Taken by a Highland Raider

by Susan Bella Ikin

  “Mary has agreed to marry me”, I stated, “If we read the banns for the first time this Sunday, we can marry after the third reading”.

  To my surprise, my mother came running over, and after giving me a brief hug, drew Mary in for a longer one. My father came to shake my hand and pound me on the back as I registered what my mother was saying to Mary.

  “I am so happy to be having a daughter at last. Ye have no idea how long I have waited for this day Mary”.

  I looked at Mother, surprised that she had never considered Rose a daughter, then remembered how hostile Rose had been to us all. I appreciated then how terrible it must have been for everyone concerned, and found myself thinking that I would never make any daughter of mine, or any son for that matter, wed someone out of duty. I looked at Mary then with new eyes, resolving to go to speak with Bridget. If Mary was right, and Rose had died needlessly, maybe I should not worry so much about getting Mary with child. As I thought this, I looked at Mary again, seeing her laugh and talk with my parents, and a little frisson of fear ran up my spine. I could not bear to lose Mary, no matter how slim the risk. I smiled broadly as they all looked at me, and guiltily avoided Mary’s eyes. Despite my promise to Mary not to keep secrets from her, I was already starting. I knew she was willing to risk having a child, but I was not.

  Mary.

  The next few days passed in a blur. Patrice drove all the servants to a frenzy with cleaning, and sending messengers out to invite neighbouring families to the wedding. She and some of the women closeted themselves away to make fine clothes for myself and Liam to wear on our wedding day, and I was not allowed into the room.

  On the first Sunday, the reading of the banns caused very little of a stir. Word had spread and everyone in the little church knew of our impending marriage, so none of the congregation were surprised.

  Everyone seemed to be so busy, yet I had very little to do, and time was hanging very heavy on my hands. I was not allowed to help with wedding preparations, and there always seemed to be someone near if Liam and I tried to snatch some time alone together, it almost seemed as if everyone was enjoying keeping us apart.

  Even Bridget had been too busy to spend much time with me, explaining that she was gathering herbs to decorate the keep and making extra supplies of soap and other necessities to deal with the extra numbers of people who would stay for the wedding. I started to feel nervous about it all, I had hoped that Liam and I could just get married without too much fuss, but everyone had thrown themselves into wedding preparations, and I was starting to feel isolated and alone. It was my wedding, yet I was not permitted to have much to do with the preparations, and had seen little of Liam for the few days as well. My pre-wedding nerves were not helped by the building of sexual tension within me. Although I had only recently discovered the physical delights I could enjoy with Liam, now that I had experienced them, I wanted more. It was with this in mind that on the Tuesday evening, only one week after agreeing to marry Liam, that I waited in my room until I could not hear anyone stirring in the keep. Throwing a cloak over my clothing, I opened my door a crack and peeped out. Not seeing anyone, I quietly crept up the stairs to Liam’s room, and as quietly as I could, I opened the door and slipped inside, remembering that day so long ago, I took care to drop the bolt quietly across the door. As I turned around, I found myself staring at Liam’s bare chest. I squeaked and fell back against the door, stammering as I realised that more than Liam’s chest was bare, and he was erect.

  “Liam, I didn’t hear you get out of bed!” I looked up to see his eyes, glittering in the low light from the fire.

  “What kind of warrior would I be, if I did not hear someone banging about at my door as loudly as ye did? Ye will be lucky if ye did not wake everyone within earshot. What are ye doing here? It is not proper”.

  I licked my lips as I realised that even though Liam’s words were saying one thing, his body was saying another. I stepped closer to him, smiling as I did.

  “I have barely spoken two words to you in the last week. We will be married soon, and it seems like every time I try to speak to you, someone else is there, getting in between us”.

  Liam turned back to the bed, giving me a wonderful view of his muscled back and tight buttocks, then he whisked the sheet from it and wound it around himself. I pouted as he hid his body from me.

  “Perhaps people see more than we think. Perhaps they keep us apart so that we do not anticipate our marriage vows”.

  I stepped closer to Liam, looking up at him as he looked at me, trying to appear disinterested, however the bulge in his sheet was betraying him.

  “Well, we have already done that haven’t we? What’s the matter Liam? Surely a great big warrior like you isn’t afraid of me?” I stepped close to Liam, and licked my lips gently for good measure, smiling as I saw Liam watching me closely.

  “Mary, ye should not be here. We are not married yet”.

  “But Liam, we are going to be married so soon, you still want to marry me, don’t you?”

  Liam groaned and leaned down to me, gathering me to him roughly and plundering my mouth. I moaned and opened my lips for him, winding my arms around his broad chest and plucking at the sheet, causing it to slip. Liam pulled his lips from mine as he grabbed for the sheet to pull it closer to him.

  “Mary, ye are playing with fire, do not tempt me any further, ye are a cruel woman”.

  I stepped back from Liam a little, enjoying the power that he had given me by showing me how much I affected him. I reached out a hand and cupped his groin, hearing him gasp as I did.

  “Liam. I understand you don’t want to make love to me until we are married. But if you think I am being cruel, then I have to say you are being just as cruel. You showed me unbelievable pleasure that day when you asked me to marry you, but since that day you haven’t been near me. I ache for you Liam, I can’t wait until we are wed, and I hope that you feel the same”.

  Liam growled as he pulled me to him, and he lifted me in his strong arms, at first lifting me up so that I could kiss him without stretching, then I felt gravity shifting as Liam gently laid me on the bed, laying beside me. Somehow during the motion, the sheet had fallen to the floor, and I gasped as I felt Liam’s warm skin under my hands.

  “Oh Liam, you should be like this all the time”, I said as I pushed him so that he laid down on the bed, while I sat up to run my hands all over him, discovering all the battlescars over his body. Liam trembled as he felt me touch him, but laughed at my words.

  “I’m thinking I probably shouldn’t walk around like this, woman. I would have to wear clothes outside this room, but when ye are in here with me, I will do my best to make ye happy”.

  I looked at him, smiling at his attempt at humour, and continued to run my hands over his magnificent body. Liam tried to nudge me over to my back, but I resisted, I was having too much fun exploring him.

  “Shh, Liam”, I said, “I’ve never been able to touch a man so freely, please let me explore you”.

  Liam made a gesture of surrender and then laid down flat so that I could see and touch him. I ran my hands over his broad shoulders and down his arms, gently kneading his muscles, remembering how it felt when he held me in his arms. I traced the muscles of his chest and his abdomen, running a finger along the delineation of muscles, marvelling at the definition and feeling his muscles contract as I gently explored him. I gently pushed at him so that he rolled over, and Liam complied with a smile, so that I could explore the breadth of his back, running my fingers over scars, and then running the flat of my hand over his buttocks, hearing him gasp as I did. I gently kneaded there, being rewarded with a little moan, and then raised myself up on my knees to lean over and run my hands down the back of his strong thighs and calves, feeling myself grow hot and wet as I imagined how these same muscles might expand and contract during love making.

  With a sudden movement, Liam flipped himself over to his back, and grabbed my legs, pulling me over him so that my centre was
over his face. I gasped and tried to move away, looking back to see Liam’s face disappear under my kirtle. His hands pushed the clothing up over my body so that he could breathe, and my struggles ceased as I felt his lips at my core, my eyes closed briefly as I remembered the pleasures to come.

  Opening my eyes again, I realised that I was now looking at his erect shaft – what had he called it? My eyes widened as I remembered how Liam had wanted to hear the word from my lips, and then I remembered what else he had wanted me to do with my lips, so I leaned down, and kissed it gently on the tip. Liam jerked, and this caused his face to push more deeply into my core, so I leaned down to grasp him and put his shaft back to my lips. I kissed the tip again, but when Liam pushed his tongue inside me, I opened my mouth and took him in, licking the tip as I did. I had been concerned about this act, but as the pleasure inside me built from what Liam was doing to me, I found myself wanting to give him a similar amount of pleasure, so I continued doing what Liam seemed to enjoy. A small bead of fluid leaked from the tip, and I licked it, finding the taste salty but not unpleasant. As the feeling within me built, I continued to work Liam with my lips and tongue, sure that I wasn’t doing a very good job, but not hearing any complaining either, so I continued to lick along the length and sometimes put as much as I could in my mouth. Liam bucked a little, which shocked me, as it went in much deeper than I planned and I pulled my head back a little, then tried to take him deeper again, as he seemed to enjoy it so much. All the while, my own pleasure built, and soon I felt that wonderful feeling again that signalled my climax. While I was enjoying my own, I took Liam out of my mouth and raised my head as I moaned in pleasure, then I slid off Liam’s face and worked my way around to the bottom of the bed so that the next time I took him into my mouth I could look at his face. Liam lay there, his lower face glistening from my juices, and he wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and winked at me. I bent my head down again and took him deeply as he seemed to enjoy, and then worked my head up and down, watching him as I did. The sensation of watching him watch me was making me feel hot and wet again, but as I worked Liam, I heard his breathing change, and he began pushing into my mouth in earnest. I kept working Liam with my mouth, then suddenly he pushed me aside gently, and cupped his hand over his shaft, and I watched as his shaft pulsed and fluid leaked out between his fingers. Liam groaned, and then walked to the basin of water, washing his shaft and his hands before returning to the bed.

  I looked at Liam and he pulled me close.

  “Ye are an incredible woman. Are ye sure ye have never done that before?”

  I shook my head, suddenly shy, but Liam pulled me to him, kissing me deeply. I tasted what I could only imagine was myself on him, and yet it did not bother me, I was just enjoying the feeling of being in his strong arms after we had both enjoyed our release.

  Liam pulled the blanket over us both, even though I was still fully dressed.

  “Ye cannot stay here until the morning, ye are sure to be seen trying to creep away if ye do. But I am reluctant to turn ye out of my room after something like that. Try to stay awake for a while, until ye are ready to go back to yer own room”.

  I nodded and smiled, burrowing into Liam’s strong chest. I ran my fingers gently over his nipples, hearing his indrawn breath and smiling to myself.

  “So, Liam, once you have spilled your seed like that, is that all for the night? Can you do that more than once?”

  I felt Liam’s breath blow over the top of my head.

  “Ye will be the death of me, ye know that Mary. No, a man only needs a little time to recover, then he can be ready again. I suspect with ye in my bed, I will get very little sleep in the early days of our marriage”.

  “Why only the early days? Why not all the time?”

  Liam gave a shout of laughter.

  “Usually a newlywed couple make love several times a night at first, then less afterwards, but I suspect with ye that we might be busy for a long time after our wedding”.

  He gave me a little slap on my rump then pulled the blanket from me.

  “I think it would be best if ye left now Mary. If ye stay, ye will be too much temptation to resist. Just let me check first to see if anyone is about, then ye can go if it’s safe”.

  I managed to get back to my room without incident, and fell asleep happy and relaxed. If what Liam had said was true, and we would be able to make love several times each night, I would soon be very happy, but very tired, so I resolved to get as much sleep as possible before the wedding.

  Liam.

  Time passed much more slowly than ever before after the night Mary came to my room. It had taken me a long time to get to sleep after she left, I had to fight with myself not to follow her back to her own room, but I knew if I did, that I would stay there all night. I still could not understand how such a passionate woman could have been married for all those years without having experienced the fulfilment that she was now experiencing, and when I thought of her long marriage apparently lacking any physical fulfilment, I could only shake my head in wonder. Mary was such a passionate woman, it must have been very difficult for her to remain chaste when for some reason her husband was unable to pleasure her. Even if for some reason he was unable to consummate the marriage completely, Mary’s complete lack of experience of any of the other things that a man and a woman could do astounded me. It was clear that her marriage had been completely lacking any physical satisfaction. Again I wondered about her husband, had he been unable to see her as anything but the child she was when they first married?

  If Mary or I had thought to repeat our nocturnal visits to each other’s rooms, we were thwarted the next day as guests began to arrive in advance of the wedding. Donald had to move into my room with me so that his bed was vacated to be taken by visitors, Mary was still alone in her room as there were no close female relatives for her to share with, and mother planned for Mary’s room to be our bridal room until the keep emptied of extra visitors. Obviously Mary could not come to my room anymore, and I did attempt to leave my room one night, but was thwarted by waking Donald as I tried to creep out.

  My blasted brother opened one eye, and smirked at me as he said:

  “Now where would you be going in the middle of the night?”

  I harrumphed and turned over in the bed, cursing him quietly under my breath, but apparently not quietly enough as I heard him chuckle.

  Finally the big day arrived. I bathed early that morning, then dressed in the new clothing that had been sewn for me. I wore a rich blue tunic, and matching new hose in a lighter shade of blue. I buckled on my sword, which Donald had taken care to polish. I looked at Donald, who clapped me on the back, and we walked down to the hall to wait with the rest of the family. As we stood around waiting for the women of the house to appear, I joked nervously with my brothers, wondering why I was so nervous. I had been calm when marrying Rose, although looking back I realised that it was probably because the wedding had not mattered to me, it was only the alliance of the marriage that had been important. Now, with Mary, there was so much more at stake. Marrying her did not cement any alliances, she was not bringing any new wealth to the family, I was marrying her because I wanted to. I was marrying Mary because she made me happy, and because I loved her. Seeing Ian’s attention focussed behind me, I turned to watch a group of women walking towards us. As they approached, the women in front parted as a wave, giggling at me, and my jaw dropped as I beheld Mary. They had outdone themselves with their efforts over the last three weeks. Mary’s tunic and kirtle were also a rich blue, like my tunic, and the colour made her hair, which had been washed and brushed so that it shone brightly, look like spun gold. She wore a circlet of flowers in her hair, and her long hair had been braided and coiled around her head, woven with the flowers to resemble a crown. Mary paused as she approached me, and at that point I remembered to breathe, and to close my mouth. Donald nudged me forcefully, and I extended my arm for Mary to take. Her little hand settled in the crook of my bent
arm, and I pulled it close to my side as we walked towards the church.

  We exchanged our vows on the steps of the church, in front of our community and our invited guests, then as many people as possible packed into the building for the regular service. Afterwards, we all walked back to the keep for the wedding feast, but I could eat little. I had a couple of cups of wine, drinking it quickly from nervousness, then found my cup disappear as Donald pulled it away with a mocking smile.

  “Wouldn’t do to disappoint yer bride, now, would it” he said quietly to me before breaking into great guffaws, which became even louder after my elbow dug into his side. At my other side, Mary shifted on the bench as she tried to look in front of me, then behind me, to see why Donald was so amused, but I shook my head at her almost imperceptibly. I leaned in quietly and whispered in her ear.

  “If ye want to leave quietly, it will be difficult. Perhaps ye could slip away first, then I will try to join ye?”

  “But why do we need to leave quietly? I don’t understand”.

  “Do ye not remember? Or did ye people not escort the bridal couple to their bed?”

  Mary’s face flamed as she looked around.

  “Do you mean, they will follow us upstairs?”

  I was just about to answer when a buzz started around the room, and without any one person seeming to initiate it, the room decided it was time for us to leave. Mary was grabbed and held aloft, and several of the strongest men also lifted me and carried me above their heads. We were carried up to Mary’s room and deposited in the room. Mary was put down near the bed, and I was none too gently dropped, and then pushed towards Mary, having to grab her to steady myself and to avoid toppling us both to the bed. Ribald laughter sounded as our door slammed shut, and I quickly turned and dropped the bolt in the door, leaning against it as I began to laugh.