The Love of the Wielder (The Wielders Book Two)
Chapter Nineteen

Maren knew she was being an uncooperative patient. She didn’t care. She had allowed Alec to examine her, and he had agreed that her injuries were relatively minor.

Maren wanted Joan to heal her neck—the wound from the collar was too much like a noose for Maren to feel comfortable with it. Alec wanted to clean it first, but she told him that was silly because Joan could fix it as soon as the physician examining her was finished.

Alec begrudgingly accepted that but protested that she should not be doing the magic required to heal Joan’s neck. Maren put her foot down on that one. It was clear that Joan and the other women had never been taught anything about their powers—or at least not by anyone who knew anything about healing. Maren was not about to make them do magic without helping them in return.

She thought it likely that Alec needed to do something helpful, so she let him clean and bandage the cuts on her back from Kieran’s belt buckle. Her mother made tutting noises—Maren supposed it was rather obvious what had happened, but fortunately, neither of them asked any questions.

Joan and the other women—it turned out only one of the remaining three was a Wielder—were a bit bruised, malnourished, and dehydrated, but not in any immediate danger. So, when Alec was done, Maren wrapped herself in one of the infirmary blankets in a very un-queenly way and went to the other side of the room where they were in bed.

“Hello Joan, can I give you some help with that neck?” she asked.

Joan looked at her with wide eyes. “Are you really the Queen?”

Maren couldn’t help but laugh. “I assure you the title is purely ceremonial, Joan. The only thing I’m queen of currently is this infirmary. Call me Maren.”

Joan still looked amazed. Now that Maren got a good look at her, she could see that Joan was a woman about her own age. She was filthy and she still seemed terrified. Maren hoped she would be alright. She’d have to ask Jonathan to look after her and the others.

Maren healed her neck in a few moments. Flesh wounds like that were simple. And then Maren coached Joan through healing her own neck.

“Do you want me to get that too?”

She gestured to the place on her chest where Kieran had branded her.

“You don’t want to leave it, or it’ll look like this,” Joan said and shifted her own clothing to show her the same spot on her own chest. It had healed more or less completely into a scar.

It was about an inch tall and three inches long. The letters were bold and blocky: W-I-T-C-H.

Maren frowned at it and looked to the other Wielder. Maren hadn’t gotten her name yet.

“You too?”

The woman nodded and showed Maren her own brand. “Hurt worse than the collar,” she said.

“That it did. I’m afraid it’s too healed, I can’t make it go away,” Maren told them.

“That’s all right, let me do yours,” Joan said.

Maren didn’t fully understand what she said next, but she didn’t question it.

“No, I’m keeping it. I want to match my sisters,” Maren declared.

“Maren!” Alec hissed from across the room.

“Don’t worry, Alec, I’ll let you bandage it when I’m done,” she called, and turned to the other Wielder.

Her name was Susan, and she was maybe ten or fifteen years older than Maren. She healed her neck too.

She looked at Joan and Susan thoughtfully. They, as well as the other two women who were not Wielders (it turns out their names were Abby and Marge), were still in poor shape. She knew she couldn’t completely heal their dehydration and malnutrition, but perhaps she could take the edge off.

“Alright, let me see what I can do about the rest.”

She placed her hand on Joan’s chest—that had seemed to work for Donovan’s invisible injury at least—and sent some of her Light into Joan, telling it to heal.

She wasn’t sure it would work, she had never tried to heal anything along those lines, but she figured it was worth a try.

Maren only held on for ten or fifteen seconds and then let the Light go. She would have done more but needed to conserve her energy. She looked at Joan. It was difficult to tell if she had made a difference under all the dirt.

“How do you feel?” she asked Joan.

“Better,” Joan said, sounding surprised.

Maren smiled. She was very pleased with herself.

“Excellent! Alright, your turn, Susan.”

“Maren!” Alec called to her again. She knew he wanted her to stop. She would not.

“Not now, Alec, I’m busy,” she said, and turned to Margie.

She heard Alec groan but ignored him. Instead, she repeated the procedure with Margie.

She had just started healing Abby when she heard the door of the infirmary open.

“Gods above, Maren, what are you doing?” Donovan cried.

Maren ignored him until she had finished with Abby. She went to Marge without looking at him but called, “I’m healing my people, darling! I’ll be with you in a moment.”

She found she actually liked behaving like a queen.

To his credit, Donovan only issued one of his growls and then waited for Maren to finish. Then he ushered her back to her bed on the other side of the room.

He frowned when he saw that the burn on her chest was still there.

“Would one of you ladies be so kind as to heal this for my wife?” he asked in the direction of the others.

“I’m keeping it,” Maren stated. She glared at Donovan, daring him to question her.

“And why would you do such a thing?”

She did not have a good explanation for that. She knew only that she needed to do it.

“She said she wants to match the others,” Alec said dryly.

Donovan looked at her. “Maren, what did that?”

She couldn’t get a good look at her own burn, but she assumed it was too swollen to make out the brand.

“A brand,” she said, pretending not to care about it.

Her mother gasped.

“And why, by the gods, do you want to keep a brand from him? I swear if it’s his initials, I will hold you down while one of the others heals it!” Donovan said. He sounded appalled and angry.

“It is not. It says ‘witch,’” she said.

Donovan looked like he might explode. Her mother and Alec made horrified sounds.

Maren sighed and looked at Donovan, “I don’t have a good explanation for it, I just need to keep it.”

“It’s a mark of honor…and survival,” the Duke said. Maren had not noticed his arrival, but she was grateful for his explanation. And it appeared he brought her father with him, which she also appreciated.

“Yes that’s it exactly, thank you, Jonathan,” she said. She looked at Donovan when she spoke. She didn’t need him to understand, but she needed him to accept her decision.

He sighed. “You’ve become rather tyrannical since becoming Queen,” he said, but without anger.

She smiled. “I’m enjoying my reign while it lasts.”

Then she nodded to Alec, who set about slathering the burn in some sort of ointment and carefully bandaging it.

“I’ll make up a package of bandages and such to take with you. And I expect you’ll need some pills for pain?” he asked when he was done.

Maren nodded. She was still in pain from the various beatings, but her spirits were improved. She knew it was lightly a temporary high, but she welcomed it while it lasted.

“You’re leaving? Where are you going?” her mother cried.

She and Donovan had not discussed it, but she thought she knew.

“It’s better that you don’t know,” Donovan said grimly.

Her mother looked crushed. Maren hated to do it to her.

“Mama, we’re a danger to everyone we’re with. We don’t have a choice,” she explained gently.

Her mother nodded but began to cry. Her father came to comfort her, which made Maren smile. She liked to see their love for each other.

“I’d like you both to go with the Duke back to Worthingham,” Donovan said to them. Maren liked that idea.

“You are very welcome, and I think it will be safer for you than being so isolated at your estate for the time being,” Jonathan said.

Maren’s father nodded grimly. Maren was relieved, though. She would worry about them less.

“Jonathan, a word?” she said and gestured for him to come closer to her. She did not want the other women to overhear in case he said no to taking them. She didn’t think he would but felt it best to be delicate.

He came close to her, so she could speak quietly.

“The other prisoners—“ she began.

“Will be completely safe under my protection. Don’t worry, I’ll see they’re taken care of.”

Maren smiled at him, “Thank you. I knew you would. Let’s go speak to them.”

She got up from the bed, again wrapped in the blanket to maintain some form of modesty, and went over to the other women with Jonathan.

“Ladies, I would like to introduce you to a friend of mine,” she said.

—

After introducing the Duke to the other prisoners, Maren came back to her bed and gave Donovan a significant look. He was fairly certain he knew what that meant.

“Could we have a few minutes alone?” Maren asked her parents.

They looked somewhat surprised, but nodded and left.

Alec stayed though and drew the privacy curtain around the bed. He also knew what this was about.

He sighed. “I’m sorry, there’s just no way to know.”

“Ah, actually, we have a way,” Maren said.

Alec looked baffled.

Donovan shrugged. “Magic.”

“Well, that’s interesting. I’ll take your word for it.”

“Mostly, I’m concerned that if —“ Maren stopped short, unable to finish the thought.

Donovan squeezed her hand. He knew what she was thinking. He could do this for her.

“We have to travel. As soon as we can. It’ll be speeders first, but then…it won’t be easy,” he explained.

Alec frowned. “Well, in either condition it won’t be easy if you’re doing what I think you’re doing — no, don’t tell me. But you should be able to travel. There’s no physical reason as far as I can tell for things to have gone wrong.”

Maren looked to Donovan. He nodded.

“There may be some magical reasons.”

Magic had obviously played some key role in conceiving the child and between the collar and Kieran’s attempt to steal her power, Maren’s magic had been significantly disrupted. Neither of them were sure how that would impact the baby.

Alec nodded. “All right, why don’t you do whatever it is you do to see what’s going on, and then we’ll go from there.”

Maren nodded and Alec left them alone.

“I haven’t checked,” she said. “I was too afraid.”

“That’s alright, love, I understand,” he said. “Do you want me to do it?”

She nodded and he smiled. He could do that for her too.

“I promise I’m not being overly forward with you, but I do feel like I need to touch your skin for this,” he said.

She chuckled. “Heaven forbid my husband be forward with me.”

“I think that’s the first time you called me your husband. I like it very much,” he said.

She smiled and said, “Me too.” She rucked up the thoroughly disreputable night dress over her hips and lay back in the bed.

“I need new clothes,” she said. “I want to burn this thing as soon as someone gives me something else to wear.”

“I’m sure His Majesty’s military can provide you—and me too, come to think of it—with some suitable clothing,” he said.

She smiled at that and then nodded. She was ready.

He took her hand and squeezed it.

“Whatever the case, we will get through it together,” he said.

She nodded grimly. He thought it likely she had tried to prepare herself for the worst. Donovan had as well.

Donovan let go of her hand and tried to clear his mind. He put his hand on her abdomen in just the same spot he had felt the tiny buzz before.

He tried to think of nothing and only notice the things he felt. He felt Maren’s soft skin under his hand. He felt warmth that was ever so slightly warmer than another person. He focused on that. And breathed.

He waited for what felt like a very long time. He pushed aside all worries and doubts and focused on just breathing.

And there it was. That tiny buzzing spark, still there.

He smiled and looked at her. Her eyes were closed.

“It’s okay,” he said quietly. “It’s there.”

Her eyes popped open.

“Really?” she breathed.

“Yes, love, I’m sure of it,” he said.

She closed her eyes, and he could see she was crying. He pulled her into his arms and made shushing sounds and patted her. He knew she had been through a lot. He had been through a lot. He thought it likely they both had very deep invisible wounds. But he was overjoyed they had that tiny buzz to keep them company.

Four convoys left the fort at Blackstone at dawn. Donovan and Maren’s went north, Jonathan’s went southwest, a third was returning Alec to the Capitol and a fourth decoy convoy went east.

The goodbyes were terrible. Maren, outfitted in an ill-fitting but at least decent military uniform, was still sniffling beside Donovan nearly an hour later.

They had taken time to get cleaned up and fed. Maren would need to eat and drink what Alec described as “more than whatever you think is too much” to recover, but she’d be alright.

She thought saying goodbye to Jonathan would be the easiest, and perhaps it was, but it was still difficult. She burst into tears immediately, and he embraced her.

“Thank you for everything,” she squeaked.

“Well, I’m very glad you agreed to marry me,” he said, and they both laughed.

“I still want to see a Wielder on the throne,” he said. His own eyes were red.

She nodded. “I’ll do my best.”

“Take care of each other.”

He squeezed her shoulder, and they nodded to one another, which Maren knew meant goodbye for now.

She then turned to her parents, and seeing their tears made her weep even harder. The three of them huddled together, heads touching.

“We’re so proud of you, darling,” her mother said.

“Be safe, dear,” his father said. “We love you.”

“Take care of yourself and tell your baby we love them,” her mother said.

Donovan had told everyone that they thought the baby was okay because of “magical reasons” which had come as a tremendous relief to them all. Maren was grateful they all cared so much. She still felt too agitated from everything she’d been through to check for herself, but she believed Donovan completely when he said the buzz was still there.

“You be safe, too. Stay with Jonathan and keep your heads down. Disavow me publicly. Please say whatever you have to to stay out of trouble,” she begged.

They nodded and she told them she loved them. And then walked away while she still could.

Donovan and Alec were standing with their heads touching, and Maren heard Donovan tell Alec he was his brother. It hurt her heart to see them parted.

Then they saw her and pulled them into their huddle.

Maren could not get any words out. But neither could Alec nor Donovan, so that was all right. After a few moments, Donovan patted both Maren and Alec and then went to say his other goodbyes.

Maren still couldn’t speak, so she just clung to her very first friend. There really wasn’t anything they needed to say to one another.

Eventually, they managed to calm down a bit and Alec said, “Find a very good midwife as soon as you can.”

Maren smiled and nodded. “You know, of course, if it’s a boy, he’ll be named Alec.”

She and Donovan had not discussed it, but she knew that was true.

Alec just hugged her again and then let her go.

Donovan was there beside her, and they nodded to each other. Maren could not manage anything more than a wave to everyone before they turned away and got into the waiting speeder.

Maren and Donovan sat very close together in silence for a while. She felt far too many strong emotions to be able to carry on a conversation. She knew she needed to sleep—she had barely slept in days—but she thought they would have time for that later. It was a relief just to have a bit of peace with her husband.

“Ah, Your Majesties, could I have a word?” Captain Beven said from the front of the speeder.

“Of course, Captain,” Donovan said.

“Tonight, when we make camp, the men were hoping they could swear their oaths and maybe if you wouldn’t mind listening, Queen Maren, could they tell you the stories of their Wielders?”

Maren was surprised but knew what she needed to say.

“I would be honored, Captain.”