The Taken Bride: A Medieval Romance Read online

  Henry had never been a great man, but even he deserved a little bit more respect than to have a blade stuck into his chest. To be completely honest, I was kind of hoping to do that myself. They had ruined the illusion of revenge against the man that treated me like something to wipe off the end of his shoe.

  I knew that if I moved they would notice me. My best defense was to stay in the shadows and look for any way to escape my imprisonment. I was tempted to jump overboard, but looking at the choppy waters and being that it was the dead of night, I had no problem to imagine that I would drown.

  A man with long black hair stumbled over to me with a bottle in his hand. He was obviously drunk. He was swaying on his feet and cocking his head to the side to look at me with questioning eyes. “Conner, are you sure that this is a girl? She shows no skin and there is no semblance of tits.” They were pushed down by a corset and the gray frock was a bit bulky. Henry didn’t want anybody to look at me in a sexual manner. He had already had one man’s eyes cut out just for glancing in my direction. Come to think of it, maybe the way that he died was poetic justice.

  This man had a green and black kilt and the part that was over his shoulder was now lying haphazardly. His chest was bared and the hairs were matted down by the exertion of the battle. He reached out and touched my hair and then put his hand along my jaw line. He took a couple of more unsteady steps towards me. He leaned down with his mouth puckered and tongue extended. I turned away in disgust, but he grabbed my chin and turned it, so that I was now facing him head on.

  I resigned myself to my fate and I was ready to do whatever I could to survive. If I was going to have to sleep with this man in order to gain favor with the others, then I would have no choice, but to bite my tongue. Maybe it wouldn’t be too bad. After all I had only Henry to compare it to.

  I closed my eyes and I hoped that it would be over shortly. I waited and then I smelled his putrid breath and it almost made me sick to my stomach. I cringed, but then there was a sound of skin slapping against skin.

  “Let that be a warning to all of you that this woman is under my protection. She may not be much to look at, but she’s my prisoner. Do not touch her, unless you want to face my wrath.” I opened my eyes and found Conner standing with his hand raised in defense of my honor. I had this moment when I thought that he was my knight in shining armor. However, one look in his direction and I saw the bits of food in his teeth and in his beard. He took a swig of the bottle and some of it didn’t even make his mouth.

  The man that had tried to touch me was now caressing his cheek where you could see a red welt had begun to form. I would say that Conner had taken exception and had used a little bit of force to make his point.

  “I’m sorry, Conner. I was just trying to find out if she was a woman.”

  “Liam, she is a woman and if there is any doubt, I will find out later.” There was a raucous laughter and it sent a cold chill down my spine. It also caused a stir in between my legs and I swallowed hard with this vivid image of him over top of me doing unspeakable things. “This is no time for fighting. This is a time for drinking.” With that, everybody stopped staring and went back to what they were doing.

  Chapter three

  The liquor was flowing and one by one, these highlander warriors began to fall into a drunken stupor. The last one standing and also feeling the effects of the alcohol flowing through his veins was Conner. His boots pounded towards me and he outstretched his hand. I thought for sure that he was going to strike me. Instead, he was offering me a drink and right about now, I could use one

  I snatched it out of his hands and acting like a Neanderthal, I took a swig from the bottle. It was foul and I don’t know how they could possibly drink this. I took a couple of more swigs and that warm substance began to calm my nerves. I was no longer panicked, but I was still in control of my faculties.

  “For a sophisticated lady, you sure do know how to drink. Perhaps, you have not always been ‘royalty’. I sense that you were a commoner, a peasant that was caught up in something that you couldn’t control. That dress does nothing for you and I think that was by design. Somebody was trying to make sure that nobody was able to see you for who you are.” With that, he produced a sword and with the glint of steel shining in the moonlight, I thought for sure he was going to stab at the heart of me.

  He moved the blade back and forth in front of me and pieces of fabric began to strip away from the gray frock that I was wearing. I turned my head, hoping that he wouldn’t nick my skin and then I heard his boots and a loud thump.

  I opened my eyes and saw that he did not even pierce the skin. He did however alter the dress and make it more appealing to anybody that was going to hazard a glance. The top part was almost all gone, leaving behind a healthy amount of bosom. My breasts were caught up in the corset. It was very hard to breathe with how tight Henry had made the maid pull it together.

  There was a slit up the side and one movement of my leg and I would expose my right thigh. He was now on his knees, holding his sword out to me. “I’ve treated you badly and I give you my life as penance. Do with it as you will.” I could’ve easily taken that sword and killed him where he kneeled at my feet. I shook my head vehemently that I didn’t want any part of killing.

  “I’m not like you and I will not kill in cold blood.”

  “Yes, you are better than me and I do not deserve to be in your presence. I do however have a need to wash away my sins. If you won’t kill me, then you’ll have to allow me to show you some kind of kindness.” He was drunk and I was sure that he would never act like this had he been in his right mind. He did look at me differently than when he put me over his shoulder, as a trophy to show to the others.

  He shuffled forward on his knees, until he was grasping my own. He pulled them apart and slowly lifted my dress with his fingers touching my skin and setting me on fire. I could’ve easily pulled away from him. He most likely would have passed out with no idea of what happened.

  I watched intently, my mouth slightly parted and my tongue playing lightly over my lips. I could not take my eyes off of him and the way that his crazy red hair was, so wild and untamed.

  The dress was now up over my knees any it was moving up even further, until I was exposing a place that only my husband had been privy to. Once again, I had the option of smacking him across the face or just walking away from a bad situation before it went any further. For whatever reason, I was frozen in place and I had no interest in walking away. I wanted to see where this was going to go and the feel of his fingers on my skin was only a prelude to better things to come.

  “Are you going to do something, or do I have to take matters into my own hands.” I couldn’t believe that I had actually said those words. They just spilled from my lips and yet they felt right somehow. I think I was taking back the power that I had lost when I married into the royal family.

  “Never let it be said that I let a damsel in distress fend for herself.” He leaned in and I felt the bristly ends of his beard and then that of this tongue, as he started to show me the kind of kindness that I could definitely get used to. His hands were rough and he was forcing my legs wide and making the muscles in my thighs strain for some kind of relief. His tongue was getting ever closer and I leaned back and watched, as he licked at the fabric of my tunic. It looked like he was having a problem and there was no way that he was going to get through that thick fabric without doing something extreme.

  Apparently, he was thinking the same thing and he wielded a dirk and flashed it in front of my eyes. I watched the steel go back and forth and then he drew it down the dress ripping the fabric down the middle and cutting the ties that bind that corset and tunic. He was quite adept with that knife and before long; I was feeling the cool air caress my skin. The garment fell away and I lay there exposed and ready for just about anything.

  “You are a beautiful lass. It is a damn shame that you had to hide what god has blessed you with.” My breasts were right there in front
of him and he reached out and started to squeeze them in a way that was pleasurable. He buried his head in between my cleavage and then he drew his tongue down in the way that I would paint on the canvas all the way down to my nest of curls.

  “Jesus, I don’t believe that I’m doing this.” He looked up at me with this smile on his face. He fluttered his tongue to indicate exactly what he was going to do. I felt a little moisture in between my legs and I could almost imagine what that long oral instrument would feel plunged deep inside me. He still had a firm hold on my thighs, but I don’t think that I would’ve had the strength to fight him.

  “You were too good for him.” It was at that point, he moved that tongue around my clit in circles that was driving me insane. I gripped the bench with my fingernails digging into the wood and most likely leaving scratch marks in my wake. I had heard of this act, but Henry was only about his own pleasure. He had no interest in experimentation and even when I try to initiate, he would make sure that I knew that that was not what he wanted.

  “Please, Conner don’t do this.” This was my last chance at some kind of dignity. I knew that I didn’t mean a word that I was saying and I was hoping that he wouldn’t take it on face value. “I don’t want…oh my god.” I may have been saying the words, but my body was saying something else entirely.

  He didn’t say a thing and he let his actions speak louder than anything that would come from his mouth. I’d never felt anything like it and then when he buried his tongue inside me; I thought that I was going to come apart at the seams. I was glad that the others were sleeping, because I would’ve made one hell of a spectacle lying there on that bench completely naked and at the mercy of a man that had killed my husband.

  “YESSSSS.” I threw my legs up around his shoulders and I pressed my ankles against the back of his head to keep him exactly where he was. I loved the way that he continually slid deep and then pulled back out to flick at the entrance, before doing it all over again. He knew a woman’s anatomy like the back of his hand and he had no problem finding my special hidden switch. That first orgasm was something to write home about. My arms and my legs flailed in all directions, while I whiplashed my hair back and forth across the bench. The bun came loose and my hair was now free to explore this new and wonderful world of uninhibited sex.

  I thought that that would be the end of it, but he did not stop. He continued to administer to my needs, giving of himself and not even asking for anything in return. It was like this was all about me and I wondered if that would be the case if he was sober. It didn’t matter, because right now, he was a ravenous dog going after the treat that had a nice creamy center.

  “I can’t believe this… I’m almost there…” I lost it entirely, screaming to the heavens above and watching, as the stars in the sky were the only witness to a carnal craving that came out of nowhere. I pounded relentlessly on his shoulders and then I pulled him by his hair, while pushing my pelvis up against his mouth to make sure that he would never let go.

  I was squirting, so much juice that he was actually getting his face splashed with a sheen of my personal wetness. It did not disgust him and when he pulled away, he moved his hands back and forth over his face to massage it into the skin. He raised his head to the sky with his eyes closed and he made this howl like a wolf, before pitching backwards and lying prone in an unconscious state.

  I could not breathe and my chest was rising and falling quickly with each breath. My skin was tingling and my legs were literally trembling from the feel of his tongue and the grip of his fingers. It took me a few moments to compose myself and then I was totally appalled by my behavior. It felt too good to stop, but now in the cold light of day, I was seeing myself as a trollop. I convinced myself that it was for survival, but I knew deep down that I wanted it more than anything in this world.

  The dress was ripped to ribbons and being naked, I felt a little vulnerable and tried to cover up with whatever piece of the dress that I could find. I walked gingerly around the ship and down into the hull. Bodies were strewn everywhere with loud snoring highlander men that had just conquered my land.

  I found a vacant kilt in the same black and red designed that Conner was wearing. It took me a moment to figure out how to put it on, but it did look pretty good once it was in place. I found a white shirt and it was a little bulky, but it would suffice for the time being. I pulled my hair back and I tied it into a ponytail. I then lay down on the bed and I found myself falling asleep. It was the first good night’s sleep that I had, since I married Henry. It was the first time that I had slept like a baby and I didn’t rouse for over 8 hours.

  Chapter four

  I woke at the crack of dawn and found a galley and went about to make breakfast in abundance for the crew. I hadn’t cooked since I was a child, but I found that there was something that was familiar. I began to enjoy what I was doing and before long, I was laughing and then I turned to come face to face with Conner standing in the doorway watching me.

  “I don’t think that I’ve seen a prettier sight. I’m sorry that you had to see that last night. We can become quite rowdy when we get drinking. I should’ve had somebody to keep watch. I hope that nobody did anything to offend you.” I had a feeling that he had no idea what he had done last night. I wasn’t even sure if I should tell him, because I wasn’t even sure that I wanted to do it again. That’s not true, I wanted to do it again and again and again, but I just didn’t know if it was appropriate.

  “I used to wait tables at a tavern, so I know how men act when they get hammered. Believe me, if any of your men had decided to get close, I would’ve placed a very hard knee someplace that they wouldn’t like.” He was smiling and then he sat down and waited for his breakfast. “I thought that if I was going to be staying here, as your prisoner that I should at least earn my keep.” I found that I was quite good with spices and I knew what went well with something else. Before long, I was placing a plate in front of him and he was digging into it with his hands.

  “This is delicious. I don’t think that I’ve ever had anything, so good in my mouth before.” this made me blush tow shades of red, because I remembered the last thing he had in his mouth. I almost laughed at the absurdity of it all. “My men will not touch you. I have decreed it, so it will be.” He was full of himself and his ego was huge by everyday standards. I had seen the scars on his body last night and I knew that he wore them as badges of honor. He did not try to hide them and he was proud of his accomplishments. It was a little disconcerting to see him eat like a caveman, but I was pleased that he was enjoying the meal that much that he couldn’t take his hands off of it.

  “I’m glad that you’re enjoying it. There wasn’t much to work with, but I made do. I would suggest that you’re going to have to stop somewhere for provisions.” The men started to show up one after the other. I ladled them the stew like concoction onto their plates. They were just like Conner and had no manners or decorum. They were uncouth, uncivilized and had no regard for personal hygiene. They ate with their hands and after they were done, they let out this mighty belch that had everybody laughing around the table.

  Conner stood and put his hands on the table and looked at everybody with grave concern. “There is no doubt in my mind that they will send somebody to avenge their son’s death. We’re going to have to be vigilant and watch for anything out of the ordinary. We will make land at the next trading post. We will use what we’ve pillaged from the village to provide us with sustenance for the journey home back to Scotland.” At the mention of home, people lost that fighting spirit. There was a somber moment, where they were most likely feeling homesick. It didn’t last long, because they had work to do.

  Conner grabbed my hand roughly and pulled me by my wrist up and to the deck. He led me over to the edge and he pointed towards a speck of land in the distance. “That is where we are going. If you try to escape, I will hurt you.” I wasn’t sure that I wanted to escape, but I thought that I should. “I will be with you all the time.
If I see that you signal anybody for help they will pay for your disobedience.” I did not want to anger him, so I decided to play on the side of caution.

  I could remember every detail of how he went down on me last night. That was the kind of pleasure that I had been waiting for all my life. If he could do that with his mouth, his lips and his tongue, then I could only imagine what other parts of his anatomy could do. I was constantly glancing down at the crest, but it was not the crest and I was interested in any more.

  It took several hours to get to that land and when we disembarked it took another 2 hours before we entered into the market. Everything but everything was being traded and they were welcomed with open arms. I could see that this was not the first time that they had traded here and people were more than willing to look at what they had to offer. They were most interested in the cloth that they’d taken from one of the cog ships.

  They were able to get plenty of food and enough liquor that would probably keep them drunk all the way back home. He had allowed me to pick out certain foods, including some fresh fish and fowl that were on display. My imagination was running over time with the possibilities of what kind of dishes I could make. I did not know that I had a passion for food, but apparently I did not have a chance to find out in my past life.

  We went for a walk down by the edge of the water and we talked for over an hour about our lives.

  “Luna, I’m sorry that you had to feel that you were being possessed like cattle. A woman should feel safe in their man’s arms that they should feel that he is there for them and will protect her with his life if need be. I have never found a woman with such elegance and character. I don’t know what it is, but it feels like I’ve known you for a lot longer than a couple of days.” I didn’t realize it, but he was holding my hand and it was not in the rough take no prisoners kind of way. It was gentler and underneath the tough exterior was the heart of a real man.