’t follow the law, how can I expect others to?”
Sapphire bit her lip. “I want everything to be perfect. After all you’ve done for me, I don’t want to take this, too.”
“Sometimes we don’t get what we deserve.” Sir Matthias paused. “Are you concerned about the scandal when people learn we’re married?”
“There was always going to be a lot of gossiping. You’re Speaker for the Dragon Church, and I’m an heiress with a checkered past. Most will assume…”
When she didn’t finish, Matthias thumbed over jaw. “It doesn’t matter what they say. We know we were married before we consummated it. And so does the Holy Trinity.”
Sapphire tightened her hold on him as tears threatened. “You make it sound like we’re really married.”
He thumbed away an escaped tear. “We are, and we will be until you tell me you want a divorce. I promised I’d give you one, but I never said I wouldn’t try very hard to convince you to change your mind.”
His words wrapped around her, filled her, as she tried to make sense of what they meant. Was it possible that he loved her as she loved him?
She feathered her fingertips over his cheek. “Matthias, I…”
When the lump in her throat stopped her from finishing the sentence, he lifted her fingers to his lips. He then pulled a slip of paper from his pocket, summarized the situation with Lord Bartley, and tore the paper in half.
He held her as they waited and told her an amusing story about a wealthy parishioner’s cat.
Sapphire leaned against her husband and rested her head on his shoulder. He was warm, hard, and comforting. She’d seen another side of him that night, the same side she’d seen when someone had threatened her and his family.
He could wield the light of Dracor to heal, but he could also use it to destroy evil.
Perhaps she should be terrified of him, but she wasn’t.
A whisper of hope warmed her heart. She loved him, and maybe he loved her in return. She leaned in closer to him, letting the scent of him surround her, and whispered a silent prayer to the Twins.
Sapphire was still wrapped in Sir Matthias’s arms when a lanky young Knight of Valor with a shock of light blond hair knocked, then entered the room. He glanced nervously from Sir Matthias to Sapphire and back again.
“My wife,” Sir Matthias said. “We’re announcing it this evening.”
The younger Knight grinned. “I’d heard. Congratulations.”
Matthias relayed what had happened, and Sapphire answered the young man’s questions as he took notes.
“I’ll report back to the temple. With everyone at Sir Marcus’s ball this evening, it will be difficult to bring Lord Bartley in for questioning until tomorrow.”
Sapphire nodded, though she wondered what her grandfather would do when he learned Lord Bartley had failed. A shiver skittered through her, and Matthias held her closer.
“Do you need anything else from us?” Sir Matthias asked.
The young Knight of Valor shook his head, then let himself out of the room.
“That could have gone better. Only thing keeping me from bringing your stepfather to the Temple of Dracor to face justice is knowing the other Knights will do it.”
“They will,” Sapphire promised. Maybe even the Hero of Tamryn himself when he learned what had happened in his home.
“You’re right. They will.” Sir Matthias blew out a breath and squeezed Sapphire’s fingers. “Are you ready to go down? We don’t have to stay long, but we should support Sir Marcus and Lady Brelynn.”
“And be there when she announces our marriage.” Sapphire squared her shoulders and straightened her spine. “My grandfather has taken so much already. I will not let him take this, and I will not let him intimidate me.”
Sir Matthias hugged her, then stood and offered her his hand.
Chapter 29
Sapphire descended the grand stairway, her arm through Sir Matthias’s, and a smile plastered on her face.
The rumors spread faster than flames through tinder.
Whatever else the gossips said, they couldn’t fault her appearance. Polished and elegant, Sapphire looked regal beside Sir Matthias in his dress uniform. By the time they reached the bottom of the stairs, a knot of people was waiting for them.
Lady Brelynn took the opportunity to make the formal announcement. Sir Marcus himself walked over to congratulate them and clap Sir Matthias on the shoulder. The acceptance from Duke and Duchess Valerian silenced the crowd for a moment, then the questions came quickly.
Sir Matthias handled them as beautifully as he did questions after he’d made an announcement for the Dragon Church, but it was clear many from the highest echelons of Tamarian society didn’t approve of their marriage. Glares burned through the back of Sapphire’s head, while some were more forthright in their displeasure.
As she and Sir Matthias waded through the crowd, pausing to chat with people and accept their congratulations, Sapphire heard the snippets of gossip and could imagine the verbal barbs being aimed at her.
Lady Swathy made the mistake of speaking a little too loudly, and Sir Matthias turned to her, his smile wiped away and replaced with a scowl that reached his eyes.
“Did you just insult my wife?” His words were quiet, but there was a hardness to them Sapphire had never heard from him.
The circle around them quieted, and Lady Swathy blanched as she refused to meet Sir Matthias’s gaze. “Of course not, Sir Matthias. Still, we’d all hoped to see you with someone…”
“As kind and devoted to the Holy Trinity as Sapphire?” He paused, the silence stretching as he let the noblewoman squirm.
“Where did you two meet?” another woman asked.
“We were volunteering at Thalia’s orphanage here in Aerius. Lady Swathy hasn’t donated her time to any such worthy cause, but I’m certain that will change.” Sir Matthias turned to Sapphire and smiled. “I believe that’s the next song queuing. May I have this dance?”