Recaptured

The guard that Val had just beaten approached her. She wasn't sure how he would react to having been humiliated in front of his peers. He bowed low.

"Milady, you have my utmost respect. No doubt your skills are unmatched among women."

"Thank you, but that's where you are wrong. My mother can kick my ass."

One of the oldest guards spoke up, "Liviana . . . it has to be."

"Yes, that's her. That's my mom."

"Long ago, before the fall of the original settlement, I saw her here. We used to call her 'the Hellion.' I never thought I would see another female warrior with skills like that. I knew you looked familiar. You look just like her. You move like her too."

Val blushed in pleasure at being referred to as a warrior. "My name is Val. I am honored to make your acquaintance, all of you."

Each guard introduced himself. The man she had sparred with was named Alex.

Before she left, Val asked them again to keep the events in the arena secret. "I'm sure Mr. Davis would not condone my participation here. I would love to be able to come back and play with all of you again." The men nodded in agreement eagerly.

Val returned to the arena daily. The men found some clothes she could wear in the arena that were better suited than the dresses in her closet.

The fourth day, she arrived at the arena to see Richard, the commanding officer of the castle guards, training with them. Alex caught Val's eye, pointed discreetly at Richard and gave her a "no" gesture. Val sat and watched. She knew from her dealings with Richard that he was serious and disciplined. From then on, whenever Richard was there, Val would just watch. Whenever he was not there, Val would participate.

Every time she participated, she asked a different guard to unbutton her dress. She would ask them all to turn their backs while she got changed. She actually wanted them to peek, and most did not disappoint her.

Soon Val was on a first name basis with all of the men. She knew most of them were smitten by her. Still, her relationship with the men was about more than just them lusting after her. As she joined in their training, a mutual respect developed. Val learned some new skills from the men and them from her. The men were particularly impressed with her accuracy with throwing knives.

Every time, before she left, she reminded them to keep their activities secret.

Eventually, the inevitable happened; Richard showed up while Val was actively engaged in the arena. He lined the men up and demanded an explanation.

Val stepped up. "Please don't blame them. I begged them to let me participate. I am a student of the martial arts and was bored silly cooped up in the castle in my frilly dresses."

Richard scowled and looked each man in turn in the eyes.

"I should discipline all of you for engaging in unauthorized activity."

He paced in front of them, then continued, "However, I have never seen you more focused on your training than you have been recently, and I have seen significant improvement in all of your skills in the last few weeks. I could not understand why, now I know."

He turned to Val, "Lady Val, you seem to bring out the best in these men. You are welcome to continue to participate. Oh, and your skills with the staff are quite impressive."

"You should see her with throwing knives," said Alex.

A week later, Val arrived at the arena and Richard handed her a bag. "The men and I have a little gift for you."

She opened it to find a new training outfit. It was woven from thin strips of leather, with sewn in body armor. Val was delighted. It looked better to her than the finest dress in her closet.

Before she left the arena, Richard pulled Val aside. "A mercenary showed up at the main gate of the city this morning with a young man in his possession. Mr. Davis authorized the purchase of the man and he is now being held in the castle. I thought the odds were pretty good that he might be from your city."

"May I see him?"

Two guards escorted Val to a room on the opposite wing of the castle from her suite. The knocked on the door, then entered.

The young man looked at them suspiciously. Val's heart leapt. A look of shock crossed his face, then joy as he ran to her and they embraced.

"Oh my god, Val!"

"Brian, what are you doing here?"

Brian looked at the guards, who had positioned themselves at the door, then whispered, "What can we say in front of these guys?"

Val turned to the guards, "Hey Alex?"

"Yes, Lady Val?"

"Can Brian and I have some privacy?"

"Of course, Milady, we will just outside the door if you need us."

Val looked at Brian. Despite the passage of just a few months, he seemed changed. He had filled out physically and he seemed much more mature than she remembered. "You look different; grown up."

"Me? My god, look at you! You look so . . . wow, um, so . . . lady-like."

"It's these damn dresses they make me wear."

"Well, I like it. You look beautiful . . . and not nearly as scary as usual."

"Thanks . . . I think."

"So apparently I'm being held prisoner, but you seem like you're running the place."

"Nah, I'm a prisoner too, they just find it amusing to dress me up and treat me like a princess. As long as I play along, they give me a lot of leeway, but I am either locked in my suite or under armed guard at all times."

"You seem pretty friendly with the guards."

"I'm doing my best to work my charms on them."

"If I recall, your 'charms' usually involved serious pain."

"Very funny."

Val changed the subject. "Brian, are my parents OK?"

"Val, what do you think? They're heartbroken. They've been out searching for you since the day you left. Your Aunt Veronica and Uncle Martin, too."

The news hit Valerie hard. She had never allowed herself to think about the heartbreak her departure would have caused her family. Val began to cry. "Oh god, I've been so stupid. What have I done? I'm so sorry." Brian patted her back awkwardly, but Val pushed his hand away and threw her arms around him, squeezing him tight.

"What about Connor, is he OK?" Val asked after she had regained her composure.

"He's been staying with Angela when your parents have been away looking for you. He's mad that they won't let him go along to help in the search. He misses you badly. Everyone does. Val, what happened to you?"

She told her story, leaving out just the details of her sexual relationship with Mason.

"Brian, I don't understand how you could be captured and sold. Someone actually kidnapped you inside Munroe?"

"No, of course not. I was out in the wild, just like you were."

"Why would you have left the city? Did you run away, too?"

"No. After you left, I trained day and night. The minute I turned 18, I went in search of you."

"But why would you do that? Last time I saw you, you said something nasty to me and I kicked your ass. You hated me."

"Val, for a smart girl, sometimes you can be clueless."

"What do you mean?"

"Val, you idiot, I love you. I have loved you for as long as I can remember."

"Really?" Val was taken aback by this revelation. "Then why did you tease me so much?"

"That's what teenage boys do."

Val went silent as she tried to sort out her tangled emotions. She realized Brian was waiting for her to say something more.

"This is where you are supposed to say 'I love you, too.' Either that or dash my heart on the ground and stomp all over it, your choice," added Brian.

"Brian . . . I don't know. I don't know how I feel. Please don't be upset, but I'm having trouble processing this."

Brian looked crestfallen. After an awkward silence, Brian changed the subject, "Do you know what they want with us?"

"Well, I'm supposed to bear grandchildren for the founder of the city, as soon as his son gets back from some crusade he's on. I can't say I'm looking forward to it. I'm presuming they will want to keep you under lock and key until they find a young girl for you to impregnate. This city is desperate for children. They are running out of time."

"I suppose there are worse fates for a prisoner to face."

Val added visits with Brian to her daily routine. Despite their previous stormy relationship, it became a bright spot in her day.

One day Val asked to talk to Richard in private after he escorted her back to her room.

"Richard?"

"Yes, Lady Val?"

"You know this city can't continue on this way, right?"

"What do you mean?"

"I think you know what I mean. Can you honestly tell me the citizens are happy?"

Richard looked conflicted. After a pause, he said, "No."

Richard got up and headed for the door, then turned back to face Val.

"Val, it's dangerous to speak of such things."

"I would suggest it is more dangerous not to speak of such things."

Two days later, Richard appeared at Val's door alone. "May I come in?"

"Of course."

"I have not been able to get what you said the other day out of my head. You are wise beyond your years. For a long time, I have been willfully ignoring the obvious, that this city is heading for an inevitable collapse."

"So what should we do about it?"

"I wish I knew."

Early the next evening, Val was summoned to the banquet hall for dinner. Martha fussed over her, so Val knew it was an important event.

Val arrived to see Mr. Davis and a man she didn't recognize at the table. They rose when she entered.

"Ah, the lovely Lady Val . . . come in. This is my son Edward, just returned from a most successful campaign. Edward, did I not tell you she was a vision of youthful beauty?"

Edward took her hand and kissed it. "It is a pleasure to meet you, Milady." Val said nothing. Edward appeared to be in his mid-fifties and had an air of confidence and authority. Val immediately disliked him. She could practically feel his lustful gaze devouring her. She was a piece of meat to him.

As they sat down to eat, Val opened with a seemingly innocent question. "You were gone for quite a long time. Did you travel far?"

"It was about 300 miles each way."

"That is an impressive journey. You and your men must be tired. Why so far?"

"There is not much worthwhile that is closer."

"Hmm, I wonder why that is. So exactly what made it a successful campaign?"

"We were able to acquire a sizable haul of gold, weapons, livestock and other goods," Edward replied, looking pleased with himself.

"And what did you trade to acquire such bounty?"

A look of suspicion began to creep across Edward's face.

"Trade? Oh, we have no need for trade. We have the power to take what we want."

"I see. So what becomes of the settlements you raid?"

The suspicion turned to annoyance.

"That is not my concern. My duty is to provide for this fair city."

"Interesting choice of words, "fair" . . . What happens when there are no more settlements within reach to raid?"

Val could see that Edward was beginning to lose his temper.

Mr. Davis apparently realized this, too, and stepped in. "These are not things you should worry your pretty head about, Milady."

"Of course not, my apologies, I am forgetting my place," said Val with a hint of sarcasm. Mr. Davis didn't appear to pick up on it, but she was pretty sure Edward did.

After dinner, Edward said, "Lady Val, why don't you come to my room for a nightcap."

Though stated as a request, Val was pretty certain it was a demand.

When they got to his suite, Edward poured them each a glass of wine. Val had learned that she didn't handle alcohol well, so she didn't drink it. Edward glared at her, all pretense of politeness gone.

"What the hell were those questions about at dinner?"

"You are driving this city to the brink of collapse. The people will revolt. It is just a matter of time."

"You little bitch. I should beat you for your insolence."

Edward drank his glass in one gulp and poured himself another one.

"You don't seem to understand your purpose here," Edward said.

"No, your dad made it pretty clear. I'm supposed to provide him with a grandson."

"OK then, why don't you shut your mouth, take off your clothes and let's get to it."

"Edward, I hope your military skills are better than your skills with women. I don't even know you yet. A woman needs to be courted before she will surrender herself."

"You do understand that I run this city and you are a prisoner."

"Yes, a prisoner, not a whore."

"Fine, bitch. I'm not in the mood anymore anyway. I will play your game for now, but in the end, you have no choice. Get the hell out of here."

"What an asshole," Val thought to herself as she walked out the door. She started walking toward her suite when it occurred to her that she was not accompanied by any guards. She briefly contemplated making a break for it, but it didn't seem realistic that she would make it all the way out of the castle, never-mind through the entire city to the gate.

Val wondered how long she could stall Edward for. The thought of suffering through courtship with him was nauseating. The thought of actually having sex with him was worse.

She continued to her suite and went to bed.

The next day, she recounted her evening to Brian. He reached out and took her hand for support as she told the story. He looked concerned.

"You were really pushing your luck."

"I know. God, I don't want to give up my virginity to that loathsome man."

For the next week, Val spent uncomfortable evenings with Edward. He alternated between lame attempts at romantic gestures and being openly annoyed that she still wasn't ready to give up her virginity to him. He was laughably bad at courting her and she would have indeed found it funny, except that she knew in the end she was doomed to have sex with this man she couldn't stand.

The only things that helped her cope were the physical release of training with the guards, and her daily visits with Brian. He listened to her with sympathy and growing concern. Every day, she hugged him before she left and she found herself letting that embrace linger a little longer each time. She found his support helped quell the rising panic that she felt over her situation.

Val also could not seem to resist sniping at Edward over his approach to governing the city. One day his frustration at her criticism boiled over. "You seem to think we are doing everything wrong here. I suppose your home city had no problems? They had everything figured out and everyone was happy?"

"It wasn't perfect, no. But the people were treated with respect and fairness."

"So then explain why you ran away."

He had a good point. That was hard to explain.

"I was young and foolish. I didn't understand how good I had it. It was just that I was feeling pressure to become a mother as soon as I reached legal age and I wasn't ready for it. It was stupid of me. If I had just stuck it out a little longer, plenty of other children were going to come of age and the pressure would be off me."

For once, Edward seemed genuinely interested in what Val was saying.

"How successful was the fertility program in Munroe?"

"There are almost a thousand children there now." Edward looked impressed.

"What about resources? You have been critical of my trips to gather resources for our city, but surely Munroe has the same needs." Val began to wonder if Edward was the lost cause she had assumed. Perhaps he could be convinced that there was a better way.

"We have not spent the ridiculous amount of manpower you have on security forces, so the people are better able to produce the goods and services the city needs. Besides, we actively trade with other settlements and individual traders."

"But what about security? Surely the city needs to control its citizens."

"We have our laws, and the people generally are trusted to abide by them. They are given a voice in creating them, and thus feel invested in them. It really doesn't take a large police force to take care of the occasional issues that arise."

"OK, I'm skeptical, but I'll accept that for now. What about defending against outside invaders?"

"Well of course we have a security force that protects the city wall and the gates. It is more than adequate to repel marauding gangs. The surrounding settlements are on good terms with the city, so that is not an issue either."

Edward sat in silence for a few moments. Val looked at him and saw a smile spread across his face. "So Val, what would happen if 2000 troops showed up at the gates of Munroe armed with guns, intent on taking its most precious resource, the children?"

The color drained from Val's face. She was horrified. She knew the answer to Edward's question; the defenses of Munroe would be swept aside. She also knew this was not an idle question on his part. He was planning to invade and destroy Munroe and steal the children. Val had unwittingly betrayed her city, providing Edward with all the information he needed to seal its fate.

Val was overwhelmed. She got up and ran out of the room. There were no guards outside his door to escort her, but Edward made no move to stop her. He just laughed. She wasn't going to flee the city. It would be pointless to do so, as there would soon be no safe place to go anyway.

Val didn't stop running until she reached the training facility. She burst in, tears streaming down her face. Richard was surprised to see her arrive unaccompanied and appearing distraught. She charged into the arena and grabbed a training staff off the rack.

"Mark, get out here!" she demanded of one of the guards.

Surprised, he entered the ring and grabbed a staff.

She attacked him with fury, driving him backwards across the ring. When they reached the far wall, she stopped and took a step back, breathing heavily and still crying. Without warning, she turned away from Mark and smashed her staff against a stone pillar at the edge of the arena, shattering it in two and flung the piece in her hand across the ring. She fell to her knees and sobbed.

The men ran to Val and crowded around her in concern.

Richard spoke, "Val, what's wrong?"

"Edward is planning to invade Munroe, lay it to waste and steal the children. I was so stupid; I gave him the information he needed. I have betrayed my city and my own family." She continued to sob in despair. The men were stunned, but didn't know what to say.

Val stood up. She fought to regain control of her emotions. "I need your help. I know I am supposed to be your prisoner, but I consider you my friends. I believe in all of you. I believe you are upright and just men who can be trusted to do the right thing. The horror that Edward is planning could ultimately result in the death of the human race. The precious next generation is thriving in Munroe. Edward plans to destroy that and bring the children here, to a society that is on the verge of revolution. What happened to the children in Davisville during the last revolt? Nobody knows, they scattered and probably perished in the wild. We have to stop him."

Val's shocking words left the men silent. She was asking them to commit treason. One by one, they turned to Richard, their commanding officer.

"Lady Val is right. This path of destruction must be stopped, both for the good of the citizens of this city and for the human race. Our city is guilty of crimes against humanity; it is time to put an end to it. I am willing to lay my life down, if need be. Forget that I am your commanding officer; I join Val in asking you all as human beings, who's with us?"

Alex raised his hand instantly. All of the men followed suit.

"We will need to develop a plan," said Richard.

Val returned to her suite, emotionally spent, and went to bed even though it was still early.

Several hours later, she was awakened by her door opening. Edward stumbled in, clearly drunk. "I've waited long enough, bitch. I'm going to fuck you tonight whether you like it or not."