by Lily Thomas
Every once in a while, a woman would come by and fill their mugs with what must be some kind of brew, if the smell was any hint. By the rate of which it was consumed, she knew she had to be correct.
The older giant woman led them to a table before one of the grand fireplaces. There at the head of the table sat Stryme surrounded by many others.
He had a crown on his head?
It was a simple crown, nothing fancy. Two simple circles of gold twisted around each other, but it stood out in stark contrast to his midnight black hair. His fur clothing had also been changed. It looked nicer with more decorations sown onto it.
It wasn't possible. He was the king? She had been taken captive by their king?
All hope faded from her body, as her jaw hit the floor. Here she had been hoping their king might see reason and send them back to their people.
Stryme stood and bowed to them.
Elizabeth didn't miss the looks the giants sitting at the table made. They seemed uncertain why he would stand to bow to a lowly human woman.
He motioned for Elizabeth to sit down beside him, which drew even more looks from the fire giants around them. They were obviously puzzled by his actions, but no one argued with his decision. He was their king, after all. His word would be followed.
As she looked around the hall, she noticed a glare from the giant woman who had kissed Stryme. If Stryme was this woman's man, then no wonder she was casting daggers at Elizabeth.
Elizabeth wasn't keen on making any enemies, and she felt rotten that she was hurting another by stealing the attention of her man. She would never want another woman to do the same to her.
Perhaps, she would have the chance to explain someday. Though she doubted the woman would want to listen to any excuses Elizabeth told her. Something told her the giant woman had no interest in being friends, since she looked like she wanted to scratch Elizabeth’s eyes out.
Her heart went out to the woman, but she was trying to survive here. If Stryme was king, she wanted to remain on his good side. She couldn’t just think of herself, she had others to protect.
The older giant woman took a seat beside Elizabeth. She was clearly Stryme's mother, because there were too many similarities between the two. Their eyes had the same shape, and there were other small similarities in their faces. If Stryme was king, it would mean his father had probably passed.
She wasn't allowed much time to dwell on her thoughts, as platters of different kinds of foods with strange, yet, tasty smells made their way around the table.
As the eating begun, Elizabeth couldn’t help but be appalled by the way the giants dug right into their food.
They had plates, but she didn't see a fork, knife or spoon anywhere on the table. Hands were being used in place of forks and knives, bowls of soup were slurped from, and hands grabbed into mounds of food on their plate no matter how messing they got. Then when a giant seemed to deem his or her hand dirty they wiped it on a cloth lying beside their plate.
Elizabeth and the other girls curled their lips in disgust, as they watched on.
They were in a different world. There was no doubt about that, and it might be in their best interest to blend. They were probably the only humans getting an inside view of the giants' world.
It was interesting, but also frightening.
Slowly, Elizabeth took two of her fingers and dug them into a mass that looked like some kind of ground vegetable.
As she lifted it to her mouth to eat it, she paused. It had an off-putting smell, but once she licked it off her fingers she couldn't stop eating it. It was surprisingly delicious, if she ignored what her nose was telling her.
Even after Elizabeth had eaten her fill, the merry making continued on at the other tables around them. The giants had appetites to match their size, and they seemed to enjoy drinking until they became overly boisterous.
The room was filled with sounds of growling and grumbling, as the giants talked to each other and drank more ale. Almost every man groped the female servants that came by to refill their cups. Every once in a while, a giant would grab a woman, pull her onto his lap, and they would kiss passionately, while he groped her bosom.
Elizabeth's eyes popped out of her head, as she watched. She couldn't believe the way they were acting. Now she could see why someone like her would think they were savages. They didn't seem civilized, when they were acting like this.
She was sure this happened at her castle, but it happened in the soldiers eating hall, not the royal hall. Her mother wouldn't have tolerated such things.
Stryme seemed to find her expressions comical, if the smirk on his face said anything about it. Every time something made her jaw drop or her eyes pop, that smirk on his face would grow wider. Sometimes he let out little huffs of laughter.
The hour grew late, and Elizabeth wondered if the night would ever end. The fire giants seemed to be able to go on for days, as they celebrated the return of their men.
Watching her all night had been a wonder for him. He had to laugh at her reactions. When the men had too much ale causing them to be more rambunctious, the look on her face had been priceless. Clearly, she wasn't used to seeing such things in her world. Without even talking to her about her life, he knew she had to be of a higher social class.
Stryme watched the human females. They seemed to be doing well for the most part. He knew she didn't realize it, but the human females would look to Elizabeth to see her reaction before reacting. They looked to her for guidance, and he doubted any of them would be sane, if Elizabeth hadn't been captured along with them.
She had to have a higher rank than them. Maybe a noble within the human world, or maybe she was something more. She almost had the air of royalty about her, because he could tell she wasn’t used to being ordered around.
He did have to wonder. The human males who had been guarding them had given a valiant fight as though they had been protecting something important.
Was she the important thing they had been guarding? And why had they been guiding her through the valley in the first place? Humans rarely traveled through the mountains. They liked keeping their distance from the unknown.
He looked down at Elizabeth, and his heart skipped a beat, as he looked over her face. As he gazed down at her, he thought of the nights he had spent by her side. It had been nice, and he had enjoyed the soft curves on her body. Giant females were built leaner, and he liked having a little extra cushion around a female's hips.
This morning had been especially rewarding. She had been so responsive to his fingers. He could only wonder how responsive she might be to his member. At the thought of having her under him, his member thickened.
A frown formed on his face. It was strange he didn’t find the thought of bedding a human as disturbing as he had originally thought.
He enjoyed the spunk she exhibited and she acted tough, even when she was unsure of the outcome.
His fellow fire giants had been understandably bewildered, when he had bowed to a human female. She shouldn’t be allowed to eat at his table, but here she was. Some had approached to ask him about her, but he hadn't much to tell, since he didn't know much about her.
Who was she? Why was she traveling through the mountain pass? Why were there so many of them? Why didn't he just kill them with the rest of the humans?
He could only shrug his shoulders at the questions. He could have spared their lives and left them, but he hadn’t. Why hadn't he just killed them?
Taking a sip of his ale, he pondered the question. Why spare a few human females? He could understand why his people were confused. A human life meant nothing to them, but he prided himself on not being a monster. There was no glory in killing a female, even if she was a human.
He was a warrior and he fought other warriors, not women and children.
As they had journeyed through the forest, he had been able to watch her personality, and he was growing fond of what he saw. She was warmhearted, when it came to the other human females, a
nd she seemed quite clever. Except for when she decided to take his horse and run away. That had not been her most intelligent moment, but he knew they were desperate to get away.
It had been a long journey,and he was looking forward to some well-deserved sleep. A grin spread over his face, as he thought about seeing her naked form sprawled out on the furs of his bed. Desire spread through him. He had been too long without a female form.
Feeling a looming presence hovering beside him he turned to find Lele standing behind Elizabeth.
She had been so absorbed with watching the giants Elizabeth hadn't noticed the giant woman had come up beside Stryme. It was the giant woman who had been glaring at her over dinner.
When she did notice, she couldn't help feeling something sharp twistin her stomach, while making her heart ache. Never had she felt quite like this. But she’d never fallen for a man who might already have a wife or betrothed.
Elizabeth appeared to be falling in love with a fire giant. The fire giants didn’t have anything to do with her beloved brother’s death, but she knew her brother would have thought them one and the same.
Guilt ate at her. She cared about her brother’s memory, but she couldn’t help her attraction to the giant. She’d have to harden her heart or at least try. He had a woman already and he was a fire giant.
Turning her attention back to the giant woman Elizabeth watched her coo over Stryme. Elizabeth couldn't help the bile that rose up in her throat.
Soon the discussion between them got heated.
The woman's face turned scarlet and during their discussion the giant woman would cast a glare at her, every once in a while. Stryme turned away from the woman, ignoring what she was saying. Her face turned beet red, and soon all she was staring at was Elizabeth.
Her fingers trembled, as Elizabeth reached for her glass of ale. The woman was a lot stronger than her. She could see the muscles lining her arms and she feared getting into a fight. A fight she would surely lose.
Before she could process what was happening, she found the ale knocked from her hand, as she was thrown from her seat. Looking up from where she was laying on the ground Elizabeth found the female giant standing above her with spread legs.
When she looked into the woman’s red eyes, she knew the giant would kill her, if allowed the chance.
The giant woman pulled back her leg and aimed at Elizabeth’s side. Stryme rushed to grab hold of her. He locked her arms in place with an iron grip refusing to let her go no matter how much she wiggled and bellowed.
The whole hall grew quiet, as everyone's breath caught in his or her chest. Their eager eyes took in the scene unfolding before them.
Stryme's deep rumbling growls bounced off the walls of the hall, as he thundered at the giant woman. The giant woman's face paled, as Stryme went on, and eventually, tears filled the woman's eyes.
Elizabeth's heart went out to the giant woman. She felt horrible! She had been the one attacked physically, but it seemed as though Elizabethhad attacked her emotionally. Elizabeth didn’t want to be the one to tear a relationship apart.
Stryme turned the giant woman around and pushed her away from the table, and she stumbled from the hall with her head hung low.
Elizabeth got the feeling this wasn’t over. The woman had been defeated today, but who knew what the following days might bring. Someday Stryme wouldn’t be close by to protect her.
Now that the commotion was over with, people went back to entertaining themselves. The talking resumed in the hall, as if nothing had happened.
Stryme held out his hand to her. She didn't take it. She couldn't take it. Elizabeth wasn’t pleased he had put her in this situation.
Placing her palms on the stone floor, she pushed herself up. Standing up she shook off the straw that was sticking to her already dirty dress.
Taking a deep breath Elizabethmet his gaze. “I am fine. Thank you for helping me.” She looked away. “It seems you do that too often.”
“Seems as though you attract trouble.” Stryme remarked.
She sputtered. She hadn't asked for any of this, and the trouble hadn't started until she’d met him. He was the one putting her in trouble. If he were faithful to his woman, then she wouldn’t be in this awful position.
He pulled out a chair for her. She sat down gingerly, while the giants in the hall sent glances her way.
How embarrassing. They probably sided with the giant woman, on this matter. She didn't blame them, because she was the stranger here. None of the women belonged. She and the other women didn’t know the rules here, and she was sure they would get into more trouble at some point.
Elizabeth needed to get them back to their people, no matter what her body was feeling for Stryme. There was an ache in her heart. She wanted Stryme for herself, and at the same time she hated that she couldn’t get him from her mind.
It was just one more emotion building inside of her. She couldn’t show the other women she was scared for their future. Stryme couldn’t know she was a princess and all the women needed her strength, not her fear. If she didn’t get a second alone to mourn her brother’s death, their capture, and her doomed love for a fire giant, she might have a melt down.
Everything had happened so fast, she hadn’t had any time for herself. There was no one she could talk to. Sarah could never understand what was going on, and Stryme probably didn’t care.
She looked up to find Stryme watching her carefully. His ever-watchful eyes were reading her facial cues.
Well, there was no need for him to worry. She had no intention of breaking down into a blubbering mess in front of a hall full of fire giants. She would wait for a moment when she was alone, and then she would shed her grief.
Elizabeth looked away hoping for the end of this feast, so she could go back to her room with Sarah. She needed to get some sleep. Maybe then she wouldn’t find Stryme attractive. He was a womanizer, after all.
The end of the feast couldn't have come quickly enough for Elizabeth. After such an engaging night, Elizabeth was ready for some much needed sleep. It had to be well past midnight, and Elizabeth was beginning to doze off in her chair. One moment she would be staring at something then the next her head would be lying against her chest.
Stryme stood and offered his hand to her once again. Reluctantly, she placed her hand within his.
Finally, her night would be over. She needed her energy back, if she was going to remain strong. Elizabeth couldn't be more excited about sleeping in a real bed.
She was about to turn to Sarah, when Stryme lead her away from the table. Elizabeth pulled her hand back or at least tried to. His grip was like steel. Digging her heels into the ground she made it harder for him, as he kept trying to go forward.
Was he leading her to his chamber or back to the room she and Sarah shared?
Eventually, he admitted defeat. Turning he raised an eyebrow at her in question.
“I am tired and would like to get some sleep.”
Stryme nodded his head, pointing in the direction they were going. “We are heading to the chamber now.”
Elizabeth looked back at the other girls still sitting at the table. They had tried to follow, but the older giant woman had stopped them. She was positive their rooms were on the other side of the hall. Or was she? She was exhausted so she might be disoriented.
Would it really matter? She had already slept next to him and let him touch her. Shrugging Elizabeth allowed him to lead her to the staircase. Either way a bed was a bed at this point.
Breathing heavily Elizabeth was relieved when they finally stopped climbing the stairs and walked down a hallway. If he was leading her to his chamber, Sarah would be worried, but she would just wait until morning to ask Elizabeth about it.
Maybe some time alone would calm Sarah’s nerves. Elizabeth was tired of her repeating what her duty was to their kingdom. She didn’t need the constant reminding.
Stryme led her down the hallway to one of the many doors lining it. Holding open
the wooden door for her he moved aside for her to step through the doorway. Elizabeth was about to turn around to thank him, when he came into the room and closed the door.
She just stood there gaping at him. Why was he coming into her room?
He stood there watching for a second, before he went further into the room.
As she followed him with her eyes, she started to notice differences in the room. It wasn't as plain as theirs had been.
This was a completely different room he had brought her to. His room.
Curiosity drew her in. If this was his room, she might be able to learn a little about him by snooping around.
There was a warm fire joyfully burning away in the hearth. Above the hearth menacing swords hung in an impressive display. Every inch of the walls and floor were covered with carpets or furs to keep the chill out. It was an inviting room, if a bit on the masculine side.
It could be worse. He could have animal heads hanging all over the walls.
Unfortunately, nothing in his room gave her any insight into him other than he was a simple man. There was nothing at all extravagant about his room.
She watched, as he sat down by the fire and took off his boots. Elizabeth was frozen to her spot, not knowing what to think or do.
A few questions ran through her mind about what his intentions might be this night. Even if she liked him, she didn’t actually know him. Elizabeth nibbled her lip nervously.
Chapter 8
Stryme relaxed in his chair beside the warmth of the fireplace. He was glad to be back in his castle and back in his favorite chair. As much as he loved horseback riding for weeks on end, nothing beat sitting next to a fire in a comfortable chair.
He reclined a little bit more, as he kicked his feet out towards the warmth. A sigh of contentment escaped from him. He looked over to where Elizabeth was still standing.
