This is story is for mature individuals.

This is only part of the story, please read the notice at the bottom for information on reading the rest.

The sounds of heavy rain could be heard outside the carriage along with the whistle of harsh winds. If it hadn’t been for Kerani leaning against me, I would have froze. We were both wrapped up in our cloaks and huddled together. Across the carriage from us was a man that we had only recently came into acquaintance with. Endre was the name he had offered to us. Both Kerani and Endre were from the southern lands of Gyose. Tanned skin and black hair were common among their people. Unfortunately, my own people had long ago started farming their tribes for servants and slaves.

Kerani had only come to work for me for three years. She spoke very little of the common language, but I was well versed in her language. My father is very scholarly and ensured that all of his children were as well. Not only did he test me the ways of the books, but always how to defend myself during battle. It was not something that I was suppose to demonstrate to anyone as it was unbefitting for a lady. Yet he told me that there wouldn’t always be a knight around to protect me.

As we traveled deeper into the war torn lands of Seria, I knew that those lessons may one day be brought to good use. My betrothed, whom I have never met before, had asked that I be brought to him a year early. He explained that the war in Seria would only worsen in the next few years and that it wouldn’t be safe for me to travel. Lord Blaine Stavros was, from what I understood, a brave knight and an advisor to the king. He had also been the first born son to Duke Manten Stavros and with his father’s recent death had just gained a vast majority of lands and riches.

Our marriage had been arranged when I was two months old. Lord Manten and my father had once worked closely together during a previous war. They kept in contact for years afterwards and Lord Manten often joked that if my father ever had a daughter that he would betroth his first born son to her. Being the fourth child, after my mother had three sons, my father discovered that Lord Manten had been quite serious.

Of course, my father accepted the proposal as he was nothing more then a knight with a manor under another man’s rule. To betroth me to a future duke would not only elevate my status but my father’s as well. Though my father had checked throughout the years to ensure that Lord Manten was not teasing him. Always Lord Manten would respond with, “I shall see you at the wedding.”

There had been rumors that my father had saved Lord Manten’s life during the war more than once. My father had never admitted to doing anything for him, but it was the only logical reason that a woman of my standing could wed such a man.

I was not as excited as I should have been. I knew that wedding a duke would mean a lot of changes in the way that I presented myself. Having grown up with three brothers and no sisters, I had to deal with servants and my mother constantly telling me to behave like a lady. I wore all my brothers’ hand me downs until the age of fourteen, when my mother could no longer stand the sight of me in pants. She informed me that now that I looked like a lady I had to dress as one.

My wedding date had been set for my eighteenth birthday, but that day came and went. Lord Blaine asked my father to keep me until it was safer to travel and added that he suspected it wouldn’t be until after my twenty third birthday. It had been strange that he would make such a wild guess as to when the war would be over. Though it was more of a dispute back then as no one had died in the name of their country.

Many believed that Lord Blaine was looking for a way to escape his marriage with me. Most likely he was buying himself time with his father’s ear, but when his father past he knew that there would be no way out. Which was why he had summoned me three months after his father’s death. There were other rumors that Lord Blaine had a lover, which was also the reason he was trying to keep me in Requanar.

Whatever the case may be, I was more than happy to stay in my home country. I would have gladly married him and remained with my mother and father while my husband returned to Seria. He could have fathered as many bastards as he wanted and ignored my presence completely. Now, I would have to live in his home in Seria and listen to all the rumors about his lovers that he had taken in the very bed I slept in.

Kerani moaned in her sleep and it brought me back to reality. I looked over at the dark haired beautiful woman who was asleep on my shoulder. She was the most lovely girl that I had ever laid eyes upon. My father told me that I needed a servant girl to care for me, and though I am thoroughly against the slave trade, he demanded I purchase a Gyosian. I knew all about their beliefs of loyalty. Most women chose to keep a Gyosian servant because they would rather die a long, tortured death then ever tell anything that would hurt their mistress’ name. Whether that is true or not has yet to be proven to me. Kerani could only speak to me, my brothers, and my father as no one else spoke her language.

My eyes wandered up to Endre who was wide awake. Though he was a servant to Lord Blaine, he carried a sword and wore chain mail armor. Obviously, Blaine had trained him to be a protector. He spoke perfect common, which proved to me that he had either been taken from Gyose at a young age or he had been born into slavery. Considering that he spoke the Gyose language, I had concluded that he had been taken young. As most Gyosian infants were snatched from their mother’s arms the moment they were born. The infants were given to noble women to learn how to raise a child until they were able to be sold into labor.

Endre’s dark eyes embedded themselves into my own whenever I looked upon him. He spoke rarely, and most often it was to give me directions. I turned my gaze away and leaned my head against the carriage.

“You should sleep like your chamber maid. It will be a long night.” Endre’s voice nearly made me jumped through the top of the carriage.

“I can not sleep in a carriage.”

He looked at the window, but the curtains had been pulled and he seemed reluctant to open them. Endre was around my height as most males of his race were, but he had a strong, masculine body from years of hard labor, no doubt. His hair was long and kept pulled back. Kerani and he had had a couple of discussions, though he mostly answered her questions as briefly as possible.

“When will we arrive?” I asked and heard the sounds of several horses outside the carriage. I knew they were the escorts that had been sent with the carriage. They were all knights who were under Lord Blaine’s commands. None looked privileged to have to escort his future wife to the city. It was most likely considered a meager errand far below their skills.

“Tomorrow afternoon.” Endre answered me.

I propped myself up as I had been bent over, which forced Kerani’s head to drop. Her eyes opened and she looked between Endre and myself. I could tell by the look on her face that she was trying to remember where she was.

“Have you not slept?” Kerani asked me in her language.

I shook my head in response.

Bouncing on her bottom, she was on the other side of the carriage and patted her lap. “Lay your head down.”

“I won’t be able to sleep.”

“Try.” She reached out her hand and stroked my hair which coaxed my head downward.

I did not like it when others were right, but as it turned out I was exhausted. The trip from my home country to Seria was a week long journey. It was also highly stressful because of the ongoing war. Lord Blaine was a known figure among our enemies and killing me would have been a tactic that they could easily exploit to get to him. Though, I highly doubted he would care either way.

As Kerani stroked my hair, I could hear her singing a song in her native tongue. I barely made out any of the words as my mind began to drift away. It would be my greatest of pleasures for this journey to finally come to an end. This is what I thought as my mind finally gave way to sleep.

---

With the carriage windows still drawn, I could only tell that it was daytime by the sun that peeked around its edges. Endre had demanded that we keep them shut as to not give a clear shot to any archer assassins that we might pass by. This explanation only terrified me, though I was composed enough to not show any fear.

When I had awoken that morning, I had overheard Endre and Kerani flirting. It had been such a sweet display that I pretended to be asleep until there was a pause. Then I rubbed my face to inform them of my impending consciousness. Endre fell into silence though Kerani tried to continue speaking with him. She knew that I would not mind, but Endre seemed to believe that I would be offended if he spoke out of turn. It was the situation that he had grown up in. Gyosian servants spoke only when they were asked to and it would always be in direct answers.

Kerani had come straight from Gyose when my father purchased her. She had been “trained” by a slave handler, which meant she was beaten into submission until she had no fight left in her. For the first year, she had flinched whenever I raised my hand or made any sudden movements. Now, she was more like my friend then anything else. Though she still had to give me the proper respect in front of others.

Not speaking the common tongue, she got away with a lot of improper behavior. She had been caught saying things to me that a servant should not, when she had not tested a nobleman or woman to see if they understood her language. My father would always apologize and inform them she would be punished, though she never was.

A sudden knock on the top of the carriage caused both Kerani and me to jump slightly. Endre held back a grin, “We will be arriving at the estate in the next few moments.”

With that he leaned forward and opened the curtains so I could see the estate as we entered. Once we past through the gates it was mostly woods for several minutes. Then the meadow began and I could see the large stables and a lake in the distance. Flower beds lined the road until they reached the large white manor of the Stavros estate. Endre opened the door once the carriage came to a stop, and assisted me out. My eyes wandered over my new four story home and to the servants that had gathered on the front steps.

A woman with white hair and a thin build immediately approached me, “Lady Valora, allow me to welcome you to the Stavros estate. I am the house’s head servant, Leora.” Her smile widened as she looked me over. “My word, you are lovely.”

Her fingers went to my strawberry blonde locks that laid over my shoulders and then she seemed to inspect my hands. In the past years, my father had ordered me to stay inside so I had lost much of my coloring. It was considered unladylike to have a tan. My mother said that I should look like a porcelain doll, and I was very nearly there.

“Thank you, Leora.” I said ignoring her rude inspection.

She grinned, “These are all the house’s servants.” Her hand waved to show off the people standing on the stairs. “I am afraid Lord Blaine left a couple of days ago. The king summoned him to the castle and we do not know when he will return.” She rolled her eyes, “Look at me just rambling. You must be exhausted from your journey. Let me take you to your bedroom.”

I followed behind her and knew that Kerani wasn’t far behind. A couple other servants had grabbed my belongings and were making their way to my room.

“You’ll stay here until after the wedding. Lord Blaine has asked me to arrange all the details, but if you would like to be a part of it, I would gladly step aside, milady.” Leora opened the door and allowed me to step in.

“No, I am sure you will do a wonderful job.” I said looking around the room.

My own bedroom had been larger, but it would be satisfactory. A white silk curtain hung around a large tub in the corner of the room near the fireplace. My bed was on the opposite side of the room with a canopy of the same white silk. A bear skin rug covered the center of the floor and there was a writing desk near the window. The servants went to work putting away my clothing into the wardrobe.

“I do that.” Kerani told them in her heavy Gyose accent.

“You take a nap, milady. I will come for you when lunch is ready.” Leora bowed to me and exited the room with the other servants.

“Do you think Lord Blaine is a hunter?” Kerani asked as she started to unpack my belongings.

I looked down at the bear skin rug, “Someone was or is.” I said as I made my way over to my bed and sat down to watch her work.

“You were ready to meet him, weren’t you? Had your courage gathered and now you have to do it all over again.” Kerani hung up my favorite red dress.

“Yes. I just want to meet him and get this all over with. I hope that after we are wed, he will leave me be for the most part. He may do whatever he pleases and leave me to…”

“Don’t say such things, Valora. You don’t know the circumstances behind the delay. Basing your opinions of a person on rumors is very childish.”

I sighed and pulled off my shoes, “I was meant to marry him four years ago. Interestingly enough, he did not summon me here until after the man who could council our betrothal died. Those are facts.”

She nodded her head as she hung up another dress, “Facts yes, but not whole truths.”

I didn’t want to argue with her any longer and just laid back on my bed. After several deep breathes, I chuckled.

“What do you find so humorous over there?”

“I heard your not-so-subtle act of coquetry with Endre this morning.”

She burst out with laughter, “You little eavesdropper!”

“I was in the very same carriage as you. That hardly counts as eavesdropping.” I playfully defended myself and sat up to see the dark pink blush across her cheeks.

Standing up, she walked over to the bed and gently pushed on my shoulders. To allow her the pleasure of pushing me down, I released the tension in my arms and fell to the bed. “He is handsome, is he not?” She asked and sat down beside me.

“There is no question. Though he is very quiet.”

“It’s a rule that even I was taught. However, I was lucky enough to receive a mistress that didn’t enforce it.”

I frowned. She knew that I despised being called her mistress, even though it was true.

“I apologize.” She sighed and looked at the wall across from her. “I know that it is too early for me to be asking this, but do you think that Lord Blaine allows marriages amongst the slaves?”

I sat up and patted her knee, “I do not know, but if he doesn’t I will try my best to change his mind.”

She smiled and stood back up to finish her task. Kerani had told me that she was taken from her tribe three days before her bonding ritual with her lover. She had wanted to be married and was afraid that now that she was a slave it would never happen to her. I knew that she was slightly jealous of my upcoming marriage, even though I had never met the man before.

Laying my head down, I closed my eyes and allowed myself to fall into a shallow sleep. I wasn’t exceptionally tired, but the week long journey had taken much of my energy.