Chapter 9

“Get up,” he said in a demanding voice.

Pagan rose up slowly to her hands and knees. She took a deep breath and paused for a moment to let her lungs fill with air. Tristan was working her rather hard, and she was starting to feel it in a very physical way. The last energy ball he threw at her came a little too close to hitting her, and rather than deflecting it like he wanted her to, she hit the ground to get out of the way. It was a quick response on her part. He didn’t seem to be pleased at her doing so.

“Now, Pagan. Don’t hesitate, get up,” Tristan commanded.

What the hell had gotten into him? He went from being the loving, comforting man of last night to becoming a clone of Draken on his worst day. Her mind was wrought with confusion at his attitude toward her, and he was hell bent on running her down to the ground. Why?

Slowly she stood to face him, straightened her bow and quiver that was strapped to her back, and readied her stance for another attack. She had thought Apollo was a hard teacher, but Tristan had the deity beat by a long shot. Why the hell was he so adamant on her creating energy balls? She caught a glimpse of Brailey in the corner of her eye. Tristan had insisted he join them for this little exercise, as he called it, and Brailey had the same determined expression on his face as Tristan. They were ganging up on her and he gave her no real explanation for his actions.

Brailey came to stand behind her and took a rather defensive stance, as if he were guarding her back against an unseen enemy hidden by the dense woods surrounding them. His head turned from side to side and his hand gripped the hilt of his sword tightly. He was ready. For what she didn’t know. All she knew at the moment was she was being grilled as if her life depended on this training.

“Pay no attention to Brailey. Concentrate on me,” Tristan said as he brought her attention back to him.

Damn their mind connection. He was reading her thoughts. No wonder he was able to strike at her so unexpectedly. He knew exactly when to catch her off guard. He wasn’t playing fair. She was too tired to try to block him out and he was taking advantage of her weariness. But why? Why now? Why didn’t he start this when those dark souls attacked them a few weeks ago?

“Remember to use the energy around you to your advantage. Mold it into a shield by pulling it up into your body and letting it flow out of your arm, as you raise it to deflect the oncoming energy,” he instructed her.

Mold it, he said, like she was capable of doing such a thing in an instant.

“I’m trying, Tristan, it isn’t easy for me. The energy here is too complex for me to tap into.”

“You can do this, Pagan. I need you to be able to defend yourself.”

“Against what? There hasn’t been any more of those things since we left the clearing. There is no reason to think they were after me.”

“Pagan, stop arguing with me and just do as I ask!” He said with a hint of frustration in his voice.

Boy, he was in a bad mood, and he was taking it out on her. She knew she needed to learn how to manipulate the energy here, but at this pace? He seemed to be going from step 1 straight to step 10! There was no way she would be able to learn this in just one day. The energy here was too refined and took a lot of concentration just to tap into it. The more she tried the more it seemed to drain her.

She gathered her strength and began pulling up the energy from the ground into her legs. It barely made it up to her knees before he threw a ball at her. She had to take a step to her side to keep from getting hit. The ball went flying past her and dispersed against a tree creating a spark of energy as it made contact with the bark.

Well, at least she managed to get it to her knees instead of her ankles like last time, she thought. That was progress.

“Faster, Pagan.”

“I thought you wanted me to learn to create energy balls, not deflect them?” She asked rather annoyed.

“They go hand in hand. Self-defense is essential to developing your mental abilities. I know you can create energy balls and throw them. I’d seen you do it in your dreams of Earth, but I never once saw you deflect one. Defense is just as important as offense.”

“My dreams? What dreams?” She asked.

“The first night you came here you had dreams. Now, try again and this time focus your mind on what you are trying to create.”

Tristan started pacing and she watched, as he never took his eyes away from her. She tried to read his mind and she came up empty. He had put up a wall to keep her out. That wasn’t fair for him to do. He invaded her mind but wanted her out of his. She was getting angry with him and wanted nothing more than to knock him on his ass for his arrogance. How dare he have this attitude with her as if he were superior to her and she only a mere novice at this.

Do it, Pagan, attack him, and catch him off guard. He is expecting you to defend yourself, not launch an attack. Think of him as your enemy and show him you can do this. One good shot is all you need. Just throw one, no more than one.

It was Brailey’s voice that was guiding her. Brailey was right, this whole training exercise was one sided with her doing what Tristan wanted her to do. If she truly were under attack, she would be making her own decisions and act on instinct.

She began to pace as well, and she noticed the change in his expression in her doing so. With each step she took, a surge of power filled her body, her anger toward him was mounting and it was manifesting in a psychic way. That was how she was able to throw the energy balls that day in the kitchen. She was furious with him over the betrothal contract and her rage exploded in an outburst of pure white energy.

Pagan, what are you doing? Stand still and pull up the energy for a shield.

She ignored Tristan as he spoke to her in her mind.

Pagan. Tristan called to her.

She matched him step to step, as they started circling each other.

Stand still. You are not ready to create a shield while in motion.

That’s what he thought. She had no intention of putting up a shield. She was going to strike him so fast that he would lose his footing and fall on his ass like he had her doing. All she needed was to find the right time to strike.

Something caught her attention behind him, a movement ever so subtle, but was there. She raised her left arm and flung an energy ball at him and immediately flung another from her right. He ducked and raised his right arm to deflect the second one, as he threw one to her from his left. She responded by taking one quick step to get out of the way while she used both hands to throw more in his direction. He spun around, as he ducked, and she nipped his side before he was able to raise his hand to deflect her attack.

The leaves of the bush swayed, and she automatically reached behind her, pulled an arrow from her quiver and launched it in the direction of the movement directly behind Tristan. Tristan fell back on his heels, as his eyes flew open wide at the arrow that went over his head, and he fell to the ground. Pagan just stood there and slowly lowered her bow while she kept the stance Apollo had taught her to prepare to shoot again.

Brailey ran to Tristan to help him stand and they both looked, as a man fell to the ground from the tall bush, holding a knife with Pagan’s arrow embedded between his eyes.

Tristan pulled the knife out of the dead man’s hand and looked back at Pagan in astonishment. “How did you know he was there?”

She walked over to Tristan and stood beside him to check the wound she had given him. He stopped her roaming hands on his side, and she looked over to the dead man. “It was something in the air, I sensed it, I saw the movement and just knew he was there to harm you, so I reacted.”

Brailey struggled to get the arrow out of the man’s head. “Damn girl, where did you learn to shoot like that? This thing is in there deep.” He pulled it out and she held out her hand.

“I want it back,” she said.

Brailey handed it to her, and she wiped it across the dead man’s shirt to clean it before she returned the arrow to her quiver.

“We had better take you home. No telling how many more are out there.” Tristan took her by her arm and started to pull her away from where they were standing.

“Are you angry with me?” She asked.

“Hell, yes, I’m angry. You purposely disobeyed me and had me distracted by your little show of power that I had to defend myself from you instead of protecting you from him. He could have killed you, Pagan.”

She pulled back and wrestled free from his hold. He turned on her with rage in his eyes, as he reached for her arm once again.

“You knew he was there?” She asked.

“Yes, I knew, and I was about to strike at him when you started flinging your anger toward me in the form of energy balls. I will not lose you, Pagan, not now, not ever! And I expect you to listen to me when I am trying to teach you to defend yourself. I’m leaving in two days, and I won’t be here to defend you. You need to prepare for my absence. Brailey will guard you, but I want you to be prepared for anything.”

“He wasn’t after me; he was after you!” She snapped back at him.

Tristan forcefully pulled her into his body and wrapped his arms around her. She struggled against the hold he had on her and she dropped her bow in the process. He whirled her around and leaned over her to hold her still, using his weight to subdue her and she stilled, giving into him. It was useless to fight him. He was determined to maintain his control over her. The more she had tried to free herself the tighter his hold became. Giving in to him was her best option at the moment so she did.

“Listen to me, Pagan, I love you and I’ll be damned if I’m going to let you be completely defenseless. Yes, you are excellent with your bow, but you need more practice. It was instinct that guided you, but you would not have been able to defend yourself against the other men who were also hiding in the woods. They were there, I don’t know how many, but they were there. You were and still are their target. That’s why you need to be able to deflect as well as throw energy and use your bow.”

He twirled her around and before she knew it, he flung her over his shoulder and walked in the direction of the ruling houses. He hit her bottom hard and she yelled.

“What the hell was that for?” She asked rather annoyed at him taking the liberty of doing such a thing. How dare he slap her bottom like that.

“For bruising my side,” he responded.

Brailey picked up her bow and the arrows that fell out of her quiver due the upside down angle it was in. He followed close behind them.

“Put me down, Tristan! This is outrageous! I can walk!”

He slapped her bottom again.

“Stop that! You have no right to hit me like that!”

“Actually, I have every right!” He slapped her again.

“Ouch! That hurt!”

“That was only the beginning!”

Tristan stormed into her grandparents’ house and bolted up the stairs with Brailey following close behind. He turned to face Brailey and said, “Brailey, Draken needs to know what happened and send a team out to find the others. There had to be at least three more.”

“Right away,” Brailey said.

Tristan took her bow and arrows from Brailey and continued up the stairs. Once he had reached her room, he kicked open the door, stepped inside, and kicked it shut again. He quickly made his way to her bed and flung her into the center. He went back to the door and bolted it. He whirled to face her and placed his hands on his hips, and his legs were spread apart, giving her the impression he was seething with anger.

It frightened her to see him this way, but she refused to let him see that. She wanted to stand her ground and defend her actions. She didn’t deserve this kind of treatment from him. Betrothal contract or not, he should not be treating her this way. She deserved more respect from him than this.

Pagan climbed out of the bed, pulled her quiver strap over her head and placed it by the wall. She walked over to him and yanked her bow and arrows out of his clenched fist and placed it next to her quiver. She wasn’t about to let him have the last word, so she walked to stand inches in front of him, and she, too, placed her hands on her hips.

“Say what you have to say to me, then leave,” she said in a strained voice.

“Oh, no, young lady, you are not getting off that easy. Your defiance in the woods warrants consequences and I intend to make sure you understand exactly why I am angry with you.”

He took a step closer to intimidate her and she held her ground, raising her head to look into his eyes, as he towered over her.

“My defiance, as you call it, saved your ass out there and I don’t see where I did anything wrong. I caught you off guard with my attack to show you I am capable of defending myself.”

“That’s not the point, Pagan. Your life was in danger, and you distracted me.”

He cupped his hands around her face with a firm grip, but not as restraining as she thought it could have been. He was actually holding back and trying not to hurt her.

“Your life is in danger, and it is my responsibility to make sure you are safe and stay alive. Do you know why I took you out to the woods today? To continue your training that Apollo had started, He is in the process of hunting down more of those souls that came after you the other day. They were after you and apparently they still are.”

“How do you know this?” She shot back at him.

“Let’s just say my Maker and your Apollo have the same goal in mind, and that is to keep you alive. And I have been put in charge of keeping you alive in Apollo’s absence.”

She turned to move away from him, and he stopped her by placing his hands on her shoulders to hold her in place.

“Think about it, Pagan. You’re a smart girl. Make the connection. I think you know already, don’t you?”

“Know what? That your Maker and Zeus are one in the same?”

“That’s right, Pagan. It’s rather simple if you think about it. You were to be Apollo’s Oracle and my Maker told me He guided you here to me so that I can protect you. So, you see, you are mine no matter how you look at it and I could have lost you today by your actions.”

He turned her to face him, and she still saw the rage in his eyes. He was beyond mad at her for what she had done, and she began to wonder what he was going to do. He still kept his mind blocked from her, and she had a sudden urge to be free of him.

She had never seen him this way; he was asserting his ownership of her with his words and with his steely stare. She couldn’t allow that to happen, she wanted to remain as independent as she possibly could in this strange world, and she had to stand her ground with Tristan to let him know she wasn’t a possession. She belonged to no one.

“Stop saying that I am yours, you don’t own me no matter what your law states. I never agreed to marry you and I demand you show the respect I deserve! I agreed not to run from you only because of my duty to Apollo, and our marriage may be deemed necessary by Zeus, but I need to hear it from Him before I’ll ever consider giving you an answer!”

“Pagan, stop with this nonsense! You and I both know there is no other option!” He released her and began pacing the floor. “Has it ever occurred to you that I want to marry you because I love you?”

“Your love came after you were ordered to sign a contract on me.”

“Damn it, woman!”

He reached for her, and she shoved his arm out of the way.

That was more than he was willing to put up with, and she backed away from him, as he slowly advanced toward her. Her back hit the wall. She was trapped and he took advantage of the situation by crushing her body against his. He took her hand and placed it on his bulging manhood and squeezed her palm against his massive need for her. She had never touched that part of a man before and she felt his thick hardness through the fabric of his breeches.

“Feel that, Pagan. That is what you do to me every time I am near you,” he hissed in her ear. “My love for you fuels my desire for you and this started the very first day I found you. So, don’t tell me when I fell in love with you when you have no idea what you are talking about.”

He rubbed her palm firmly against him and she was suddenly overcome with a desire for him to stroke her in her most intimate area. She flushed, as the heat surged through her body, and she began to caress his manhood on her own without his guidance.

He moaned at her boldness, and he did nothing to stop her.

“I want nothing more than to lay you on your back on that bed and thrust my love for you deep inside of you,” he said through his gritted teeth.

“Then do it,” she demanded.

Her forwardness had an effect on him, and he picked her up and threw her on the bed. He climbed on top of her, seizing her lips with a demanding kiss that caused her to writhe beneath him. He pressed his hips into hers, rubbing his enlarged shaft against the softness of her lavender gown. She gasped when his kiss deepened, sending his tongue deep into her mouth, teasing her, arousing her, and she clutched his shoulders, trying to draw him nearer. She wanted him. He was giving her what her body was craving, and she didn’t want him to stop.

He moved his hands down her sides and gathered the fabric of her gown in his fists, never letting his lips leave hers. He yanked it up to her thighs and he lifted off her a bit to pull it up to her waist. He lowered and positioned himself between her legs, moving his hips in a circular motion upon her exposed skin.

Pagan was in need of the release that swelled in her womb. She craved his touch upon her skin, and she lost control of her common sense, as he thrust his tongue deeper in her mouth, and she moaned, wrapping her legs around him, wanting to keep him there.

He responded instantly by releasing her lips and lowering his head to kiss her neck before he captured the swell of her breast that had been exposed from her neckline. She arched her back at the intensity of the pressure of his lips upon her delicate skin and hissed when she felt his teeth nip her.

Without warning, Tristan pulled away from her and sat on his heels. She reached for him, and he grabbed her hand, lacing his fingers with hers. He stared at her exposed sex between her thighs and licked his lips, as if he were contemplating his next move.

“No, I can’t do this. It goes against what I believe,” he said as he lowered her gown to cover her exposed delicate area.

She scoffed at his words. His beliefs, how dare he make such a comment to her? She was the one that had to compromise, not he.

“What you believe? You are unwilling to go against your traditions, yet you expect me to go against mine? How dare you!”

She moved to place her back against the headboard, hugging her arms over her chest.

“You have no right to act all holier than thou about my virginity. You never once asked me my feelings about any of this! You are a hypocrite, all of you men here are! My virginity is mine to give to the man I love, that is my belief! I wanted to save that special moment for my wedding night and my husband be the only man to ever see me naked or touch me! And you just expect me to have intercourse with a stranger before I have sex with you, give up my self-respect so that you can keep your traditions? This whole rite of passage goes against everything I have been taught, but no, you insist another man touch me before you touch me! I don’t want another man to touch me, I want…”

“What? Tell me, Pagan, what do you want?”

“I want the man I love to be the only man to ever be inside me.”

He said nothing in response. He stared at her with a look of pride on his face, the arrogance of the man to actually feel proud that he had humiliated her with his false sense of chivalry. Well, if he wanted to hold back, then let him, she thought. She planned on torturing him to the point he would show his true colors. He was a man, and all men had a breaking point when it came to sex. She was going to find out how far she could go before he sated his lust between her legs. She didn’t want to marry against her will, but she did love him, and she wanted him to take her virginity before a masked man had the opportunity. She just didn’t want to admit that to him.

Pagan disrobed and crawled over to him.

“Pagan, don’t do this,” he said in a warning tone of voice.

“Do what, Tristan? I thought you wanted me? Well, here I am. You claim I belong to you. Take me. Be a man and take your woman.”

“No.” He started to move off the bed.

She grabbed his hand and placed in on her breast.

“Damn it, Pagan, no!” He jerked his hand away. “I will not compromise my beliefs or yours.”

“Oh, now you want to take my values into consideration? Why the change of heart?”

He backed away from her and rose from the bed. He walked over to her wardrobe, opened it, and pulled out a green gown and threw it at her.

“Put this on, now,” he demanded.

She tossed the gown onto the floor. “No.”

Tristan took wide strides and retrieved the gown. He went to her and pulled the neckline over her head. She fought him, but in the end, he had won, and her body was covered. She reluctantly placed her arms in the sleeves and rose out of the bed to straighten out the long skirt.

“This isn’t over, Tristan,” she said.

“You’re damn right it’s not over, but this conversation is going to have to wait.”

He turned on his heels to leave.

“Where are you going?”

He slowly faced her before he spoke in a strangely even tone, “I am going to do something about my current state of arousal without you present.”

“How dare you do such a thing? You told me you were not going to have sex with another woman because you were going to wait for me! If you lay one hand on Delia, I will never let you touch me!”

Pagan ran to him and swung her hand to hit his cheek. He caught her hand before it made contact with his face, and he forced it back to her side. “Your jealousy is getting the better of you, princess, I have no intention of seeking out Delia, or any other woman, for that matter. I gave you my word and I intend to keep it.”

Tristan stormed out of her room, leaving her to stew in her heated fury. He had given her his word to stay away from other women but apparently her jealous streak emerged and accused him of wanting to do what he thought was an act that was out of the question. He was not going to go back on his promise to her. He knew it but apparently she didn’t believe him. Their whole situation had raised a tension between them that exploded in a sexual desire for both of them.

He raced down the stairs, and he was determined to get to his destination. He needed to get her out of his system before he attempted to reason with her, and he knew just where to go, the waterfall at the lake in the east part of the woods.

***

The water was cool, and he welcomed the spray of the waterfall against his skin. A cold shower was what he needed or so he thought, and even as the droplets rolled down his body, his erection was still present. He was going to have to stand under the waterfall for an hour at this rate to get his lust under control. Pagan had gotten to him, and he almost went against the Maker’s word and claimed Pagan as his in a sexual way. He wanted her and she apparently wanted him. Her actions were evidence of that. He closed his eyes for a moment.

The image of her lying back on the bed filled his mind. Her legs were spread to the point he could see her wetness glistening at her tiny opening, begging him to taste her. He licked his lips at the thought of doing so.

“Damn it!”

“Is something wrong, Tristan?”

Tristan turned to see Delia standing at the edge of the lake. He cursed beneath his breath. Great, he thought. The last thing he needed to have was a confrontation with the one woman that stirred Pagan’s jealousy. Why was she here? Had she been following him? He needed to get rid of her.

“Delia, you shouldn’t be out here alone. It is too dangerous.” He turned his back to her. He didn’t want her to see his current state of arousal.

“Oh, I’m not alone. I am with you.”

He heard a splash of water, and within a minute, Delia was climbing to stand on the same rock formation as he. She had taken off her clothes and was brushing her naked body against his arm. How dare she do such a thing. He always thought of her as being the flirty type, but this was going a bit too far. He moved slightly to be out of her reach. He hoped she would take the hint that he didn’t want her here.

“Delia, I know you are aware that I am betrothed to Pagan,” he said to make his non availability status clear to her.

“Oh, I know, but I also know that she isn’t old enough to please you.” She ducked her head under the waterfall to wet her dark red hair. “And I am.”

“Delia, I’m not in the best of moods right now,” he said in an agitated voice.

She moved to stand in front of him to allow the water of the waterfall to ripple down her chest.

“Judging by your erection, I’d say your mood is in need of attention.”

She reached for his hand.

“You are a man, Tristan, and men have needs. It’s not right that you have to wait for sexual pleasure because your intended is too young. In fact, no one would blame you for seeking comfort in the arms of a woman who is capable of pleasing you by law.”

She placed his hand between her legs and rubbed his fingers in her wetness that was gathered at her opening.

“No one would have to know; it would be our little secret.”

She moved her hips in a way that caused his finger to slip inside her opening.

“Our own little private affair.”

Tristan pulled his hand away and she grabbed it and brought it up to her mouth and sucked her wetness off his fingers.

“No, Delia.” Tristan said with conviction.

He forcefully removed his hand from hers and she laughed while she placed her other hand on his chest, caressing his wet skin with her fingers.

“Oh, come now, Tristan, you are aroused at the moment, admit it.”

“My current state of arousal was present long before you arrived.”

“Let me help you out, Tristan,” she said as she lowered her hand and gripped his enlarged shaft in a firm hold before she began stroking his length and cupped his testicles with her other.

Tristan violently grabbed her wrists and pulled her hands off his body.

“I said, NO!”

He held her arms stretched out from her sides. The nerve of the woman to continue to touch him after he had told her no, she knew he was betrothed to Pagan, and yet she still tried to seduce him. Had she no self-respect?

Self-respect, those were Pagan’s words she used to describe her feelings about her virginity. Her moral standards were different from those here in Aradia and she was being forced to throw her ideals out the window to accommodate his.

Pagan would never dare show her nakedness in the open for all to see, and she certainly would never seduce a man that belonged to another woman. He did feel a surge of pride when she told him she was saving her virginity for her wedding night, and she wanted the man she loved to claim that virginity.

He was that man, he realized. That was why she offered herself to him, so that he would be the first man inside her before a stranger performed her rite of passage. Damn his misplaced pride. She was willing to sacrifice her ideals of waiting till after she was married to have sex so that he would be her first.

Tristan looked at the woman standing before him. Delia was a beauty with her dark red hair and light green eyes. Her breasts were large and hung from their heaviness to give way to a slender waist followed by her curvy hips. She was flaunting her body to get what she wanted, and he wasn’t about to give into her. She had been chasing him for years and he had been flattered by her efforts till her rite of passage last year.

He even entertained the idea of taking a betrothal contract on her till she began a sexual escapade of exploring her newfound sexuality with every man, who looked her way. She was free to do so by law, and Draken had cautioned him about taking a wanton woman as a wife. So, he placed the idea on hold and as soon as he stopped calling on her, she began flirting with him and ignored all the other men.

“Tristan, are you going to hold my hands forever, or are you going to free them so I can finish what we started?” She asked in a coy tone of voice.

He tightened his grip on her wrists. “We have started nothing. Let me make myself clear, Delia, I am no longer available. I have made my choice for a wife, and you are not it. I have every intention of fulfilling my contract with Pagan and I will not sate my lust for her between your legs.”

“A bit touchy, are we? I was only offering you an outlet for your sexual release since she isn’t allowed to, unless… she has already broken our law and allowed you to…”

“Stop right there! Pagan is still a virgin and I resent the fact that you would even suggest she would break the law.”

“Oh, Tristan, I mean no harm, it’s just that she doesn’t know our law and, well, who knows what the practice is on Earth. I mean, I like Pagan and I would hate to see her sent to a brothel for her punishment because she didn’t wait till her rite of passage.” She moved to stand close to him.

“You are also insinuating that my moral integrity is less than desirable, that I would take her virginity against our law.”

“Oh, no, Tristan, that’s not what I am saying at all, you misunderstood my words. I’m merely suggesting that she might not have as high morals as we do here, that’s all, besides, how do you know she is a virgin?” She asked as she leaned into him and kissed his chest.

“I have her word. That’s all I need.” He shoved her away from him.

“Tristan!” Charles called to him.

Tristan saw Charles and his brother Adam standing on the lake’s edge. Both men were looking at Delia as if she was the enemy, and at the moment she was.

“Can’t it wait, Charles? Lord Tristan and I were sharing a private moment,” Delia said.

“Charles, Adam, take heed to my words and be my witnesses in this matter. I have not made any sexual advance toward Lady Delia, nor do I ever intend to. I am, as of this moment, taking a vow of abstinence till after the rite of passage on Mayday Eve. If this lady here turns up pregnant and she claims the babe is mine before the council, she will be making a false statement.”

Well, he nipped her plans in the bud. The look on her face was one of rage and she forcefully freed her wrists from his grasp and covered her exposed breasts. That was her plan, he had realized, to seduce him and spread her legs for his lust to be spent and get his babe in her womb. If she were to be pregnant with his child, that would make his contract for Pagan invalid and he would have to marry Delia for the babe’s sake. She was the one with low morals, not Pagan, and Delia would do anything to discredit Pagan.

“Adam, please escort the Lady Delia back to her home,” he commanded.

“Yes, Lord Tristan, right away.”

Tristan bent down and lowered into the water, swimming his way to the edge of the lake. He left her standing on the ledge on purpose. He had lost all respect for her for what she just tried to do, and he knew she wasn’t about to let this matter go. Her remark about Pagan facing punishment hit home with him.

He had almost given into Pagan earlier, and if anyone had found out about it, she would have been sentenced to serve as a prostitute for ten years for breaking the law. He wasn’t about to give Delia the satisfaction of discrediting Pagan, that’s why he took his vow of abstinence before his fellow council members.

Now he had to make sure no one else questioned his time with Pagan, even though he had a legal right to sleep in her bed. He was going to have to stop sleeping with her at night and put a guard on her to make sure no rumors started about her having sex with anyone else. She had to remain a visible virgin and the best person for the job was his little sister, Betha.

Tristan walked out of the lake and didn’t turn to look at Delia, as she followed close behind. He picked up his clothes and started walking into the woods with Charles at his side.

“I never thought she would have gone that far, Tristan. I came here to warn you about her. She has been bragging to her maid about her plans and apparently she beat me to you,” Charles said.

Tristan stopped to pull his breeches up his wet legs. It was a chore to get them up, but he managed. “Don’t tell me you thought I would fall for that?”

“No, quite the opposite, but I thought you had a right to know.”

“How did you find out?” Tristan put on his tunic.

“Her maid is my personal maid’s sister and she told me.”

“You have a loyal maid, Charles. So, what exactly were her plans? I have my suspicions, but I’d like to have them verified.”

“To conceive your babe and cry foul play.”

“That’s what I thought.” He sat on a log and pulled on his boots.

“Is that the only reason you came?”

“No, General Braxton combed the woods where you were attacked and found three other men hiding. You were right, Tristan, they were after Pagan and are planning another attempt of controlling the council.”

Tristan cursed beneath his breath, as he rose to stand. He knew it was coming, Zeus had told him so, but he thought he had three days till anything happened. Apparently the rebels had stepped up their plans.

“We need to prepare for anything, and I am going to speak to Draken about keeping our women safe. We don’t want a repeat of their last attempt.”

“Draken has already issued orders for the women of the ruling families to be kept under guard. I have a request, Tristan.”

“What, friend?” Tristan asked.

“I know you will want to have Pagan guarded and I think it best if Betha is kept at her side. They are the only two single women of the ruling houses and prime targets for the rebels. Draken has ordered all the upper class women to be kept in one household and guarded, I was hoping Samson’s house would be the stronghold for their protection.”

“Agreed, I was going to have Betha be Pagan’s chaperone anyway, so you need not worry about her safety. Brailey is appointed Pagan’s personal guard. He can look after our baby sister as well.”

Charles put his hand on Tristan’s shoulder. “I want to make an unofficial request to have my brother, Adam, to be Betha’s personal guard.”

“Do you have an interest in my little sister?” Tristan smiled.

“Speaking unofficially, yes, I do. I will not make an official inquiry for her until after her rite of passage. I know for a fact Delia has me on her list of men after you and I don’t want to put Betha through the scrutiny that your lady now has to go through because of Delia’s plans to work her way up the ladder for a powerful husband.”

“Say no more, my friend. Your unofficial request is granted. Besides, Pagan is a handful and Brailey is going to need all the help he can get.”

“There is something else you need to know, Tristan. Draken believes the daughters of the high ranking generals may also be targets, which means Delia and her sisters are to be kept with the women as well.”

“Oh, that’s just what I need, Pagan and Delia to be kept in close quarters.” Tristan rubbed his forehead at the unwelcome news.

How the hell was he going to keep the two women apart and keep Delia from antagonizing Pagan? There was no telling what kind of plan she was going to concoct to discredit Pagan, and he was going to be in the south helping Draken put down the rebels. His situation was getting worse by the minute.

He started walking again when he had a feeling of hurtfulness and shame course through his body. It was Pagan; she was upset over what she had done earlier. Damn, he needed to put her mind at ease, but he couldn’t take the chance of being alone with her until after he spoke with Draken about what Delia had just done, and he also wanted to talk to him about Earth practices concerning marriage and betrothals. It was about time he took Pagan’s upbringing into consideration, and he wanted to see if he could incorporate some of what she valued into their relationship. It was the least he could do since she was going to have to give up so much of her own values.

The two men reached the edge of the woods and he stopped to give Charles last minute instructions. “Charles, is the dressing mirror I asked you to build for Pagan ready yet?”

“Yes, I’ll have it delivered to her today, if you want.”

“Yes, today is good, have Brailey and Adam bring it since they both will be guarding her door starting tonight. I’ll have Betha pack her bag and she, too, will start sleeping in Pagan’s room. The sooner, the better.”

“Tristan, I’m sorry Delia is causing you to give up your sleeping rights to Pagan, if she did that to me with Betha, I’d probably strike her, even though I have been taught to never hit a woman.”

“Keep your temper in check, Charles. I know I have to. And as far as Betha is concerned, you have my unofficial approval for her hand in marriage. For your own peace of mind, wait till the day after her rite of passage to officially ask for a contract on her.”

Tristan patted Charles on his back as he left his friend in the woods and quickly made his way to Draken’s home. He didn’t want to waste any time. He hated to interrupt the man’s honeymoon, but given the dire situation with the rebels, Brailey had already done so, and they needed to prepare for their departure for the south. He would go to Pagan as soon as he was done talking to Draken. He needed to put her mind at ease and make peace between them.

***

Pagan spent the rest of the day in her grandmother’s garden, contemplating what she had done. She had offered her virginity to Tristan, and he turned her down. His rejection hurt more than she thought it would, even though she knew his reasoning for doing so. He had finally decided to take her values into consideration after she voiced what she believed, and she was stunned by the way he abruptly fetched a gown and forcefully covered her body from his sight.

His erection was massive beneath his breeches, and hurt by his rejection, she accused him of breaking his word to her to go seek satisfaction in the arms of Delia. She hoped she was wrong, and he stayed away from Delia, and in her heart, she knew he would never betray her, but still the notion stuck in her brain.

Why was she so jealous of the woman? Tristan had never once given her any indication he wanted Delia or ever had an interest in her. She had never thought of herself as being a jealous woman, but apparently she was. She loved Tristan and that love scared her to the point she wanted to hide her feelings from him and keep him at arm’s length to keep from getting her heart broken. It was instinct to her to do so. She had never had the chance in Mexico to get close to a guy and fall in love with him. It was too dangerous for her and for any man she might have cared for.

But all she managed to do was hurt Tristan and humiliate herself by offering her virginity to him and have him flat say no. How could she ever face him again after the way she acted? Where was he, anyway? It was well after the sun had gone down and he was usually at her door taking his clothes off to sleep next to her.

Not that she wanted to see his naked body, heaven knows she had seen enough of that since day one, but she had a curiosity that stirred in her belly to see his nakedness and how it would affect her after she had touched him there through his breeches. He did nothing to remove her hand from his shaft and he allowed her to massage him with her palm to the point she thought he was going to sate his desire for her when she demanded he do so.

Pagan wrapped her arms around the bedpost in despair. She closed her eyes against the array of questions that filled her mind. What if he didn’t come to her? What if decided he had enough of her defiance and stayed away from her till the day he was forced to marry her? Tristan was right about that; they really did have no choice. Not only were they to marry by law, but also it was deemed a necessity by a deity. They were to be together, no matter what either of them wanted, and all she had done was make their whole situation difficult for both of them. Maybe it was about time she gave in and gave him the answer he wanted to hear.

Bella strolled over to her and rubbed against her leg, purring. Pagan leaned over and picked up her pet, stroking her soft fur. She cradled the cat in her arms and hugged her dearly, as she crawled to the center of her massive lonely bed.

“Do you think he will come back to me, Bella?”

“Why wouldn’t I?” Tristan said as he walked into her room.

He came to stand at the foot of her bed, holding a package in his hand. He was dressed more formal than usual. He wore a light tan tunic with a wide buckled belt over his dark brown breeches and his boots were made of what looked like soft brown leather. His hair was tied back at his neck and that was what gave him this more serious appearance than she was used to.

“This is for you. You should have told me you needed these; I shouldn’t have to hear it from Betha.”

With that said, she knew what was in the package, her underwear for her monthly cycle. She blushed at her embarrassment, as he placed the package on the bed.

“There are also the pads you need in there. I had ten pairs made for you, if you need more, tell me and I’ll leave the money with Brailey and he can pay the seamstress in my absence.”

Now, she truly was embarrassed. Her future brother in law was in charge of taking care of her personal needs while her husband to be was gone.

“No, ten will do. Thank you for these.” She picked up the package and placed it on the nightstand.

“Tristan, this is the second time you mentioned being gone. Where are you going?” She asked.

Tristan turned his head toward the door, and she noticed what he was looking at. Adam and Brailey walked in carrying a rather large object, and to her surprise, she saw it was a dressing mirror when Brailey uncovered it. It was beautifully carved with detailed roses at the top and bottom of the wooden frame and along the sides were etched vines and leaves that connected the roses.

Brailey came to stand next to Tristan. “Pagan, you need to get out of the bed and sit in a proper chair, if you wish to be in the same room with Tristan.”

“Why?” She asked confused by Brailey’s authoritative tone.

“He’s right, Pagan. We can no longer be informal with each other,” Tristan said.

“Please, Pagan, do as I say, and get out of the bed,” Brailey insisted.

Pagan eyed Brailey and Adam, as they flanked either side of Tristan. She couldn’t tell if they were protecting him from her or her from him. Their behavior was quite odd and puzzled her. She crawled out of the bed and Brailey took her arm and escorted her to the chair by the fireplace with the grace of a gentleman. Well, at least that part of his usual behavior hadn’t changed, she thought. She gingerly sat down and gave Tristan a questioning glance, as he sat in the massive armchair across the table they usually share meals each day.

“Tristan, what’s going on?” She asked.

Tristan sighed before he answered her, “In order to protect your honor, I have taken a vow of abstinence, and in doing so, we must be chaperoned at all times.”

“My honor? Why now? You have insisted on sleeping in my bed, naked by the way, and now you can’t be alone with me at all? I don’t understand?”

“Pagan, after I left you today, I ran into Delia, and she brought something to my attention…”

“Delia!”

“Pagan, please, let me explain.”

“What is there to explain? You went against your word to me!”

“NO! I did not! I didn’t lay a hand on her! She followed me to the waterfall, and she tried to seduce me. I turned her down and took a vow of abstinence in front of Adam and Charles, who were also there.”

“He is telling you the truth, Lady Pagan. I was a witness to his vow,” Adam said.

“Pagan, listen to me, Delia is trying to find a way to make our betrothal contract invalid and she will do anything to make that happen. My vow stopped her in her tracks on her attempt on me, but she still may come after you, and judging by her comments today, she wants to discredit you by placing suspicion on your virginity.”

“She what?” Pagan asked as she slammed her fist against the table.

“If she can prove we have broken the law, then our contract would be invalid, and punishment would ensue.”

“But, we haven’t. I am still a virgin. How can she prove otherwise?”

“Technically, she can’t. But if she plants enough rumors, then an inquiry would be ordered, and you will be examined for your guilt.”

“MY GUILT? IT TAKES TWO TO TAKE AWAY ONE’S VIRGINITY!”

“Please, Pagan, calm down. I have no intention of giving her any reason to make such a claim to the council. That is why you will be guarded and in public view of others to lay her lies to rest. I’m not happy about this either. The idea of having my sleeping rights to you taken away is insulting to my character and I will not allow you to be punished for something you didn’t do.”

“What would they do to me?” She asked.

“The penalty for having sex before your rite of passage is ten years serving as a prostitute in the brothel.”

“OH, HELL NO! That bitch better stay out of my way and my life, or I’ll…”

“NO! Say nothing against her. Just stay out of her way while I am gone. Betha will be your chaperone and she will sleep with you while Brailey and Adam guard the two of you.”

“You’d rather make me a prisoner in my own home, than trust me not to give my virginity away?” She rose to stand placing her hands on her hips. Bella leaped out of her lap and made her way to the bed to curl up in a tiny fur ball.

“Sit down, Pagan. There is more you need to know.”

“More? What more could you possibly say to justify this forced incarceration?”

“Pagan, the attack today in the woods wasn’t an isolated one. We found the other men and they confessed you were their target. They are planning a take over and I want you and Betha protected from them. Sit, please, there is more, and it concerns your mother.”

Pagan sat down, wondering what all of this had to do with her mother. She was beyond comprehension of what she had already been told and she doubted it could get any worse. She clutched the expanse of her skirt, as she waited for Tristan to explain.

“Twenty-one years ago, the rebels in the south kidnapped several women of the ruling houses and your mother was the target. She had already left for the veil when they arrived and took my mother, who was pregnant with Betha at the time, in her place.”

Pagan was stunned, she didn’t know what he was going to say, but that certainly never crossed her mind. “Why my mother?”

“Draken was to be ruler and your mother his wife. They were going to hold her hostage till he gave them a seat on the council and amnesty for their crimes. My grandfather and father with Draken’s help put down the rebellion and rescued the women. So, you see, Pagan, there is more going on here than Delia’s plans to make me her husband. I want you safe while I am gone and when I get back, we will take further measures to keep Delia out of our lives. But for now, this is what we must do.”

“Where are you going?” She asked.

“I am going with Draken to the south to put an end to the rebellion. I don’t know how long I will be gone, but I promise you I will be here for your rite of passage.”

Shock filled her frame, as she realized he was going away to fight in a war and may possibly die in the process. She didn’t want to lose him, she had just come to the realization that she loved him, and as selfish as it was, she wanted him to stay with her, away from danger. She lowered her head into her hands to hide her fear from his eyes.

Within an instant, he was standing behind her, rubbing her temple, trying to put her weariness at ease. She spoke her true feelings more to herself than to him, but she realized he had heard her, as she said the words.

“I don’t want you to go, please, don’t leave. I can’t bear the thought of losing you.”

Tristan leaned over her and kissed the top of her head with tenderness.

“Oh, my beautiful princess, I will come back to you. I will always come back to you.”

He moved to kneel on one knee beside her and he pulled out a ring from his pouch that was attached to his belt, and he placed the gold band in her hand.

“Draken told me some of the courtship practices of Earth and I wanted to show you my devotion to you and only you. That ring is to be my wedding ring; it has your name engraved on it, as is Aradian tradition. I know you aren’t ready to give me your answer and rather than present you with an engagement ring, I want to wear my wedding band for all to see that I do belong to you, and I will marry you.”

Tristan took his ring and placed it on his ring finger. She caressed the band around his finger that had her name engraved on it. She knew he loved her with all his heart, and he was willing to do anything to show his world his love for her. That was the type of man he was.

“Tristan, you must leave now. The hour approaching is inappropriate for you to be here any longer,” Brailey said.

Tristan kissed her fingers that were caressing his ring.

“I have to go now. I’ll see you in the morning and we will have breakfast together before I leave tomorrow for the south.”

He rose to leave and he walked to the door. He hesitated a moment before he stepped out of her room and he spoke to her mind, Pagan, I love you, and I want to be the man to take your virginity, it just can’t happen now. I will be the only man you will ever make love to; I will find a way, I promise.

Tristan left her sitting in her chair before she had a chance to respond. He had made another promise to her, and she knew he was a man of his word, and he had every intention of keeping it. But how? This world wouldn’t allow it. The law didn’t allow it. And now he was leaving her to go fight a war against his fellow Aradians to keep her safe from harm. North. South. It didn’t matter to her. They were all men fighting for control of a land that was so foreign to her and she somehow was the key to all of this just like her mother all those years ago.

She watched Tristan walk through the door of her bedroom and then Brailey closed the door behind him, leaving her alone for a moment.