A Nymph Without Mercy
XVI

Garrickdid not like to touch his face, and years of practice had made it typicallyunnecessary. A cloth served perfectly well to scrubaway the sweat of the day, and even when peeling off the mask he was careful toavoid coming into contact with the misshapen tissues.

For it repulsed him.

And if it repulsedeven him, how could he expect this lovely creature, his new wife to be subjected to it?

Except when he hadremoved his helm and her delicate fingertip had brushed against his flesh, he felt it.

One single brush of herhand against his cheek and his entire world had altered.

Burns were a curiousthing. While the body worked admirably to ensure the intricate muscle andsinews were adequately covered by new flesh, the scars were rubbery and utterlydevoid of sensation.

But he felt her.

Her eyes were wideand almost fearful, but she made no move to pull away from him. “What do youmean? I did nothing!”

He clutched at her,torn between kissing her in exaltation and recoiling from her—this unknownentity that he had just wedded.

“What are you?”

He had asked it ofher before, and she had continued with her story about nymphs and people who livedamongst the trees.

And he had dismissedher.

She said she couldnot grant a wish.

And yet for as longas he could remember he had wept and begged healers and divine beings alike to curehim of this affliction.

The product of amother’s scorn.

Tears were in hereyes, and he knew that he frightened her. She had expected a monster, for thatwas what he was—still would be. For until he could see his reflection, couldsee and touch for himself, he could not be certain it was real.

“You know what I am.You simply have not wanted to believe me.”

“You are a witch.”But even as he spoke the words, saw her flinch, he knew that he did not believeit. There was nothing evil in her, nothing that would cause him to believe shewas some figment bent on his destruction.

“I am a nymph, as wasmy amé. My adar was a dryon. We are the people of the wood...”

She was crying, greatpainful sobs as she shook her head, imploring him to accept her.

Everything about thiswas wrong.

“Hush, little nymph,I am sorry. You... your magic startled me.”

An understatement ifever there was one. His mind reeled at the possibilities, that she had been theanswer to every one of his prayers. He was not a greedy man. If she did indeedpossess magic—and he palmed the smoothness of his ruined cheek once more to seeif was still there—he would not abuse it. He would not require her to conquerlands or bestow him with riches.

For she had alreadyperformed the greatest of magicks.

And he would beforever in her debt.

He knelt before her,clutching at her skirt and legs. Not a half hour before he had sworn his loveand devotion, but now he was prepared to take a vow of a different sort. One offealty and honour, that he would do as she commanded. Never had he been willingtake such oaths before a king, wretched monarchs as they were, but he would forher—to her, if she would have him.

“My lady...”

She lurched away from him. “No! You do notbow, you do not...” Mairi took a bracing breath before falling to her knees,mimicking his own position. “I have no magic to offer you, Garrick. I do notknow what has happened to you. My tree should have healed me, yet it did not, for it perished upon our sealing. Perhaps youwere not as horrid looking as we supposed.”

He scoffed, illprepared for any of this. The joy and rapture at their sudden decision to marryhad since waned, euphoria of a different nature washing over him even as dreadand suspicion burned almost as poignantly.

“Nothing haschanged.”

She was pleading withhim, and he could not allow that—not when he only wished for her happiness. Ifit had seemed wrong before to call himself her husband, it was magnifiedexponentially now that she truly was the angel he had originally thought her.

“Of course it haschanged. If I had thought myself unworthy before...”

Mairi rushed forward,tugging at his hair and pulling him down for a kiss.

It was so differentwithout a mask.

His lips were free tonibble and discover, and he felt each aching caress as she learned thechiselled planes of his face—unexplored even by him.

Finally she pulledaway, colour high in her cheeks and her lips slightly swollen. “No regrets. Notabout this. You have married me, Garrick. You are my mate, chosen and sealed.You said that if I agreed you would never let me go, and I tell you now thesame. I ask no other vow than what you have already taken, but please, be my mate. Care for me, love me, andlet us be happy.”

How could he refuse?

His mind rebelled,wishing to analyse and pry until he could explain what and how she had come tobe. There were others of her to be sure—now that he considered it, Raghnallmust have been one of the dryons shementioned, the male of their species.

But his heart knewthat her words were true and sincere, and it would be foolishness itself todeny her most earnest desire—especially when it so perfectly coincided with hisown.

“I have questions.”

She nodded. “As do I,but I have few answers to give. I doubt even the elders have knowledge of whathas transpired.”

He rose, needing toreturn to the river and search for a pool still enough that he might see hisreflection. But before he had even taken a step in retreat she reached forwardand grasped his wrist, still seated on the soft grasses below. “What say you?You will be my mate? My husband? In all things?”

He sighed and helpedher to her feet, unable to bear her beseeching eyes. “Allow me to look, Mairi.Please. I must see it for myself.”

She followed afterhim as he turned toward the heavily wooded path which led to the water. A smallinlet did indeed form peaceful pool, and he peered into its depths, unsure ofwhat he wished to see.

To have changed meantthat his wife was not as he had assumed. It meant he had entered into a strangeworld previously unfathomable to his precise and exacting mind.

But to be provenwrong—to see the contorted flesh that spoke of hatred and sin would devastatehim.

And so he looked.

And was reborn.

“How can this be?” His breath caught in histhroat as he stared at the reflection, the perfectly formed features, thestraight nose, the even skin without mark or blemish. He swallowed thickly,promising himself he would not release the sob that threatened to escape. “How?”

Mairi sank downbeside him, a hint of wariness in the action. “I do not know. I heard that somehumans were born with terrible plights. Were your scars a result of birth or ofaccident?”

He laughed wryly.“Neither. They were inflicted by my lady mother when she learned of my father’sinfidelity.”

Her eyes widened.“What? How could a mother do such a thing?”

He stared at herincredulously. “Do your people not abuse one another? Did your father never hityou or punish you for something that another committed?”

She shook her headslowly. “My adar loves me. We donot... hit or... punish.” From her expression he could easily tell the conceptof a punishment was something new.

He was grateful thatshe did not ask him to elaborate.

“Well, in my worldchildren often suffer for the misdeeds of their parents.”

He did not wish tospeak of it—relate the whole tragic tale in its entirety. He only knew of itfrom the whispers of the servants, who looked at him with both pity andsuspicion.

Poor dear, not even his mother could love him.

Surely he deserved it.

Little devil. Better he had died than have a face like that.

She came a bitcloser, wrapping her arm about his as she leaned her head against his shoulder.The voices of his past seemed to fade at her offering of comfort, and hesighed. “And you wonder why I wished for you to be able to return to your home.You are far too good, far too trusting to survive in mine.”

They sat in silencefor a while, Garrick casting anxious glances into the water every so often,almost certain that the abused flesh would appear at any moment.

“I am glad of it.”

He grunted, notcertain he was ready to delve into the curious processes of her thinking, butultimately relenting. “Of what?”

She peered up at him,evidence of her tears still clinging to her lashes, and before he could stophimself he was brushing them away with his thumb. “That there is a reason. Thatif I should have to leave my people that it was for something so important. Idid not know that being bound to me could provide you such healing on theoutside, but I had hoped—still hope—that it can offer you some healing on theinside.”

How could he possiblydeserve her?

But perhaps...

Perhaps he did notneed to.

He was her husband,and she was his wife, in both the eyes of her kin and the mores of his kind.

And perhaps he wasallowed to accept her gentle touches, her earnest words without fear ofreproach.

“What do you wishfor, little nymph?”

She hummed, allowinga delicate toe—now whole and perfect since he had taken to carrying her overevery bit of foliage that might cause her harm—to skim across the surface ofthe pool, the ripples obscuring their reflections.

“I wish for a home. Iwish for a man who loves me and will give me tiny little seedlings of my own.” Hesmiled softly that she said man insteadof the male of her kind, although the idea of children left him feeling nervousand unsure.

She sighed wistfully.“I wish for you to be happy. With me.”

So simple, yet sofull of meaning.

Many of thenoblewomen he had observed longed for power and prestige. They drapedthemselves in jewels and brocade, their eyes following whatever man couldelevate their position.

But not her.

She longed for aplace to call home since hers had been so cruelly taken from her.

And his thoughtsdrifted to the little cottage nestled in the woods, the only bit of land tiedto his name, and he felt a moment’s fury.

For he was thefirstborn son of a lord. And his inheritance had been taken from him by thederanged actions of the woman who had birthed him. And his wife deserved anestate, not a crudely built dwelling that felt confining even for a loneindividual.

She deserved so muchmore.

“Will we be introuble for being so late to see your king?”

Garrick groaned. “Heis not my king. I am under no one’srule.”

She huffed quietly,and while that might have once annoyed him as being rude or disrespectful, itnow seemed endearing.

It meant she wascomfortable with him—that she did not have to mind her emotions so carefully,wary of his every outburst.

And he liked thinkingthat she trusted him.

“The man then. Iwould not wish for you to be... punished.”

She said the wordcuriously, peering up at him to see if she used it properly. “Do not worryabout such things now, Mairi. No one has punished me for a very long time. Andno matter what you do, no one shall be allowed to lay a hand on you. You aresafe.” He would gladly take any blows fettered out if it meant protecting herfrom the harsh realities of life amongst mankind.

She nestled closer tohis side. “I do not know why you worry so about being my mate. You give melittle reason to ever complain.”

Garrick smirked. “Ishall remind you of that when we are old and grey and you replace me tiresome.”

She rolled her eyes.“We will not be old-growths for a very long time, so I shall enjoy plenty ofyour care before then.”

He should questionher about her kind as it was with some strange awareness that he realised thatit was not strictly her kind anylonger, not if the powers of her people had healed him.

Garrick swallowed,not sure if he was ready to consider that allof the unusual happenings since he had made her acquaintance were true. Butif it could bring her comfort to know that some part of him was ready to acceptit, perhaps it would be worth it to push back the remaining doubts as best hecould.

“I had a dream. Twomen, or perhaps your dryons, werebefore a shrivelled tree. The one spoke of a lost daughter and believed thather tree lived, while the other reminded him that she was still forbidden fromreturning.”

Mairi sat up, and heimmediately missed her presence against him. “You saw Adar? Did he look well?”

The grief and sorrowhad been plain upon his features, and Garrick did not need to know of his usualcountenance to perceive it. “He was heavy hearted, but he still hoped that youlived.”

She blinked andstared at him with wonderment. “Thank you. To know that my tree is still withhim—might someday heal...” She nearly knocked him backward with her enthusiasm.Her arms went about him, clutching at his neck as she buried her face in thecrook. “Thank you.”

It was an odd thingthat she cared so much for her parent. Garrick had no experience in that of hisown, but he found that he did not begrudge her for it. On the contrary, he wasglad that she was cared for, protected and loved. He had often wondered ifperhaps the only person who could truly understand him would be some wretchedsoul who had suffered as he did—that they could commiserate and replace comfortthrough shared wounds that they nursed together.

But such was not so.

For she knew ofgoodness in the world and saw those twisted bits in him and she determined tocoax them back to the way they should have been before cruelty and pain hadsent them into hiding.

He was still a brute.He would still travel to and fro performing whatever duty provided coin. But hecould readily acknowledge that his motivation had changed—that he now wished todo so not from the distaste and apathy from before, but because he had toprovide for his wife.

And he would do itwell.

“Come along, littlenymph, we have tarried long.”

She took his handeasily and he stored away in the recesses of his heart the soft and gratefulsmile that she gave him. And he revelled in her breathless giggle as he scoopedher into his arms and walked determinedly back to Callum, depositing her gentlyand pulling her close as he bid the horse onward.

“Is Calidore a niceplace? Shall I like it there?”

She had shifted inthe saddle, both legs over one side as a proper lady, though her torso wasturned and she rested her cheek against his breastplate—over the very mark whichstruck fear in those who knew his sigil.

He was silent for amoment, contemplating how much he should disclose. “I have not found it to beso.” He hesitated, before determining to be brave. “Should I belong to a houseany longer, my lands would have been a part of that kingdom.”

She nibbled her lipthoughtfully, and he was grateful that Callum was so adept at navigation as hewas wholly distracted by the action. “You do not speak well of your home. Wasit... Forgive me, I should not enquire.”

They rode in silencefor a while, the landscape shifting to the open plains that would eventuallyreveal a looming fortress. Garrick held no affection for his native lands. Hesupposed there was a comfort in their familiarity but too well he knew thesuspicion and cruelty that dwelled in the hearts of these people, and he onlyaccepted employment here on the rarest of occasions.

He took a deep breathand reminded himself firmly that Mairi did not pry. She did not seek out hissecrets as a tool to do him harm, but instead harboured only the naturalcuriosity of one seeking to know and understand another person.

“My father was alord, one held in high regard. I was his firstborn and stood to inherit, but mymother...” He clenched the hand holding the reins into a fist, never able toconsider the woman who had birthed him without an outpouring of rage. But soongentle fingers were covering it, soothing and caressing, and he was able tocontinue.

“She thought himunfaithful. He was not a kind man, and it might have been true that he hadhidden away a mistress on the grounds. But my mother thought by birthing him ason—an heir—that he would be satisfied. He was pleased, but considered much ofhis duty to her accomplished and returned to his... other pursuits.”

Mairi shook her head.“But they were bonded...”

Garrick leanedforward and opened his faceplate so he could place a kiss upon her temple,surprised at how easily he had come to do so. “Our people do not bond. They marry, and not usually forlove. They take vows that they do not mean and hurt the ones they have sworn toprotect.” He waited until she looked up at him. “I will not do that to you, Mairi.You must believe that.”

She rested her headagainst him so sweetly, and it made his heart swell. “I do.”

This next part wasthe worst of it, and he wondered if he should even burden her with suchknowledge—that someone, a mother,could be capable of such wickedness. “So she tried to dispose of the babe. Shethrew her infant into the fire until his face melted and the screams and criessent a maid in to help.”

Mairi gasped, shockand horror gracing her features as tears pooled in her eyes.

“She claimed I waspossessed, that the devil had hold of me and I had to be cleansed. Somebelieved her. Others thought she was a bitter woman but they were in herservice so they said nothing.” He said the words weakly, trying not to rememberhis unhappy childhood. He roamed the halls and learned whatever he could, notunderstanding how the pitied and hateful glances could be directed at him.Clerics had been called to assess his condition, and though they could replacenothing wrong with him, the suspicions had remained.

Until finally heleft.

He left the peoplewho should have sheltered and loved him, left the land and the ancestral home thathe should willing sacrifice his life to protect.

“Do you understand?”

She was cryingsoftly, and she wrapped her arms about his neck and he rather thought that ifhis helm was removed she would be pressing kisses to whatever bits of flesh shecould. “My poor, poor, Garrick. You shall know only loving gestures from me.Our seedlings will be healthy and strong and I would never, ever hurt them!”

It was the secondtime she had mentioned children, and the dull shroud of nervousness gave way tooutright dread. It was not as though he was repulsed by the notion—certainlynot at the idea of creating them. Andhe knew, with the deepest fibres of his being that Mairi was nothing like hisown spiteful mother.

He could not evenbegin to imagine himself as a father, but he knew that he was capable oflove—that as she had just proclaimed, he would never hurt them.

But if he allowedhimself to accept that they were of wholly different species, and that herhappiness was contingent on the idea of children, what if he could not provideher a baby?

He supposed therewere no guarantees for any couple. They both prayed and tried, some moredesperately than others, and they accepted what babes eventually came of theirunion.

“I promise you thesame, little nymph. Should we ever have a babe of our own, no harm shall cometo it. Not while I yet live.”

But soon talk ofbabies and past horrors came to an end for they passed through the iron gatesand made way toward the great stone stronghold before them.

Mairi’s eyes werewide and she peered about furiously, evidently trying to absorb everything atonce. “Garrick, what is this place?”

He grimaced as theguards and townsfolk gawked and stared as the dark knight and his ladyapproached —some with wonderment, others with fear, and his arm tightened abouther as he noticed a few with lust obviously in their hearts and minds.

“This, Mairi, is theCastle of Calidore.”

And when the gatesclosed behind them with a deep and resounding clang, Garrick knew a moment’s foreboding that perhaps thistransaction would not proceed as smoothly as he had originally hoped.