Fiery Passion

Editor's note: this submission contains scenes of non-consensual or reluctant sexual situations.

Hello, my lovelies! I am so sorry I have been away for so long. Trust me, it was not by choice. I have been working on multiple stories and just when I thought I would finish one this one came to me and would not leave me alone until I wrote it. It is short and sweet, of course (emphasis on the short). I got inspiration from all of the old romance novels I grew up reading. Please enjoy and leave comments!

XOXO SkylerLuv

~~~

I promised myself I would not cry. And yet here I am, unable to stop the tears from spilling onto my white gloves. Beatrice looks apologetic but she knows there is little that she can do. Nothing she says will change where we are headed and where my life is hurling towards. The tears continue to fall, reminding me I still have much, much further to go. This is not even the beginning.

The carriage bounces at the same stuttering speed it has been since the beginning of our journey. If I had motion sickness, I would have been in my own personal Hell. Small blessings, I suppose.

William. I know his Christian name. I know he is well respected, with enough money to buy me. No, he did not purchase me. My father assured me it was best for my future. With the amount of money and land that he has I should never want for anything. It must be more money than all of my other suitors back home combined. It felt like my parents were trying to get rid of me but the tears in their eyes were a small comfort. They would miss me as much as I missed them. This is what is best for me, my mother said once or twice. I cannot stay at home forever. I was introduced to society and it is time for the next chapter of my life.

I bite my lip to stop the sobs that are trying to escape. I can do this. I have to do this. I have no choice. Closing my eyes, I lean my head back in hope of getting some rest. I know sleep will not come. We have been traveling for hours. We are about to reach our first destination where we will stay at a small inn and then continue traveling tomorrow until we get to my new home. How can it be my home when I have never been there? I will not know anyone there. Beatrice will be the only person who I will be able to confide in. As much as I can confide in a personal maid.

The sting of leaving my childhood home would be less painful if it was not so far away. I would not be able to visit my friends and family as much as I would wish. Will William let me make monthly visits? What does he expect of me? I hope not anything I cannot give him. Per my father, they met a reputable gentleman's club. William was searching for a wife, his need to carry down his name almost as persistent as my need to stay rooted at home.

I like my own solitude, preferring to be alone then in the presence of others. Reading in my mother's garden, walking along the pound in our backyard as I did some self-reflection, crying when I an upset in the sanctuary of my own room. These were now times that I would have to share with another and the thought displeases me. I know I will not disobey my future husband. I will bow my head and be a dutiful wife just like I am now being a dutiful daughter. And just like how I have been practicing since I was very little, I try to control my emotions before they get the best of me.

A sharp gasp makes me sit up. I turn to look at Beatrice wondering what caused her to make such a noise. The carriage comes to an abrupt halt. My hands come out to stop me from falling over. She peaks her head out the window but quickly cowers far back in her seat. Her face is as white as my gloves. Her round brown eyes look like they are about to pop out of her head. Her shaky finger comes up to her lips indicating that I should stay silent.

My heart beats at an alarming rate but I do as she says. All thoughts of Wilandale and my old home cease. I move to look out the window but she catches my arm and gives me a warning look. For someone who is younger than me, Beatrice is more like a guardian than any personal maid I've had in the past. One reproachful look and I know to sit still.

"We are only passing through." I hear Peter yell out. There is a quiver in his tone.

Suddenly the carriage doors are ripped open and I jump back. The sunlight floods the inside of the carriage, blinding me from seeing anything beyond the threshold. Beatrice screams fill the space as two large hands reach in to drag her out. I silently grab her arm, trying to pull her back in. My mind is empty of thoughts, my body is trying to be useful to her even if my mouth does nothing. In the process of trying to keep her inside I am pulled out as well.

We both land on the dirt road and scramble back to put some distance between us and them. We hold on to each other and lean back against one of the carriage's wheel.

The first person I see is a man almost as big as an ox. Much taller than an ox. His shoulders are wide and all he is wearing is some animal fur on to cover his private parts. My hand comes up to my chest as I try to control my breathing. I have never seen so much exposed skin in my life.

"Move." Someone orders.

Once he steps away a smaller figure appears. I say smaller because she is not as tall or as strong as the man now standing next to us but she is not small.

Like her partner she is only wearing enough to cover her breast and the lower part of her body. Her arms, legs, and stomach are exposed. She has one side of her black mane cut close to her scalp. The rest of her hair, which comes up to her shoulders, is covered with strands wrapped in colorful string and feathers. Once my eyes land on her face I gasp. Her face has rough edges, making her look more like a boy than a girl. There are scars on her cheeks and some look intentional. Her eyes are black and soulless. Only after she meets my eyes does she speak again.

"Tie him up, bring them." She points at Beatrice and me with a thick, wooden, arrow she is holding. It has similar colored feathers from her hair around the tip.

She turns away as the others do her bidding.

All the people with her are dressed the same. Minimal coverings. They all have white paint on their russet skin. Intricate lines one either their faces, backs, or arms. Their heads are shaved, save a small section or a large one enough to decorate with colorful feathers or string. I do not notice any other female in the group. None of them have a definable expression on their face.

Beatrice begins to weep and I grab her hand. I am surprised my tears have stopped but I do not question it. I need to stay alert. The large man grabs us both by the arms and makes us stand. He ties our hands with thick rope, one behind the other. I look back and see them tying Peter to a tree.

"What is going to happen to him?" I ask.

I can't take my eyes away from Peter. I hope the large man knows I'm talking to him.

"An animal will probably eat him." He grunts.

My stomach tightens and I turn away to relieve everything that was in it. It finally dawns on me what we have gotten ourselves into.

~~~

When I think back to the lessons about this land, I remember my tutor briefly going over the section about its inhabitants. The Morzan tribe, if I remember correctly. I was not paying much attention then. My mind was more focused on where I was going to go play after the lesson. I never thought I would encounter one. I never thought I would be on foreign land. I ignore the pulsing in my temples and try to remember any details about this tribe. Maybe I am not thinking of the right people anyways. But I have to try. My mind flashes through multiple lessons. They keep to themselves and do not bother anyone unless they are bothered first. That is somewhat helpful. But then again, they did just kidnap us. I remember something else: they are not friendly to outsiders. I try to wreck my brain for any useful information that I might remember but nothing else comes to mind.

I would have never crossed this path if I had known they were there. Why would Peter even think of it? Oh, Peter. My stomach tightens again. I then start to think about the implications of our kidnapping. We will never get to Wilandale, they will assume we are dead, my parents will think something terrible happened. A tear slips down my face, they will be devastated. I do not know how they will handle the news. How long will it take for them to get the word?

We have been walking for miles. My shoes are every bit as uncomfortable as I expected them to be for the amount of traveling on foot we have been forced to endure. The uneven ground makes them rub up against the blisters that have formed. The only thing keeping me going is Beatrice walking silently behind me. Only once did I slip and almost fall. The ogre looked back as if he was losing his patience. I didn't want to give him a reason to be angry with me so I kept walking even when I wanted to stop.

Did they really travel this far only to stumble upon us as we crossed their land? It is a long walk. I thought their village would be nearby. It is very odd they found us when they did. Maybe they were hunting. Maybe they make it a habit to wait for people to come through that road to kidnap them as well. A shiver goes down my spine thinking of all of the ones that didn't make it out alive.

The sweat trickling down my scalp does nothing to cool me from the blistering heat. The layers of clothing make it even more suffocating walk. My mouth feels like it is filled with enough cotton to make a stuffed doll. Just when I am about to ask for water, the trees in front of us begin to clear and a small village appears.

Everyone in the village stops to stare at us. I feel my cheeks heat up and lower my gaze. From my peripheral vision I notice everyone is still not moving. The women and men are all frozen to get a glimpse of the newly captured women. The houses are made of hand chopped wood, dirt, and leaves, there are children running around naked, skinned animals are hanging by their feet. I almost run into the ogre when he stops abruptly. Beatrice yanks me back against her.

"You have done well." An ancient voice says. I shift to look around the man in front of me and see an older man with gray hair and a band around his head staring at us. He has large feathers coming out of the headband, they are beautiful and intimidating at the same time. Though his words are praising the group, he does not look happy. He actually looks displeased. "Take them to Tula's house and make sure they are given something to eat."

When he bows his head, everyone begins to move again. With eyes shifted away from us I feel more comfortable to get a better look around the place. It is small. There are only about a dozen houses or so. Their leader has the biggest one by far, right at the edge of the village. There are only trees surrounding the area, no big wall, nothing to deter people from coming in. Who in their right mind would end up here? I hear a river nearby and I am reminded again that I am thirsty. At least he promised food. They seem to have a system in place. Some are washing their clothing, others preparing meals, and the rest are building things or planning things. I guess I expected chaos. What I did not expect was to be kidnapped and then offered food.

The girl leading this small group knocks on a wooden door before us. An elderly woman opens the door. The girl bows and whispers something, the woman nods and opens her door further. Only the girl, the ogre, Beatrice and I go in. Everyone else stays out. The door shuts behind us and we're in a semi-lit place. There is a fire in the corner and some light coming from in between the wood used to build this place. There is not much inside. Some benches, two separate rooms, utilities for a small kitchen but not much else. I finally get a good look at the woman who lives here. She is wearing a long white cloth to cover herself up. Her long black hair is parted down the middle but there are some strands of gray mixed in. She doesn't have many wrinkles. Her skin is as dark as the rest.

"Untie them, they are guests in this house." She does not sound happy.

"Yes, Aunt Tula." The girl comes up to us and unties the knots. She doesn't look at me or Beatrice.

"You know I disapprove of this. But I do not have the final say so, I can only do what I think is best on my end." She turns to a room across from the kitchen and raises her voice slightly. "Kat, come help me get dinner set up for our guest."

A younger girl, probably a little younger than me walks out. She is taller than her mother. The resemblance is uncanny. From the hair being parted down the middle to the roundness of their dark eyes. Her face is still full as if she was a babe. Her eyes widen when she takes a good look at us. She gives us a friendly smile and bows.

I turn to Beatrice who is also watching their every move.

"May I please have some water?" I exhale slowly. I need to sit, and eat, and drink. I have never gone through something so rigorous in my life.

The girl with led our kidnapping comes to stand in front of me and frowns. "You do not speak to Aunt Tula unless she speaks to you."

"Mila, she can speak to me how she pleases. It is not her fault she is here." The aunt places a hand on her shoulder but the girl, Mila, is still frowning at me.

"Please, come have a seat at our table. I will get you some water, and my daughter, Kat, will get you some food. Mila, you and Somi are welcomed to stay and join us for dinner."

"We have to go back and meet with the elders. Thank you anyways, Aunt Tula." She leaves without another word. I feel like weight has been lifted from my shoulders. She intimidates me, I do not like her.

Beatrice grabs my hand and leads me to the table. Once I am seated, she bends down and begins to remove my shoes.

"In this house, everyone is treated equal." The older woman stares down and Beatrice and raises an eyebrow.

Beatrice bows her head and stops what she is doing. "I have been taking care of her since I can remember. She is hurting and I have to help her."

"She can take care of herself. If she needs our help, she will let us know." Tula hands me a wooden cup with water.

"Thank you." I help Beatrice sit next to me. I don't know what to think. I never thought I treated Beatrice like a slave, but I guess I am used to her doing a lot for me. The older women used the word 'our' and 'us' including herself. I am expected to ask her for help? Does that include helping us escape?

Kat sets plates in front of us and we sit in silence as they bow their heads and say a silent prayer.

I don't begin to eat until Tula does. The food is delicious. I don't know what type of meat it is but the spices in it are like nothing I have ever tasted before. I eat without stopping until my bowl is empty. Kat can't take her eyes away from us. They are big and curious. Unlike Mila's dark eyes, Kat has an innocent look. She watches the way we eat, how we sit, and what we are wearing.

"So, would you like to give me your name?" Tula asks when she finishes her food.

"I am Corine, this is Beatrice." I say before taking another sip of water.

"Thank you." Tula bows her head. She then gets up and motions for us to do the same.

She leads us to the same room Kat came out of. "I know this is not much but you will be staying here with us." There are three cots in the tight space. "I will let you ladies get some rest. Tomorrow Kat will show you everything you need to know about ways and the next day you will be assigned your duties."

My eyes widen. Duties? For people who have been kidnapped this is going a lot differently than I expected.

Once we are alone Beatrice comes to stand behind me. "Let me help you get out of this dress."

"Just unbutton it please, I will do the rest." I don't want Tula coming back in and seeing Beatrice acting like my maid again. She does not take any nonsense and has treated us with kindness. If I want to stay on anyone's good side it will be hers.

That night I twist and turn, unable to go into a deep slumber until the sun begins to rise.

~~~

"Miss, you're leaning to close!" Beatrice grabs my arm and I jump back.

We're by the river now. Kat woke us up very early in the morning and showed us around the village before anyone was awake. With the lack of sleep, it was hard to keep up. All I could think about was getting back on that cot and never waking up.

She explained that they each have assigned duties that change every so often and we are expected to help them here during our stay. I wanted to ask her if she knew how long we would be here but I didn't want to overstep. Like her mother, she has been kind to us since we got here. She went by each house explaining who lived there and what they did. I was very surprised to hear that some women go hunting alongside the men. They are not automatically expected to clean or cook but are given the choice to do what they think they will help the village the most. Mila's house is not far from Tula's. I made a note to stay away from there.

We're now looking down at the river with a very strong current. The water is somewhat murky but looks inviting. I was just debating about throwing myself in when Beatrice pulled me back. Even if we haven't been beaten or mistreated, I do not want to wait around until it happens. I also want to go back and let my parents know I am still alive. They won't know about our kidnapping until days from now. We were expected to get to our destination in three days. A lot can happen in three days. My life changed in a matter of seconds yesterday.

I look at my surroundings trying to gauge where we are. Even if I could run away, I wouldn't know in what direction. But we have to get out of here soon. I have to make sure Beatrice is ready for that too. With enough time I can somehow make it back to my parents and avoid having them fret over me. Maybe Kat can help.

"Kat, what river is this?" I try to keep my tone light.

"The Rondon River." She comes closer to us. "If you go against the current it will take you back to the main roads." She points up the river.

My mouth drops and she sighs. Why is she willing to give us information like that? Is this a trap?

"Although I wouldn't suggest trying to escape. Mila will take it personally and if she finds you...I just think you should follow our rules while you are here."

Beatrice grabs my hand for comfort. "Are we able to shower in this river?"

Kat smiles and pulls out something small from her bag. "That is why I ended the tour here." She hands Beatrice a bar of soap. "No one should be coming around here anytime soon, so you can wash in peace."

"Out here?" I am incredulous. "Surely you have a designated place to shower at?"

She snickers. "Yes, but it is a bathhouse. One for the men and another for the woman, you will have more privacy here."

I bite my lip. I have layers of dirt on my skin and would like to wash it all away. But I don't know how to swim and it looks deep.

"You can use one of my stockings as a washcloth for you, miss, then you do not have to fully undress and still get clean."

"No, it is fine, Beatrice. We should shower and make it quick." I turn so she can unbutton my dress

Kat turns away as we begin to disrobe. Once I am completely naked, I dip a toe in the water and jump back. "That is freezing!"

"Just wait until the sun is beating down on you all day. You will wish you were in this freezing water." Kat giggles.

Inch my inch Beatrice and I go into the water until it reaches our hips.

"Do you-" Kat's eyes widen as she turns around to look at us. I lean all the way down so the water is covering me whole. I hiss as the coldness wraps around my body from the neck down.

Beatrice stays standing and allows Kat's eyes to roam all over here. Beatrice is used to sharing her shower with the rest of the maids back home. I am sure she does not think anything by it. Kat blushes and turns around again. "Sorry, I should have made sure you were covered."