The Confession

Standing before an army so large it filled the valley below, Daniel clasped his hands behind his back and strolled down the cobblestone path with Rosemary by his side. The stoic soldiers stood stone-faced as the Darke King inspected his troops.

When he glanced over his shoulder at his family waiting on the hill behind him, Daniel smiled as the sun parted the clouds and shined down over them. Their faces were still quite fuzzy but so real that he could almost reach out and touch them.

As the morning light reached through the balcony outside his bedroom, the warmth of it spread across Daniel’s back and woke him from peaceful dreams of a home and family he knew would one day belong to him. He opened his eyes and smiled when he saw Rosemary’s angelic face right in front of him on his pillow.

For a moment, he wondered if he was still dreaming until he swept away the tuft of hair that fell across her face.

“Good morning, my Queen.” While he rested his head on his hand, Daniel leaned forward and kissed her lips.

She smiled herself awake under his mouth, then stretched out her arms and opened her eyes. “Good morning.”

Like a book flipping its pages before her eyes, Rosemary saw inside Daniel’s thoughts as he opened himself to her completely. Hearing the thoughts in his head as she looked in his dark eyes, Rosemary shook her head and slid her hand to his cheek. “Not a monster. I’m the one who doesn’t deserve someone like you. You are a miracle.”

Daniel placed his hand over hers then kissed it before dropping them interlocked to the bit of mattress that separated them. All the doubts in her mind because of his daughter weighed heavily on him. A confusing barrage of hatred for the man who hurt Rosemary and being thankful that he had another chance to be a father tore Daniel apart.

Little by little, each moment he spent with Rosemary brought back another fragment of Daniel’s past. One that he wasn’t even sure had even happened, but still so real that it was hard to doubt. “You’re afraid to love our daughter because you’re afraid she’ll turn out like the man who did that to you. That she’ll turn out to be someone like me.”

Rosemary shook her head no, but Daniel said, “Yes, you are. You don’t have to hide that, not from me. You’d be crazy if you weren’t.”

Pushing out her swollen lips, Rosemary whimpered as she tried to stop her tears from coming. “My daughter?”

Daniel smiled and nodded. Not understanding the religion or how it could happen, Daniel thanked whoever decided these things that Sigrid found her way to them again. “Our daughter. Her name is Sigrid.” Tracing Rosemary’s collarbone down to the place where it met her neck, Daniel closed his eyes as the little one reached out to him. “She likes the sound of your voice, but she doesn’t like when you cry.” He pushed her tears away with his fingers and shook his head. “Don’t cry.”

With his hand on Rosemary’s belly, he smiled as Sigrid kicked at him and her heart raced wildly beneath his fingers.

“You know, I came into the world just like her; some piece of garbage raped my mother. Her family was very famous, and they treated me poorly because of their shame. When I was old enough, I ran away from them all.” He’d never revealed that to anyone, and from the look on Rosemary’s face, he remembered why. Daniel wanted to be an impenetrable tough guy, and the look of pity was like a knife in his heart and pride.

“She was a very good woman who tried to love me, but I wouldn’t let her. I was too mad at the world because of how other people treated me. I was just too...” Daniel shrugged and pushed out his lips. “bad. Some people are just made that way.” Taking Rosemary’s hand, he brought it to his chest and shook his head. “But our daughter isn’t bad, Rosemary. She loves you. She’s part of you, too, and you’re the best person I know. Don’t be afraid of her.”

She slapped her hand to her mouth to hold back her sobbing. “I’m sorry. I’ve been so lost in my own despair. I must’ve made you feel so small.”

Daniel pulled Rosemary into his arms and spoke softly against her cheek. “No, I’m a small man, because it’s who I am. Sigrid is not like me. She promises to be good if you just let yourself love her.”

Rosemary held to him tight and admitted every poor thought in her head. “I don’t know how to take care of her. I’m such a mess. I don’t know what to do for her.”

“Shh! I’m here.” Daniel leaned back until he was nose to nose with her. “You and Sigrid are all I have in this world. I promise you, you don’t need to worry about anything anymore. We’re a family now; it’s my job to take care of you both. You’re not alone in all this.”

He slid his hands to her cheeks and moved to hover over her. Rosemary encircled his waist with her arms and let him kiss her the way he wanted as she submitted to his long-wished-for desires.

Each short and long and deep kiss felt so right that Rosemary forgot herself to be a proper lady and pulled him to her neck. His hot, wet lips on her skin sent a cold chill through her body that awakened the places in her that she feared would never be touched.

Without a word, Daniel backed away from her and followed her wishes as his mouth placed soft kisses on her skin until it met the rounded, fleshy curve of her cleavage.

Threading his hair through her fingers, Rosemary watched him as he took her clothed breast in his hand and panted against her skin as he worked his way to her other breast. But like everything for them, time was too short, and a knock came on his door.

Daniel closed his eyes and sighed as he shook his head between her breasts. Every time he got close to breaking through Rosemary’s walls, he was interrupted.

A throaty growl came from his throat as he backed off the bed, and he took his shirt from the chair then pulled it over his head as he walked to the door.

When he opened the door for Nicholas, the old wizard spoke around him to his daughter. “I believe you have an appointment with the midwife.”

Sitting on the bedside, Rosemary pulled back her hair and secured it with a pin. “Yes, of course, thank you.”

She bowed her head to her father as she passed by, and Daniel leaned out the door, then called out for her. “I’ll be there shortly.”

Smirking at Nicholas and shaking his head, Daniel wagged his finger as he walked back into his room. “That was quite cruel.”

Nicholas closed the door behind him and turned to Daniel. “I could not help what happened to her to plant her in her state, but I won’t allow you to make a mockery of her now.”

Pouring himself a glass of water, Daniel rolled his eyes. “What is that you want, Father?”

Nicholas glanced around the tidy room before looking back at Daniel. “I believe it is you that wanted to see me. Something about an army and a wedding.”

“Yes, that’s true.” Daniel nodded as he turned to face him. “I need men that can fight and don’t mind doing whatever is necessary to win. Men that I don’t have to worry about being around Rosemary and the baby.”

With his arms crossed, Nicholas made his offer. “My sons and I will give you fifty men to start, with Agamori as Commander. Let’s be honest; you could easily take that castle on your own. They’re for Rosemary’s protection. They are all kin and will be loyal to her and to you, by default.”

Surprised by how easily Nicholas tendered his own sons to serve under his command, Daniel bowed his head in gratitude. “Thank you.” Setting his cup back on the table, Daniel glanced to Nicholas. “Did you know when I came here? About who I am, about Rosemary and me?”

Before he closed the door behind him, Nicholas paused and nodded. “Of course, I wouldn’t have allowed someone with your… history to live here with my children otherwise.”

“Thank you, Father,” said Daniel. “I’ll let no harm come to them. I swear it.”

Before he shut the door behind him, Nicholas said, “Of all the things in this world, that is the only one that I am sure of. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have a wedding to pull together.”