Isolde: Blood-Rose Guardians (a supplementary novella)
Attack

The day of the attack on the king’skeep was a dark day in the beginning of a series of dark days. It was a lateDecember day in 1065 and the sun barely seemed to shine at all. The ground wasfrosty and the sky darkened by heavy thunderclouds. The men who came weresoldiers; an army seemed to walk right over us. Marcus their leader wasunforgiving and sought to remove any evidence that we had existed at all. Theyhad picked a time when our own men were away on distant shores. I knew notwhere this army had come from, but I could see the darkness in their eyes. Theycared not for the sanctity of human life and I watched as everyone about me wasslaughtered. Although I cared little for the king, my father, I still wept ashe was forced to kneel before this Marcus and his head was sliced clean fromhis shoulders with a battle-axe. I did not scream out, but tears trickled downmy sooty cheeks. I watched as the village and even my home were destroyed byfire. Only five of us survived – all women, all marched off to be the slaves ofthis Marcus’ senior soldiers.

I had wished that I had died atthe village when I was stripped and then dressed in a fine gown by femaleattendants ready to be paraded and sold to his depraved men. I longed for myWilliam to come and save me, but I was thankful too that he had been away whenthe attack occurred, for not one of the men was allowed to survive. We, thefive women, were paraded about a circle, bound by ropes and led as though wewere livestock. The men bid on us as though it were an auction, and I realisedit was, I was being sold into sexual depravity by my conquerors. I caught theeye of the leader’s confident – a man named Tristan. I was given then toTristan and no money was exchanged. Once again I had found myself traded to aman as though a chattel for his deeds in battle.

Tristan seemed as ruthless as Marcus. He took the bandWilliam had given me from my finger and departed our tent. I sat bound withrope to the central pole. At least he had had the decency to give me a chair tosit upon. When he returned he slipped the ring back onto my finger. I looked athim oddly, for that action made no sense to me at all.

“Kiss me,” he commanded.

I wanted to resist. I had no intention of ever kissing a manwho was not my husband, but even as I resisted, I felt compelled to lean forwardand press my lips to his. My heart screamed at me, but it was drowned by theoverriding need that I felt to make Tristan happy.

“Disrobe…let me look upon you naked,” he commanded.

“I will not,” I declared but even as I said it, my handslowered the garments I had been forced into toward the floor.

I stood before him naked; exposed and vulnerable. I trembledwith fear for what he would have me do next.

“Get into the bed,” he directed as he sliced through theropes that bound me to the pole.

I wanted to run. Now was my chance to escape, but ratherthan dashing toward the entrance of the tent, my feet carried me directly tothe bed. I slipped in between the sheets, pulling them close to my skin as Iwatched him watching me.

“Stay there.”

He walked out and I was left alone, naked and unable to run.I wanted to. I so desperately wanted to escape this place and run back to mylover; my husband, but I was unable to move. It was as though my body was notmy own. I closed my eyes and cried – at least I could still express my misery…fornow.

When he returned he wore only a long nightshirt. He walkeddirectly towards the bed and to me lying there naked, waiting to see whattorture he would next inflict upon me. He pulled back the blankets and perusedmy naked form.

“Expose your sex to me,” he commanded.

“I will not, that is for my husband alone!”

I felt my legs separate and try as I might to keep my kneestogether there would be none of it. He moved between my open thighs andexamined my exposed womanhood.

“You have not birthed a child?”

“No – I have not,” I stated with venom, hoping to hide thefact that it was probably on the cards though, for I was fairly certain that Iwas pregnant.

“You are not a virgin though?”

“No – I have been married one year and performed all wifelyduties in that time.”

“Wifely duties?” He raised an eyebrow, “You did not chooseyour husband yourself?”

“No – but I have grown to love him and would prefer toremain loyal to him.”

“Well…that is impossible…you are mine now and you will performthe ‘wifely duties’ for me.”

“I will not!” I exclaimed, but even as I said it I reachedfor him and drew him toward my body.

I pulled his nightshirt from his head and wrapped my legsabout his as he lowered himself against me. He kissed me and I returned thekiss, furious at myself but unable to stop it. His tongue plunged between mylips and my body responded with excitement. I felt my sex moisten and as herubbed his erection against me, my loins invited him to enter even though mymind wanted to take a knife and plunge it between his ribs. He moved inside meuntil he was satisfied and then he rolled off me and lay beside me.

“How was that?” He asked.

“Disappointing,” I replied, meaning that he had been unableto make me climax as William always had.

“Well, that is better than feeling as though you wereraped.”

I realised he was right. He had raped me! My brain wasfurious, but my body, unsated wanted more of his touch. My body wanted toengage in more sexual activity until it too was fulfilled of its needs. Iimmediately loathed this man that had bewitched me with some magic that left mehelpless in his presence.

“Bastard!” I spat at him.

“You will replace pleasure this time,” he said and repositionedhimself above me.

He was ready to go again – so soon? William was a greatlover, but even he could not have climaxed and then been ready to proceed againonly moments later! He ran his hard cock against the swollen and slick lips ofmy sex – he was indeed ready to go again. My body welcomed him in as he penetratedmy depths. He nibbled at my neck and then I felt another weird sensation, Ididn’t recognise it for what it was at the time, but he had sank his fangs intomy throat and as he thrust inside me, he injected me with chemicals that liftedme into a state of sexual euphoria. I desired the sexual climax and moved mybody against his with gusto seeking that intoxicating release. I had not knownhe was feeding on me at the time. My hands explored his body and I moaned withthe pleasures of the flesh as he pressed deeper and harder against and withinme. I sank my fingernails into his back as I felt the contractions of orgasmbegin. I pulled his buttocks hard against me forcing his throbbing manhooddeeper within me until he filled the very core of me and then my eyes rolledbackwards in my head as he tupped me into a frenzied climax.

I loathed myself immediately, and hated that I had foundsuch sweet release with my captor. He licked my neck and moved off me. I wantedto cry but the last thing he said to me before he slept halted my tears.

“You will love me.”