by Luke, Monica
Hastily leaving Seda’s side after only one night inside her, in the late hours of the night he thought of that embrace and longed for her.
She was not a grand maiden in waiting, nor the most beautiful he had seen or taken to his bed, yet she had a soothing way about her and an ear for his words.
She had clever mind she used and desired him as a man, as well as a king, which made him want her more than any of the others.
He thought of the others, though only briefly. Never had he looked into their eyes as he moved inside them, or kissed them.
Such was his want, he worried about her treatment because no one knew how important she had become to him, and he feared that, as was with other women once a guard or his men had their fill of them, believing them sullied some they treated badly.
He remembered never telling the guard outside his door what to do with Seda while he was away, and as thoughts of her possibly passed to another consumed his mind, he called for the messenger who rode back with them.
“My king,” Laad said, as he stood before him.
“Take a message back to WorrlgenHall,” he ordered as he wrote, “And swiftly.”
“Yes, my king, “Laad said, as he took the scroll.
“If all is well you may rest a time.” King’s Rone’s reward, “And by the time you reach us again we should be in the lowlands.”
Laad, well known as one of the fastest messengers in his kingdom made the king confident he would reach WorrlgenHall by next nightfall, which calmed some of his angst, but not the angst of her not by his side.
**
When the king left, the keeper in charge of the bellars sent Seda back to the meal house where she once worked, yet hardly able to think of anything other than the king, she did nothing but fumble about.
“You think yourself above us all,” Anla mocked jealously, as she and Nona cleaned turnips and sliced carrots when Seda passed. Word of who the king or his son’s bedded always spreading quickly among the women, “There are not less than six standing among us, that have not known the king or his son’s at one time or another.”
“Do not fret over her words,” Nona said to Seda, and smiled, “Jealousy burns within her. She was sure she would win Lord Baric’s heart, but she could not.”
Seda did not speak and only offered a smile back to Nona, then started plucking feathers from geese hunted earlier.
“I hope you win the king’s heart and shame her,” Nona, now tired of Anla’s hateful words said when she stood by Seda outside alone. Her mind always filled with foolish thoughts of true love revealing her youthful age, “I can tell your head is filled with only him,” she added.
“I fear I did not win his heart,” Seda said saddened, “When I left his chamber, it was without even words.”
Nona looked at her, and sympathetically dropped her lower lip.
“If you want a friend, I will be it.”
“I would like that.”
The next day, later that afternoon, while outside bundling geese feathers for pillows, Uded, one of the tax tollers for the king, and sadistic to women, rode by on one of his many horses and stopped next to her.
He had seen her serving in the gathering hall before and had planned to take her at will, until he learned she had moved to the outer halls where the bellers were, and although his place high in WorrlgenHall, he could not have them at will.
“I see you have been made use of,” Uded boorishly spoke. His lust for her rekindled, “Were your virginal walls not tight enough to please the king?”
Refusing to answer such a question, Seda looked at him repulsed.
His constant sweaty burly body smelling of old cheese and his stomach looking like that of a woman ready to give birth, made her feel sorrow in her heart, but not for him, for the horse, which had to bear his mammoth weight.
“Remember my words,” Uded said hatefully, “I will soon send for you to loosen them more.”
True to his word, just a few nights later when he got bored he sent for her. His mind filled with thoughts of what evil cruel thing he could inflict to entertain himself, he laughed aloud at the very thought of his wicked plans.
Forcefully beckoned by a servant to him, Seda stood fearfully at Uded’s door.
“Please,” she pleaded, “Do not force such doom upon me.”
The servant unmoved by her plea said nothing, as she stood before him, then after he opened the door for her to enter, when she would not budge, he hastily pushed her inside.
His hard push sending her to the floor. After she slowly stood, she saw Uded’s loathsome half-naked body waiting for her on his lopsided bed from his piggish weight.
As he watched, he let out a salacious laugh, then ordered her closer, but terrified Seda remained by the door.
“Lock it and come closer or I will mar your face,” his now threat.
His voice hissing, as would a snake with speech, she knew he meant it, and obeyed.
Fear locking the joints of her legs. She forced them to move forward toward his bed while fighting not to turn her nose sickened by the smell of sweat, musk, and dried piss; then once within his reach, his half-naked body jiggled and rolled as he pulled her by her hair closer to him.
“When I am inside you, will you scale me with the king?” he asked. His words filled with envy and hate, before he pulled her hair back making her look at his face and sagging jowls.
Although, she fought and won her urge to vomit from his smell. The stench of his breath now had her certain she would.
“If I hear even an unpleasant moan from you, it would be better for you to have never lived.”
Knowing vomiting would be far worse than an unpleasant moan, Seda succeeded in not vomiting.
“Please,” Seda now pleaded, her eyes filled with horror and tears as she imagined his stinking overlapping flesh on her; then his brutal thrusts inside her, “I beg you do not harm me.”
**
At the king’s command, Laad rode swiftly. Only stopping when the need called him to, and once WorrlgenHall was in his sight, he spurred his horse even harder.
Allowed to pass through the gate without as much as pausing, with the sealed scroll tight in his grip, he rushed to the outer halls, and walked so quickly some feared he had news the king’s son had died.
Once at the outer chamber halls where beller’s and servants slept Laad banged hard on the wooden door. When the door creaked slowly open, he hastily stuck his arm inside even before the man behind it appeared and gave him the scroll.
Noticing the king’s seal, the man hurriedly broke it. His mouth moving to the words he read, but not reading it aloud.
“The king has found favor with the beller Seda, and wants her moved to a chamber along his floors,” the man now said, “He orders it done with haste.”
“Then get her,” Laad urged.
“I am in dread,” he said terrified, certain his head would leave him soon, “I sent her to work among the others of her kind. I gathered the king had no more use of her.”
“Where did you send her?”
“Back to where she came from; the meal house.”
Laad huffed loudly and made his way to the meal house. The hour late, some women who had no husbands, lovers, or family slept in the rooms beside it and had gone to bed, so he banged on yet another door.
“Where is Seda?” he asked, when the door opened.
“I know not,” Anla said, immediately looking flushed. Laad’s strong commanding voice and the bold look on his handsome face causing her bosom to heat as lustful thoughts entered her mind.
“A servant came and took her,” Nona, still awake and filled with worry about Seda, spoke out from her bed.
“Took her where?”
“To Uded’s chamber,” she answered, then jumped out of bed and hurried to the door.
Aware of Uded’s cruel nature made Laad growl as he quickly went there, his mind recalling the bodies and faces of women who had the misfortune of going to his chamber.
> “I swear,” he said impatiently, his stride wide as he walked; “I will grow older this night walking from one hall to the other.”
Once close to Uded’s chamber. His heavy steps up the stairs alerting his chamber servant, he stood at the top blocking the way, but Laad only brashly brushed him easily aside, and his hand on the end of his sword; the servant did not try to stop him.
“Was a woman brought to this chamber this night?” Laad asked as he passed him; then walked to the door.
“Yes, not long ago,” he freely answered.
Uded’s door latched, Laad banged with his fist on now his third separate door, but this one no one answered.
“Uded!” Laad shouted; then banged again, this time with the pommel of his sword, “I know you are inside, open at once!”
After a long silence passed, the latch untouched, Laad stepped back and kicked it open. The chamber dark, he saw no one until he turned his eyes to the bedchamber, then growled angered at what he saw.
Seda on her knees with one of Uded’s hands filled with her hair; hot steel in his other, her bed gown still on her, but torn exposing her smooth unblemished back. Holding true to his sadistic nature, he had planned to mar her just as he did others.
“You loathsome swine.” Laad’s snarl through clenched teeth before he put his hand on the hilt of his sword then unsheathed it partly and gave his warning, “Step away from her now.”
“You have no right,” Uded averred, thinking himself high in WorrlgenHall, as he moved the hot searing steel closer to Seda’s flesh.
“I have every right,” Laad’s declaration, as his hand quickly fully unsheathed his sword and brought it fiercely down across Uded’s chest.
The swift gash going deep, his flesh opened wide spilling his guts onto the floor before his hand released the hot poker and he fell face down onto his bed, bounced, and rolled onto this back.
As Laad lowered his sword, Uded’s lifeless body sprawled bleeding freely upon his vile bed, his servant rushed inside.
“Tend to his body,” he ordered, as he wiped his sword clean on Uded’s long robe and sheathed it, giving not even a second thought about slashing him open.
Distressed and grateful, Seda rose; then covered her back.
“I thank you,” she said grateful, “As sure as day and night, he would have marred me badly for not giving myself to him eagerly.”
“Thanks should not be to me,” Laad’s reply, as he turned to walk out the door, “But our king.”
Just as Laad reached the door’s threshold, he happened to look down. His way blocked by a golden haired girl who crouched at the door watching it all, he stopped and recalled she was who told him who came for Seda and smiled at her.
Long wavy heavy locks upon her head, her tiny feet bare, she rose; then looked up at him, and as a smile came across her face, he thought she was very pretty, but her obvious youth kept him from any thoughts beyond.
“I could have trampled you young one,” he warned, “Had I not looked down.”
His words sending a chill through her, shyly she moved out of his way; then as she opened her mouth to speak. Unlike how boldly she had spoken before, she could not.
His height almost as high as the high threshold he crossed; his body muscled, lean, and pronounced, and his grueling ride evident by his dirtied clothes and smell made Nona immediately fascinated by the gallant dark haired man.
As she stared at his entrancing face, she knew he was brave and the way he struck Uded down with one swipe, strong, but she in no way feared him; instead, her heart danced within her from his deed, and now drawn to him utterly, saw him as hers alone.
Knowing he was older and part of the united men, she knew she would have to work hard to have him, and that it had to be done right away.
Her jaws open, a flood of words in her head, but no sounds from her mouth, carefully he stepped over her; then began to walk down the hall.
“Your horse,” she blurted, when she regained her voice, “If you wish, I can care for it?”
Again, he smiled, and began to walk away again.
“Only I care for my horse.”
“Then I can bring it something, maybe apples,” she said, thinking quickly, “And you something as well?”
“Worry not over me young one, I will be fine.”
“Please,” Nona insisted, “It is of no toil to me.”
The journey tiring, and in no mood to argue, Laad sighed and nodded. “I will be in the bottom stable with the horse.”
Once Seda was safely moved to the king’s floor in a chamber, Nona hurried to the meal house and careful not the wake anyone, got apples for his horse and dried meat and bread for Laad; then ran to him with such speed she panted heavily when she reached him.
“Is someone after you?” he questioned, curious why she was out of breath and looked flushed.
“No,” she said; then calmed herself, “But I reasoned you would be hungry, so I ran.”
As she feed his horse, from the side of her eye, she watched Laad who had moved two heaps of straw and rested his head as he ate; then before she could say anything to him, he was asleep.
Quietly, she drew close to him; then stared at his face, and if not for fear would have reached out and touched his hair.
As a gentle hum of breath entered him and left him, she smiled as she looked at his manly nostrils flare; then covered his legs with horse blankets to warm him.
“I will seek you out,” she whispered her resolve, “And all mine you shall be.”
The next night, Nona looked for Laad at the bottom stable and though his horse was there, she could not find him.
At first longing to go to the inner guard towers to look for him where many in the king’s guard and men slept, afraid to be around so many men who might try to have their way with her, she thought it best to stay close to his horse.
Her heart and mind bound to see him; she waited on the straw until she lost count of the hour and fell asleep; then late into the night, when a hand touched her face, she woke startled.
“Do not be afraid,” Laad said calmly, and stepped back, “I only sought to wake you.”
“I waited, but could not stay awake,” she said, after she sprang forward surprised, yet she did not move away. Instead, she smiled, “I feared you sought sleep among the men, or worse with a woman.”
From what she said, Laad looked at her surprised, as a worry entered his head.
“I fear you may see me in a way you should not, yet I may be wrong.”
“And in what way is your fear?” she asked; her heart about to burst from inside anticipating his answer.
“That you see me in a way a woman sees a man -”
“But, am I not a woman?
Now certain his fear was right, Laad began to walk away. “You feel you are?” he questioned aloud without turning around to look at her, “Yet, I believe you have some time ahead of you until.”
Wisely, Nona said nothing about his fear. Instead, she got up from the straw; then hurried towards the huge doors before he was out of her sight.
“Near the waterfall there is a place that when all look at it they become spellbound. Before the sun rises, I beg you, come to it.”
“No,” he said without dwell, still refusing to turn to look at her, “I have no…”
“But you must come before the sun fully rises,” she said, before he could finish his words, “Or you will miss it.
Laad said nothing else as he disappeared out of her sight, but that morning, by no will of his own just before sunrise; his eyes sprang open out of his sleep.
When he saw the sun rising he remembered her words and raced away, and for reasons he could not put to words, fearing he would not make it in time, he hurried as if the king or lord’s message were at stake because he did not want to sadden her.
“I rode with great haste,” he said. Now out of breath from running to her after he got off his horse as fast as he could, “I fear I have missed what you sought to show me.
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“You did not miss it,” she said; then pointed. The sun’s light beaming down and reflecting off the rocks. When she moved slightly, the sun shined onto her face and hair.
“I am troubled,” Laad said, as he turned his head from her now certain something was wrong with him for being drawn to one so young. Nona’s face sending a rush through him, he already saw her as very pretty, but when he looked at her in the sun’s light. He now saw her as beautiful
“My journey back to WorrlgenHall has veiled my reason.”
“The waterfall is a place of passion for those in love,” she said without dwell, and full of conviction, “And I am in love.”
“Who are you in love with?” he asked although he knew the answer.
Nona’s face expressed a disheartened look from his question. “Only one.”
Laad sighed and shook his head. He was unsure how he should handle her or her so heartfelt declaration.
“Young one, I have no need or time for love,” his words came forth quickly, but tasted vile on his tongue as if a lie. Something within him had changed towards her from the night before, “I am away time after time and it is why I have no wife or children.”
“You will have children from me as your wife.”
Her words believed within herself true. Laad looked at her baffled. “I do not even know your name. Nor do you know mine.”
“Laad,” she blurted. She already knew his name from questioning many the day before, “Son of Beok, who was once a brave guild warrior and later a king’s guard at WorrlgenHall.”
“And your name is?” he asked, not surprised that she already knew about him.
“It is Eeilnona,” she answered through a demure smile, obviously already in love.
“Nona,” he said to himself quietly. Immediately taken with her name as he shortened it to suit him, and now speechless he walked back to his horse.
Looking back at her for only a moment, he mounted it and rode away leaving her by the waterfall alone, yet not wavered later that night she came to the bottom stable again.
