Protector of the Crown

Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Seventeen

I was in my beautiful home in the countryside. It was a simple cottage surrounded by bright and breathtaking gardens and an orchard I tended to myself. The cottage was everything I'd ever dreamed of in a home. My home was two stories of earthy stone and had a chimney at the top. It held a small kitchen, a sitting room, and plenty of bedrooms for, perhaps, a growing family?

I stood outside amongst my gardens, tending to the weeds as my beautiful dog hopped at my feet chasing a butterfly. I wore a simple white linen dress with a gardening apron over it. When I looked up I saw my love walking towards me. Jax was donning simple brown pants and a light button up white top with the top few buttons left open. He was breathtaking as his unruly sandy brown hair billowed in the breeze. His skin was even more tan than usual from working outside.

He reached me and touched my swollen belly, which carried our child. My heart jumped at the thought of carrying a child that was part of Jax and part of me. I touched his face and he kissed me deeply. My heart was full of all that I truly desired; a simple life, a beautiful life with Jax, the kind of life that was taken from me when I was only seven years old.

When I pulled back from him the sunny, bright blue sky began to drift away and the sky grew gray and dark. Jax's smiling face morphed into one of pain as he looked down. I followed his gaze and saw bright red blood spreading across his chest, just like my father, and then he fell to the ground.

"No!" I cried, clinging to Jax as the only joy I'd felt in the world was being taken from me, "NO!"

"Jax!" I screamed, "Come back, please!" Suddenly a shock of pain hit my side and torso and my eye snapped open.

"Hey, hey," Jax's deep and comforting voice said to me, "Hey, I'm right here. I'm not leaving your side."

I lay back in the bed, holding my abdomen. When I was settled I looked into Jax's gray eyes, "You're here," I whispered, before remembering how I became injured, "How did you find me? Why aren't you safe?"

Jax took my hand and kissed it, "How could I be safe without you by my side?" I gave him an unamused look and he smirked, "I snuck off while the Protectors were securing my father and brother. There's no way in hell I was going to be locked in my room while you were chasing someone who tried to shoot us."

I smiled, "I've certainly got my hands full with you, don't I?"

"Oh you have no idea," he laughed, "And as far as I'm concerned you're stuck with me Luther."

"I can think of worse things," I whispered, squeezing his hand.

Jax pulled my hand back to his lips and murmured, "You looked like you were dreaming before you woke up. You looked so peaceful until you started screaming, what were you dreaming of?"

I turned and ran my thumb over his lips, "You, Jax. Always you. At the end I thought I lost you like I lost my father, I felt like I was dying."

Jax's gray eyes welled up as he shifted towards me and kissed me gently, but still with passion, "Nothing can take me from you," he whispered when he pulled away.

We were interrupted by a deep voice, "I need to speak with Ms. Luther," Jonah said, looking less than pleased from the doorway of my hospital room.

Jax stood up quickly, but kept hold of my hand behind his back as he faced Jonah, "Sir, I plan on staying by Ms. Luther's side. She did, after all, almost die protecting my family."

"Let me clarify," Jonah said, his face darkening and his voice deepening, "I'm going to speak with Ms. Luther. Alone."

"Jax..." I started, but Jax squeezed my hand.

"Perhaps I should clarify as well. I promised Ms. Luther I would not leave her side until she was well. I do not and will not break my promise to this woman," he said, meeting Jonah's strong will with an iron strong one of his own.

Jax and Jonah were equal in their tall stature and, while Jonah carried significantly more muscle than Jax's leaner muscular frame, Jax carried himself in a way that made Jonah seem small.

Jonah sneered and looked over at both of us and hissed, "What exactly are you thinking Mia? Do you want to be killed? I cannot handle losing you too at the hands of these people!"

I pushed myself into a seated position, gasping at the pain. Jax turned towards me, but once he saw I was fine he turned back to Jonah.

"I didn't plan this Jonah," I said, "Do you think I wanted this?"

"You sure looked like you wanted it a few seconds ago!" he said, coming closer to us, "The King will kill you. Do you understand that? A daughter of the House of Luther and the fucking people's prince, together? He will never allow that! Even if you swear your loyalty to that man he will kill you for fear of motivation for an uprising! I cannot lose you! I can't! I stood by and watched your mother, father, and sister die at the order of the king! I won't do it again!"

"I am not my father," Jax said, "I will never be my father. I don't even believe he is my true father. What I can promise you is I will protect her with my life."

"Try all you want, boy. Your father will have no quam killing you too. This is simply a death sentence for you both," Jonah said.

"I can't anymore, Jonah. I can't sacrifice everything. I've given everything to this crown! My family, my childhood, my life! I will not give him up too, I love him and I won't lose him! When is that last time you ever felt that? That the thought of losing something was worse than the threat of death?"

Jonah looked at me. He hadn't seen this much emotion from me since I was a seven year old, charging him with a rock.

"My wife was ripped from my arms and killed," he whispered, "I wasn't much older than you are now. I secretly married her since Protectors are banned from marriage. The King had her killed. They would have killed me too, but your father was owed a favor so my life was spared. He tried to save her too, but it was too late."

"Do you regret it?" I asked.

"I cost her her life, Mia. I hate every breath I breathe," he whispered, "But my heart will always be hers."

"You didn't cost her her life, my father took it," Jax hissed.

Jonah looked at Jax in shock and then to me, "If you die, Mia, all the good in my life will be gone. Be careful."

"I won't hurt your Jonah, you are a father to me. I won't ruin your life, you have my word," I said. Jonah nodded and left the room.

Jax sat beside me and looked at me, "So, you love me?" he whispered.

"What?"

"You said you loved me, to Jonah," he smiled.

I laughed, then clutched my stomach, "That's all you got from that conversation?"

Jax laughed, "That's all that matters."