Dark Matter: SCIENCE FICTION ROMANCE

by Jessica Loft

  “Think over your options son,” he warned. “Beggar, or husband. The choice is yours.”

  ~

  William sat in his quarters the rest of the chilly fall day, sitting by the fire. He was dumb struck by his father’s threat. However, he had to admit he had it coming. Ever since he’d hit puberty he ran around with a wild hair up his ass. With his posse he’d travelled all over the world scooping up any piece of ass that would sleep with him. How none had come forward to him with bastard children he had no clue. In the back of his mind, he pictured that he would settle down the day he was presented with one of those children, but none every came.

  After the sunset, he realized that he’d had nothing to eat or drink all day, and rang for supper. In ten minutes his butler, James came up with his meal. As always, he wheeled the tray to wherever William was sitting, and pulled the silver lids away from the dishes.

  “Wait a minute,” William stopped him, holding up two of his fingers. “There’s something missing. Where’s my wine?”

  James looked uncomfortable, but he cleared his throat and recited what the elder Duke advised him to say. “Your father has cut you off of your spirits until you get to Lord Havisham’s estate,” he explained. “You may have water or juice, but no ale, wine, or liquor.”

  “Bloody Hell,” William grumbled. His body trembled from lack of spirits, and he knew that water wouldn’t appease it in anyway. Still, his father had brought the hammer down. “Very well,” he sighed. “Thank you James.”

  James bowed and turned to leave. Just as he was about to go through the doorway, William called for him. “My Lord?” He asked.

  William rubbed his lower lip, his eyes focusing hard on the flames in the fireplace. “Deliver a message to my father for me, will you old friend?”

  “Of course my Lord,” James replied.

  “Tell him I accept his proposal to marry the Duchess Havisham of Yorn. Tell him- tell him that we should sail as soon as possible so that I can meet my future bride.”

  “If I may say so my Lord,” James said softly. “I believe you’ve made the right decision.”

  CHAPTER 3

  William dug his spurs into the side of the steed, wishing he was going anywhere but his destination. He wanted to get married about as much as he wanted to be penniless. But at least in marriage he’d have his money, and a bevy of new women to service him in a way that a wife simply couldn’t.

  It had been four days since he and his father’s convoy had left for the far off land ruled by the Havisham’s, and it was not the best time of year to be travelling either. The autumn rain came daily, drenching everyone to the core. It was only at night when the fires were lit that anyone ever felt any semblance of dryness. However, they were on the last leg of their journey, and by noon’s time they would be riding into the gates of the castle.

  “Have heart William,” his friend Aaron jested, riding up alongside him. “At least the women in this realm know not of your reputation. They will be like bees to honey at any of the taverns.”

  Aaron, on more than one occasion, had joined William in rakish ways, and often were found drunk together in some brothel in one place or another. Like William, Aaron was unusually handsome. The only difference was where William was deeply tanned and dark featured, Aaron had a creamy white complexion, with straw colored hair and intense emerald green eyes. The ladies loved him, especially in the Asian lands.

  “As you say, Aaron,” William grumbled, not ready to tell his friend how he truly felt. In honesty, he hoped this Gloriana was strong and beautiful; someone who could bend him to her will just as his mother supposedly did to his father. Perhaps if he had a woman like that, he would not stray so much from his own bed.

  A call from the front of the convoy brought him out of his thoughts, and William brought his gaze up to the horizon. There, right below the dimly lit rain clouds, was the castle. Unlike his home, the Havisham’s lived in an old castle, built centuries ago by some of the very first kings of the land. It looked like something his nurses used to describe from his fairy books, and a chill went up his spine. Whatever was living in there, he was sure he didn’t want to be married to it.

  The creaky iron gate screamed at them as it was hoisted by the guards, letting the Stannin party in. What he saw next surprised him, and he relaxed into his horse a little more. Despite his original thoughts, the occupants inside the castle walls all seemed quite cheery and full of life. Their clothing screamed bright colors of blues, and red and greens. Even the mere peddlers wore clean, bright britches and smiles on their faces.

  From the crowd, a tall man in the latest style of armor appeared. He was at least seven feet, maybe more, and held a great staff in his left hand. Those around him stopped what they were doing to watch the exchange.

  “Greeting!” The man in armor called. “Be you the Stannin’s?”

  “Aye,” Walter called, raising his hand from his horse. “That be me, and my son, William.”

  As a courtesy, William nodded his head towards the tall armored man and waved his hand.

  “Welcome! My name is Geoffrey, Lord Protector of the Duke. I apologize for my armored self, I was helping to train the new guards for the castle.” He pulled off his helmet to reveal a very friendly face. “Come, Lord Rolf is expecting you.”

  “Father,” William whispered as they walked several paces behind the armored giant. “Why exactly did this woman agree to marry me?”

  “What?” Walter asked, his temper short from being cold and wet for so long.

  “This woman. She wants to marry me. Yet she’s never seen my face and only knows of my reputation.”

  “What of it?” Walter snarled, not liking that his son was figuring out his plan.

  “Well, it would seem that you brought me to a strange place, father. With strange people, and thus far, strange ways. I’m asking you, is this woman of the kind?”

  Walter grabbed his son’s arm roughly and pulled him into an alcove, not in the mood for such questions. “Listen to me, you ungrateful thing. This woman-your wife-to-be is now yours by contract. No matter what, you cannot back out of this marriage now.”

  William watched as he his father stormed off rather suddenly, trying to catch up to Geoffrey. As he picked up his own feet to make it to them, he wondered who in the bloody hell he was marrying, and why was she not someone his father was not willing to discuss? His question, however, was soon answered as soon as Geoffrey led them into the receiving parlor.

  “My Lord,” Geoffrey greeted with a flourish. “Your distinguished guests, Duke Walter Stannin, and his son, Lord William Stannin, have made it safely into our lands.”

  A large, rather rotund man with beady eyes and a ruddy nose stood up on stocky legs and began to clap his hands. “Welcome, welcome! It is good to finally see my future son-in-law!” He climbed down the few stairs to the main floor, out of breath by the time he reached landing.

  “I am so happy to finally meet you,” Duke Rolf welcomed jovially as he shook both of their hands vigorously. “My, you’re soaking wet! Please, allow us to get some dry clothes for you.” He guided the men to the fireplace, where they thanked him greatly and took their seats.

  “Gloriana!” Rolf called, his voice ricocheting off the stone walls of the castle. “Bring forth some blankets would you?”

  William raised his eyebrow in amusement. “You treat your daughter, a royal woman, as a servant?”

  Rolf nodded his head. “When she is being punished, yes. Which seems to happen more often than not as of late,” he grumbled.

  “Oh come now father,” a mischievous, feminine voice called from behind the group of men. “The guards don’t mind my playfulness at all.”

  William, Walter, and Rolf turned to watch Gloriana walk into the room, holding an armful of thick blankets. The sight of her struck William with awe, and he was immediately intrigued by the woman in front of him. She was, to his and his father’s surprise, a startlingly beautiful woman. She was tall, curvy, and h
ad a peaches and cream complexion that many women would die for. Her long, golden hair was tied in intricate braids, then braided together again in one big piece down the middle of her back. Her eyes, large, and ocean blue, were surrounded by thick lashes, and accentuated by the plump, rosy lips set above the most adorable chin. She looked like an angel. However, there was something wild about her. Unpredictable. William was drawn to her immediately.

  “My Lady,” William greeted her, rising out of his chair to kiss her hand. “I am so very happy to meet you.”

  Gloriana’s eyebrows went up in surprise when he took her hand and kissed the top of it so gently. “You’re William?” She asked.

  “Aye, my Lady, Duke William Stannin, at your humble service.”

  A wicked grin spread across Gloriana’s face, and she looked over at her father. “Not only did ye find someone te marry me, but ye got a pretty one to boot. Well done father.”

  “Gloriana!” Rolf chastised, his face flush with embarrassment. “Please don’t talk in such a manner!”

  She tossed the blankets to the men and planted her fists on her hips, revealing a tight blue satin grown with an exceedingly low cut bodice. Both William and his father couldn’t help but look at the soft, tempting fruit that threatened to spill out of its confines at any minute. It was bliss, but also torture. William could feel his cock aching with need; desperately wanting to bury his face between the beautiful mounds of delicate flesh.

  “Why can I not?” She asked, no doubt for the thousandth time. “A man can talk just as this, can he not? He can ride a saddle with his legs spread wide, he can pinch a lady’s backside. He can drink ale and slur and say nasty things to women about what’s between their legs and under their corsets. So why can’t I? It is not fair!”

  “Nor is it proper!” Rolf replied in turn, his face tomato red.

  William chuckled, and stood back up with the blanket wrapped around him. “I get it now,” he said, smiling at Gloriana.

  “Get what?” Walter and Gloriana said in unison.

  “Don’t you see, my dearest Gloriana?” William asked, walking up to her. “We’ve been paired together because our father’s are disgraced by us. You and I, my dear soon-to-be wife, are very much alike. It seems to me that my father wants your dowry and your father doesn’t want a spinster as a daughter. We are pawns in their game.”

  CHAPTER 4

  Neither Walter nor Rolf could respond to William’s observation; both were too ashamed. He had hit the nail right on the head, and he knew it. Still, he didn’t mind. Not when the result was getting to marry one of the most beautiful and foul-mouthed women he had the pleasure of meeting. Dinner, to his delight, had been a show off between who could be raunchiest at the table. Their father’s had went back and forth between begging them to stop and congratulating themselves for finding a match to an otherwise impossible human being.

  Afterwards, they were entertained by an absolute horrid play by a troupe of local actors, which Gloriana was quick to point out. She was so abrasive that by the end of the second act she had the players all but running off of the makeshift stage, making it an early evening for retirement. After a quick goodnight, Gloriana disappeared, and left one of the maids to show William to his room.

  “I must admit,” William mused as he followed the delightfully busty maid down the darkened stone corridors. “I’ve never stayed in a castle before. It’s much warmer than I expected.”

  The young woman laughed, and she glanced back at the handsome royal to catch him staring at her backside. “You see my Lord, we keep the fires burning constantly except in the summer, when you could fry an egg on the sun soaked floor. In the shadows it’s blessedly cool, but in the light it can get terribly hot.”

  “Really,” William cooed, faking fascination. He glided up to the side of the maid, who now up close he could see was only twenty or so. Plain face, but nice brown eyes and with an eager look to them. “Tell me more,” he all but purred.

  By the light of the lantern he could see a blush bloom in her face, and she stopped. “Perhaps later, my Lord,” she told him. “But for now we have arrived at your chambers, and I must bid you goodnight.” As if to make her point, she pressed her hand into the wooden door, letting it swing open. Inside William could see the room was already lit with a large fire in the hearth, and several candles for reading light. The bed, a large, antique thing, was piled high with furs.

  “Won’t you come in with me?” He asked, reaching up to stroke his finger against her chubby cheek. “Just for a little? I’d love to hear more about this fascinating place.”

  Her eyes darted from him to the bed, then back again. She was no fool. As soon as the door would close he would no doubt reveal to her that astonishingly good looking body and probably give her the best romp of her life.

  “Well,” she decided, “all right. But I can only tarry a little while, or the head maid will come looking for me.”

  ~

  To his surprise, the maid had actually chatted about the castle and its history the entire time they were in the throes of passion. If, William thought, he could call it that. The girl had definitely been bedded before, and more just laid with her legs open and talked while he did his duty. It was odd to him, that she showed neither pleasure nor displeasure as they had sex. Still, she had the decency to let him finish, and when he was done she actually said thank you before promptly leaving his chambers.

  Feeling refreshed, William wrapped a sheet around his waist and, with a lantern in his hand, decided to go about the castle and explore. Though it was only a little after nine in the evening, the castle seemed absolutely asleep. Even the guards he seldom passed were asleep in their position, making them useless. His father had indeed brought him to a strange place; William had no doubt of that. Still, it intrigued him greatly.

  He wondered through the floors of the castle, looking for nothing in particular until he heard the faint sound of laughter coming from one of the towers. Curious, he moved closer to it, and soon found the faint glow of lit wall sconces surrounding the door to a tower room. Through the cracks of the rough-hewn wood he could see the spark of fire, hear the laughter and guffawing clearly.

  “Uh oh,” a familiar feminine voice said, interrupting the jovial moment. “It looks like we have a visitor boys.”

  William had no idea how she knew that he was there, but he wasn’t going to run away like some red-handed school boy. Immediately he stood up straight and put on a serious face as the door opened; as if he was waiting for her to spot him the entire time. A guard, only half in his armor, swung open the door. As he did so the smell of whiskey and cheese wafted into William’s face, nearly making him gag.

  “Good evening,” he said gruffly, pushing past the inebriated guard and into the large spherical room.

  “Lord Stannin!” Gloriana greeted, clapping her hands in delight from atop the lap of yet another guard, this one shirtless. “I was so hoping it was you. Come; have a drink with us would you? Fredrick here confiscated the most delicious bottle of whiskey from Geoffrey the other day, didn’t you darling?” She asked, looking down at the person she was sitting on.

  “Aye, my Lady,” he answered with a hiccup. “As a payback for tellin’ on ye for pallin’ around with us.” Fredrick turned his head to look at William. From his fogging eyes he could see that the man had already had too much to drink and was about as useless a teacup in a battle.

  “If I may say so, my Lord,” Fredrick slurred. “Ye be one fine, lucky man ta be marryin’ the likes of this lass here.” For emphasis he gave Gloriana a smack on the bottom, making her giggle.

  “Oh, stop it Fredrick, really,” Gloriana said, pushing at his chest so she could stand up. Raising her arm, she held out her hand to William and gestured with her eyes to a bare chair. “Come my lord,” she convinced. “Sit with us, have a drink and be merry.”

  Without hesitation William put his hand in hers and allowed her to guide him to the open seat. As soon as his backside was on
it Gloriana was on his lap and a glass of whiskey was in his hand. This was indeed a strange place, he thought.

  “So tell me,” William asked, taking a sip of the whiskey as his hand rested on Gloriana’s outer thigh. “What is going on with this place?”

  Fredrick and the man sitting beside him laughed as the continued to pour more whiskey.

  “A little different than the rest of the world, innit?” Fredrick asked.

  “My family is considered the black sheep of the royal community,” Gloriana giggled as she took another sip from her own glass. “And I’m the black sheep of the black sheep.”

  “So you must be incredibly odd,” William mused, not able to help the smile upon his face. If this was what odd was, he liked odd. He liked it a lot. He also liked the mischievous smile Gloriana gave him as he said so.

  “I just don’t think it’s fair, is it? The way women have to prance around in skirts and bonnets, and we have to learn stupid things like embroidery or music. But we can’t lift a sword, can we? Or wear pants, or piss on the walls standing up. I’m tired of being a lady,” she shrugged. “Even if that means I’ll never marry and constantly disappoint my father.”

  “But you are getting married,” William pointed out. “And as soon as you are, you won’t have to worry about your father’s approval. Just mine.”

  Gloriana laughed and pressed his face into her breasts, a move he did not mind one bit.

  “And how do I win your approval, my dear husband-to-be?” She asked, her eyes practically glowing with good humor.

  “Simple my dear,” William whispered, capturing her chin. “You already have.” He brought her face down to his, and captured her mouth in a mind reeling kiss. His tongue dove and dipped between her lips, drawing her essence out and into himself. She tasted like she was laden heavily with honey. It was an intoxicating taste, one he most enjoyed. By the time they pulled away, his cock was as rigid as a tree, and Gloriana’s chest was heaving with wanting. The guards around them had stopped laughing and gone silent. As witnesses to such passion, they knew what was blooming between the two royals was real; not just some arrangement.