The warmth from Galien’s huge body enveloped her, and when an icy wind picked up he tucked a thick wool blanket around her. She both appreciated and detested the care he kept showing her. She was glad he hadn’t been cruel to her in any way, but these constant kindnesses made it difficult for her to hate him.
After the group of about twenty knights and squires, as well as three maidens taken as wives, stopped for the night, they erected a series of tents in the time it took her to walk off the soreness from sitting on a horse all day. She held the blanket tight around her shoulders to keep out the chill, since her warm winter cloak had been stolen during the looting. She approached the largest tent once Lord Galien stepped out from it.
“I’m surprised you left me alone,” she said, trying to sound bitter. “Aren’t you worried I’ll try to run away?”
Amusement lifted his expression, his dark eyes glittering in what scarce light lingered as the sun slipped away. “There’s just enough snow left on the ground from the last storm that tracking you would be easy. Besides that, I told my squires to keep an eye on you.”
At his response, she looked around the camp and spotted the two squires standing near a fire, and the moment she spotted them they ducked their heads as if trying to be inconspicuous. She sighed and gazed up at Lord Galien. “I might wish to escape you, my lord, but I am not stupid. I’ve no idea where we are, and I am not foolish enough to wander through the forest at night.”
“I’m glad to hear it.” He pulled her closer and wrapped his arms around her, his features once again turning stern. “Do you know what will happen if you attempt to leave this camp?”
She glared at him hard even as her face grew hot, the shame of her trip over his knee in the castle still fresh in her mind. “I’ve an idea.”
“I want to hear you say it, my sweet Lady Claire. Tell me what happens the next time you misbehave.”
She tried to lower her head, but he grasped her chin and forced her to hold his gaze. “You, my lord, are the most infuriating man I have ever had the misfortune to meet.”
A grin brightened his features briefly before the gleam in his eyes once again reflected his serious side. “I need to hear you say it aloud, my lady, or I will think you require a refresher.” He leaned down, his nose almost touching hers, and the white ribbons of his breath mingled with hers in the frigid evening air. “Now, what happens when you misbehave?”
She clenched her teeth and made an indignant noise. “If I misbehave, you will spank me, my lord.” The instant he looked pleased over her response, she added, “That is because, of course, you are a beastly savage.”
“Into the tent with you, my sweet Claire, and I will show you just how beastly I can be.”
A firm hand guided her inside, and the warmth coming off the braziers welcomed her. He lifted the cloak from her shoulders and set it aside, then turned her in his arms. She stared at his chest, unnerved by the telltale bulge in his leggings. She longed to retreat but he held onto her with purpose. The single bedroll that rested in her periphery seemed to taunt her.
“Look at me, Claire.”
The calm command in his voice prompted her eyes to his.
“You have nothing to fear from me.” He brushed the back of his hand along her cheek, stroking in a gentle circle. “I have some business to attend to with my men, but I will return soon. Eat something and rest for a while, and most important, be a good girl.”
She nodded and watched as he left the tent, thankful he wasn’t going to maul her just yet. Her stomach growled and she moved to a small table with a spread of salted meat, cheese, and crusty bread. She poured herself some wine and took a long gulp, then nibbled on a piece of cheese. The constant fluttering in her belly at the thought of what would happen between her and Lord Galien tonight soon chased her appetite away though. She forced a few bites of bread though, knowing she needed her strength in order to keep her wits about her. A second helping of wine dulled her senses and warmed her insides.
Since there was nowhere else to sit, she eased her sore body down onto the thick wool blankets atop the bedroll, wishing she was a thousand leagues away, in a faraway kingdom where ladies could marry for love, or not at all if they so desired, and men like Lord Eberhard and Lord Diterich weren’t allowed dominion over a single soul.
* * *
Galien marched through the camp at a brisk pace, anxious to return to Claire. He hadn’t intended to leave her for so long, but the scouts who’d gone ahead had taken longer than expected to report back. The howling of wolves much too close for comfort had driven them on a longer return route, and they had ridden into camp just as he’d been assembling a search party. All was well though, the wolves had moved on and the scouts hadn’t glimpsed any other trouble. Tomorrow’s journey would be a lengthy one, but as long as the weather didn’t turn bad they would arrive at his keep by nightfall.
He entered the warm tent, pleased the braziers were still giving off ample waves of heat. He sought out Claire, finding her tucked under several blankets on the bedroll. A glance at the spread of refreshments proved she had eaten, and consumed her fair share of wine too. After removing his sword belt, he helped himself to the salted meat and downed the remainder of the wine, his thoughts on the small figure in his bed. He doubted she was sleeping, and he cleared his throat and approached the bedroll and the lovely lady nestled under the thick pile of blankets.
It was their wedding night, and he intended to claim what was his.
She blinked at him and sat up. She had removed her coif, and her hair cascaded over her shoulders in a lovely fashion. He couldn’t have torn his eyes away if his life depended on it, and his fingers tingled with the impulse to stroke her silky dark locks. But before he reached out, her face melted with sympathy and she sat straighter.
“I am sorry that your father died recently, my lord. I was too preoccupied with other things to give you my condolences today.”
“Thank you, Claire. I am touched by your concern for my family.”
“Was he ill when you left?”
“No, but he was old. Died in his sleep. My mother passed last winter. It comforts me to know they are together once again. They loved each other very much.” He knelt and started working his boots off, then sat beside Claire on the bedroll. “They were strangers on their wedding day too, but they eventually came to hold one another in high regard.” He watched as she twisted a jeweled ring around her finger and he felt an unexpected pang of jealousy, even though she lawfully belonged to him now. “Did Diterich give you that?”
She shook her head. “No. It belonged to my mother.”
“Is she still alive?”
“She died when I was yet a child, and my father died not long after I wed Lord Diterich.” She chewed the inside of her lip. “He perished leading a battle against one of my husband’s numerous enemies while Lord Diterich sat in his castle deep in his cups.”
Galien wasn’t surprised. Lord Diterich had been a snake of the worst kind, and he suspected the days of his family’s reign were numbered. One day their enemies would band together against them, just as Princess Susanna’s and her uncle’s enemies had banded against Hohenzollern. “We have both suffered losses, my lady, but we have each other now. I swear on my mother’s soul I will never mistreat you.”
She shot him a suspicious glance. “Am I your first wife?”
“Yes. I was betrothed to a lady in my youth, but she perished during an illness that swept through the very castle your brother now resides in.” He placed a hand atop hers, stilling her fidgeting. “I met her but once as a child, and back then I was too careless to give a single thought to the future. Now that my father is gone and I have inherited his title, I cannot think of anything but. I hope we have many children, Claire, sons and daughters alike.”
She withdrew from his touch and balked at him, her eyes growing wide and her lips parted. “I-I am very tired, my lord, and I wish to rest now. I bid you goodnight.”
Galien sighed. The
mention of children had likely startled her into worrying about the consummation of their marriage. Her reluctance resembled that of a maiden, or so he imagined. He’d never lain with a maiden before, but enough of his men had plundered an innocent and boasted later to give him an idea.
She burrowed under the blankets, turning on her side and facing the opposite direction. After spending the day with her bottom pressed against his groin, Galien wanted nothing more than to strip her dress off and pound into her. He stared at her small form, watching as the covers rose and fell under her rapid breaths. He ran a hand through his hair, his frustration mounting. He’d never bedded a reluctant lady before. Well, he’d never bedded a lady at all. His prior conquests only included willing servant girls and skilled tavern wenches.
He tugged the blankets off Claire and picked her up, situating her on his lap. She kept her head bowed, and he rubbed his hands up and down her arms in hopes of easing her fears. “We are husband and wife now,” he said, tipping her chin up.
Her eyes fluttered to the left and then to right before finally settling on him. “Do you intend to claim your marital rights now, my lord?” Her voice trembled along with her body, and he wondered if perhaps it best to get the deed over with.
“Aye, my sweet Claire. I do.”
“I cannot persuade you to delay until we reach Minrova?”
His hard cock pressed up against her as she squirmed on his lap. “Does it feel like you can persuade me to delay?”
The reddening of her face proved she had indeed detected his excitement. “Very well.” She scooted off his lap.
Galien watched as she lay down on her back and lifted her skirts partially up to expose a hint of flesh above her hosen. His heart thudded and his cock hardened further in his leggings, because he thought for a moment she intended play the role of a seductress. He watched for an inviting smile and a wink, but instead she placed her arms straight at her sides and shut her eyes. She turned away from him and remained still.
He cursed inwardly. The poor girl had braced herself as if for an attack. He hoped Lord Diterich had found no peace in death for all the hurt he had caused Claire. Galien doubted she realized what they were about to do could be pleasurable for them both, and he vowed to see that she enjoyed his touch even if it took until morning.
He stood and shrugged off his surcoat and tunic, tossing them atop the blanket she’d kept wrapped around her during their travels. Keeping his leggings on, he crawled onto the bedroll atop Claire and turned her face, bringing her out of her hiding.
“My wife,” he murmured, placing a gentle kiss on her lips. “My sweet Claire.” He coaxed her mouth open and ever so slowly delved his tongue in to meet hers.
Rigid to the point of holding her breath, she allowed his kiss but offered no response. That is, until he traced her hip and moved upward over the flat of her stomach to cup one breast. A shudder rippled through her and she gasped, her middle rising up against his for one small instance, and she at last began to breathe through her nose and released a faint moan as he kissed her. She tasted of wine and something else much sweeter, and he drank her in and thrilled when her tongue brushed along his lips. He felt her soften underneath him, and once again her hips rose up to meet his, her center grinding into the hardness still encased in his leggings. Aye, she was sweet, and he rejoiced that the tremors racing through her body were no longer born out of fear. He sensed her calming in his arms, and when he withdrew from what had become a most thorough kiss, she graced him with a coy smile.
“You make me feel different than any other man has,” she said with a hint of confusion.
He grinned down at her, taking in the sight of her kiss-swollen lips and the flush that had spread down to her chest. “I shall take that as a compliment, my lady.” He toyed with a lock of her hair, choosing his next words carefully. “I don’t wish for you to close your eyes and hide from me. I enjoy your responses to me, Claire, and it pleases me that you want me.”
He almost checked to see if he’d sprouted a second head, because the look she gave him was one of pure shock. “How do you know what I want?” She wriggled underneath him and pulled at the edge of the bedroll, trying to slip from his hold.
Galien captured her wrists and pinned them above her head in one hand, and with his free hand he explored the swell of her breasts before tugging the ribbon tie of her bodice loose, exposing her further. “I know you are afraid, because that bastard husband of yours never showed you the proper affection you were due in the bedchamber, and you don’t understand why your breaths are coming fast and your face is growing hot. Nor do you understand the aching in your loins, my lady, the reason you have thrust so wantonly against my hard cock twice already.”
An outraged cry left her lips and she struggled to escape his hold, but her center only pressed against his manhood harder while she fought him, and her eyes soon grew wide and she stilled beneath him, once again holding her breath.
“Stop that,” he scolded. “No more holding your breath. I don’t want you fainting on me, Claire.”
Challenge sparked in her eyes and she didn’t release the breath she was so stubbornly keeping in, and her face reddened with each passing moment, eventually taking on a bluish tint.
“Claire. Enough. Breathe in and out, my lady, this instant. Stop this childish nonsense at once or I will give you a good thrashing.” The obstinate girl held her ground until he had no choice but to jerk her upright. The quick movement prompted her resumed breaths, though not before she dug her nails into his arms in retaliation.
He waited until her face paled to its normal ivory shade as he battled with himself over whether or not to follow through with his threat to chastise her. When her eyes flashed with insolence, he came to a decision. “Turn over on your hands and knees, Claire, and present your bottom for punishment. If you cooperate, I will only give you ten strokes with my sword belt.”
Chapter Four
The resolute glare Galien pinned her with brought Claire out of her bad disposition. His description of her wants and needs had embarrassed her deeply, but regardless of that she felt even more ashamed for having held her breath like a child protesting a nap. Angry red marks lifted on his forearms where she’d dug her nails into him too. How had she let this happen? Now he intended to punish her for the second time today. She watched as he removed the scabbards from his sword belt and doubled the thick leather length in half. Panic and regret welled up in her, and she wished she had not overreacted.
“I’m waiting, Claire. Please assume the position. Hands and knees, bare bottom lifted up to receive ten lashes.”
“I will do no such thing! You embarrassed me!” Her voice cracked over words she had intended to speak with confidence.
He stepped closer and blocked out the lantern light, appearing as a shadow until he knelt to look into her eyes. “We are husband and wife. I did nothing untoward to you, and you put yourself in harm with your childish antics.”
“I did not put myself in harm, Lord Galien. As you can see, I am fine, and I would have been fine without your interference.”
“You also disobeyed me, Claire, and for that you will be punished.” He clasped the sword belt tighter in his grip and nudged her. “Hands and knees now, or these ten lashes will turn into fifteen.”
Tears burned in her eyes, and she blinked rapidly to keep her emotions hidden. The last thing she wanted to do was break down weeping. She bit her lower lip, needing the distraction of the pain to focus on restraining her tears, and turned onto her hands and knees.
“Very nice.” Galien moved behind her, still kneeling atop the blankets. “Now be a good girl and bare your arse to me, Claire.”
A wave of submission rolled through and her face grew hotter than the braziers. Time slowed as she reached around and flipped her skirts up, and when she rested on her hands again she found herself leaning down, found herself truly presenting her backside to her new husband. The sudden desire to please him filled her and cooled her fury.
He wasn’t going to pound her with his fists or drag her through the camp by her hair, the sort of thing Lord Diterich had done before she learned how to read his moods to avoid his outbursts. Instead, Galien meant to punish her for a specific infraction, just as he had in the castle. Somehow this comforted her, even though he was about to cause her pain.
Galien placed a steadying hand on her lower back and dangled the belt against her bottom cheeks as if preparing his aim. “If you remain in position and keep cooperating, Claire, I will make these lashes light. I know you are still sore from earlier, and I hate to cause you pain, but this is for your own good. Please be a good girl for me.”
The tears that had been threatening to fall trickled down her face now as she reacted to Galien’s soothing words and gentle tone, for they calmed her and lent her the strength to yield to his discipline.
He shifted on the bedroll behind her and the belt cracked across her cheeks, the first lash falling with a mild sting. She exhaled in relief and held position, waiting for the next blow. He didn’t make her wait long, and he landed the next two strikes in lines below the first one, but again the pain proved bearable. The fourth lash stung her upper thighs though, and she winced and cried out, her flesh especially tender in this area.
“You’re doing very well, Claire. Only six more to go. But before I continue, I want you to promise you will be sweet and submit to my whims tonight, even if it embarrasses you. In return, I promise to give you pleasure and show you the utmost care, but you need to trust me first. Will you promise this for me, sweet girl?”
It was so surreal, resting on her hands and knees with her bottom bared in the middle of a belt whipping, while Galien spoke to her so very calmly, as if he were commenting on the weather. The act of surrendering to him felt more intimate than the kiss they had shared, and the warm sensation of her desire returned to pulse between her thighs. She tried to ignore the longing that coursed through her and focus on answering Galien’s question. “Yes, my lord. I promise.”
The Conquered Brides Collection Page 40