Duty of the Chieftain - a Highland 'Lord's Right of the First Night' novella (Clan MacKrannan's Secret Traditions #3)

by Jonnet Carmichael

  "Just the wine, if ye please. Here, let me do that for ye. Keep yer silken gownie looking nice to take home, eh? I must tell ye what a picture ye looked in yer wedding frock. I canna think when I have seen lovelier. Did ye make it yerself?"

  "Oh no, milord, it's far too good for homemade. It was Lady Agatha had the dressmaker do it as part of my gift. Ye really liked it, milord?"

  "I really did. Ye looked bonnie enough to eat. Will we sit down awhile now?"

  "Oh… aye, we should… is that right, Hessa?"

  Hessa and the Wisewomen were under strict orders from Ranald to keep their mouths shut throughout unless absolutely necessary. And that went for Elinor as well. The last thing he needed was a running sodding commentary and the criticism that came with it.

  "Never mind the witnesses, Ginny lass. We'll do what ye think is best. And ye may call me Ranald this special night."

  Ginny sat with a thud on her chair while he remained standing. "Oh I could no', milord…"

  "Of course ye could. It's still yer wedding day. A bride gets special treatment."

  And he beamed at her as she whispered, "Ranald".

  He held up his full goblet to her. "Long life and good fortune to ye both, Ginny," he said, and downed the contents. The bride, meanwhile, bounced on her chair as if an active beehive were upholstered into its cushions.

  She always settled with a cuddling-in, Dougall had reminded him no' an hour past.

  "Will ye have a seat… Ranald?"

  He cocked his head cheekily and held out his hand. "I will... if ye sit on my knee."

  That pleased her greatly. She cuddled in just grand. He could have been anyone, really. Ginny was just the sort of lass who needed held close and petted, and then she could manage anything at all and do it better than many.

  Ranald's chair having its back to the witnesses made it easier to settle her down. The pair of them sat contemplating her changed world in the fire's flames, and Ranald said how glad he was that she'd no' decided to wed some man far distant from MacKrannan lands and how he and his family would have missed her had she done that.

  "Away with ye!" said Ginny, feeling the effects of good wine and emboldened with everything thus far. "What would ye have missed?"

  He laid her head into his chest again. Ach, her chirpy grins that cheered everybody up first thing in the morning, he said. The way she managed the rest of the maids and kept them diligent. It was never easy being strict with folks ye'd still to work with, and he knew that well. She always got the balance right.

  Oh aye, she'd have been difficult to replace in her job, he told her, but it was more than that. A woman like her was such an asset to the clan and its Chief and chieftain. Who had he chosen to take on that boat trip to the Prison Island? It never entered his mind to take anyone but her, for he knew how dependable she was.

  Always she delivered his messages word for word, nothing missed out and no embellishments. Always she did his bidding with neither sulks nor tears. Always he could trust her, and the keenness of her ears and eyes meant that nothing got past her that he should know about. She'd have made a fine warrior and spy had she been a man, but he was glad of her womanhood, for it meant she stayed here and helped keep his home and family safe.

  And he'd never seen her look so bonnie as she did this day.

  They'd been around each other in the castle since she was a chit of a lass scrubbing floors and himself a gawky lad learning to fight with a wooden-bladed sword, did she remember? Of course she did. And here he was now, full-grown to chieftain. And here she was now, a full-grown woman in all her wedding day glory, ready to start having bairns of her own. They'd all moved a generation up.

  He could no' be happier that she'd become wife to his steward and would be staying on at MacKrannan Castle. And what a true privilege it was for him to be invited to perform the Tradition of the Bride's Right of the First Night. He took it as an honor that she had asked him.

  There came then a long time of quiet after Ranald rearranged her again on his lap, and his head bent forward. He was obviously kissing her. The three Wisewomen were wishing the basket of kerchiefs was closer, for it was so romantic that they'd to dab at their eyes with their sleeves.

  Elinor never cried in public, being a Lady, but she certainly felt like doing so now. It looked so natural the way Ranald stood up and carried Ginny over to the bed, kissing her all the way.

  "Dinna be frightened, Ginny lass. I'll do my best no' to hurt ye. And remember, ye can cry off any time and we'll stop for a while or do something different. This is all for yer pleasure, and to teach ye the way of it."

  Beatrix ran through her mental list of items: oil in bowl attached to bedpost, spare in bottle at fireside, water in the basins for the washing afterward, stack of cloths, the bride's own wedding gown and stockings and slippers, and the basket of kerchiefs.

  Ishbel took up her quill again at Hessa's nudge.

  Elinor sat in misery.

  Ginny was in such raptures at being kissed by her beloved Ranald that she'd now totally forgotten her entire script and running order for the evening's activities.

  It was the chieftain himself who asked... would she like to formally invite him to her bed for the Tradition of the Bride's Right?

  Aye, she'd like him in her bed.

  And would she like him to undress now?

  Oh aye... Definitely.

  And once his garments were laid aside, and his full body on show, he had to cuddle her in for some considerable time. He was thankful that his cock was at least still totally inert at her first sight of it.

  It was the chieftain who laid her down and continued the kissing while he undid some buttons, and then had to sit her up and cuddle her in again.

  It was the chieftain who managed to get her chemise off while she sat on his lap, for laying down seemed to make her too jumpy. Sitting on the edge of the bed worked the best for now, and she finally responded like a woman when he came around to touching her breasts.

  All that lay between the couple and the four witnesses was a few feet of atmosphere charged with duty and kindness, entitlement and enjoyment. To this was soon added a combined wave of lust with an element of pleasant surprise.

  Ranald had been on enough wenching expeditions with his steward to know that Dougall was a tits-man and famed for his discerning expertise in that area, so he spent extra time at the suckling. The newlyweds seemed to have been that far afore the ceremony, for Ginny knew just what she liked and directed his mouth accordingly.

  Her breasts were stupendous, for nothing less would have suited Dougall in a wife, and it was no chore at all for the chieftain to pleasure both the bride and himself.

  He heard his name whispered much as 'Oh Ranald…' and knew it meant a lot to her to be allowed to use it this night.

  Slowly he spread his own legs wider, which also took one of hers to the right and the other to the left, and let him at her parts unhindered. He found her soaking wet for him. For all her immature behavior at times, she had the body of a wench well ready for a good loving.

  She near leapt to the ceiling when his finger came onto her wee bud. He would no' let her stay cuddled on his lap now, but laid her on the bed and held her close with one arm while he worked at it. He dipped his finger into her for wetting, and sneakily checked for her maidenhead. Aye, definitely virgin. He gave the crossed-fingers hand signal to the witnesses and heard the scratch of Ishbel's quill record it on her parchment.

  Ginny was breathing hard, and the chieftain certainly needed little rousing now, but he knew he should teach her something of husband-pleasing when she felt ready.

  "Would ye like to touch me now?"

  Ginny responded immediately, as if she'd been waiting on his permission. She pushed at him to get off her, bobbed up onto her knees, gathered her hair out the road, and fair gobbled him up.

  Hah! She'd gone that far with Dougall, then. He would have been mighty suspicious about finding a maidenhead intact had he no' just felt it for hims
elf.

  Hell's pit, she was bloody good at it too! He'd to stop himself laughing aloud in disbelief but could no' suppress a grin as he looked down. Her lips broke contact with his cock as she gave him her trademark chirpy grin right back and then returned to her mission, which she was very obviously enjoying.

  Who would have thought it! Ranald and his family made it their business to know every one of the clanswomen who supplemented their wages with such work. Ginny was not one of them. Dougall knew the list as well as he did, and would never have married such a lass anyway. Nay, this was just something she'd done often, and he would bet any coin her wee bud had been reciprocally sucked until she buckled in half. If he could get her to bliss after the breach, it would no' be the first in her life.

  Letting it go on much longer would be sheer indulgence on his part, but he had to ask her three times to stop. And her eyes stayed fixed longingly on his cock, even when her mouth was off it and still hanging open.

  It was time for him to do duty.

  "Ginny, would ye have me breach ye now?" he asked, making sure his voice was loud enough to be heard by the witnesses for the record.

  Her head tilted. "A wee bit longer? Please, Ranald? …Please?"

  What could he say but "Aye, of course – you're the bride! What would ye like me to do more of?"

  Ginny might have forgotten the Bride's Right script and running order, but apparently she'd invented her own. She whispered it in his ear, making a fair attempt in French at the multiple of the magical number three, and supplementing it with a description of what way she would like it achieved.

  What the hell had she been up to with Dougall already?

  At court, this was an obligatory skill. He had no' done it at home in the Lord's Right since Fionna the Saddler's daughter, having already done it with her afore she had any thought of marriage. No witnesses at either event. And Kirsten the Fletcher's sister afore her.

  "Aye, we can do that… but ye'll remember I must keep my hardness to breach ye, so dinna go doing yer bit too well. And ye must stop when I tell ye. Promise?"

  "I promise, Ranald."

  "And ye must no' bliss, ye hear? Stop me if ye get close."

  He moved down the bed and lay on his back, per Ginny's instructions. Ginny reversed herself to kneel atop him, parked her bud on his mouth for a lapping, and took hold of his cock to resume what she'd just been doing so effectively.

  Ranald heard the witnesses conferring while Ishbel flipped through every page in her bundle. They needna bother. He'd studied the updated rules carefully afore arriving to do duty, and there was nothing recorded that would prohibit this.

  Having Ginny spread wide over his head gave him chance to doublecheck she was virgin. He was worried his earlier manual assessment had been wildly awry, considering their current positioning was at her request, but he'd been right enough. Her maidenhead was intact, and he signalled again to the witnesses with his free hand.

  His finger was exciting her too much. She was trembling above him, and moaning around his cock.

  He lifted her hips up… "Ginny! Promise me ye'll no' bliss yet. I'll go easier on ye now."

  "I promise, Ranald!" And her mouth returned to swallow more of his length than many a lass had achieved… and she took handle of his ballocks just right and all. He dared to let her play there only a wee while longer while he sucked and tongued her everywhere except her bud.

  It was time to call a stop. Ginny was so disappointed that he cuddled her in for a while and gave her more kissing and fondling. As much as he did to her, she seemed to gain as much joy from touching him. So he indulged her, and there was no' a bit of his body unexplored by the time he called a final halt. Dougall's pre-marital education appeared to have gone verra far indeed, for her skills were something awesome. He'd to fight against giving in to it all.

  "Ginny, I will need to breach ye sometime afore the morn. Do ye feel better ready now?"

  A shrug. "I suppose."

  She'd have a cheek to cry off after all they'd been doing, but he had to ask anyway. "Are ye affeared it will hurt?"

  A worried look. "Yer cock is awfully big, Ranald. I didna realise, although I had heard…"

  "Aye… well… yer chest is awfully buxom, Ginny, and I didna realise that either. Yer husband Dougall will deem it a bonus. There's none of us get the choice in how we're made, eh? But we have oil now that makes the breach easier. Lie back, and I'll spread it on ye. Ach, it's gone cold. Beatrix, if ye please – the bottle of oil from the fireside."

  And while Beatrix faffed about with testing the oil's temperature and refilling the bowl, Ranald diverted the bride's attention by licking her bud until he felt her coming close again.

  A scoop of the lubricant spread all round her parts, and he asked her again.

  "Would ye have me breach ye now?"

  He could see her putting on a brave face… hell's pit, he'd never had a bride as proficient in the bedplay that didna welcome his cock as well.

  "…Ginny?"

  "I think so. Aye, I am."

  "Are ye sure of this?"

  Her next "Aye" didna sound sure at all, but the word had been clearly said.

  "I tell ye what... we'll do it cuddling in."

  It did no' bring a smile, but the stark fear left her when she agreed. He lay down at her side, brought her leg over his thigh, and cuddled her in close with a huge arm tight across her back.

  There they stayed awhile until she settled, him just sliding some of his length along her oiled folds and setting a rhythm and gauging the time when she was calm enough no' to jump to the ceiling when he breached her. And he was playing with her nipple when he did it without warning, and he only went in just far enough to feel her maidenhead give way before pulling free again.

  Ranald kissed the top of her head, and felt her arm tighten around his neck. She looked as if cuddling in for a good night's sleep, yet he could feel her heart racing.

  The witnesses could see what he'd done. They could also see what he'd left undone, and consulted the parchments when matters seemed to have permanently halted.

  Hessa cleared her throat and read out the rule. "Chieftain, I address ye. Persistent attempt must be made to bliss the bride after the breach and with lord and bride still joined in carnal manner, even should it take until sunrise and beyond."

  There was no getting out of that, but the rule did no' dictate the depth of the joining. He laid her gently on her back and entered her just enough to satisfy the carnal manner terminology. And he braced his whole weight on his left arm and moved hardly at all while he thumbed her bud. Dougall could have the fun of teaching her the joys of full in, as he'd obviously taught her plenty else. Best this way anyway, no' to waste her with his own size.

  "Have yer bliss, Ginny… Come for me, lass… Enjoy…"

  Ginny looked up at her hero, knowing her special night was near over now. She reached up for one more of his delicious kisses and then let it happen, keeping her eyes wide open as her body tensed and the bliss spread all through her. And the second her last clenching had faded, she said, "Your turn now! Can I bliss ye in my mouth?"

  Again, Ranald had to fight hard no' to laugh. "Nay, lass, the Bride's Right doesna go that far, but I thank ye for yer kind offer. Hush now, for I must cleanse ye."

  He was gone from the bed and their joining was forever in the past, except for the shared secrets in their gazing at each other and the intimacy of his touch as he washed her all over, right down to her fingertips. She'd hold it in her heart always, the night the chieftain had been Ranald to her, and treated her like a real Lady.

  While the Wisewomen dressed her again in her wedding gown, the chieftain lay back on the pillows, cock still throbbingly erect so that Ginny could savour her womanly powers as she began married life.

  He spoke of Dougall's character and achievements, and how he valued him as his steward, and how Dougall could no' have chosen better to wife than Ginny.

  He also spoke of Dougall taking her abed v
ery soon and kissing her lovely wee lips until she could hardly draw breath. Dougall had now made his promise to love her all the days of their lives, and there need be no stopping till both of them were blissed and spent in the fullest of ways and sleeping in each other's arms.

  And when Ginny was ready to leave he beckoned her to him, and held her face and kissed her lightly. Her lips stayed shut to him, which pleased him greatly, for it meant his most recent words had worked well.

  "Never have ye looked bonnier, Ginny lass," he said in parting. "Dougall will love ye this night and always. Long life and good fortune to ye both."

  "I thank ye… milord."

  And Ranald inclined his head in recognition of her addressing him thus, for both knew it was time to revert to their stations in life, in spite of his cock nudging her elbow. Her eyes told much, and he understood what his father had spoken of – the importance of doing it verra well, for the day would come ye'd have their daughters, and all that time and beyond ye'd have a unique loyalty.

  "It is I who must thank ye, Ginny, for ye have honored me greatly with yer fealty and devotion, far more than ye know. And I thank ye again for the privilege of doing duty to ye in the Bride's Right."

  Ginny could hardly wait to see Dougall now. She accepted her Bride's Right chemise, gift-wrapped in a matching silk purse, and went happily to her new husband in the chamber next door.

  Beatrix was hardly back in the bower from delivering the bride to the Husband's Waiting Room when Hessa the Grandam spoke.

  "So, milord… little change from yer previously documented procedures, and really most of that initiated by the bride this time, or necessitated by her character, is that correct?"

  "I would say so, aye. It took a while, of course. Ye know Ginny."

  "Dinna worry, milord. Dougall warned us to allocate extra time. I'm thinking the idea of the repeated cuddling should also be officially recorded as useful for incoming brides, the ones ye are a stranger to. What say ye?"

  "Fine by me, Hessa. I have used it in the past, when I had the time available..." He looked at Elinor. "…Though no' when I was just back from the Cambel uprising and had a fearless bride over me like a rash. Elinor, come to me, if ye please. Bring clean water and cloths."