Seventeen
“Wait,” Iain said, grabbing Connor’s shoulder.
“Let me go!” Connor rasped out. “He dies!”
“Hold still,” Iain whispered, and they watched for interminable seconds.
Maddie went to kick Henry in the middle but he blocked her attempt.
“I’d rather you kill me than take me anywhere. I won’t be taken,” she said and spat at Henry.
He looked at her as he wiped his face.
“That’s the first suggestion that you’ve made today that has merit,” Henry said, grabbing her by the dress and pushing her down on the ground.
“Did that bastard Ramsay have his way with you? Did you give him your maidenhead? ‘Tis time I show you a real man,” he said, lowering himself on her.
“He is a real man and looking around now, I don’t see another!”
“I will break you, Madeleine,” he said, his voice shaking with conviction. “I will break that damn spirit. I own you!” he yelled, and slapped her.
“Never! You’ll never own me!” she bellowed.
The point of a sword rested on Henry’s throat suddenly.
“Touch her again, and ye’ll die sooner than I had planned,” Connor growled. He grabbed Henry’s coat and dragged him up. He punched him in the face and tossed him to the side with a flick of the wrist.
“Connor!” Maddie exclaimed in relief.
He gently picked her up off the ground and kissed her head.
“Kiel, guard her with yer life,” Connor said, looking at his prey who was crawling away.
“Ye’ll have to give her to me. I’m taking her, Connor,” Athyn said coming forward.
Connor sighed. Was nothing easy?
“I was taking her away!” Henry barked. “She was ransomed. I bought her. She’s mine!”
“Over my dead body,” Connor raged.
Maddie looked at all three leaders in confusion. Her head hurt and her anger was increasing by the minute.
“Who ransomed me?”
Her eyes scanned everyone and landed on Connor.
“I’m ransoming her!” Athyn shouted. Maddie’s eyes went to him.
“Is there anyone else who’s hiding who wants to ransom or purchase me, too?” she asked flippantly.
They ignored her.
“Her father sold her to me. He does not want her!”
“But another does,” Athyn said, more under his breath than aloud. Connor looked over Athyn questioningly but Athyn wasn’t paying attention to him.
“Sold me?” Maddie screamed hoarsely. This was shear absurdity! “Am I a commodity now?” She was shaking. Maddie laughed out of irony.
Connor signaled to his men.
“Lady Madeleine is coming with me!” Connor snapped furiously.
Henry gave the sign and his men stepped forth.
“I’m purchased by one, with an attempted ransom by another…”
“Ye were ransomed, Madeleine, by the bastard laird-” Binouix began but Connor cut him off with a well-timed battle cry before Binouix could reveal his secret.
The battle broke out.
Swords clashed and grinded. The noise was awful to Maddie’s ears. The crudeness of the sounds of the swords rivaled that of men groaning and screaming. Blood was spilled everywhere. Three of Henry’s men attacked Connor at the same time. Maddie bit on her lip to stop from screaming out.
“Kiel, do something, please! Help him,” she sobbed.
He looked at her as if she grew another head. “Nay, Maddie. The three men will need help not Ram. He’s vicious, especially when they take what is his.”
“Ram? Why do ye call him that? And what did they take that was his?” she asked, hiccupping from crying.
“In battle, ‘tis something we all call him because of the brutal warrior that he becomes. And ye.”
“And me what?”
“They took ye, Maddie. Ye belong to him.”
Maddie started to shake her head. Connor roared just as she was going to give him a sarcastic retort. Her attention turned back to the fight and the three men lay fallen on the ground. More rushed forward and Connor smirked, his eyes glinting with hatred. She had never seen him like this. He truly did look like a different person.
“The Englishmen were overpowered anyway, but Athyn’s men joined Ram and made it easier,” Kiel explained.
“Overpowered? Ye’re not making any sense. There is more than twice the number of Englishmen than Scotsmen.”
“Aye,” Kiel laughed. “‘Tis a fair fight.”
Maddie didn’t understand. Well, the Scots were gigantic next to Henry’s men. Maddie grabbed Kiel’s arm and moaned. Her head was spinning viciously out of control. She started hedging backwards trying to find her balance.
“What’s wrong, Maddie?”
“My head is spinning, Kiel. I can’t stand up…” Kiel held her as she sunk down on the ground. She closed her eyes, only intending to do so briefly.
“Damn it! Binouix is getting away!” Connor started after him but Athyn stayed him.
“Ye willna reach him, Ram. They’re retreating.”
Connor shook his head in frustration. The battle was over and Connor looked at Athyn. He called the man over to speak with him. During the brief conversation, they agreed to a truce. Athyn agreed not to try to kidnap Maddie and ransom her. The relationship between Connor and Athyn was an old and complicated one. Iain stood by listening to the two, and just when Iain was going to ask Athyn who would pay him a ransom for Maddie, Kiel yelled to him.
Connor looked over and his worry for Maddie consumed him. He let out a shout. He ran over to Maddie and got down beside her.
“Maddie, sweeting, can ye hear me?” No answer. “Kiel, what happened?”
“She was fine one moment, talking to me. The next instance, she needed to sit down. She closed her eyes, saying that she was tired. She said her head was spinning”
Connor picked up her head gently. The back of her head was sticky.
“She has head wounds. Damn it!”
Connor stood and picked her up off the ground. He cradled her gently against him.
“Let’s go!” Connor said, effectively dismissing everyone except the woman in his arms.
She was the woman, who in a short while, had not only come to mean the world to him, but had become his world.