'Tut, I have done a thousand dreadful things
As willingly as one would kill a fly,
And nothing grieves me heartily indeed
But that I cannot do ten thousand more.'

-William Shakespeare, Titus Andronicus
***

“Are you leaving for the patrol?”

A well-expected silence greeted her question.

Rayna’s mouth turned down in displeasure. She had been feeling unusually cranky since the break of dawn. She refused to consider the possibility of her impending meeting to that girl, to be the reason behind her sour mood.

Nonetheless, her husband’s actions were doing little to calm her disposition.

“You do know that it is a foolish move, right? The men from the capital are reported to be scouring the region. You should be staying here, instead.”

Gillian cast her an acrid look, while strapping his belt.

“You are the last person I would consult regarding the safety of my people.”

Rayna sighed, resigning herself to his refusal to see reason.
She was not going to dwell on that. Maybe it was for the best. He would be well out of her way, when she finally faced that puny girl today.

She would be rid of his unnecessary nagging.

Besides, she was overthinking.
Gillian was simply going to scout the forests’ perimeter for infiltrators. The task would hardly take more than a few hours. Moreover, there were adequate number of warriors still stationed around their settlement. They were safe.

“Well, I hope you will be back before sunset. I was hoping we could have our meal together.”

Gillian gave her a nonchalant shake of his head, exiting their hut at the very next moment.

Rayna gritted her teeth in annoyance.
It was all because of her.
Good thing, she could finally put an end to this drama.

The sooner that girl knew her place, the better.
______________________________________

Rayna stroked her belly lovingly, as she took in a deep breath of the fragrant dewy air surrounding her.

The delightful rays of the sun, warmed her skin, filling her with a deep sense of content.

That mood did not last for long, however, when she spotted the petite figure of a girl, advancing towards her in the meadow.

A streak of disgruntlement rushed through her, robbing her of all the serenity that had engulfed her up till a second ago.

Her annoyance only intensified when she took in the form of the girl as she neared- coming to a stop at a hand’s distance from where she stood.

Pathetic.
This was the girl Gillian fancied?
How laughable!

Sure, she was pretty- if one considered wide-eyed, fearful innocence as desirable.
But apart from that, she was as unremarkable as a delicate little daisy. It was the kind of beauty that would appeal to you for a while, but that appeal wouldn't take time to fade.

She was too delicate for her own good.
The poor girl could not even meet her eyes!

How can she ever match up to a man like Gillian?

He needed a strong woman.
One who could assist him like a partner. Not one who needed constant care and guarding.
He was far too important to waste his time in guarding her dainty little self.

“I’m glad you decided to come. It is good to see that you were able to gather enough courage for this.”

Rayna fixed the girl with her least intimidating look.
She sighed, seeing the spark of unease in her eyes.
She couldn’t even handle this much.

“Do you know what I called you here for?”

The girl looked at her with a frown marring her balmy features. She took a moment to answer her with a plain reluctance,

“I don’t know.”

Rayna smiled amusedly.

“The weather is nice today, isn’t it? It’s a pity Gillian had to leave for the patrol. I wished to take a stroll together- him, me and our child.”

She saw the plain discomfort on Lynette's face, and stopped herself from chuckling at her naivety. This might be easier than she had expected.

“He is ever too loving since we found out about the child. If it had not been a question of his duty, he wouldn’t have left me. You know how men can be, don’t you?”

The girl simply gave a faint nod of her head.

“Well, I simply wanted to clear some things with you, girl. I have no animosity towards you.
You do not matter to me. But unfortunately, you are proving to be a hinderance for my husband.
He needs to be with his family. Surely you must know how much he loves me.”

Lynette's face paled upon hearing her words.
Rayna knew she had to continue. There had been adequate amount of short talk between them. There was no need to stretch the matter any further.

She took a step closer to the girl, and spoke in a chillingly dispassionate voice.

“I know you might find it difficult to bear. You adore him- it is apparent on your face. I can’t blame you for that. My husband is a marvellous man.
But it would be too naïve of you to expect him to reciprocate your affections. Despite of what he may have told you, you mean nothing to him. Men tend to lure unassuming women through sweet talks; it doesn’t always mean that they are going to stay true to their promises.
You were simply a pastime for him. But it is over now. He has met the woman he wants to spend the entirety of his life with. And that is me.”

Rayna was appeased to find Lynette’s eyes brimming with unshed tears.
However, there was still a spark of reluctance left there. And she had to smother that spark, once and for all.

“Did he tell you about the glorious night we spent together?”

Surprisingly, the girl’s chin lifted up in defiance.

“Yes, he did. He told me that it was a drunken mistake. For, you are wrong. He did- does- love me. He would never intentionally hurt me.”

Rayna was almost impressed at her gumption.
The nerve of this girl!

She scoffed.

“So, that is what he told you, huh? Such a shame… You actually believed him.”

Rayna sighed dramatically, before continuing,

“He was simply trying to be benevolent. That night was no drunken mistake, girl. I assure you- we both were pretty aware of what we were doing. You should have seen his eyes… they were scalding with passion. He did tell me that he was tired of you. You were too pure for his liking. He wanted to make love with a fiery abandon- something that only I could give him. But I supposed he did not tell you those things.”

The tears were freely falling down Lynette’s cheeks.

Rayna could see the refusal in her eyes; but she knew that she had been successful in sowing the seed of doubt in her mind.

“So, it would be better for you to get rid of any wishful ideas. Find yourself a man who suits you; probably a sweet, dandy lad.”

A soft sob escaped Lynette’s lips.
Rayna found her patience thinning. She did not have time to handle this girl’s tears.

Why couldn’t she go and cry someplace else?

She opened her mouth to tell her the same, when she heard the unmistakable sound of hoofs.

Her muscles strained immediately and she kept a protective hand over her stomach.

The men had not taken any horses for the patrolling today, not wanting to disclose their presence to the enemy beforehand.
But if it weren’t them, then who was galloping through the dense forests, at this time of the day?

The meadow was too far away for any of the others to simply chance upon them. The horses were kept near the arena; and whatever practice the men required, was done there only. If it had been someone from the clan, they would simply have walked here.

It could only mean one thing- the enemy was nearby.

She gripped Lynette’s hand in urgency, shaking her, as she hissed,

“Shh. Be quiet.”

Lynette winced at the grasp, before widening her eyes when she saw her face.

Rayna was hardly aware of the fear that soon dawned in the girl’s eyes, as she too heard the sound.
She could hear the blood rushing in her ears, when the treading of the hoofs slowed.

In another moment, through the path of the south end of the forest surrounding the meadow, out came two majestic beasts.

The horses were unlike anything Rayna had ever seen. They were significantly larger than the ones in their region. These were not the breeds of their land.
And the riders of these horses, cemented the ominous feeling that had settled at the base of Rayna’s spine.

They were the capital’s soldiers, wearing the king’s sigil.

A shiver ran through Rayna’s skin, as the men languidly advanced their beasts to them. She could feel Lynette stiffen beside her; but she couldn’t bring herself to look at the girl. Her eyes were fixed at the leery gazes of the two burly men, who were almost as intimidating as the horses they rode.

They smirked as they unmounted, stalking towards them, while dragging their lewd gazes up their bodies.

“Looks like we got ourselves a decent bounty, Hal.”

One of them drawled out with a throaty chuckle.

Rayna was not the one to partake in useless wishful thinking. She knew she couldn’t run.
There was nowhere to escape to.
They were in an exposed meadow. There were no trees to take shelter. And she was on foot. Even if she made a dash for the forest, they would catch her before she ran any significant distance.
And she could never risk hurting her child.

A thousand questions ran through her mind.

What were they doing here, so soon?

Did Gillian and the men fail to notice them? If yes, then how?

How many of them were here?

Had they already managed to ransack the village?

Had the people managed to flee beforehand. Was her father alright? And Olga…

Will anyone be able to hear her, if she were to shout for help?
For, despite her belief in her strength, Rayna knew she would not be able to fight these two men; especially not in her condition.
She would not risk hurting her son. He was her first priority.

She glanced at the shaking girl clutching her arm; Lynette would not be any help.

Rayna’s mind began devising a way to escape. Olga’s statement about the brutality of these people, echoed in her mind.

“They take women and girls, Rayna!”

No. She could not let that happen…

“Stop!”

Her shrill command deftly hid the fear in her voice. The men stopped in their tracks, looking at her with a start.

She positioned herself in front of Lynette, and threw out a raised palm in warning.

“Do not take a step any further. You have no idea of who I am. You do not want to hurt me. I am the daughter of the chieftain of this area, and the wife of the fiercest warrior you have ever seen. If you lay a single finger upon me, or this girl, you will meet a fate worse than death.”

She could feel the astonished glance that Lynette threw her way.
Rayna knew that the girl was surprised at her words.

She had probably expected her to throw her to the mercy of these men. But that was exactly where she was wrong.

Despite what Gillian thought of her, Rayna had never taken the position of being the chieftain’s daughter lightly. Her husband was right in one way- she did not consider the members of her clan to be her equals. For, they were not. They did not carry the same responsibilities as her.
She was responsible for them.
They respected her position, because they all expected her to perform her due, when the time came.

And that due was now.

She was not going to let a defenceless, frail girl, come at harm. She was the one who called her here. And if they were to escape, she needed to be able to face her people with the pride of knowing that she had managed to save this girl.

Perhaps that will show Gillian, who the better woman was- the fearful, cowardly girl, or the brave, fearless woman.

“She got a tongue, huh! That is just right. Exactly the feistiness we needed. The others are a bore.”

Rayna wished she had followed Olga’s advice, and not come here alone.
There was no hope. They were stuck.

She gasped when one of the men roughly held her palm against his chest, gazing at her alarmed eyes with a lazy grin.

“Why woman… a chieftain’s daughter? That is marvellous. Who knew we will be lucky enough to go home from this simple preliminary exploration with such a perfect finding? Our Prince will be very happy indeed. What do you say, Hal?”

The man’s companion, who had been twirling his fingers through Lynette’s hair, nodded his head keenly.

“Of course! Though we were only supposed to have a look around the area, I do not think anybody will blame us for bringing these two beauties along.”

Rayna saw Lynette’s terrified expression, as she held her hands against her chest, shaking her head with teary eyes.

“No, please…”

The girl’s whimpers were outright pitiful.
Rayna knew she would not be able to face what lay ahead of them. If they were caught, they wouldn’t be shown any mercy. She shuddered at the thought of what could happen to them. She had to let Lynette escape. She would only hinder their possibilities of freedom. Maybe that girl could warn the others…

“Leave the girl alone. She is a common peasant, and of no use to you. You call yourself the king’s men? Then show her some mercy. You have the chieftain’s daughter. What more do you want?”

The man- Hal- paid her little attention, continuing his ministrations on Lynette.

“Why will we ever do that? Do you take us for a bunch of fools? She will open her bloody mouth and tell your people about the attack we have planned. And, I think two lasses are better than one. That whore can go to our men in the army. And you-"

The man in front of her, brought his meaty fingers to touch Rayna’s cheek, causing her to flinch at the contact.

“Our Prince will decide what to do with you. A chieftain’s daughter is no laughing matter. We might as well get a leverage over the old man.”

Rayna wanted to spit in the man’s face; but she knew that he would not hesitate to use violence on her. She could not do anything to harm her son.
A single blow, and she might lose him forever.

She swallowed the bile that rose up the column of her throat.

“You are making a mistake.”

The man smirked and pulled her flush against his body.
His rotten breath hit her face.

“Careful with your warning, lass. I might lose my patience sooner than I had planned. If it were not for the Prince’s approval, I would not have hesitated to show you your place. But as it gets, he seems to be very… particular about a few select prisoners. And a chieftain’s daughter qualifies as one. But do not be mistaken. I may as well take you here itself and present him with a lifeless corpse instead. As for that girl-"

He cast a perusing eye at a shuddering Lynette.

“She might suffice our needs for now. As soon as we cross the borders safely, we both will have our fill of her.”

She saw Lynette’s eyes fill with desperation. The girl’s pleas intensified, and she began shouting at the top of her lungs.

Rayna, on the other hand, was too terrified to speak. Had she been alone, she might have been able to handle this situation. But with her child in her womb…
How could she, as his mother, let him down so easily?
She had vowed to protect him. How will she keep her vow?

A deep sense of helplessness washed over her. Her resolve broke as she let the tears pool in her eyes.
With a pleading look, she raised her eyes to the man in front of her.

“Please…”

He seemed to derive a sick pleasure in her resignation, laughing delightfully.

“Breaking so soon? No, lass. I expected better. Come now, Hal. We have to leave. Take the girl with you.”

He pulled her towards the horses. Rayna struggled to break free of his grip, carefully avoiding tripping over her feet.

Her son. Her little tiger…

“Leave me!”

Behind her, Lynette’s cries echoed as she too, was pulled by the other soldier.

They both were soon loaded onto the horses.

Rayna avoided landing on her stomach, keeping her body tilted at an angle. The horse’s spine dug into her side, but she bit back the pain. Her head hung against the beast’s flank, giving her a view of Lynette’s writhing frame, huddled over the back of the second horse. Her hands flayed, hitting the horse’s side.

Rayna wished she could do that. But a simple injury may lead her to lose her child. The best she could do, was to stay still, and avoid any movements.
Anything to agitate the animal, will simply be detrimental for her own cause.

The man jumped behind her, holding her by the hips.

“There you are. Soft and pliant. You presented quite a contrasting front earlier.”

Rayna gritted her teeth. If only she could show the man what she was capable of…

Her head raised as the sound of scampering feet reached her ears.

Her heart soared when she heard her husband’s voice.

“Lyn!”

It was unmistakably Gillian’s voice. She did not dwell over the fact that he had called the other girl’s name.

Nothing mattered, as long as he was here. He will save her and their son.
Surely, he will.

She did not think of why he was here. Just his presence brought back her hope to make it out alive, along with her child.

“Gillian!”

Lynette’s terrified cry rang in Rayna’s ears. The girl was just as relieved to have heard his voice.

The soldiers sat up, alert. She heard them commanding their horses.

A horrified whisper escaped her, at the same time as the horses neighed, raising their hoofs and hitting the ground beneath.

“No!”

In the periphery of her vision, she saw Gillian emerge from the forest thickets, taking in the scene before him.

She knew the exact moment the panic set in his eyes. He was still carrying his bow and arrows, that he had taken for the patrolling this morning. He ran towards them, at the same moment as the horses started trotting in the opposite direction.

“Lyn!”

His guttural cry tore through the wind, causing a sharp pain to pierce through Rayna’s heart.

She was just in front of his eyes, and he still saw only that girl. That wretched girl.

It was at that moment that Rayna wondered if she had been wrong all along…

He will never be able to love her.

Here she was- carrying his child in her womb- and all he saw, was Lynette.

The girl herself, was jubilant upon seeing him. Lynette’s arms were extended in his direction, as if he would come and pull her to him.

Rayna wanted to let out a guffaw. Perhaps she should let the men do whatever they want with the girl…

“That sodden man! He has seen too much. Rush the horse, Hal! He should not be able to catch up to us. Fortunately, he is alone.”

Rayna knew Gillian will not be able to save them.

She wanted to be happy at the cruelty of fate. At least she had the satisfaction of seeing him finally part from that pathetic girl, once and for all.
These men had succeeded, where she had failed.

She might as well take that satisfaction out of this situation.

But then she saw Gillian’s rage-filled face, with his veins throbbing against his skin, as he stopped abruptly. Understanding dawned on her, when she saw him pull out his bow, and position one of the arrows.

Rayna’s first instinct was hope.
He was going to shoot!

She will be safe! Her son will be safe!

But the relief was doused in another second.

The horses had gained too much speed. Within a few seconds, they will cross into the forest. It will be impossible for him to save them both in such a short time.

He had to load the arrows, and take the aim. And with the horses running at the speed and direction they were, it will take immense luck and precision to get the aim right.

A numbing realisation hit her with the force of a storm, as she saw the direction of his arrow.

He was going to hit the horse that carried Lynette.

He had never even considered to save Rayna.
No, she would not give him that satisfaction.

Rayna could not let him trample upon her pride like this.
He was bent on saving Lynette?
Well, he would have to face disappointment.
She will not let them humiliate her like this. She will not let him snub their son.

With the resolve, Rayna stilled her body of all moments, trying to let the vibrations of the animal’s body roll through her.
The two horses were close together; and Lynette’s legs were hanging well within her own reach. If she extended her hand a little further, she would be able to disbalance the girl enough; and if luck had it, she would fall off the horse. The soldiers were too busy escaping the aim of the arrow, causing their grasps to loosen.

If not for her condition, Rayna would have fell off her horse herself. Even if she died from the fall, it would have been a much better fate than what was probably waiting for her at the capital. But she couldn’t.

Even if Gillian managed to hit the horse, the girl was bound to fall. There was no escaping it.
Then, why couldn’t she snatch that from him?

A chance to save the love of his life? She bet not.

Hence, she pulled.
She held the ends of Lynette’s boots and pulled her forward with all her might. The girl gave a fearful cry, causing the horse’s steps to falter. The soldiers cursed under their breath. But before they could manage to handle her, she was already falling down.

Rayna’s heart swelled with a mixture of victory and spite, as she glanced at her husband’s horrified expression, seeing Lynette’s fall.

He had immediately dropped his bow and arrow, and was running in their direction.

You foolish man…

Rayna refused to cry for him. She had no tears to waste for the two of them.

The soldiers gave a disgruntled cry, choosing to proceed, instead of stopping to look at the girl. They could not risk getting caught. Rayna bit her lip as the man behind her, gave a sharp hit at her back, as a punishment for her action.

Her hair flew in the wind, as the horse neighed again, before galloping at full speed towards the edge of the forest.

The last glimpse she had of the meadow, was of her husband, bent over Lynette’s splayed figure, stroking her face lovingly. His own face was etched with worry and terror.

Was the girl dead?

Rayna would never forget the one and only look he cast in her direction at that moment.
It was a look filled with accusation, loathing and pure loathing.

But it did not pierce her heart, like it should have.

Perhaps it had finally happened.

Gillian had once accused her of having no heart. Maybe his words had indeed been true.
For she returned his hate-filled glare, with a humourless smile.

It was the smile of a madwoman.

A woman who had finally realised how futile her efforts to gain this man’s love had been.

As the dark canopy of the forest covered her, with the spiny branches tearing at her skin, Rayna vowed to never love another man.

She now cared for one thing, and one thing only- the safety of her child.

And she would do anything for that. If it meant quietly bearing the stings, darkness, hunger, pain and the terror of the future, she was ready to face that.

______________________________________

Author’s Note-

Hello to all my wonderful readers!

I know I have been an awful with the updates. I am so sorry for disappointing you all.

But I must admit that the updates are going to be fewer now.
My classes have started, and I am not getting enough time to write. There has been a lot going on besides that. So, I hope you all will cut me some slack!😅

I am trying my best to resume my updates as and when I get time, but I can’t promise you guys much.
At the most, I will be updating once a week.

But I assure you, that I will not abandon this novel.
It will be finished. I give you my word.
😌

Now, back to the story-

What do you think of the chapter?

What are your thoughts on Rayna’s actions?
What do you think the future holds for her?

We will soon meet our fourth main cast member in the next chapter. I must admit- he is one complex character.

Do you think he will be a match for Rayna?

Will Gillian and Lynette finally have their happy-ending?

How come Gillian was there? Any ideas?

Again, thanks a lot for your patience.

Till the next time!👋