His Abducted Bride

by Ruth Ann Nordin

  Once she was in bed, she pulled the covers up to her chin and got settled into a comfortable position. She closed her eyes and soon drifted off to sleep.

  The computer came back on. The story came up on the screen. Everything but the first scene had been deleted. The cursor blinked, and words began to appear on the screen. Sandy woke with a start. She expected to be in bed, but she wasn’t. She wasn’t even in her apartment. She was in another world...

  Chapter Two

  Sandy woke with a start. She expected to be in bed, but she wasn’t. She wasn’t even in her apartment. She was in another world.

  It was dark. Something was covering her head. Her body was jostled from side to side, and it took her a good moment to realize she was draped over a horse. But someone held her in place so that she didn’t fall off. Her hands and feet were tied together, and a cloth was wrapped around her mouth so she couldn’t scream. What was happening to her? Where was she? Was this a nightmare? She had no way of pinching herself to see if she was dreaming. A part of her argued she had to be dreaming since she remembered going to bed in her apartment. But could she be sure this was a nightmare?

  She shook her head in an attempt to get the sack off, but the stupid thing was tied around her neck. She was surprised she could even breathe normally through the thing. The ties around her wrists were firmly in place but didn’t dig into her skin. Any attempts to undo them were met in vain. The same was true for the ties holding her feet together. Wiggling her body to get off the horse was just as useless, especially since her captor put his hand on her back to stop her.

  With no other option available to her, she stopped struggling for a way to escape and focused on the sounds going on around her. There was more than one horse. There were many, and if she guessed right, their hooves were pounding on a dirt road. The captor and those with him didn’t say a word. An owl hooted somewhere, followed by the screeching of something she couldn’t identify.

  Then she noticed the air around her was significantly cooler than the fall Florida weather. So why wasn’t she shivering? She should be in her pajamas, but she wasn’t. She was fully clothed, and it seemed that she wore heavy clothing. Wool, maybe? Furs? It was hard to tell.

  What is going on here?

  Since she couldn’t get away from whoever had taken her from…her bed...or somewhere else, she decided to bide her time until she reached her destination. She closed her eyes and waited patiently.

  By the time her captor and his men came to a stop, her arms and legs were numb. She tried to move off the horse, but she couldn’t. Not that she could do anything if she managed to get off the steed anyway. She’d just end up lying in a heap on the ground, and who knew if the horse would step on her?

  “Where should I take her?” someone—a man—asked as he came closer to her.

  Though she couldn’t see who talked, she opened her eyes and turned her head in the direction he spoke.

  “I see our prisoner is awake,” he said.

  “She’s not a prisoner,” another man spoke, and judging by the location of the voice, he was the one on the horse with her. “I’ll carry her.”

  She felt him slide off the steed, and before she knew what was happening, she was pulled off the horse and into his arms. As much as she wanted to get to her feet, he was too strong. She guessed he was wearing armor of some kind. Had he gotten back from battle? He didn’t smell like sweat, which was what she would have expected if he’d been fighting. So what was she doing here? How did he manage to get into her apartment and take her away…on a horse…without her noticing?

  A screeching sound startled her, so she stiffened.

  The man holding her chuckled. “No need to be concerned. It’s just a door.”

  A door? A door to where? She wanted to ask, but with the cloth over her mouth, she couldn’t. The ominous sounds of footsteps clanged against a hard floor. A floor made of stone, perhaps? She didn’t understand this at all. For some reason, everything seemed familiar, and yet, she’d never been anywhere like this.

  “To the dungeon?” a man who hurried after her captor asked, his tone indicating that he was out of breath.

  “No. What do you take me for? A barbarian?”

  Her captor’s voice was deep and strong. He had the voice of a warrior. That made sense considering his armor.

  “I’m sorry, your majesty,” the man told her captor.

  Majesty? As in a king? Her captor was a king? She couldn’t believe this. It had to be a dream. She was having a very realistic and elaborate dream. That was the only explanation for it.

  Her captor took her up some stairs, which were made of stone if she judged right. Once he was at the top of the stairs, he carried her down a corridor. The air was still a little cool but not as much as earlier. She sighed. Why didn’t he just take the sack off her head so she could at least see where she was going?

  By the time he opened a door, she was finally getting feeling back into her hands and feet. He set her in a sitting position, and judging from the way her body sank into the chair, she guessed it was cushioned. Beside her was warmth, and the sound of crackling wood notified her that she was sitting by a fire.

  Finally, the sack came off her head and the cloth was removed from her mouth. She squinted for a moment as her eyes adjusted to the firelight in the large room. “Where am I?” she demanded, testing the rope around her wrists. Just her luck. The rope was firm.

  “You are in your bedchamber,” the man behind her said.

  She whirled around in the chair. He wore a black helmet which covered most of his face. All she could see were his blue eyes. The rest of him was covered from head to toe. He wore black armor to match his helmet. He was an imposing figure, to be sure, but there was also something strangely familiar in the way he stared at her with those amazing baby blue eyes of his.

  “This is your new castle,” he said as he walked around her chair so that he was standing in front of her.

  She glanced at her bound wrists and ankles. “If it’s my castle, then why was I abducted and bound?”

  “Because you wouldn’t come here any other way.”

  After a moment of awkward silence, she asked, “Where am I?”

  “My kingdom.”

  She waited for him to explain further, to tell her exactly what kingdom he meant, but he didn’t speak. Finally, she let out a long sigh. “Look, I’m probably dreaming, so it doesn’t matter anyway, but are you going to tell me anything else or is this one of those dreams where I end up having sex with some stranger?” The men in those types of dreams didn’t usually say much.

  “I assure you, my queen, that you aren’t dreaming.”

  Queen? Her eyebrows furrowed as he went to the candelabra by her bed.

  He struck a match and lit the candles. “As for sex, we won’t be having it unless a wedding takes place. We can’t have sex until after our wedding so everyone will know the child is my heir.”

  “How cute,” she muttered. “Since I’m not going to wake up any time soon, will you please untie me?” She lifted her wrists and looked expectantly at him.

  “Fine. I’ll do as you wish, but know that if you try to run away, the guard outside your door will stop you.”

  “And to think you said I wasn’t a prisoner.”

  She sensed the mirth in his eyes as he took the sword from his sheath and cut the ties around her wrists and ankles. Relieved, she began to rub her wrists when she realized they weren’t red from where she’d been bound.

  “Magic rope,” he explained. “They bind you but won’t chafe your skin.”

  She rolled her eyes. “Sure.”

  “You really don’t believe this is for real, do you?”

  Deciding not to justify his remark with an answer, she asked, “Who are you and how did you get me out of my bed and over here?”

  “You know very well who I am.”

  She waited for him to continue, but he stood in front of her, holding the rope in his hands and staring at her
as if that was all he needed to say. Closing her eyes to will aside her irritation, she waited for a long moment before responding. “I know you’re a king.”

  “Yes.”

  Again, she waited for him to explain, but when he didn’t, she groaned. “Are you trying to give me a headache?”

  “No, but I’m surprised you even have to ask. You know better than anyone else who I am.”

  “Which is why you think you’re being cute by not answering me.” She rolled her eyes. Just her luck. Of all the men who could have abducted her, it had to be a smart aleck. “I can’t wait until I wake up,” she muttered.

  “You’re already awake. When you go to sleep in that bed over there, you’ll wake up in this room. You aren’t going back to the place you came from. You will stay here and marry me, and together, we’ll unite kingdoms. That is, unless you give into my demands. Then we can skip the marriage, and I’ll return you to your home.”

  She narrowed her eyes at him. “What kind of demands?”

  “That’s for me to know and for you to find out. I believe we’ve talked enough for tonight. You need your rest.”

  As he stepped around her, she stood up and tried to grab his arm, but the armor passed through her hand as if it was made of liquid. He clucked his tongue and turned back to face her. “It’s a magic armor. You can’t catch me, sweetie.” With a wink, he added, “At least, not yet.”

  She gasped. “I don’t want you.”

  “Not yet.” Before she could protest because this man might just be the most conceited one she’d ever met, he waved to someone standing in the doorway. “Come in.”

  She turned her attention to a young lady who entered the room.

  “Sandy, this is your lady’s maid, Noel,” he continued. “She will make sure you have everything you need.”

  “Noel,” Sandy whispered, wondering why the name sounded familiar.

  As if he could read her mind, he said, “I’m sure you’ll figure everything out soon enough. I’ll see you at the banquet hall for breakfast in the morning.”

  No, he wouldn’t because come morning, she’d wake up in her bed back home and laugh this whole dream off. She couldn’t wait to call Caitlyn and ask her what she thought of this whole thing.

  Noel approached her, her long hair seeming almost midnight blue in the candlelight, though Sandy swore it had to be a rich black color. When she made eye contact with her, Sandy swore her eyes were purple. Her fair skin also seemed to have a hint of blue in it, but that had to be an illusion. Sandy rubbed her eyes. She was tired. Exhausted. It’d been a long day and now this dream was manifesting all of that.

  “My lady, I will braid your hair and get you into your nightclothes,” Noel softly spoke, her voice almost sounding like delicate wind chimes.

  “I don’t think so,” Sandy replied. “I haven’t had someone get me ready for bed since I was a child, and I’m not about to start now. I’ll take care of everything myself.”

  Noel’s smile faltered. “But if you don’t let me do this, I will have no use.”

  “Sure you will. Do something around this castle. It’s a big place. There has to be a ton of things you can do.”

  “There are many things to do, but I’ve been assigned to you. If you don’t grant me the job of being your lady’s maid, I won’t exist.”

  Sandy waited for Noel to say she was joking, but the young woman looked pale, as if she was afraid she’d be banished if she failed to do her duty. “Are you saying the king will behead you if you aren’t my lady’s maid?”

  “No, my lady. Nothing like that. I only mean that I won’t have a purpose. Without a purpose, I will disappear.”

  She thought to argue with her but then decided it was pointless. This was just a dream. Nothing in dreams had to make sense. Finally, she shrugged. “Okay. I guess it won’t be too weird if you get me ready for bed.” She glanced at the open door. “Is he still out there?” Was this one of those dreams where the man watched her undress, get into bed, and then took advantage of her?

  “I’ll close the door at once.”

  As Noel did, Sandy went over to the vanity table and took a good look at herself in the mirror. Though her blonde hair fell over her shoulders in a disheveled manner, her attention went to her clothes. Her coat was made of gray animal fur, and when she removed her coat, she realized her black shirt and pants were made of wool material that looked like something that came out of the medieval time period.

  After a long moment, she realized this was how she had envisioned herself in the book she was writing. A warrior queen. One who was ready to cross over into enemy territory and spy out the land. The whole thing was so absurd that she burst out laughing.

  “Is there something wrong, my lady?” Noel asked, approaching her.

  “No, nothing’s wrong.” Sandy knew it only confused Noel more, but she laughed harder. “Why wouldn’t I be wearing these clothes instead of my pajamas? Nothing else in this crazy dream makes sense. So why should this?”

  Noel offered a hesitant nod but didn’t say anything.

  “Where’s my nightclothes?”

  Noel turned to the large armoire and opened it. “You can wear any of them that you want.”

  Sandy went over to it and examined the wide range of clothes, from morning dresses to evening dresses to nightclothes and all the underwear she’d ever need. She fingered a corset. “A corset? Really? I don’t recall mentioning one in my book.” Like she’d put a torture device in her novel!

  “This is the king’s castle. He had your clothes brought in for you.”

  “Why am I not surprised?” Sandy replied, thinking a man would love the curves a corset would give her.

  “He sought out the best seamstresses in all the land. It’s a great honor.”

  Some honor. She got to be nothing more than a doll to look pretty for him. That’d be the day! She’d never dress up to be a man’s doll, dream or no dream. “I insist that the seamstresses bring in pants and shirts. If I am going to be a queen,” at least as long as this dream continued, “I’m going to have things my way. He doesn’t own me. He won’t tell me what I can or can’t do.”

  Noel offered a hesitant nod. “Very well, my lady.”

  “Good. In the meantime, I’ll get ready for bed.” And with any luck, when she woke up, this strange dream would be over.

  Chapter Three

  Sandy rolled over in bed the next morning. In her dreamlike state, she sighed in contentment and smiled. She couldn’t remember the last time she had such a good night’s sleep. The dream was still vivid in her mind. She could still see the detail of the bedchamber in the castle, still feel the king’s black armor that felt like liquid when she touched it, and still hear the crackling of the fire in the fireplace that warmed the room.

  It was the most realistic dream she’d ever had, and it was one that had some promise in it. Maybe she could write a story based on it. She’d make it another fantasy. Perhaps King Blackheart from her current book could have a distant relative who captured the queen to avenge King Blackheart’s death. It could be the sequel to the book she was about to finish!

  Excited, she bolted up in the bed, ready to grab a notebook to jot everything from her dream down. But as she threw the blankets off of her, she realized she wasn’t in her apartment. She blinked and rubbed her eyes before venturing another look around the room. It couldn’t be! This wasn’t possible. There was no way she could still be asleep.

  With a groan, she fell back on the bed and brought the pillow over her head. What was going on? Sure, she’d had dreams that spanned days—years even—in dream time, but the lapse of time in this dream seemed different. Events were happening at the same pace they did when she was awake. She threw the pillow off her head and pinched herself. Well, that didn’t work. But why would it? She didn’t really believe that nonsense about pinching oneself to get out of a dream anyway.

  She released a long breath and slipped her pillow back under her head. If this was a dream,
she might as well keep sleeping. There was no reason to get up. She reached for the blankets and pulled them up to her neck, getting as comfortable as she could. Smiling, she snuggled into the sheets and closed her eyes.

  About ten minutes of bliss passed before a soft voice called her name. Frowning, she opened her eyes and saw that Noel was peering over her, a concerned expression on her face. Sandy didn’t understand it. Why was she still dreaming?

  “Are you feeling ill, my lady?” Noel asked.

  “No. At least I don’t think so.” Sandy rolled on to her back and tried to figure out why she couldn’t wake up. She’d never had a dream that she couldn’t come out of by willing it. And was she ever willing it! Wake up, Sandy. Come on. You can do it. Wake up.

  “My lady, should I get a physician?”

  Looking at Noel, she shook her head. “I don’t need a physician. I need to wake up.” Reluctant, she sat up, her shoulders slumped. “But I get it. I can’t so I might as well continue on with this whole thing.” At the very least, it could give her more ideas for her second book. “Okay. I’ll get up.” Recalling the wardrobe given to her by her abductor, she added, “But I’m wearing my own clothes until I get shirts and pants.”

  “The gowns you have are beautiful, the finest in all the lands,” Noel argued, following her as she plopped down in front of her vanity and picked up a brush to work through the tangles in her golden hair. “My lady, far be it from me to overstep my bounds, but the material he acquired to make your clothes aren’t easy to come by.”

  Deciding not to answer her, Sandy continued brushing her hair. She didn’t care how expensive or elaborate the clothes were. The king had no right to treat her like a doll to be dressed up to please him. He also had no right to take her here—wherever here was—and insist that she marry him at some point if she didn’t give into his demands. And that bit about her giving him an heir… That was never going to happen, no matter how much he wanted it. She slammed the brush on the table.