Forced Handfasting (11 page)

“Bertha, this is my Sam,” Jahan announced proudly.

Bertha’s brows had knotted together for a moment before it hit her. “Your Sam, did you go off, and get married?” Bertha’s voice rose in excitement.

Jahan threw his head back and laughed heartily at the woman’s reaction. “Yes, I did!”

“Oh my, this is a cause for a celebration!” Bertha darted off towards the kitchen in a flash.

Sam laughed at the woman’s reaction. “I would say she was surprised with your revelation.”

Jahan led her to a table near the swinging kitchen doors. The restaurant was in between meals, so there wasn’t many customers in the place with the exception of two tables on the opposite side of the restaurant.

Once they were seated Bertha brought out glasses of wine, and two huge bowls of the steaming stew. “Here we are, my lord! I have some fresh bread coming out of the oven in a moment too.” Bertha sat the heavy tray down on the rickety table. She carefully placed the glasses of wine in front of them then handed Sam a bowl of the hot stew. “Be careful, my lady, it is quite hot.” Bertha stood next to Sam with a smile plastered across her face just staring at her. “My word, Lord Jahan, you have chosen a beauty.” Bertha gently touched Sam’s cheek in a motherly gesture.

“I did, didn’t I?”

Sam blushed. Jahan had a habit of making her blush, and this moment was no different.

Bertha scampered off back into the kitchen only to emerge minutes later with a basket full of the promised fresh bread. “Can I get you anything else?”

Jahan looked up at the old woman, “How about that side of Hapsure?”

Bertha’s smile faded quickly as her eyes swept across the table. Her hands flew up to her cheeks when she realized she had forgotten about the side dish. “Oh, please forgive, my lord! In all the excitement, I forgot about the Hapsure.” She turned to dash off, but Jahan reached out to grab Bertha’s hand.

He pulled her worn body towards him until she sat upon his lap. “Bertha, slow down. There is no need to ask forgiveness. I was teasing you.” He placed a kiss on her snarled knuckles.

Bertha looked at him with such pride that it warmed Sam’s heart. “You have always been a good boy, my lord. Forgiving an old woman like me!”

“You are not old!” Jahan protested.

“Pssst…you flatter me!” Bertha smiled down at him then looked to her.

“Lord Jahan ate here more often than he ate at his own home, I fear. His brothers too. I watched them grow up from mischievous boys to fine young men.” She looked back to Jahan. “Your mother and father would be very proud of the man you have become….and of the wife you have chosen.” She quickly kissed Jahan’s cheek then stood up. “Now, let me get back to my work. My lord and the lady need a side of Hapsure!”

Chapter 9

Jahan and Sam finished up their meal while they talked. A few more customers found their way into the out of the way restaurant as they ate. A group of young soldiers came into the place, looked around then took a seat at a long table near the area where the bathrooms were.

“I can’t eat another bite,” Sam announced then leaned back in her chair to rub her stuffed belly.

“I am happy to see that you enjoyed Bertha’s cooking.” Jahan shoved yet another slice of the delicious bread into his mouth.

“Enjoyed! My God, it was some of the best food I have ever eaten, even if I didn’t know what half of it was. I would be in heaven if I could eat her cooking every day,” she said. “I need to use the bathroom before we go.”

Jahan pointed in the direction of the relief rooms. Sam got up quickly to make use of a much-needed bathroom. As she passed the table with the group of soldiers sitting there she overheard one of them make a cruel comment about her.

“There’s that whore Jahan brought home.”

She wasn’t sure if she had heard him right as she let the door to the relief partially close. From where she stood with the door cracked open she listened to the men’s conversation.

“Where’d they say she was from?” one soldier asked.

“I heard it was from Earth.”

“Earth! If all the bitches on Earth look like her, I want one!” The group laughed.

“But where did Jahan get that one? Earth is a hell of a long way from here.”

“My uncle said he supposedly bought her on Iatune. Says she was up on the slave block but he doesn’t believe a word out of his mouth. My uncle thinks he is paying her to be his wife in order to get out of the arranged married he had with Kioto.”

“Maybe she really is a whore then? I’d like to give her try!”

“Wouldn’t we all?” The group roared with laughter.

Sam couldn’t believe her ears. These soldiers of Jahan’s thought she was a whore being paid to play the wife. The group was talking low enough that she had to strain to hear them but what she heard appalled her. She quickly used the bathroom, washed her hands then exited the tiny room.

As she passed the group of men, she couldn’t resist commenting on their behavior. Their conversation abruptly stopped as she walked by then turned back around to face them. “You guys should learn to talk a little bit quieter if I were you. Those nasty little comments you made are going to come bad to haunt you one day.”

She left the men speechless as she walked away. Jahan was waiting patiently for her to return, and instantly picked up on her change in mood.

“What’s wrong, my love?”

She felt nauseous all of a sudden. “I need some air. Please thank Bertha for everything. It truly was wonderful.” She exited the restaurant in a hurry. Not far behind her, Jahan came out of the building, and demanded to know what was wrong. She was near to tears and just wanted to return to their home on the mountain. Men weren’t so different on alien planets after all.

Jahan helped her into the Roamer then got in beside her but refused to go anywhere until she explained herself. She refused to look at him until he forced his hand under her chin, and turned her head to look at him.

“Tell me what is wrong?” His eyes held a bit of anger, and confusion.

She didn’t want to tell him, but he wasn’t going to take no for an answer. “Your soldiers in there…think…think,” she swallowed the burn in her throat, “think I am a whore you are paying to play the part of being your wife.” There it was out, and so were the tears. One tear after the other escaped her eyes to trail down her flushed face.

“What?” Jahan’s anger rose up so quickly it startled her. “Are you sure that is what you heard?”

She snapped her head back in his direction. “Do you think I’m some kind of an idiot? I heard very clearly what they said. Not to mention one of them is the nephew of someone you know.”

Jahan’s teeth clenched. “Who?”

“I don’t know; he didn’t say his uncle’s name. He said something about you having had an arranged marriage with someone named Kioto.” She looked away once again. The sound of the door opening and closing took her by surprise when she saw Jahan get out of the Roamer, and go back inside the restaurant.

The minutes had ticked by before Jahan emerged again, this time accompanied by the men from the table. Jahan was speaking into a device she had never seen him use before. The men lined up along the outside wall of the restaurant and waited for further instructions.

A short time later a large shuttle landed on the opposite side of the building. Niko exited the shuttle along with several more soldiers with guns drawn. She was mortified to see the trouble she caused, and hid her face in her hands. When she looked back up the soldiers lined up against the wall were being escorted into the shuttle followed closely by Niko.

The sound of the shuttle taking off alerted her to the presence of Jahan returning to the Roamer. He didn’t utter a word as he started up the vehicle, and set it in motion. The day was ruined thanks to a bunch of ignorant soldiers who had nothing better to do than make fun of her.

Once they were back home, she rushed out of the Roamer and headed to their rooms. The humiliation was more than she could bear, and she was glad to find that Jahan had not followed her. She needed some time alone to bring herself back together. She shouldn’t have let those men get to her the way they did, but she couldn’t help it. They didn’t know a thing about him and were willing to pass judgment on her based upon someone else’s misinformation.

A bath! A nice long, hot bath would calm her. She entered the bathroom, stripped out of her clothes then stepped into the oval tub. She had sat for just a moment before she reached for the lever that would bring the water to fill the tub. As the tub filled, she leaned her head back on the curve of the tub, and closed her eyes.

Being married, or mated as Jahan called, to the ruler of Uxslore was proving to be more than she could handle. She had let the fairytale getaway from her before she remembered that every fairytale has its evil-doer, and she had just found hers.

******

Jahan was furious beyond belief. How dare his men say such things about his Sam! Not to mention where she could hear them. Each, and every one of them were to suffer the punishments he had instructed Niko to hand out on the men. Once he had heard Sam mention Kioto, he knew immediately who the uncle was she was talking about.

After they had reached their home, he left Sam to her own accord in order to head to the Council building at the base of the mountain. He was not about to let Rahman get away with his insults!

              Before arriving at the building, he called ahead to make sure Rahman was in his office. He was going to set the man straight once, and for all. The man would be lucky if Jahan didn’t shoot him on the spot.

              The door to Rahman’s office was closed, but he could hear talking coming from behind the closed door. He didn’t bother to knock before he threw the door open, and marched in, pointing at his target.

              “So, you think my wife is a whore that I am paying to play a part, do you?” He was up in the old man’s face.

              “If the shoe fits then yes, I do,” Rahman smirked at Jahan. “You had an arranged marriage planned, and decided to break it by marrying another. The whore is from Earth for crying out loud!”

              Rahman didn’t see Jahan’s fist coming towards his face until it was too late. Jahan’s fist connected with his nose with a sickening crack. Blood spurted from his broken nose, spraying both him, and Jahan.

              “You fucking lunatic! You broke my nose!” Rahman screamed as he held a mass of tissues to his nose to halt the blood flow.

              “If I ever hear of you speaking about my wife again I will do more than break your fucking nose! She is my wife whether you like it or not, and nothing will change that fact. I never agreed to your so-called arranged marriage, and I have told this to you numerous times before. If you don’t start to respect me, and my wife, I will have you removed from the council. Do I make myself clear?” Jahan had backed Rahman up against his desk. The older man had to bend backwards in order to try, and put a little room between him and his furious ruler.

              “I hear you loud, and clear, my lord.”

              Jahan whirled on the others in the room. “Let me make it clear to everyone. If I ever hear or find out about your disloyalty again, you will pay a very high price.” Jahan had looked to each of the five men in the room before he exited the same way he had entered.

              As he stormed down the hallway, he could hear the other members of the council asking Rahman if he were alright, and what he wanted them to do. He left the building and headed back to his house. The anger was slowly seeping out of his bones, but the only thing that would calm him would be the feeling of his Sam’s arms wrapped around him.

*******

              “I am fine,” Rahman shouted to the group of men surrounding him. He wiped at his nose as another drop of blood dripped from the break caused by Jahan. He had finally had enough of the foolish imp! “I want all my troops ready to invade. The takeover of Uxslore starts tonight!”

Chapter10

Jahan returned home to find Sam soaking in a large tub in their room. She had left the door open, so she didn’t hear him walk in to find her with her eyes closed. Her face looked puffy from crying, and he could still see the tracks where her tears had run down her face.

He quickly stripped out of his clothes then stepped into the warm water in the tub. His first splash made Sam jump causing him to laugh a little.

“Oh, it’s just you,” she said.

He frowned at her words and wondered if he should have asked before intruding on her privacy. “I’m sorry, my love. I didn’t mean to startle you. I can leave if you would prefer.” He didn’t move any further into the water.

“Don’t you dare leave!” she shouted up at his face as she reached out her hand to take his. “I need you to hold me.”

He let her draw him down into the heated bath. He positioned himself on the opposite side of the tub with his back leaning against the wall. With their hands still clasped together, he pulled her from her side of the tub then turned her until her back pressed up against his chest. He wrapped both his arms around her smaller body and inhaled her scent.

“I am sorry I left you but I needed to take care of the problem that occurred in the restaurant.” One hand gently massaged a breast that was floating in the sudsy water. Sam let out a sigh and leaned her head back until it rested on his shoulder.

“No, I am the one who should apologize. I shouldn’t have let those idiots get to me. There are bound to be people on your planet who aren’t going to like me.” She absentmindedly caressed the arm that was toying with her breast.

“Don’t you ever be ashamed of who you are, my Sam. I demand respect from my people when it comes to you. I will not let them disrespect you in any manner.” He nuzzled her ear which caused her skin to raise in small little bumps. “I can think of a number of things that will take your mind off what happened,” he whispered in her ear right before he suck the lobe into his hot, moist mouth.

The moan Samantha let out was all the encouragement he needed to proceed. While his mouth paid close attention to her ear, and neck, his hands sought out her mounds. He pushed the wet globes together then pinched the pink nipples until they were puckered, and hard. Sam arched her back to push her breasts further into his hands as they molded her sensitive skin.

Sam raise one arm up to loop around his head to draw his mouth down to hers. Her lips feverishly latched onto his. Her tongue ran along his close lips until he opened them up enough for her to slip her tongue into his mouth. He could tell that she needed to be in charge of their love making. She needed to be the one to set the pace while he obeyed her every demand. One of his hands moved from her breast to travel down her slick belly to find the neatly trimmed triangle of curls that hid her sex. He liked to run his fingers through the coarse hairs before he slid a finger between her folds to find the button that gave her so much pleasure.

When he found what he was looking for, she ripped her mouth away from his in a surprised gasp. He wasn’t about to let her squirm away from his touch, so he used his other hand to bring her mouth back to his. He devoured her taste while the fingers on his busy hand played with her clit by rubbing tiny little circles around it. He smiled when Sam spread her thighs apart to give him more access to her pussy. His fingers dipped lower to find her hole that he found moist with, not the water in the tub, but her juices.

“Oh yes, Jahan, more. Give me more,” she begged as she lifted her hips, sloshing the water in the tub.

“Not so fast my little one.” He rubbed two fingers up and down her slit a couple of times before he plunged them into her hot core. Sam bucked her hips to get him to go in deeper then relaxed when he withdrew. “You are always so ready for me. I could sit here, and do this all night,” he teased her. He pumped his fingers in and out of her until he could feel she was ready to climax around them.

Without giving her any warning, he withdrew his fingers completely which elicited a moan of displeasure from her. But she was quickly satisfied again when he lifted her up slightly to replace his fingers with his cock. Sam arched her back in order for his cock to slip into her pussy, filling her instantly. They both stopped moving to take in the feeling of being joined together.

“Gods, Sam, with you wrapped around my cock like this I am about to explode before I even move.” He felt her chuckled right before she raised up off his cock then slammed herself back down. She repeated the motion time and time again. The muscles in her pussy clenched around his cock until he was ready to spill his seed. Sam hastened her pace at the exact moment he came. Together they shouted out their release as the ripples of pure ecstasy encompassed both of them. Sam flopped back against him after the last of her pleasure left her body.

As soon as they recovered enough, Jahan washed both of them then lifted Sam out of the tub to dry her. When they were both dry, he carried her to their bed and slipped her under the covers. Darkness was closing in fast outside before he turned off all the lights, and climbed in the bed beside her. He pulled her over to him until her head rested on his chest. Her fingers drew small circles around his nipples as she drifted off to sleep in his arms.

He drew in a deep, satisfying breath as he held his wife. He would never let anyone hurt her ever again. The issue with the soldiers and Rahman was not over. The elder councilman had gone too far this time and needed to be dealt with accordingly. He would call for a vote to have Rahman removed from the council, and replaced with a man more trustworthy. For tonight though, he just wanted to go to sleep holding his fragile wife, and wash away the sad turn of events of the day.

Jahan was jarred awake by something that sounded like an explosion. He thought he had been dreaming until another explosion shook the mountain.

“What was that?” Sam asked groggily as she sat up in the bed.

It was still night outside, but something was definitely wrong. He could smell smoke in the air that drifted into their room from outside. He jumped out of the bed and ran outside. To his horror he witnessed another explosion shortly after a fighter let go of a bomb that had been strapped to the belly of the craft. It landed in one of the fields that supplied food to the people on the mountain.

“What the fuck is going on?” he shouted. He raced back inside to get dressed when suddenly there was a pounding on the door.

“Jahan! Jahan! Open the damn door!”

It was Niko shouting to be let in the room. His incessant pounding continued until he unlocked the door. “What is happening?”

“We are under attack!” Niko raced through the room to look out the window at the devastation occurring as they spoke.

“Who the hell is attacking us?” Jahan yelled as he raced to find Sam.

“I don’t know. No one has laid claim to the attack yet. As far as I can tell, some of the ships being used are our very own!”

Jahan skidded to a halt. “What the fuck are you saying, Niko?” He had a sinking feeling that he wasn’t going to like what his friend was about to tell him.

“I’m telling you that your ships are being used to attack us.”

“What’s happening,” Sam asked as she came out of their bedroom fully dressed now. Another explosion occurred with a bright flash right outside the window the trio was standing next. A rumble of thunder had echoed in the room right before the concussion waves blew out the window.

Jahan instinctively covered Sam with his body then dropped to the floor with her. Niko did the same thing, but not before shards of glass succeeded in cutting his face.

“Jahan!” Sam screamed.

He could feel her shaking, and hear the terror in her voice. He had managed to protect her from the worst of the flying glass but had to pull out the large shards that landed in her hair.

“It’s going to be okay, Sam, but we need to get out of here now!” Jahan stood back up and tugged Sam to her feet. Niko was slow to regain his footing but soon followed as the trio raced out of the room, and down the stairs.

The ground floor of his home was in utter chaos. Most of the windows had been blown out along with several large chunks of the stone walls. Harro came stumbling out of the kitchen with a bloody face, and confused look.

“My lord?” The older man staggered then fell to his knees.

Niko reached the longtime servant first and gently lowered him to the tile floor. Jahan knelt beside Harro to try to comfort the injured man but by the looks of the injury he had sustained he wasn’t going to survive.

“You’re okay, Harro. It’s just a scratch.” Niko pressed his hand to the area of the head where Harro was bleeding from profusely.

Harro miraculously smiled a Niko and patted his hand. “Ah, my boy, there is no need to lie for my sake. I can feel the life slipping from me.”

Sam choked back a cry as she knelt beside the man she had come to know. She took his cold hand in her own and held on to it until the life faded out of him. Tears shimmered in her tears when she looked to Jahan.

“He’s gone, my love. There’s nothing more we can do for him.” Jahan and Niko gently laid the man down on the floor then covered him with a curtain that had fallen free from its position over the window when it was blown out. “Come, we need to get to the shelter.”

They made their way down the hallway that led to the kitchen. The kitchen itself was a disaster area with pots and pans thrown askew about the room. A small hole in the wall over the fireplace let out the smoke that was smoldering from the debris that had fallen down the chimney chute, and the cabinet doors were either hanging from one hinge or were completely blown off. Niko was leading them through the dark kitchen to the secret door that would lead them into the safety of the bunker his great-grandfather had built as a precaution when the house on the mountain had first been built. Not many knew of the secret hideaway, which was a good thing considering who was attacking them.

Jahan took hold of Sam’s hand to help her down the narrow, gloomy staircase that took them into the bowels of the mountain.

“Where are we going?” Sam asked as she rushed to keep up with him.

After several minutes of descending they finally reached the end of the stairs. Niko pushed open the metal door to reveal the inside of the command center for Uxslore.

“This is the command center. My great-grandfather had it constructed at the same time the house was built. My father had added the most modern equipment before he implemented the council. Thankfully he never informed the committee of its existence or we would be in a world of hurt right about now.” Jahan spoke to her as they made their way through the consoles, and desks that littered the surrounding area. A few other men had already arrived, and were already in the process of trying to figure out what the hell was going on, and who was the cause of it all.

Jahan sat Sam down in an over-sized captain’s chair near his own. He didn’t want her far away from him for the time being until he could decide if would be safe enough to bring her to the room set aside for him as sleeping quarters.

“Lord Jahan, I am glad to see you made it to the shelter. We are awaiting your orders.”

Jahan’s captain of the guard appeared over the console nearest to his own. Captain Tully had been in charge of his troops soon after he took over the rule after his father passed away. Tully had grown up with him and Niko, and was one of his most trusted men.

“Is there any news of my brothers’ whereabouts?” After getting Sam safely to the shelter, his thoughts had turned to that of his younger brothers and their families.

“Nothing yet, my lord.” Tully’s fingers typed away on the keyboard faster than Jahan could watch.

“Have any reports come in yet? Who the hell is responsible for this mayhem?” He paced back and forth in front of the console where Tully sat.

“Nothing on that yet either, my lord. I sent several men out to scout out where the fighters are coming from. Hopefully, we’ll know something soon.”

“Jahan?”

Sam’s voice called to him as he walked about the room. He looked over to her and saw the look on her face. The poor thing was scared to death, and had no idea what was going on. He strode over to her and wrapped her in his arms. She was still trembling while her tears flowed more freely now down her face.

“Jahan, are we…are we going to…to die?” she asked.

“No! Don’t think like that, little one. I will never allow any harm to come to you.” He leaned back and placed a kiss on her forehead.

“My lord!” Tully shouted to get his attention.

“I’ll be right over there,” he said then kissed her lips quickly.

Tully handed him a printout with one sentence typed on it.

Turn the vidscreen to channel 678

“Do it!” He waited for Tully to bring up the video screen, and tune into the station indicated. Nothing but fuzz and static came through at first until an image began to take form. As the image became clearer and clearer, Jahan saw who was responsible for the attack on his home, and his planet.

Through the fuzz, Councilman Rahman’s image appeared. “Ah, Jahan, I see you got my little note! As you know by now, I have moved against you to gain control of Uxslore. You are no longer fit to have control of this planet, and I took the steps to remove you, and your family from the ruling class. Your removal should have been done a long time ago, but I waited until I had an easier target to take down.”