Elinor was in raptures, whispering 'sorry… sorry…' with every one of his thrusts and feeling as if her bliss had never stopped. She loosened her hands to cling onto his massive shoulders lest she fall off the bed as her entire body tightened again in a bliss so much higher, and she dared not close her eyes to the kindly people she was still apologizing to unreservedly from her upside down view.
Ranald's ballocks exploded in the last of her clenchings, shooting his seed and roaring as he spent for the first in his wife since their wedding.
He pulled her up and over him against the pillows then, and kissed her properly for the first since the Lord's Right in his bedchamber when he'd thought her to be Meredith.
The Wisewomen rushed to cover them with a silk sheet, making their intertwined legs look like the bottom half of an erotic statue.
When the applause died down, he took her face in his hands.
"I too am sorry, Elinor…" he said, loud enough for all to hear now that silence reigned. It seemed as if the audience were holding their breaths as they waited for him to make things right between himself and his wife.
Ranald knew how much of their future now rested on what he would say to her in front of these witnesses, and he chose his words carefully.
"…I did no' take yer maidenhead well in the Lord's Right. I hope ye will forgive me, and that we may start our life together with some peace atween us."
His gaze softened as he looked into the green eyes he'd first known when he thought her another woman entirely, the swordmaker's bride that could never be his. He'd marvelled then that the color of the ocean had followed him home. And they'd belonged to Elinor all along, now his wife, and here at his side.
"Yer first husband Sir Alain Douglas was never a man any could rely upon to do the honorable thing, as my clan will testify. He kept ye so shut away that ye've little idea what life is about, nor how to treat the folks ye walk with along its path. It's made ye think that ye must fight for attention, and that ye need to be in control of all around ye, and that staying safe must mean believing yerself better than any…"
He watched those green eyes mist over, and look away. A knuckle under her lovely wee chin brought them back to his own.
"Let go of it, my bonnie Elinor. All ye need do is come amongst us as an equal, and ye'll be treated as such, and the happier for it. It is my duty both as chieftain and husband to look after ye and love ye. Will ye let me do that, lass? Will ye take the hard lesson ye've learned and make good of it? Will ye have trust in me, as my family and clan do, so that we may all trust ye back?"
Elinor swallowed, fighting not to cry in front of all these people. So little time had passed since the night she'd tricked this man, yet her life was wholly changed. He was offering her everything, even knowing she had neither earned it nor deserved it.
"I will, Ranald. I give you my fealty… and offer you my love."
He pulled her tight to his chest and smoothed his mouth over her delicious hair.
Life would be the more enjoyable from this moment on, though he suspected having Elinor Kierston to wife would ever be a challenge.
The Chief and the Bard conferred with Ranald's brother Connor, and the Chief then stood to make announcement.
"Let it be recorded that Ranald and Elinor have fulfilled the terms of the bargain made at the Assembly of the Clan, and that Elinor has submitted to her husband's will and wisdom. Ranald will stay chieftain."
The witnesses stood to cheer, and each came to the couple in the bed before taking their leave from the bower.
Ginny looked wide-eyed still, trying to match up the gentle Ranald she'd just had in the Bride's Right with a Ranald who could rut his wife like that. Ach well, a chieftain had to be versatile and she knew how special she'd been to him. The secret was there atween them in the look he gave her now. Still, maybe she'd let an opportunity pass her by there… the Lady Elinor looked plenty content with his methods.
"Chieftain!" said Dougall with a grin, inclining his head. Ginny was in for a loving this night that would take them through to the sunrise and he couldna wait to get her home.
Meredith said, "Luck for all the clan that ye took my place in the Lord's Right, Lady Elinor." Archie the Swordmaker said, "The forge has a power all its own, chieftain. I forgave ye the lie the minute the truth was known, and I trust ye now as ever we trusted each other."
Martha said, "We bid ye most welcome to our cottage at any time, Lady Elinor." And the Scribe said, "We wish ye many of Ranald's fine sons like Roddy."
The Wisewomen fetched the table of wine and fruits to the bedside. Hessa the Grandam said, "We look forward to yer visiting the Vault, Lady Elinor. We have much to teach ye of clan Traditions and lore."
Connor said, "Long life and good fortune to ye both. I'm bloody glad ye managed it, brother!"
The Chief said, "Well done, lad! May yer sons be as fine as mine own, and yer wife's arse always covered in lovebites. Will that do ye for a life, Elinor?"
"Oh indeed, Sir Thommas…" And the secret passed between them, and the trust renewed.
Lady Agatha took each of their hands. "There now, ye both did splendid – such control! Such conditioning! I swear even after all these years I canna bliss without thinking how grateful I am to the clansfolk and how sorry for my silly ways when first I wed Thommas."
Ranald sat abruptly forward. "Ye did no' tell me this bit, mother… yerself and father did the Duty of the Chieftain? Like this?"
"No' quite. Thommas indulged my sharp tongue too long afore he sought remedy in the Red Book, so I'd offended more witnesses by then."
"How many?" Elinor asked, thinking thirteen excessive.
"Five-and-forty." And at Elinor's reaction, she said, "Still, better than Thommas's mother with her two-and-seventy. Ye're a lucky lass to have a husband willing to give ye instruction early. Each generation learns from the one afore it, aye? Be happy, my dears!"
The Bard quietly put the Scold's Bridle back in its sack for dispatch to the Prison Island to rust. No point keeping it here, for the wives of the bloodline always had brand new. Suitable alternative remedies such as the Duty of the Chieftain were ever to be found in the Books of MacKrannan Secret Traditions, and the Bridle a sign of how lucky women were in these enlightened times.
The descendent of the Bard now being grown to a man, his father taught him a generation more of story in the clan's genealogy.
"…And the Lady Elinor did constantly apologize, and ever after she was a fine wife to Ranald and a fine lady to the clansfolk. And thus the effectiveness of the Scold's Bridle was acknowledged when its use as a deterrent came under review.
"And Ranald the chieftain did make the rule that the Bride's Bower be used by the bride and her husband for three days and nights, with fine foods and wines supplied, and the use of the battlements sun-garden, for it seemed fitting privilege for the couple to continue what their lord had begun in the sumptuous surroundings devised and tended by the Wisewomen.
"And Martha, mother of Roddy and wife to the Scribe, did make the suggestion that all couples should receive a three-roomed cottage straightaway if the bride was discovered virgin upon the lord's inspection, and it was found that this encouraged many others to marry and set up home instead of meeting in haylofts.
"And so well did the wives of the bloodline do duty in the Bride's Right of the First Night that the Lady Elinor and the Lady Agatha were the verra first to be named as Service Providers alongside the Chief and chieftain.
"And it was Ranald and Elinor's passion for research and development which led to the many innovative additions to the Red Book of MacKrannan Education Traditions, all of them thoroughly trialled, and all chronicled as the Duty of the Chieftain, Mark Two through to Mark Four-and-Twenty."
If you have enjoyed
DUTY OF THE CHIEFTAIN
look out for…
Coupling of the Chieftain
~ a Highland voyeur story ~
Novella #1
in the erotica ser
ies
'Clan MacKrannan's Secret Traditions'
Clan MacKrannan is rumoured to have many strange and secret traditions from centuries past, and Lady Elisa Strontoune discovers just how peculiar the clan's matrimonial ritual is when she weds their chieftain Adair. Someone has quite forgotten to warn her of the shocking rules for their first coupling.
The timid Elisa must conquest her fears, for the bride has to be willing and it's far too late to refuse. The warrior Adair must conquest Elisa – after he revives his bride from her wee swoon, of course.
The stakes are high. Victory must be theirs by sunset. And the witnesses are getting restless…
www.amazon.com/dp/B00CH67FJ4
AMAZON REVIEWS for 'Coupling of the Chieftain'
"A totally unexpected gem! …What an intelligent and enchanting read this is… you would never dream that the writing of the sex scenes would be so wonderfully sensitive, but they are… the author contrasts ribaldry with tenderness to perfection… A classy 5* read."
"Finally an Erotica with a Plot! …The story of Adair's attempts to ease his new bride's nerves is very sweet…."
"I really enjoyed this so much! It was so much fun to be there. I felt like I was right there with the couple that day. Jonnet was able to create such a picture to be experienced, not just read. Great job I say, wonderful story!!"
~~~~~~~~~~~
The Chieftain Needs an Heir
~ a Highland ménage novella ~
Novella #2
in the erotica series
'Clan MacKrannan's Secret Traditions'
Clan MacKrannan is rumoured to have many strange and secret traditions from centuries past. The chieftain Niall and his wife Sorcha discover just how peculiar they are when the Heir's Cradle is still empty after many moons. A special fertility ritual is called for – the 'REMEDIE FOR WYFES TOO TALLE'.
Niall knows his heart belongs to Sorcha, despite his absences to go wenching. He must accept the hard life lesson that believing is never quite as beneficial as seeing.
Sorcha knows that all the clan's enacted Traditions are witnessed. What she must accept is that witnesses sometimes join in…
www.amazon.com/dp/B00COZIU6A
~~~~~~
Curse of the Chieftain
~ a Highland orgiastic novella ~
Novella #4
in the erotica series
'Clan MacKrannan's Secret Traditions'
Finlay MacKrannan and his bonnie wife Maeve are the happiest couple in Scotland until a Cambel's curse makes it suddenly impossible for them to couple. The curse keeps lovers apart, but makes them rampant for all others – and it's now spreading rapidly through the clan.
Reversal is only possible with a remedy found in a special MacKrannan Secret Tradition, but it requires the ill-wisher's presence. The curse was set during a ceilidh. The mating rituals concealed in these Highland flings must now be danced for real… and with the enemy.
www.amazon.com/dp/B00FTKW5Z4
Sister of the Chieftain
~ a Highland Initiation Ritual novella ~
Novella #5
in the erotica series
'Clan MacKrannan's Secret Traditions'
Morna MacKrannan cannot choose between her two suitors, and she doesn't have to – her Celtic ancestor was allowed four husbands at once. But before Morna's multi-wedding can take place, clan tradition decrees that Kyle the Bard must take her virginity in a Hallowed Union …with the help of her suitors.
Neither Morna nor Kyle know that each is secretly in love with the other. Professional detachment becomes impossible when he sees her every fantasy during the paranormal ritual. The Bard within Kyle fights to banish his feelings, but only Kyle the man can win his woman…
www.amazon.com/dp/B00HFKWW7C
AND COMING SOON!
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Blog http://jonnetcarmichael.wordpress.com/
Duty of the Chieftain - a Highland 'Lord's Right of the First Night' novella (Clan MacKrannan's Secret Traditions #3) Page 12