“Perhaps you would like to try this one,” Bree suggested, after Kelly had finished her last bite and put the plate back down.
Kelly looked up to find her holding a dress much shorter and narrower than the gowns she was used to wearing at home. It also had a lace-up back, meaning it would be quite tightly fitted.
“Is that what those—” Kelly nodded at the leathers while speaking, “go with?”
“Indeed.”
Although she wasn’t quite certain she was ready to wear something so revealing, it did occur to her that a lot of the giant women at the feast had been wearing fairly similar dresses. In her village, a girl would be branded a harlot for less.
Then again, she wasn’t in her village anymore. And last night’s visit to Broc’s room had been a lot more sinful than simply wearing a shorter dress. Kelly shrugged and nodded at Bree in agreement.
“I also thought you might want to take a bath first,” Bree suggested in a tone that told Kelly this was yet another done thing on Black Isle. Fresh water was such a precious commodity on the mainland that Kelly had scarcely been afforded the opportunity to bathe every other week, and it had only been about four days since the last time.
Still, if she was going to fit into this place, she’d better behave like everyone else. Kelly didn’t argue and followed Bree through a door off to the right of the large wardrobe, in that part of her room that was mostly too dark to see properly. She hadn’t even noticed a doorway there before.
Of course she hadn’t spent enough time in her room to properly explore it. A memory of the reasons why tickled her, making her smile as she walked through the hidden corridor, into a large square washroom.
Here the stone floor felt inexplicably warmer than in her bedroom, and the walls were adorned with glass shelves laden with strange little bottles in all shapes and colors. Kelly’s eye was drawn to the door opposite to the entrance she and Bree had just come in from, which was opened to just a crack.
While Bree prepared her bath, Kelly decided to warm herself by the fire pit in the corner and just observe. After filling water from a hanging metal tube into the large kettle shaped tub in the middle of the room, Bree collected a bucket full of glowing coals from the fire and placed them underneath. Clearly this was going to be a bath unlike any she’d ever experienced.
As they waited for the coals to do their job, Bree kept stealing glances in Kelly’s direction until finally, Kelly caught on.
“What?”
“Oh I… I probably shouldn’t pry. But those bruises on your neck…”
Kelly instinctively touched her neck where it still felt a little sore. How had this happened? Again, her lingering embarrassment about the previous night flared up.
Bree let out a laugh, which echoed against the stone walls of the room, making it sound even louder and deeper than normal.
“Don’t be ashamed. You are to be wed, it’s expected.”
Kelly was well on her way to turning a deep crimson, not just on her cheeks but her ears as well. It had been a lot easier giving in to him than should have been the case. And she didn’t intend for it to be discovered. She started to wonder if maybe the villagers, blaming her for her mother’s death, had been right and there was something inherently wicked about her.
“We… Oh dear. I didn’t realize I was bruised!”
“It will fade.”
“How soon?”
“A few days perhaps, it depends. Humans heal slower, apparently.” Bree still could hardly contain her amusement at Kelly’s predicament. The tall female’s smile was so contagious it didn’t take long for Kelly to calm down as well.
“You say it’s expected? Not where I come from.” Kelly looked down at the coals, which were now covered with a sheath of white ash.
“No? Tell me.” Bree stopped smiling, instead looking at Kelly with large, curious eyes.
It took around half an hour for the bath water to come up to a temperature Bree deemed acceptable, during which Kelly did her best to tell tales of her home. Of the rules, the way the villagers, including her father, treated their women, even of the observations she had made at the feast, where it seemed that everyone was more equal here.
By the end Kelly had Bree shaking her head.
“And they call us barbarians.”
That last remark finally made Kelly smile wide, and she wondered if perhaps the giants ought to take girls from the mainland more often. Being stuck on this island didn’t seem like such a bad thing after all.
Bree held out her hand, gesturing at Kelly to hand over the torn nightgown. Apparently she planned to stay while Kelly soaked in the warm water. She held back any protests about undressing in front of someone else, and took a deep breath before letting the soft, silky fabric fall down her shoulders and over her hips.
Although the female giant didn’t say a word, Kelly felt her eyes darting back and forth between her, and the dress, as if she was trying not to look but couldn’t help herself. Kelly awkwardly hurried into the tub, keen to be a little less exposed. The only other person to ever see her as she bathed had been her mother, and back then she’d only been a child.
As Kelly’s body was enveloped by the warm water, she couldn’t believe how wonderful it felt. Bathing had always been a necessary evil, and not very enjoyable during the colder times of year. Bree gathered up one of the glass bottles and returned to the tub, trickling a bit of the liquid into the water until the whole room was filled with the sweet fragrance of a summer meadow. It was magic.
Kelly closed her eyes, enjoying how her muscles—even her bruised neck—completely relaxed. Her thoughts travelled back to last night; how Broc had made her feel when he touched her so intimately. How everything she thought she knew about right and wrong suddenly seemed to fade until it no longer mattered. She wasn’t in her village anymore. The rules of her people no longer applied.
Even though she knew Bree was still around, Kelly couldn’t help but take some time floating like that with her eyes shut, thinking through everything that had happened so far. Only yesterday she had been focused on escaping at the first opportunity. But now, things didn’t seem so clear cut anymore. The magnetic pull Broc had over her made her feel like becoming his wife was not so bad after all. Life in the castle seemed pleasant enough as well.
Today she was going to explore the rest of the island apparently, hence the boots. Kelly no longer felt the urge to run, but a little voice in her head still pressed her to keep the option to escape open, should she need it.
"Whenever you're ready," a gruff female voice dragged Kelly out of her deep thoughts. She opened her eyes, blinking a few times to stop the damp steam from her bath from clouding her vision. Rhea.
"I'll ensure she gets dressed," Bree said.
If Kelly had been uncomfortable getting into the tub in front of Bree earlier, she definitely didn't want to get out with Rhea watching now. Kelly shifted awkwardly in the water, looking around the room for something—anything—that would afford her some coverage.
The tall blonde warrior had her arm propped up on her hip and kept staring down at Kelly.
She did not seem in a mood to leave.
Bree seemed to sense Kelly's discomfort and intervened. "Rhea, I said I'll ensure she gets ready shortly."
Reluctantly, Rhea turned away from Kelly to face Bree, and shrugged her shoulders.
"Fine. Get her to the drawbridge in ten minutes." Rhea turned on her heel without even shooting another glance in Kelly's direction and vanished, pulling the door shut behind her with a loud thump.
"She doesn't like me," Kelly mumbled.
"Rhea can be peculiar. But she's not a bad person." Bree smiled at Kelly, but it didn't do much to reassure her. "Let's get you ready so we don't make her wait unnecessarily."
When Bree had come into her bedroom earlier, Kelly had hoped she was going to go out and explore the island with Broc, but as it turned out, she was to be accompanied by Rhea. Disappointing as it was, she tried not to let it
show.
Bree handed her a large, soft cloth, and Kelly did her best to dry herself off without showing too much skin.
Her shoulder felt a lot better after the bath, but the hot water had turned her entire body from a pale ivory to bright pink, making her feel even more vulnerable than before. Bree meanwhile brought in some alien looking undergarments, which Kelly clumsily put on, before they returned to the bedroom where the dress and leathers were.
It really was a rather short dress, unlike anything Kelly had ever worn even as a little girl. Even on top, she felt quite exposed, the deep neckline revealing a bit of cleavage, further accentuated by the tight bodice which Bree had expertly laced up from the back. Next, she put on the boots, which fit surprisingly well due to the many fasteners and buckles.
Next, Bree helped her put on even more leather over the dress, harder than that of her boots, as if it was meant to be some kind of protective plate covering her torso. A dark woolen cloak was to be worn on top as soon as she'd leave the castle. You never knew when the weather would turn during this time in early spring and it seemed much colder out here than on the mainland.
Kelly again wished she had a mirror, because looking down at herself, all she could see was bare skin. She felt ridiculous, but again kept her concerns to herself.
The second Bree deemed her ready, after braiding her damp hair and pinning it upwards, she led Kelly through the door and down the various confusing corridors to where Rhea was waiting. The Drawbridge.
Chapter Eight
When Broc entered the large hall that only hours earlier had hosted the beginning of the Reaping feast, a small group of notable persons had already assembled. There was Teaq, of course, who had called the meeting, along with his right-hand man and commander of Black Isle’s fleet of ships.
Then there were three elders; ankle length robes matched the pale grey of their thinning hair. The Black Isle way of life meant that surviving into old age was a luxury not afforded to many. When an islander reached a certain, ripe age, he either sailed off into the twilight or cast off his armor and weapons and dedicated himself to the study of their history and culture. Elders served as librarians, as advisors to the king and as developers of military strategy.
Yorrick, second in command of the castle guard, was present, though his superior, Rhea, was not.
So, nearly everyone who held an important position in his court was in attendance. Perhaps Rhea had better things to do this morning.
“Settle down, everyone!” As usual, Broc did not need to raise his voice much. The small group did indeed quieten down quickly and everyone found a seat.
The last one standing was Teaq, who held his position beside the entrance to the hall, with his arms crossed.
“Let us begin,” Broc spoke up again, then turned to face Teaq. “Why are we here?”
Teaq cleared his throat. “The threat from the north is growing. We must prepare for war.”
Broc frowned.
“Is there any particular reason for your suspicions?”
“The prophecy determines it, my king,” one of the elders said.
Broc pressed his lips together. He did not rule based on guesswork and so-called prophecies. Stories and legends, that’s all they were. Useful to learn from, in order to avoid making the same mistakes, but far from a roadmap for the future.
“There is something not right with the girl,” Teaq said.
Broc felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand up. His patience for Teaq’s growing paranoia was wearing thin.
Still, he composed himself before responding. “What exactly do you mean?”
“Call it instinct.” Teaq straightened himself. “Something in her mannerisms. In her behavior. Remember I am more intuitive when it comes to reading body language. Benefits of my wolf lineage.”
“It’s all in the prophecy,” the same white-haired man who had spoken a moment ago piped up again.
Broc shook his head. “Would you prefer if she spent her first days here, cowering in a corner, mourning the loss of everything she had known so far in life? Everyone’s transition is different. The last one suffered exceptionally. We’ve already taken steps to avoid a repeat of the same, and when clearly our new approach is working, you want to call it evidence of something—I’m not even sure of what.”
Teaq glared at him. His brother wasn’t accustomed to having his judgement questioned.
Then again, neither was Broc.
The two of them stared each other down for an awkward several seconds.
“I just want to make sure you know what you’re doing. That you have thought things through,” Teaq all but growled.
“We need fresh blood. That’s not up for debate, just ask the Elders. And whether anyone here likes it or not, I need an heir.”
“You seem to be liking it just fine in this case,” Teaq mumbled.
“What? Speak up, so the entire council can hear,” Broc warned.
“The girl has had an effect on you since the moment we collected her from the mainland.”
Broc closed his eyes and inhaled deeply. His patience really was running out. Kelly was a beautiful woman, a fact he had noticed from the start. So what? He was king. Was he not deserving of a beautiful mate?
Had Teaq wanted her for himself? Was all this just jealousy on Teaq’s part?
“An effect, you say. Is this all just preparation for a challenge? Let me know right now, so we can settle it.”
“I just want what’s best for our people,” Teaq explained.
Broc raised an eyebrow. “What’s best for our people is to have a stable rule, a royal union and hopefully soon after, an heir to the throne.”
“You’ve made up your mind then. That you’ll make her your queen,” Teaq said.
Broc straightened his shoulders. “It is time we had a queen, don’t you think? And the rules forbid me from taking one of our own as my mate.”
“And I suppose you’ve had a taste as well. I can practically smell it on you.”
Anger flared up in Broc’s chest. “What of it? No rules were broken.”
“What of the coming war?” one of the other elders interrupted.
Clearly it was only Teaq who was interested in dragging Broc’s private affairs into this council meeting.
Broc forced his attention away from his brother. “What coming war? Do we have any proof of what’s coming?”
“The prophecy…”
Broc sighed. “Fine. What does the prophecy say?”
“That during a time of great change, two moons before the summer solstice, a stranger arrives among our people who hides a terrible secret. a power that could win or lose wars, one that could destroy us or mean our salvation. That this stranger’s arrival brings with it the third great age of war as our enemies try to win this power for themselves.”
Vague, as prophecies usually were. How convenient. Although he’d never voice these suspicions aloud, Broc had long wondered if the old scrolls contained so many riddles and vague language to keep the Elders busy during times of relative peace. One could debate for days about what a particular passage meant as everyone usually had a slightly different interpretation.
“And you’re thinking the human is the stranger mentioned in the prophecy?” Broc asked.
“Who else?” The Elders had spoken in unison. So they were actually in agreement about something for a change.
“And her power?” Broc asked.
The Elders exchanged some looks among themselves. “We have some ideas, but we will find out for sure what it is only once it is too late,” one said.
“So in short, there really is nothing we can do, except bar all strangers from the island. Something which we cannot afford at this moment in time, when we still need our arrangement with the humans to add some much needed variety to our blood line,” Broc concluded. “Or is your advice to stop the Reaping ritual in its entirety?”
The Elders were silent for a moment. “Not exactly. The Reaping ritual is essen
tial to our survival. We are not even certain the outcome of the prophecy can be affected as such. But we need to be aware and fortify our position nonetheless. The events leading up to the third age of war are set in stone. However, the outcome of the war is not yet foretold.”
The Elders’ position seemed a lot more nuanced than Broc had given them credit for. He nodded. “Very well. I see nothing wrong with being prepared for any and all eventualities.”
“We should keep an eye on the human though,” Teaq butted in.
“To what effect?”
“To learn of her powers, before anyone else does, of course!”
If she even has any powers. The notion that this innocent young woman hid a terrible secret was ludicrous. Her only power, as far as Broc could see, was her sense of reasoning and a certain level of intelligence which was sadly lacking in his current company.
As well as an amazing appetite for pleasure. The memories of last night lingered on Broc’s mind.
“I ordered Rhea to take her out onto the plateau, to assess her fighting skills,” Teaq added.
That explained why Rhea wasn’t here this morning. The two of them were in on it together.
Broc slowly shook his head. He had been king for seven years now. Teaq hadn’t liked it, but he had won the crown fair and square. Broc had always aimed to be a fair ruler; to listen to his people, and never let his emotions meddle in official business. This morning, things were not so clear cut.
He found it difficult to not let his feelings about Kelly influence the way he handled this latest development.
It was a load of rubbish, though. If you read through the old scrolls long enough, you’d find a prophecy or prediction for everything under the sun. Had the Elders really come up with this on their own, or had Teaq tasked them to look for something specific to fit his agenda?
Claimed by the King: A BBW Bear Shifter Fantasy Romance (Shifters of Black Isle Book 1) Page 5
