~~~
“Drink up, your mission is done and there is no one who needs torturing,” Wrath said, pushing a vessel filled with wine toward him.
Paine ignored the drink and regretted joining Wrath in the feasting house. The King’s decision to have Anin brought to his sleeping chambers had disturbed Paine and his concern for her was growing worse. “We both know why the King summoned Anin to his sleeping chamber. He will have his way with her.”
“Do not think on it,” Wrath ordered. “Besides, the King never forces himself on any woman. He does not have to. They willingly submit.”
“Not Anin.”
“Then you have no need for concern. He will speak with her and then release her,” —Wrath grinned— “unless she finds him too potent to resist.”
Not once had Paine seen a woman deny the King and never had he seen him take a woman against her will. Every one of them was eager to mate with the King, though none could match his appetite for mating.
Wrath went to speak and Paine was quick to warn, “Say one more thing and I promise you will not be able to speak for a whole moon cycle.”
Paine was glad Wrath wisely remained silent. He was aware that Wrath had no intentions of leaving his side, fearful that Paine would do something foolish. He was not prone to displays of foolishness. He did what he was told and never questioned... not until Anin.
He had grown used to protecting her, keeping her safe from harm. How did he simply stop or was it because he had grown to care for her far too much? That he could do nothing about Anin being alone with the King in his sleeping chambers had his insides twisting and turning. He fought to keep himself on the bench when he wanted to jump up and rush upstairs and rip Anin away from King Talon. But what good would it do either of them. The King would see him punished and Anin would have no one to keep her safe.
He rolled his shoulders, trying to chase the ache that centered between them.
“The King will enjoy himself this night,” a warrior said to the other warrior walking beside him as they passed the table.
“And well he should with such a beautiful woman,” the other warrior added.
Paine glanced up and saw that it was the two warriors who had guarded Anin.
He clenched his hands into fists so tight his knuckles turned white.
“Paine, you will only make it worse,” Wrath cautioned.
“Worse? You think it can get any worse than it already has?”
“You know the King would not hold her against her will.”
“Aye, I know that, but I also know Anin would do anything to ensure—”
“Her safety,” Wrath finished. “She will do fine.”
Paine shook his head. “Not her safety... my safety. And that I cannot allow her to do.”
Wrath grabbed his arm when Paine went to stand. “Think about what you do. Unless it is dire circumstances, no one disturbs the King when he is occupied in his sleeping chambers.”
“This is dire circumstances.”
“It is foolishness.”
“Then I am a fool,” Paine said and yanked his arm from Wrath’s grip and stood just as frightful shouts were heard from upstairs, followed by rapid pounding on the floor. Paine and Wrath did not hesitate, they ran for the stairs.
~~~
King Talon had yet to move from where he stood by the fire pit or speak. Anin wondered if he remembered that she was there, he stood so still. She kept watch on him, not knowing what to expect, but intending to make it clear that she had no desire to mate with him. If he was as fair a man as Paine had said, then he would leave her be.
The fire crackled and spit and she watched as several sparks flew out of the pit and caught the bottom edge of the King’s long tunic and flamed to life.
Anin screamed, jumped, grabbed a long garment off one of the pegs and ran to the King. She fell on her knees at his feet, smothering the flames with the garment.
King Talon was quick to shed his tunic and looked down at Anin pounding the life out of the last few stubborn, small flames with her fist.
“Are you harmed,” she asked, bringing her head up and her eyes rounding as her glance landed on his manhood.
At that moment, Paine and Wrath burst through the door.
Fury raged through Paine, seeing King Talon naked and Anin on her knees in front of him. He went straight for Anin, grabbed her by the arm and pulled her to her feet.
“Release her!” King Talon demanded harshly.
Fearing Paine would not obey the King, Anin yanked her arm free.
“Your hand, Anin,” King Talon demanded.
Paine’s fury mounted and he was about to reach for Anin again when he saw the back of her hand as she held it out to the King. It was swollen red.
“Wrath,” the King called out. “Get a servant to clean this mess.”
“Are you harmed, my King?” Wrath asked.
“Anin’s quick action saw that I suffered no harm. Now go send the servant here.”
“Should I get the healer,” Wrath asked.
“No, Paine will take Anin to Bethia when we are done here,” King Talon said and walked over to the pegs on the wall as Wrath took his leave.
Paine would tend Anin’s wound himself, though he would not tell the King that. He took quick steps to Anin as the King reached for his long leather tunic and belted it at his waist.
Anin spoke before he could, resting her uninjured hand on his chest. “I am fine, though I am glad you are here.” His feelings rushed over her. He was angry he had not been there to protect her, upset that she had been hurt, and furious with—
King Talon interrupted her thought with his command. “Tell me what my executioner is feeling,” King Talon said.
Paine turned to face the King. “I can tell you myself.”
“I do not want your words. I want hers.” King Talon looked to Anin.
Anin surprised both men and herself when she stepped closer to Paine, slipped her arm around his and said, “It is not right of me to voice his feelings. He will have to tell you himself.”
“I command you to tell me,” the King snapped.
“I will—”
“Hold your tongue or lose it!” King Talon ordered Paine and pointed to Anin. “You will tell me.”
A servant hesitated at the open door, his eyes wide with fright.
“See to cleaning this mess,” King Talon ordered and walked out the door.
Paine slipped his arm around Anin’s back and eased her to the door to follow the King. They passed by the steps to enter the only other room on the second floor, the King’s private chamber.
Anin hesitated to enter and Paine gave her a nudge. It was not a large room and a good-sized table and bench occupied most of it. Several chests sat about, some stacked three high. The small fire pit barely had a flame and Anin shivered from the chill.
Paine felt it and drew her closer against his side.
The King shouted for the servant and when he appeared, he ordered the man to tend the fire pit. In no time, flames sprouted and cast a glow around the room, warmth began to follow. The servant hurried out, shutting the door behind him.
King Talon pointed to Anin. “You will answer me.”
Paine gave her waist a slight squeeze. “Tell him.”
With Paine’s permission, Anin did not hesitate. “He is upset that I am hurt and that he was not there to protect me.”
“And he feels nothing towards me?’
“He felt anger, but—”
Again the King interrupted and looked to Paine. “Only anger? I thought I saw fury in your eyes when you entered the room.”
Paine did not deny it. “You did, my King.”
“But the anger was not for you, my King,” Anin said.
King Talon looked questioningly at Paine.
Paine knew the King would have his answer, but he hesitated.
“If there was one thing I could count on with you, Paine, is that you always spoke the truth to me.”
&nb
sp; “I always will, my King.”
Again the King waited for an answer, his eyes intent on Paine.
“Anin would do whatever it took to protect me, to keep anything harmful from happening to me and I was furious I could not do the same for her.”
“It is good that you will always seek to protect and keep Anin safe, for that will be your task from this day on,” the King ordered. “Anin will not make a fitting Queen, but her abilities will serve me well. You will see no harm comes to her—ever.”
“You have my word, my King, that I will protect her with my life,” Paine assured him.
“I have no doubt you will.”
Anin did not like that her fate was once again not hers to choose, but at least she would not lose Paine.
“Take Anin’s hand,” King Talon ordered.
Paine took hold of her uninjured hand.
The King walked to stand in front them and placed his hand over theirs. “I join you two as one from this moment on. No one can break this union. No one can see it undone. I seal it forever.”
Chapter Twenty-six
Anin smiled, her heart soaring. The King had joined them in marriage. She and Paine now belonged to each other and nothing could change that. “I am most grateful, my King.”
“You will serve me well, Anin,” the King said. “I will call on you when necessary.”
She nodded, thinking Paine was right, the King was a fair man.
“Have you nothing to say, Paine?” the King asked a glint in his eyes and a slight smirk on his face.
“What life will Anin have being joined to the executioner?” Paine asked annoyed he had been forced on Anin.
“Whatever life you choose to give her.” The King waved them off. “Now go and have Bethia see to your wife’s hand, then go make many bairns.” The King looked to Paine. “My word is law. This is done.”
Paine nodded and took the stairs down to the feasting hall, ignoring the stares of every one there as hand in hand he and Anin made their way through it. Once outside, he stopped. Dusk was fast turning to darkness and a sharp chill came along with it.
“You are upset the King joined us,” Anin said.
“Is there nothing I will be able to keep from you?” he snapped, releasing her hand and taking a step away from her.
Anin felt an ache in her chest. She had thought only of how deeply he cared for her. She had never given thought to how her ability might be a hindrance to that caring. “I should have listened to my mum and not let anyone know of my ability.” She shook her head. “My curse, she called it, and she was right.”
He wanted to reach out and take her in his arms and tell her it was no curse, it was her birthright. But until they heard the truth from her mum, it would not be fair of him to say anything. Paine grabbed for her hand and she yelped. He silently cursed himself for having grabbed her injured hand by mistake.
“Come, I will tend your hand.” He held his hand out to her.
Anin did not reach for it. “Do you want me as your wife?”
“It matters not what I want. We have been joined by the King and nothing can change that.”
“It matters to me as does the truth.”
“I am pleased the King joined us and I am not pleased, and I do not know how to make sense of that to you.”
“It is a good start.” She took his hand and they walked in silence to his dwelling.
Anin was not surprised to see that his dwelling was removed from the others and pleased that it was not near where tortures took place. Two drying racks with hides stretched out on them sat to one side of the dwelling and a fairly large planting area, all but a few plants harvested, sat to the other side. Not far from the drying racks was an outside fire pit and a thick tree trunk cut at both ends looked to serve as some type of work table. A bench sat under the one large tree and another bench sat against the wall to the left of the door and that was where Bog lay sleeping, his eyes drifting open to see them approach, then closing once again. There were fresh patches of thatch on the roof in preparation of the coming cold as well as fresh patches to the walls.
The inside was as well cared for as was the outside. There were barely any flames in the fire pit which was the way it should be if no one was there, less chance of sparks escaping and setting the place ablaze. A good-sized, raised sleeping pallet sat to one side of the room and a table with two benches on the other side. It was like many other dwellings, but this one was different. This was her home now. She would spend her life here with Paine, raise their children here, care for her family here and the thought brought great relief and great pleasure to her.
“Sit and I will tend your hand,” Paine said, pulling out a bench from beneath the table.
Anin sat and watched as he tenderly wiped her hand clean and just as tenderly pressed along the back of it.
“I feared you had burnt it, but it is swollen and sore from the pounding you gave it.”
“Why do you fight against how you feel about me?”
He released her hand gently and stepped away from Anin. “You deserve more than being forced to join with the executioner.”
“I may not have been asked if I wished to join with you, but I was not forced. I was thrilled when the King joined us. It is what I want... I want you. I want you without question. There is nothing you can say that will make me feel any differently. We were meant to be together.”
“You are so sure?”
“Nothing will change how I feel about you.”
Paine was not so sure of that.
Bog growled, alerting them to someone’s approach.
“You are needed, Paine,” Wrath called out.
Paine shut his eyes and shook his head for a moment. There was only one thing that would have Wrath interrupting him on this night. “Let him pass,” Paine commanded and Bog stopped growling, though he followed Wrath into the dwelling.
Wrath did not bother to explain, he simply said, “A Drust has been caught and brought here.”
Paine turned to Anin. “You will wait here for me. I will see that food is sent to you.”
“There is no place for me to go nor do I want to go anywhere. I will wait here for you.”
Paine turned and hurried out of the dwelling, Wrath right behind him.
“Word is spreading that the King’s executioner has a wife. So why deny what is now yours?” Wrath asked.
“Ask me that when I am done torturing the prisoner and blood soaks these hands.”
~~~
Anin watched from the open door as the two men walked away, disappearing into the darkness and Bog ran off in the woods to hunt. Flicking torches in the distance caught her attention and she waited to see two warriors carrying them, leading the way for the King. He was going to watch his enemy be tortured.
With a shiver, Anin quickly entered the dwelling and shut the door, leaning against it. It was not long before a knock sounded and a woman’s voice called out that she had food for Anin.
Anin opened the door and a young woman stood there with a basket in hand. She was taller than Anin and her lovely features captured the eye as did her dark hair that was long and looked completely untamable. She wore the plain garments of a servant, though her tunic was cinched tightly at her narrow waist with a leather belt.
“I am Atas. I have brought food and drink for you.”
She breezed past Anin, though she had not bid the servant to enter.
Atas placed the basket on the table and turned to look at Anin. “I came myself, though it is not a chore of mine to do so. I serve only the King, but I wanted to meet you and tell you how grateful I am to you for saving King Talon from being badly burned. It would be a true tragedy for a man as potent as he is to be maimed in any way.”
“I am glad to have been of help.”
Atas stepped closer to Anin. “Now that the King has joined you and the executioner, there will be no need for you to be in his sleeping chambers again.” She turned to the door.
Anin knew a war
ning when she heard one and she reached out and took hold of Atas’ arm.
The woman’s head snapped around, her chin going up as she said, “No one touches what belongs to the King,” —she wrinkled her nose— “least of all the executioner’s wife.” She marched out the door highly annoyed.
Anin should not have touched her with intentions to see what she felt, but there was an uncomfortable presence about the woman and she had to know what it was that disturbed her so. Atas was a foolish woman. She thought herself better than others because she felt that she satisfied the King’s insatiable appetite so often that he not only favored her, but cared for her as well. Anin knew the King cared for no woman. One day Atas would learn how wrong she had been.
Anin went to the table and emptied the basket, smiling at the warm bread and chunks of meat and crock of mead and a vessel of wine. Seeing the food, she realized how hungry she was and she sat down to eat her share, saving the remainder for Paine.
She enjoyed the food and favored the taste of the wine until she heard the first agonizing scream. The second followed soon after and the third unbearable scream had her dropping what food she held in her hand to cover her ears.
The tormenting screams were as bad as the mighty thunder that frightened her. They tore through her, ripping at her as if they were tearing her body apart. She jumped to her feet, sending the bench tumbling over, cringing at another scream that seemed to echo around the dwelling.
Suddenly the screaming stopped and Anin stood, her breathing heavy, her body tense.
Please. Please. Let there be no more.
Her breathing began to calm while worry for Paine took hold. She understood now why he had felt empty, devoid of anything, when she had first touched him. He could never make someone suffer so horribly if he allowed himself to feel. Her heart ached for him.
She stumbled back when an anguished cry pierced the dwelling. She slapped her hands against her ears, trying to drown it out, but it grew louder and louder until she thought it would consume her whole.
Unable to take it a moment longer, she ran out of the dwelling, following the torturing screams. She ran as fast as she could. She had to stop the suffering, her suffering, the Drust’s suffering, Paine’s suffering. It could not go on. She could not bear it.
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