A Marq's Woman Ch. 02

She was feeling a tad dizzy.

Kistle clung to the mane of the airhorse that she was seated on, fearing for her safety. They were gliding along the clouds, much too high and much too fast for comfort. She could feel the horses' flanks contracting and relaxing under her, hear its loud snorts. The big beast's satiny black wings flapped about her gloriously, contrasting against its creamy white flesh. She had never seen such a beast before; it was foreign to her world – just like the giant that was seated behind her.

He hadn't spoken a word to her; she was afraid of his silence, not knowing what to expect from him. In her twenty years on Kierania, she never once had a man touch her or even glance her way. The chapel had shielded her from any encounters with the opposite sex ever since she was naught but a plump pink baby. Her mother had passed on whilst giving birth to her and the chapel had taken her in, raising her to be a servant of the Goddess.

The Goddess's world had been the only one she'd known, up until that fateful moment the Marqs had taken over Kierania. Now she found herself in a compromised state, riding amongst the clouds with a man who probably had dishonourable intentions. If they weren't at a perilous height so high up in the sky, she would have fought him tooth and nail. As it was, she stayed straight and stiff before him, trying to come to terms with her fate.

Will he ever send her back to the chapel? It was the only home she'd ever known and she was missing it already…

Kistle jolted as a cloud whizzed by her cheek and weaved its cottony body into her golden curls. She reached back with one hand to disentangle it but found that his fingers were already seeing to the task. She withdrew her hand with haste when she felt his fingers run along her scalp, tugging deliciously at the thick strands.

His large hands were surprisingly gentle as he let the sliver of a cloud extricate itself from her hair and blow away in the wind. And even after that, his fingers lingered in her hair, caressing her leisurely. His thumb ran along the base of her neck where baby soft curls were nestled against smooth, light brown skin. A shiver chased through her as he rubbed the calloused pad of his thumb there, making small goose pimples come alive all over her body. Then, a source of heat was pressed to the sensitive area, causing her to emit a startled gasp.

She finally found her voice.

"What are you doing?" Oh dear. Her throat was unbelievably dry.

Rade chuckled at her obvious state of arousal. The rumble of his laughter caused the hard wall of his chest to rub against the back of her habit.

"Have you never been touched by a man before?" he asked as he settled her more firmly against him.

He merely sighed when she shook her head.

"You have a lot to learn, freina," he said as his deft hands slid higher up her torso. She squirmed, trying to elevate her body so that his hands wouldn't breach the sanctity of her breasts. It was no use. Her breath caught as his hands slid over the small pert mounds, roughly caressing them, making her slither against him in awkwardness. What should she do? She knew that he shouldn't be touching her like this, but…

Rade let out a loud blasphemy when he felt the familiar jiggle of the Messball in his pocket. He let his arm leave the little one's waist for a moment as he took out the small, round, crystalline globe. It was glowing an urgent red, which meant that he would need to contact King Dominique as soon as possible. There was probably critical news awaiting him. He spurred White, his prized stallion to a faster pace. At the speed that they were traveling, they'd be able to reach the manor by nightfall.

Kistle gasped as the beast under her surged forward in an incredible display of speed. In fear, her fingers instinctively clung to the hard arms that were secured around her waist. Afraid of him, she might be, but she didn't want to die just because she was foolish enough not to hold on to him.

Rade groaned as the small woman wedged herself comfortably between his thighs, her rounded bottom guilelessly stroking his half-ready cock. He had to admit that she was an exquisitely beautiful creature, with her violet eyes, golden tresses and dusky skin… But some things were just more important than women, Rade acknowledged. He would have to see to bedding the girl later. As for now, urgent news from the King awaited him.

*

The airhorse landed on the plot of land effortlessly. Kistle remained seated as the man slid to the ground, then reached up to carry her down as well. His manner was brisk and brusque, as been his handling of the airhorse ever since he'd taken that beautiful red rock out from his pocket. He probably had some urgent matter to attend to, and that rock must've been some sort of messaging system between the Marqs. Kistle could only hope that he would take a while with it, for she had a plan that she wanted to put into action as soon as possible.

A large, dark, brooding, Talem manor rose up in front of them. She had heard of it before, the royal house of Kierania, but had never seen it. It was located on higher air, much higher for mere civilians like her to travel to. It was an honour just to be here and yet, she felt nothing but fear and trepidation that spread through her body from the manacle-like grip that he kept on her arm.

He led her up the steep front steps and through the magnificent house. His hand slid down her arm to cup her small hand as he made his way through the various wood-lined rooms. Kistle grew more nervous as room after room slid by her. Where was he taking her? What was he going to do with her? A myriad of emotions welled within her as the giant's feet started to steal up a dark flight of stairs. She barely managed to keep up with his long, purposeful strides and had to heave a sigh of relief when he stopped at the top of it.

The sound of keys jingling in the darkness reached her ears, followed by the telltale creak of an old door. Kistle gasped as she was shoved into the room by strong hands.

"Stay here," he ordered, his voice leaving no room for objections. And then with a look of warning should she attempt to escape, he was gone.

*

It had been twenty minutes since the Messball had delivered the message. Rade's footfalls became hasty as he made his way to the library, where a screen had been set up for the purpose of viewing Messball messages only. He lit a candle as he entered the room, his deft fingers already placing the glowing red ball on the ReadSphere – a flat, tile-like device meant to illustrate the message in the Messball on the screen.

As the globe was placed on the Sphere, a bright golden light spread throughout the room and immediately focused itself on the large screen. It was a letter.

"Sir Rade,

I do hope your siege has been successful. It has been a week since we conversed and I demand a full update on the situation in Kierania. Plans to conquer the rest of it are being made as you read this Mess. The plans will be forwarded to you as soon as they have been completed.

You must continue to do the Marqs proud.

King Dominique the Hundredth."

Rade rubbed the tension away from the back of his neck as he read the Mess. Just the thought of another war made him a little tensed. Perhaps he was getting old for all the fighting and politics. His army had just fought a fierce battle on Lismus, and now, they were being asked to take over the other half of Kierania as well; he knew that the bastard Kieranian king would never give up the rest of his lands without a fight.

Also, being involved in another war was now, unfair to Rade's men, for he knew that they, too, needed a rest from all the violence and bloodshed. He would see to it that they had enough rest before they prepared for another war.

Rade's dark eyes glimmered as the glow of the Messball simmered and died down so that the remaining illumination came from the candle that he had lit. The flame that rose from it was a beautiful gold, which reminded him of his captive's hair. Unbeknownst to him, a smile curled his lips; the remaining thoughts of the King and the war fled his mind.

She would be waiting for him in the tower, a tumble of honey-kissed curls and chubby caramel cheeks. Her allure was undeniable.

In a heartbeat, he found himself striding up the stairs which led his enslaved innocent, an image of her naked and moaning, sizzling through his gut like fine whisky. How would she taste? How would she respond? He would decipher the answers soon enough.

*

Oh dear. What should she do?

He was gone. The room was dark. She was scared.

Kistle's knees trembled inelegantly as she made her way across the room towards a sliver of light that spilled from a large window. She pried the window open wider with quivering fingers and warm glow from the late night moon bathed the room, bringing to life the non-living occupants of it.

What she saw shocked her.

A colossally large bed graced one corner of the room. It was a fine bed, yes, but it looked as though it would sleep four large men comfortably. She shuddered to think of the mischief that could occur in that bed – she'd once heard a few twitty girls whispering about bedwork at Mass. She had sent them a disapproving frown, but they had just giggled at her. Kistle had learnt quite a bit about what couples do in bed from their conversation, and the remembrance of it made her cheeks burn hotly.

Her gaze riveted from the bed to spy manacles in another corner. She had to thank the Goddess that it did not look as though it had been used anytime recently but they did look to be of exquisite quality, with gold and satin weaved together to form a layer of finery over the steel. Other than the bed and manacles, there was nothing else in the room except for a large, wooden cupboard and a short bathing stool. Kistle's fearful violet eyes swung back to the bed again, and an unsuppressed shudder wracked her body. She knew that she couldn't stay in this room or else she would lose what she prized the most.

She put her plan into action immediately. She needed to escape. Trying the door would prove ineffective, she knew, for she'd heard him lock it from the outside before leaving her in the chamber.

The only other way would be…the window.

She grabbed a stool that was situated beside the cupboard and pulled it up so that it sat beneath the window. Using the stool as leverage, she hoisted herself onto the ledge and peeked over it. Typical to the Talem structure of the manor, there was a terracing that led down to a lower level.

Seizing her only opportunity, Kistle swung her legs over the ledge and tried to step onto the first terracing…only to find that the terrace was too low for her foot to reach! By this time, she was hanging onto the ledge of the window by only her fingertips and she knew if she fell, she would be hurtling down at least four feet before she hit the rugged stones! Oh Goddess help her, she had gotten herself into a painful fix!

She hung there for a few minutes. Her arms started to ache. Her feet were numb, too, as she'd been trying to lift herself up onto the ledge by using her foot as leverage. The soft padding of her heels had scraped against the hard rock more than once. She knew she was bleeding; she could feel the blood from her bruised feet sliding slickly along the arch of her foot.

Unbidden, tears started to well up in her eyes. What had she done to deserve this? The pain was unbearable. She should just let go of the ledge and pass on. At least she would remain pure to serve the Goddess if she did. If she screamed for help, it would only be him who would come to her aid. And she would rather die than be his 'love slave' as he'd so quaintly put it.

Her now-insensitive fingers started to slide from the ledge and she steeled herself to her fate, murmuring a final prayer beneath her breath.

Kistle was suspended in air for a moment. It was a heady feeling, as though she was flying. Her whole body hurt and she was just happy that she would be going somewhere where the Goddess would alleviate the pain for her. She just wished that she could have lived a little longer…

Just then, a strong hand gripped her forearm firmly and hauled her back into the tower. She cried out involuntarily from the pain that sparked through her body at the bruising grip. She knew it was the giant who had saved her. She desperately wished he hadn't, but she could do nothing but moan weakly as the sharp thorbbing spread through her body.

She heard a voice, as though from far away, calling out to her, but she couldn't respond; she couldn't do anything but yield to the velvety blackness that took her under.

*

Damn the woman, Rade thought as he placed her limp form on the large bed. What the hell did she think she was doing? Foolish, willful Kieranian. She could've gotten herself killed if he'd entered the room a moment later! Didn't she know that the terracing from the tower was too steep to scale even by a man of his training? Why would she go to such extent to escape him? It's not as if he was demanding her soul, he just wanted her body. Back in Marqatia, women would be lining up at his door for his attentions! So what was wrong with this woman? Granted, she was a servant of the Goddess, but did she practice abstinence? The spirits knew that the Sisters in Marqatia didn't.

Her foot was badly injured. Thankfully, she remained unconscious as he cleaned the small flakes of rocks that were embedded in the soles of her feet. He tried not to be distracted by the smooth curve of her ankles that were only mere inches away from his hands and was successful only to a certain degree.

Every time she moaned in pain, however, an oversensitive part of his anatomy would twitch, making him uncomfortable in his crouched position. Rade pointedly ignored his baser instincts, knowing that he would have to tend to the woman's injuries before an infection set in – he could deal with his erection later.

He ran his hands down her arms and watched as her exotic features convulsed in pain. She probably had been hanging off the damned ledge for the whole half hour he'd been gone, he thought bitterly as he started to massage the sore spot on her arms. He could feel the tension in them, how the muscles beneath her skin were so tight. He chanted in his native Hersan tongue as he massaged her, casting a simple spell that would loosen her taut muscles and make her rest well. It was nearly impossible for him to resist the appeal of her caramel skin as he worked on easing the stiff muscles in her, but somehow he managed to get the deed done without ravishing her while she was unconscious.

It was a while later when he sat back on the bed and realized that she would be more comfortable if she didn't have her nun's habit plastered to her skin. He knew that the purpose of his task had little concern of her comfort, but he indulged himself anyway.

He undressed her slowly, gently slipping the black habit from her arms, then sliding it down her legs. She whimpered softly as he accidentally brushed a sore spot on her arm. If that whimper set off any reactions in his body, he immediately quenched it. As quickly as possible, he rid her of the habit and the virginal white chemise that she wore beneath it. There was nothing to shield her from his gaze now.

The first thing that drew his attention was her sex. It was a soft, tanned mound, with a small V-shaped parting at its bottom. The intriguing thing was, there was only a thin strip of hair adorning it! All the women he'd had before had had hair covering their whole nether regions. Granted, they'd all been Marqs…

His hands reached out to touch the beguiling golden tuft of hair, stroking it between his fingers. It had an exquisite texture, like fine cotton wool or the hair of a new-born lamb. Rade felt like he was a little boy with a new toy, fondling it gently as his eyes stole up her torso. The pert mounds of her breasts rose and fell in rhythm with her breathing. They were beautiful mounds, topped with golden-brown crowns that were a shade darker than her sun-kissed hair. His mouth watered at the mere thought of suckling it, but he knew she should rest after her escapade.

Thus, he withdrew his fingers – albeit reluctantly – from her inviting delta and laid next to her on the large bed.

He didn't have any tasks to see to as he'd dismissed his men for another several days. It was their time for fun after the grueling months of war. Rade smiled when he realized that they were probably enjoying themselves back at the chapel with all those beautiful women. His men had gone long enough without a good fucking and tonight, they would quench their thirst. He had seen to it.

The wench beside him stirred, her breathing quickening. He knew that she was coming around. His cock was still ready for her, straining against his breeches with a life of its own. Rade rolled onto his side, his large palm coming to rest against a curved hip. He marveled for a moment, that her skin so much fairer than his. All Marq women were usually as dark as himself and he found her skin in itself intriguing.

Rade's thumb was making circles on Kistle's hip-bone as she came around, fighting the now-dull pain in her arms. His touch made tingles of pleasure mingle in her blood. She couldn't recognize her surroundings, or the feel of the bed she was lying on. This wasn't the straw-ticked mattress of the convent! This was…

Her eyes popped wide open as the hand on her hip moved lower to cup her backside. Her first view of the world was those dark, merciless eyes. A strangled whimper escaped her lips when his grip on her bottom tightened and his head lowered towards hers.

"Don't," she whispered, but it was no use. Her vision began to blur. She shut her eyes tightly, blocking out the sight of those mesmerizing black eyes. A tiny spasm of shock jolted through her as his lips found hers in a caress as light as a butterflies' wing. Just then, the hand on her bottom moved forward, sliding nearer and nearer to the place where she knew she should never be touched…

*

I do hope you enjoyed this installment! Please take a second to vote or leave a comment. I appreciate comments of any nature – kind or harsh. Of course, if you say "OMG, that was absolutely fantastic!", I'll be your slave for life. Other than that, there are no side benefits for your kindness(:

Please try not to vote me down because of the absence of sex. I promise that that portion will appear VERY soon. So give Rade and Kistle a fair chance, please!

XOXO Lillian.