Chapter One

 

 

Caroline raced down the hall as fast as she could go. Her long hair flew behind her, hitting her back with each step. She thought she could feel the guards coming. If she could close her eyes, she could envision them on the backs of her lids. She could imagine the weapons they’d be carrying: probably spears and swords, and maybe even a mace. She could almost feel the heavy, spiked ball swinging into her skull. Worse still, the evil Other could be just behind her, waiting to sink his fangs into her flesh. As Caroline ran, another biting thought stayed with her. Where was Sophie? What were they doing to her sister?

Gasping, Caroline Haley bolted upright in bed. She placed one hand over her heart, chest heaving with effort as though she had truly been running for her life. Trembling with fright, she took several deep breaths, trying to calm herself. Emily, her handmaiden, came rushing into the room from the adjacent chamber.

“My lady, I heard you scream. Are you all right?” Emily’s thin, pale face was drawn with worry. “Was it another dream?”

“Yes,” said Caroline, “the same one as last time. It was terrible.”

Emily gave her a sympathetic smile and patted her hand, which lay trembling on the duvet, before stepping over to pull the drapes open. As the sunlight began to shine in, Emily said,

“Odd. I think your sister had a nightmare, as well. I heard her walking the halls earlier this morn.”

“Sophie, having a bad dream?” Caroline began to kick the covers down so she could get out of bed. “She is never disturbed while sleeping.”

Emily shrugged. “But these are not exactly normal times, milady, as you well know. I am nearly finished preparing your trunk for this afternoon. Will your light green gown be suitable for the Choosing, or would you prefer the pink?”

Caroline shook her head. “I don’t even know, Emily. I can barely think. I need some fresh air. Would you please pack both, and I can decide when we arrive?”

“Yes, certainly, Miss.” Emily nodded. I’ll get your morning toilette ready.”

As Caroline splashed warm water on her face, she thought about how right Emily was about the times being different. Today was the day every Scollfyldian girl of age, born of noble blood, had been waiting for. Waiting not with anticipation or excitement, but rather with both curiosity and dread. This day was so important that King Victor had expressly forbidden any girl born in 1761 to marry before the Choosing. This, of course, disturbed the natural order of things, as younger sisters then had to wait for their older sisters to be married off. And young men across the country went without a bride for a time. All of this was despite the fact that only ten girls from the best families in the land would be standing for the Choosing. Though, since the drawing of the names had only happened last week, Caroline supposed it made sense. She still couldn’t grasp the fact that her name had been drawn. The Fates had a definite hand in her life.

After drying her face, she allowed Emily to help her into a morning dress of plain, white cotton. Then, she headed down the grand stairs of her home, trying to avoid running into her parents or any servants. Caroline grabbed her cloak off the hook beside the door and pulled it over her shoulders to shelter herself from the chilly morning air. She stepped quickly out the door and into the yard. Once she turned the corner past the stables and knew she could no longer be seen from the front of the manor house, she took off running. It felt so nice to let her hair fly behind her and lift up her long skirts to free her legs. Through the meadow beyond her home she ran, flying through the knee-high weeds and flowers. Giggling, she slowed as she reached where the meadow met the forest’s edge. He was there waiting for her already, and he smiled wide when he saw her. Caroline’s heart pounded from the combination of her run and seeing her secret lover.

“Lady Caroline, what ever would your father say if he saw you running? Aren’t ladies supposed to be docile and quiet?” Luke Stone called to her, raising his arms into a laughing shrug. He looked so handsome and strong, standing in the speckled sunlight beneath the canopy of leaves. The light shone off his dark blonde hair, and it complemented his skin, tanned from hunting and other manly pursuits. She sped up again, and ran straight into his arms with such force that it nearly knocked the two of them to the ground. He wrapped his arms around her small waist and lifted her up to his face. His sky blue eyes smiled into hers, and he pressed his mouth against her lips hungrily.

Softly, he set her back on the ground, and Caroline ran her hands up his neck and into his wavy hair. Gripping it, she pulled him harder into her and he slowly guided them first to their knees, and then to the ground. Caroline felt her head sink into a soft pile of leaves and didn’t care that her hair would be mussed. She just wanted the feel of Luke’s lips on hers, and she would do anything to have more time with him.

“Mmm,” she moaned into his mouth, “I have missed you so.”

Luke rolled his body on top of hers without breaking their lip lock, and brushed his hands deep into the tresses of her hair.

“I have missed you as well, my lady. I loathe when my duties tear me away from you.”

She felt his body stiffening, and knew he must be thinking the same thing: that tonight’s events could possibly pull them apart permanently. Shaking her head, she decided to focus on the moment. As they continued to kiss, she lazily traced her hands down his back, and then up under his white linen shirt. Caroline loved the feel of his warm flesh on her, and she gently ran her nails across him until she felt gooseflesh rise. Luke released a low groan and began kissing his way down her face and to her neck. Softly, he licked the skin of her collarbone, and planted a trail of tiny kisses to her chest. His lips moved over the soft, swelling skin where her breasts met her bodice. With one finger, he gently tugged the fabric down.

“Lord Stone, whatever are you doing?” Caroline whispered coquettishly. Luke grinned and let his hand travel down into her dress and under her thin chemise to find the small, hard nipple of her right breast. He squeezed, and Caroline sighed with pleasure. She brought her hand to the side of his face and traced her fingers down along his mouth. He sucked one of her fingers in, and swirled his tongue around it in time to the pressure of his fingers on her breast.

“Oh god.” Caroline moaned as he released her finger and ducked his head back toward her body. Roughly, he pulled the fabric of her dress down, nearly ripping it at the seams, to expose both of her breasts. He swirled his tongue from one erect nipple to the other, lavishing each with attention.

“Raise your skirts.” He commanded her, his mouth against her breast.

Caroline knew Luke respected her enough to not take things farther than they should go, and she happily complied. He twisted his hand through the layered fabric of her gowns until he found where she wanted him most: her wet, waiting hole. Caroline let her head roll back as his fingers slipped and slid along her moist folds, occasionally dipping just the tip of a finger into her. They had done this dance many times before, and the wanting never lessened. It never got easier to stop before they went too far, though they always somehow managed to. To not stop would be spitting in the face of Fate itself.

While he stroked her, Caroline let her mind wander into daydreams, wondering if they could go farther. She imagined undoing Luke’s trousers and letting them fall. Imagined seeing the muscles of his bare thighs, and running her tongue from his stomach to his manhood. She would suck him into her mouth, as she had done many times before, but instead of taking his salty cum into her throat, Caroline would guide him down to her dripping cunny. She would spread her legs wide, so wide, and watch as he lined himself up to her hole. Then, he would lower his hard naked body onto hers. And he would thrust, filling her up, taking her virginity, and stroking her pussy from the inside with his hard cock until she screamed for mercy.

The combination of her own naughty thoughts and Luke’s insistent rubbing brought Caroline to orgasm, and she had to bite her lip to avoid crying out and attracting attention. Burrowing her head into his neck as her breathing calmed, she whispered, “Now it’s your turn, Lord Stone.”

Luke lay back in the grass, undid his pants, and pulled them down past his knees. His manhood jutted upward, even thicker than Caroline remembered. Kneeling like a supplicant, she leaned over and took him as far as she could into her mouth. Sighing with pleasure, Luke slid one hand into the thickness of her hair and began guiding the speed of her head. Caroline felt his tensing and knew their previous tumble must have brought him to the edge. Focusing on bringing him to orgasm, she put one loose fist around his shaft and moved it in time with her mouth.

As his whole lower body clenched, Luke cried out, “Caroline!” and then she felt his cum shoot from his cock and down her throat. With a satisfied smile, she swallowed and lay down in the crook of his arm. On the soft grass with Luke, Caroline was able to forget for a moment that in just a few hours, she would be on her way to the Scollfyld Palace for the Choosing.