MAN OF WAR

5

It was mid-afternoon when they reached the palace steps. Titus’ men led the prisoners to the slave master on the far east side. Titus enjoyed life at court, beautiful women and the ability to rub elbows with the wealthy and the powerful. Hobnobbing with nobility and the height of the Imperial military ranks had been the only plus side to his mother’s new marriage to the General.

            Titus left most of his prisoners with the slave master and gave Gulliver orders to see that the male shifter was washed and made presentable for court. He wished to present him personally to the Emperor at the banquet later that evening. He gave the rest of his officers leave to be with their families. Titus was not entirely sure where his men went once they got onshore. They all had a tendency to scatter, and he really did not care so long as they all reported for duty the day they were scheduled to ship out. They were good, hard-working, fighting men. They sailed well, fought fiercely, and Titus could not ask for a better crew.

            Titus kept quarters at court near the southern wall where his mother and the General stayed. It was not much, a simple two-room house, set aside for soldiers. His home had a hearth, a table, a desk, a large wooden washtub, and a pantry in the man room of the house. The second room was very small, with an iron-framed bed and a chest. It was not as lavish as many of the other residences at court, but Titus spent little time at court. Most of his life was spent on his ship; he did not need anything extravagant on land.

            Titus left the slave master with Jade still on his horse. He rode through the buildings heading toward his quarters. She looked up at him with confusion. “Where are you taking me?” She asked.

            “To my quarters,” he said.

            “What will become of the others?” She asked.

            “Their fates will be decided by the Emperor,” he informed her. “As for you, you owe me, and I intend to collect,” Titus had done his damnedest to keep his distance from her. Their romp in the stateroom had left him painfully unsatisfied. She had been haunting his dreams leaving him rigid and swollen every morning when he rose. It was utterly frustrating. Titus had kept himself busy with the running of his ship, keeping away from his cabin until late into every evening.

            Titus had every intention of having Gulliver tie Jade to the horses and leaving her to be presented to the Emperor with the other shifter. He would have allowed things to have played out as such had he not seen her fall on deck. Gulliver had been so rough with her triggering a powerful need within Titus to protect her. As a child, he had watched the General abuse his mother far too often to tolerate such treatment of any woman, slave or not. It bothered him, and he felt compelled to step in.

            Tying her to his horse had been the plan from there until that touching display of love between Jade and her man. He felt his ire rise and boil at the sight of that man’s arms around her, of the love in her eyes when she looked at him, and when he kissed her forehead, Titus felt a stab of jealousy. It was why he dragged Jade up onto his horse with him; why he had kissed her, he could not explain it. Perhaps she had woven some sort of spell over him, but he wanted her terribly, and he hated the man that held her heart, although he did not understand why.

            All he knew was he had a need to possess her, and in keeping the peasants at bay, she had presented him with the opportunity to have her, and he would before he presented her to the court. Yes, taking her might depreciate her value, but he no longer cared. He longed for her far too much.

            Titus pulled his horse to a halt outside the soldiers’ quarters. He slid off his horse and handed the reins to the stable boy that came running out to greet him. Titus reached up and took Jade by the waist, pulling her off the house. “Feed my steed and rub him down. I want him ready for sundown,” he said to the stable boy as he led Jade toward the door by the rope around her wrists.

            He pushed open the large wooden door and escorted Jade inside. She looked around the dark room; the only light was that of the sun filtering through the closed shutters of the window. Titus walked over to the hearth and, taking some chopped wood from the small pile beside the stone wall, he built a fire to light the room and ward off the chill. There was a layer of dust on everything. It had been so long since he had been home, and no one had been tending to his residence while he was at sea.

            Titus grabbed a rag from the pantry and quickly wiped down the room, kicking up some dust. He then turned to face Jade, who was still standing by the door watching him. She had not tried to run or fight. Her long dark hair hung loose flowing down her back, and her white linen blouse was dirty, as was her tanned skirt. Her bodice was laying on his stateroom floor, he realized.

            Titus took Jade by the arm and walking her to the table; he sat her down. “Do not move,” he said, walking back to the pantry. He found an old black pot and dragged it over to the hearth, hanging it over the fire. He then went back outside and found the young milkmaid carrying pails across the courtyard. She was a young girl of perhaps thirteen. “Girl,” Titus called to her gaining her attention. “Bring me some water for a bath,” he ordered.

            “Yes, Sir,” she nodded, placing her buckets at the door of another house and running off. Titus returned to the house and found Jade seated exactly where he had left her. He was surprised to find her so compliant after their time on his ship. He opened the door to the other room and went inside to find the chest he kept by the foot of the bed. He lifted the heavy top and removed one of the dresses he had brought back from one of his voyages. He had meant to give it to the mistress he had been keeping at the time, but when he had returned, he had found her in bed with another man. He had cast the lying wench off and kept the dress.

            Titus held it up and looked it over. It was a dark sapphire colour that laced up the front. It was likely too big for Jade, but it would have to do. Her own dress was too filthy to continue to wear. Titus closed the chest and draped the dress over the top, preparing it for later. He returned to the main room to find the milk girl bringing in a large pail of water and pouring it into the pot over the fire. She stared at Jade as she walked back to the door, noticing Jade’s unique differences. “Do you not have work to do?” Titus said sternly. The girl quickly rushed out of the house and returned soon with another pail of water. Titus took it from her and dismissed the girl. He poured the water into the pot and placed the pail on the floor. He then removed his belt and sword, hanging it on a hook by the door.

            Titus drew his dirk from the belt and walked over to Jade. He sat beside her at the table and took her hands in his. He sawed at the rope, cutting away her bonds, freeing her from the tight coarse rope. She rubbed her raw wrists; the tender flesh had turned red with abrasions. He sighed, feeling terrible about the damage done to her flawless skin. “You should not have struggled so much,” he scolded, his fingers grazing lightly over the tender flesh of her tiny wrists. “You would not have hurt yourself,” he walked over to the pot to test the water. Deciding it was warm enough, he removed the pot from the fire and poured the water into the large round wooden tub in the middle of the room.

            Titus walked back to Jade and knelt before her. He reached out and gently took her foot. He ran his hand lightly from her shapely calf and down over her ankle. He slowly removed her slipper and placed it on the floor. He then did the same to the other. Titus looked up at Jade as she stared down at him without protest. His hands moved slowly up her legs. She was true to her word, not one protest nor movement to prevent him from his goal.

            Titus rose to his feet and took Jade by the hand, coaxing her to stand. He slowly began to remove her dress, pushing her white linen blouse off her shoulders and down her arms. He let her dress fall to the floor in a pool of fabric around her feet; her white chemise soon followed. She stood before him, nude and glorious. She was incredible, by far, the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. Jade was thin and shapely with perfect breasts and beautiful ivory skin that begged to be touched. She far surpassed his heated dreams, and Titus felt himself grow stiff as he took in the sight of her splendour.

            Titus took Jade by the hand and stepped her out of her dress, guiding her to the wooden tub. He need not say a word, Jade seemed to understand his intent, and she willingly stepped into the tub without coaxing. She then sat down and sunk into the warm water, bringing her knees up to her chest. Jade hugged her legs, trying to hide her beautiful body for modesty. Titus revisited the pantry retrieving a clean rag and a cleansing bar.

            Titus returned to the tub and knelt beside it, dipping both the rag and the bar in the water. He scrubbed the bar against the rag, building up a lather before gently washing Jade, gently washing away the days’ worth of filth. He rubbed her body, working out the stiff muscles in her shoulders and back. Titus scooped water up in his hands and poured it over her, washing away the soap. He took his time attentively tending to her, washing Jade’s long hair and helping her to relax.

            Jade looked back over her shoulder at him as he was washing the soap from her hair. Her gaze held his, and Titus felt compelled to kiss her. His lips met hers, and it felt like a fire blazed between them. He felt his need to have her increase tenfold. Titus reached around Jade and cupped her breast. It filled his hand perfectly, his forefinger and thumb gently playing with and tugging at the erect budded n****e. Jade sighed against his lips, and he could not help but smile. She was so wonderfully responsive. His hand moved lower, slipping between her legs and stroking the sweet triangle that lay there. She gasped from the intimate contact, and Titus deepened their kiss. His tongue plundered the recesses of her sweet tasting mouth.

            The desire inside him grew when she returned his kiss. Her own desire matched his. Her arm reached up and wrapped around his neck, pulling him closer as her kiss became passionate, almost needy. Titus pushed two fingers deep inside Jade manipulating her silken folds, bringing her to the heights of arousal. He wanted her out of her mind with desire before he took her. He had never taken a virgin before, but he understood it might be painful. His mouth moved down over her lovely throat as her hips began to buck against his hand. She panted and whimpered so close to the edge. His loins ached for her, the pain was excruciating, and Titus needed desperately to slake his lust. He could wait no longer.   

***

            Titus pulled away from her, leaving Jade before she reached her satisfaction. She felt strangely abandoned. Titus rose and held out his hand to her. She took it, and he helped her to her feet. His dark eyes raked over her nude form like that of a hungry predator viewing his prey. “Come,” he softly ordered, walking her to the door that led into the other small room with the iron-framed bed.

            Titus sat her down on the bed, and Jade watched as he removed his shirt. She felt her pulse increase at the sight of his blouse falling to the floor. She watched intently as Titus opened the buttons to his britches and removed them. She found herself staring. She had seen her brother without his tunic from time to time, but she had never seen the complete male form. He was all tanned smooth skin pulled taut over hard corded muscle from head to toe.

            Her eyes were drawn to the long think rod of flesh jetting up for a patch of dark curls between his strong thighs. She sucked in a frightened breath, the very sight both exciting and intimidating. Titus reached down and took her hand in his. “It is ok to touch me,” he whispered. Guiding her hand to his arousal. He placed her hand against his shaft and moaned when her hand closed around it. It was oddly soft and yet sold. She slid her hand down it, feeling it slide beneath her fingers. He moaned with pleasure again, and his hand closed over hers guiding her hand back up and then down again, repeating the motion, teaching her how to touch a man.

            Jade looked up to see the pleasure in his face and found it exciting and empowering to have such control. Titus brushed her hand aside and looked down at her, a storm brewing in his dark eyes. He pressed Jade back against the bed, crawling between her legs. Titus braced his weight above her and kissed her passionately. Jade tensed when she felt his erection at the mouth of her womanhood. He meant to enter her. The idea of something so large being inserted inside her frightened Jade. She dug her fingernails into Titus’ shoulders as he began to press into her.

            “Relax,” he whispered against her ear, entering slowly, inch by inch, allowing her body to adjust to his alien hardness invading her. He pushed deeper until he reached a barrier and paused. Titus stroked her hair and gazed into her eyes, she could see remorse in those dark depths, and she did not understand why. “For this, I am sorry,” Titus whispered. His mouth then crushed against hers in a kiss as he drove in hard, ripping away her innocence. Pain tore through her, and Jade’s eyes flew open. Her cry was muffled by his kiss.

            A tear rolled down her cheek, and Titus wiped it away with the back of his knuckles. He remained still, kissing her, waiting for the pain to fade, and it did fade. Soon the burning pain was but a memory. Replaced by the pleasure of being filled by him. Slowly he began to move within her, and the sensation was mind-blowing. He braced the majority of his weight on his arms, holding himself above her. He thrust in and out of Jade in long deep strokes.

            Jade held on to Titus, wanting more of him, to take him in deeper. She began to buck and move beneath him. Matching him in a rhythm that was as old as time. She kissed him with an urgency seeking something from him. She could not describe. Titus wrapped one arm around her waist and lifted her hips up closer to penetrate her deeper. Jade’s head fell back, and she cried out with ecstasy as she reached the peaks of pleasure. Her body rocked and trembled as Titus shook with his own climax, his body tensing, he moaned, and they collapsed to the mattress sated.

            Jade lay on the bed, trying to catch her breath and listening to Titus’ breathing. There was nothing in the world like what she had just experienced. Nothing so incredible. She felt torn. She should feel disgusted and revolted for what she had just done with this man. Instead, she felt glorious, satisfied, and content. Jade looked over at the marvellous looking man beside her. His eyes were closed, and his breathing had become shallow and steady. Had he fallen asleep?

            She was not in chains nor bound by rope. If he were really asleep, she could just slip away. She looked at the door contemplating the risk. The area was so heavily populated, and without her crystal, she probably would not get too far unnoticed. Would running really be worth it? No, she needed her crystal; she only wished she knew what he had done with it. It would be wiser to stay near him until she found where her crystal was being kept.

Jade looked back at Titus to find him awake and watching her. Startled, she flinched. “I am impressed; I thought for sure you would run,” he said softly, propping his head upon his arm. He had been testing her, she realized, and she seemed to have passed. His hand slid over her belly as he caressed her curves. “You are blessed with such beauty.”

            “I am cursed,” she said bitterly. Men saw her beauty, and all assumed they could take libraries with her. Had not for her brother’s vigilant protection of her, Jade might never have held on to her innocence this long, and she was sure that here in this place as a slave, her beauty was about to bring forth a nightmarish life to which she would not be spared. She did not believe that the men in her near future would be as kind as Titus had just been to her.

            She did not understand Titus. He could be so kind and attentive one minute and so arrogant and brutish the next. He was so contradictory, running both hot and cold. He could make her enjoy his company so very much and then invoke her wrath seconds later. She did not understand the way she felt around him. It was so conflicting and complicated. He stroked her dark hair and stared into her eyes. “I remember the first time I saw you in the marsh. You were the most stunning creature I had ever seen, even then,” he said. “I think it was your eyes that I remembered the most. So captivating,” he kissed her, “so hypnotic,” he kissed her again, “so intense.”

            Jade knew she should resist his advances, but his kisses were so tender. His lips tasted so sweet. She was taken in by his allure. She sighed softly, wrapping her arms around his shoulders. Titus moved over her, carefully pinning Jade beneath him. She felt the warmth and tingling returning to the triangle between her legs as his hands roamed her body, caressing her, stirring her desire. “Titus!” A male voice bellowed from the other room, startling Jade.

            Titus looked up quickly, moving off her and grabbing his britches up off the floor. He yanked them on and pulled the blanket up around Jade. She sat up, clutching the blanket to her bosom to hide her modesty as Titus opened the door and went back into the main room to greet the man who had come calling. She could hear voices, laughter, and friendly banter. The man must be a friend; someone who had heard Titus was back and wished to welcome him home.

            Jade slid from the bed and picked up the sapphire coloured dress that layout on top of the chest, assuming he had meant for her to wear it. She laced the front of the dress up as tight as she could. It was a little loose on her and a bit long, but she would make do. Jade opened the chest and inside, found a long strip of leather. She braided her long hair and used the leather strip to tie it off at the ends, letting the long heavy braid hang down her back.

            Dressed and presentable, Jade opened the door and looked out into the main room. She saw Titus with another man, a soldier she assumed from the chain-linked byrine armour he wore. He was tall with golden hair and a few days growth shadowing his jaw. He looked to be Titus’ age, and the two of them seemed to be old friends.

            When she appeared in the doorway, the men’s conversation came to a sudden end as Titus’ guest caught sight of her and lost his train of thought. He stared at Jade with stunned awe, a response she was becoming quite used to. Titus noticed the abrupt change in his guest and turned to see Jade standing in the doorway. He did not look pleased to see her there.

            “She is incredible,” the soldier said, crossing the room to meet Jade. “Titus, where did you find such a remarkable female?” He asked, taking her by the hand and coaxing her into the main room. “Those eyes, I have never seen anything like it.”

            Jade could see the annoyance in Titus’ dark eyes as he took her hand from his friend’s and stepped between them, blocking her from view with his own large frame. “I found her on a Galleon ship I sunk.”

            “Spoils of war,” his friend smiled. “I have never seen anyone like her.”

            “She is a Shifter,” Titus informed him, perhaps hoping the folktales and myths might frighten him, but this man did not appear to be one who frightened easily.

            “Really?” He said with genuine interest. “How do you prevent her from changing?” He asked, peering around Titus.

            Titus placed his hand on his friend’s shoulder and ushered him to the door. “All in good time, Logan. I will see you at the banquet this evening and tell you all about it. For now, I need to get ready.”

            “Sure, you do,” the other man laughed, looking back at her one last time. “Ok, I can take a hint. You enjoy your spoils, and I will see you tonight,” he said as Titus took him outside.

            Jade could not hear what was said outside, but Titus soon returned alone and shut the door behind him. He looked at her with a smile and leaned back against the closed door. “I do not recall giving you permission to dress,” he said playfully. “I was far from done with you.”

            Jade’s cheeks felt warm as she blushed. She held her chin up defiantly and clasped her hands in front of her. “I believe I have fulfilled my debt,” she said.

            He raised a dark brow amused. “Is that so?” He asked.

            “Indeed,” she said firmly.

            “I believe you are forgetting one very important fact,” he said, coming toward her.

            “What fact might that be?” She asked, watching him grow ever closer.

            “You are a slave, and I am a master. That mean’s I am the one that decides when things are done,” he explained, looking down at her.

            There he went again, turning in to a brutish cad once more. Jade glared at him and straightened her back as she stood her ground. “My debt is paid. My compliance ends now.” If he wished to take her once more, he would do so against her will. Something in his dark eyes told her Titus was not that kind of man.

            His eyes narrowed, and his jaw clenched. “I believe it is time to present you with your man,” he said, walking to the door and opening it. He yelled to the stable boy to bring him some rope.