“He will deny it, but Sylvi, it means so much to me that you tried.”
“He may not,” I exhale. “He is levelheaded and kind, Jeremiah. He just wants me to be happy.”
My words, I say them, and yet I’m not completely convinced of them. Aaric is levelheaded in war. He is not so levelheaded when it comes to me, his sister, or his wife. With us, with his family that he loves and tries to protect he is emotional, irrational, and overprotective.
JEREMIAH
I ask Markus to guard the women for the day and slip away from them to go in search of Colton. It doesn’t take me long to find him, he is completely immersed in his railroad contracts and plans as he has been for weeks.
He doesn’t even lift his head as I enter his office. I’m surprised to see that Ernest is missing from his place a step behind him.
“Where is Ernest?” I ask as I sink down in the chair across from his desk.
Colton doesn’t even lift his head as he continues working on his paperwork. “Probably off to town to gather supplies. Now that I don’t have all those men to feed, there’s no sense in forcing the general store owner to bring the weekly supplies here himself,” he explains.
There’s a moment of silence, then he lifts his head and looks up, his gaze meeting mine. “You have something you would like to talk to me about, I assume, seeing as you aren’t guarding my wife or Sylvi.”
Nodding my head once, I shift in my seat. “Sylvi has sent a message to Aaric through Quest. She has asked for permission to marry me.”
Colton’s brows rise in surprise, but he doesn’t voice that surprise, at least not immediately. Instead, he watches me for a few moments, leaning back in his chair, his lips curve up into a grin.
“This is what you want?” he asks.
I shrug a shoulder, then nod a head. “I would have liked to ask Aaric myself, or even Quest, but I cannot be angry with her. She seems to want to be with me as much as I do her.”
“I was going to ask if you agreed with her desire and if you felt the same.”
Clearing my throat, I shift in my seat a few more times before I speak. “I do. Sylvi would be a dream to take as a wife.”
“But?”
“I’m not in her circle. Her brother won’t allow it. I’m not royalty, I’m not even any sort of high-ranking official.”
Colton chuckles. “I could decree you as one. It would not be difficult. If it would make you happy, if it would please Aaric, I will do it.”
My lips curl up into a grin. “Thank you, Colton. I’m not sure that would do anything. I am just not good enough for her.”
Colton snorts, then rises to his feet. “Would you harm her?” he asks. I shake my head. “Are you a criminal? Do you consort with the enemy? Would you defile her in any way? Are you going to cause her emotional or physical pain ever? Would you love her until your last dying breath?”
“I would,” I murmur. “I would love her and I will love her until my breath ceases inside of me.”
“Then I see no reason why Aaric would not approve the union.”
“Except I am not worthy and don’t have proper titling. Plus, she enjoys her time in Wolfjour Ail, she would never live here.”
Colton grins. “While I would love to keep you here to help guard my Birdie. I am not fool enough to believe that all of you will stay here forever,” Colton murmurs.
I see a darkness over the sky and I jump up, running toward the window. I didn’t expect the dragon to be back so soon, and yet here he is. He lands, but something is amiss.
There is a man on his back. A large man with a beard and half of his head is shaved on one side, the hair on the other side is long and braided. The next thing that I notice are all of his tattoo markings. They’re black and they cover his entire body.
“It seems the Sea King is here to speak to you personally,” Colton mutters from behind me.
“So it seems.”
Chapter Five
SYLVI
I see Quest land, and then I notice that Aaric is on his back. This can go either one of two ways. He can say he’s here to drag me back home or he is here to approve of the match between me and Jeremiah.
Unable to wait until he makes his way into the house, I turn around and run outside to my brother. He’s just sliding down from Quest when I appear in front of him. I hear boots crunching behind me and then I feel a hand against my back. Turning my head, I look back to see that it’s Jeremiah.
“Sea King,” he rasps.
Aaric’s gaze flicks from me to Jeremiah, then back to meet mine. “I require a private audience with my sister,” Aaric growls.
Without a word, Aaric reaches for my forearm. His fingers curl around my limb and he tugs me toward the barn. We don’t say a word as we walk, not until we’re inside of the space.
“You have fallen in love, did he compromise you, did you lay with him?” he demands.
I smile, shaking my head. “He has not and I have not. But yes, Aaric, I have fallen in love with this man.”
“He has no title,” he informs me.
“Neither did Gunnar,” I remind him.
His lips twitch before they turn down into a frown. “It’s true, however, Gunnar was one of my most trusted men. This man I do not know at all.”
“He is Colton’s most trusted man,” I inform him.
“Also, a man that I do not know.”
“So what happens?” I demand.
He arches a brow, crossing his arms over his chest before he tilts his head to the side. “I will meet
