The Dragon Lord's Daughters (30 page)
Read The Dragon Lord's Daughters Online
Authors: Bertrice Small
Ahead of him Junia's heart was hammering with her excitement. Simon would come! Of course he would come. He loved her. She could barely wait to see him again. She heard the sound of the little weir tumbling over the rocks before she even reached Mryddin Water. She loved that little waterfall. There was something magical about it that had always called to her. And then her path ended as she entered the small clearing by the water. Dismounting, she tied her horse to a tree so it would not wander, and waited for her lover to arrive.
“Junia!” His voice called to her.
“Simon!”
He was here. She watched as his mount picked its way across the stream just above the weir. He dismounted, and they flew into each other's arms.
“I love you!” she cried. “I don't care that you are a de Bohun!”
“I love you too, sweeting,” he answered her, his arms enclosing her in an embrace. “I did not know of the feud until my father told me the other night.”
“Nor did I,” Junia answered. “Oh, Simon, what are we to do?”
“What can we do?” he responded. “Without my father's approval, without your father's approval, how can we marry, how will we live, Junia?”
“I do not care as long as we are together,” Junia declared passionately.
“Sweeting, you must have a home to lay your head. Food. And so much more,” he told her. “How can I provide this for you if I am disinherited?”
“You could sell your sword, Simon. There is talk of another Crusade. I would go with you. We would survive the better for being together,” Junia said.
“You have said your father would not permit your marriage until you are fifteen. Let me have until then to try to pursuade my father to end this feud, Junia. And you will speak with your sire,” he responded.
“What if your father decides to match you with another?” she cried.
“He has already made the suggestion, but I have told him I will have no other, and I will not, Junia. You know as well as I do that the church will not sanction any union that is coerced. There is no way on this earth that my father could force me to marry another, sweeting. I am yours. I swear it!”
“And my father has said he will not force me to any marriage unless I am content to be a bride,” Junia responded, smiling up into his handsome face.
“This whole thing is so foolish,” Simon said. “It goes back several generations, and until a few days ago I had not heard of it. How important can it now be to our families if we did not know?” He took her hands in his, and they sat facing one another on the stones about the clearing by the stream. “Junia, you must know that my father is not a good man. He was different while my mother lived, but after she died they say he reverted to his old ways. He is a cruel man. Frankly, I have done my best to stay out of his way these past few years. He does not care as long as I do his bidding. His lands and his passions are all that interest him.”
“I am told your serfs disfigure their daughters to keep them from him,” Junia said quietly. “Is it so, Simon?”
He nodded. “It is true, I am ashamed to admit.”
“I think if his reputation were not quite so bad,” Junia murmured, “I might cajole my father into making peace. Da is a good man, and loved by all who know him.”
“If only I had my own wealth,” Simon said desperately, “but I am beholden to my father for everything. The clothes I wear, every bite I eat, even my horse.”
“But surely if your father loves you he would want you happy in your marriage,” Junia said innocently. “He did love your mother I have been told.”
“My father does not love me,” Simon replied. “I am little more to him than a possession, sweet Junia. Something to be made use of, nothing more.”
“Who is the girl your father would have you wed?” she asked, unable to help herself, or stifle her curiosity.
“Her lands border ours in one direction. She is an only child, and while richer than we are, her name is not as noble. So in exchange for our name we gain her riches. Or so my father hopes; but I will not marry this girl, Junia. I will not!”
“I am Da's youngest daughter, Simon. My mother is nothing more than a concubine. My dower portion is very modest. Some sheep and cattle. Fifteen silver pennies when I reach the age of fifteen. Nothing more. I have no lands. Only my sister, Maia, who is the legitimate daughter, had a small portion of land in her dower.”
“But you have said your two elder sisters married well,” he said.
“They did,” Junia admitted.
“Then you have useful relations,” Simon told her with a smile. “That is something.” He raised her hands to his lips, and kissed them. “Fifteen silver pennies is a goodly sum, Junia.” His pure gray eyes smiled into her green ones.
She laughed softly. “You are making fun of me,” she said. Oh, how she loved this man!
“It is a respectable dower, sweeting, and let none tell you otherwise. Your da has been very wise in setting aside such a sum, for it makes you a desirable bride despite your lack of lands. The silver can buy available lands,” Simon told her.
“Well.” Junia chuckled. “I am not the poorest prospect, I suppose.” Then she grew serious. “We must play a waiting game, my love. As long as I know you love me I can do it, Simon. When will I see you again?”
“We need be careful, Junia,” he said. “I want no harm coming to you.”
And at that same moment they heard the thunder of hoofbeats, and a party of armed men galloped across Mryddin Water into the clearing. Junia and Simon jumped to their feet, but before he might get her on her horse they found themselves surrounded.
Hugo de Bohun smiled down cruelly on the pair. “So, my son, this is your little Welsh whore. Did I not tell you this affair was ended? You have disobeyed me, Simon. You know how angry I become when I am disobeyed, don't you?”
“We but met to say farewell, Father,” Simon quickly said. “You were correct that Junia's father would not have a de Bohun as a son-in-law any more than you would have a Pendragon for a daughter-in-law.” His arms held Junia close to his side in a vain attempt to protect her from the danger he sensed surrounding them.
Hugo de Bohun laughed aloud. “How noble you are, my son. You make me want to puke, you reek so of goodness.” The men accompanying him laughed with their master, and their horses shifted nervously at the rough sound.
Junia moved from Simon's side, and looking up at Hugo de Bohun said in a firm voice, “I will go now, my lord.” She made to push past his stallion, but Hugo de Bohun moved the beast to block her.
“And just where do you think you will go, mistress?” he growled. He was a stocky man with a black beard and shaggy black hair.
“Home,” Junia answered bravely. “Get out of my way!” She shoved at the large horse, attempting to get by it.
“The wench has more backbone than you do, Simon.” His father laughed. “If she were not a Pendragon I might reconsider my decision.” Then he looked down at Junia. “You will come with us, my pretty wench. My men could use some new amusement to entertain them, and I suspect you will put up a good fight.”
Simon jumped forward. “You will not touch her, Father! I will not let you! I will kill you if you do! As God is my witness, I will kill you!”
“You want her, then?” Hugo de Bohun said, laughing heartily.
“Yes, damn you, I want her!” Simon shouted.
“Then take her,” his father answered, a cruel smile upon his face.
“What?” What mischief was his sire plotting, Simon wondered.
“Take her! Here! Now!” Hugo de Bohun replied. “You say you want her.”
“Have you lost your mind?” Simon responded, the look of shock upon his face palpable. “You have finally gone mad, my lord. Junia is a virgin of good family. You cannot mean what you are saying.”
“If you do not take her here and now, my son, I shall have her first, and then I will give her to my men; and they will use her very well, I assure you. But make her your leman now. Here, before us all, and I will spare her that. The choice is yours, Simon, but make your decision quickly.”
Simon de Bohun could not move for a moment he was so shocked by his father's words. He had always known his father was a cruel man, but this went beyond the very bounds of decency.
“I will count to three, Simon,” his father spoke again, “and then the girl is prey for me first and then my men.”
Junia had listened to all of this with growing horror, but then she realized that to show fear was exactly what would give this horrible man pleasure. “I am not afraid, Simon,” she said bravely.
Hugo de Bohun laughed. “One,” he said.
“Junia! Do you realize what he is suggesting that I do to you?”
“Yes,” Junia answered calmly. “He wants us to make love before him.”
“Two,” Hugo de Bohun growled.
“Nay! He wants me to rape you before them all,” Simon gasped.
“Do it!” she begged him. “The alternative is worse, Simon! Do it!”
“Three!” Hugo de Bohun cried, and he looked to his son.
“Very well,” Simon said, turning to look at his sire, “but I will damn you to hell with my dying breath, Father. May you roast in eternal damnation for this!”
“Strip her!” Hugo said coldly, nodding to his captain, “and hold my son back until she is a naked as the day she was born. At least we will get a good look at what we are missing.” He turned to his son, grinning. “If you cannot get it up, my lad, I shall do the deed for you. It has been some time since I had a juicy young virgin such as this wench.”
Simon was quickly restrained, but Junia snapped at the men who had surrounded her, “Do not touch me! I have not clothing to spare. I will remove them myself.”
“No!” Brynn Pendragon jumped from behind the rocks surrounding the clearing by Mryddin Water, his sword in hand. Surprising them, he engaged the nearest man, blooding him. “Run, sister!” he shouted at Junia.
Hugo de Bohun leapt forward, knocking the sword from the boy's hand, and hitting him a blow that sent him unconscious to the ground. “By God! By God! It gets better! This is the Dragon Lord's son! Bind him up and throw him over my saddle,” he directed his men. Then turning back to Junia, he said, “Now, wench, disrobe, and do it prettily for I would be amused by your performance.”
“Go to hell!” Junia snapped angrily. “If you hurt my brother my father will kill you for certain. If I do not stick a knife in you first, de Bohun!” She pulled her gown off and lay it over a rock.
“Give me your boots, wench,” he snarled at her. “You'll not go running off easily without them.”
Junia sat down on the rock with her gown, and yanking her boots from her feet threw them at Hugo de Bohun. Standing up again she undid her hair, hoping it would offer her some shield for modesty. Then, taking a deep breath, she pulled her chemise over her head, and lay it atop her gown. She was quite naked. She had to struggle to keep her fear down, and to maintain her composure.
Hugo de Bohun and his men stared lustfully at the young girl. Finally Hugo said, “I am a man of my word, but by God and his Blessed Mother, Simon, we have given up much, I think.” He reached out and pulled Junia back against him, his hands reaching around to grab at her breasts. Unable to restrain herself Junia struggled against him even as Simon struggled in his captor's grasp. “Come, my son,” Hugo taunted the younger man, “does not the sight of this naked beauty arouse your passions?” He grinned, and then said, “Take my son's tunic off, and let's see whether his manly cock can be brought to salute his virgin love.”
“You are vile!” Junia cried out at her captor.
“If he doesn't take you, wench, I surely will, but having seen you I may relent a bit and not give you to my men. At least not for a few months,” Hugo told her, and he kissed Junia's bare shoulder as his big hands crushed the tender flesh of her breasts.
His men had in the meantime stripped off Simon's tunic, and fumbling with his chausses bared his manhood, which had begun to react to the sight of Junia's nude, struggling form. They dragged him over to where their master held the girl, and pushed the young man against the naked girl, rubbing the two bodies together while laughing wildly. Hugo de Bohun forced Junia to the ground on her back as two of his men knelt and yanked her legs wide. Two others knelt by the girl's head, grinning as they pinioned her slender arms down. Then they shoved Simon between the girl's spread limbs.
“We've done all we can, boy,” Hugo said crudely. “Now fuck her! And fuck her hard! Unless, of course, you want me to do it for you, and I could. I want to hear her scream when you pluck her cherry, boy. You can teach her the niceties later, but for now you will deflower the little Welsh bitch, and make her howl for more!”
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