Foolish woman. I grit my teeth. There is no point contemplating the many and various means I could employ to teach her the error of her ways until I get my hands on her. And even then…
The passageway bends to the right, narrowing a little now. Then to the left, and drops away in a slight incline. We don’t slow down. I’m calling to Natalia, but still no reply. We round a slight curve, and I see her.
A small, still form, huddled in a grey cloak, lies a few feet in front of us. I rush to her, crouch beside the motionless bundle. Karl is close on my heels.
“Is she…?” His normally confident tone has deserted him. He is every bit as worried as I am.
“Alive? Yes, I think so. I bend over, place my cheek close to her mouth and feel the slight riffle of air. “Yes, she’s breathing.” I reach for her hand, and my heart sinks. “Christ, she’s freezing. We need to get her out of here.”
Even as I speak I am assessing her ravaged face, the dried blood from a deep scrape on her forehead marring her already bruised complexion. A head injury as well as exposure. Dear Christ.
“Give me your torch. I’ll lead the way, you carry milady.” Karl does tend to forget the chain of command in moments of dire urgency. I see no merit in reminding him at this juncture. I hand him my torch and lift Lady Natalia in my arms.
Karl sets a cracking pace but I have no trouble keeping up. In moments it seems we are at the entrance again. Karl squeezes through the stones first, tosses the torches to the ground, and turns to take Natalia from me. I scramble after them.
Karl sets Natalia down on the rough ground, and I get my first look at her in daylight. She’s pale, her skin almost translucent, with an ominous blue tone to her complexion. Her eyelids flutter, she appears to regain consciousness for a few seconds, then drifts off again.
The first order of business is obvious. “We need to get her warmed up.” I clutch her to me, wrapping her in my own warm cloak, but I know this won’t be nearly enough. “Get back to our camp as quick as you can and get everyone set to boiling water. Find a bathtub—Gerhard has one I believe. I’ll bring Lady Natalia. Hurry.”
Karl nods, and is gone, sprinting through the trees. I pick up my bride and follow his path at a slightly more sedate pace. By the time I arrive back at my tent Gerhard’s personal servant is just leaving.
“The bath, my lord.” He gestures behind him.
I spare him a grateful nod as I carry Natalia inside. The tub is set in the middle of my floor and is already steaming. As I stand there, my bride still cradled in my arms, three soldiers enter, each carrying two buckets of hot water. They empty them into the bath and bow to me as they leave.
“We’ll need more,” I yell at their retreating backs.
“We know that, my lord. More is on the way.” Karl has entered the tent, also carrying pails of steaming water. “There’s enough here to get started though. Shall I help you to undress her?”
The impropriety of my servant’s suggestion is ignored given the dire circumstances in which we find ourselves. Every second may count now. I place Natalia on the bed. “Yes. Could you get her shoes?” Even as I speak I am hauling the useless cloak from her body.
Karl unties her deerskin boots and tugs. Natalia gives a low whimper, as if in pain.
“My lord, look at this.” Karl is cradling Natalia’s right foot, now bared.
I glance at it, wincing at the purples and blues marring her delicate skin.
“Now we know how she became trapped then. She must not have been able to continue on foot.”
Karl murmurs his agreement as between us we turn her over, unlace the back of her woollen gown and drag that off too. Only when we are down to her shift does Karl step back. He bends over the bath and dips his hand in.
“Hot, but not scalding. This should be fine. I will bank up the hot stones, my lord. We need this place to be warm. There will be more hot water when we need it.”
I could insist that he leaves, but I will need his further assistance. If Natalia feels I have compromised her modesty she can take that matter up with me later. If she lives. I untie the loose ribbons that fasten her undergarment at the front, then I lift her from the bed to slide it from her shoulders.
Karl’s eyes meet mine as we both spot the dark bruise extending from just below her right breast around her ribcage. The lump on her head and sprained ankle I might just believe could have been caused by stumbling through the pitch black tunnels. But this? I no longer believe all Natalia’s injuries to be accidental.
There will be questions, lots of them. But first, we need to revive her. I pick up the nude form and with no further ado I place her in the steaming water.
I reach around her to bend her knees in order to ensure that her head is submerged, only her face remaining above the surface of the water. I am aware that heat is lost through the head, so perhaps it can be absorbed that way just as easily. Christ, I hope so.
I position myself at the end of the tub, one hand behind Natalia’s neck to support her. With my other hand I start to rub her chilled limbs, attempting to stimulate her circulation. It is not enough.
“Karl, help me. You massage her legs.”
He utters not a word as he takes his place at the foot of the tub and lends his efforts to mine.
The water is clear and clean, and does nothing to conceal the slender form of Lady Natalia. I observe that she is quite beautiful. Her body is exquisite, perfect, and achingly delicate. I struggle to detach myself from that fact in the face of more pressing concerns. Naturally, Karl does not comment though his expression indicates he too appreciates my future bride’s obvious attractions.
Should I resent this? I cannot find it in me at present. I simply want her to survive and I am glad of my servant’s aid.
Long minutes pass, and neither of us speaks. There is nothing to say any more. We continue our ministrations in silence. A couple of times Karl collects additional buckets of water from just outside the tent and pours them into the cooling bath. At last, Natalia’s skin begins to pinken, losing that ghastly blue tinge. Her limbs seem less relaxed under my fingers, as though her frozen muscles are once again regaining their function.
She draws in a long, ragged breath. Her eyelids flutter.
“She’s coming round.” Karl releases his hold on her leg and stands. He grabs her cloak, which we had discarded on my bed, and folds it into a rough wad. “Here. Prop this behind her head.”
We arrange the makeshift pillow, and at last I dare to let go of her.
“I will leave a blanket warming by the stove. If you need me I will be just outside.” He has reached the door before I find my voice.
“Thank you, Karl.”
He nods, and is gone. I am alone with Lady Natalia. And her eyes are open.
I smile at her, cup her face in the palm of my hand. Her expression is confused, though this gives way to fear.
“My lord…?” Her voice is thin, a soft whisper.
“You are safe now. Just relax, and come back to me slowly.”
“I… I… Where am I?”
“In my tent. Where I told you to stay, you might recall. I believe my instructions were sufficiently clear.”
“I was… It was dark. So cold.”
Time enough for remonstrations later. At this moment she needs comfort. “I know, love. But you are safe now. And warm again, yes?”
She nods, her eyelids drooping again. She looks exhausted, but just for a moment. Her eyes are suddenly open again, and this time her expression is one of alarm. And urgency.
“Eberhard. He was there, in the tunnel. I saw him. He, he… attacked me.”
This I had not expected. I pause. “Eberhard? Are you certain? It was dark in there, as you say…”
“I knew his voice. It was him. I know it. You must hurry, you might yet apprehend him.”
“He is still in there?”
She shakes her head. “No. He ran away. I believe he was making for the forest. He is on foot, you might be able to
catch him.”
I have no intention of hurrying anywhere this night and will trust others to run the desperate Eberhard to earth. Right now it is time to get my wife out of the bath and tucked up in bed.
I stand and strip off my tunic, glad of Karl’s efforts to heat the tent. I pick up the blanket he has spread out close to the stove and lay that on my bed. Then I crouch beside the tub and slide my arms under Natalia’s body. I lift her from the water.
She gives a soft mew of protest as the cooler air caresses her body, but is soon content again as I lie her on the warm blanket and wrap her in it.
“What about Lord Eberhard? You should be…”
“I will send Karl to report the sighting to Gerhard. We will have him, fear not, Natalia. For now though, it is enough that I have you still.”
Propping myself up in my bed, I lift her swaddled form and position her on my lap, her cheek resting against my chest. Her hair is dripping wet so I reach for another blanket to wrap around her head and thus prevent our good work being undone.
“I am naked.” Her voice is still weak, but improving.
I grin down at the top of her head. “Not any more, strictly speaking.”
“You undressed me.”
“Yes. We needed to get you warmed up, and a hot bath was the best way.”
“We?”
“Karl, and me.”
“Ah, Karl.” She hesitates, then, “I must remember to thank him.”
“I already did, but you may talk to him yourself tomorrow.”
She says nothing for a few moments, then, “I thought I was going to die.”
Me too. I don’t share that thought with her. “You did not die though. We followed your tracks and found you in time.”
“You came for me.” Her statement is delivered in a tone of near wonder.
“Of course. You are mine. I thought I had made that perfectly clear back there in the courtyard at Hohenzollern. I take good care of what is mine.” My tone has hardened, deliberately so.
“Sir…?”
Ah, she has picked up on it. Good. We’ll be getting to that aspect of things soon enough. But first… “You hurt your ankle? And your head.”
“I, yes. Crashed into the rock as I fled from Eberhard. Then I tripped and twisted my ankle. I could not walk.”
“I see. Is the ankle still painful?”
She attempts to flex it. Her sharp hiss of pain is my answer.
“You will need to keep your weight off that for a while. You have bruised ribs too.”
“Eberhard hit me. He said he would kill me, but I managed to escape.”
More than will be said for that bastard when I get my hands on his miserable carcass.
“Are you injured in any other way?” God, please, no more.
“No, I do not think so. I scraped my hands, but they are not so sore now.”
“That is good. Did you lose consciousness when you hit your head?”
“No, I do not think so.”
“You were unconscious when we discovered you, so I wondered. Do you feel dizzy, or confused?”
“I am not dizzy, and only confused about why you would go to so much trouble to help me.”
“You are my wife. My responsibility.”
“But, why would you wish to marry me? I have no dowry, no lands nor fortune. No influence anywhere. I bring you no advantage. I bring nothing at all to this match.”
“I have my reasons, and I will share them with you. Soon.”
My reasons for claiming her are simple enough. I want to fuck the lady. Now is not the time to say this though. I do however have another related matter to convey to my bride to be.
“I told you to remain here, in my tent. Was anything at all unclear in my instructions to you?”
“I… no, my lord. But…”
“But?”
“But I needed to return to the castle. I had to make sure everyone was safe.”
“Everyone? You know where Princess Susanna is. You are aware of the fate of the other women of the castle. You shared that fate. Who else were you concerned about? So concerned you would almost lose your own life for them?”
She is silent, appears to be considering my words. I wait, but nothing further is forthcoming.
“Natalia? You are already in enough trouble. Do not compound your punishment by lying to me now.”
This has her attention. “Punishment? What punishment?”
“You disobeyed me. I have yet to hear any reasonable excuse for that. Unless you can come up with some persuasive reason why you found it impossible to remain in the safety of my tent, as instructed, I intend to punish you for your behaviour.”
She is gazing up at me, her beautiful eyes widening, darkening to a deep, stormy grey. “What do you intend to do?”
“I will spank you. Hard. This will hurt, Natalia, but I hope it will prove to be the deterrent you so badly need. You are my wife, and I expect your obedience, and your honesty. Do you understand?”
“Yes, my lord. But you have no need to beat me. I am sorry. Truly I am. I will never do anything like that again.”
“I hope not, for your sake. And I said I would spank you, not beat you.”
“What is the difference?”
“Ah, my lady, there is a difference. In time you will come to appreciate that. For now though, we have business to settle, you and I.”
“You intend to spank me now?”
Her voice is breaking. She is afraid. A little fear is healthy, but this is too much. I stroke her back, my palm circling between her shoulder blades as I seek to soothe her.
“No, not now. Now you need to rest. You need to regain your strength, and stay warm. I want you to go to bed, sleep, and perhaps think about what has happened today. Try to reconcile yourself to your new situation if you can. In the morning you will accept your punishment, then we will move on and not speak of this again.”
“How will I sleep, knowing… knowing this? If you are going to punish me, please do it now. I want this to be over with.”
Ah, my sweet, too easy.
“No. I will decide when you are to receive your punishment. The events of this day have taken their toll, and I will not lay a hand on you tonight.”
“But you cannot expect me to…”
I place my finger across her lips. “Hush. I expect you to obey me, and not to argue. So now, if you are quite dry, I would like you to get into bed and wait for me there.”
Her expression is shocked. I manage to conceal my grin.
“You intend to sleep with me? In this bed? Tonight?”
“I do. Having gone to all this trouble to combat the effects of your foolhardiness, I intend to make sure you remain warm.”
“But, you cannot. It would not be decent.”
“It is decent enough. You are my wife, after a fashion. I grant you the ceremony at the castle gates was not entirely satisfactory, not the way I would have chosen to make you my duchess, but it will certainly suffice until I can make a more robust arrangement. We will seek the benefit of a more orthodox ceremony as soon as the opportunity presents itself. For now though, we will both get some sleep. In the morning I will spank you, then we leave for Richtenholst.”
I do not wait for her further response. The time has come for acquiescence, not debate. I stand, lifting her to her feet. I deposit her with care, mindful of her injuries. I peel the damp blanket from her, and I am pleased to note that she offers no resistance. Despite the angry bruising to her body and face she is still a lovely woman. I take a moment to admire her nude beauty as she stands before me. Then I draw back the blankets. I pick her up and lay her in the warm cocoon, pulling the covers up to her chin.
I offer her a smile, I hope one offering sufficient reassurance to enable her to at least contemplate slumber. I walk across the tent and lift the flap. Karl is stationed outside.
“Karl, I need you to take a report to Gerhard. Natalia encountered Eberhard in the tunnels. He attacked her. She believes him to be ma
king his escape through the forest.”
“Can we trust her account, my lord?”
A fair question. Until this day Natalia and I were on opposite sides of this conflict.
“You saw her injuries. I am inclined to believe her. And she has already made it plain she harbours no loyalty to Eberhard.”
Karl nods. He seems to share my logic in this. “I will seek out Gerhard immediately, your grace.”
“Thank you. And please ensure we are not disturbed. Lady Natalia is fatigued and we are retiring for the night.”
“Of course, my lord. Please convey my good wishes to milady. I trust she is not too uncomfortable.”
“I will. She has been hurt but she will heal. She wants to thank you for your assistance today.”
“It was my pleasure, sir. Good night.” He saunters off into the gathering dusk, in search of ale and other female company, I daresay. He has earned it.
I return to my bed and gaze down at my bride. She watches me, apprehensive but quiet. I will settle for that. I remove my leather belt and woollen chausses, choosing to ignore Natalia’s maidenly gasp as her eyes are drawn to my cock. I have been hard since she regained consciousness, and this state seems set to persist. In time my lady will become better acquainted with just what that means for her. For now, she may look her fill.
I slide under the blanket and lie next to her. The bed is small, she is pressed against me.
“Let me hold you, Natalia.”
Again, she hesitates. But then comes obedience as she curls her slim body against mine. I wrap my arms around her, my cock hardening yet more at the feel of her soft breasts pressing against my torso. Tomorrow will prove an interesting day.
“I have you, my lady. Sleep now.”
Chapter Five
I open my eyes, my brow furrowing at the sudden onslaught of bright wintry sunlight. I am momentarily perplexed. Where am I? This is not my chamber at Hohenzollern. This place is too—warm.
The Conquered Brides Collection Page 25
