Branded By a Warrior (18 page)

“
Will he live Uncle Broderick?” S
he asked as she held onto him.

“Aye lass, you can go see him if you’d like. He’s in his room now; can you tell me if you’ve s
een Elisabeth? I can’t find her.” H
e asked as he held her hand and walked her back to her father’s room.

Nodding, “She said she needed to go pray, she just left my room moments ago. I told her she could have my sword this morning, she told me you’d give her one. I hope you give her a sword Uncle Bro
derick, it would make her smile
. I like seeing her smile, but today she was crying, I dinnae like that Uncle Broderick.
”
S
he said innocently as they arrived at Kendrix door.

Ruffling her hair he smiled at her genuine honesty, “Go in and see your Da, he’s waiting for y
ou. I’ll go find Elisabeth lass
, and don’t worry, I’ll get her a sword my love
, Uncle Broderick will make your pretty Aunt Elisabeth smile again, I promise my love.”
After seeing Isobel snuggle with her father as the elder women saw to his wound, he left them alone and went in search of
Elisabeth
.

He
fo
und her in the chapel, alone,
s
tanding
in front of the alta
r with her head bowed.
His sable fur sloped over her shoulders falling to her waist;
her dark red hair had fallen from the crown on her head and spilled over her shoulders in loose curls to her waist. His wolfhounds sat at her feet, looking up at him as he entered the chapel from the back.
Smiling at the sight of them, he snorted, when given a
choice;
they always picked Elisabeth over him.

He noticed the moment she heard him enter the chapel. H
e watched as she raised her head and turned around to look him in the eyes.
He saw she was covered in blood, her dress was ripped and she held her injur
ed shoulder. Fresh tears fell
down her
face; her beautiful eyes were red from crying.
Taking
the
alter stairs two at a time he
closed the distance between them in seconds.

Cupping her jaw with both hands he kissed her full upon the mouth, he had
come
so close to losing her today he almost died. He felt her s
mall hands wrap around him
as she kissed him back. Wiping away her tears he held her tight as he comforted her.

It only took a moment for his lady warrior to emerge.

Pushing him away
, “Kendrix and Isobel almost died today Broderick, I cannot continue on without a weapon. I’ve let you change the subject time and
time again, no more Broderick!
I will gladly
die for them
, for you
, but give me a fighting chance! Let
me die a warrior’s death, not witho
ut a weapon to defend myself!” S
he
seethed between clenched teeth, clearly emotional and upset.

Her words shamed him, she was right. He had pushed aside the conversation every time she brou
ght it up, today his brother,
niece and his future wife almost died because of his stubbornness. In the back of his mind he thought if he
gave her a weapon, she’d change, that she wouldn’t need him.
He had assumed when she got a blade in her hands that she would morph into a different person, that she would no longer have use for him.

Taking her hand, “Come with me Elisabet
h, I have something to show you.” E
ntwining fingers with her, he walked with her from the chapel up to the keep. Night was falling upon them and the snow had stopped, walking through the fresh snow he brought her up to the keep.
The two walked in silence, hand in hand.

Bypassing all those they saw
,
he took her upstairs to the solar next to his room, it had been his mother’s and had set empty for years. These past weeks he had Rhona working on making it habitable again for
her, he knew eventually the lass would want her own room
.
He was unwilling to have her far away.
Although he wanted her to sleep in their room every night, he wanted her to have a room in the castle all to herself, a room for his queen.

***

Walking up the stone stairs Broderick
stopped before a door she had never entered before, the door that was directly across from his bedroom.

“Wait here, I’ll go l
ight the candles so you can see.” G
rabbing a candlestick off the stonewall he opened the door and closed it behind him. Moments later he appeared, opening the door wide.

“Welcome to your solar
my love, I wanted to gift you with it after our wedding. I fear I just can’t
wait that much longer, come in.” H
e beckoned from the doorway.

Walking into the lovely room, she looked at Broderick, “You don’t
want me to sleep next to you?” S
he asked, confused at
finally
being given a room now.

Shaking his head and standing behind her, he wrapped his arms around her chest and leaned down to whisper into her ear, “I always want you to sleep next to me Elisabeth, this is room is to be your escape. Your personal room to do with as you see fit, the room is for you yes, but what I wanted to
really
give you sits in that corner.” P
ointing over to the wardrobe on the far wall, “
You are right, I almost lost
three
people I love today, g
o open the doors.” H
e let go of her shoulders and nudged her towards the wooden doors.

Looking over her shoulder, she was reeling in the fact that Broderick had in his own way
,
told her that he loved her.
In all of her time here, he had never once mentioned anything of love.
Walking over to the large war
drobe, she pulled the doors open
and stepped back.

Before her lay an impressive
broadsword,
a perfect
matc
h to his
. Leather bracers wit
h his crest notched in them. Hanging in the back of the wardrobe was chainmail, specifically shaped for her, a woman. Along with that was a beautiful
longbow
,
intri
cately carved with a quiver
of arrows, a shortsw
ord that shined with perfection and
a matching dirk.

Reaching in
,
she picked up the broadsword and held it out at
arm’s length
as she tested the weight in her hand. Turning around she looked up at
Broderick, “You had all of these
made to match your weapons
, for me
?” S
he asked as she tested the grip on the sword.

“Aye lass, there is a new place above the mantel for your broadsword too. I’m sorry it took so long to make, I wanted your set to be perf
ect, it is your wedding present,
”
h
e
admitted
as he walked towards her, “I had the blade shortened and forged for you only, do y
ou love it?”

Sitting down the sword, “Not as much as I love
you
Broderick,” stepping into his arms she threw her
hands
around his neck and bestowed a kiss upon him
that had him kicking the door to the solar closed. Reaching behind him he threw the latch and picked her up, carrying her over to the large bed across the room he sat her on her feet as he unchained his sable off her shoulders letting it fall to the
floor.

Reaching down he ran his hands up her skirt
,
across her thighs as he nudged them apart, burying his fingers into her wetness, “Say it again Elisabeth,” his voice velvet smooth as he slid his fingers deeper into her as she leaned up against the bed.

“I love you Broderick
, I’ll love you to the day I die.” H
er words floated around him as he spun her around and bent her over the bed, flipping up her skirts
,
he bared her naked ass, toeing her legs farther apart he grasped his hard cock and ran it over her wet valley, “Do
you want me my queen?” H
e teased as he pushed in with his tip and quickly withdrew from her.

Looking over her shoulder, she bit her lip as she said, “Oh yes my
king
.”

Sinking into her from behind, he
sunk
into her molten core with a powerful thrust that lifted her off her feet and made he
r moan his name as she grasped at the sheets upon the bed.

“Say it again my queen.” H
e demanded as he rocked into her,
tilting her high off the floor.
Gasping at the erotic sensation of him fucking her from behind she w
hispered, “I love you Broderick
.
”

One of his hands reached up and squeezed her ample breasts as his other held on tight to her hip as he made love to her from behind, arching into him she felt the sensation of a climax arising in her as he pounded her mercilessly from behind.

Not seeing him was a new erotic sensation for her, he was able to penetrate far deeper than he eve
r had, it took away her
breath,
as
he was so large
and demanding
.
She loved every moment of it.

Both fully dressed, they made love until both of them came together,
she screamed
out his name as he took her over the edge, joining her moments later.

Slowly p
ulling out of her, he flipped down her skirts and
cradled her against his ch
est, and carried her over to their
bed
room.

The next morning Elisabeth awoke first, slipping out of their warm bed she pulled one of Broderick’s linen shirts over her head and ordered the wolfhounds to stay as she crept out of the room.

Exiting Broderick’s room she walked over to her new solar, opening the door she walked in shutting the door behind her. Looking over at the bed she saw the sheets a mess from last night where Broderick had made love
to her. Smiling at the thought, she walked over to the wardrobe to see her new weapons.

Throwing the doors wide she stood before the beautifully forged weapons in awe, a perfect match to Broderick’s set; slightly modified for her build
,
the weapons were breathtaking.

The chainmail was molded to fit her slim figure and large
breasts;
the leather bracers were sized to f
it her narrow wrists, and also
match
ed
what Broderick wore. It was obvious to Elisabeth that he had ordered these weapons forged long ago; it took a considerable amount of time to create such fantastic weapons as these. He had taken great care in selecting each item for her and having it made with specific detail.
What she loved most was they matched his weapons, quality and design. It made her feel more connected to the man than ever before.

Picking up one of the bracers she attached it to her sword arm, the fit was perfect. Plucking up her sword she twirled it in her hands and sliced it through the air
, pleased with the weight
.
The sword was well balanced, and the handle was small enough for her to grip easily with her small hand.

From the doorway Broderick watched his future wife, donned in only his shirt
. H
e watched her with wonder as she wielded her new weapon. With the sword in her hand she looked like a natural, her movements quick and skilled, he watched her enjoy her new gifts with appreciation.

With her back turned to the door, she hadn’t
realized
he was watching her until she heard his velvet voice, “
So quickly you leave my side for your sword, I see ho
w it is my little warrior queen
.
”

Turning around, she saw her future husband leaning his shoulder against the doorway, a sheet wrapped around him as he crossed his arms and smiled at her. His dark hair tousled from sleep
and sex
, his smile made her crave him as she watched his arms flex.

Sitting down her sword on the table she ran and jumped into his arms, wrapping her slim bare legs around his waist
kissing
him as she whispered, “I’ll never leave your s
ide my love
.
”

***

Catching her as she jumped, he grabbed her bare ass and squeezed as he kissed his beloved’s sweet mouth. She stirred such emotion in
him;
he still had a hard time accepting it. Watching her with
a
sword made him
hard;
he never expected the sight to arouse him. The moment the blade touched her hand she transformed into a warrior queen, her movements changed in subtle ways. Gone was the elegant lady, and before him was a
well-trained
warrior. He could tell from her posture and graceful swings that she was indeed worthy of her reputation. Her focus and precision were apparent in her every move. He had watched for her a long time before finally speaking, she was memorizing.

Closing the door to the solar behind him, he locked it with one hand as he claimed her mouth, squeezing her ass as she moaned his name. Carrying her over to the large bed he tossed her on the bed, extracting a giggle from her as she bounced onto the fluffy bed.

Crooking her finger at
him his fiery little redhead beckoned him as she lifted the
shirt over her head and tossed it on the floor, leaving her naked
save the leather bracer on her arm.

Crawling on the bed, Broderick let his sheet fall away from his hips as he kissed her toe
s
and worked his way up past her ankle,
sliding
her lean legs apart he knelt between them.

“I dislike you leaving our bed first,” he whispered as he kissed the inside of her thighs,
sliding his hands underneath
her
exquisite ass pulling her closer to him.

***

Biting her lip she looked into his
deep green
eyes, she could see the desire. He was glorious, his body was in tune with hers as if they were made for each other.
Last night, the man she adored told her he loved her, the man actually loved her. The thought still made her heart burst with pride. Yes, he hadn’t actually said the words, but he did tell her that she was loved. For now, she would take it.

Lying naked in the solar bed, she looked up at her lover kneeling between her legs as he kissed her thighs. Growing hot with nee
d she shut her eyes and ran h
er hands through his silky hair as she melted under his touch.

The moment his tongue touched her center she
moaned
with pleasure. Broderick pulled her into him as he feasted on her; his tongue
teased her as slowly pleasured her.

She had never felt anything
as
intimate as his mouth on her sex, it was erotic and breathtaking, “Oh my god Broderick,” she whispered as she writhed underneath his skillful hands. 

Bringing her to the edge of a climax, Broderick
quickly rolled her over and lifted her
up;
slowly he entered her as their eyes locked. She had never felt more connected to the man, she felt alive and wanted.

Gasping at his size,
she rolled her hips and lowered herself down upon her glorious warrior, moaning his name as he reached up and cupped her bouncing breasts with his large hands.

“Mmmm, yes…” she moaned as he took her with such force. Broderick no longer held
back from her, she refused to allow him to take it easy on her. She had told him night after night to have his way with her; she enjoyed everything he had done to her. She gave freely to him, unashamed or embarrassed she craved their closeness.

“Tell
me what I want to hear my queen.” He purred as watched her with wanting eyes.

Looking down into his handsome face, she leaned closer to him and let her breast touch his bare chest, whispering into his ear, “I
love you Broderick, I am yours
.
”

Rocking into her with such a feeling of possession, he grabbed her ass and buried himself deep into her womb as he catapulted them both into a climax, “Aye Lis, you are
mine
.
”

Screaming his name she exploded on top of him as he filled her womb with his warm seed as he did
every time
they had sex.
Lying in each other’s arms they feel back asleep for a few hours before they both woke up hungry, and in need of a bath.

Broderick was the first one dressed and ready for the day, kissing her, “Join me downstairs when you are dressed my love, we can visit w
ith Isobel for a while together
.
” 

Nodding she watched as he left their room to see to his duties, his dogs following behind him.
Lying back in the bed, she pulled the covers over herself and simply laid there in pure happiness.
So much had happened in a month, she had lost her family and clan. She had survived a horrific wound, and had fallen in love with the most powerful laird in all Scotland. She felt loved by his people, and adored by the man who had just left her bed. He was healing her, healing her heart as each day passed.

Less than an hour later she was dressed and ready to find her future
husband;
leaving the room she descended the stone staircase to the keep.
Donning another beautiful creation by Rhona, she had her MacMillan plaid draped over her chest as the women
normally wore it. Over her shoulders, Broderick’s prized sable fur she had claimed as her own.
She wore her new sword with honor
at her left hip
, her dirk and shortsword also attached to her side.
It felt incredible to be armed, especially in such personalized weapons that matched Broderick’s swords.
She truly felt his equal.

It was nearly the afternoon by the time she appeared downstai
rs. The castle staff bustled about, busy doing their chores they waved to her as she passed.
Looking in the kitchen
for Broderick
she found it empty, turning down the hall towards Isobel’s room she recognized
his
stern voice echoing down the corridor as she approached. He wasn’t alone and by the tone of his voice, he wasn’t
pleased
either.

Hearing the female voice
,
she stopped in her tracks well out of view and listened.
She knew exactly
whom
he talked to with such irritation.

“But you can’t just ignore the fact that we
are
betrothed Broderick, if you marry
anyone
, it will be me!”

“
We
were
betrothed Siobhan, many many years ago.
Ye
certainly ignored that fact when you ran off
and married another man
;
you
broke our engagement
woman, not me
. I will not
honor a contract
after you married another. I am sorry your husband died, but it is not my duty to marry you.
Your first
marriage destroyed any hold ye
had on me long ago woman.
I will marry E
lisabeth
accept that as a fact. She will be my wife, not you
.
Ye will remember your place, I am laird of this clan, and I do not let women tell me what to do.
”

Standing against the
stone cobbled
wall
of the
corridor she felt guilty listening to the conversation, turning to walk away she stopped in her tracks as Siobhan countered with, “Don’t you think it is odd that she was the
only
survivor Broderick? That your brother and niece were attacked while in her presence
,
and yet again she survived?
She’s only using you for your army and title. Maybe she’s in a league with Kincaid, maybe our clan will be the next to die at her hand!
Didn’t you learn your lesson with Fiona?”

His voice was cold
and bitter
, “Do not
ever
compare Elisabeth to Fiona.
Do it again and I will have you banished from my lands Siobhan.
Are you
so jealous
of her that
you’d make outlandish accusations against my future wife
?”

“Time will tell, I guess we shall see if you are made to be a fool yet again
, I’ll be waiting for you when she betrays you
.
She will use you and make a fool of you, nothing
but death follows her Broderick. How many people will you have to lose before you realize she’s just like the
other
woman who broke yer heart?
”

From the corridor Elisabeth’s blood boiled, how dare that whore accuse her of such
vileness?
Pushing off the wall she walked away before she
walked around the corner and
tore that bitch’s throat out with her bare hands.
Now that she was armed she could disembowel the pretty lark with a flick of her wrist, and right now she felt angry enough to do it.

Clenching her jaw she exited the keep and went in search of her horse, she needed to ride. Walking through the snow-covered bailey she marched towards the stables determined to escape these walls for a ride.
Today she was outfitted with her new weapons and felt invincible with the
rage flowing through her veins; she dared anyone to stand in her way right now, even Broderick.

Although the warriors rode out on daily border patrols, she had yet to be allowed to leave
the safety of the castle walls alone
;
yesterday with Kendrix was the only time. She cared naught that the woods could be teeming with Douglas warriors, she would be glad to kill anyone she came across in her current mood.

Saddling her brother’s stallion herself, she ignored the stable hands as they begged to do it for her.
Her polite mood and graciousness were absent
today;
replaced with rage and frustration she swung
up on her black mount
glaring
at anyone who stood in
her way.