2 comments/ 21910 views/ 7 favorites Betrayal Bk. 01 By: Zero_Infinite Betrayal: The Trap is Set (Book 1) Author's words: There is a large focus on story here. So prepare for that. Hopefully it is enjoyed and makes the other scenes better for it. With regards to the fetishes involved... there is at least one standard vanilla sex scene, but there will be some non-consent, bondage, domination and humiliation type themes. I have the story itself planned out already so can add to it in the future. I have done more editing this time to try and improve the story further and ended up writing more than I probably should have. Hopefully I leave you wanting more though... Disclaimer; all characters are fictional and as such couldn't give genuine consent even if I wrote them that way. It's all fiction, fantasies and fun etc. "The blurb": The world is broken. The lands are poisoned. And life is tough. Ruling houses lord over their claimed lands. Leaving the unclaimed lands for gangs of marauders to ravage. Emily is the daughter of such a lord and preparing for her engagement with her arranged fiancé. Her father worries that their house is close to financial ruin and is making one last play to try and bring it back from the edge of disaster. Meanwhile, Gan, the leader of one of the, so called savage, gangs is troubled by something that could mean the death of those he is supposed to protect. Contents Chapter 1-1 Chapter 2-1 Chapter 3-2 Chapter 4-3 Chapter 5-5 Chapter 6-6 Chapter 7-9 ***** Chapter 1 "Miss Crawford?" The voice called out, cutting through the vague notions of dreams that exist been sleep and reality. Emily stretched and blinked her eyes open, all thoughts of where her mind had wandered whilst her body rested, slipping away. There was a gentle knock on the door as her maid's head slipped into the room moments before the rest of her entered, "Miss Crawford?" She said a second time in a mixture of 'can I help you?' and 'are you okay?' intonation. Emily sat up and smiled softly in a sleepy fashion. She pushed back her long, naturally straight hair from her bright blue eyes, "Good morning Sadie." Her voice crackling ever so slightly from its lack of use whilst she'd slept. "I have made you some tea." She said, walking over to the bed with a tray. She placed the tray over Emily's lap before walking over and opening the large thick curtains, letting the light into the spacious room. "The tailor has finished making your dress for the treaty signing ceremony." Emily cringed as the light poured in through the large windows, burning her eyes. She idly checked the ends of her hair for split ends, the morning light causing her hair to vibrantly come alive, glimmering a coppery red. Emily nodded to acknowledge Sadie's comment as she poured some tea from the pot to the cup before taking a small sip with a grimace. It tasted awful, but then it always did. This was at least better than taking the herbs without any taste modifier. She remembered how petulant she'd been as a child, refusing to drink her tea. But without the herbs people would become very sick, they'd lose their hair, they'd develop skin lesions and eventually they'd die. It was a horrid and slow death and she'd seen a few people in such a state whilst on the outskirts of her father's territory. She had been told that there were never enough of the herbs to keep everyone healthy and that there was nothing that could be done. Especially with the raids on the outskirt villages. Sadie kept talking, "Mrs Harrison sent her apologies that she won't be able to meet with you regarding the engagement." "A pity." Emily replied with a tight lipped frown, her younger sister had yet to find a suitable match and since the death of her mother it was her responsibility to find one. It was becoming a harder task as tensions continued to rise between neighbouring lords. Even her own betrothal, made years ago, was looking more and more under threat. She was already nineteen, it was common for marriages to take place when the girl turned sixteen. However the last few years had been tense, even before her mother's death. The black liquid that powered every town was becoming more and more scarce. One of the wells in the region had been depleted, leaving only two. She'd been told that a hundred years ago there were twelve and until her birth eight had been in operation. The accelerated loss of the vital resource was making everyone understandably nervous. Sadie came to collect the tray as Emily finished, "Oh and Miss Crawford..." She hesitated for a moment, giving what looked like an almost apologetic smile, "...your father wishes to see you this morning." Emily nodded before sending Sadie out to perform her other duties, whilst she held back a shiver. Her father had grown darker and darker since the loss of her mother two years ago. He scared her sometimes, but she knew he loved her and was just afraid of losing anyone else. The assault that had killed her mother had also taken his only son, her half-brother, and the position of their house was made much less secure. Their carriage had come under fire whilst passing through unclaimed territory. It was made to seem like marauders, everyone knew that they roamed the unclaimed lands and would take and kill without discretion. But they were not known for being sentimental, they'd never been known to take their dead with them, even on occasion leaving the wounded behind. She couldn't believe that five of her father's best men hadn't been able to take one of those savages down even with the rifles they carried. Losing those five had been a blow too, though her father had been too upset about his wife and son to make much noise regarding it. Or perhaps he just feared how weak it could make the house appear. They were originals, from the old days. Even today they couldn't effectively reproduce weapons of that quality. More accurate, less likely to jam, never rusting, they knew a little about the technology that created them, but so much had been lost. It was like being told that to fly, one simply had to levitate, it didn't make it any less of an impossibility. She threw back the covers and got up out of bed to walk over to her dresser. She undid her night gown and let it fall to the floor around her feet. She glanced at herself in the mirror and turned around a little. She glanced over her shoulder and smiled happily. She knew it was vain, but then why shouldn't she be? She had a petite and slender build and the only weight she'd put on had gone towards giving her pleasing curves, to her hips, buttocks and breasts. She lifted her breasts up in cupped hands, though they didn't sag far, finishing her self-admiration she leant in towards the mirror to check her face. Her blue eyes scanned her face; she had high cheekbones, a delicate jawline and a small nose that turned up ever so slightly at the end. She smiled, her full lips curling upwards and causing two small dimples to form either side of her mouth. It wasn't really anything special to be beautiful as a member of a holding house. It was partially why they always married their children off to one another. They always tended to be more attractive, athletic, intelligent and less prone to illness. Partially because of their more privileged lifestyle, but the archivists said it was more than that, that the ruling houses were designed to be that way and that they were 'genetically superior'. The houses had used that to further their claims to leadership and after the first few generations everyone had sort of just gotten use to the fact that they were in charge. She slipped on a pair of light blue silk panties that covered her modesty. She then began the task of fastening herself into a corset of a matching colour. It left her shoulders bare but cupped her breasts and gave them support, not to mention that it amplified her cleavage, though she wasn't lacking in that department. She had found that a distracting flash of cleavage had the most remarkable power to sway discussions in her favour from time to time. A small knowing smile, a laugh, a touch on the arm and she had men doing exactly what she wanted. It bordered on inappropriate for someone of her station, but she was unwed so it was technically okay for her to act in such a flirtatious way, though usually girls were married before they fully developed into women. Though, she'd never even been in the same room alone with a man who wasn't her father or brother so it was not like anything would progress to anything unseemly. The very idea brought colour to her cheeks. As she fastened the corsets last hook at the front she scrunched up her nose. She didn't like wearing it, it was uncomfortable, constricting and made breathing a chore. But she had meant to meet with Mrs Harrison today and although the meeting may be off Sadie had prepared her clothes the night before. Not that it would be appropriate for her not wear any under garment, even if it was never seen by anyone other than her maid. She did on occasion get away with it growing up, but it was past the point where it would be obvious. The colour of her clothes was part of social order. As a direct member of a ruling house, she could choose any colour other than purple, which was reserved for the leading family of an alliance. There had been very few of those, most alliances formed of equal members. Several decades ago so many families had been united in an alliance that there were four tongues in total, the meetings had required translators and took months to arrange. However as they got larger the interests of the members had diverged to the point that they just became arguments. The last action had called for a vote to elect a leader at the next meeting. It never came, people didn't like to change and the leading families never liked the idea of being deferent to anyone. Although she could choose any colour other than purple, she'd never choose to wear the colour red. That was a colour chosen by women offering sex for money; one of the brighter colours available to the common classes. Brown and grey was available to anyone and as such was avoided by most. Though she knew that much, it became complicated after that, more colour choices available depending on the profession, wealth and title of the person's family. It didn't affect her and she paid it no mind. There was a quite knock at the door, three small quiet taps. "Come in." She said authoritatively. She had expected it to be her sister, coming in with a bright and cheerful smile on her face. "Morning Emily. Need a hand?" She asked with a cheerful voice. "Good morning Lisa and yes that'd be very helpful." She replied. Nobody other than her sister or maid would be knocking on her door this time in the morning, hence why she'd invited them in, even whilst she stood in just her underwear. Her sister came over and started to tighten the laces at her back. She preferred when her sister did it as it left her a little more room to breathe, Sadie always insisting on pulling a little too tight; perhaps she'd force that woman into one and show her just how it felt not to be able to breathe! "Are you meeting with Mrs Harrison today?" Lisa asked. Ah, so that was what she was here about. Lisa had just turned eighteen; it was unusual not to be married at that age and almost unheard of not to be engaged. It was an insult to her family and to her father especially. Their house had fallen more and more out of favour and it was becoming harder to make trade agreements and even to make meetings with members of other houses. She did worry about their financial security from time to time, but she trusted her father would know what he was doing. "She had to delay the meeting to next week due to health reasons." Emily said, she'd make sure to let Sadie know about the small lie before Lisa found out. She would vie for a chance at another meeting between now and then and hope she could get one. To be turned down after an offer was one thing, but to not even have it heard was insulting, so she'd at least try to spare her sister that dishonour. "Oh, I see." Lisa said, sounding disappointed, moving to take a seat on the bed. Emily sat down on a chair and lifted her leg, somewhat awkwardly to start slipping on her black stockings, she couldn't bend much at the middle so she had to be rather flexible to achieve the move. She pulled the stockings up her slender legs, holding her leg out straight as she checked for ladders and wiggling her toes slightly. "I'm sure it will be fine Lisa. Don't worry about it, it is a very tense time at the moment. We will find someone soon." She said as she dressed. It was Emily's job to arrange a proposal now that her mother was dead. She'd had to take on a lot more responsibilities, being the oldest sibling. Her sister had managed to stay much the same, uncaring about much outside of the house and her own engagement. She still seemed like a child most of the time, even though she was only about a year younger than herself, she felt a strange need to protect her. She finished putting on her second stocking and stood, clipping them to the bottom of the corset with the straps that hung down from it to hold them up. "Father said he needed to speak with you." Lisa said, Emily sighed and nodded, her shoulders slumping in reluctance to the knowledge she was trying to forget right now. "Yes, Sadie had mentioned it." She replied walking back over to her dresser and slipping a darker blue dress over her head and struggled her way into it. She could almost hear the pout on her sister's lips, "Sorry." She said as she helped Emily pull the dress down over her head. As she finally won her battle against the fabric, her head pushing free, she widened her eyes at the sight of her sister directly in front of Emily's face, making a greatly exaggerated pouting face. Emily blinked and laughed, pushing her away a little, "Didn't mean to sound so exasperated, it's just that I was worried about what it was he might want to talk about that he'd want to see me so early. We usually meet later in the day with his heads of staff to discuss event, it must be something urgent." Her sister smiled reassuringly and hugged her. She hugged her back tightly. Perhaps her little sister had grown up more than she'd realised as she was comforted by her. She was similar to Emily, though a few inches shorter and whilst Emily had rich, red hair like her mother, her sister had light blonde hair like their father. She hadn't filled out into such a womanly figure, as Emily had, Lisa's form was more slender. Lisa moved around to help do up the back of Emily's dress. "I'm sure it will be fine Emily, he probably just meant to say something about the meeting with Mrs Harrison and hadn't heard she'd cancelled the meeting." Emily nodded. "Yes, that's probably-" She bit her tongue realising that she'd been too occupied by her thoughts to not fall into the hole her own lie had dug. She turned around slowly with an apologetic look. Lisa stared blankly at her for a few moments before her voice cut the silence, "You don't have to treat me like a child anymore Emily. I won't wither up at the first sign of clouds like a flower left to collect rain. If it's cancelled just tell me, don't feed me stories." She turned with a stomp of her foot and headed out of the room. Emily hesitated, meaning to give an apology, but her sister left and closed the door before she could. She sighed and shook her head, she'd forgive her soon she hoped. They didn't argue often, she loved her sister and would do anything for her. She went back to dressing, putting on a pair of black leather boots with a small heel that brought her height up to near six foot. She looked at herself in the mirror again; her dress followed the line of the corset underneath, giving her a narrow waist, before flaring out a little at her hips and falling down to her ankles. It rested on the edges of her shoulders, with short sleeves that fell to mid upper arm. It left most of her shoulders bare and came low enough to show the top of her breasts, cut straight across her chest. Sadie knocked on the door before coming in. Emily smiled at her though she didn't feel like smiling and wandered over in silence to sit at her mirror and think about what she would do next regarding Lisa. Whilst she did Sadie came to apply the small amount of make-up she wore and sort out her hair. Most importantly Emily tried to keep her mind off what her father might have to say. She thought back to their last private meeting though, against her better judgment. The last time he'd requested to speak with her like this, he'd asked her to kill a man. ***** Chapter 2 Bodies lay everywhere he looked, blood, screaming, chaos, loud rhythmic sound of rifle fire. There was nothing he could do, he couldn't save her, he ran as fast as he could but he kept falling he kept feeling too weak and the flat ground felt like running up a hill, he'd lose them all, their lives would be ended he'd-. He woke with a start. His knife moved in a flash, pressing to the throat of the man standing above him. "G-Gan, it's me." The old grizzled man stuttered. He had a scar over one eye that left it a milky white and kept it from opening as wide as the other in his startled look of fear. He had a roughly trimmed grey beard and a mostly bald head. He was the oldest man Gan knew and he had served as wisdom to the gang since before Gan had been leader. "Sorry, bad dream." Gan said. He stood up and stretched, putting the knife back in its sheath and strapping it around his waist so it sat at the small of his back. In the unclaimed lands you never went anywhere without a knife. It was at your side when you slept, when you washed and when you fucked. There was a common joke among those who walked the unclaimed lands, about a couple fucking with knives at each other's throats; neither slowing down and neither disarming. She'd apparently left him dehydrated until his life had ended... okay there was more to the joke than that, but he admitted to himself, being screwed to your grave wasn't a bad way to go, not out here. A knife was sometimes referred to as your first wife and at the age of thirteen you'd be given your own blade to carry. It was a ceremonial rite of passage from being a child to an adult and marked the end of a freedom that those below the age never privileged as much, until it was gone. Ending the life of anyone under that age was death. Whilst ending anyone above that age was merely frowned upon. If you had reason and gave them sufficient warning to defend themselves it was fine. You'd take on the wealth and responsibilities of the one you killed. However that didn't stop someone from stabbing you whilst you slept and paying a witness to say you defended yourself. Or slitting your throat whilst you slept and leaving you to be found by someone else. However, to be found guilty of that crime meant death. 'Death' and being dead are not the same thing in the gangs. When you stopped breathing, you were at an end, you were dead. However death was punishment, you had no name, no wealth, no responsibility, no freedom, you were a slave, you would be seen as no more than a beast of burden or property. Gan was wearing only a pair of tight shorts that he slept in. He was well muscled and the lack of much body fat showed the definition of his build. He wasn't a bulky, brawling type of build, he was much more meant for quick fast strikes and getting out of the way, any weight you had, had to be carried with you. If you could accomplish the same thing by dodging and striking fast with a lighter build as you could by brawling with a bigger one he didn't see the point in wasting the energy. He knew some men would lift large rocks and try to get their muscles larger and more intimidating, but he was happy with his more reserved, well-toned body. Besides, he was already quite tall for a man, half a head above most; he found that that served as intimidation enough for most. He took the cup wisdom offered him, and he tipped it down his throat and winced at the taste. Somehow it cut through even the spirits they mixed it with. Betrayal Bk. 01 "We have enough for two weeks. We'll have to make a raid soon." Wisdom said. Two weeks was a reasonable store, it meant they'd have three before the first signs of the poisoning showed up, but it was better to be safe. He nodded as he threw on a loose shirt and then started to pull on a pair of leather pants that had a few repaired cuts on them from the occasional knife attack he'd been too slow to dodge that they'd saved him from. "We can strike the village east of here, they make cider their too if I remember correctly. That will be good for morale." The wisdom nodded at Gan's words looking thoughtful, as he often did. As leader of the gang, Gan made the decisions, but the wisdom was always used for advice and could speak against the decisions of the leader, though in many gangs that had gone unfavourably. Instead he advised and persuaded. But Gan knew his advice was always good and rarely got angry at the man, even if he advised him to do something he did not wish to. He slipped on a pair of socks and boots before throwing a short leather coat on over his shirt. Dressed, Gan stepped over his pack and out of the small tent. He looked around at the dozens of tents surrounding his. People moved around the camp with purpose, carrying skins of water, looking after packs of children, going to the river to wash. For all its savagery, this was his home and it was theirs too. The wisdom stepped out to join him, "Gan, you remember what we discussed before?" Gan sighed and shook his head, "I don't want to hear any more of that drivel." "Things are getting harder, another well ran dry recently. It is said in the stories that-" "They are just that. Stories. Things are harder, which means we have to work harder to survive, not waste time on some myth." "Okay Gan... Just please at least promise that you'll remember what I said, it is all I ask." He sighed and nodded, the wisdom was the oldest, he had the most experience but it didn't mean he had the best judgement, as his superstitions in some old prophecy showed. "I'll read them tonight." "Gan!" A man called out as he hurried up the hill. "I see you Jay." Gan replied. Jay was his right hand in the camp, a position that meant he would act with Gan's authority and as such required a great degree of trust. "I see you Gan." He said as he got closer, catching his breath quickly, "We need you at the med tent." Gan nodded and started to move, letting Jay get ahead to lead the way. He'd not be in such a hurry if it wasn't urgent and wouldn't have come for Gan if it wasn't important, he didn't need to ask what it was to know it needed dealing with right away. He walked behind Jay, wisdom at his back as they moved through the camp. It would be how most lines of men would move into battle, youngest to oldest. It let the eager youth cut their teeth in battle, make claims of rights over the possessions of those they killed. It also allowed the more energetic youth to wear down enemies before the experienced older men could come in to finish those left. You didn't get old by being weak, only the most skilful survived. Gan wasn't that much older than Jay, he was nearing thirty and didn't yet have a hint of grey in his short dark brown hair. He had a stern face, though he got smiles from women that told him he wasn't unpleasing to the eye, but he didn't have time to admire himself much in a mirror. He had a square jaw and a nose that had been broken once or twice and showed a hint of that fact. Overall it gave him a rugged look. They arrived at the tent and Jay held the flap back for Gan, he entered with wisdom beside him. The tent was larger than most and relatively empty at the moment. It was good to have a large area for the sick and injured, and better yet when it wasn't in use. Shay looked up at him and smiled, the exact smile he'd noted earlier that told him he wasn't unpleasant to look upon. He smiled back, she was after all, beautiful. She had long black hair, tied up out of the way. Her face was narrow, her nose a little large but it gave her a stronger look. She had blue eyes that stood out with her black hair. Her figure was lithe with a few subtle curves and his eyes took note of that for a few moments longer than he'd needed. "I see you- Gan." The way she said it with a small pause before his name, suggested that she'd seen the way his eyes had gone. "I see you Shay." He said with a grin, only they needed to greet each other. The wisdom was not allowed to challenge, or be challenged, he moved unseen and Jay was Gan's right hand, he was part of Gan and considered one and the same when together. "Did Jay tell you what happened?" "No. He'd not had time, we came straight over. I assumed it was urgent from the way he rushed to find me?" She nodded and moved over to the other side of the tent where a body clearly lay, a sheet hiding it. She lifted it up. Gan walked over and grimaced at what he saw beneath. A young girl's body lay on the mat, that pale colour that spoke of lifelessness, her eyes resting closed. He clenched his jaw, "Mai was her name, wasn't it?" Shay looked a little shocked at that and gave a small sad smile. It was impossible to know everyone's name in a camp, but as leader Gan did his best and the cheerful little girl had been easy to remember, she'd said her name with such confidence. "Who did this?" Gan said through gritted teeth remembering the girl running through the camp playing with other children. She'd often had daisies in her hair hadn't she? He thought to himself. Shay shook her head and Gan sneered in anger, "There is more." She said and Gan narrowed his eyes. "She was stabbed in the back and... the dagger was left in her." Gan let out a small sound of anger, something like a growl. Getting stabbed in the back could happen in a fair fight, it was more the losers fault for showing his back than it was the attackers for taking it. But it felt wrong, like cutting at the eyes or groin, anyone can surrender in a fight and to leave someone unable to breed, or see, was considered unnecessarily cruel. The wisdom took in a breath as Shay had spoken and Gan had hardly been paying attention as the man had spoken beside him, "-the girl will die and demand three deaths, as the land does die. And so it'll bring the saviour to them who'll lead the way." Shay looked somewhat confused and a little concerned. Gan's neck snapped round to look at the older man and he bared his teeth, "This isn't the time for your stories!" He spat out in anger. Although he was right, this murder did demand three deaths. Someone before their thirteenth year, ended without someone to claim the death and then the dagger in the back, not just a sign that they'd done it without warning but a message. "Show me the dagger." He commanded. Shay handed him the weapon, handle held out to him as she carefully held the blade, "I think that the blade belongs to-" He cut her off, "Farg." He said, his voice dripping with venom at having to say the name. It was the dagger of another gang, they'd had conflicts with them in the past. There was one way to survive in the unclaimed lands and that was to take what you needed. Most gangs took from the claimed lands, most would take what they needed and do little harm. Killing aimlessly would only attract the attention of the landguards. They would each carry a rifle and were each as powerful as a small squad of men. Gan had several rifles, but ammo was hard to come by in raids, all kept in heavily guarded regions not worth fighting for, so it was saved for when it was needed. Some gangs however, took from other gangs. They were not so discriminate about killing, better a dead enemy than one that can bite back. Farg was the leader of one of these gangs. "Do we know where he is?" The wisdom shook his head, "If this was him, he must be close." "Where in the camp was Mai found?" Gan asked. "North-east. By the river." Jay replied, he looked somewhat disturbed by the whole thing, but then who wouldn't be? Gan nodded, "We go that way then." The wisdom nodded but Jay narrowed his eyes sceptically, "How do you know that is where they are?" Gan held up the dagger. "They left us a message, they wouldn't have done that if they didn't want a reply." He walked from the tent, not wanting to be in there with the body of the girl for a moment longer, striding straight out and nearly walking straight into a woman who stood just outside. She widened her eyes, her gaze flicking to the knife as she took a quick step backwards on instinct, her own flashing from her sleeve before she saw who he was, "G-Gan!.. I see you Gan." She said, still holding the knife. He handed the weapon to wisdom as he came out beside him, that was as good as sheathing it and so she did the same, "I see you." He replied. She looked distressed, "I-I'm Lai, Mai's mother...do you know what happened?" She said pleadingly. He gritted his teeth. "It was Farg." She let out a small sob and fell to her knees, clenching her fists. "BASTARD!" She said with seething fury. Something snapped inside him, if he had had the capacity to cry he would have, if he had the luxury of throwing his head back and screaming at the sky at the injustice of it he would, but he was leader, he was to be the cold steel of the blade. He took the dagger back from wisdom. "Lai." He said. She looked up, her eyes flashing to the blade nervously at first. He drew it across his palm and then clenched his fist letting a few drops of blood fall to the ground. "I swear a blood oath, that I will make Farg pay for this!" He grabbed the blade by the handle and held the blade, with effort he snapped it at the hilt, managing not to cut himself in the process. It was an act of great disrespect to Farg, destroying his weapon, it was the greatest insult to that man that he could give right now and yet it wasn't enough. Lai looked up at him through watered eyes; she gave a small nod and tried at a thanking smile before she continued to grieve. She appreciated the gesture, but her daughter was still gone, he couldn't do anything to aid her in that grief. Shay touched his arm, "Let me see to that cut." She said tenderly. He nodded, handing the blade to wisdom. "Go with Jay, I need to calm this storm inside of me before I can act again today." Wisdom nodded and the two of them left. He hardly noticed as Shay led him to a tent beside the larger medical one and prompted him to sit on a mat inside. He glanced about and blinked, "Why are we not in the medical tent?" "I thought that you needn't see the body again right now." He nodded as she took out some things from a pack and knelt down in front of him. "Won't they need you?" He asked. She smiled softly, dabbing something on the cut that stung, he didn't flinch from the pain as she cleaned his wound whilst responding. "There aren't many injured or sick and I have assistants." She placed some gauze over the cut and started wrapping a bandage around his hand. "Besides, I thought you might need me more..." She said; tilting her head and looking into his eyes with her shockingly blue gaze, a thin eyebrow raised. "Shay, I'm the leader. I'm responsible for everyone an-" She cut him off by leaning forward and pressing her lips to his, kissing him firmly, she tasted sweet. He pulled back and broke the kiss, and as he went to protest she interrupted him, speaking first, "Everyone includes me." She said. "Besides, it wasn't long ago that you'd be the one insisting..." She added with a small pout. He blinked, her pouting look stirring something inside him and evoking a small grin. "Or is it only resisting that draws your interest?" She asked, scrunching up her nose playfully. He sighed and shook his head with a small chuckle, "Hmm, no you draw my interest well enough... it's just that I'm busy, I need to see to things around the camp." She pouted some more and gave him a sceptical look, "Jay will handle things fine without you." She smiled at him and he remembered the first time he'd taken her. Years ago, before he was leader, when he was younger and more led by passion. She'd resisted at first, but eventually she had given into him. He remembered her struggling as he'd held her and the feeling of first being inside her. She kissed him again, deeply, her tongue flickering forward a little to tease his. He relaxed, his desire taking over. He kissed back, his un-bandaged hand coming up to cup her cheek. As he did he felt a tightening in his pants and he shifted up onto his knees. She tugged at his coat with a sense of urgency, pulling it down off his shoulders, he shrugged and struggled out of it, throwing it aside. Whilst he did she reached up and undid the tie behind her neck that held up the top of the dress, it fell down to her waist, revealing her modestly sized round breasts, paler than the rest of her tanned skin. He made an animalistic sound as he leant forward, his head dipping as he brushed his lips over her nipple. She gasped slightly, his tongue lightly draw a circle around her small pink nip before flicking at it, causing her to make pleased murmuring sounds. He leant forward sucking, slightly rougher, nibbling softly as his hand cupped her other breast, squeezing. She made some more sounds, fidgeting a few small squeaks coming from her before she pushed his head back and he pulled away, his lips tugging at her nipple as he did. He gave her a quizzical look, "I thought you liked it when I did that?" He said with a teasing grin. She ran a hand down his jaw with a wry grin the scrapping sound of bristled skin, "Your stubble is rather distracting." He grinned some more and fondled her breast gently, "Oh? Then you won't want me to do this then?" He said as he pressed a hand down on her chest, between her breasts, pushing her onto her back as he took hold of her leg lifting it up beside him to rest on his shoulder. She giggled as he pressed his lips to her calf and kissed firmly, kissing again a little higher up her leg. She bit down on her bottom lip, looking up at him, and gave him a sultry look, squeezing her breasts teasingly. He kept kissing down her leg, pushing her skirt up until it was up around her hips, revealing the small thong of material she wore between her legs. He kissed up her inner thigh causing her to struggle to hold back more laughter. He purposefully brushed his cheek against her thigh. With a small snort she ran her hands through his hair and gripped, pulling firmly and dragging him up so he could kiss her again. She lay on her back, legs spread with him kneeling between them, he leant over her, a hand placed down beside her head to hold himself up. He grinned and leant forward kissing her roughly and passionately. Their lips locked tightly, pressing against each other, begging for more. He slipped his tongue into her mouth as hers welcomed it, whilst he pressed his hips forward between hers, grinding his hips against her. She gripped his shirt pulling it up whilst running her other hand back through his hair. He broke the kiss again and lifted himself up lifting his arms and taking off his shirt in one move. Meanwhile she reached forwards, unfastening his pants and failing at the task. He took over as she lifted herself back to her knees and ran her hands down over his muscled body. Her hands were soft, though a few callouses spoke of the work she did with them. She ran them down over his chest and over his abs feeling them more through the skin and small layer of fat. As he started to tug down his pants she reached and helped him, taking the shorts below down as she did, her hand reaching in to eagerly grab his cock as it was revealed. She grinned and made an appreciative sound as she looked up at him and bit her bottom lip. As she wrapped her hand around his solid cock her finger barely made it all the way round and as her second hand joined the first, he still had length to spare. She squeezed softly as she leant down and slipped the head into her mouth. He let out a small breath as she did. She held the base of his member tightly with one hand, her other resting flat on the front of his hip for support as she started to move her head slowly back and forward. She worked him with her mouth, slowly at first, her lips wrapped tightly around as she softly sucked. He placed his hand lightly on her head, running his fingers through her hair. As she continued he let out a small growl, gripping her hair, guiding her head, his hips rocking somewhat. The feel of her lips around him made him feel as hard as marble where her hand gripped him. He felt split between the urge to fuck her sweet pouting mouth harder and to throw her back on the ground and take her fully. He pushed her head back before the feeling became too great. She blinked and looked up at him through her long lashes and smiled. He made another animalistic sound as he pushed her onto her back roughly and grabbed the dress around her waist. Pulling it off he took the thong with it. She giggled playfully as he threw them aside while he ran his eyes greedily over her naked body. She was hairless from the neck down, it was more hygienic and he had to admit, more eye pleasing. He placed his hand on her flat stomach and ran it down, over her smooth mound and then two fingers slid down over the pink lips of her womanhood. She made a small approving sound of glee. Her pink lips were wet and as he pushed them apart slightly his finger slid inside her with ease. "Mmm, I was hoping for something a little bigger though." She said, her legs wrapping around him tugging him towards her. He smiled and removed his finger from inside her, she took his hand and brought his finger to her mouth sucking on them much like she had previously done with her lips around his cock, her eyes staring up at him with desire. "Tease." He growled. "Shut up and fuck me." She commanded in return. He leant forward, and pressed his member between her pink folds and then pushed his hips forwards, slipping himself inside her. She let out a definite sound of enjoyment at that, her legs wrapping around his hips, her feet hooking as she pulled him closer, urging the rest of his cock inside her. He complied, his hips pressing against her as he buried himself deep inside her wet, tight pussy. She wrapped her arms around him, her fingers clawing a little as he began to thrust inside her. As he thrust she rocked her hips in time with them, making gentle moaning sounds with each impact against her clit. Her legs wrapped around him pulled him in harder with each thrust and urged him to be faster and rougher. He kissed her cheek and jawline, up to her ear, sucking on her lobe before blowing lightly into her ear and kissing it softly. She gasped and clawed at his back some more, her nails not long enough to do much harm. He wrapped his arm around her waist lifting her a little, his other supporting himself as he sped up his thrusts. Her legs unwrapped from around him, being pushed further apart as he thrust harder, she spread them further giving him more room to thrust deeper still. She let out a small cry. Tensing, she threw her head back, her body stiffening as she went quiet for a second, her mouth held open as she climaxed. At the sight of her in the throes of passion his own was released as his cock throbbed inside her clenching pussy with a low pleased groaning sound as her soft moans began to calm. He relaxed on top of her as she held him their bodies hot with sweat as they breathed deeply to regain their stamina. The whole thing had been quick, rough and primal and although it sated something inside him, it seemed to just fuel more desires. "You said you didn't have anything to do for the rest of the day right?" He asked looking up at her with a small grin. ***** Chapter 3 Betrayal Bk. 01 Emily hesitated in the corridor, she ran her hands down her dress to straighten it out, and then took in a small breath. Her hand rose up, and making a small fist she readied herself to knock on the door. She froze. Her heart pounding and her stomach rattling. She closed her eyes tightly and tried to quell the fear and anxiety inside herself. She remembered the man who had died by her hand. How she'd offered him the drink with a smile, the drink she had poisoned. She hadn't had to watch him die, thankfully. The poison had been slow and he had deteriorated over the next few days, it hadn't been quick. She shuddered and held back a sound of sorrow at the thought of his slow death. She took in a few deep breaths and pushed that thought from her mind. Her father hadn't told her exactly why she had had to poison him; just that it had to happen, for the family. He'd said that if she knew, she'd start making decisions inside, thinking about right and wrong and whether he deserved to die. Although she hadn't been burdened with the 'why' he should die, she definitely still felt that she had done something wrong. Pushing the thoughts aside and steeling her resolve, she knocked firmly on the door to her father's study. "Come in." The command barked, in a deep authoritative voice. She pushed the door slowly open and stepped inside. Her father was speaking with a clerk, there were papers piled up all over the desk. "I don't care about his demands." Her father sneered, his last word loaded with contempt. "I am the lord of these lands, I am his lord and I do not do his bidding. He. Does. Mine." The clerk nodded, "Yes, my Lord. Of course. However, I remind you that he owns many of the merchant ships we use to bring in food and indeed much of the commerce in this-" Her father silenced him with a wave of his hand and an infuriated nod, "Yes I know." He sighed, relaxing a little, his eyes looked to be ringed with shadows and almost sunken back into his skull. He looked a decade older than he had two years ago. "Tell him that I will pay him as promised. Apologise that I will need to keep the loan slightly longer than originally stated." "Yes my Lord." The clerk muttered moving from the room with some papers held to his chest. He nodded to Emily as he left with a reassuring yet sympathetic smile, "My Lady." He said respectfully. Her father stood looking out the window, his arms behind his back, hands gripping forearms, interlocking. He was a large man, well over six foot and broad shouldered, he made her feel like a child again in his presence. As a younger man he had been cheerful, charismatic and handsome. She knew that when his own father had been alive he had been one of the more eligible bachelors. However he had chosen to marry his first wife, her half-brother's mother, out of love. She hadn't been of a ruling house and many others condemned him for his choice. She had died giving birth and his father had been forced him to remarry. However after the embarrassment of his first marriage, he'd had to 'settle' for Emily's mother. She was from a small house, one that was bound to a larger family already, but she had been beautiful. She had given him two pure blooded daughters and she was sure that her father and mother had been in love at the end. That her death had hit him so hard was evidence enough of that. Thoughts of her mother made her smile softly, in a melancholy fashion. She stood there with her father, his figure nearly blocking out the light from the window and she held the silence for a few seconds before breaking it with her small soft voice, "Father?" She saw that even more grey ran through his once dirty blond hair that she vaguely remembered from childhood and as was depicted in portraits around the house. "Emily. Our house is dying." He said it without any emotion in his words. She blinked, a little taken aback by how easily it seemed he'd said something so earthshattering for her, she frowned as he continued. "We are in debt and out of favour. I need to do something before our heads slip under the water entirely." He sighed, his hands coming up to rub his temples. "The damn merchants have been grabbing up all the wealth for too long and now they hold too sizeable a claim to be ignored... or destroyed." He turned, his face had lines showing the signs of age, though his features were hard and strong, he wore them as a mask to the world, she saw his weariness in his eyes. "Father-" She started to speak again but he ignored her as he continued. "I have to make some alliances, with people I do not trust, if I wish for us to continue." He clenched his jaw. "I've arranged for a gift to be sent to Lord Barrett." He gestured to a trunk at the side of the room. "Probably the most we can afford without hanging ourselves, it's my 'all in' gamble." He shook his head, turning away from the large trunk, "I can't stand to look at it." He growled with some contempt in his voice, "That all my family was and is has come down to this pitiful chest." His brood was interrupted by a knock came at the door. Hammond, the head of her father's guard since the death of Charles two years ago, opened the door. "My Lord." He said to her father before looking to Emily, he smiled, that smile sent a shiver down her spine. She didn't like him. His eyes reminded her of hunting dogs eyes as they prepared them for the chase, filled with a primal desire, she could almost imagine his grin as him bearing teeth at her. Her father gestured to the chest, "Take this and keep it secure until tomorrow. I'll be taking it to Lord Barrett's estate. Seal it and make sure it is not opened until we arrive." "Yes my Lord." Hammond gestured to someone outside the room and they walked in, the other man looked like a street thug. She frowned and turned away from them as they carried the large chest out of the room together, closing the door behind them. Once the door was closed Emily relaxed a little, "I do not like him. I wish you wouldn't trust him." Her father sighed and nodded, "I know he seems the brutish type Emily, but he is a strong man and has been loyal to me for over a decade." He turned to regard her, "He's not done anything that would break my trust has he...?" He asked, his eyes narrowing with suspicion. She blinked and blushed shaking her head furiously, the very idea of his suggestion making her feel dirty, "No! Of course not." He nodded and relaxed, "Good." He smiled at her softly and for a moment he looked like the kind man he'd once been. It made her a mixture of happy, at him looking at her with those eyes again, and sad that it had been so long and this was but a fading shadow of the past that would not last. "I've kept you here longer than I should, my precious daughter." His face relaxed back to its sunken look of sorrow. "I've needed you, since..." They both knew when he spoke of and he left it unsaid. "Father, what is it you need me to do?" She asked, truly wishing to help the house in any way she could, she could see how much weight her Father was under and how it was crushing him. "I need the marriage between you and Lord Cavallo to happen immediately." He said. "I've arranged for a carriage." She nodded softly, she'd known it was coming soon, part of her never wanted to leave even though the shame of still being single at her age was becoming greater and greater. "Yes father, I'll make arrangements over the next few days to-" He shook his head, "I'm sorry, you must leave today. Time is critical." Her lips parted in slight shock, "Today?! But- What about- Surely you could have told me sooner?" She said with pain in her voice. He winced and shook his head, "I am sorry Emily. My sources told me that his father has come down ill recently; you would be the Lady of the house sooner than I had anticipated. I can't risk letting others have a chance to break your engagement. An unmarried head of a house, even a small house, is a valuable prize." He smiled softly at her, "Besides, you don't want to be stuck at home looking after your aging father for ever do you?" She smiled and moved over, placing her hand on his arm. "Don't be foolish father, you aren't getting old yet. I had briefly started looking for a new match for you in between one for Lisa." He scowled a little, and ignored that comment, "Hmm, yes arranging an engagement for her has been tough. But when you are married to Lord Cavallo you'll be in a better position to find one for her." She nodded, "Father, why is it we need to gain favour from Lord Barrett, I thought that you despised him, said he was an untrustworthy cur. Surely there are better options?" He scowled again, clenching his jaw and nodded, "Indeed he is, but he is also crafty, devious and a cheat. He is the perfect business man and has made a fortune. I need him to keep trade routes open to our land, without them we'll be strangled to death in weeks. He really is the only one who can do this now." Another knock at the door and her father allowed the clerk to enter. "My Lord, the merchants are here to-" Her father's eyes widened, the calmness he'd shown with her shattered, as he interrupted the other man with a furious roar, "Damn those money hungry sharks!" He stormed towards the clerk and the door. "Do they not have businesses to run, can they not see that I am a man of my word!?" He turned to Emily as he left, his fury calming a little as he spoke to her, "Emily, please be prepared to leave this afternoon." She sighed and nodded, wondering how she'd be prepared in time. **** She had finished hugging Lisa and saying her goodbye's mere minutes ago. She wiped a small tear from the corner of her eye as she made her way toward the carriage, accompanied by her maid Saide, who'd be coming with her. She pondered for a moment how the older woman was coping, also being ripped up from her home and thrown into another without a moment's notice. She was about to ask her if she was well when Hammond came from around a corner to join their side and a mix of fear and revulsion snapped her jaw shut. "My Lady." He said, with a nod of his head and a vicious grin as he walked behind. It was proper for him to follow behind or walk ahead. Whichever he chose, was left to his discretion, in protecting his masters. But she swore she could feel his eyes on her, feel them piercing through the fabric of her skirts, touching her, stroking her. She refused to allow herself to turn around like frightened prey being stalked by a predator. But that was how she felt right now. They arrived at the carriage and a few of Hammonds rough looking guards stood either side. They would be accompanying her to the Cavallo estate and for a moment she had a jolt of fear, realising that other than Sadie, she'd be alone with these men for the trip. It made her shudder, she was thankful to have her maid with her, being alone with these men would not be good. A guard walked to Hammond and whispered in his ear. He nodded and looked to Emily. "Your father wishes to speak with you before you leave." "My Lady." He added the honorific to the end as if it was an afterthought. Sadie was looking back at the house with a sad look in her eyes, she wanted her to come with her, but as Emily followed Hammond and his man, she didn't move, still looking back at the house that had been her home too. She'd lived there for longer than Emily and she couldn't imagine what she might be leaving behind, she didn't ask her to follow, instead giving her a moment of silent farewell in peace. They led her down the main corridor and then back up the stairs, instead of going towards her father's study that looked over the back of the house and the gardens, they moved towards the guest quarters. She hesitated for a moment, "Where is it that I'm meeting my father?" She asked sceptically. Hammond turned and smiled, it was probably meant to be reassuring, but it did not feel that way, "He wanted to watch you leave so he is in the guest bedroom, front of the house." It sounded plausible and she followed. They opened the door for her and as she walked inside she realised that Hammond had not addressed her with her title and the proper degree of respect, she'd have to have a word with him about that. Her father stood looking out the window, only... she looked again, that wasn't her father. She turned to ask what the meaning of this was, but before she could she felt something push into her mouth. She made a cry of protest as the door slammed closed and two hands grabbed her wrists, pulling them roughly behind her back. She struggled as best as she could, but the man was strong, much stronger that her. The gag in her mouth was rough and it scraped against the edges of her mouth, she screamed into it loudly, but her cries were muffled into little more than fright filled murmurs of panic. The door clicked as the lock was turned and her efforts to escape redoubled with a wave of fear sending adrenaline through her veins. The man who had been standing in as her father's silhouette in the window turned and walked over. She kicked at him, but he had been expecting it and stepped to the side, catching her foot and pulling back. If the other man hadn't been holding her from behind she would have fallen over, but as it was she was just held out in the air between them like a sheet to be folded. He grabbed her other ankle, holding them firmly, her body stretched out between them. They moved her to the bed, dragging her skirts along the floor, and she panicked, her worst nightmares filling her mind with all the things they were going to do with her. She cried out, tears welling in her eyes from fear and slightly from pain from how tightly they held her. They threw her to the bed, she bounced and they rolled her over onto her front. She struggled to reach for her gag, if she could pull it out, she could scream and someone would surely hear. But the solid grip was reapplied to her wrists and they were pulled down to her lower back as she felt a weight, placed on her behind, one of the men having straddled her, pinning her down. She tried to kick but someone had taken hold of her legs, she felt something tightening around her ankle, through her boots and then realised that she couldn't pull her feet apart. They'd bound her legs together at the ankles. She let out a sound of pain as the hands holding her wrists pulled her arms into an awkward position, pressing her elbows together tightly, and wrapping a rope around them. She tried to struggle but the hands were too strong, she felt rope wrap tightly around, half a dozen times, more than enough to keep her secured. As she struggled she felt the man sitting on her behind bounce slightly and laugh, pretending to ride her like an unruly colt. The others laughed too, taking humour from how he mocked her. She couldn't believe how they casually joked with each other whilst assaulting her like this. The weight lifted from her and she struggled to move her arms, able to bend her forearms she tried to wiggle the rope around her elbows loose. But it held in place and her wrists were quickly grabbed as she felt more rope wrapping around them, she tried to scratch at the hands, her nails raking at the calloused fingers, but got nothing more for her trouble than another amused chuckle and finally her wrists where held firmly together too. She kicked her legs, struggling to curl up like a prawn being thrown into a hot pan of water, but she felt as helpless as one and her struggles were about as effective as that of the prawn. She felt a hand slip under her hip and she cried out, expecting to feel an invading hand grope at her womanhood, instead she felt it remove itself and a belt tightened around her waist. She whimpered as a knee pressed into her back and pulled it tight. She felt something being attached to the back of the belt and then something around the rope on her ankles. She was rolled onto her back and she saw Hammond's eyes. Her heart stopped beating in fear. His eyes that had looked so primal before were aflame with that same intensity, his teeth revealed like a wolf looking over its prey. She tried to get away, but she couldn't even lift her legs up, tugging at the belt as she tried, she realised a bar was pressing between her buttocks. It had been fixed to the belt and her ankles and prevented her from bending her legs. "Mmmm, how deliciously vulnerable you look. My Lady." He said the last two words with mockery. She held back her tears and hardened her eyes to look at him like the woman she was, and not like the girl he made her feel. Holding back tears, she stopped struggling and tried her best to sneer at him. He laughed. And she flinched a little at that, the sound scaring her. "Hmm, I'm sure you are thinking 'I won't get away with this' or 'My father will find out and kill you'." He said, using a small squeaky voice to mock her words. She had indeed been thinking that, thinking these men were idiots for kidnapping her in her own home, especially when she was expected to be leaving in the carriage any minute now. As if reading her mind the two men grabbed her under the arms and dragged her up and off the bed, her feet hitting the ground. They half walked her, half dragged, though her walking was more of an awkward shuffle and 'half' was a generous estimation. She was held, looking out the window and saw the carriage leaving. She widened her eyes and screamed into the gag. Hammond laughed. "Yes, you see, as head house guard I have the ability to hire men I choose worthy, and I suppose I look for a different worth than you would. I don't care about honour or loyalty to a house name. My men are loyal to money and they see your house bleeding it dry. So now we answer to a different Lord, one with much deeper pockets." He grinned. "My men have taken your maid and are departing as if you are with them. Nobody will know any differently. Of course your maid will have to die." She thrashed against the arms that held her. "After, they've had their fun with her." He said with a vicious grin that froze her in place. Emily screamed and thrashed some more, but she was rewarded for it with a tap to her stomach that knocked the wind out of her. Hammond wrapped his arms around her from behind, holding her tightly to himself. She was sure she could feel something other than the pole pushing into her behind but she tried to ignore it. His words whispering into her ear however, she could not ignore. He was so close that she could feel his warm breath and it made her whimper, "They will take Sadie off the main road and they'll strip her. They'll fuck her all night long, using all the holes she has to give. By the end she'll be begging for death and they'll give it to her." She cried out behind the gag, sobbing for her maid's fate and was thrown roughly on the bed. She felt a wet rag pressed to her mouth and as she struggled to breath she sucked in the fumes of something very strong smelling that clouded her vision. She tried to hold onto consciousness, fearing all the things the men might do to her whilst she was passed out, unable to resist, her body free for them to run their hands over, grope and probe. She felt a hand give her bottom an appreciative squeeze and a slap as she slipped into a drugged and restless sleep. ***** Chapter 4 Gan stood looking out over the camp as it was being set up; they'd made good progress so far. Moving further in a day than he would usually ask from them. The gang was driven by the same hatred he was. Fuelled by the flames of fury, they marched hard and fast. They would get their three deaths, or they'd see Farg burn. He'd see that anyway, if he could. Farg's gang was a strong one, not particularly big, but made up of the sort of men who killed for fun. The type who would torment an injured animal, offering it the hint of freedom and relief only to snatch it away again. He did not want to lose men fighting him if he could help it, but he feared it may come to that anyway. They had a limited supply of ammo and only a few rifles. When they should start to fire would be the biggest tactical question. Once one side started firing the other usually had to react in kind. If he ran out of ammo and the enemy were still shooting, then they'd be crushed. It was possible Farg had no ammo. He could only hope. As he stole from other clans, it was likely they'd all fight to the last bullet and he stayed away from claimed lands. Gan knew his only chance in battle would be if that was true.