Page 6

T he blasted woman had actually knocked her out.

Hit her in the head!

Astria knew that because when she opened her eyes, she was watching the sky and trees pass by overhead and the last thing she remembered was Maude saying something about a marriage to her eldest son. There was a fight.

Then… nothing.

“Are ye calm so that we might continue our discussion?”

It was Maude, standing somewhere behind her. Astria tried to lift her head, but the pain was too much.

“You broke my skull,” she groaned, hand flying to her head. “You did not have to do that.”

“Aye, I did,” Maude said frankly. “Lass, ye need tae understand something. Ye canna escape. Ye have nowhere tae go. All of the fighting in the world will not force me tae release ye, so it would be better for all of us if ye cooperate. Do ye understand?”

Astria did, but she was stubborn. Too stubborn to admit defeat. Still, the sensible part of her had something to say about this, given the fact that she’d received a fairly serious blow to the head. She couldn’t take another one, so it would be to her benefit to behave herself at this time.

But, God, she hated the mere thought of it.

Surrender wasn’t in her nature.

“I understand,” she muttered, eyes closed against her throbbing head. “But I cannot marry your son.”

“Why not?”

“Because I am already married.”

Maude came around the side of the wagon bed where she could look Astria in the eye. “I’ll give ye praise for a good effort,” she said, her eyes twinkling. “I happen tae know ye’re not.”

Astria’s eyes flew open, her brow furrowing. “How would you know?”

“Because when we boarded yer ship, that lovely vessel I plucked ye from, the captain begged me tae show mercy because ye were a new widow,” she said.

“He said that yer husband was Armand de San Miguel, Duc de Tarragona, a very old man who died last year. Now, if ye’re truly mourning him, then I’ll give ye time tae do that, but not forever.

One way or the other, ye’ll marry my eldest.”

“If he doesna want her, I’ll take her.”

The words came from someone standing off to Astria’s left. Maude looked at the man speaking but Astria couldn’t manage to move her head in that direction because she was still in too much pain. She watched Maude’s impatient expression as the woman focused on the man who’d made the offer.

“She’s not meant for ye, Declan,” she said, but she motioned him to stand next to her at the rear of the wagon.

“But come over here so I can introduce ye. My lady, this is my middle son, Declan. I know ye’ve seen him around, so it’s time ye made his acquaintance.

Declan, this is Lady de Tarragona. She’s not tae be trifled with. ”

Astria’s gaze fell on the big, handsome man who bore a faint resemblance to his mother.

He had brown hair instead of her vibrant red and eyes of the darkest brown that were fixed on Astria with interest. But she clearly had no interest in him, or anyone else, as she struggled to push herself into a sitting position.

“I am not Lady de Tarragona,” she said angrily.

“I am Maria Astria Julia, Princesa Real, Princesa of Beira, Duchess of Braganza, Duchess of Barcelos, Countess of Faria, Countess of Neiva, and, by marriage, Duchess of Tarragona. I am my father’s youngest daughter and aunt to the current king, who is, even now, surely gathering a fleet of ships to save me.

When he does find me, I will make sure to tell him how horribly I have been treated and what barbarians you are.

You are on borrowed time, all of you, so make yourself right with God because soon, you shall meet him. ”

She was shouting by the time she was finished, and there was a moment of stunned silence before the entire group standing around the wagon burst into laughter.

Astria looked around in shock as the pirates practically screamed with the hilarity of what she’d just said.

Maude was actually wiping tears from her eyes.

Still laughing, she patted Astria affectionately on the foot and turned to the men around her, lifting her hand.

“Move forward,” she commanded. “We must make Blackchurch by the time darkness falls. I dunna wish tae be late.”

The men moved swiftly to do her bidding, but they were all in a good mood, still chuckling at Astria’s expense. Declan, however, remained at the rear of the wagon, a grin on his lips as he watched Astria fume.

“Dunna take it so hard, lass,” he said. “Ye made a good effort but ye lost. The sooner ye accept that, the better for ye, because we can keep laughing at ye from sunrise tae sunset. And we will if ye keep being ridiculous.”

Astria didn’t think she had been ridiculous. In fact, she was gravely insulted over the laughter because no one had ever laughed at her, or her titles, or anything she’d ever said. When she spoke, men jumped. At least, that was the norm until now.

Now, they simply laughed.

It was a rude awakening.

“Leave me alone,” she said, turning her head away from him.

But Declan didn’t leave. In fact, he grabbed a man that was just walking by, pulling him to the end of the wagon bed.

“This is my brother, Francis,” he said. “They call him the Pope because he prays all the damn time. He willna shut his mouth with all of that praying. And I’m known as Declan the Devil, though ye wouldna think that by looking at me. I dunna look like a devil, do I?”

Astria refused to answer. She was hurt and angry and didn’t like Declan’s subtle attempt to charm her.

“I told you to leave me alone,” she said. “I meant it.”

Declan turned to Francis. “She’s trying tae seduce me,” he said. “I can hear it in her tone.”

Astria looked at him sharply, red-faced. “I am not ,” she said. “You are the last man I would want to seduce.”

Declan was still looking at his brother. “See what I mean?” he said. “She likes me.”

Francis shook his head. “Ye’re delusional,” he said before his attention shifted to Astria. “M’lady, can I bring ye something tae make ye more comfortable? A blanket, mayhap?”

Astria wouldn’t look at him, either, although she’d seen him around over the past month.

Francis was very tall, blond, and rather thin compared to his brother, who was big and muscular.

He’d never spoken directly to her before, however, and nor had Declan, which told her that Maude must have ordered them to stay away from her.

The only person she’d had any real contact with was, in fact, Maude.

It was possible that Maude simply wanted to control the situation and therefore didn’t want any of her men talking to the prisoner.

But it was equally possible that she was trying to protect Astria somehow.

These were pirates, after all, and there was no telling what ideas they would get into their heads about a restrained female prisoner.

They might even try to steal her away from Maude.

Whatever the case, Maude was most definitely watching out for her.

“Nay,” she said after a moment. “I do not need anything except my freedom.”

Francis shook his head. “I canna give ye that,” he said. “But I can bring ye something tae make ye more comfortable if ye wish.”

“Stop trifling with her,” Declan warned. “I told ye that she’s sweet on me, so stop trying tae turn her head.”

Francis, thinking his brother was ridiculous, rolled his eyes and walked away.

The wagon Astria was riding in began to lurch forward, moving slowly along that horrifically bumpy road.

It didn’t do Astria’s head any good as she struggled to sit up and keep her balance, all the while avoiding Declan’s grinning expression.

Since his mother had finally introduced them, he’d decided that it was perfectly acceptable for him to flirt with the captive.

Astria wanted to punch him in the nose.

Keeping her head turned, she kept her focus on the surrounding countryside and not Declan’s smug face.

So Maude wanted her for marriage, did she?

That didn’t seem like something a pirate would do.

Marriages of convenience or for political gain were made by lords and kings, not by pirate queens.

But it seemed that the further and further they traveled into this barbaric country, the more her fate was being sealed.

But Astria knew something they didn’t know.

A little secret she’d been hiding.

It was true that she’d been married at a young age to a very old duke in a political marriage of her father’s doing.

Quite honestly, it hadn’t been a marriage, more simply a relationship between a young woman and an old man.

She had been sixteen years of age when she married the Duc de Tarragona, a man who had been a political ally of her grandfather and a very powerful man indeed.

He had one son and had wanted more children but the truth was that beyond the wedding night, which was the embarrassing and uncomfortable situation, he’d never touched her.

There had been a slight possibility that the wedding night might have produced a pregnancy, but when her menses returned shortly thereafter, they knew there was no chance of a child and the duke didn’t seem interested in trying again.

Even though Astria had known her responsibilities going into that marriage, she’d been very glad when the duke decided that there would be no more intimacy between them.

Given his performance on their wedding night, she wasn’t surprised—and, quite frankly, she was relieved.

After that, he had treated her like a daughter.

He was very generous, and he’d made sure that she always had the best of everything, but there was nothing more than polite interest on his part.

His only son, however, was another story.

Asteria knew something that Maude, in all of her seeming wisdom, did not know.

She was quite certain that if the woman did know, she would have said something.

What Maude didn’t seem to realize was that the Duc de Tarragona ruled the Balearic Sea.

His family had made their money in shipping, but somewhere in that legitimate business, something more sinister rose.

Something dark.

Truthfully, Astria wasn’t even sure her own father had known about the dealings of the San Miguel family, but she couldn’t imagine that he didn’t.

Her father, Sancho, seemed to know everything about everyone.

As king, that was his right. But the reality that Astria discovered once she married into the family was murky, indeed.

That was why Maude had found her on one of the ships that were bound for the Tarragona port.

But she didn’t capture all of the ships.

Maude had made a mistake when she attacked and confiscated the ships that were under Astria’s control.

She hadn’t swept the area for every Tarragona ship, meaning one of them had been missed.

The ship that hadn’t been captured was captained by none other than the new Duc de Tarragona, Arnaldo de Fernandez y de San Miguel.

Astria’s stepson, her husband’s only son.

Given that Maude had captured two of the Tarragona vessels, the Pontus and the Thalassa , the third one—the Brizo —was fully capable of pursuing, and Astria would stake her life on the fact that Arnaldo was doing just that.

Pursuing.

But that wasn’t a good thing, either.

All part of that little secret she’d been hiding.

Astria was lost in thought when she began to notice that men were scurrying to the front of the escort.

Francis came rushing back as men were rushing forward, and he ordered some of them to bring the cannons forward.

The wagon Astria was riding in lurched to a halt and she sat up a little taller, trying to get a look at what had everyone so agitated.

It didn’t take long for her to overhear the men around her, speaking in rumbling tones.

Rider.

A rider was approaching.