Boulder
I couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw a woman walking in the middle of the road. Hardly anyone crosses that border on foot, and certainly not a woman. It was bad enough that Khan was a sore loser and made me babysit some whimsical man from the Motherlands, but I couldn’t let this defenseless woman continue without protection.
I brought my hybrid to a landing and got out to approach the woman. It was the most bizarre thing ever. She wasn’t an old crone like the people we trade with at the border. She was young.
Because I was a close friend to our ruler, I had seen a real woman before. There were several men in Khan’s elite circle that had wives. Still, the women were always kept mostly out of sight, so for me to be alone with one was a first.
Anger filled me. Did she not know what could happen to a defenseless woman? What if I hadn’t come across her and some tradesman had found her? The thought was disturbing.
I moved closer and looked her over. She wasn’t wearing any make-up and squinted because of the sun. Strands of her long brown hair had escaped her braid and were blowing around her face in the mild breeze.
I was just about to ask her who she was and if she had any idea what an idiot she was for coming here without any protection when she took a step toward me and opened her mouth.
“May peace surround you,” she said and smiled at me, her face pretty and innocent.
When she took my hands and gazed fearlessly into my eyes, it took me by surprise and made me forget what I wanted to say. I had never physically touched a woman, and no person had ever kept eye contact with me for that long unless we were fighting and they were trying to read my next attack. The expression in her eyes wasn’t hostile, it was friendly – and I was fascinated that her eyes had two different colors, one blue and one hazel-green. She was small and fragile and only reached my shoulder in height.
“Why are you staring at me and holding my hands?” I blurted out, not liking the funny feeling inside of me.
“It’s considered a formal greeting,” she explained.
“I don’t like it,” I said and jerked my hands back. “What I want to know is, who the fuck are you?”
“My name is Christina Sanders, the archeologist your ruler asked for.”
And that’s when I knew I was truly fucked. The archeologist from the Motherlands that I had to protect was a woman, and not only was she a woman – she was a young woman that any man in this goddamn place would want to marry. With a hundred thousand men to one woman, women were the highest-priced commodity, and I would need an army if I were to keep her safe from the thousands of men that would demand her for their own.
My mind was racing, trying to come up with a strategy and at the same time talk to her. She got offended easier than any man I’d ever met and was too weak to put her own luggage in the hybrid. How the hell did women survive without men if they were this helpless?
I was happy when we reached the gates of the Gray Manor, and feeling hopeful that Khan would release me of my duty when he realized Christina was a woman.
Only a few guards saw her when I hurried her upstairs to her room. With her safely inside, I locked the door.
“Hey, did you just lock me in?” I heard her protest as I walked away, but there was no reason to explain to her how dangerous a situation she was really in. Women were too emotionally fragile to deal with worries of that magnitude. Khan and I would have to find a way to solve this.
When I found Khan, he was in the garden doing a walk and talk with his brother and advisor, Magni, who was also a friend of mine.
I ran up to them, signaling the urgency, and both men stopped talking and turned to me.
“Boulder, has the archeologist arrived?” Khan asked.
“Yes, but we’ve got a big fucking problem.”
“And what is that?” Khan had both hands clasped behind his back and watched me closely.
“It’s a woman. Her name is Christina and she’s young.”
“A young woman?” Magni exclaimed. “Here?”
“A young beautiful woman,” I confirmed.
The two men exchanged horrified glances and Khan’s hands went from behind his back to his head. “How could the council be so reckless? We can’t guarantee a woman’s safety.”
Magni looked around and drew us closer, “Did anyone see her?”
“A few guards. I took her straight to her room and locked her inside.”
“Shit, this is bad,” Magni hissed. “Why the hell didn’t you just push her back over the border?”
“I didn’t know what to do so I followed orders.” I looked at Khan. “You told me to get the archeologist and bring him back here. I did that; only change is that he’s a she.”
“That’s a big fucking change, wouldn’t you say?” Magni argued, annoyed.
“I agree,” I said low and looked straight at Khan, “We need to take her back before anyone realizes that we have an unmarried young female here, or you could have an uprising on your hand.”
Khan looked down for a few seconds and then he straightened up with that devilish gleam in his eyes that always meant trouble. “No,” he said. “We won’t send her back. I would like to meet this woman. Who knows? If we charm her, she might want to stay.”
“What? Are you insane?”
He gave me a warning glance. “Take me to her and I’ll decide what needs to be done.”
The three of us walked in a brisk pace back to the large manor and up the stairs to the second floor where I had left her.
I opened the door and we all walked inside the large bedroom to find Christina sitting by the window with the light surrounding her hair like a bright halo.
She stood up and clasped her hands in front of her, watching us with eyes flickering between us.
“Christina Sanders, this is our ruler Lord Khan Aurelius and his brother Magni Aurelius.”
Christina bowed her head and said softly, “May peace surround you all.”
Khan stepped closer and took her hands when she reached out to him. “May peace surround you too,” he said and for the longest time they stood quietly and looked each other in the eye while holding hands. Maybe Khan’s father had taught him about this strange greeting of the Motherlands.
Magni cleared his throat, clearly as uncomfortable about this strange custom as I was.
“It’s nice to meet you,” Christina told Khan with a smile. “I’ve come to help you excavate the site you’ve located and I would love to know more.” She spoke softly.
“Yes, but before we can get to that, there’s an urgent matter that we must discuss,” Khan said and signaled for Magni to close the door.
Christina moved behind a chair and stood quietly observing us. Her facial color was paling and I figured she was intimidated by our size. She was a small female and the three of us were all large men. Instinctively I took a stance close to her, wanting her to know that she had nothing to fear as long as I was in the room, but my closeness only made her move back further.
“Why don’t we sit?” Khan asked and gestured to the lounge area in the corner of the room.
With a stiff nod, Christina followed his lead and walked over to the lounge area with her head held high and her shoulders tensed up.
“We were expecting a male archeologist, and you’re being a woman presents us with a problem,” Khan started when they sat down.
“I can assure you that I’m as qualified as any man,” she said quickly.
He held up a hand. “That’s not what concerns me.”
“Oh?”
“I’m puzzled why the council would allow a woman to take on this job.”
“And yet, you guaranteed my safety.”
Khan exhaled forcefully. “I’m afraid there was a misunderstanding. It’s true that we guaranteed the safety of a male archeologist, but I assure you we would have never encouraged the council to send a female. It’s simply too dangerous for you to be here.”
Christina sat straight and stoically, saying nothing.
“It’s a shame, because the job that we need help with is exciting and shows great promise. If it’s truly a library, it could provide valuable answers we’ve all been looking for.”
Her eyes expanded with interest and she moved forward in her chair.
“If only you had been a man,” Khan added with a tone of regret, and that last statement made Christina crease her brow.
“Isn’t there any way for me to do my job and still be safe?”
Khan, Magni, and I exchanged long solemn glances and then Khan spoke. “As you might know, we do have a few women here. My brother…” He waved his hand to Magni, who was standing by the window with a grim expression on his face. “…has a female that he protects and I suppose in theory we could raise you up to the same position as her, which would make it safe for you to work.”
“That would be great, what kind of job does she have?”
A snort came from Magni, and I knew he found the idea of his wife working ridiculous.
Khan’s smile stiffened “No, our women don’t work. Life is made easy for them because we cherish them a great deal.”
Christina didn’t look impressed. “Really? Then what does she do all day?”
Khan turned to his brother. “I’m not sure exactly. Do you know?”
Magni wrinkled his forehead like he had just been asked a hard mathematical question that needed critical thinking. “Ehh, I believe she does creative things,” he said.
“What kind of creative things?” Christina asked.
“Ehh, paintings and dancing, and that sort of thing.”
“Can she walk around freely?”
“Yes,” Khan lied.
“What is her name?”
“Laura,” Magni said quickly.
“And what position does Laura hold exactly?” Christina asked Magni.
“She’s my…”
Khan interrupted his brother. “She’s his responsibility. Which means she holds the highest position a woman can have in our society. She’s what we like to call ‘a protected woman.’”
There was a thoughtful expression on her face.
“I see,” Khan said slowly. “You thought we mistreated women, didn’t you?”
“Well, I…” she trailed off.
“Laura chose my brother as her protector. It was entirely her choice,” Khan assured her. “You see, the way it works is that the few women who are born in our part of the world are treasured by all men, and when they reach their eighteenth year we celebrate them with a big ceremony where the woman chooses her protector among the strongest and bravest of our men.”
“Do you have a female you protect?” Christina asked Khan.
“No.” He shifted his balance and pinned his dark eyes on her. “I never participate in those selections – it wouldn’t be fair to my men, as my title alone would make every woman choose me.”
The skeptical expression on Christina’s face made me wish I could read her mind.
“So, what are you suggesting?” she asked.
“That you choose a protector for yourself so we can get you to work.” He smiled innocently.
“Fine.” She nodded and turned her head to look straight at me. “I choose you then?”
Flames shot up my spine and I felt a little dizzy but Khan chuckled and drew back her attention. “I’m afraid it’s not that easy. I can’t just announce that you’ve chosen Boulder. Other men would complain that they didn’t get a chance to prove themselves worthy. There needs to be a ceremony.”
Biting her lip, Christina’s eyes darted around the room. “And how long will this ceremony take?”
“A few days at least.”
“A few days? Why that long?”
“Because this sort of thing needs preparation and it takes time for the men to prove themselves.”
Christina sighed. “And how exactly do they do that?”
“They fight,” he said matter-of-factly and pointed to me. “Boulder, I appoint you as her temporary protector. Make sure she’s comfortable and safe,” he said and got up to leave.
“Wait a minute, I don’t want anyone to fight over me,” she objected and got up from her seat.
Khan turned to face her with his brows dropped low. “How else would you know which man is the strongest and who will be most suited to keep you safe?”
“But they’re not really going to hurt each other, are they?” Her eyes darted between all three of us.
“Of course they are.” Khan and Magni were leaving but on their way out Khan threw over his shoulder, “We’re not boys, Christina, we’re men.”
When the door closed behind them she turned to me. “What is that supposed to mean?”
“It means that the games are bloody,” I said dryly.
“But surely there must be a non-violent way to settle this small detail.”
I didn’t tell her that it was no small detail when a woman chose her husband; it was better to leave that out. Clearly Khan didn’t want her to have the full picture of what choosing a protector meant.
“Have you ever participated?” she asked me.
I didn’t answer.
“Will you do it this time?”
Something was pulling at me. “Would you like me to?” I asked.
She played with the tip of her braid and looked thoughtful. “I don’t want you to get hurt or anything, but I wouldn’t mind you protecting me. You seem big and strong.”
It felt good to hear her say that but I knew she didn’t fully comprehend what she was asking of me.
“I’ll consider it,” I told her, but in reality, I’d already made up my mind. If there was a chance I could marry her, it would give me immense status and I would fight hard for the privilege.
“Thank you,” she said softly. “And if you decide to participate, make sure you win quickly because I’m eager to get this nonsense over with so I can get to work.”
“Of course.”
“Boulder, can you take me to see the digging site today?”
“No.”
“Tomorrow?”
“Possibly. Once Khan has made the announcement and everyone knows they’ll have a fair chance at winning your favor, I can take you outside.”
“And until then?”
“We stay in this room.”
“But what are we supposed to do here?” she asked.
A dirty idea came to mind, but I pushed it away and instead I asked, “Can you read?”
“Of course, I can read. Everyone can read in the Motherlands, and I already told you I’m a professor in history.”
“Then maybe you would enjoy a book.” I opened a cabinet to reveal four shelves with old books.
Her eyes immediately lit up and she came closer, looking positively giddy. “You have antique books here?”
“Yes,
“Any from the late nineteen-hundreds?”
“I don’t know – let’s see.” I was just about to pick out a book when she gave a small shriek.
“Don’t touch them.”
“Why not?” I asked.
“Are your hands clean? If those books are centuries old they should be handled with extreme care.” She turned around and headed for her luggage. “Hang on, I have gloves you can use.”
“Gloves?” I shook my head. “It’s just books. I’m not going to wear gloves.” To demonstrate that I was serious I pulled a stack of books down from the shelves. “Let’s see what we have here.”
Christina puffed out a loud sigh but gave in and came back to see me put the seven books down on the table.
“Oh, I actually read that one,” I pointed to a book with a warship on the front. “It’s a Second World War story and there’s a lot of violence in it. I liked it.”
Christina’s fingers gently touched the cover of a book with a woman sandwiched between two men who were kissing her shoulder and neck. All three were topless.
“These books are forbidden,” she whispered.
“No, they’re not.”
She looked up at me with tension written on her face. “They are books of passion and violence.”
“Uh-huh.” I’d picked another book up with a soldier in full uniform who was holding a woman in his arms. “So?”
It was as if a panic grabbed Christina and she gathered all the books to put them back. “We shouldn’t be reading any of them. They’re dangerous.”
“What the hell are you talking about?” I asked, annoyed, when she grabbed the book from my hands. “Hey, that one looked interesting. The back said it was steamy; I like steamy.”
“I’m sorry, but it’s better if we pretend we didn’t see them.”
“You can pretend all you want,” I said and moved her out of my way to get the book I’d been looking at. “But if I’m going to be stuck in a room with you all day, I need something to distract me.”
“Are you really going to read that?” she asked.
“Yes, I am,” I said and sat down.
“Well, lucky for me, I brought suitable reading material so I won’t be poisoning my mind with those books.”
“Suit yourself,” I said and opened the book.
Christina
I didn’t want to sit next to Boulder so I took a seat on the bed and waited for it to fit around me, offering me support.
My reader was in my handbag; I put it on like a pair of glasses, activating the library by pushing a button on the side and navigating by looking left, right, up, down and blinking. The book I was currently reading came up in my field of vision and I started chapter nine.
“What are you reading?” Boulder asked me after about forty minutes.
“A historical tragedy about five sisters living in the early nineteenth century. They were oppressed by society, unable to inherit from their father, and threatened with the prospects of poverty if they didn’t marry. It’s really a very sad story.”
“What’s it called?”
“Pride and Prejudice by an author called Jane Austen.”
“Oh, okay, you want to know what I’m reading?”
When I didn’t answer him, he suggested, “How about you read me something from your book and I read you something from mine?”
Minimizing my book in the lower right corner, I saw him clearly and felt provoked by his smug smile. “You think the content of your book will shock me,” I said. “But I’ll have you know that in my work I’ve seen many shocking things. I’m not an innocent, you know.”
“Define innocent.”
I removed my glasses. “I’ve heard and seen things.”
“Such as?”
I raised my chin, meeting his piercing gray eyes full on. “Such as secrets things and secret words.”
Boulder’s smile grew wider. “You’ve got to be more specific than that.”
“Okay,” I smoothed the sheet underneath me with my hands. “The words you use… the curse words. I have seen them in historical texts and one time…”
“Yes?”
“One time I was allowed access to the forbidden part of the University’s library. I saw things from the department of violence that gave me nightmares for months.”
“Like what.”
“Killings, torture, terrorist attacks, men and women being beaten, children hit by their own parents.” I looked down “And the worst part was the sexual violence.”
“Tell me about the sexual violence.”
“It was awful. Did you know that the old Internet was full of disgusting videos of people having sex? It was called pornography and for the most part it was males being aggressive to women. I saw a clip with a woman who submitted herself to three men at the same time, and some of them smacked her and called her vile names.”
“I know porn, we have it here,” he said unapologetically. “Did the woman in the video like it?”
Horrified that he could be so misguided as to think violence in any sort could be enjoyable, I gave him a disapproving glance. “What kind of question is that? How would you like it if people smacked you and called you vile names?”
“I’ve heard that some women like that,” he expostulated.
“You’re out of your mind. I’ve never heard of a woman who likes to be treated like that. It’s unnatural.”
“Are you sure? This book tells a different story, and it’s written by a woman. Listen to this,” he started reading and I knew I should have stopped him, but my curiosity got the better of me.
“He pinned me down and forced my thighs apart with his knees. ‘I told you not to wear that short dress and yet you did. Are you asking to be punished?’ he whispered against my ear in a raw masculine voice.
“‘No,’ I lied, because the truth was that I loved it when he dominated me. The sound of the first smack hitting my butt send shivers down my spine. It didn’t hurt much but it excited me to be in his control.
“‘Are you going to be a good girl and do as you’re told?’ he asked in a raw voice.
“‘Yes,’ I gasped and felt moist heat between my thighs. I was longing to feel his hard cock inside me.”
With my heart pounding and my cheeks flushed, I stopped Boulder. “That’s enough!”
“Are you sure? Because the good part is just about to start,” Boulder teased with a small grin.
“I’m sure!”
“So what do you think?” he asked. “Do women enjoy being dominated or was the author just making it up?”
“Oh, that part is complete fiction. I’m a woman and I can assure you that I know plenty of men and I’ve never felt aroused by any of them. And I can tell you with absolute certainty that should one have the nerve to smack me, I would report him instantly.”
Boulder tilted his head with interest. “You’ve never been aroused by a man?”
“No, never. I think it’s a myth.”
“What is?”
“The notion that men bring out arousal in women. I know some women claim to feel that way, but it has never happened to me.”
“So are you saying you wouldn’t be interested in having sex with me if I offered it?” he asked with an innocent smile that quickly grew into a belly-deep laugh.
“What’s so funny?”
“You should see yourself. You look like you swallowed a swarm of flies.”
“No, I don’t,” I defended myself, aware that my cheeks were flushed just from the images his questions had inspired in my mind.
“So is that a no?” he asked and winked at me.
“I can’t believe you asked me that. Of course, I wouldn’t want to have sex with you.”
“Because I’m a man of the Northlands?”
Confirming that would be insulting, and I was trained to always choose the considerate answer. “No, that’s not why. It’s just the whole idea of having sex with a person. It’s unhygienic.”
“Unhygienic? It should be the most natural thing in the world. People used to have sex all the time.”
“And they got sick from all sorts of horrible sexually transmitted diseases,” I pointed out. “Sex-bots are a much safer and hygienic solution if you have a physical need.”
Boulder shrugged. “I don’t know. I would love to know what it feels like to be with a real woman. I’ve heard there’s a big difference.”
I couldn’t look him in the eye, and felt flustered by the direction this conversation had taken and from the way he sat leisurely on the couch with his thighs slightly spread and his hand resting above his crotch holding the book.
Images from what I’d seen in the forbidden part of the library came to mind, and I wondered if he was anatomically as big down there as he was tall and broad-shouldered.
“I’m not curious at all,” I said firmly.
“What a shame,” was his only reply before he went back to reading.