“It seemed prudent to take you here first. On a calm day the mainland is visible from here, but not on a night like tonight.” Broc looked down at her.
Perhaps still due to the wine, she broke character and met his gaze directly. His eyes were still black, but there was nothing dark or ominous about them this time. She thought she could see a certain kindness in them, along with a fiery warmth that set her heart alight.
How was it possible that this giant, this warrior who should instill fear in her, seemed so welcoming and even friendly? How could she possibly continue to distrust someone with such honest eyes? And yet how could she possibly put her faith in someone who would abduct a girl such as herself once every eight years just because it was written into a treaty?
None of it made any sense.
Broc broke eye contact at last, and cleared his throat.
“You must be freezing. Let us continue on.” Broc placed his large hand on the back of Kelly’s shoulder, sending an even more intense shiver down her spine than the icy winds had already done. Although she found it hard to let go of the impressive view, she did allow herself to be guided back indoors.
The rest of their stroll around the imposing castle was mostly quiet, except for the occasional explanation from Broc. All of it, from the stairs leading down to the dungeons, the wing set into the mountain containing the chambers of everyone who lived here, right up to the drawbridge and gate that led to the harbor, merged into one in Kelly’s mind. There was no chance of her ever finding her way around this place. There were no markings to remember anything by. All corridors, rooms constructed out of granite blocks, or sometimes hewn straight into the mountain itself, looked too alike.
And all of it was barely lit up.
Kelly felt her eyes grow heavier and heavier as they walked through the maze of stone. Her supposed new home, until she could find a way off the island, that was.
At last they stopped in front of yet another ten foot tall wooden door with iron hinges that looked identical to all the other ten foot tall wooden doors with iron hinges Kelly had seen this evening.
“Your chambers,” Broc said, as he turned the handle with the click and creak she had become familiar with earlier in the evening. “I’d lead you back to the feast, but you look exhausted.”
Kelly stood confused for a moment, staring at the door first, then looking inside the room to convince herself that it was actually where she had woken up. No guards at the door? Not even a bolt on the outside? How was it possible that they’d kept her, a prisoner, here against her will, in a completely unsecured room on her own? What if she had tried to run immediately after getting up?
“Thank you,” Kelly stammered, but suddenly her legs refused to move and she froze as if her feet had grown roots.
“Where are your chambers?” she finally asked.
Broc responded with a knowing smile and nodded his head towards a door just down the hallway towards the right of her room. The last door on this end of the corridor. “Only a few steps away.”
Kelly bowed her head as she entered her bedroom, thanking Broc again for his hospitality, upon which he left, closing the door behind him.
The evening’s events had sent her thoughts into a confused frenzy. She was going to be his woman, whether she wanted to or not. So why not just get right to it and claim her? Why all the politeness? If they hadn’t shared that intense stare out on the lookout point earlier, she may have suspected that he had no interest in her. Clearly, he had.
Oh Mother, what is the purpose of it all?
Kelly closed her eyes and tried to make sense of everything that had happened to her so far. But this was not something she could unravel here on her own.
Chapter Six
Broc knew his approach with Kelly was out of the ordinary. If for example Teaq been awarded a human bride, he would have just been his obnoxious self until she agreed to see things his way. He may have even forced himself on the girl if that was what it took.
His brother had never been the subtle kind.
However, Broc could not bring himself to do it. He preferred to let nature run its course first to see where it would lead him with Kelly. There was no rush, yet.
And if he had interpreted their moment on the Watch Point correctly, he was already gaining ground with her. When he surprised her earlier in the evening in her chambers, she had been afraid of him, obviously. But by the time he showed her the view from on top of the castle fortifications, something about her had changed. The way she had looked at him betrayed something other than distrust and hostility.
Perhaps all of this was just a fantasy on his part. A dream inspired by that first moment when he saw his future bride at the beach. An infatuation, mudding his otherwise impeccable perception and ability to read people—allies and enemies alike.
But there definitely was something about her that he could not yet understand. For a simple farmer's daughter from the mainland, she had shown incredible resilience, and bravery. Many a human entering into their world had spent the first weeks in despair, mourning the loss of life as she knew it. Kelly had shown none of that so far.
Perhaps it was too early to tell.
Broc's thoughts were interrupted by the distant click of a door. He knew it to be Kelly's, and he knew that anyone other than him - namely Teaq - would have locked her up or at least posted a guard outside.
What would be the point? Where could she run to?
If she even found her way to the harbor, she wouldn't do so undetected. And then, she wouldn't be able to sail to the mainland in these stormy conditions. The weather on the Northern Sea was treacherous in early spring and human females did not know how to sail alone.
No, it would be fine. Let Kelly roam freely inside the castle for now, let her get used to her new surroundings until she could fully accept her place here.
He listened out for further noises, but couldn't hear a thing, not even footsteps. She must still be barefoot. He’d instruct Bree to provide her with some suitable footwear before they ventured outdoors.
Soon after Broc gave up on trying to hear further signs of her movements, he heard the creak of yet another door. His own.
He opened his eyes, his vision already accustomed to the darkness of his room, and found Kelly's silhouette pausing in the entrance. She wouldn't be able to see a thing beyond the dimly glowing torch on the wall, giving him the advantage in this case.
"Broc, umm, your majesty," her soft voice called out. "I do apologize for disturbing you."
He sat up, surprised that she hadn't intended to keep her presence secret. Perhaps the clever girl had realized that there was no chance of surprising a battle hardened warrior such as Broc in his sleep.
"Just Broc is fine. What’s the matter?"
"Would it be permissible for me to ask a few questions? After sleeping for a day already, it's impossible for me to find rest now."
Kelly stepped inside his room, while keeping her head lowered.
Broc got up to light a candle on the glowing torch on the wall, and noticed her gaze wandering from the corner of her eye. She spent a few moments stealthily looking around the large yet sparsely furnished room, then finally lingered on him.
"Shall I wait until you're dressed?" she asked, still unwilling to look at him directly for a long time, yet seemingly unable to contain her curiosity at his half-naked form.
He had always favored sleeping in only his breeches. The cold air of the unheated room did not bother him.
"You assume I was planning to get dressed." Broc kept a straight face, even though his comment was meant in jest.
If Kelly was shocked at his candor, she didn't show it. Instead she stepped forward a couple of paces, her relatively short human legs carrying her about half the distance a giant's stride would have.
Curiosity overcame him. What was she doing here?
"Your questions?" Broc asked, before taking a seat on the heavy chair beside his bed.
"What is my purpose… he
re?" Kelly folded her arms in front of her, then unfolded them again. Clearly, the girl was nervous but trying very hard not to let it show.
"Every eight years a human woman is offered up by the men of the mainland." Broc's explanation was intentionally vague; he was trying to test her reaction. “You know this.”
It took a few seconds of stark silence for her to formulate a follow-up question.
"Am I to be your woman?" she finally asked.
Broc couldn't suppress a smile. Indeed this one was quite different. Cautious when necessary, but of strong character and unusually direct. In a way she was a good match for his people. Islanders who didn't care much for false niceties and play acting.
It was a relief that she hadn’t asked anything he would be unable to share during the transition.
"That depends."
Kelly shot him a curious look, before averting her eyes towards the floor again. "I do apologize if that was too forward. It was the only thing that made sense. Since I was seated beside you at the feast.”
She paused.
“But your behavior puzzles me."
Broc got up from his seat and stepped towards the girl, who instinctively flinched backwards only slightly. An involuntary reflex.
"My behavior, you say." He reached for her, guiding Kelly's chin up towards him until she couldn't help but look up into his eyes. There was something there, when their eyes met, a spark, a glimmer of something he'd first felt when he’d collected her from that dark beach, not even two days ago.
This mysterious force seemed to grow with every moment he spent in her presence, making him question his patience, second-guessing his plan to woo her slowly. It was a powerful sensation which normally only songs were sung about, but which was rarely discussed in the open. The sacred bond between a man and woman who were meant to be.
As she blinked quicker than normal, her thick lashes momentarily hid her light green eyes from view. He heard her breathing pause, then speed up again.
She felt it too. He could tell.
"How would you have me behave, my lady?" Broc shot her the swiftest of smiles, so quick it would be easy to miss.
"That I do not know. But I know I didn't expect… this." The way her shapely lips moved with every spoken word all but drove him crazy. His inner beast told him to pounce; an urge that became harder and harder to ignore as he continued to look into her eyes. But at the same time she spoke to his protective side. Those instincts that had served him well as King of the Black Isles, that had ensured the survival of his people through many a battle.
Kelly's heartbeat grew more frantic with every passing moment, Broc could hear it so clearly. At the same time her eyes seemed to turn a darker shade of green as her pupils dilated. Broc had seen that same look on other people's faces. Couples, who could or would not hide their feelings for one another from the rest of the world.
He could no longer fight his desires, and leaned down, bringing his face closer to hers until her eyes fluttered shut. She wanted him too, he could smell the change in her.
His normally controlled demeanor made way for something entirely new and reckless. It had been his self-control which had won him the throne, seven years ago. But faced with her, alone in his chambers during this quiet hour, he became a different man.
Broc gently touched his lips to hers, then gathered her up in his strong arms and carried her towards the bed. She embraced him and pressed herself tightly against his hard, muscular chest, all the while returning his kisses with a passion he had not foreseen.
Full of surprises, this human. She was unlike anything he could have imagined.
He laid her down on the plush pillows, her expression one of shock mixed with feverish anticipation.
"I'm sorry, I don't know what came over me," she stammered.
Despite her initial protest, she embraced him again, running her hands over his shoulders and chest, down the trail of dark hair running along his chiseled abs.
"No need to be sorry. I'm at fault." Broc leaned in again, tasting the sweetness of her lips until she instinctively parted them, allowing their tongues to meet for the very first time. Their tender, yet rushed explorations progressed until Kelly's touch lost all hesitation and reluctance and seemed to become one with her own base instincts.
It seemed that she didn't notice, or didn't care when he slipped the soft fabric of her nightgown off her shoulders, exposing more of her ivory skin. He could resist her no more, letting his hands explore the generous curves on her body which had enticed him from the beginning. All the women Broc had grown up with and lived amongst were hardened by battle, strong and capable fighters, just like the men. There was nothing soft or gentle about their bodies. He'd never thought about it before, but from the moment he'd seen Kelly, he knew he had been missing something.
By the way she moved against him, he could tell she was strong too, for a human. But she was also delicate, irresistibly fragile. Every fiber in his body was alerted to the fact that her safety and her happiness were now to be his first priority. He would protect her from harm, and do his best to give her anything she desired. At this moment, as he laid her down on her back, allowing her fiery red hair to fan out on his bed, he knew that she desired pleasure.
He climbed on top of her, taking care not to hurt her with his considerable bulk, and continued to kiss his bride as if it was the only thing that mattered.
Her arms surrounded him, pulling him closer against her, signaling she was far from satisfied yet. She seemed as fascinated with his physique as he was with her, tracing the outlines of his clearly defined muscles with her fingertips, gently scratching at the bit of hair running along the center of his chest and downward.
"I've never done this," she gasped in his ear, but her tone made it sound more like an invitation than a protest.
"That’s fine, my darling, let me show you," Broc responded.
There was much he still had to show her, but tonight he focused only on one thing. The secrets he continued to hide from her; they could wait.
He tore her nightgown open all the way, once again marveling at the extent of her beauty. Her soft curves demanded to be touched, to be worshipped by Broc's lips.
And so he did just that.
They caressed, licked, tasted and loved each other's bodies until the first light of dawn made an appearance through the narrow window above the bed. They gave in to all their desires but one: the first time they'd let their bodies merge would be as tradition required it.
Once they were wed.
Chapter Seven
When Kelly finally awoke the next day, she found herself once again in the same room where she’d slept the first night. Somehow after all their illicit activity at night, Broc had mustered the effort to carry her back into her own chambers so she could rest late into the morning.
She stretched herself, finding her neck and parts of her shoulder inexplicably knotted and sore. By the time she got up, finding that she was indeed wearing the same nightgown again that had at some point been discarded on the floor in Broc’s room, she couldn’t help herself and let out a giggle, while wrapping her arms around herself.
But her visit to his room had left its mark; the gown wasn’t quite the same anymore. In the heat of the moment, it had become torn at the neckline.
So this was what it felt like, to commit sin. But it hadn’t made her feel weak and wicked, instead she felt powerful and re-energized. Perhaps her transition wouldn’t be as bad as Broc had made it sound yesterday.
Kelly’s night with Broc had been the stuff dreams were made of. Even though she had told herself at the start that she only intended to speak with him in his room, her mind was quickly changed by the half-naked giant she’d found after opening his door.
Never before had she seen a man whose body was so powerful and strong, yet who showed so much tenderness towards her. Some of the boys of her village had made attempts in private. They had teased and tried to tempt her, but she had never been interested.
>
She had never felt attracted to a man before.
And what a man he was.
Shortly after she sat up in the bed, her mind still reeling from the memories of their encounter, there was a knock on the door.
“Enter,” Kelly said, in a tone that was surprisingly firm.
After the good old click-and-creak of the door, Bree appeared with breakfast and some leather strapped boots and other items she wasn’t quite familiar with.
“Had a good rest?” Bree asked.
Kelly nodded, her face turning bright red in the process.
Bree squinted and gave her a long, good look, before letting her eyes rest on the torn seams of the night gown.
“I see,” she said, and put the breakfast down on the table next to the bed.
Kelly’s heart started to race with nerves as she waited for a comment or perhaps even a lecture.
“I’ve been requested to help you with these.” Bree held up the boots, and something that looked like a brown leather bodice, with buckles and straps along the sides.
It seemed she was content to just ignore the evidence of Kelly’s indiscretion. Did she not disapprove?
Kelly took a deep breath in the hopes it would get her nerves under control. “What are they?”
“The kind of attire needed to leave these walls,” Bree clarified, without clarifying anything much.
Kelly decided not to question it, as her stomach had started to growl uncontrollably, so she focused on breakfast first. Perhaps food would help her ignore the aches she’d woken up with.
Bree busied herself with organizing the large wardrobe as Kelly ate, even though there hadn’t been much time for things to get out of place. Perhaps Bree just enjoyed taking care of others. Kelly could understand, her mother had enjoyed that kind of thing too when she was still alive.
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