Thirty-Eight

Chandler I watched Tatiana stand up shakily at the sound of my voice and looked at me with eyes filled with tears at the news that her father's people were looking for her.

“Chandler?” She mouthed even though she did not give any voice to her words.

“I was already closed to this kingdom, searching for you when I learned that you were with Ascot and I just had to check if you would really go with your father; after all, you have been betraying me for him.” I joked but my tone was dry, and I was still shaking with relief at seeing that my wife was fine, my wife and my child for the first time.

Tatiana's tears fell down her face even more just as she fell to her knees before me.

“Tatiana,” I called in alarm as I ran to her to hug her in my arms, wondering where she fell. If she was alright, I do not know much about pregnant women, but they are not supposed to be as thin as she is right? “Tell me what is wrong, and I will fix it,” I promised her, but her tears kept flowing down, increasing more by the second.

“I am so sorry Chandler, I never meant to betray you. In my mind, I was just telling my father about my new home and the defenses in place to protect me. I never knew he would kill your warriors, and neither did I know that he was those things that you tried to convince me he was and even more. I am so sorry for being a traitor to you if I could take it back, I would.” Tatiana sobbed, trying to plead with me but I was speechless staring and my proud and beautiful wife.

“You cut your hair?” I asked, noticing the short strands that fell around her face.

Tatiana paused, not knowing how to answer my question, I could tell that I threw her off balance with my words. “Yes. I did.” She answered, confused at my words.

“We would grow it back; it should never be touched again. I forbid it.” I said firmly.

“Chandler, did you hear what I said?” She asked me weakly just when I wrapped my hand around her neck, she paled, and although I know that she would kill me for playing this way, I could not resist the temptation.

“Or maybe we would allow your hair to be short, we would style it. It makes your neck look beautiful and exotic at the same time.” I replied.

“I am so sorry Chandler.” Tatiana sobbed.

“You betrayed me?” I asked, my hand still on her neck even though I did not tighten it, she became ghostly white and started shaking.

“You sent correspondence to your father… I do not see that as a betrayal. It was a harmless mistake.” I finished and she froze as she looked at me, like she was trying so hard to prevent herself from believing what I had just said.

“Your father took advantage of your blind faith in him and misused it, I will never do that to you Tatiana, neither will I kill you now for a harmless mistake, not when you have started to give me that faith in return,” I told her.

“But… I told him so much…” She licked her lips and although I should not be getting thoughts like that without checking with a physician to see that my wife and child are currently healthy, I was a man who has been without for long.

“Not as much as Breena did and then she blamed you for it… At least, you are back, and she cannot pin her letters on you so she can be judged and condemned now.” I stated.

Tatiana wrapped her hands around me and held me to her, refusing to let go.

“You know about your father?” I asked after I rocked her in silence for a while. Her body stiffened in my hands and she started crying again.

“He sold my virginity and Anthony's father brought it. He was the reason why I was traumatized, no other reason. He was also the one who killed Silas's wife, she did not drink poison on her own, he forced her to. There are so many things about him that I was never aware of… He was not a good man and I defended him and fought for him against you… I am so sorry.” Tatiana said but my mind was on the fact that she just said something I did not know.

“He did what to Silas’ wife?” I asked Tatiana who looked at me like she was contemplating what to say and not to say. “No matter what you say, I will still kill him, his death is not going to be on your conscience.”

“He raped her and then when she was pregnant, he forced her to drink a concoction to remove the child and it led to complications that killed her, everybody said she drank poison then, nobody knew the reason why or the fact that what she really drank was not poison,” Tatiana explained.

“And where did you get this information from?” I asked her with an eyebrow raised.

“A mercenary army employed by my father.” She responded and I shook my head as I stood up and lifted her with me.

She was not at fault and I will not blame her, I just reunited with my wife and not, I want to hear that everything was alright between my child and his mother and then, we will clean the house.

“You seemed to have had a wonderful adventure, one which you will tell me about, as soon as I make sure that you and my son are alright.”

“What about Breena? Has she given birth yet to your child?” Tatiana asked as I looked at her strangely.

“What?” I asked confused.

“Breena is pregnant right?”

“Yes, but it is not with my child,” I responded, and I just smiled when Tatiana looked at me with her eyes blazing because I have not told her that before, I let her assume that the child was mine. When she started berating me for keeping that piece of news from her, I told her that I did not think it was important, and from there, we were back to be us. Tatiana being less subservient and trying her best to make me kill her.