Total pages in book: 110
Estimated words: 103370 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 517(@200wpm)___ 413(@250wpm)___ 345(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 103370 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 517(@200wpm)___ 413(@250wpm)___ 345(@300wpm)
Detta grinned, her great-grandson smiling and tugging at her braid. “Oria is too kind for her own good, which is why I’m glad she has a strong and wise husband to protect her. Though, I am thankful she is so forgiving.”
The door swung open again and Iver hurried in, shaking a dusting of snow off himself before approaching Raven. Though, it didn’t matter. She hurried, as best she could, over to him.
“What did you find out?” Raven asked and grabbed her side as another pain hit her. She didn’t understand why it had come so close to the other one. She had time yet.
Wolf saw her cringe and slipped his arm around her. “You need to go back to bed.”
She shook her head unable to speak through the pain. Her breath was labored when she finally spoke, looking to Iver. “Tell me.”
Iver hesitated and looked past her.
She turned to see where his glance settled… Detta.
“I should have told you and Wolf,” Detta said and returned her great-grandson to Royden.
Raven glared at her a minute, then looked to Iver who confirmed with a nod.
Wolf shook his head. “You were the one responsible for arranging the marriage between me and Raven?”
“I am,” Detta admitted.
Raven rushed out of her husband’s arms to where Detta sat. “All this time you knew and you said nothing. You let us wonder, speculate, even worry that it might cause a problem one day.”
“I knew it wouldn’t—”
“It wouldn’t?” Raven challenged. “You took a chance with your grandson’s life. I could have been vindictive enough to kill him or he could have killed me.”
“I knew that wouldn’t happen,” Detta said calmly.
“How could you know that and why did you do it in the first place?” Wolf asked, standing close to his wife, worried about her.
“Why don’t I explain it all after you deliver the baby,” Detta said, seeing Raven’s face cringing with pain.
“AHHHH!” Raven cried bending over and holding her stomach.
“That’s it you’re going back to bed,” Wolf said.
“NO!” Raven shouted. “I will not get in bed until she tells me everything.”
“You’re being stubborn,” Wolf said.
“When isn’t she?” Arran said with a laugh and pursed his lips when Purity glared at him, having run into the room along with Oria and Wren.
“Now! Tell me now!” Raven insisted.
“Tell her and be done with it,” Wolf ordered.
“My grandson is a strong man and he needed a strong wife and one who would love him. I grew to admire you, Raven, through the years. You fight hard for those you love and, of course, a union between the two of you would bring solidarity between the clans as well as peace. But it was when I remembered your visit here to Learmonth those many years ago that made my decision easier.” Detta smiled. “You climbed benches and tables, and your father had a difficult time keeping you in hand.”
“That would be Raven, Arran said and received another glare from his wife but a little chuckle from his daughter.
“Wolf didn’t though,” Detta continued. “He was patient with you, took your hand and showed you how to climb, benches, tables, and whatever else you could find so you wouldn’t fall. After that you followed him everywhere that day and was content to listen to all he taught you. I had never seen my grandson so patient with anyone.”
“And I never saw Raven listen to anyone as she did to Wolf,” Parlan said, recalling the day. “But he was introduced to me as a merchant’s son and by a different name.”
“I didn’t let Burnell know who he was. I told him that the lad was the son of the merchant I traveled with. When I told my husband about it, he told me such a determined and stubborn lass would make Wolf a fine wife. I took a chance that he was right and arranged the marriage, making your king and my king think the other had proposed it and that it would benefit them. I knew Raven would never refuse if it meant having her brothers freed and returned home. I was quite impressed when she insisted on others being returned home as well and made provisions to protect her men.”
Raven shook her head. “I barely remember that day, though I do recall being happy with what the lad had taught me.”
“Isn’t that the day we found you in the tree?” Royden asked.
Parlan laughed as he nodded. “When we arrived home, she hurried off to practice her climbing and wound up in a tree—far up in a tree.”
“I took a chance,” Detta said, looking to Wolf and Raven. “And I’m very glad I did. Your grandfather was right. Raven makes you a fine and loving wife.”
Raven almost doubled over in pain and Wolf didn’t wait this time, he lifted his wife gently in his arms.