Chapter Thirty-Eight 

James discreetly wiped dust from his eyes. The servants should be dismissed for not doing their duties. He did not weep. 'Twas merely something in his eye. Before him stood a great warrior queen. Melinda loved him for the man he was. Not for his looks or gold. She truly did not see his scars. Only the man.

"I will love you the rest of my life. And beyond. Through whatever lies waiting for us after death. Will you be the Lady of Falconburg? Marry me and make me the happiest man in all the realms."

James pulled her into his arms. As he did, his tunic ripped, the hastily mended garment giving way. He shrugged out of the tunic, turned, and threw it in the fire. Melinda gasped. Doubt crashed down on him.

She walked around him, touching each scar. James stiffened. He knew what his back and chest looked like. A mass of scars. Old white lines crossed with faint pink lines, marred by angry red slashes.

"Do not pull away. You are an amazing warrior and beautiful to me. I do not care how many scars you have. Your skin tells the story of what happened to you on the outside. Others carry their scars on the inside, hidden from everyone but themselves. We all have scars. They make us who we are. I swear I will love you for the rest of my life. And if you will have me, I will marry you, James Rivers."

He gathered her in his arms. A drop of wetness dripped from his face onto her hand. He didn't think he'd cried since his family died. With Melinda he was reborn. A new man. His scars no longer held sway over him.