Read Online The Battle Lord Saga 02 - Her Battle Lord's Desire by Linda Mooney - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Linda Mooney
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also
like to build another lodge adjacent to the first one.”
“Another lodge? What for?”
He looked at her. “For us.”
Atty stopped in her tracks again. “What do you mean, for us?”
“Exactly what I meant. I don’t like having our quarters directly over the main hall. My
great, great grandfather founded Alta Novis, and back then it may have been the safe thing to do.
Then again, the compound only held a total of a hundred people, including soldiers and public.
Today we have over four hundred soldiers, not counting another four hundred plus additional
population. I want to get you out of the lodge and into a place with a bit more privacy.”
“What would you do with the upper rooms?”
“Use them as guest quarters. What do you think, Atty? Ready to move into slightly
larger accommodations?”
“When do you plan to start construction?” she asked.
He gave her a bemused smile. “I already have,” he told her. Seeing her eyes widen in
surprise, he admitted, “I ordered the carpenters and engineers to begin marking off the new
compound wall and the floor plans to the new lodge while we were away. Hopefully, by the time
we return, they should be finished laying the foundations. With decent weather, we might be able
to move in by December.”
“What about the back wall of the compound?”
“I’ve never done anything like this before, so I’m really just guessing at this point, but we
should be completely re-fortified by March or April, at the latest.” He smiled to himself. “Our
first anniversary. Atty, do you remember the date we married?”
“I’m sorry. I...don’t remember much about that day. Forgive me,” she confessed in a
small voice. She felt him squeeze her hand.
“It’s okay. Someday we’ll be able to talk more about it. It takes time to heal. But, for
the record, it was the twelfth.” He squeezed her hand again. “Keep that date in mind.”
“Why? Planning on doing something special on that day?” she half-teased.
“Yeah. I plan on giving you a decent wedding. One with all the pomp and pageantry you
could ever imagine. And one where you’re awake ,” he laughed.
They passed several more campsites and neared a small stream where Atty hoped to get a
drink. She suddenly felt dry.
Rounding the grove, she was so intent on spotting the running water she was only half-
aware of Yulen slowing down. She glanced up, and her eye caught something fluttering from
beneath the forest canopy. Turning her head, her jaw dropped open in total shock.
“It’s a bit late, Atrilan, but I promised you a wedding present,” his voice drifted over to
her.
She was vaguely aware of him dropping her hand as she stepped toward the tent nestled
amid the trees. At first her mind argued that it wasn’t what she thought. Glancing back at her
husband, he also seemed to read her thoughts.
“It’s yours, my love.”
Of course, it had to be hers, she told herself. For one thing, it was blue. All shades of
blue, from pale and icy to almost midnight black. It was also bigger than Madigan’s, but not by
much. Instead of one middle tent stake, there were two, and above the roof of the rectangular
structure, twin pennants of half-blue and half-red, the symbol of Alta Novis, flew from the poles.
Where Madigan’s purple swatches were interspersed with gold, the blues were shot with white.
No...silver.
She reached out with a tentative hand to touch the wall of the tent, just to reassure herself
that it really existed. “This...is mine ?”
“Well, actually, I was hoping you’d let me share it,” he teased her lovingly. “Wallford, the
man who designed and made Madigan’s, also designed and made this one. He made quite a few
changes in the structure, so the men were able to get it pitched in half the time it took to raise
Mother’s. That’s a nice convenience. Ready to go inside and look around?”
“It’s bigger than hers, isn’t
like to build another lodge adjacent to the first one.”
“Another lodge? What for?”
He looked at her. “For us.”
Atty stopped in her tracks again. “What do you mean, for us?”
“Exactly what I meant. I don’t like having our quarters directly over the main hall. My
great, great grandfather founded Alta Novis, and back then it may have been the safe thing to do.
Then again, the compound only held a total of a hundred people, including soldiers and public.
Today we have over four hundred soldiers, not counting another four hundred plus additional
population. I want to get you out of the lodge and into a place with a bit more privacy.”
“What would you do with the upper rooms?”
“Use them as guest quarters. What do you think, Atty? Ready to move into slightly
larger accommodations?”
“When do you plan to start construction?” she asked.
He gave her a bemused smile. “I already have,” he told her. Seeing her eyes widen in
surprise, he admitted, “I ordered the carpenters and engineers to begin marking off the new
compound wall and the floor plans to the new lodge while we were away. Hopefully, by the time
we return, they should be finished laying the foundations. With decent weather, we might be able
to move in by December.”
“What about the back wall of the compound?”
“I’ve never done anything like this before, so I’m really just guessing at this point, but we
should be completely re-fortified by March or April, at the latest.” He smiled to himself. “Our
first anniversary. Atty, do you remember the date we married?”
“I’m sorry. I...don’t remember much about that day. Forgive me,” she confessed in a
small voice. She felt him squeeze her hand.
“It’s okay. Someday we’ll be able to talk more about it. It takes time to heal. But, for
the record, it was the twelfth.” He squeezed her hand again. “Keep that date in mind.”
“Why? Planning on doing something special on that day?” she half-teased.
“Yeah. I plan on giving you a decent wedding. One with all the pomp and pageantry you
could ever imagine. And one where you’re awake ,” he laughed.
They passed several more campsites and neared a small stream where Atty hoped to get a
drink. She suddenly felt dry.
Rounding the grove, she was so intent on spotting the running water she was only half-
aware of Yulen slowing down. She glanced up, and her eye caught something fluttering from
beneath the forest canopy. Turning her head, her jaw dropped open in total shock.
“It’s a bit late, Atrilan, but I promised you a wedding present,” his voice drifted over to
her.
She was vaguely aware of him dropping her hand as she stepped toward the tent nestled
amid the trees. At first her mind argued that it wasn’t what she thought. Glancing back at her
husband, he also seemed to read her thoughts.
“It’s yours, my love.”
Of course, it had to be hers, she told herself. For one thing, it was blue. All shades of
blue, from pale and icy to almost midnight black. It was also bigger than Madigan’s, but not by
much. Instead of one middle tent stake, there were two, and above the roof of the rectangular
structure, twin pennants of half-blue and half-red, the symbol of Alta Novis, flew from the poles.
Where Madigan’s purple swatches were interspersed with gold, the blues were shot with white.
No...silver.
She reached out with a tentative hand to touch the wall of the tent, just to reassure herself
that it really existed. “This...is mine ?”
“Well, actually, I was hoping you’d let me share it,” he teased her lovingly. “Wallford, the
man who designed and made Madigan’s, also designed and made this one. He made quite a few
changes in the structure, so the men were able to get it pitched in half the time it took to raise
Mother’s. That’s a nice convenience. Ready to go inside and look around?”
“It’s bigger than hers, isn’t
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