The Viking's Chosen by Quinn Loftis (19)

I had only been expecting a simple ‘yes’. The question was certainly simple enough. I just needed to know that I would not be facing Cathal alone. But deep down I knew that the question wasn’t that simple. I needed to know that Torben would be the one to keep me safe. But he had said so much more than yes. The words were beautiful, but something in my gut told me that they were more significant than I realized. The words were far more than a simple statement. They felt like a covenant. Whatever the words had meant to him, for me they were a lighthouse. They were a beacon of hope. Maybe he realized I needed something hopeful to stand on because I felt so uncertain about my future.

I took a deep breath and then nodded at Torben to open the door. I kept my eyes on the ground, unable to look at the man who had stripped me of my dignity. But of course, he wasn’t about to let me protect myself.

I felt his fingers under my chin, and I had to swallow back the bile that was threatening to make an appearance. As he put pressure on my chin to raise my face, I bit the inside of my lip in order to keep myself from crying. I would not shed anymore tears because of the monster before me. He was not worthy of my tears. But when my eyes finally met his, my resolve nearly crumbled. If it was even possible, Cathal looked more eager and lustful as his eyes roved over my body.

I felt like I needed to scrub myself with lye soap after his eyes perused me. He was no doubt removing every piece of clothing as he stared. The anger invoked by that thought kept the tears at bay. I was simply a brood mare to him. He did not want me for any other reason than to look pretty and bear his children. I would not cry, no matter how it hurt my soul.

“How are you feeling, my love?” Cathal asked. His voice was sickeningly silky. He leaned closer and took a deep breath. “You smell divine. You must no longer be sick.”

“I am better. Though I’m still tired.”

“I have missed you.” His hand dropped from my face and grabbed my hand. He wrapped it in the crease of his elbow and began to lead me away from my chamber. “Instead of spending time with my lovely, tasty bride, I have had to endure boring talks with your father concerning your dowry and the protection of his kingdom.”

“I apologize, my lord. I’m sure that must have been quite unpleasant.” No matter how unpleasant he thought his time with my father had been, I knew it would be nothing compared to the time I was about to spend with him. My skin was crawling, and my stomach was threatening to climb out of my throat. His touch alone was enough to make me want to dunk myself in a vat of scalding hot water.

“I would like to take you on a ride today,” he said. “And I wish you to ride with me.”

It was the ‘ride with me,’ comment that snapped my attention to how close our bodies were. Riding with him on the same mount would mean being even closer. I was not sure that I could tolerate being closer.

“Forgive me, Your Highness,” Torben said. “But propriety demands that the princess ride her own horse.”

I started to let out a sigh of relief, but it was cut short when Cathal answered.

“I demand she ride with me,” he snapped. “And you are to hold your tongue, or I will cut it out.”

I didn’t miss the way Brant put a firm grip on Torben’s shoulder once Cathal had turned away. He whispered something to his comrade, and I could see the battle raging in Torben’s eyes. He looked at me, and I tried to give him a reassuring smile that I was fine. The short shake of his head told me he wasn’t buying my false bravado.

Once we were at the stables, I did not bother arguing when Cathal demanded one horse for the pair of us. There was no point. I would simply make sure to ride behind him. If I was behind him, he couldn’t get his filthy hands on me.

I walked over to the first stall and found one of the younger mares named Delilah. She was a beautiful red with a dark black mane. She shook her head at me and whinnied.

“Sorry, girl,” I whispered as I ran a hand down the front of her face. “I cannot take you this time.” I motioned over my shoulder to where Cathal was arguing with Geoffrey, the stable master, about which horse would be best suited for two riders. “Unfortunately, he is in charge.”

Delilah snorted.

I smiled and laughed. “I know, I’m not too impressed either. But perhaps another day soon we will go out.” She nodded her head as though she understood my words, and then nudged my face with her soft nose. With one last pat and a kiss on her nose, I turned back to face Cathal and the others.

I felt eyes on me as I watched Cathal complain about the fact that his own horse couldn’t be used. When I turned my head slightly to the right, I saw Torben. His intense gaze was burning over me, and I felt myself blush. I shook my head at him as if to tell him to stop. His lips turned up in a smirk, and he shook his head back at me. He wasn’t about to do what I told him. Stubborn man, I mentally growled.

“Allete,” Cathal’s voice bit out.

I turned back to him. “Hmm?”

“We will be riding this beast. Come here, and I’ll help you mount. I can ride behind you.”

“I would prefer to ride in the back, my lord,” I said in a voice that I hoped sounded docile and unchallenging. “I’ve not ridden with another rider before. I would feel more comfortable this way.”

His jaw clenched as though he were trying his very hardest not to growl at me. He stared at me for a long time, and I got the impression he was waging some sort of internal battle. Cathal must have seen the determination in my eyes because he finally sighed. “Fine. I’ll mount first and help pull you up behind me.”

He climbed up onto the large horse and then moved his foot from the stirrup so that I could put my foot in it. I bit back a gasp when I felt a hand on my waist and another grasp the back of my thigh.

“It is not necessary for you to help her, guard.” Cathal leaned down to grab my arm and would have jerked it out of socket had not Torben been there helping boost me up.

“I have to disagree, King Cathal. And since Allete is my charge and responsibility, it is my duty to make sure she is safe at all times.”

I couldn’t see Cathal’s face as I sat behind him on the horse, but I could feel his trembling form. The rage in him was going to erupt like a volcano, and the gods save any who were near him when that happened. I just hoped I was far away when it finally did. Though if Torben kept poking the beast, we would be the immediate collateral damage when the explosion came.

“I’m eager to get started,” I said, trying to break the tension. “Shall we go?”

I could see Torben and Brant clambering onto their own horses, and I tried not to laugh when they both had to scurry to mount to keep up with Cathal, who had suddenly pushed the horse forward into a fast trot.

As he picked up speed, I turned my face up to the sun and closed my eyes. I wanted to forget who I was riding with and simply enjoy the fresh air. Though it seemed Cathal’s presence was casting a pall over the whole of nature, I could still feel the familiar countryside singing out to me. The trees were clapping their leaves, and the grass was swaying to the music of the birds. The sun shone down on it all as though it were giving light to a magnificent performance. How I wished I could be a part of it, but with a different rider in front of me.

I felt my hair beginning to fall from the bun into which Lidia had placed it. I loved feeling it fall down my back while the wind flowed through it. It was the best I had felt in several days, but it all came to a screeching halt when I felt Cathal’s hand on my thigh.

He squeezed, and it was so painful I knew he must be leaving a bruise. He was marking me again, as if he hadn’t already done enough damage. The bastard, I growled in my mind and mentally kicked him. Oh, how I would love to kick him for real. I imagined it would give me great satisfaction, but the consequences would likely be deadly.

He tilted his head so that I would be able to hear him as he spoke.

“Only a week until we wed,” he told me, though it sounded more like a warning. “You will be all mine, and then there will be no guards between us.”

I didn’t say anything. How was I supposed to respond to such words? It wasn’t like a man telling the woman he loved that he was excited about being alone with her. It was more like a butcher telling his prized hog that soon enough the crowds would no longer be watching, and he would be able to cut the poor beast apart. Think pleasant thoughts, Allete, I chastised myself. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t find the resolve to remain positive.

We rode even faster and, after at least an hour, he stopped at a stream. Torben and Brant were there less than a minute behind. We all dismounted and set our horses to graze.

“Stand watch over there,” Cathal told them. “The princess and I have things to discuss.”

He took my hands and pulled me away from them, drawing me closer to the stream. For a fleeting second, I entertained the thought that he might be about to drown me. A few weeks ago, I might not have minded if it meant I didn’t have to spend my life with him, but now there was Torben. The escape of dying no longer held the appeal it once did.

“We need to discuss your transition to my kingdom,” he began. He turned me so that his back was to the guards, and I could not see them past his broad shoulders. “You do not need to bring your lady in waiting, or any of your help for that matter.”

“What?” This got my attention fully. “But why wouldn’t I bring my lady?”

“Because I have sufficient servants to ensure you are taken care of. There is no need to bring in more mouths to feed.”

I considered making a comment about his inability to feed an additional single servant but decided I would simply be asking for a fight. I didn’t want to provoke him when we were so far away from any witnesses.

“And you will not need to bring any of your things.”

“What?” I interrupted. “Forgive me, but it sounds like you want me to just leave every part of my life behind. Am I to accompany you home with no clothes on as well?” So much for not provoking him.

His brow rose, and his eyes sparkled with wicked intent. “A naked bride in my carriage. I am sure that can be arranged and would be most enjoyed.”

My heart nearly stopped. Good job, Allete, I scolded myself. Bringing up the absence of clothing around Cathal was as stupid as waving a piece of raw meet in front of a starving tiger, and just as dangerous.

“I do not understand why you wouldn’t want me to take some of my own things. It would make me feel less homesick,” I argued. When he simply stared at me, I realized what an imbecile I was being. I wasn’t going with him anyway. None of what he wanted mattered. So why was I intent on quarreling with him like it did?

“I think a fresh start will do you good. You are going to be my queen. I want you to have the mind of a queen, the manners and look of a queen, a regal woman—not a girl.” He glanced down at my body and then back up to my face. “I know there is a woman underneath that fabric, and I want you to look the part.”

I screwed my face up into one of disgust. “Why do you desire me to wear such revealing clothing? Does it not bother you that other men may stare?”

He glanced over his shoulder at Torben and Brant as though I somehow meant those two. “I won’t have to worry about that. The men in my kingdom know I would scoop their eyes out with a spoon and feed them to the crows if they so much as glance at you.”

I swallowed down the bile that rose in my mouth. That was a bit disturbing.

“Just do as you’re told, Allete, and your life will be much easier with me. Now.” He paused and then stepped closer to me. “I haven’t seen or touched you in a few days, and I will not refrain any longer.”

Before I could stop him, he’d wrapped an arm around my waist and pulled me tight against his body. His other hand ran up my back until it was at the nape of my neck, his thumb and fingers brushing beneath my ears. I tried so hard to think of Torben’s hands and imagine it was him who held me.

Cathal tilted my head back and made me look up at him. After simply staring at me for a little while, he leaned down and pressed his lips to mine. It was surprisingly gentle. I gasped as his full lips caressed my own, coaxing me to respond. When his tongue slipped out and licked across mine like velvet, I gasped again, and he took advantage by slipping his tongue into my open mouth. His soft groan was as surprising as was my own reaction.

I didn’t want to enjoy what he was doing and I certainly didn’t, just because of who was performing the actions. But I could not deny that what he was doing was very, very different from the way he had kissed me previously. This time it was as though he were savoring me. He pulled me closer, and his hard body molded my softer one to him.

I was lost. I didn’t understand what was happening or why I was allowing it, but I couldn’t stop him from kissing me or deepening the kiss. I couldn’t even stop my own sensual moan, and it made me want to vomit. I was moaning into Cathal’s mouth while Torben, no doubt, watched on.

Cathal’s hand ran down my back and grasped my waist. But it didn’t stop there. He continued down until he was grasping the back of my thigh, right where Torben’s hand had been when he’d helped me up onto the back of the horse.

He pulled back then, all the while still holding my thigh. “You are mine to touch. No one else’s. Do not allow that guard to touch you in such a way again, or I will cut his hands off while you watch.”

My mouth dropped open even further, and I stared up at him, seeing flames dance in his eyes. Only seconds ago, he’d been kissing me as though I was a precious lover, and now he was threatening me. I was about to say something, but the sound of hooves running mercilessly across the ground caused me to step back and look past Cathal.

Torben hadn’t bothered to look behind him to see what was coming. He was too busy staring at Cathal. His face was contorted into a level of rage that I had never seen before. When his glance flicked to mine, I flinched and took a step back. He looked ready to kill someone, anyone, and I wondered if I was on that list.

“Allete!” I heard Dayna’s voice before I saw her. She and Thomas were riding up through the trees. They both looked breathless, as if they’d been the ones to run instead of the horses. Both of their eyes were wide with fear.

“What’s happened?” I asked, pushing past Cathal, Torben, and Brant. I knew it was something bad, as all the blood had drained from Dayna’s face.

“We need you back at the palace,” Thomas spoke for her. “Now.”

When I caught the inflection of his voice as he said ‘you,’ I understood he meant that they needed me specifically. Someone had been hurt; they needed my ability. I nodded and looked back at Cathal. “I’m sorry, my lord, but I must cut our time short for now.”

“You can ride with me,” Cathal said as he started toward the horse, which had wandered a few paces from us.

“Like hell,” I heard Torben growl as he grabbed my hand. He pulled me to his horse and lifted me by my waist effortlessly. “I’m her guard, and I can get her back quickly.” He called over his shoulder, not even looking at the king. “Where?” Torben asked Dayna.

“The gardens, by the pond,” she said quickly, and I didn’t miss the tears in her eyes.

Torben hopped up behind me and wrapped a strong arm around me. He pulled me back against him and squeezed the horse’s flanks. The animal took off in a huge lunge moving smoothly into a fast cantor.

“I need to warn you now that I will be kissing you later,” Torben murmured in my ear. He pulled me tighter against him. “It took everything in me not to kill him right then and there.”

My breath caught, and my heartbeat flew at an unnatural pace. Not only was I worried about what I was going to find at the pond, I now had Torben threatening to kiss me. A threat that I was all too eager to endure. Stupid woman, I thought to myself.

He didn’t say anything more; he simply pushed the horse harder, almost as if he could sense my own urgency to get there. When we were finally drawing close, I turned my head so that Torben would hear me.

“We cannot let Cathal, or anyone, see if I’m needed to heal.”

“I’ll protect you,” he said gently. “You don’t have to worry about using your magic. I will always protect you.”

And I believed him without question. I didn’t know why, but I had no doubt that Torben would do everything in his power to keep his word.

As we rode around the back of the castle and approached the gardens, I pointed around a large wall of bushes indicating where he should go to find the pond. When we cleared the wall of shrubbery, we came upon a small group of people. I recognized most of them as servants from within the castle. They were crowded around a tiny form that lay motionless on the ground.

My hand rose to my mouth as I realized it was a young child. There was a woman leaning over the girl, wailing and pressing kisses to her forehead. I didn’t pause for Torben to stop. I jumped from the horse, heedless of the fact that I might injure myself. By the gods, I landed on my feet with only a slight jarring in my legs. I was in motion before I had time to really consider whether it had been painful.

When I reached the crowd, I tried politely pushing my way through, but I got nowhere. That was until a large hand wrapped around my own and pulled me forward. Torben’s wide shoulders and impressive height sent people reeling back as though they were barefoot and standing on hot coals. They practically jumped out of his way. If I hadn’t been on my way to help a child, I might have been offended by how they moved for him and not their own princess. As it was, I had more important things on which to expend my energy.

Torben stepped to the side. Once his larger body was out of the way, I moved quickly, kneeling next to the mother and child. Before I said anything, I glanced up at Torben. He gave me a single nod, letting me know that he understood my unspoken message. I needed him to clear out the people. I didn’t need anyone to see my gift in action. I was surprised by the gentleness in his voice as he asked people to step back and give the woman privacy. A second later, I heard Dayna and Thomas’s voices as well. With them tending to the crowd, I could focus on the child.

“Ma’am,” I said softly. “Will you let me help?”

The woman lifted her head. Her eyes were screaming at me, begging me to do something.

“If you will allow me, I will help her. I will heal her,” I said. I didn’t explain how I would do that, nor did I think about what might be wrong with the child. It was clear that she’d fallen into the pond, so it was likely the child was drowning. But it might be more complicated than that. It might be that something had caused her to fall in, like a sudden seizure or headache. I had no knowledge of the child’s history, so I would not know—not until I touched her.

Finally, the woman nodded. I wasted no time getting my hands on the girl. I closed my eyes, shutting out everything around me. The people around me slipped away, their voices simply becoming a humming background symphony. The smells of the air, grass, and salty ocean faded away. The touch of the breeze on my skin was nothing more than a soft feather gliding ever so lightly. I was lost to my ability, to my magic, as I allowed myself to sink deep into the consciousness of the girl.

I felt her spirit stir, but it was very weak. I moved my own spirit through her form, finding the source of the problem. I began calling on my power. Her lungs were full of water, and I knew that I needed to get them empty in order for her to breathe, but that wasn’t the only damage. There was something wrong with her brain. Something pulled at me there, but I decided breathing was more important, so I focused on the lungs first.

Once the lungs were clear, I sent a pulse of magic into her heart and began to chant.

I chanted until, once again the heart was pumping rhythmically, sending out blood into the body. Finally, I moved to the brain. I wasn’t sure what I was looking for. I had never had to heal a brain injury before. I search out every part until I finally found the small area that was covered in blood. I pressed my power tightly against it and let the warmth flow into it as I began another chant.

I felt the magic and power flowing out of me. It was more than I had given before, and I wondered if I’d even be able to bear weight on my legs when it was finally done. When I was sure that whatever had been wrong with the brain was now repaired, and things in the body seemed to be working again, I began to pull back. As I drew away from her, I felt her spirit growing stronger.

By the time I was back in my own body, I heard coughing and a small voice.

“Mama, what happened?”

“Shh, child. Peace, you are fine now,” the mother said gently.

I opened my eyes, unsure of what I would see when I looked at the woman. Would she be fearful? Would she be disgusted? When I finally built up my nerve, I looked up and met the woman’s gaze.

I sucked in a deep breath as I watched the tears fall silently from her face. She leaned forward so that she was just inches from my face and then leaned her forehead down until it was touching my own.

“Bless you, child of the gods. Bless you for your selfless sacrifice.” Her words rushed over me like a soothing oil, and a calm filled my spirit that I had not felt in a very long time. It was as though the words were necessary, like they ended the healing process that had just taken place.

And then words suddenly filled my mind that I felt compelled to say in return. “It is my honor to serve.”

“I will not mention this to anyone if that is your wish, Your Highness.” The woman spoke again. She was continuing to stare at me, her eyes full of sincerity.

“I would be in your debt if you could keep this a secret.”

She gave me a slight bow with her head and then began to stand. Torben suddenly appeared and helped the woman up, while at the same time picking up the small child who looked tiny in his large arms. I had a flash in my mind of a different time, a different child, and a different set of circumstances as Torben held our own child. It was so real that I gasped and had to shake it off.

“Brant,” Torben called over to his comrade. “Please escort the child and her mother home.”

Brant nodded and smiled down at the woman. I think he meant it to be reassuring, but he looked more pained than gentle. He was going to have to practice on that if he was to court my sister. And why I was ever considering such a thing that was preposterous, but also seemed strangely inevitable. That was something I was just going to have to set aside for another time.

Torben stepped closer to me, pulling me from my disturbing thoughts. He reached down and took my hand, pulling me to my feet. I swayed on my feet and wished desperately that he could pick me up and carry me back to my room, but I knew I couldn’t allow the people around to see me that way.

“That demon king is riding up on his horse,” he whispered as he leaned closer, lending me his frame to hold for support. “What do you want to do?”

“Get me out of here,” I said quickly. He nodded.

“Dayna,” he said in a sharp voice.

“What do you need?” she asked from my right.

“Distraction,” Torben said and motioned in the direction from which Cathal was riding.

“Why, Torben, I never thought you’d ask,” she said in a syrupy sweet voice.

I rolled my eyes and let out a small groan. There was no telling what she would come up with.

“SNAKES!” Dayna’s voice cracked through the air and felt like a slap across the face. “SNAKES! Not just one, there’s a bloody village!”

I turned to look over my shoulder and saw her hopping about like a child, pointing wildly to a spot in the grass growing near the pond. Some people were rushing away while those who liked to put on a brave face were hurrying over. Cathal was cut off by the people fleeing the so-called snake infestation.

“Come,” Torben said firmly. He placed his hand on my lower back and led me in the opposite direction of Cathal. “We only have a few minutes before her ploy falls through.”

We walked quickly, though Torben was practically carrying me as he wrapped an arm around my waist and hoisted me to his side.

By the time we reached my door, I was about to pass out. I had never been so tired after a healing. It was more than being tired; it was like the life had been sucked from me.

“Maybe it has,” Torben said as he steadied me and shut the door behind us.

“Did I say that out loud?” I asked. I took a step toward the bed and almost fell. If Torben hadn’t been there, I’d have likely fallen face first onto the floor and just stayed there until someone found me. As it was, he snatched me up and carried me to the bed. He pulled the covers back and laid me down gently and then pulled the covers back up to my chin.

“Rest,” he said softly as he leaned down and pressed his lips to my forehead. “I will keep watch.”

Before he could walk away, I reached for his hand. “Torben?”

He turned back to look at me. “Yes?” His voice was just as soft as my own.

“Thank you.” I paused. “For taking care of me.”

A small smile tilted up one side of his mouth, and his eyes lit up, yet still managed to smolder. “It is what I do.”

“What? Take care of women in need?”

He shook his head. “No. I take care of my woman in need. It is my honor and pleasure.”

I didn’t know how to respond, but he didn’t give me a chance. He slipped from the room while my eyes were already betraying me as they slipped closed. I couldn’t help but wonder if bringing the child back to life—because I was pretty sure that is what I had done—had taken some of my own life away.

As I slipped deeper into my dreams, I wondered if the power I possessed could somehow lead to my own demise. Did my power come from magic, or did it come from my own life-force, the power and spirit inside of me that gave me breath? And if it did, what did that mean for me each time I used it to help others?