Lachlan looks at the dinner table. Two new slaves have been dragged in from the farm to witness the banquet. Lachlan looks to Ingrid who is a farmers daughter and showing not a tear despite the beating she has been given. He can't keep his eyes away. So he drinks. He takes one mouthful and then a cup, and before he knows it he is seeing his old home with everyone sitting in banquet as though in a dream. Lachlan still can't keep his eyes off Ingrid - her eyes are like deep ocean pools which he dives in as he continues to stare.
Lachlan looks at Herrod who is sitting next to Ingrid glaring at the prince with curious eyes.
"You there, are you this girls father?" he asks.
Herrod nods.
"Yes I am;" he mutters with care.
Laclan nods and he bends to pick up a box of god coins which he ha collected. The box has spoils from the last war which was supposed to feel his treasury, however the gold that glistens inside looks like beaten clay unworthy of his interest and he thinks nothing of placing the box onto the table.
"I wish to marry her;" tells Lachlan as he leans back with a smile on his face.
Herrod opens the box and he gasps at the gold which makes his face glow yellow. He looks to Lachlan and he nods to accept the marriage which is much higher then he could have ever wished to be offered.
"I accept;"
Lachlan laughs as do the men that surround him. Kale leans close to whisper to Lachlan.
"I think that's a farmers daughter;" he mutters.
Lachlan however doesn't hear Kale and he urges him to back away before he moves to speak to Ingrid.
"You are like the sun and the moon, and I love you;" he mutters.
There is laughter but Lachlan does not hear it. He stands and moves Ingrid to another tent, and there they marry under the oaths of a drunken priest. Lachlan is not met with aggression, only acceptance, and he takes Ingrid to his own tent to sleep with her - it is only when he wakes next morning that he discovers something amiss.
"You there wake up!" gasps Lachlan as he draws his sword and pokes Ingrid in the chest.
Ingrid stirs and then opening her eyes she gasps at sight of the sword.
"You are in the royal chambers, you must leave at once!" he gasps as his face turns pale as ice. "You're not welcome here!" he yells.
Ingrid stares at Lachlan unsure what to do.
Lachlan spits down at the soil before the bed, and then he shivers as he feels a weakness that tells him to withdraw his sword. Lachlan looks down Ingrids neck - there are stains of red on her neck, and on her shoulder is a tatoo. Lachlan throws his sword away and then he leans over Ingrid to inspect. He sees his royal insignia stained on her shoulder and he quivers before he looks at her fingers and sees a ring made from the same gold his own finger carries.
Lachlan covers his face and groans as he turns away. He knows not what he has done but it looks as though he has married the same girl who had been beaten in the fields for being a poor farmers daughter. Lachlan gets down on his knees and he prays to no one - he wishes there were someone he could talk to, to answer questions ringing inside of his mind. But there is no one, and so standing once more Lachlan moves to seek a friend to be informed what he has done.
Lachlan finds the priest and he pulls him to the side for a quiet whisper.
"Priest was I married last night?" asks Lachlan.
"Oh yes to a woman named Ingrid;" tells the priest with a smile.
"Was she a common girl?" asks Lachlan as he throws a mad face. "Because you know I can only marry once, and a real princess is what I need to be wed to;"
The Priest nods his head.
"Oh yes, I tried to tell you; but you wanting nothing of it;" tells the Priest.
"Couldn't you see I as drunk?!" seethes Lachlan as his temper heats his skin. "What am I to do about it?" he asks.
"Pray that your drunk side has a stronger sense of right then you do;" mutters the Priest in one quick motion.
Lachlan throws his body back and then he crunches his anger inside of his veins. A pulse lifts the veins in his neck and he has a hard trouble looking sane. However the swell inside subsides, and Lachlan draws in a sigh.
"Never matter;" he mutters to himself. "She has some beauty at least;" he adds before he leaves.
Lachlan looks at Ingrid who has been dressed into a nice dress made of cotton and lace. He smiles at her, and she sees him smile and tries to smile back. However her mind is unsure as Lachlan approaches her and her face drop its smile so that she can stare at him with searching eyes.
"You are very lucky;" he tells her as he touches her face.
Ingrid nods.
"You shall ride in the treasury carriage;" he adds, before he moves to fetch some food.
Ingrid looks out of the carriage window as Lachlan rides next to the door. He smiles at her every now and again, and then he continues to focus on the road and the trees. There is always an enemy at every shadow, and he wishes to see them before they see him.
However there are no enemies to be found and so Lachlan daydreams over Ingrid who looks more and more like a princess with her hair combed and her face with make-up. He thinks of the lie he will have to tell his father when he reaches home. His father will be very cross, but when Lachlan tells him Ingrid is a real princess from a foreign land then he is sure to be persuaded that this girl is worthy;
Kent moves to walk his horse next to Lachlan.
"How is the bride?" he asks.
"She is well;" tells Lachlan as he blinks. "Why did you not tell me I was drunk?" he asks.
"I tried to stop you, but you would not listen;" tells Kent as he raises his brows.
"Very well;" mutters Lachlan as he slouches. "She looks a lot better now that she has been properly dressed;"
"Your father will cut your eyes out!" mutters Kent with sharp eyes.
"We'll see... we'll see..." mutters Lachlan with a shrug.
There is a pause and Lachlan looks to Ingrid who leans close to the window to listen.
"I might like to ask you to turn away when I am having a private conversation!" he mutters sharply.
Ingrid nods and turns her head. However she still listens as Kent and Lachlan whisper, they talk of her as though she is not within distance and it upsets her.
Back at home Lachlan introduces Ingrid to his father Jacob. Jacob glares at Ingrid and he sees through her clothes. He listens to Lachlan as he tells him the lie that Ingrid is from a dismantled family line. Jacob offers to talk to Lachlan in private and when inside a cold chamber he hits Lachlan hard.
"You damned fool - why have you married a common girl?" he asks.
Lachlan holds his face.
"She is very pretty;" he tells.
Jacob hits Lachlan again.
"You are to be thrown to the dogs! Get out of my castle and run through the forests, you are not a royal, you are nothing!" he barks.
Lachlan gulps down some blood and then he bows before Jacob. Jacob kicks his face with his knee and then he orders Lachlan to leave.
Lachlan fetches Ingrid and he hurries out of the castle as the wind whispers his fathers threats that he is not to return.
Lachlan wanders the woods at night. A waterfall offers a drink and he slips off his horse to take a sip. He orders Ingrid to come near, and when standing in front of it he orders her to take off her clothes.
"But I might catch a death of cold!" wars Ingrid.
"I care not - our travels have been long and you need a wash!" he gasps.
Ingrid nods and slowly she slips out of her clothes. The air is ice-cold and as her fingers touch the water they sting from being so frosted. Lachlan notices her reluctance to enter the water and so he whispers to her.
"Worry not, I'll be right here to keep you warm;" he mutters before he too throws off his clothes.
The two enter the water - it turns their skin so pale it is though they are ill, and they shiver as they bathe themselves. Lachlan holds Ingrid close to keep his heart warm. Ingrid feels a little warmer with Lachlan's arms around her and her shivers decrease. The comfort of each others bodies cause a mighty swell and soon they are making love in the water as water rushes over their bodies.
Lachlan and Ingrid arrive at another castle. Lachlan feels sick from eating berries and apples, he needs more; so he enters the castle and he calls his sisters name.
"Anne!" he cries out.
Anne greets him with a hug and a kiss.
"Father sent a note to me that told me you have been thrown out of the kingdom!" gasps Anne as she clutches at his arms.
"Yes;" tells Lachlan as he feels his mind grow weak. "I displeased him;" he adds.
"Well you look terrible!" gasps Anne as she wraps an arm around his back. "Let me feed you and your horses, and then you shall continue your travels;"
Late at night Ingrid feels a chill where the bed is vacant. She lifts herself up from the bed and she wanders around the corridors. Inside the next room she hears Lachlan's voice, and she opens the door. Lachlan holds Anne with compassion; he is so happy to be inside a castle again he wishes to stay.
"Please let me stay;" he mutters.
"I can't!" gasps Anne as she wipes a tear from her eye. "I can't because father said not to;"
"What do you care what father wants?" asks Lachlan as he opens his eyes.
There are tears inside of his eyes, tears of distress; he does not wish to leave to wander woods, he wishes to stay.
"Let me stay;" he adds.
Anne shakes her head and then she too holds onto Lachlan.
"Whatever has separated us I wish it to end!" she mutters. "I love you!"
Lachlan laughs a bitter laugh.
"Then let me stay;" he tells her.
Anne shakes her head.
"You must leave by daybreak;" she mutters as a tear runs down from her eye.
Anne turns away and Lachlan grows a sour face.
"How dare you not support me!" he gasps. "Me who led all seven wars to victory!"
Anne shivers as she thinks of it - every bloody battle that threatened them has been fought and conquered by Lachlan and her fathers army. She dressed his every wound, and even kissed them to make sure they would not infect. When he fell sick from marching in snow she marched through the forest tasting every bitter bark to find one that would make him well again. Anne turns to Lachlan and sees the image of a real knight, and she knows he deserves to be a king.
"I can't give you a home;" she mutters with a resigned sigh.
"Please, the world is so cold!" gasps Lachlan as he moves to take her hands.
Anne steps away and pushes her hands behind her back. Lachlan grabs her and clutches her hands.
"Please tell me I can stay!" he gasps.
Anne shakes her head as a few more tears roll down her cheeks. Lachlan circles his arms around her and holds her as she sobs. He runs his hands up and down her back to comfort her - the feeling of warmth is so great he grows fond of it.
"Please let me stay..." he mutters.
"No..." sighs Anne as she feels a deep depression that Lachlan is a new king and he is begging for her acceptance.
"Please..." mutters Lachlan as he rubs his cheek against her moistened one.
Anne shakes her head and then she whispers.
"No..." she mutters in her next breath.
Lachlan sucks in a breath.
"Then you are no longer my sister;" he mutters as he sighs.
"I know!" gasps Anne. "And you not my brother!" she sobs.
"So let me stay as your slave;" tells Lachlan as he shivers.
"No!" gasps Anne as she wipes her left eye. "You must leave!" she gasps.
"Then you shall be mine;" tells Lachlan as he pulls at the strings of Anne's dress.
Ingrid covers her mouth as the two fight each other. Lachlan easily wins and he pushes Ingrid into a corner of the room where he slaps her hard. He then takes out his knife and he cuts her cheek, her body; until finally she drops the war. Lachlan thren rapes her for hours, filling her with more of him; it is a bitter form of battle, which boils Ingrids blood as sweat runs down their shoulders. As the morning sun rises the castle has been conquered. Anne lays on the floor bruised, bloodied, and exhausted; and Lachlan spits on her before he throws her inside a cell to waste her tears.
Ingrid looks to Lachlan as he walks into her room. He bows his head, and then he wipes a hand over his leg.
"We can stay;" he mutters as he lifts a smile.
Ingrid tries to smile, but tears well and dribble down her face. Lachlan wants to reach to her but he feels haggard and dirty, and so he leaves to wash himself so that he may comfort Ingrid to stop her tears.
A bitter letter is sent to Jacob who throws a temper as the letter informs him that Anne's castle has been robbed. His rolls his eyes, and then he throws the letter away.
"It's bitter that you should steal from Anne, but you are my son and you shall keep your spoils;" he mutters before he turns to stare at the dark where a map sits.
Jacob crosses out Anne's name which lingers over the cross where her castle sits, and he writes Lachlan's name before he retires to bed.
Lachlan lives a quiet life with Ingrid. He gets her pregnant and they spend hours talking of baby names and foods babies like to eat. Every day they take a stroll through the gardens, and as Ingrid's belly blooms so does Lachlan's care for her. He doesn't want to leave her side, but he manages to at night when he crawls to Anne's chamber to make viscous love to her. It is a wicked pleasure and he grows in health. When he returns to Ingrid it is with sweat on his skin, and when Ingrid smells him it is with knowing that he has been with Anne.
After months pass Ingrid gives birth to her baby. Anne gives birth to a baby too, but hers is left in the cold for the wolves to eat. Lachlan comforts Ingrid, and then in time he picks up men to support his castle. It is then he is accepted as having a throne, and he sits on it as he grows a plan to become a real king.
No comments:
Post a Comment