Highlander's Need: Winter Solestice (Against All Odds Series 4)

by Veronica Wilson

  “What does he mean ‘secure the prisoner?’” Meredith looked at Placan questioningly. “Where are we going?” Her anger now completely gave way to fear.

  “I have been ordered to take you to the king, he would like to meet you before the ceremony.” Meredith’s eyes widened.

  “Ceremony? I’m supposed to marry this guy today?” She jumped to her feet, “No, no, no, you have to help me!” The panic began to rise and Placan could hear her heart racing once again. Stepping over to the wall where Tevar has been moments ago, she pressed her hand against it. Nothing happened. She stepped over to her left and tried again, she was desperate for escape. When nothing happened the second time she looked to Placan, desperation in her eyes.

  “It will not work for a human hand, your core temperature is too low.” Meredith’s breasts were heaving with each breath that she took and Placan couldn’t help but watch them momentarily.

  “Then help me! I have to get out of here. I can’t marry him, not today, not ever!” Placan watched her struggle for a moment with sadness in his eyes. He wanted nothing more than to help her, but he knew that if he did it would mean a certain death.

  “But you must, the king has decreed it and that means that it must be.” Her heart was racing even faster now, Placan could hear it thumping loudly in his ears. “If we do not obey the king’s orders we shall all be killed.” Meredith frowned.

  “Then come with me, help me escape and come with me!” She pleaded with him, “You can live on Earth, you can come with me!”

  “I cannot.” Placan reached for her wrist and pulled it behind her back gently, repeating the procedure with her other wrist before drawing a figure eight around them with his finger. Meredith tried to pull away in resistance, but whatever Placan had done had secured her arms tightly behind her back. She sniffled loudly. “We must go before Tevar returns, he will not be as gentle with you I fear.” Placan gently pushed Meredith against the wall as he pressed his hand to it. For the briefest of moments he could feel the cool softness of her body against his and it made his soul soar. Seconds later the two of them were standing in the hallway.

  The hallway was lit by a series of small lights running along the sides of the ceiling and the sides of the floor, it reminded Meredith of an airport runway. She tried to concentrate on each of the lights as they approached in an effort to distract herself from whatever it was that lay at the end of the light trail. The silence made Placan uncomfortable.

  “Please do not be afraid, King Obar is a good man.” Meredith remained silent. “He will provide you with a good life, with anything you could desire…”

  “I want to go home.” Meredith’s voice was sullen and sorrowful. Placan could feel her sadness radiating from her and it made his heart heavy with sorrow for her that he could do nothing to save her and for him that he would never have a bride like her.

  “Please, I know that when you meet king Obar that you will like him. I am sure that you will be happy that you are going to be his bride.” Meredith was silent again. She would not be happy that she was going to be his bride, in fact she adamantly refused to be happy about anything – particularly not meeting the man who had you abducted so that he could marry you against your will.

  After walking what felt like three miles of sterile lit corridors, Placan steered Meredith to a large set of double doors. He parked her in front of them and stepped to one side to knock. Meredith watched as his long slender fingers curled in to his palm and she wondered if king Obar had the same suckers on his.

  “You may enter!” A deep booming voice emanated from the interior of the room and Meredith took a sharp breath in. Placan stepped behind her and took her wrists with one hand while he reached forward to open the door with the other.

  “King Obar, your highness, I bring to you your human bride.” Placan announced themselves as he gently pushed Meredith down a length of shiny marble tile until the two of them stood at the foot of an oversized throne. Meredith kept her gaze on the tile below her feet, unwilling to look up at the king. She felt like a child who was about to receive their punishment.

  “Bride?” the king looked down at Meredith with his large brown eyes, she still didn’t look up. “I said bride!” Placan nudged Meredith gently in the back and she lifted her eyes up to the throne. There he sat before her, the king of an entire planet and he looked nothing like she had imagined he would. He was similar in form to Placan, his tall slender body having a little more substance than his however, so that his rib cage appeared less sunken in. Unlike Placan, his tan skin had an opalescent sheen to it that shifted each time Meredith moved her head. She had imagined from his voice that he would be much larger and somewhat fearsome, yet he was just a little larger than Placan and looked almost identical. “She is quite large…” king Obar looked from Meredith to Placan and then nodded with a loud chuckle. “I like her!” Meredith looked to Placan and back to the king with a frown.

  “She can speak for herself!” Meredith knew that speaking out of turn in front of the king was likely an offense that was punishable by something awful, but she couldn’t help herself. Her anger had returned and in its forcefulness it had shoved her fear out of the way.

  “Oh yes?” The king eyed her suspiciously trying to hide the look of surprise on his face. “And what else does she have to say?” He tapped his fingertips on the arm of his throne, each of the suckers sticking briefly before he lifted them back up.

  “Well for starters I don’t appreciate being abducted from my home. I also don’t appreciate that you assume that I would want to marry you.” Meredith could feel Placan’s hand gripping her wrist tightly in silent warning. “And to assume that I would want to be one of your wives?” She couldn’t stop herself despite the redness that was rising in the king’s cheeks.

  “How dare you speak in such a way to the king!” The king’s voice boomed off the walls and even Meredith was shocked. He looked to Placan who was desperately trying to avoid eye contact. “Has this woman not been briefed of her position in this court?” Placan shook his head nervously.

  “No, your highness, she was brought directly to your throne.” King Obar looked back to Meredith who had recovered from the shock of the king’s outburst and was once again being overtaken by anger. Her plentiful chest was heaving.

  “THIS WOMAN does not need to be briefed of anything because she has no intentions of staying here. I want to be taken home, now!” Meredith didn’t know that demanding would make any difference in her plea, but she was willing to give anything a try if it meant the possibility of going home.

  “You will not be taken home, you have been bestowed with the honor of being my next wife. You have no say in this decision, you will be my bride.” Placan took a step backward as he felt Meredith’s body begin to tremble with rage.

  “This may be how things are done on your planet, but where I come from this is not how it goes. You cannot and will not force me to do anything against my will.” The king exhaled loudly in exasperation.

  “You seem to have misunderstood your role, bride. You have been selected to be the bride of the king, this is a great honor and you will accept it with grace. You will be an obedient bride and you will obey my every command.” Meredith couldn’t help herself, she began to laugh, quietly at first and then loudly until tears filled her eyes. Placan looked on in disbelief. “Why do you laugh?”

  When Meredith regained her composure she shook her head.

  “You will never convince me to marry you. Ever.” The king seemed to contemplate this for a moment as his eyes swept over her plump body.

  “I will make a deal with you bride, you will spend one night in my chambers. If after one night you still desire to return to your home, I will have Placan take you there personally and you will be freed of all obligation.” Meredith ran her tongue over the front of her front teeth and took a loud breath. She had no desire to spend any time with king Obar, let alone the whole night, but at the moment it seemed like her only option for escape.<
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  “How do I know you are not lying to me?” As Meredith said this Placan gasped so loudly that she turned around to look at him before turning back to the king who was glaring at her.

  “Because I am the king.” This hardly seemed like enough of a promise but unsure that she could get away with many more demands, Meredith nodded slowly.

  “Fine, I’ll do it. But you swear that you will let me go home?” The king nodded slowly, a knowing smile on his lips. He was going to win his Earth bride one way or another.

  After leaving the king’s court, Meredith had been escorted to a large room and left outside the door by Placan. Just as she contemplated running blindly through the corridor until she found a way out, the door to the room opened and a tall figure appeared before her.

  “Come in, please.” The voice was soft and feminine and as she reached out a long slender arm a rush of bangles slid down to her wrist. Meredith walked in to the large room. A large claw footed tub sat in the center of the room with sheer white curtains surrounding it. Against one of the side walls there was a large vanity unit and a slew of makeup containers. The other side of the room featured a standing rack of outfits that Meredith could only describe as being as sheer as the curtains around the tub. “Come, please.” The woman strode in front of Meredith until she got to the tub. She pointed at the steaming water. “Please, get in.”

  “Now? I mean, with you right here?” Meredith wasn’t a prude, but she also didn’t much care for the idea of being watched as she stripped off and got in to a bath of steaming water.

  “Yes, I must bathe you for the king.” Meredith shook her head and began to strip.

  The water was almost hotter than she could bear as Meredith slid down in to the large porcelain tub. She had to admit that it felt good to relax for a moment without worrying about what would happen next.

  “This is rose water, the king likes all of his wives to smell of rose water.” The tall woman slowly poured the contents of a large white jug in to the bathtub and Meredith inhaled the warm floral scent. “It smells lovely, doesn’t it?” The woman smiled down at Meredith and Meredith couldn’t help smiling back.

  “I’ve never actually smelled it before, but it is nice.” She watched as the tall woman walked away to place the jug on the vanity table. Her long legs were so slender that from the back it looked as though she had no knees at all. “May I ask you something?” Meredith opted for a polite approach and the woman returned to her side.

  “Of course, I am your personal handmaiden, you may ask me anything in confidence.” Meredith had never considered the perks that would come with being married to a king.

  “Why does he want me? I mean, I’m so different to everyone else I have seen here. I have long blond hair, you have short brown hair, I’m quite chunky, you’re all so slender, I’m…well…not nearly as tall as you all. I just don’t understand.” Meredith felt the woman begin to lather shampoo in her long hair.

  “The king has an idea that a bride from every planet will help trade relations with Kalar. He chose you because you represent the Earth population.” Meredith laughed.

  “I’m afraid that your king is sorely misinformed, I definitely don’t represent Earth’s population.” The woman massaged Meredith’s scalp soothingly and Meredith leaned back in to her touch.

  “Well, our king would seem to think differently. He thinks that you are beautiful which is why he wants to take you as his wife.” Meredith smirked.

  “That and the trade thing, right?” She heard her hand maiden laugh lightly.

  “Yes, that too.”

  “What is your name?” The woman stopped massaging for a moment, almost shocked that she had been asked her name by someone as significant as Meredith was to become.

  “Harmoon, my name is Harmoon.” Meredith smiled.

  “I’m Meredith, it’s nice to meet you.” There was silence for another moment as Harmoon gently pushed Meredith forward and began to rinse the shampoo from her hair.

  “Meredith, you have lovely hair. I am not surprised that the king chose you.” Meredith smiled at the compliment.

  “Thank you. Can I tell you a secret? I’m not that excited about spending the night with your king. Where I come from you can’t just decide to marry a woman without asking her first and expect her to be okay with it. I don’t even want to get married…not yet anyway.” Harmoon seemed to think about this for a moment as she walked over to the vanity and retrieved a bottle of red nail polish.

  “I think, Meredith, that you will be happy here if you just give our king a chance. He can be very persuasive.” Meredith watched as Harmoon took her hand in her long sucker tipped fingers and began to dry off her nails. “I think you might find that you like it here much more than you realize.” She smiled up at Meredith before beginning to stroke on the nail polish.

  “He said that if I don’t he will have Placan take me home.” Harmoon looked up at her again, this time her perfect heart shaped lips opened in amazement.

  “He said that?” Meredith nodded. “I have never heard of such a thing, but then again I have never heard of any of the king’s brides arguing against marrying him.” Meredith frowned.

  “No one has ever said no before?” Harmoon shook her head.

  “No one.” Meredith thought about this for a moment.

  “Why not?” Harmoon stroked nail polish over the last of Meredith’s finger nails and screwed the lid back on the bottle.

  “I believe it is because his reputation precedes him.” Meredith waited for more information but Harmoon said no more.

  “What is his reputation?” Meredith pushed. Harmoon smiled at her softly.

  “I am sure he will let you know all about that tonight. Now, let your nails dry while I fetch you a towel.” Harmoon walked away, her slender body sashaying in her form fitting dress. Meredith watched her go, her caramel colored skin looking darker the further away she became.

  “Harmoon?” Meredith called across the room.

  “Mmm hmm?” Harmoon wrestled a large fluffy towel from a pile on a bench by the door of the room.

  “If I do stay…will they put me back in that room without a door?” Harmoon giggled and shook her head.

  “Oh no! That was simply the transportation chamber, they left you there until they thought that you were well enough to move.” Meredith frowned.

  “They were watching me on a camera.” Harmoon nodded.

  “So they could know when you were well.” Meredith wasn’t sure that she bought this explanation, but Harmoon had been so nice to her that she had no reason to doubt her.

  “Then where will I live?” Harmoon held out the large towel, inviting Meredith to step out of the tub.

  “That will be up to the king.” Meredith stepped out of the water and pulled the towel around her naked body.

  “Where does his little harem usually live?” Harmoon smiled.

  “I like you, Meredith, you ask a lot of questions. Most of the king’s wives ask none. Each of the king’s wives currently has her own quarters here in the palace.” Meredith looked at her in disbelief.

  “This is a palace?” Harmoon nodded.

  “Wow, I wouldn’t call this a palace…it’s more like a Death Star.”

  “Hmm?” Harmoon looked puzzled.

  “Never mind, it’s an Earth joke.” Meredith couldn’t believe those words had actually just left her lips – ‘Earth joke.’

  “You should remember that for the king, he likes jokes.” Meredith wasn’t so sure that her intentions would be to woo the king with jokes, in fact she planned on doing nothing at all to capture his affections any more than she already had.

  The gown length sheer white lingerie clung to every curve of Meredith’s body and she wriggled uncomfortably as Harmoon tugged at the fabric.

  “There, you look perfect.” Meredith looked at Harmoon doubtfully before Harmoon stepped aside to let her look at herself in the mirror. The long lingerie clung to her overflowing breasts and showed off her white
satin panties underneath. Meredith stared at herself in disbelief. Whatever makeup Harmoon had used on her face made her skin shimmer in the light. “See? I told you, you look perfect!” Meredith spun back around, she still wasn’t sold but Harmoon seemed confident enough for the both of them. “We should go now.”

  “Go where?” Meredith had been quite content to sit and talk with Harmoon, so much so that she had almost forgotten that she had an appointment with the king.

  “To the king’s chambers. He will be returning shortly and he will want you to be waiting for him.” Meredith’s face fell. She recalled his oddly shaped body and his opalescent skin.

  “Then I suppose I should get this over with.” Harmoon reached down and took her hand gently.

  “Everything is going to be okay, I know that you will stay.” She tugged Meredith’s hand, leading her out of the room through a back door and in to a corridor that ran behind it.

  After a short walk along another well-lit corridor, Harmoon tugged Meredith in to another room.

  “The king will be here shortly so I must leave you, but it was lovely to meet you Meredith.” She squeezed Meredith’s hand and disappeared through the doorway, shutting the heavy door behind her.

  Meredith looked around the cavernous room. A bed much larger than anything Meredith had ever seen sat in the center of the room. On the floor around it were piles and piles of overstuffed pillows. At each side of the bed were empty glasses and jugs frosted with condensation that stood next to two silver plates of chocolate covered strawberries. Meredith licked her lips. Walking over to the bed she tried her best to hop up on to it like a lady but when that failed she threw herself on to it instead. The blanket was as soft as silk. She reached over and took a strawberry off one of the plates and slipped it between her lips. The cool chocolate began to melt on her tongue almost immediately. The berry was perfectly ripe and she consumed it in a single bite. Licking her lips clean she placed the stem back on the plate and eyed the rest.

  “I see you have found my little snack for you…” The king appeared in the main doorway of the room so silently that Meredith hadn’t heard him coming.