A/N: Hey guys! I know this isn't my regular posting time at all. Lol. I wanted to post this chapter though, but I wanted to do it before this weekend.
I have been waiting for this chapter for so long, and I am so excited because it is amazing. It does get a little steamy, so be warned.
Clary smiled at the women around them, as they prepared dinner. She was working on crushing spices, while the others prepared meat and the maize. This became a ritual that she enjoyed. She loved spending time with these women because they acted so differently than women from her home. They were all genuinely kind, and it made her smile.
"Clary, are you still not with child?" Imogen hummed, slicing some of the maize on the chicken.
"No," she shook her head, forcing back the blush on her cheeks. "We've both been feeling a large amount of pressure, so we decided to take a breath." She explained, glancing over at her husband. He was taking care of the meat over the fire.
"That's understandable." Another one shrugged her shoulders.
"How have you all been doing?" Clary asked, wanting to get the focus off of her marriage bed. She knew that they weren't specifically asking about that, but her being pregnant very much involved that.
"Well the children are doing well." Emma spoke up, smiling faintly.
"That's great." Clary grinned at the girl, knowing that she was very nervous about being a mother figure.
"I shouldn't have been so scared. I've been helping with them since I was 12. I'm hardly incapable of taking care of them." She hummed, cutting the maize off the cob. "Here a few of them go now." She stated, as two kids ran by playing some form of game.
"Clary, bring me those spices." Jace called over to her, drawing her away from the women.
She got to her feet, dusting off her hands before making her way over to him. She handed him the clay bowl, taking a seat next to him. He scooped them up in his hand, spreading it over a raw piece of meat. "Do you want to learn how to season an animal?" Jace asked, grunting softly, as he settled next to her.
"Do I have to touch it?" She wrinkled her brow, looking over it.
"Yes," He snorted at her with a smile ghosting her lips. "Come on, pick up a fistful of spice." He adjusted the beast in front of her, and she cringed slightly. It looked a disgusting odd pink color. "Do you see these slits in the side?" He questioned, pointing out the lines in the meat. "I cut those so more spice can be distributed across the meat." He explained, lifting her hand up to the animal. "So, you want to over the animal and get it into the slits." He guided her hand over the slick muscles of the dead animal, spreading the spices around.
"This feels so weird." She laughed, beginning to do it on her own, while Jace worked on pounding more spices.
"I know." He smirked faintly at her.
When dinner was finished, she found her place next to her husband, who filled her glass up. She sipped on it, leaning back against her palm. She felt calmer than she expected today, and she felt like it was due to the shift in her relationship with her husband. The past two weeks he had been talking very openly to her, trying to truly get to know her. They both began speaking up about emotions that they had been feeling, as well as things they had been doing day to day.
She still didn't talk about her brother. She hadn't spoken about her offer to come home, but she didn't think they were planning anything because they were obviously content with their lives. She never heard them complain or whine about their state of living because they were an extremely independent community.
If the people were complaining, they never said anything around her.
"Let's go to bed." She inhaled a small breath, running her fingers over his hand. He nodded silently, getting to his feet, he reached out a hand, pulling his wife to her feet before leading her back to their home.
She slipped out of her clothes, pulling her robe over her shoulders before lying in bed. She watched Jace shimmy out of his leather pants, bare before the world. She let her eyes drift over him for a few seconds before she looked away. She never really looked at him while he was naked. She saw his backside a couple of times, but never his front. He had noticed her look too, which made her face turn red. He crawled under the blankets next to her, rolling onto his side.
"You are allowed to look at me." He stroked her cheek gently, tracing over her jaw with the tips of his fingers.
"I know. I just…" She gulped thickly, steering her eyes away from him.
"Your views on modesty befuddles me really." He tangled their fingers together, looking at their joined hands curiously.
"Your views befuddle me. You all have no modesty at all. I'm surprised you all don't walk around completely naked." She snickered, playing with his fingers.
"That wouldn't be very safe." He laughed heartily, shaking his head. "I already have enough sand up my ass already, and I wear pants. Sand whipping up my balls sounds like a nightmare." He kissed the back of her hand, lingering for quite a few seconds. Everything seemed to get quiet around them, as his eyes looked into hers. She could see the want in his eyes, but he averted them, pulling away from her slightly. She realized that all his want was truly need. She never truly imaged Jace needed her, but maybe he did.
She hesitantly leaned over, brushing their lips together. She didn't really know where she was planning on going with this, but she stuttered away slightly before connecting their mouths again. He sucked in a deep breath, sliding his hand over her upper thigh. She felt her heart thumped awkwardly in her chest, as his leg slid between her thighs. Her stomach churned, but she kept her lips locked with his, enjoying the way his lips and tongue felt.
Her stomach burned when Jace moved his body over hers. His weight against her was oddly comforting, as she tangled her hands into his hair, tugging on the strands lightly. He moaned quietly, which startled her a little more than it probably should have.
He propped himself up over her, gazing down at her with a halo of golden hair around his head. "Could I…" He trailed off, pulling at the silk ties of her robe. She found herself nodding, which shocked her, but she didn't move to stop him. He pushed the cloth away from her body, carefully taking her in. Her chest filled up with heat, tinting the skin on her neck and face.
He leaned back down to tangle their lips together again, and she kissed him eagerly. She couldn't believe what she was doing, but she found herself wanting it.
She flinched heavily when she heard a bird squawk. "That dumb messenger bird." Jace muttered, pushing himself up more.
"I-" She agreed that the bird had some horrible timing, but she felt like she was getting some of her bearings back. She remembered who she was. She remembered where she was. He could still be a rebel, who wants to over throw her brother. She didn't know that he was absolutely innocent yet, so when she knew, maybe she would really open up to him. "I'm really tired." She whispered, pulling her robe back together.
"Alright." He sighed softly, kissing her cheek lightly.
OoOoO
Clary told Jace that she wanted to sleep in so she could spend some time by herself. She really just wanted some time to read through her brother's message, which she was not looking forward to. She called the bird over to her, removing the message from its leg.
She lied comfortably against the pillows, unrolling the message.
Sister,
I want to know what is happening in those meetings. I don't care how you do it, but find out what they are discussing. Do not let them know you are there.
Jonathan
Clary heaved a sigh, holding the paper to her chest. She wasn't surprised by his request. She just didn't want to have to do it, but this was the only way she would know beyond a doubt that they weren't rebels.
OoOoO
Clary snuck around the back of Stephen's tent. She pressed her ear to the canvas, hearing murmurs of voices. She was going to have to go in there, wasn't she? She gulped thickly, crawling under the canvas walls. She knew there were stacks of boxes right here, so she stayed behind them, waiting to hear what they had to say.
"I don't think this will go the way you want, father. I know you hate Jonathan for what he did. I do too, but he has more men than us." Jace explained, standing just behind his father.
"But we have the one woman he doesn't have." Stephen grinned at his son, clapping his hand on his shoulder. "Clary grew up with him. She knows his weaknesses, as well as the castle's weaknesses. Why do you think I wanted you to marry her?" He exclaimed, smiling at his son. Clary's eyes widened when she realized that Stephen didn't really care about her. He just wanted to use her like every other man in her life, and her heart sank. Her father was so awful to her, but Stephen was encouraging and loving. All of it was a lie.
"You had me marry her so we could use her? She isn't going to like this. She will never agree." He scoffed, shaking his head.
"Her brother abused her. He married her off to someone he considered a savage to punish her. She'll help us." He stated like it was a fact.
"She's stubborn as an ox. She may hate her brother, but she won't do anything to help us just for spite." He said, which surprised Clary. She was thinking about doing just that. She would love to see her brother dethroned and in a dungeon, but she was becoming bitter towards her new kin.
"Just talk to her. She's been sweet on you lately, hasn't she?" Stephen questioned, sitting at his desk.
"I mean she doesn't cry herself to sleep anymore." He released an exasperated breath, as he pinched the brim of his nose. She pursed her lips, fighting off anger. She only cried herself to sleep twice!
"You hurting her?" He furrowed his brow at his son.
"No, she just misses home, and she was a virgin. You know how they are at first." He shrugged, crossing his arms. "Trust me, I really try to get her to enjoy it, but she just won't let go of whatever it is that's holding her back." He sighed, ruffling his hair. Stephen nodded in response.
Clary suddenly felt herself get thrown against the boxes she was hiding behind. Someone had accidentally rammed into the tent, sending her toppling forward. She panted for breath, glancing up at the two men in front of her.
"Clary, what were you doing? Were you spying on us?" Jace exclaimed, yanking her to her feet.
"I..." She stammered, as her mind went blank. She was panicking, and she wasn't sure what to do. She could lie, but would they believe her? Or she could tell the truth, which could lead to her death.
"Clary, what are you doing behind my father's things?" Jace asked, tightening his grip on her arm. "The bird." He muttered, shaking his head, as if everything pieced together in his mind. "He sent you your friend and that stupid bird!" He looked over at his father, and she could see red hot rage on his face. "Guards! Search my wife's belongings!" He ordered, releasing her roughly. She stumbled, falling back to the boxes. Her heart was pounding in her chest, as the men stared at her. "Jonathan sent in a little spy." He sneered, throwing a nasty look at Clary. She snapped. She spit at Jace's feet, as she climbed up into a standing position.
"You are no better than Jonathan. He wanted to use me, and you want to do the same thing." She snapped, standing up against her husband's chest before glaring over at Stephen. "You were like a father to me, and you only wanted to gain my trust so you could take my brother kingdom."
"You are like a daughter to me. Don't you dare accuse me of using you. I brought in an abused little princess because I thought she needed a better home. It wasn't all about defeating your brother, it was about compassion." He snipped, lumbering over her.
The guards came in with the notes and a pouch in hand. She realized that the pouch was the one that had her special tea in it, which made her blood run cold. Why did they bring that in here? She couldn't fathom them knowing what the tea was, and she had no idea how Jace would react. He knew she drank the tea every morning, but he never knew why. Jace snatched it from the men, looking over it suspiciously.
"Why did you bring this?" He held the pouch out towards them.
"My wife uses this tea to keep from conceiving, and we found it stashed in her chest." He explained nervously, eyeing Clary with soft eyes.
Jace looked down at the tea and then at his wife. She froze with terror, seeing a furious look in her husband's eyes. She gasped, clawing at his hand that had found its way around her throat. He panted heavily, throwing the leaves aside, as he tightened his grip on her neck. She tried to rip his hand away, but it wouldn't budge. She just wasn't strong enough to fight him, and she knew that as well as he did.
"You have been keeping us from having a child." His fingers squeezed tighter, and she could feel her air beginning to be cut off. She gasped for breath, praying that he would let go. "I come to you every night for months, wondering why my seed isn't planting, and it is because of you. Because you kept me from having a child. The one thing I truly asked you for, you were denying me! I asked you for nothing. I gave you space when asked, I gave everything you asked for, but I ask for one thing, one thing, and you refused to give that to me." He roared, as his nails began digging into her neck.
"Let go of her before you kill her." Stephen commanded, stepping closer to them. He released his grip. She collapsed onto the ground, coughing for a solid breath, and she rubbed her neck lightly. "What have you told him?" He asked sternly, glaring at her.
"I haven't really been able to find anything out." She mumbled pathetically.
"Jace, go get some air. You need to breath." He gestured towards the exit, knowing his son's limits. Jace was rooted in place, glaring at his wife. "Now, Jonathan!" Stephen ordered loudly.
"Fine, I'm going to kill that stupid bird. Guard arrest Simon for treason, don't let him know what's going on." Jace said to the guards, as he stormed out of the tent.
"Sit, little angel." He used the pet name he had given her when they met, which just made her angry. Clary sat on his bed, clutching her first tightly. "Now I'm assuming that you heard us talk about what we need from you." He pulled up a chair to sit in front of her. She didn't respond. She was too angry at him for keeping this from her. "I know you hate your brother don't pretend otherwise. What I don't understand is why you are staying so loyal to him right now?" He looked curiously at her.
"I don't have a choice, and if I ever want to go home-"
"Sweetheart, you have been really enjoying yourself lately. I know you think we are a savage population but you'd being lying if you told me you liked it better at home. We let you basically do whatever you want, and in return we need an heir. Now, you haven't been willing to provide that, but that's before. This is now. Help us conquer your brother, and you can continue to be a free woman. You are the one that has a claim to the throne not us, so you would actually become the queen, which would make you the freest woman alive." He explained, keeping his eyes on hers. "You have choices. You can help us overthrow your brother and become queen, or you cannot help, become a literal possession of my son and get raped until you have my son's heir, which option sounds easier?" He cocked his head to the side. Clary gulped thickly, hearing the threat in his voice. She bit her lip, feeling her stomach burn with frustration, anger, and fear. "You are a stubborn woman, but I know that you would prefer the former. I know you have feelings for my son because I see them, and he will never forgive you if you don't prove that you are loyal to him." He muttered, shaking his head, as Jace stepped back inside. "Go to your tent." He ordered her. "Guard follow her, and make sure she doesn't leave." She stepped outside, seeing everyone's eyes on her.
She ran over to her tent, feeling like the world was collapsing on her. She was overwhelmed with conflicted feeling. She got into her home, and everything was trashed. The sight deflated her even more, making her sigh to herself. She couldn't relax like this.
She gathered the papers that were thrown aside, placing them back on her husband's desk. She gathered her clothing, folding them once again. She could hear her blood pounding in her ears. Her blood was full of unused adrenalin, setting her on edge. She groaned in frustration, pounding on her head. She felt so stupid for getting caught.
She threw her clothing, groaning loudly with the strain of it. She lifted up Jace's chair throwing if across the home roughly, huffing with anger. She gripped her hands tightly before tipping over the desk. She hurried over to the walls, clawing at them to tear them down, but arms went around her. She screamed with frustration, fighting the arms that were restraining her. She struggled roughly until she lost all of her energy. She went slack in his arms, squeezing her eyes shut. The man released her soon after that, allowing her to collapse on the bed. She pushed herself up, seeing Jace standing over her.
"What are you trying to do? Destroy the place?" He snapped, glaring down at her.
"Maybe." She muttered, climbing to her feet.
"I bring you into my home, I take care of you, I provide for you, and you treat me like some pawn in a game." He looked away from her, seeming very disappointed.
"You were going to do the same thing." She snipped, glancing over his demeanor.
"I married you because my father told me to. He didn't tell me why, so I am not in the wrong here." He spoke softly. "You don't have to help us." He sighed quietly, sitting next to her. "But I would like it if you did. We can work, but you have to let go of the old you. You have to lose a little control of yourself and trust me. I'll protect you." He explained quietly, cupping her cheek.
"If I turn against my brother he will kill me." She whispered, drawing away from him. "I would rather be alive and miserable then dead and free." She murmured, staring in front of her.
"If you don't help us, you'll be just as miserable if you were with him. You'll become a prisoner and property. You'll confined to our home and become a baby maker. You won't even be able to see them after they are birthed. They'll give them to Isabelle to raise and care for because you'll be a traitor. If you brother beats us, yes, you'll be allowed at home again, but our warriors are stronger than his. We are fighting for our land and our freedom." He explained, trying to get her to join their cause. "Do you know why we are fighting?" He questioned, playing with a strand of her hair. She shook her head silently. "We went in for our annual meeting with the king, and my cousin, he was 9 at the time, snagged an apple from a stand. He was the happiest kid, and the people here would always give him food from their stands. He didn't understand that it was stealing, so he took the apple. Your brother saw, and executed him in the streets. He caused a riot where most of our campions died. We were only there for food rations." He whispered, putting his hand in his hair. "Max was like my little brother, and he was killed for an apple. Your brother treats us like we are a menace, but we have yet to kill his people since we lost the war." He explained, inhaling a sharp breath.
"I didn't know that." She murmured, shifting uncomfortably.
"After everything he has done to you how can you let him control you?" He asked.
"He owns me. I am his property. I have to do what he wants, or else he'll ruin me." She exclaimed, feeling uneasiness in her stomach.
"You aren't his property anymore. You are mine, and he already ruined you by marrying you to me. You have nothing left to lose."
"I have everything to lose! I have a home, a family-"
"YOU ARE MY FAMILY NOW! When are you going to get that through your thick skull. He abandoned you to us on a fools errand! There is no way that any whispers for rebellion could have reached his throne because my father didn't even tell me about it until after you were here. You brother knew you were never coming home again." He responded loudly.
"Shut up." She snapped, clenching her fist.
"He is a murderer and an abuser. He has no right to rule these lands." He yelled, trying to get her to truly hear him.
"He is my father's first born son. He is the only one with a right to that throne. I may not like him, but he is my king." She raised her voice, getting to her feet. Jace stood up, towering over her. She turned away from him, thinking about what she should do. She could feel his presence behind her, which made her stomach churn with an unknown feeling. She shuddered when his hand curled over her stomach, pulling her body against his chest. She gasped quietly, feeling heat settle in throughout her. His lips peppered her neck, and she stood frozen in place. "Get off of me." She snarled, as frustration set into her.
"No," he breathed against her neck, letting his teeth scrap along her neck.
"Off." She elbowed him roughly in the gut, making him gape for breath. She flipped around, letting her fist fly. It met his jaw with great force and as a result she shook her hand out. It hurt more then she thought it would. He sneered in frustration at her, grabbing at her again. He yanked her to him, gripping her arm tightly.
"You betrayed me. Not the other way around. You didn't want my savage seed to be planted in your belly, so you could go back to your fancy castle like I never happened. You've been holding back since you arrived, and now I know why. I'm offering you a chance to go back to that home where you don't have to deal with the monster that is your brother, and yet you remain loyal to him instead of your husband." He gritted his teeth, biting out his anger.
"He's my blood." She muttered, keeping her eyes away from his.
"You are my wife, my mate, and now after all these weeks, I know why you been holding back, why you don't come in bed with me" he gripped her chin, bringing his harsh gaze to hers.
"Why?" She challenged, feeling her chest heat with anger.
"You didn't want to lose control to me in any way, shape, or form. You didn't want to enjoy it because then you might actually like it here. You might actually find a way to love me, but you wanted to go home so bad you didn't let yourself abandon your body to me, let alone your heart. You know what, I don't think you even can orgasm." He bit his lip, moving his hand to her lower back.
"This isn't going to work." She inhaled a sharp breath, as his fingers curled over her behind, holding her territorially against him
"What isn't going to work?" He questioned innocently. "Come on, show me you are a real woman." He whispered in her ear, grinning deviously, as he began pulling at her leathers. She was panting by now, and she could help herself anymore. She was stubborn just as stubborn as he was, and she absolutely refused to back down. If he wanted to egg her on so much, then fine she was going to do it. She grabbed his neck, crushing his lips to hers. He ripped at the seams of her clothing, throwing them aside. She quickly pulled that the laces on his pants, as he pushed her down to the bed.
It wasn't gentle, it wasn't slow, but she found herself liking it more than she ever did when he was careful. He gripped onto her tightly, leaning heavily against her as his devoured her lips. She yanked on his hair while simultaneously crushing his lips to her own.
A/N: I hope you liked it! I know I did. I died when I wrote this chapter, and I hope all of you guys died too. It is so crazy.
What do you guys think? Questions? Comments? Concerns?
Do you guys have any ideas where this is going? I would love to hear your predictions!
Please review!