truth is, I love you, have always loved you and will always love you.’
She tightened her grip around his waist. ‘I loved that boy,’ she whispered. ‘And when I finally found you again, you’d become a man.’
Suddenly she rose up and kissed him, deeply and long.
William awoke to the sound of James clearing his throat. Jazhara’s head was on his chest: they were both under the blankets of the narrow bed. Looking towards the door, he saw James leaning in with a bemused smile. ‘Ah . . . when you’re ready. My room.’ He closed the door.
William looked at Jazhara for a moment, then both began to laugh. He pulled her close and kissed her and she responded for a moment, then pushed him away. ‘James is waiting.’
‘Let him wait.’
But Jazhara rolled away from him. In doing so, she almost fell out of bed, which resulted in more laughter. ‘Later, we have ample time later.’
He watched her as she dressed, admiring every curve of her body. ‘We have a lifetime.’
She halted for a moment. ‘Really?’
William sat up and reached for his trousers. ‘Since I left Stardock I’ve had a couple of . . . encounters. And my affections for Talia were real, but there’s only you, Jazhara. There has never been anyone else.’
She pulled her tunic over her head. Then she came and knelt before him. Cupping his cheek in her hand, she said, ‘Last night was . . . amazing.’
‘But . . .?’ He tensed, as if ready to pull away.
‘There is no “but”, William. I loved you as a boy. I think now, as a man, you are more than I expected.’
He studied her face, then said, ‘When you’re ready, I will speak to the prince.’
Her eyes widened. ‘To Prince Arutha? About what?’
‘We’re both in service. We need his permission to wed.’
‘Wed!’ she exclaimed. ‘Are you daft?’
He grinned. ‘If I am, it’s you who make me so.’ He let her go and grabbed his tunic, then paused. ‘Or are you saying no?’
‘I’m not saying yes,’ she returned. She sat on the bed next to him, pulling on her boots. ‘I’m not saying no, either.’
He laughed. ‘Five years it’s taken for me to break through that barrier.’ He stood and gathered the rest of his gear, then looked at her as she pulled on her second boot. ‘You might as well relent. I will have my way in this.’
She couldn’t help but laugh. ‘Well, if that’s the way it is going to be, you can stand before both our families and explain how this is all going to work out with everyone’s blessing.’
He was too happy to consider just how difficult that was likely to be. ‘Seriously, you are the only woman I have ever loved. The only woman I ever
will
love.’
‘And I love you, William, son of Pug.’
He opened the door. ‘I can hear my father now: “I wanted you to
be
a magician, not to marry one.”’
She laughed, stepped across the hall, knocked on James’s door and went in.
James grinned at them. ‘I can’t say you underplayed your part as illicit lovers.’
Before they could speak, he went on, ‘I don’t care. What you do is your own business, and my only advice is, don’t let your feelings get in the way of our work for the prince. Though I hope this removes that annoying awkwardness between you.’ He glanced from face to face, then sighed. ‘Or doesn’t make it worse.’
‘We’re getting married,’ William said.
‘I haven’t said yes!’
James held up his hand. ‘What did I say about not caring?’ He shrugged. ‘Well, good luck, you two.’ Then he turned solemn. ‘I’ve spent a long night following up on some leads and I’ve come to a conclusion.’
‘What?’ asked William.
‘There is no Crawler.’
Jazhara stared at James. ‘I don’t follow.’
‘If I were a stranger in Krondor, poking around the way I have been, one of two things would have happened by now.’ He held up one finger. ‘Either I would have found evidence of who was in charge of the different gangs and who they worked for,
She tightened her grip around his waist. ‘I loved that boy,’ she whispered. ‘And when I finally found you again, you’d become a man.’
Suddenly she rose up and kissed him, deeply and long.
William awoke to the sound of James clearing his throat. Jazhara’s head was on his chest: they were both under the blankets of the narrow bed. Looking towards the door, he saw James leaning in with a bemused smile. ‘Ah . . . when you’re ready. My room.’ He closed the door.
William looked at Jazhara for a moment, then both began to laugh. He pulled her close and kissed her and she responded for a moment, then pushed him away. ‘James is waiting.’
‘Let him wait.’
But Jazhara rolled away from him. In doing so, she almost fell out of bed, which resulted in more laughter. ‘Later, we have ample time later.’
He watched her as she dressed, admiring every curve of her body. ‘We have a lifetime.’
She halted for a moment. ‘Really?’
William sat up and reached for his trousers. ‘Since I left Stardock I’ve had a couple of . . . encounters. And my affections for Talia were real, but there’s only you, Jazhara. There has never been anyone else.’
She pulled her tunic over her head. Then she came and knelt before him. Cupping his cheek in her hand, she said, ‘Last night was . . . amazing.’
‘But . . .?’ He tensed, as if ready to pull away.
‘There is no “but”, William. I loved you as a boy. I think now, as a man, you are more than I expected.’
He studied her face, then said, ‘When you’re ready, I will speak to the prince.’
Her eyes widened. ‘To Prince Arutha? About what?’
‘We’re both in service. We need his permission to wed.’
‘Wed!’ she exclaimed. ‘Are you daft?’
He grinned. ‘If I am, it’s you who make me so.’ He let her go and grabbed his tunic, then paused. ‘Or are you saying no?’
‘I’m not saying yes,’ she returned. She sat on the bed next to him, pulling on her boots. ‘I’m not saying no, either.’
He laughed. ‘Five years it’s taken for me to break through that barrier.’ He stood and gathered the rest of his gear, then looked at her as she pulled on her second boot. ‘You might as well relent. I will have my way in this.’
She couldn’t help but laugh. ‘Well, if that’s the way it is going to be, you can stand before both our families and explain how this is all going to work out with everyone’s blessing.’
He was too happy to consider just how difficult that was likely to be. ‘Seriously, you are the only woman I have ever loved. The only woman I ever
will
love.’
‘And I love you, William, son of Pug.’
He opened the door. ‘I can hear my father now: “I wanted you to
be
a magician, not to marry one.”’
She laughed, stepped across the hall, knocked on James’s door and went in.
James grinned at them. ‘I can’t say you underplayed your part as illicit lovers.’
Before they could speak, he went on, ‘I don’t care. What you do is your own business, and my only advice is, don’t let your feelings get in the way of our work for the prince. Though I hope this removes that annoying awkwardness between you.’ He glanced from face to face, then sighed. ‘Or doesn’t make it worse.’
‘We’re getting married,’ William said.
‘I haven’t said yes!’
James held up his hand. ‘What did I say about not caring?’ He shrugged. ‘Well, good luck, you two.’ Then he turned solemn. ‘I’ve spent a long night following up on some leads and I’ve come to a conclusion.’
‘What?’ asked William.
‘There is no Crawler.’
Jazhara stared at James. ‘I don’t follow.’
‘If I were a stranger in Krondor, poking around the way I have been, one of two things would have happened by now.’ He held up one finger. ‘Either I would have found evidence of who was in charge of the different gangs and who they worked for,
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