The three of them nodded solemnly. They had heard parts of the conversation between Kenton and their mother but they were still a bit too young to understand what was happening; at least, the younger boys were. Tab was coming to comprehend more than his brothers were.
“Where are you going?” he asked.
Kenton gazed into the little face of Nicola’s eldest son, the boy who would become his own when he married the mother.My son, he thought. It seemed like the most natural of things when it came to Tab.A son I am already proud of.
“My liege has need of me,” he said as simply as he could. “I must go to help him for a while but I will return. While I am gone, I will trust you to take care of your mother. Protect her and make sure she does not come to harm.”
Tab nodded and the twins to a lesser degree. “But I am growing big,” Tab insisted. “I can go with you and help you fight.”
Kenton smiled, putting a big hand on Tab’s head. “You are indeed growing big and I would be honored to have your help,” he said. “But your mother needs you more. There will be no one to oversee Babylon when I go so you must assume that role. I am trusting you to ensure all remains well. I know you can do this, Tab. You will make an excellent knight.”
Tab’s eyes widened. “I will?”
“You will.”
Feeling prideful, Tab fought off a grin, looking at his little brothers, who still weren’t entirely aware of what the conversation meant.
“Will you teach me when you come back?” Tab asked. “I want to fight with you.”
Kenton patted his head. “We will speak of your training when I return,” he assured the boy. “Now, do as your mother said. Take your brothers upstairs.”
Tab did as he was told because all future knights did as they were told. He pulled the twins from the room, herding them away, leaving Nicola and Kenton alone. As the fire in the hearth crackled softly, Kenton returned his attention to Nicola.
“When we have sons,” he said softly, “I expect them to be just as fine as those three. You will not fail me.”
Nicola laughed softly. “I will do my best.”
“See that you do.”
Her smile faded, sensing his attempt at humor was a cover for the seriousness of what they now had to face.
“Now what?” she asked softly.
Kenton reached out, pulling her against him. “Conor has sent for a priest,” he said. “I will have the priest marry us as soon as he arrives but I do not know when that will be, so you may want to try and sleep for a time. I do not want you exhausted, waiting up all night for the priest to come.”
Nicola shook her head firmly. “I will stay with you,” she said. “We have so little time left, Kenton. Would you truly deny me that time together?”
He squeezed her. “Nay, of course not,” he said. “But I did not want to sound greedy about it and I do not want you to be exhausted from staying awake all night.”
“I do not care,” she said. “I want to spend these last hours with you. Let us sit in the solar and speak of the dozen children we will have and of other things that will be in our future. Can I assume that I am allowed to have a daughter or two?”
Kenton grinned as he pulled her up from the seat, holding her hand as they made their way across the hall and towards the entry where the solar was situated. “One or two,” he said, feigning seriousness. “I am sure you would like daughters to comfort you and I will not deny you your wishes to that regard.”
Holding his hand, Nicola laid her cheek against his big bicep as they walked. “I am sure they will be just like me.”
“God help me.”
She laughed. “I am well enough to marry,” she pointed out. “Why would you not want daughters in my image?”
He cleared his throat softly. “You did not let me finish,” he said. “I meant that I will need God’s help to keep away the thousands of suitors that will come calling for my daughters when they become of age. If they are in your image, then they will be the most beautiful maidens in all the land.”
He was flattering her now, trying to pretend as if he had not just mildly insulted her. She shook her head reproachfully at him. “I am very eager to see you chase off your daughters’ suitors,” she said. “It will be quite entertaining to watch.”
“You are a cruel woman.”
“That is true, but you already knew that.”
They had reached the solar door and Kenton paused, pulling her into his arms again. He gazed down at her, thinking so manythings at that moment. Here was a woman who fought him, antagonized him, showed him no fear, yet he ended up falling in love with her. She was also the bravest and most intelligent woman he had ever known. He adored her.