by Hannah West
This was it, she knew what would come next. Or mostly anyway, her two years at court taught her many things. Mostly from other lady's, but a few from herself.
Alrek ignored her tears, thinking them a ploy and kicked his trews aside as he climbed onto the bed. She was stiff as he took her into his arms and laid her down.
Darcee squeezed her eyes shut. Trying to block everything out.
"We only have to do this once, lass," the man said softly. "I shall not hurt you and I will not come to your bed, but what it take to sire a son. After I have my heir you will be free of this duty. Am I clear?"
With a silent sob, she nodded.
Alrek gritted his teeth. She was stiff as a board and as giving. He reached between them and spread her legs which she clenched together.
"Nay, lass," he grunted as he started to stroke her.
She gasped and gritted her teeth.
After a while he felt her grow damp and wanting to get this over as quickly as possible he pushed her legs apart again and positioned himself at her core.
When she felt something large poke her, her eyes shot open. "What are you doing?"
Without waiting he seated himself deep within her with a single sharp thrust to try and avoid giving her more pain by giving her the chance to stiffen around him.
He winced as she cried out with pain and he gritted his teeth at the soft hot feel of her around him. She felt like heaven, a heaven he had had to forgo for the last few months.
Tears stung her eyes and she cried at the burning pain of what he had shoved inside of her. "T-that hurts! Remove yourself at o-once," she sobbed.
He bent until his forehead touched her. "Shhh, girl. It is over and there will be no more pain, just relax."
She heaved a great sob and shook her head. She looked up at him and did the one thing she never thought she would have to do.
"P-please," she begged.
Looking into her deep gold rimmed violet eyes shimmering with tears, he had to close his eyes or risk giving in to her plea. He would finish this quick as he had no taste for an unwilling woman, wife or no.
"I will make this quick. I promise you will not suffer me in your bed anymore then needed to provide me with a son. After that I will never touch you again," he vowed quietly.
And he meant it. He did not like giving women pain and he would do all within his power to spare her more then she needed to know or have.
He was not cruel by nature, nor by choice if he could help it.
So he did as promised and left her bed when he was finished.
…
As soon as he left her she curled into a ball and cried quietly. This was not the way things were supposed to go. Her mama promised her a fair and gentle man, she had said that when she was taken to wed that her husband would cause her no pain.
What a fat wad of lies her mother had fed her, but then again her real mother was long dead and her snake of a stepmother was a cruel bitch. Maybe she would have had a gentle husband in a kind lord, but the barbarian warrior sent to her was nothing she would have dreamed of. The only thing her mother had been right about was that he'd be fair of face.
He was striking with tanned skin, but almost white hair and eyes that shifted from dark blue to ice blue with his moods.
Darcee's body hurt and that place in-between her legs was raw and bleeding. He had done as promised and finished fast, but he had not been careful. As she lay there on her side curled up she glanced at him as he pulled on a pair of leather trews and lace them up after cleaning himself off. After he was done he picked up the bowl of water and a small drying cloth.
He glowered for a moment before coming over to the bed and sitting down next to her. He hated how she flinched but he sat next to her anyway. He gently pushed her out to lay on her back and to her protest parted her legs and began to clean her up.
When he saw the blood he was resigned to the fact he had done this to her. But she wouldn't have let it happen any other way. If she chose to accept him again in the near future he would take his time and show her that the first time was the only time it would hurt.
Darcee flung an arm over her face in shame as he touched her and cleaned her body of the marks he had left. She didn't want him touching her, she wanted him away from her home and to leave her in peace.
"I am truly sorry," he said gruffly as he gave her another wipe on her thigh.
She remained silent as he continued.
"Tis had to be done, girl. Both you and I know it and I am sorry for the pain. The first time was the only time there will be pain."
That made her angry. She sat up on her elbows and glared at him. "The only time? How was I supposed to know! And what do you mean, that we will have to do this again! I think not, once is more than enough to get with child I am sure. You shall not touch me again, Norman!" She scrambled back and away from him to the other side of the bed.
Alrek glared at her. "You will do as you must until my heir is born. I will not leave this matter unsolved."
She shook with outrage. "Tis my body!"
"And now you belong to me," he growled.
"I should have let her succeed in killing me last time," she snapped.
He stopped cold. "Stopped who from doing what, wife?"
"Let my stepmother poison me. Should have let her, I would have if I had known you would be what the king sent to me after the war. He cut us off from the world and then ordered us to starve to death if we didn't give in. He may be the king but he is not my king!"
"He is your king now, but as for your stepmother she now has signed her own warrant of death," he snapped back.
He left the bed and proceeded to finish dressing. At the door he turned a glare on her. "I will give you until your next bleeding to see if you are with child. If not then we will try this again. Remain within this chamber until I return."
He snapped the door closed behind him and heard the beam drop into place, locking him out.
He stormed from the keep in a black mood intent on fixing a few things.
Chapter Three
Darcee wanted to curl up and have a good cry, but since she had never given into such a female wail, she gave a hearty sniff and lifted her chin.
If her body was to be the price for food in the bellies of her people, then so be it. It seemed as if a babe would be the price to her freedom. But could she leave the fate of a wee babe in the hands of such a cold brute?
Darcee shook her head, nay, she would not. Could not do that. She was now leg shackled to the brute and she would die so. So she must make what she may of the bed her new king had tossed her into.
Her father had installed a sense of honor in her so deep, any noble man would be prideful of. She had fought and lost, now she must take her losses in stride and move on as any warrior would. But that didn’t mean her stepmother wouldn’t pay.
And Darcee had plans for her.
But for now she needed sleep and on the morrow she would come up with a plan for her new involuntary life.
…
“Wake up,” Alrek barked, pounding the dank dungeon door.
“Oh, my lord,” came a woman’s voice from the other side. “There has been a misunderstanding. Darcee lies! It was her father that beat her so! She blames me because I could never get my husband to hold his hand.”
Alrek glared at the woman who came to the door. “I shall report your crime to my king and await his judgement on you. That is all I can do for you. As of this moment you are never again allowed near my wife. After you have been sentenced you shall leave my lands and never return. Am I clear, my lady?”
A sniffling sound came from the other side of the door as she ducked her face.
“Of course, my lord,” the woman said in a watery voice. “Of course.”
Nodding he turned on toe and left the dungeon. He had a few more things to see to this day before it came to a close and may his gods help him.
His next mission would be the taming of his new little hellion.
Darcee stayed up all night thinking of how her life had changed so much in such little time and it was in the wee hours of the morning before she heard the chamber door across from her’s in the hallway be used as her husband finally turned in for the night. She wondered at what had kept him up all night.
She snorted. Most likely he had been wenching all night.
She had no doubt the servant girls who were free with their favors had been trying to get on their new master’s good side.
Shaking her head she had fallen asleep with a small smile on her face.
…
Alrek sighed as his squire woke him and he dressed for another day that was going to prove difficult. He and his men had brought a lot of supplies but last night some of them had been stolen.
His men had been charged with finding out what happened and he would need to know this morning.
Washing his face from a clay basin setting under the window he gazed outside for a moment and paused. His lady wife traipsed about the inner bailey in her trews and tunic as bold as the sun, giving orders to his men!
What shocked him more was when they did as she bid them.
Feeling his temper rise he quickly pulled his tunic on heading for the door.
“Um, my lord,” Jacob mumbled, redding.
Alrek turned a glare on him.
“What?” he barked.
“The Lady Darcee means no harm, my lord. She said she was only trying to help you,” he squeaked.
“Help,” Alrek asked with a humorless laugh. “She is nothing but trouble, boy, and if I were you I would stay away from her.”
With a glower on his face he head down to the main hall and out to the yard.
…
Darcee smiled at the group of knights who had been kind enough this morning to help fix things in the bailey that had been damaged in the siege. She knew Alrek wouldn’t like it but until he was awake it matter for naught.
“Thank you for your kindness,” she said once more the young men.
“It was a pleasure, my lady,” said their leader. He was a kindly man in young years and he was handsome too.
“If you need aught else, do ask,” said another.
“I am grateful of your efforts and shall tell my husband so. I will have you rewarded,” Darcee promised as she spied her new husband charging across the bailey for her. She made a quick curtsy to them and quickly made her way to him before he had time to shout.
It was time she had a talk with him and he looked thunderous.
Pasting on a bright smile Darcee gave him a quick dip of her imaginary skirts. “Now before you bellow at your poor men I request you listen to what I have to say.”
“Why would I listen to a female with a barbed tongue?” Alrek asked sharply.
“Because,” she said reaching out a hand to push gently on his chest, “you have sense.”
In spite of himself he smiled at her quick wit.
“Your men were simply helping me put things to rights. We currently have so little that we cannot afford to let much go.” She sighed. “Most of your men would not help, but I promised to put a good word in for them. I would like to see them rewarded somehow.”
She turned brilliant violet eyes up to him. “I am sorry for how we met. I understand times are changing, but I don’t deal well with change. William is king and I am lucky not to have been tossed to the road side or worse. I accept that I must change as well.”
She looked down for a moment biting her lip.
“It is my hope this marriage will not only be based on the order of a king. I hope we may grow to become partners of a sort.”
Reaching down he tipped her chin up with his thumb.
“I know not what will become of us. Everything is new and I am unsure of the future at present. But if that is your wish then I will work to know you better.” He looked her over with a shrewd eye. “However it may be in your best interest if you did not dress as a man.”
Affronted she asked, “Why not?”
“Dressing like a man leaves you in a difficult position.” He looked away and coughed after she glared at him confused. “Its…provocative.”
Understanding his meaning she flushed with embarrassment. She had never before thought about it and her brother never minded her wearing them as she had trailed along after him.
“But I have always worn my brother’s clothes.”
Taking in a breath he said, “Then find a gown, any gown, and wear one for the gods’ sake woman.”
She looked a bit hurt at his tone and looked away. “I don’t have any gowns. The few I did have my stepmother burned them years ago.”
Alrek rubbed the bridge of his nose. “Then have the seamstresses make you some.”
Angry now that he still couldn’t understand she place her hands on her hips and snapped, “We have no coin for gowns, nor no cloth to make them with. You were doped and this land has been made poor. I need no new clothes when people are still starving.”
Darcee turned and walked away from him.
Frustrating male! Why he must be such a brute, Darcee asked herself.
A sudden sad feeling hit her in the gut and she flinched slightly.
“It looks as if nothing has changed. My stepmother may be out of the way, but the Viking dog has taken her place,” Darcee sighed with anger.
Alrek behind her let out a frustrated breath and felt the urge to hit something or someone.
It has only been a pair of days and she was already driving him to anger.
Somehow he was going to have to make this work. William had told him he had too. This land and these people were not yet loyal to the new king.
There was a little voice in the back of his mind telling him he needed to fix this for not only his king, but for himself.
He watched as Darcee’s tight arse in her leather trews stormed with her back to the keep.
He groaned.
Gods help him but he believed he could be in deeper trouble then he thought.
Chapter Five
Darcee was willing to admit her feelings smarted after her last row with her husband and it had now been three days since she talked to or even looked at him.
At every turn he had been trying to have words with her and she brushed him off like the hulking dolt he was. But sooner or later her temper was going to get the better of her brain and her sharp tongue was going to give him a lashing. As for the moment though she was too stubborn to confront him, but not his knights and warriors.
Darcee felt a grin creep up onto her lips.
She had charmed a few good ones to do her bidding but most of them still didn’t trust her and that was fine. She didn’t trust the Normans as far as she could throw them across the training field.
But work needed to be done and they were the extra hands she needed. Fierce warriors and killers? It mattered not if they didn’t want to starve as well.
A good friend of her father who had been lucky at the end of the war had agreed to sell them seeds of winter wheat that could be planted in the scorched fields this fall before winter came so they would have an early harvest in the spring.
Good thing her stepmother wasn’t as smart as she was pretty.
When she had the fields of crops burned, she hadn’t had the land salted to stop new growth and yestereve the goods and finally made it to Blackmoor.
With her thanks and a payment of some of the last of her mother’s jewels she had found a way to save her people and she would not have to beg more of the man she now called husband.
It was she and her people who got to work and her husband’s men too.
She spotted the group she had somehow befriended and swore to be her personal guard against her protest and cracked her knuckles.
“Sir Heath?” she called out to the one she remembered one of the men the group.
He swiftly made his way to her and gave her a low bow. “Yes, my lady?”
“How are you at field work?” she
asked taking his arm with a smile as they came up to his group of men. “I need a favor from you all.”
…
It’s been a blasted week since their last row and after cooling down the day after she refused to speak with him! The guile of that woman made him grit his teeth a mere degree from shattering them.
And now he couldn’t find the damn woman anywhere and no one he ran across would be able to tell him where she went. Even some of his men were starting to look guilty and couldn’t meet his eye.
Growling in frustration he went looking for the one person who could tell him where the bloody woman had gone.
His squire.
He found the boy merrily humming a tone on his way from the kitchens, but the moment he saw his master he froze in place, his face turning grim.
Alrek grabbed the boy by the scruff and gave him a shake. “Where is my wife, Jacob?”
The young man swallowed loudly and asked with a shaky smile, “Why would you ask that, my lord?”
He narrowed his eyes on the poor soul. “Because she has charmed you and you will do anything she has asked of you. Well as your lord I command you to tell me where Darcee went!”
The lad swallowed again. “You will not punish her too harshly when you find her, will you?”
Alrek lifted a white brow. He was indeed surprised the lad would stand up to him.
“She is mine to do what I wish, boy,” he growled.
With another swallow and a lift of his chin the boy said, “Then I cannot tell you. The vows of a knight clearly say to protect all women and to never hurt them.”
The lad was questioning his vows as a knight? Why the little wretch!
Stopping himself short of tossing the boy away he was suddenly hit with realization that he let go of the boy. He had never before struck the lad and he would not start now.
The woman was indeed driving him to madness.