Predatory Marriage (A)

Look At Me, Leah

Blain was pleased by her submission, though not by her attitude.

"As you like, sister." He smiled. "You wait here. I'll get you the biggest one."

He left, leading the attendants and horses into the woods. As soon as she was sure he was gone, Leah looked around. The Kurkans were also on horseback, ready to leave. She noticed they carried no riding crops; they knew how to handle horses without such tools. The most unruly hunting dogs had intentionally been given to the Kurkans, but they did not need to persuade them with food or yell at them to make them obey. As the hunters watched with amazement, the unruly dogs obeyed the slightest whistle and pat, as if they had been perfectly trained from the beginning.

The attendants watching were astonished and frightened by the sight. But they knew that the Kurkans' control was based on their kinship with beasts. Their outward appearance was human, but the Kurkans were a completely different people.

Leah had been watching with everyone else, and when she turned, her eyes met those of Ishakan. She quickly averted them, returning to the barracks assigned to her rather than watching him leave.

She told the other ladies to relax in another tent opposite, while she rested alone. She had wanted a break before she went hunting with the falcons, but Cerdina had called for her. It had been a long time since they had been alone together. The mere thought of having to endure that woman once again instantly drained Leah's energy.

Alone in her tent, she pulled a handkerchief from her breast. It was a different handkerchief than the one she had given Blain. This one was made in Estia, pure white and embroidered with gold thread in each corner. She cherished it and often carried it with her, but today she brought it to give to Ishakan.

But in spite of her intentions, she had missed her opportunity. She had been put off by the stares following her, watching her every action. Leah gripped the handkerchief in her hands, filled with regret.

I'll give it to him, no matter who sees us, she thought. For the first time she wanted to act without having to worry about what others would say, though she knew better than anyone else why she couldn't.

Leah stopped. Looking at the handkerchief, the frustration and unhappiness welled up in her and she wanted to throw it away, tear it to pieces. But no matter how upset she was, she was the princess. She put the handkerchief away.

"......!"

Someone suddenly hugged her from behind, startling her so much she couldn't even scream. Her eyes widened and her breath sped as the person spun her around with a large, firm hand. One arm held her around the waist as he bent his face close, eager and impatient to kiss her.

She accepted this kiss unconsciously, almost reflexively, stumbling backward over something and falling onto a long couch. Both her hands were pinned by the much stronger hands of her aggressor and golden eyes looked at her, full of satisfaction.

"Hi." Ishakan smiled, bending until they were nearly nose to nose. "Are you surprised?"

He licked her flushed cheek and Leah let out a gasp. Her heart was beating so wildly, it seemed about to burst from her breast any moment. She was surprised, but another impulse seized her as well, and she had to bite her lip to keep from saying anything dangerous.

"You have something for me, don't you?" he asked. He was goading her to get her to give him what she had brought for him. Maybe the Gypsies weren't the only ones with tricks and spells up their sleeves. Sometimes it seemed Ishakan could read minds.

"Yes," she confessed, low. "I have something for you."

She tried to reach for the handkerchief hidden in her breast, but Ishakan wouldn't let go of her, and she had to give up, imploring him to let her go with her eyes. He only smiled.

"Let me grab it."

He easily held both her wrists in one hand. Leah had always been aware of how big his hands were, but in this situation the difference was even more shocking. His other hand moved to freely caress her skin, his leather glove sliding smoothly over her neck and down to her chest.

"I think you hid it well.... here..."

"No!" Leah exclaimed. "Don't, let go of me...!"

Ishakan seemed to enjoy it when she made a scene. He kissed her face and neck, intoxicating her senses. Resisting, Leah managed to push him away and pull out the handkerchief herself, but realized immediately that the skirt of her dress had ridden up to her thighs.

Ishakan kissed her knee loudly, looking shamelessly down at her thighs and grabbing them. His touch felt strange because of the gloves, and Leah shuddered at the feeling of leather.

"What a waste," Ishakan complained. "I don't have much time."

If he had time, who knew what the hell he would do.

Leah quickly closed her legs, and Ishakan stood up, still smiling. The couch creaked under his shifting weight, slightly increased today because of the weight of the sword. His bow and quiver were probably strapped to his horse, but he kept his sword with him. Although she had never seen him handle his sword before, he carried it easily, with effortless skill.

Ishakan tied the handkerchief to the hilt of his sword. Everyone would wonder where he had gotten it as soon as they saw it, and Leah would have stopped him, but he asked her a question.

"What kind of beast would you like me to capture?"

He intended to bring her prey after the hunt. Well, he had intended to do that from the beginning; people were going to talk regardless of whether she surrendered her handkerchief or not. And no matter what, there would always be someone gossiping about them...

Leah sunk deep into her thoughts and was surprised when she realized they were starting to sound quite belligerent. It was as if she were slowly turning into Ishakan.

"I don't know what Blain was thinking when he invited you," she said, changing the subject.

"I suppose he is trying to determine the hierarchy," Ishakan replied, watching her as she sat down on the couch. "I'll compete with confidence, though the queen and prince may have their tricks."

'Just that?' Leah couldn't believe it, but Ishakan was calm.

"It's normal to go a little crazy when you fall in love," he said.

She didn't understand why he mentioned love out of nowhere. Ishakan tilted his head.

"Look at me, Leah." His eyes narrowed, a slight smile on his lips. "I'm being pretty stupid myself."

She looked at him, stunned. His words echoed in her head, though he looked unperturbed, as if he hadn't said anything strange. Her eyes grew wider and wider as the words sunk in, her thoughts swirling, and she put a startled hand to her mouth.

What had she just heard?

As she sat there without any idea what to do, Ishakan took her hand and placed five cookies in it, moderate-sized with chunks of palm dates.

"I'll be a while with the Crown Prince, so eat all of these in the meantime," he said, pressing a cookie to her lips. She chewed and swallowed reflexively. She tasted the sweetness of the palm dates, but swallowed too quickly to fully absorb the flavors.

The cookies were not her biggest concern. Leah got up from the couch.

"Just now," she began, and stopped. She tried to get the words out, but couldn't stop stuttering. "Just now, what you told me..."