The Bed Wife: A Novella (The Bed Wife Chronicles Book 1)

by Suzanna Lynn

  A warm breeze blew through the air causing Luana’s hair to flow up and around her face. Baylin gave a small smile in admiration. “Is there nothing I can offer you? My men could help you bring in your livestock. Do you not need a physician to ensure you are well?”

  Luana could feel the heat of her continued blush. “Thank you, Your Grace. You have already done so much. I am fine, I assure you.”

  “Well, if you’re sure you are fine,” Baylin said with a bow.

  Luana stood and watched as the Prince and his men returned to their horses and continued their journey back to the castle.

  She ushered her goats and began leading them back toward the farmhouse. Is he truly the little boy from so long ago? So much time has gone by, he has forgotten me. She could not help but feel disappointed that he did not recognize her. They had grown to be such friends when they were younger.

  *****

  During the weeks that followed, Luana would see the Prince and his men slowly travel past her fields, more often than ever before.

  She wondered if there could be trouble in Rivermouth to call them away so often.

  As the Prince and his guards would pass, Baylin would watch Luana in the fields, always nodding a slight bow to her. The little boy she once knew was all grown up and was so very well respected. It was hard for Luana not to feel flattered by this attention.

  Though she was charmed by the Prince, Luana forced herself to disregard his behavior. The harvest moon celebration was less than a month away, and she had much to do to prepare her flock, or risk not being able to sell them for enough grain to survive the winter.

  One evening, a week before the harvest moon celebrations were to take place, Luana returned home from the fields to find her father at home and, for once, sober. She could not help but feel something was wrong, for he had not been sober a night in nearly five years.

  When Luana had been only thirteen, their family had lost nearly everything after a small pack of trolls invaded their fields and had carried off nearly all the goats they had worked all summer to raise and fatten. With nothing to sell that fall, their family had almost starved during the winter.

  Her father had blamed himself. He had left the field unattended to visit the pub. He was never the same. He had given up all hope and spent all his time at the pub. It had been up to Luana to scrape an existence for her family.

  But now he was sitting with her mother and younger sister, excitedly discussing something.

  Luana’s mother, Fersa, made her way across the room and kissed her daughter on the cheek. “Luana, dearest, have you heard?”

  “Heard what, Mother?” Luana inquired as she made her way to the family table.

  “We get to celebrate the solstice in the castle,” Luana’s young sister, Lesta, squealed.

  “My dear daughter,” croaked Luana’s father Hal-john. “Have you ever been taught of the Keld traditions of the Bed Wife?”

  “Yes, Father,” Luana said sourly.

  Luana knew more than most about the bed wife ceremonies. It had been explained to her when she was very young.

  After young Prince Baylin’s accident, he would steal away from the castle and meet Luana in the forest behind the goat field. The Prince would sneak tarts and pies from the castle kitchens to bring to Luana, and they would climb trees, play hide-and-seek, and even fight imaginary trolls and dragons with makeshift swords and axes.

  In secret, they spent the entire summer in each other’s constant company. They had become inseparable friends.

  One afternoon while wandering through the forest, a great rain storm rapidly rolled over the Kingdom. The wind howled and whipped the leaves and tree branches in their faces so badly they could not see to find their way back to Luana’s home.

  Luana began to cry, wet and scared. She wanted to be back in her home by the warm hearth. It had been Baylin this time who had taken care of her. They sat under the canopy of a tree branch to keep the hard rain and strong winds at bay, hugging each other to stay warm.

  After the storm had passed, the two ventured, hand in hand, out of the forest. As they crossed the large field, Luana could see several men on black horses walking the tree line.

  “Oh no,” Baylin said miserably.

  “My Lord Prince!” one of the guards cried. “I have found him!”

  The guard dismounted in front of the two children as Luana’s father ran up behind them, pulling his daughter into his arms. “Luana, I have been so worried!”

  It was then that a callous-looking man came bounding up on an enormous black horse. “Prince Baylin!”

  Luana’s father instantly bowed. “Lord Cadman.”

  The man grabbed Baylin by the hand, yanking the boy’s grip from Luana’s. “What on earth do you think you are doing out here? Getting lost? Playing with commoners? You are the Prince of Grasmere.”

  Luana didn’t know the man, but she knew she didn’t like the way he was talking to her friend, nor how he was talking about her and her father as though they weren’t there.

  “Uncle, she is my friend,” Prince Baylin defended.

  The oily-looking man looked down at Luana with disgust. “The future King of Grasmere does not play with common little girls. Maybe someday she would do for your bed wife, but for now this is the end of it. Do you understand?”

  That summer was the last time Luana had spoken to the Prince. After Baylin had left with his uncle that day, Luana’s mother explained to her what a bed wife was.

  Nearly five hundred years ago, after the horrible Battle of Embers had virtually wiped out the entire royal bloodline, the Kingdom of Grasmere had become a burned wasteland. To ensure the survival of the Keld, King Aron wrote into law that every century, on the anniversary of the battle, the royal men who were of age would take a bed wife from the villages below. The anniversary of the battle was celebrated every one hundred years during the harvest moon celebration.

  This woman’s sole purpose would be to provide the Kingdom with new blood sons as heirs to the Kingdom. Each royal born would pick, for himself, a bed wife, requiring she exude beauty, strength and other desirable characteristics to be passed down to her offspring.

  When Luana’s mother had explained it to her, she spoke as though it was something to look forward to. If a young woman was chosen from your family, the family was provided with a new home and an endless supply of goods, including food and linens. To have a daughter chosen was to become one of the wealthiest families in the valley.

  Most of the young women had grown up hearing the stories and seeing it as a romantic tale-the honor of being a royal Keld bed wife. Luana saw it for what it really was, trading money for breeding stock. Lesta would get no excited encouragement from her.

  Fersa stood up and stroked her daughter’s silky hair. “Luana, we must prepare you for this. If you were to be chosen, you would save this family.”

  Luana rushed to her feet. “You want me to be chosen? To be taken to be some man’s wench?”

  “Luana, it’s not like that at all,” exclaimed her little sister. “If you were chosen, you would be the mother to an heir of Grasmere. You would be royalty!”

  Luana was angry. “Lesta, you are too young to realize what you say. You haven’t heard the true stories of what it’s like to be a bed wife, only what you and your little friends discuss while you’re off playing. A bed wife is nothing to the royal house. She’s not even allowed to see her children once she has them. Plus, the man still takes a true-born Keld wife as his own when he is ready. Those are the children who would rule.”

  Lesta’s face fell. “That can’t be true! Mother, tell her it isn’t true!”

  Fersa reached for her youngest to comfort her and looked disappointed at Luana. “Must you always be so difficult? Don’t you see what a great honor this would be for the whole family? You would free us all from this poverty.”

  “Is that all you see when you look at me?” Luana cried. “Am I just another piece of livestock to sell?”

&n
bsp; Before her parents could reply, Luana ran crying out of the house. It had begun to rain softly and she welcomed the cool waters as they ran over her. She tried to put the thoughts of the solstice out of her mind.

  Once she had calmed, Luana was making her way home when she saw Prince Baylin, his uncle, Lord Cadman and a few of his guard galloping down the path toward the castle. They had obviously gotten caught in the rain on their way back from Rivermouth.

  Baylin slowed his horse and bowed his head at Luana in respect, as he always had.

  An angry heat came over Luana when she saw him. Though he was once someone she had admired, she realized he would be one of the men taking part in the Bed Wife Ceremony on the Solstice.

  He has grown into a monster just like his uncle. The boy I knew is long gone. Luana tightened her jaw and stiffened her posture. She gave a quick curtsey and then proceeded toward the house silently while Baylin wore an expression of utter confusion.

  Chapter Three

  The day of the harvest moon celebration had arrived, and the young ladies in all the villages were garbed in their finest dresses. It appeared some families were so desperate to have their daughter’s chosen that they had sold all their belongings just to clothe them in beautiful gowns and jewels.

  The festival was, in itself, a grand affair. Everyone was gathered in the great hall of the castle. The room was so massive it could have easily held twice the number of those in attendance.

  There were tables upon tables of fine food, plenty of wine and ale and the King had even brought in fire-eaters, jugglers and others to entertain the guests. The room was loud with laughter, conversation and song.

  This was the first time Luana had ever been inside the castle. Instead of listening to all the young girls spew about their desires to be chosen in the ceremony, Luana walked around admiring the beauty of the architecture.

  The castle was built within the mountain. However, the inside featured high spacious ceilings with detailed diamond-shaped patterns carved into them. The walls were draped with the Keld indigo blue banners, emphasized with beautifully detailed embroidery work of silver thread.

  Surrounding the massive room were at least fifty columns that rose all the way to the ceiling. Each column featuring its own unique carvings, encrusted with great jewels and chains of pure gold and silver. Luana could not imagine how a mountain of rock and dirt could be sculpted into such a beautiful masterpiece.

  Luana was in the back of the room, admiring a column with a figure of a beautiful pale white woman with long flowing hair and emeralds for eyes when she heard a man’s deep voice.

  “Beautiful, isn’t it?”

  She spun around, losing her footing on the smooth stone floor, but Prince Baylin was right there with strong arms to catch her. “Careful.”

  Luana was without words. She could barely mumble out “My Lord Prince” and do a proper curtsey.

  “Are you enjoying the festivities?” he asked, stepping close to her so as to hear her better.

  Luana, forgetting her anger the week before, was taken by his gentle consideration of her. He was even more striking than before, dressed in a silver doublet with indigo diamond-shaped embroidery that ran along the seams.

  Unlike when he traveled the villages, this day he wore the crown of the Prince of Grasmere. It had a wide, gleaming silver filigree band where a large, round, faceted sapphire rested in the center of his forehead.

  The blue of the stone complemented the ocean color of his eyes and made it very hard for Luana to gather her composure. “Yes, Your Grace.”

  He smiled at her affectionately, causing her to blush. He has grown so handsome. She felt the kind heart of the boy she once knew must still be within this man who stood before her.

  Just then, the crowd began to applaud as King Ashmur appeared at the top of the room and seated himself in his throne.

  Baylin looked to Luana and took a deep bow. “My Lady.” He then made his way through the crowd toward the King.

  Luana was so flustered that she had hardly realized King Ashmur had begun his speech.

  “My gentle subjects,” the King began, “today marks a most glorious day in your history. As you all know, every one hundred years, on the anniversary of the Battle of Embers, the men of the royal line are to take a bed wife from your villages and produce the new heirs to the Kingdom.”

  Luana could not believe that the crowd was actually applauding this travesty.

  “Today, we will call for ten of your daughters to bring forth a new generation of Princes, Princesses, Lords and Ladies of Grasmere,” King Ashmur continued. “Each family whose daughter is chosen will be richly rewarded.”

  Again the crowd erupted in applause. Most of the young women were just as excited as their families.

  The King continued, “Each young lady who is called forth has been hand selected by her suitor.”

  Suitor. Luana sarcastically laughed to herself. More like “mount.” After all we’re just a bunch of dumb brood mares to them.

  “Let us begin!” announced the King.

  The ten men of the royal family formed a line beside the King on his platform, with Prince Baylin at the center. Luana was taken aback. She had almost forgotten that he would be one of the men plucking these girls from their families. She tasted bile at the back of her throat. How could she have thought him handsome?

  The King began calling names. “Keely of Black Hallows, daughter of Madoc. Valda of Hillford, daughter of Dour.”

  As each girl was called, she was not presented to the man who had chosen her. Instead, she was escorted down a side hall by two handmaids.

  Most of the girls squealed and bounced as they went. One went with tears, trying to cling to her parents.

  The ceremony was almost complete. Luana was thankful she did not know any of the chosen girls very well. It would have been heartbreaking to lose one of her friends.

  Then she heard it. It echoed through her ears like a loud drum beating inside her head. “Luana of Open Shaw, daughter of Hal-john.”

  No. Luana looked up at the King. Had she truly heard him? The room erupted in applause but to Luana it seemed to spin on a never-ending axis. No, this cannot be. She felt as though she would be sick. Please, gods, no. Do not let them take me. As she turned to look at her family, she could not hold herself up. Her knees went weak and she hit the cold stone floor. The applause was quickly replaced by gasps as nearby guests attempted to assist Luana and pull her to her feet.

  Even Prince Baylin and a few of the other royal men began to descend the stairs toward her. However, before they could reach her, she was lifted to her feet and quickly escorted down the side hall. Terror gripped Luana as two handmaids ushered her along. They’re preparing me to be a bed wife.

  Chapter Four

  Luana, along with all the other “honored” maidens, was escorted to the lower levels of the castle deep within the mountain.

  Each young lady was given a milk-and-rose water bath. They had their hair washed and styled into several loose braids that crowned their heads and gave birth to a single long serpentine fishbone braid - the traditional style for a bed wife.

  They were then garbed only in a sheer, pearl white robe with an indigo jeweled sash. Surely this was to inspire their suitors, letting the men breed with the women quickly without too much clothing to get in the way.

  All the bed wives were lined up, preparing to enter the main part of the castle. Each girl had obviously been chosen for her beauty. They were all very young, with slender bodies and long hair of blonde, raven or ginger. The youngest, the girl from Rivermouth, could not be sixteen. Looking past the redness of the girl’s tear-stained face, Luana could appreciate the beauty of her deep brown eyes and long brown curls. Even in her own fear, Luana wanted to comfort the girl but they had been instructed not to speak to one another.

  The group was escorted up a labyrinth of halls and stairs to be taken to their new bedchambers. These chambers were where they would spend the majority
of their lives. The sad young lady from Rivermouth cried silent tears as they ascended a stairway. However, the remainder of the women had actually believed the speech of how honored they were to be chosen and appeared to be excited. There were neither tears nor excitement on the face of Luana. She knew there was no great honor, merely an excuse to lay with women without the burden of marrying them.

  Luana was the last of the group to be placed. She was led to a vast room with a large open balcony that allowed the moonlight to spill in and fill it with a milky glow. The room was lit with nearly a hundred candles, giving a warm glow against the cool moonlight.

  “You will wait here for Prince Baylin,” the guard ordered.

  “Prince Baylin?” She repeated in an angry tone. It was he who chose me?

  “Yes,” the guard said through a sly smile. “You have been bestowed a high honor, bed wife. Your son could very well be the King of these lands someday, so spread your legs for the Prince and take his seed within you.”

  A defiant anger came over her. It must have shown because the guard laughed at her as he locked her in the room.

  She stood in silence for a few minutes, absorbing the realization of what was happening. She had been sold. Her father had sold her off like one of his goats to slaughter.

  Luana cringed as she began to hear cries coming from another room somewhere nearby. The crying was most likely the poor girl from Rivermouth. Just another bed wife doing her duty.

  The girl’s terror must have excited whoever had chosen her because they were followed by his loud moans of ecstasy along with laughter from what, she could only assume, were an audience of guards. Fear gripped her. Am I going to receive the same treatment? Could he really do such a thing to me?

  Luana tried to distract herself by observing the general splendor of the room. It was considerable in size, with the same smooth stone floors as in the great hall that the celebration had taken place in. However, this room had a warmer lived-in feel. There were shelves filled with books, a writing desk and a small table that was most likely for meals. It also had several fur rugs throughout—in front of the blazing hearth, beneath a padded settee bench—and a massive fur covered the floor around the bed.