Conquered

by Kirsten Osbourne

  Chapter Five

  Roland put his hands on his hips and stared down at his disobedient wife. Did she not realize the danger she’d put her sisters in when she’d left the grounds? What did he have to do to make her realize she needed to obey him for her own safety and the safety of her sisters?

  “Did I not make myself clear this morning when I told you not to go hunting?” His voice was low and even. Even he was surprised at how calm he sounded when all he wanted to do was thrash the crazed woman before him.

  “I’ve hunted my entire life! I’m excellent with a bow and my sisters and I are perfectly capable of defending ourselves!” Her words were true to a point. She had no intention of leaving the grounds again without an escort until the Saxon resistance was taken care of, but he needed to know she was not a woman who would be blindly obedient.

  He took a deep breath and closed his eyes, trying with all his might to reign in his temper. “This is not the same world you lived in when you were a child. It’s much more dangerous now. There are resisters known to be living in the forests who would like nothing more than to take you captive to punish me. You will not leave without a guard again. Do you understand?” He knew his voice had descended to a low growl and frankly didn’t care. She needed to be careful, and he would do what it took to get her promise.

  She stood up in front of him her head tilted back as far as it would go to meet his gaze. “I will not be intimidated by you. I have a right to go wherever I want whenever I want. I’m your wife, not your prisoner of war!” Her green eyes sparked with anger as she stood with him toe to toe, refusing to back down an inch.

  He took half a step forward until their bodies were touching, his eyes never leaving hers. “You’ve been treated as a wife, but if you force me, I will treat you as a prisoner of war!” He stared over the top of her head to a tapestry of a dragon on the wall behind her wondering why the dragon was purple and not green. “I want our marriage to be a good one, Christiana. I have given you freedom of the manor. You have freedom to do anything you want within it. You do not have the freedom to go into the forest. I will have your word that you will not disobey me in this way again.”

  “You won’t have it! I’ll go to the forest or anywhere else I please. I will not be a prisoner in my own home!”

  He nodded once, and without saying another word, walked from the room, locking the door behind him. He saw Hugh leaving the room with the second sister. “Did you get her word she wouldn’t leave without a guard?” Roland asked his friend.

  Hugh shook his head in disgust. “She’s a stubborn one. She said Christiana wouldn’t like it if she gave her word, so she wasn’t going to do it.” He folded his arms across his chest. “Tell me your wife gave her word.”

  Roland shook his head angrily. “She would promise nothing and claimed I was trying to make her a prisoner here.” He shrugged. “If she wants to be a prisoner, then she can be. I locked her in the bedchamber.”

  Roland turned his head as he heard his brother Charles yell, “I don’t care if you think you can take care of yourself. You are not to leave the grounds without a guard. Ever!”

  Charles stormed out of Marina’s bedroom and slammed the door behind him. “A more stubborn woman I’ve never met. All she would say is, ‘I won’t make a promise I can’t keep. Christiana wouldn’t like it.’” He kicked the wall. “Tell me again how the women here would be thrilled to have us protecting them?”

  Roland sighed heavily. “I obviously misjudged things. Of course, they’re just women, right? What can they do?” He looked at Hugh. “You will guard the hallway. They must stay in their chambers until they’ve made their promises.”

  Hugh stared at Roland in shock. “I don’t know about the others, but Eva will surely starve before giving her word she won’t leave without an escort. I don’t think this is a good idea.” He shook his head signaling his disbelief of the women’s antics.

  Roland shrugged. “I have no idea what else to do with the stubborn women. We’ll see how they do without speaking to one another. They can have their meals brought to them.” He strode off down the hall and out to the training field. They’d feast in the evening. For now, he needed to knock some heads together, and training his men was a good excuse to do just that.

  *****

  Christiana reached out to her sisters. “Eva? Is all well with you?” She didn’t want her sisters to suffer for her obstinacy.

  Eva’s mind reached back across the link opened by Christiana. “I’m fine. He didn’t hurt me, just tried to get me to promise never to leave the manor without a guard. Are you okay? What did your husband say to you?” Eva sounded almost panicked. Obviously she feared Roland had beaten Christiana.

  “I’m fine. He told me that he wants a good marriage, but there are resisters in the forest. As if I didn’t know that myself! I told him I wouldn’t promise to not leave without a guard. He became angry and locked me in my room. I believe they have the hall outside our rooms guarded as well.” She reached out to Marina. “Marina? Is all well?”

  Marina’s voice was short. “Charles is still here, giving me a tongue-lashing. I will promise nothing.” Even her thoughts sounded irritated.

  Christiana relayed Marina’s message to Eva, not for the first time wishing her two sisters could communicate without her.

  Eva’s voice came. “So do we use the passages and meet in your room Christiana?” The manor was riddled with secret passages, and the sisters had used them since they were small children.

  Christiana thought about it for a moment. “I don’t want them to know about the passages yet.”

  Marina’s voice came to Christiana. “He’s gone. The brute!” Her voice sounded irritated, but not hurt.

  “Did he hurt you?” Christiana felt a wave of panic as she waited for an answer from her sister.

  “No, just yelled at me. He wanted me to promise I wouldn’t leave without a guard, and became furious when I refused.”

  Christiana passed the news along to Eva. To them both she said, “We can communicate all day, but I would prefer to be together. I have an idea. Please, very quietly for they left a guard in the hall, go through your secret passages to my room. Make certain they are closed and look like they should. I want them to think we are moving with our powers and not our feet.” She knew the men would be fearful of them if they could find a way to make them believe their powers were stronger and more extensive than they actually were.

  “Brilliant!” Marina sent back.

  Within five minutes, both of her sisters had come through the secret passage behind the purple dragon tapestry the three girls had made together when they were eleven. They made certain there was no indication of how they’d come in before sitting down together on Christiana’s bed to talk. “What do you think we should do?” Christiana asked the others.

  Marina shook her head emphatically. “There’s no way we should agree to their demands. You need to have freedom to hunt as we please. You’re helping him by hunting.”

  Christiana nodded. “That was my first thought, and then after the anger cooled a little, something occurred to me.” She leaned back against the wall and folded her arms over her chest.

  Eva smiled and nodded. “They’re right. We did meet a member of the resistance today.” She understood what her sister thought without the telepathy used so often between them.

  “Exactly. And that man was evil.” Christiana looked at the other two. “Could you feel it?” She rubbed her arms with her hands as the chills came back as she thought about just how evil the man had been. He’d been evil to the core, and she could feel it in her bones.

  Eva nodded. “I could feel something. Did you know him?”

  Christiana shook her head. “No, I don’t, but he threatened us. Well, me. I think maybe Roland is right and we need to make certain we don’t leave without a guard. For our own safety.” She studied her sisters as she waited to find out what their reaction would be.

  Marina crossed her arms
over her chest. “I don’t want to agree to anything of the sort.”

  Christiana gave a half laugh. “I don’t either, but it would make the men give us more freedom, and really? I don’t think we’re safe leaving right now. So we agree, and they think they’re controlling us, but really? It’s a decision we made all on our own.” She shrugged.

  Eva smiled slowly. “That’s smart. Very smart. I don’t want to live in a house where there’s constant conflict, but neither do I feel we should give in to them. This way, we’re making them think they’ve won, but really, we’re just doing what’s best and safest for us.”

  Marina sighed. “Fine. I’ll agree not to leave without an escort. I hate it, but I’ll agree.” She looked at the other two for a moment. “How do we let them know?”

  Christiana walked to the door and pounded on it with her fist. “We need to talk!” she called out, waiting patiently at the door for it to be opened.

  When the guard opened the door and saw the three of them all in Christiana’s room, he took a step back, making the sign of the cross quickly with one hand. Christiana smiled with delight. This one had believed the rumors about them all being witches, so he was the perfect one to find them. She hadn’t realized until she saw the look on his face that he believed.

  “My sisters and I would like to talk to you and the others, please. We’ll wait right here while you fetch them.” Christiana walked to the bed and sat between her sisters looking at Hugh expectantly.

  Once he’d nodded and left, Christiana dissolved into giggles. “He believes we’re witches,” she told the others. She was thrilled to know they had the power to terrify one of them.

  Eva nodded. “I know. He told me not to use my witchcraft on him, and made a sign of the cross the first time we spoke.” She grinned at the memory.

  Marina laughed. “He’ll be easier to intimidate than the others. We’ll need to make sure we ask for him as a guard whenever possible.”

  Christiana winked at Marina. “That’s a truly manipulative mind you have there, sister. I approve.”

  They were all laughing when the three men, led by Roland walked into the room. Roland didn’t talk to them, but immediately began looking over the walls. “What do you search for, husband?” Christiana did her best to keep the amusement from her voice as she asked the question.

  “The secret entrance to this room.” He didn’t look at her as he spoke, his eyes scanning every wall.

  Marina stared at him. “You didn’t know we have special powers that allow us to do things ordinary people can’t? It’s said we’re descended from Druids.” She shrugged to let him know she didn’t care what others said.

  Roland shook his head as he kept searching. “I’d heard such things, but I know better.” His hands searched as well as his eyes. He tried to push different stones apart.

  “How do you think I healed you then?” Marina’s brow was drawn as she asked the question casually.

  Roland shrugged. “Healing is something that can be done with God’s power. I’m certain you prayed for help and were able to heal me. That’s simple.” The look on his face made it clear that he wasn’t ready to believe in anything that could imply they had special powers.

  Marina laughed. “Your mind is a thick rock no real truths will ever be able to penetrate.” She sat down on the edge of Christiana’s bed, her eyes laughing at him.

  Charles walked to Marina. “Don’t speak to my brother that way, woman.” He tried to use his height to intimidate Marina, but she was sitting casually, uncaring.

  Marina lifted her eyebrow at Charles. “Don’t speak to me that way, Norman.” Her voice was soft, but it was clear she was making a threat.

  Finally, Roland gave up his search. “What did you wish to speak to us about?” He looked down at Christiana where she sat lounging on the bed with her sisters.

  Christiana stood and faced her husband. “We have talked and decided we will give our word to not leave the manor without a guard. We agree that it’s not safe for us.” She didn’t add that only their agreement that it was unsafe made them give their word. There was no need to let him know he hadn’t really won.

  Roland stared at her for a moment. “You give your word?”

  Christiana sighed and pulled the silver cross she wore around her neck out from under her dress. She held it in the palm of her hand. “I swear on the cross of Jesus that I will not leave this manor without a guard until you believe it is safe for me to do so.”

  Roland nodded once in recognition of her promise. “And your sisters?”

  They each mimicked Christiana pulling out their crosses and making the same promise. All three men visibly relaxed. “Thank you for conceding.” Without another word, he turned and left the room with the two other men trailing behind him.

  Christiana looked at her sisters for a moment and shrugged. “I guess they believed us.”

  *****

  Christiana spent the rest of the day feigning anger at Roland for forcing her to promise not to leave without a guard. She didn’t want him to realize that she’d made the decision on her own. Telling him about the man in the forest would only cause him to double her guard, and she wasn’t willing to give up that much freedom, so she wanted him to think it was his own will that had caused her to make the decision.

  The feast that evening went much like the one of the day before, and Christiana wished the feasting that came with the wedding would be over quickly, so she could return to her regular routine.

  When they went to bed that evening, and Roland took her in his arms, she responded to his touch, but did her best to hide her responses. When he was finished, she turned her back on him to go to sleep, and he pulled her back against him, holding her close.

  “You will stop being angry with me, wife.” His voice was low and gruff as he made his demands.

  She couldn’t believe the audacity of the man. “I will stop being angry because you decree it?” Had he really expected her to be a meek obedient wife? He obviously had no idea who he was dealing with.

  “I can think of no better reason.” He kissed the back of her head, his snores soon telling her that he’d given up on the conversation.

  She’d been shocked when he’d removed his clothes, and she could see the bruises and cuts that were covering his body. What had he done while training his men to cause him to have such injuries? She briefly considered having her sister heal him, but the wounds didn’t seem to bother him. She would let Marina rest.

  Before going to sleep, she reached out for her sisters. “Goodnight, my sisters. All is well.”

  “All is well” was echoed back to her from two other minds. She was greatly relieved to know they were fine. Closing her eyes she settled back against her husband and fell into a deep sleep.

  *****

  After breakfast the following morning, Roland looked down at Christiana. “Would you like to go hunting with me this morning?” He acted as if he were offering her a great prize with his offer to spend the morning with him.

  Christiana refused to even look at her husband. She desperately wanted to go hunting, but she wouldn’t go without her sisters. Doing so wouldn’t be a victory for her, but for him, so she remained silent.

  He sighed heavily. “Would you and your sisters like to go hunting with me and my two most trusted men this morning?” His voice was grudging, but she was thrilled at the offer.

  She flung herself into his arms, kissing him in front of everyone still assembled in the great hall. “We’d love to!” She was pleased he’d understood her anger and was doing what he could to appease her.

  He laughed and caught her tightly to him. After releasing her, he nodded at Hugh and Charles. “Are you ready to hunt?”

  Christiana smiled at her sisters. “We hunt this morning!” In her mind she sent the words, “We’ve won this battle.” She did her best to hide her smile, knowing her husband would not be pleased by it.

  Chapter Six

  Christiana had always enjoyed hun
ting with her sisters at her side, but adding in the three men made it more enjoyable. She and Roland rode beside one another toward the forest, and when she spurred her horse harder to race him, he laughed and moved faster himself. By the time they reached the forest, they were both out of breath and she was laughing.

  “Thank you for bringing us hunting, husband. It’s one of my favorite things to do.” Her eyes danced as they met his, showing him beyond a doubt that he’d made the right decision in bringing her.

  He looked at her with a smile on his face while they waited for the others to catch up. “I’m happy to please you. I never meant to curtail your hunting, because in truth, we do need it to feed my men. I just wanted to make certain you were always safe.” He hopped off his horse and turned to help her, but she was already half way down on her own. His wife was a much better horsewoman than he’d expected.

  She dismounted quickly tying her horse's reins to a nearby tree. “I understand. I just don’t want to have to wait to be able to enjoy one of my favorite activities.” She gave his mind a gentle suggestion that his man, Hugh, should be assigned as a permanent guard to the sisters to allow them to hunt at will.

  The others caught up to them, and they all tied off their horses, before walking quietly into the woods. They separated into three pairs, Christiana with Roland, Eva with Hugh, and Marina with Charles.

  Christiana took Roland to the area of the woods she preferred to hunt in, because the rabbits were thick there, and she loved rabbit stew. She was a better shot than her sisters and usually hunted for the smaller animals while Eva and Marina brought in the deer.

  She’d shot three rabbits before Roland had taken his first shot. Finally she turned to him in frustration. “Why do you not hunt?” Did the man think hunting meant standing in the forest looking around him and letting the animals run past?