Kidnapped and Claimed(6)

Chapter Three


Was it morning already?

I heard the rooster crowing from afar and saw the faint sunlight slowly creeping through the cracks of the window. I stretched underneath the thin woven blanket, yawning. I didn’t feel like getting up yet after the whole ordeal. I fancied being lazy for a few more minutes.

But I couldn’t go back to sleep. I opened my eyes wide. My small hut was scarcely furnished. It had the simple wooden bed I had slept in with a mattress stuffed with dried sweet grass. A small table with four chairs. And a rough-hewn tall wooden cabinet placed under the window that contained a few blankets and garments for me to wear.

I was dismayed when Ronen gave me my new wardrobe. It was scandalous! Khimerian women only wore thin cloth to cover their breasts and hips. No tunic, no robes, no gowns nor undergarments. Callarn explained that Khimerian males disliked their women being overdressed. Besides, the weather in Aesterneum had been enchanted to mimic summer. Aesterneum in granekh , the Khimerian native tongue, meant summer ever after .

At first, I quite dreaded the prospect of being scantily clad all the time. Then I decided it was much better than being naked. After showing me my new place, Ronen and Callarn gave me a quick peck on the lips and bade me a good night’s rest. I was half-expecting they would seduce me again. They didn’t. Actually, I was quite disappointed from it and I felt terrible afterward. Not even a day of living with the Khimerians and I already had wanton urges. Callarn left me with a plate of dried fruits as my dinner and a flask of water. I ate in solitude, observing what happened outside through the open window.

Last night, something went on in the village center. Music and laughter through the night made it hard to fall asleep. And also the sound of women screaming. At first, I thought somebody was in terrible pain, but after a few minutes, I realized the screams were of pleasure. Goddess, those women didn’t even bother to keep their voices low.

What kinds of pleasure were these women having that they were no longer aware of their surroundings?

A soft knock on the door snapped my mind back to reality. I sat up, fixing my clothes decent. “Yes?”

The door opened and a slim figure breezed in. A redheaded woman in a scant ensemble. The bandeau top she wore could barely contain her lush breasts; her nipples were blatantly visible through the thin fabric. The woman’s pareo cloth was tied low on her hips, unable to obscure the fiery red curls of her mons when she walked. Freckles showered her cheery face. Her hair was let loose, draping down to her waist, sweeping the air behind her.

“Good morning,” she called merrily, putting her wicker basket down on the table. “Did I wake you up too early?”

I shook my head. “Nay. I was already awake.”

“Splendid. I thought we would start early today for a bath. Ah, where are my manners? My name is Ashanie. I was told your name is Elyra.”

“Aye.”

Ashanie gave out a big smile, displaying rows of pearly white teeth. She motioned me to take a look inside the basket. “I thought I would bring you some soap and scented oils. Also some ointments.” Ashanie shot me a naughty look. “It helps soothe when you feel sore, until you have a chance to bathe in Lembanyu water.”

My face was getting hot.

“Have you ever been bedded before?”

I flinched. Bedded? Of course, if being licked and probed in my secret place could be considered as being with a man.

“You blushed!” Ashanie squealed in delight. “I take that as not. I daresay it came as a shock when Ronen and Callarn marked you.”

“It was.”

“You do understand about the joining between man and woman, do you not?”

“My servants taught me.”

“Good, so I do not need to explain to you explicitly. Khimerian warriors are very demanding creatures in bed sports, and we woman are expected to match their lust.”

With the way those women were screaming last night, I couldn’t tell who was more demanding.

“Khimerian warriors love to give pleasure as much as they receive it,” Ashanie continued. “Moreover, it is some kind of unwritten rule that they never leave their women unsatisfied.”

That was something new to learn.

“I have never regretted taken three Khimerian warriors as my husbands.”

“Three?” My eyes almost jumped from my sockets. “How could you ma—“

“Manage their demands? Well, joining with my husbands gave me energy to match their needs. They were the most wonderful people I ever met. You see, I was a slave before and was about to be sold to a Begotrath breeder. The slave master was on his way to deliver us to Vastapa when by accident he strayed to Emagari territory. The Khimerian saved us all. I do not know what would have become of us if we were in the hand of the Begotrath breeders. I heard rumors saying death was a better prospect than being one of those women. My husbands love me, and life couldn’t be better.” Ashanie’s cheeks blushed in a rosy hue, and her voice turned impish. “Do you not know about the charm of Khimerian warriors?”