“But I’m feeling generous today,” he said, releasing her breast and strolling over to the chairs in front of the fire. He gestured for her to join him. Woodenly, she sat. “You’re too beautiful to waste on my soldiers,” he said. “And I don’t like the idea of you spending too much time with my females. You’ll put ideas in their heads that won’t be very healthy for them.”
He leaned back in his chair, almost regal in his posture. In the firelight, his eyes shone red and his smile exposed teeth that were more like fangs.
“Our wedding will be at twilight,” he said. “And the sacking of the Markonian kingdom will take place at dawn.”
Alix’s facade of calmness fell away. “No! You said if I married you, you’d leave them alone!”
Vardok shrugged. “I lied.”
“You can’t do this!” Alix jumped to her feet but Vardok was faster. He caught her arms before she could even attempt to hit him. It felt as if he were trying to grind her bones to powder. “You can’t!”
“I can, and I will.” He chuckled. “Your innocence is so sweet.”
The bedchamber door opened and another soldier entered. This one had the stink of an ox shifter.
“Take her to be prepared,” Vardok said as he released her, pushing her back against the soldier. “Tell them to have her ready before nightfall.”
The soldier nodded and gave Alix a hard push, sending her stumbling ahead of him. She turned to look at Vardok once more, and as the door slowly closed she saw that he was laughing.
“Get in there!”
The guard shoved Alix into another bedchamber, and she nearly fell before she could catch herself. This room was similar to Vardok’s, with a huge fireplace and a bed in the corner, but a large wooden tub sat in front of the hearth. A female servant hurried into the room after Alix, keeping her eyes cast downward. Alix caught the scent of a feline, but it wasn’t very powerful. The girl was likely a small cat. She wore a metallic ring around her wrist as well.
“I’m so sorry, my Queen. I meant to have your bath ready and—”
“It’s all right,” Alix said. The servant quickly looked up in surprise, as if she’d expected a tongue-lashing. “And please don’t call me your queen.”
“I’m so sorry, my Qu—” she caught herself. “I don’t know how to address you.”
“Just call me Alix.” Alix tried to give the girl a comforting smile, but felt herself fall short. There was nothing to smile about for either of them.
“I’m Seela,” the girl said, nodding her head and bowing slightly. She had to be no more than fifteen, Alix realized. Her long brown hair was swept back and tied with a narrow strip of cloth and she wore a tunic that was far too large for her slim frame. She shyly glanced up again and Alix could see the years of abuse in her eyes.
“How long have you been here, Seela?”
“As long as I can remember.” She looked down at her feet again. “Lord Vardok captured my village when I was just born. He made my family work in the fields until one year we had a bad crop. He killed most of the adults and brought the rest of us here…”
Her voice trailed away in memory, but she immediately shook her head.
“I need to heat water for your bath,” she said quickly, running into an adjoining chamber and emerging with a bucket of water that she poured into the wooden tub. Alix looked into the other room and saw a roughly-built water pump. There was a small extension to the chamber, where a hole in the floor served as a toilet.
“Can I help—”
“Oh, no!” Seela looked almost panicked at the thought. “I can do it. Please just sit and rest. I’m sure you’ve had a difficult day.”
Alix perched on the edge of the bed, watching Seela work. Guilt filled her, even though she had never felt obliged to help her own servants with her baths as she grew up. She had taken for granted that it just wasn’t her job to waste time on such menial tasks. She’d somehow assumed that her servants enjoyed the work, or else they wouldn’t do it.
How could she have been so ignorant?
In a short while, Seela had heated enough water for the bath and gestured for Alix to join her. Steam rose from the tub, sweet flowers and spicy herbs.
“Your clothing is so strange,” Seela said as she looked at Alix’s blouse and jeans. “I don’t know how to undress you.”
“I can do it myself,” Alix said with another small smile. She disrobed quickly, shivering in the cold. She stepped into the tub, wincing at the heat of the water, and slowly sank down into it. The scent of the bath made her immediately sleepy and calm, and as the hot water worked to loosen her muscles, she was only dimly aware of Seela settling down beside the tub.
“I’m to wash your hair, as well,” Seela said quietly. She poured a cup of warm water over Alix’s hair. “I’ve never seen hair like this. It’s so strange… but it’s beautiful.”
Alix smiled grimly. It was likely that her strange-colored hair was what drew Vardok’s attention in the first place. She closed her eyes as Seela massaged a thick cream into her hair. Zack’s face instantly appeared in her mind’s eye, smiling. That was the image she had to hold onto. Not her last sight of him, crumpled in pain.
Tears burned her eyes. Not now, she told herself. You have to stay strong for your family. For Zack.
“You’re thinking of someone, aren’t you?”
Seela’s question surprised her. “How did you know?”
“Sometimes I can feel the way others are feeling.” She rinsed Alix’s hair with another cup of water. “Like right now, you’re sad. And you’re missing somebody that you love.”
“You’re right.” Alix rubbed at her eyes, wiping the unshed tears away.
“Was he your mate?”
“Yes,” Alix said as she forced a small smile. “He was.”
Seela fell mercifully silent as she helped Alix with the rest of her bath. When Alix stood and stepped out of the tub, Seela handed her a large, rough cloth to dry off.
“Let me brush your hair for you,” Seela said as she gently pushed Alix down to a short stool. She brushed Alix’s hair in long, smooth strokes until it was dry. They both remained silent, and Alix was grateful.
Seela arranged Alix’s long hair in a complicated, beautiful braid that hung loosely over her shoulder. She rummaged through a small trunk and withdrew a long tunic of soft blue cloth. She helped arrange it over Alix’s head and stepped back to survey her work.
“I think Lord Vardok will be pleased,” she said softly. Her eyes were solemn. “Please… just do as he asks of you. Don’t try to fight him.”
“I can’t do that.” Alix thought of the females in the dungeon, the villagers. “Someone needs to stand up to him.”
Seela sighed in sad resignation and nodded her head. “Then I hope he ends you quickly.”
The window was nothing more than a small slot in the wall. Alix had dragged one of the chairs over to it and watched the skies darken. The horizon was bleak, dotted with the blackened husks of trees and fallow fields. This place felt like an alien world where everyone was afraid and nothing good was allowed to live.
She closed her eyes and took a few slow, deep breaths. She could feel her time running out, but strangely enough, the thought calmed her. All of the anxiety and fear of what would happen were gone. Now that the moment had come, she was ready for it.
Or as ready as she could be.
The door to the bedchamber rumbled as it opened. Seela entered the room, her head lowered. “I’m sorry,” she whispered. “But it’s time.”
Alix slowly nodded and stood on shaky legs.
Time to go.
15
Alix
Six more female servants waited for her in the hall. All of them had the same beaten, solemn expression as Seela. Alix wished she could do something, anything, to help them. They seemed so miserable and broken.
Seela took her arm and led Alix through the winding hallways, followed by the others. They passed a few male servants who all shared
the same sense of defeat. Guards and soldiers strutted through the halls as if they were lords of the manor, laughing at any bit of misery or pain they could cause.
If I were Queen, Alix thought, they would be the first to go. They could either leave of their own free will or be locked away in that horrible dungeon where the females were being held. The females would be released and returned to whatever families they had left… and Alix would make sure they were all provided for and wanted for nothing.
But that would never happen. She’d be just as abused as they had been, and her title of Queen would be a joke. Alix knew that once she outgrew her welcome or bored him, Vardok would do away with her as well.
They came to a set of massive doors. The servants behind them hurried to the forefront and strained to open them inward.
This must be the Great Hall, Alix thought as she was led into the gigantic space. Rows of seats were lined up on either side of a stone walkway, facing toward the front of the hall. Every sound echoed and the ceilings were so high that Alix couldn’t even see where they ended. The window openings were not covered and a cold breeze swept through the room, bringing in dead leaves and dust.
And at the head of the hall, atop a raised stage, Vardok sat upon his throne.
He wore traditional marriage clothing—black trousers and a black tunic—and he had tied his shoulder-length hair back. His clothing seemed ill-fitting, straining against the width and breadth of his body. Smiling, he stood up and held his hand out to Alix.
“My bride,” he said and chuckled. “Come.”
Alix could feel Seela’s entire body trembling with fear as they approached Vardok. She gently pulled her arm away and took Seela’s hand for a moment, giving it a quick squeeze. Somehow, she managed a faint smile.
“It’s all right,” she whispered.
Seela nodded, meeting her eyes for a fleeting second, and then hurried away, back to the safety of the others. As all but four male servants filed out of the hall, a small, wizened male entered. The Vow Giver. The other servants closed the doors and stood ready for their next command.
This is really happening, Alix thought with a jolt of panic. Everything had led up to this moment. No one was going to save her. No one could stop this. She desperately looked around the room, searching for something, anything, she could use as a weapon. But there was nothing.
She could shift into her dragon form, but Vardok would overtake her before she could even open her mouth to spray him with flames. Hopeless.
“Wife,” Vardok said harshly, “I said come. Now!”
Gritting her teeth, Alix moved as slowly as she could, relishing this small act of defiance. She climbed the steps to the stage but did not take Vardok’s outstretched hand. She kept her gaze away from him, as if he wasn’t there. His anger seemed to be an almost physical thing.
The Vow Giver gradually made his way down the aisle. Alix could tell by looking at him that he was a sloth shifter; his arms seemed unusually long in his human form, and his eyes had a sleepy cast to them. He finally joined them atop the stage.
“Please greet your bride,” he said in a quiet voice.
Vardok grabbed Alix’s hand and yanked her closer. He leaned forward, as if to kiss her cheek, and she could feel his hot breath against her ear.
“Listen to me well,” he whispered. “I am going to fuck you until you submit to me, and I will not be gentle. Do you hear me? You are mine now, to do with as I will.”
He straightened up, an infuriating smirk on his lips. Alix was shaken by his words, but managed to hide her fear.
“Please greet your husband,” the Vow Giver said.
Alix was forced to rise on her toes as she leaned towards him. She refused to kiss his cheek, as was the usual custom. Instead, she whispered one word in his ear.
“Never.”
The sudden spark of anger in his eyes was gratifying. Perhaps he’d make her pay for her defiance later, but for now he could do nothing.
“Please join hands.” The Vow Giver seemed completely oblivious to the tension between them. He took a small packet of herbs from the folds of his tunic and sprinkled it in their direction. Alix grimaced at the smell. “Now.”
Alix kept her hands at her sides, hands clenched into fists. Vardok had to step forward to take them, and even then she silently struggled against him. She kept her gaze locked onto his, refusing to be intimidated by his glaring anger. If he wanted this, then let him work for it. She would give him nothing.
“I am called to witness the joining of the Caligo kingdom and the Markonian kingdom.” The Vow Giver lifted his chin, his voice growing louder and more self-important. “Who then presents themselves for marriage?”
“Vardok Caligo.” An evil smile quirked at the corner of his mouth.
Alix remained stubbornly silent. Vardok gave her hands a nearly bone-breaking squeeze. “Alix… Markonian…” she muttered through gritted teeth.
“I understand that there are to be no personal vows in this ceremony,” the Vow Giver said with a hint of disapproval. “Are there any objections to this union?”
Alix opened her mouth to speak and Vardok nearly crushed her hands again.
“Very well,” the Vow Giver continued. “As the Vow Giver of the Caligo clan for many, many years, I have been called upon to join every male Caligo offspring in marriage. As I joined your father, Lord Vardok, with your mother, I will now join you with your bride.”
Alix’s heart beat so fiercely that she could feel it throughout her entire body. A cold sweat formed on her brow as her stomach twisted and cramped.
“Lord Vardok, please repeat after me.” The Vow Giver took a deep breath. “As Master and Lord of this kingdom, I take you as my wife.”
Vardok’s smirk deepened. “As Master and Lord of this kingdom,” he repeated, “I take you as my wife.”
The Vow Giver nodded in satisfaction. “You shall honor me in all that you do, and shall obey all that I command of you.”
“You shall honor me in all that you do,” Vardok said, giving her hands another painful squeeze, “and shall obey all that I command of you.”
Alix suddenly felt faint. It was all she could do to remain upright.
“You will bear my offspring,” the Vow Giver continued, “and provide sons for the continuation of the Caligo name under the promise of death.”
“You will bear my offspring.” Vardok’s smile turned lecherous. “And provide sons for the continuation of the Caligo name under the promise of death.”
“And you will deny me nothing,” the Vow Giver said. “I will own you body and soul. What is yours is now mine, to do with as I please.”
Vardok repeated the words, an awful brightness in his eyes. He silently dared her to defy him, his grip on her hands slowly tightening.
“And you, female.” The Vow Giver turned slightly toward Alix. “As his wife, you will do as he says and follow his every command. You will provide him with sons. You will not question his wisdom. And you shall remain his wife until your death. Do you accept this?”
Alix clenched her jaw so tightly it ached. She knew it would make no difference in the ceremony if she said the words or not, but she wanted Vardok to know that she would fight him every moment of every day.
“Do you accept this?” the Vow Giver repeated.
Vardok gave her hands yet another bone-snapping squeeze. “Yes, she does. Move on.”
“Very well,” the Vow Giver said with a raised eyebrow. He took another pouch out of his tunic. “On your knees, my Lord.”
Vardok gracefully sank to his knees and yanked Alix down to the floor. Her knees hit the stone floor hard, but she barely felt the pain. All she was aware of was the fact that the ceremony was almost over and no one had saved her.
“With this dust of our lands, may your union be fertile.” He sprinkled dirt over Vardok’s lowered head and then over Alix’s. Another pouch was retrieved. “With these seeds, may my Lord’s seed find purchase and provide strong male offspring.”
Alix scowled at the floor as seeds were dropped atop her head. This ceremony was so much different than their weddings. It was almost an insult to the idea of a male and female joining their lives. She wasn’t a wife so much as a piece of meat to be used and discarded at his will.
“With this, I now declare you to be joined. The territories have been united. The Markonian region is now under Caligo law.”
Vardok stood and pulled Alix back to her feet. Before she could brace herself, he forced her closer, holding her arms to her sides in his embrace, and kissed her. She kept her lips tightly shut, trying and failing to pull her head away from him. His tongue felt slimy as he tried to force it into her mouth, his spittle foul and stinking on her skin.
Alix felt dizzy. It was over. They had been joined in marriage and she was actually, truly, his wife. Her worst nightmares had never been as horrifying as this.
Vardok raised his head and released her, wiping at his mouth with the sleeve of his tunic. His eyes were as humorless as ever, but now they seemed triumphant.
“Don’t worry, wife,” he said and smiled. “I will go easy on you tonight.”
He pulled her along behind him as he descended the stage. Alix’s attempts to resist him were useless and she stumbled along, barely able to keep on her feet. She knew what was going to happen next. He would take her to his chambers and then…
She couldn’t imagine it, and didn’t dare try.
She was married to a monster.
“It will be easier for you if you don’t resist,” Vardok said with another rough jerk forward. He chuckled softly. “However, it will be more enjoyable for me if you do.”
Without a word, the four male servants pulled the doors open.
And there, on the other side, was Zack.
16
Zack
At first, the only thing he could focus on was Alix’s hand in Vardok’s grip. Her knuckles were white and her fingers were forced together painfully. He was hurting her. Already, he was hurting her.
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