Dragging herself up off the ground she stood up and closed her eyes. She would not live like this. She couldn’t. Anything would be better than carrying this weight for the rest of her life, and she had nowhere to turn even if she should choose to. She could not return home; she would never marry, never be an acceptable bride to any but the most impoverished commoner.
And she would not stay here, and become a ‘prize’ plaything to the next warrior in line, however honored he might be to have her.
Even the cold embrace of a watery death seemed better than these options, in that moment. Steeling herself against her fear, she stepped into the raging water and began the march toward its depths.
She barely heard the sound of hooves pounding down the hill toward her. With her mind focused on ignoring the pain tearing through her legs from the cold water, she didn’t hear Sedrak dismount and storm to the water’s edge. Only when she heard splashing behind her did she turn around to see his handsome, pained expression as he reached a hand out around her middle and swept her into his arms a moment before the current pulled her in.
She sobbed against his chest. She wanted to beat her fists against it but couldn’t find the strength. Her body went limp, cocooned in his embrace as he mounted his horse and turned it around to ride back up the hill. She looked up into his eyes.
Sedrak glanced down to meet her gaze.
“Let me go,” she whispered, not meaning a single word.
“Never,” Sedrak replied.
Her heart skipped a beat. “What?” she asked.
He maneuvered the horse back onto the road, away from the castle and in the direction the convoy had been traveling. “I have a mind to strip you bare and whip your bottom on the side of the road for doing what you did,” he growled.
“Then do it,” she gasped. The blessed pain would be a welcome respite for her tortured mind.
“In good time,” he threatened. Sedrak urged the horse into a canter. His stare turned steely as he set his jaw. “I am partly to blame for this.”
Leola shook her head, even more confused by what he was talking about.
He looked down again. “You’re mine, Leola. Never let anyone tell you otherwise.”
Her lips parted and her heart soared. “Yes, Master,” she said, warmth blossoming in her at his words.
“No,” he said, shaking his head. “Not like that. I love you, and no threats from my uncle or anyone else will change that.”
The world began to spin and a moment later she felt nothing as she fainted in his arms.
Chapter 14
She woke to the sound of a fire crackling. The air was cold on her face but she was wrapped in something warm. Her eyes fluttered open. Canvas hung on either side of her. Not the expansive walls of Sedrak’s tent but a small soldier’s lean-to. She looked down to see her body wrapped in a great bearskin.
She rose, unfurled the covering, and quickly wrapped it back around her shoulders as she realized she was naked. The sizable fire was warm enough it kept the evening cold at bay. She looked around. Sedrak was nowhere to be seen.
Her mind stretched back. To lunch at Grudin’s castle. To the river’s edge. Her throat went tight as she remembered the last thing she’d heard Sedrak say.
I love you and no threats will change that.
She shook her head. Had it been real? Had she been dreaming? It had felt as real as the river had been freezing.
Footsteps in the darkness startled her. She narrowed her eyes, straining to see who was approaching through the trees. Her heart began to race, worried that it might be someone other than Sedrak. She let out a long sigh as his towering frame stepped into the circle of light cast by the fire.
He set the rabbit he was carrying down next to the fire and walked around it to where she was huddled under the lean-to. He knelt on one knee and pressed his palm against her cheek, staring deep into her eyes. “Feeling better?” he asked.
“Yes, Master,” she whispered, his touch filling her body with warmth.
“I am Sedrak.”
Her lips parted and her eyes went wide. The world around her started to feel hazy again, like she was dreaming. “Yes… Sedrak,” she whispered. She looked around, suddenly puzzled by their surroundings. “What is happening?” she asked.
Sedrak rose, unsheathed the hunting knife hanging on his belt and set to skinning the rabbit. “We camp alone tonight.”
Leola watched him focusing intently on preparing the animal. He looked… troubled. The thought of bringing up what he’d said before she fainted made her blush. What if it had been a dream? What if she was still just a foolish girl? She settled on a better question. “Why?”
Sedrak glanced at her out of the corner of his eye. “I needed time to think. Barval took lead of the men. We will rejoin them in a day or two.”
Leola pondered what he’d said for a while. Her mind wandered back and forth, trying to think of her next question. “I’m… sorry about what happened. I’m sorry about the way I acted at your uncle’s castle,” she said softly.
Having skinned the rabbit, Sedrak speared it on the makeshift spit he’d built and set it above the fire. He stared into the flames, as if the answers to his questions lingered there. He knelt like a statue.
Leola had no idea how much time passed before he turned to look at her and spoke. “It is I who should be apologizing. I should have known better than to bring you there.” He paused. His eyes wandered toward the fire again.
“Grudin has been urging me to forge an alliance for years with the Eastern lands.”
Leola turned her eyes down. More embarrassment flared through her at
