“Ailean! Get up! That's my brother!” Caitriona said, urging Ailean to his feet. For a moment, Ailean hesitated, but Caitriona punched him on his shoulder, hard. “I'm not joking! Get up!”
That did catch Ailean’s attention. He quickly sat up and then, seeing Fergus running at them in the distance, he put on his pants and boots as quickly as possible. Then he started running, leaving his bow and shirt behind.
Fergus was at Caitriona just moments after Ailean had taken off, but he ran right past his sister, following the fiend who had defiled her. There was no hope of catching Ailean, though. He knew these woods too well, and he was too fast. Fergus didn't continue the pursuit long, and returned to his sister within minutes.
By that time, Caitriona was dressed, and she had hidden the bow and shirt that Ailean had left behind in a bush. However, her brother grabbed her roughly by the arm when he returned, his grip like a vise.
“What did I just see?” he demanded. Caitriona didn't reply at first, but his grip tightened on her wrist. She bit her lip, and he lost patience with her, slapping her across her cheek without letting go.
Caitriona had never been hit by her brother before, or at least not outside of training. She stared at him, holding the spot where he had hit her for a moment. She wasn't in pain so much as she was shocked.
“That better not have been that MacNeil boy I just saw you with,” Fergus hissed.
“Or what?” Caitriona replied with a glare.
“You don't want to know what,” he growled, and he roughly dragged his sister back to their hamlet, where their parents were waiting, worried sick. They certainly wouldn't be happy with the tidings Fergus was bringing, but he wouldn't fudge the truth one ounce for his sister. Her rambling as she pleased wherever the wind took her just simply had to stop, and she certainly wouldn't be allowed out of the house after this. Finally she wouldn't embarrass the family anymore. At least not more than she already had, anyways.
Chapter Three
The mood was tense in the Galloway house. Donnan had returned to his pacing, and he held in his hands an old stitched-up cushion, which he was slowly squeezing the life out. He hadn’t been able to sit still ever since he found out Caitriona had jumped ship and disappeared. This was unacceptable! He had always prided himself on his children, but Caitriona was getting out of hand lately. At this latest outburst, he was absolutely furious, but also dreadfully worried. He didn’t like his daughter being too far from home. She was too delicate for the outside world. There were horrific things out there: big, brutal animals and murderous men prowling around in the wilderness. Donnan didn’t think she would survive with all those threats around her. However, he certainly wasn’t anticipating what had actually happened to his once-darling daughter.
Caitriona was dragged into the house, kicking and screaming for her brother to let her go. She may have been strong for a girl, but she certainly couldn’t overpower the ox that was her brother.
“Let me go!” Caitriona squealed at the top of her lungs, but her words weren’t heeded as Fergus bashed open the front door and threw Caitriona into the house. Donnan wasn’t too sure how to react to such a bold entrance, but Glenna quickly went to her daughter’s aid, holding her hand and checking she was alright.
“Are you hurt, lass?” Glenna asked, but she didn’t have time to receive her answer as Donnan butted in.
“What’s the meaning of this, lad?” Donnan demanded, taking a few steps forward and clutching the cushion tightly, forcing some of the seams to burst.
“This slag has disgraced the family name. She doesn’t deserve to be treated well in this house,” Fergus answered, closing the door and standing by it to guard it, so the she-devil didn’t try and escape. He was disgusted with his sister, and he didn’t think she even deserved to be in the family after the way she had behaved. He told the whole story of what he had seen by the river without hesitation to his parents, too disgusted with what his sister had done to even take relish in the fact he was getting her in trouble, like any sibling usually would do.
The news itself came as a right shock to their parents. Glenna didn’t know what to say, or what to do at first. If it weren't for Caitriona’s demeanor she would almost doubt the validity of what Fergus was saying, but it was clear enough to her that her son was telling the truth, even if it was a truth she didn't want to hear. Still, she thought there must be an explanation somehow. She looked to her daughter for answers, but Caitriona’s lips were sealed shut.
“What does he mean, lass? What have you done?” Donnan demanded once more, looking down at his daughter and expecting some sort of response. Still, she didn't give in. Caitriona was dead silent, keeping her gaze low to the ground as she scanned her surroundings, hoping to find some way out, some way to escape. No such opening presented itself.
“I have asked you a question. I expect you to answer me!” Donnan snapped, advancing towards his daughter, but still she did not respond. This was not looking good for her right now. Donnan gritted his teeth and grabbed Caitriona, pulling her over to him to finally look him in the eye as they had their little conversation.
“What have you done?” Donnan shrieked, but Caitriona only struggled from her father’s hold, though her fight was as ineffectual here as it had been against her brother, or possibly more so.
“She’s just gone off and ditched her dress with the MacNail boy, tits out and all,” Fergus replied, keeping the exit secure, though it was unnecessary with Donnan’s firm hold on Caitriona. The girl wasn’t going to be going anywhere for a long time, so long as he could help it anyway.
“Fergus!” Glenna said, glaring at her son for talking about Caitriona like that, but Donnan wasn't going to let his wife defend their daughter. Not after what she did.
“If she's going to act like a whore, then there is no reason we should give her the respect she used to have,” Donnan said, his voice booming, silencing Glenna and Fergus as well. Now that everyone was quiet, Donnan took Caitriona to her room and threw her on her bed.
Caitriona couldn't help but start to cry. Maybe her mother and father were people she didn't always see eye to eye with, but she still loved them. To be treated like garbage by people whom she cared deeply about was just heartbreaking, and so she couldn't contain her tears.
“Cry all you want, you hussy. I don't have the heart to care anymore. You threw that away when you decided to betray your whole family by throwing away your honor for a MacNeil,” Donnan hissed and then left, slamming the door and locking it from the outside. He was going right now to get something to secure her window with. A bit of wood and some nails to make sure she didn't get out.
By the time night fell, Caitriona felt totally helpless and afraid. She hadn't been brought dinner. In fact, she heard Glenna raise her voice towards Donnan in protest when he ordered that she not be taken any supper, which was the first time in a long time that Caitriona had heard her mother argue with Donnan. Try though she may, Donnan refused to listen to her pleading with him, and he won out. Caitriona sat in her pitch-black room with an empty stomach and tear-swollen eyes.
Sleeping would have made the time go by faster, but Caitriona was sick to her stomach from all the turmoil. Even though she just wanted to sleep the day away, she couldn't. She couldn't sleep at all, nor did she move from her spot on the bed until she heard from the outside some scratching and scraping noises. Her first instinct was to call out and ask who was there, but she didn't want to alert her parents.
Caitriona did, however, get off of the bed. Her limbs felt tired and sore from being still for so long, but she stretched them a little as she walked over to the window and saw the boards being taken down piece by piece to reveal a friendly face.
“Ailean!” Caitriona said in an excited whisper. He smiled.
“You didn't think I'd just take off without you. I promised to protect you, after all,” Ailean said, and lifted the window, then helped Caitriona out of the hut.
“Yeah, you did. I just didn't think th
at you would actually come on to my father's lands,” Caitriona said, holding Ailean’s hand tightly.
“I'll protect you no matter where you are, Caitriona,” Ailean said, giving her hand a squeeze.
Caitriona smiled at that, and let Ailean lead her off into the woods. Despite only the light from a full moon being there to partially illuminate the ground, Ailean knew every step like the back of his hand. A true outdoorsman, despite his looks.
“So, what are the plans now, Ailean?” Caitriona asked softly, after they put some distance between themselves and the hamlet.
“We run,” Ailean replied, a small smile creeping onto his face as he marched on, looking towards the horizon that held the future of their dreams.
“We’re leaving?” Caitriona asked, her voice shaking with shock. That was not an answer she was anticipating, but Ailean was eager to calm her worries.
“There’s a bigger world outside our families’ feud. We can escape this now, and we never have to look back,” Ailean said, an air of confidence instilled into his words. He was determined, Caitriona could see that, and it made her smile, a soft, warm smile. A new life with Ailean, away from the violence and the fighting. That prospect was such a sweet song to her ears. So, she walked with him. Step by step, they grew further away from the lands of their fathers, ready to start a new life together.
THE END
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Chapter One
The sun was setting on the Terekian horizon, but Lilith hadn't finished plowing her quota yet, so she continued to toil out in the fields. Though the temperature was well over ninety degrees, and she had run out of water to drink an hour ago, she wasn't allowed to go back to the manor until she finished. She knew that as well as anything, though something more than just the misery was weighing on her mind.
About twenty minutes prior, she had seen a cargo ship land near the manor. Typically, these ships came with slavers to buy children and breeders. Seeing as Lilith was just a field hand, and a young one at that, she was usually not even called back for these inspections. She was turning nineteen soon, though, so she would be in the same age range as the rest of the breeding stock in a month or two. She didn't remember exactly, because time was an impermanent and meaningless thing to her, until now. Now she was afraid of when her birthday came.
Lost in her thoughts, she didn't hear one of the supervisors yelling her name until he was in the tractor she had been piloting, holding up his whip. When she turned towards him and her eyes widened with fear, he realized that she hadn't been purposefully ignoring him. Typically she would still be punished for being negligent, but no slaver would buy someone who looked like a rebel, so putting a bruise on her would be a bad idea.
"Master wants you at the house. The Lexxor Tribe is here," the supervisor said. He was a big, ugly, toad-like creature. His skin was a disgusting, yellowy brown, with warts everywhere, even near the little slits of his eyes. His mouth was huge, with a protruding lower jaw, but what was more intimidating were the massive muscles he sported. Though he was short and stocky, he had more power in one of his stubby fingers than ten human arms, so she feared him and any of his kind. They were they Jabber race, and they were the apex creatures on Terekian, which was the planet she was born and raised on.
"Oh. I…I haven't finished, " Lilith began, preparing to explain that her work in the field wasn't quite done. She had never been permitted to go back to the house without first completing her labors, after all, so she assumed that the supervisor just didn't realize that she wasn't finished yet. If that was the case, and he found out that she went back to the manor without finishing her allotted jobs for the day, she would be whipped for sure.
"Are you arguing with me?" the supervisor demanded in a deep, guttural voice. Just his tone sent shivers down Lilith's back, but the threat was far more frightening.
"No, sir. I just…" Lilith began, but decided that an explanation would get her into more trouble, rather than doing her any good. "No sir. I'm sorry, sir," she said softly. "What should I do with the tractor?"
"I'll put it back in the docking area. Master wants you back at the manor immediately," the supervisor said. "Now shoo! Get along! We don't have all day!" he ordered, and Lilith quickly got down from the huge tractor and started running towards the manor. It was over a mile away, and she was dying of thirst, but she knew if she was seen strolling casually, there would be trouble.
When she got to the manor, she was panting and wheezing from not having enough to drink, but her master quickly saw her and went over to her. "I was wondering why you were taking so long. Get in line with the others," he growled, his unnerving yellow eyes piercing right through her. She didn't argue, and simply went over to the lineup, though she was unsure of whether or not to stand with the breeders. A kick to her backside, pushing her that way, informed her quite quickly that she was to stand with them.
Lilith's blood ran cold as she stood with the line of breeders. She wasn't nineteen yet, and that was the age that was appointed to be ripe for child rearing. Before nineteen, there were more medical complications than were worth dealing with, in the opinion of most of the slavers at least. Therefore, typically girls didn't stand in this line until that time, but now she was here, before her time. It made her shiver, and curse her blasted luck. Her supervisors or master must have misplaced her records, or misremembered them, or there must have been some mistake. Still, Lilith only worried about that in the back of her head. The more pressing concern was getting water.
"Listen up, all of you!" the master of the farm, Lord Slorn, began to address the general crown. "The Vorox prince has come today to pick house slaves for his castle, and he came here because I keep only the best of the best. If any of you, and I mean any stinking one of you, gives him any other impression, then consider yourself dead! My reputation is on the line here, and if I lose that, then you lose your stinking life, and so does every one of your friends and family!" he said, his voice booming. The Prince of Vorox must have been quite an influential figure to get Slorn in this sort of a mood, but still Lilith couldn't focus on that more than her parched throat. It felt as though tumbleweeds had taken up residence and were roaming around. All she wanted in this world was a tall glass of cold water, though at this point she would have taken any liquid capable of slaking her thirst.
Slorn went on about more threats, though Lilith didn't focus any of her attention on his rambling. She just started looking around the room for water. Surely there would be a little somewhere? Even if it was just near a plant, or even if it was a bucket put under a leaky spot in the roof. At this point, she wasn't even going to bother worrying about whether or not the water was clean. She was dying for some liquid.
Though Lilith didn't see any water in the room, she did notice that everyone--except for her, it seemed--was dressed in their finest clothes. Some people without finer things even looked like they had been given something to wear for the occasion.
No sooner did Lilith realize this than did a strong, somewhat slimy hand of a Jabber grab her arm and pull her off to the side, quite unceremoniously. She wasn't offered an explanation, and she didn't ask for one. Being a slave all her life made her rather accepting of whatever sort of injustice met her.
Once the Jabber stopped hauling her around, she found herself in a dressing room with some nice, sparsely embroidered clothes. The fabric was similar to linen, but it was clean. More than she could say about her current clothes, at least.
The Jabber unceremoniously took a wet rag and wiped the worst of the dirt from her. What Lilith wouldn't have done to take that rag and wring th
e water out. Her throat was like a desert. But she refrained and got herself dressed in a clean, white, linen outfit that was decorated with gold-hued embroideries, a much nicer thing than would typically be given to a field hand, but she had to be presentable if she was going to be chosen by royalty.
After she was dressed, she looked around for the rag, but it was nowhere in sight, and in no time she was being led back to the lineup.
"Stand straight, no slouching!" the Jabber that had her go change into the clean outfit ordered. Lilith hadn't been slouching per se, more looking for a drink, but she followed his orders and stood tall, though her wandering eyes couldn't be contained.
Luckily, she wasn't standing dumbly for long. A tall, dark, handsome figure walked into the room within minutes. He stood at about seven and a half feet tall, with long and flowing purplish-black hair. His skin was pale, making him somewhat unnerving to look at, but he was surprisingly human. The only differences that she could see were his claw-like nails, his bright purple eyes, and his height.
The prince was adorned in a long black cape with purple accents and a black suit. In his hand, he held a goblet of something--she couldn't tell what. Despite not knowing what was in the goblet, it became the sole focus of her attention.
"Announcing the famed Prince of Vorox, Draci," said Lord Slorn, doing a very uncharacteristic bow as the tall, pale man walked in.
The prince surveyed the room briefly, then looked in his goblet and swirled the contents briefly before taking a sip. Lilith wanted it so badly, but she didn't move from her spot.
Slowly, and deliberately, Draci began moving around the room, surveying all the children with a discerning eye. He picked a lot of the more delicate and refined-looking boys, presumably for butlers. For the women, he seemed to favor those with black hair and smooth skin, as every one that he picked fit that category.
AFRICAN AMERICAN URBAN FICTION: BWWM ROMANCE: Billionaire Baby Daddy (Billionaire Secret Baby Pregnancy Romance) (Multicultural & Interracial Romance Short Stories) Page 99
