"I only went in to help Layla."
"Help her? You mean, help her steal?"
"No, no, of course not. I went up there with her, but I refused to go in. She slipped through the bars of the gate, and I climbed a tree to watch."
"You mean keep watch," Simeon chimed in. "You were her lookout."
"Simeon, that's enough," her father said sharply, "but is he right, Serenity? Were you her lookout?"
"No, not really. I mean, I was just worried. If anything happened I was going to run back here for help."
"But obviously something did happen, and you didn't come back here for help."
"Because Bastian caught her, and he was going to spank her, and I thought if I could explain why she was there trying to get some apples he'd understand and let her off."
"I'm sure he had no interest in what you had to say," her father said grimly.
"No, it was so unfair, and he was pulling up her skirt, and—"
"Pulling up her skirt?" Simeon interrupted wide-eyed.
"One more word from you, Simeon, and you'll be sorry," her father warned.
"Sorry, father," Simeon muttered.
"Go on, Serenity. What happened?"
"He was determined to punish her, but he let down his guard for a minute and we managed to take off. She was much faster than me though, and got to a tree and was able to get away."
"And you got caught?" her mother asked, worry crinkling her brow. "Oh, dear. What did they do to you?"
Serenity felt her already flushed face grow even more red. How could she possibly tell them about the astonishing punishment Killian had inflicted upon her? She couldn't, not any of it.
"Killian, Bastian's son, he scolded me very harshly."
"As well he should have," her father exclaimed. "I'm glad to hear it, and tomorrow you will come with me to visit Layla and talk with her parents about this. Such bad behavior. I'm surprised at you, Serenity."
"It just sort of, uh, happened," she said quietly, and in her best woeful voice, the one that she knew never failed to melt his heart, she added, "I'm ever so sorry, father."
He locked her eyes, then let out a heavy sigh, and she knew she was forgiven.
"You're no longer a young girl. It's time for you to grow up. No more of this reckless behavior. Do you understand?"
"Yes, father. I do understand. I only went with her because I was worried about her."
"If you were worried you should have come to me or your mother."
"You're right. I will next time."
"Go to your room. You must stay there for the rest of the evening, and there will be no sweet pudding for you. I will think of an appropriate punishment."
"Yes, father," she replied, hoping she sounded appropriately contrite.
"I think it's time you and Jakari began to look to your future."
Serenity felt a sudden wave of anxiety.
"I, uh, I'm not sure I'm, uh, ready for that," she stammered, "and even if I was I'm not sure Jakari is the one for me."
"But you two have been spending time together. The word is out around the village. You aren't thinking straight. Go to your room and gather yourself. I've had enough."
Her father's voice had been filled with impatience. Knowing it would be a bad idea to press her luck she rose to her feet and quietly walked away, but as she moved into her tiny room, she couldn't fight the unfamiliar feelings surging through her.
"What's wrong with me? Why can't I push Killian from my thoughts? Why do I feel such need to see him again? Why must I touch myself?"
The family would soon be enjoying their sweet pudding, and unable to resist she laid on her cot, spread her legs, and placed her fingers against her sex. As she urgently massaged her tiny nub, images of his muscled body, his long hair and handsome face, loomed in her mind's eye. She could feel her orgasm building, then abruptly memories of his hot hand spanking her naked bottom, and his thick finger thrusting inside her, burst to life, and she was surrendering to the magical spasms. As the climax waned, and she let herself drift in the residual tingling, she imagined Killian's arms holding her, and his warm whispers in her ear.
"Master," she whispered, "what spell have you cast on me?"
CHAPTER FOUR
It was the following afternoon. Serenity's father had just knocked on her door. It was time to walk with him to Layla's home at the end of the curving lane near the bottom of the hill. It was a short trek, but one she was dreading. Her father and Layla's parents would scold them, then exact some sort of punishment. Their crimes were different, but they shared equal amounts of guilt.
In spite of her noble intentions to help her family, Layla should not have taken it upon herself to try to steal the oranges, and after being caught, she most certainly should not have thrown the apples over the wall and brought them home. Serenity should have discouraged her friend from going to the barbarians' compound in the first place, and she had only made matters worse by aiding Layla's escape.
Slipping from her cot, she picked up her shawl from the small table in the corner, wrapped it around her shoulders, and opening her door and walking into the living area, she found her father standing by the window looking as solemn as she felt. He didn't speak, but gestured for her to walk ahead of him to the front door. As she did she could hear her mother humming in the kitchen. Serenity suspected she was probably preparing the storage of food for the winter months. It was a familiar and comforting sound, but it wasn't enough to lift her mood.
"Don't look so glum," her father said as they moved outside. "This won't be pleasant but it's not the end of the world."
A breeze whisked around her legs, blowing her skirt and making it billow.
"I can't help it," she muttered, fighting the flimsy fabric. "It's all such a mess."
"What is?"
"Everything," she said with an exasperated sigh.
"You and Layla did something wrong, you'll be punished, and that will be the end of it. I don't know why you're making more of this than it is."
"You look just as unhappy as I am."
"I'm not unhappy, I'm just disappointed. You've always had a mind of your own, but I thought you'd grown out of such nonsense."
She'd barely heard his reprimand. Killian was still haunting her, and she wished she had someone to whom she could share her salacious secret. She couldn't burden Layla with the explicit details of what had transpired in the handsome barbarian's room. Her friend would be horrified and feel responsible, and Serenity didn't trust anyone else. It was a burden she would just have to carry alone, and as they turned around the corner and strode towards Layla's cottage, she accepted her fate.
It didn't matter how Killian had affected her, it didn't matter that the brawny barbarian had made her feel things she'd never felt before, or that she'd not been able to get him out of her mind for a single moment since she'd returned home. None of it mattered. Her father was right. She'd be punished, it would be over, and she would probably never see Killian again. She would end up with Jakari, or another young man from the village. They'd have a family, and she would live a life like her mother. Would that be so terrible?
Glancing up at her father, she could see why her mother was still so enamored of him. His green eyes twinkled, and he had mass of sandy hair that fell in waves around his oddly appealing face, but as she thought of how her mother would stare at him with a sparkle in her eyes, Serenity knew she didn't feel that way about Jakari. She was fond of him, but what happened with Killian had made things strikingly clear. Jakari was nice, and when they laid naked together he was considerate and sweet, but she had none of the feelings Killian had sent racing through her veins. She suddenly felt her tummy tumble. The momentary memory was making her feel those things again, but it was foolish. She had to fight them and face reality.
"This is ridiculous," she muttered as they approached the front door. "I must accept what is."
"What's that?" her father asked. "Did you say something?"
"You're right, fa
ther. This will soon be over and of no importance. I made a mistake, that's all there is to it."
"Exactly. Now let's see what Sampson has to say."
Sampson was Layla's father, and Serenity already knew he would tell them their behavior had been that of foolish children, not young women on the brink of leaving home to start families of their own, and she'd stand there feeling totally embarrassed and two feet tall. They had reached the house, and taking a deep breath she prepared herself. Her father knocked, and as the door opened she stared at the ground, hoping her demure demeanor would help her cause.
"You arrived at just the right time," Sampson declared. "I was going to send Layla's brother to your house to fetch you."
"And why is that?" her father asked.
"We have visitors. Please, come in."
Serenity followed her father inside, and raising her eyes to see who else was there, she could not believe she was looking at Killian's tall muscled body. Her mouth fell dry, her heart leapt in her chest, and she could feel a searing heat burn across her face. Would the spanking and erotic punishment she'd suffered be announced to the room? Was she about to be completely humiliated?
"The other culprit," a husky voice boomed.
She'd been so shocked by Killian's presence she hadn't seen Bastian standing a few feet away, and she darted her gaze across to the barbarian leader.
"Bastian, I'm surprised to see you," her father said, "and I apologize most sincerely for my daughter's bad behavior."
"We were discussing an appropriate punishment for Layla."
"Serenity deserves to be disciplined as well. What is it you have in mind, Bastian?"
"Our cook's helper has hurt her wrist. The floor needs scrubbing, the counters cleaned, and many vegetables peeled and chopped."
"I was planning on returning the apples," Sampson interjected, pointing to the fruit sitting on the table, "but Bastian has very kindly agreed that Layla can pay for them by working, along with some added duties for penance."
While listening to the men talk, Serenity had been staring at Killian, her blue eyes filled with panic, silently begging him not to speak of what had happened between them.
"A good dose of hard work might teach them both a well-deserved lesson," her father continued. "If you agree, I think Serenity should join her."
Though the thought of being on her hands and knees scrubbing a floor while Killian loomed over her was mortifying, to her great relief he hadn't spoken. At one point she thought she'd seen a slight nod of his head, as though he'd heard her mute plea and had kept quiet for her benefit, but being in his presence was making her pulse race, and she could feel a warm flood between her legs. She was deeply drawn to him, and she hated it. Why, of all the people in the world, was she attracted to him? She should despise him for what he'd done to her, and a part of her did, but another part of her ached to call him Master again, and she found herself wondering how it would feel to have his hands roam across her body.
"Then we will expect to see you both tomorrow morning," Bastian said sternly, moving his eyes from Layla to Serenity, then back again. "You'll be staying through the day, and will clean up after our evening meal. Don't worry, you'll be fed and watered, then one of my men will see you home."
"Bastian, before you go," Sampson said quietly, "thank you again for the provisions. I'll have the spears made and deliver them to the compound in the next few days. "
"We cannot let the misbehavior of two willful young women undermine the harmony we have developed. If I'd know you were in such trouble I would have asked for the blades before now. Should any of the other villagers find themselves suffering, you have permission to approach the gate of the compound. Someone will fetch me."
"That is kind of you, Bastian," Sampson said humbly, wondering why, after so many years, the leader of the fearsome tribe seemed to be softening.
"I'm not quite ready to leave," Killian suddenly announced. "These young women have not yet apologized."
They were the first words he'd spoken since Serenity had arrived. Delivered abruptly, they'd startled her, and though she wanted to appear demure and remorseful, she could feel the stirring of the strange defiant force that lived inside her.
"I am sorry, honestly, I am," Layla murmured, her eyes on the floor. "I shouldn't haven't entered the compound at all, and I should never have tried to steal from you."
"And you, Serenity," Killian demanded, stepping forward.
"I accept the punishment, but I'll never be sorry for trying to help my friend."
"Serenity!" her father exclaimed, grabbing her arm, "are you not sorry for breaking the rules?"
"Bastian," she began, shifting her earnest gaze from Killian to the tribe's leader, "you are a warrior. Have you not broken rules to protect your men? Would you not put yourself in harm's way to rescue one of them if he was in trouble?"
As all eyes turned to him, Bastian walked across the small space, and stopping in front of her, his tall, massive body towering over her, he leaned slightly forward and began to speak.
"Do you remember what happened when you were a child and I first entered your home?"
"Of course," Serenity replied, feigning a courage she did not feel. He was huge in height and size, and his mere presence was menacing.
"Tell me what was said back then."
"I, uh, told you we wouldn't fight you so you didn't have to hurt us, then father said he would fight you, and I said he wouldn't if I asked him not to."
"And what did I say?"
"You said I was brave and foolish and I got that from him."
"You haven't changed, Serenity. You are still brave, and you are still a foolish little girl. You must learn when to surrender, when to bow before those more powerful. One day you will learn this, and I hope no harm will come to you before you do. Rules apply to everyone, and if you break them, regardless of the reasons why, you must be sorry. It is the way of life. Layla stole for honorable reasons, but she understands her bad behavior and has apologized. It's a shame you have not done so. Your pride will be your undoing, Serenity. Come, Killian, we have spent too much time here already."
Serenity felt her face flame with fresh heat. Was Bastian right? Had she been wrong to defend herself?
He abruptly turned and strode towards the front door. Killian followed, but as Killian passed her, he paused, standing just inches away. Her heart began to thump, and she felt a burst of fluttering in her stomach. She thought he was about to deliver another scolding, but he suddenly walked on, and while Sampson hurried to close the door behind the departing barbarians, Serenity thought she was about to collapse. She felt weak, and her legs were wobbly.
"Serenity, you're so red. Are you all right?"
"Am I foolish, father?"
"No, but sometimes you do foolish things. We all do."
"Should I be sorry for breaking the rules even though it was because I wanted to help Layla? Should I have just left her at the mercy of that big brute?"
"At times like that, there is no easy answer."
"What would you have done?"
"I wouldn't have gone up there in the first place."
"Exactly," Sampson interjected, "and that was the mistake. You both put yourself in a bad situation, and now you'll be at the whim and mercy of the barbarians for an entire day, possibly longer if they decide to keep you there."
"At least we got some food," Layla piped up.
"And now we can approach them if something goes wrong," Serenity added. "That's new, and it's good."
"But why the change?" her father murmured.
"I'm wondering that myself," Sampson agreed, "but at the moment I am more grateful than suspicious."
"After Serenity and I suffer through tomorrow, our lives will be back to normal, maybe even better than normal," Layla said, hoping it made her mistake less egregious. "It didn't turn out so bad after all."
Serenity and her father said their goodbyes, but as they began to walk back to their cottage, Layla's words, ou
r lives will be back to normal, were echoing through Serenity's head.
Normal? No. Serenity was sure things would never be normal for her again.
CHAPTER FIVE
Killian stared out the window. He was in the living area of his father's chambers, and had been perched on the wide ledge for some time, gazing down at the front of the compound, and across the fields and small forest to the village in the distance. If he became the leader, the spacious chambers would be his, but for the moment he preferred living in the back of the castle. The front had suffered damage from battles long before they had arrived, but the rear of the fortress was virtually unscathed, and he had discovered the rooms there held secrets, secrets he'd shared with only his father.
Though Biddie had taken his stiffened shaft into her marvelous mouth two nights in a row, Serenity had stubbornly stayed in his head. Even as Biddie had laid sleeping next to him, her large breasts pressed against his body, her bottom warm from his spanking hand, and her wrists still tied in his rope, he had stared up at the carved canopy of the dark wood bed wondering why he could think of nothing but the beautiful village girl. Was his father right? Was it just his bruised ego causing the willful girl to haunt him? Killian wanted to believe him, but it felt like so much more. Her continued petulance at Sampson's cottage had shocked him. She was slight of build, yet she wasn't in the least intimidated and had remained defiant. The scolding lecture his father had delivered had been wise, but had it made any impact on her?
Killian had settled himself on the window ledge to watch for her. He wanted to study her as she walked up the path and entered the compound. There was much that could be learned from a person's gait and the way they stood, but searching her wide blue eyes would reveal the most, and he couldn't do that until she was standing in front of him. He was beginning to feel anxious. Where was she? The sun was already high in the sky.
In an effort to settle his soul he sent his eyes down to the lush gardens. Though the barbarians were renowned for their skill as hunters, some among them were magicians with the land, able to grow abundant fruits and vegetables, and he allowed himself to get caught up in the detail of their work. It was a welcome distraction, but when he heard the sound of voices he snapped his gaze to the gate.
Her Barbarian Master Page 3