Secrets and Guardians: Devious Intentions by H. Chambers (summer beach reads txt) 📖

Shade sat in the corner of the great hall waiting. If hate could kill, then her husband, his father and his two brothers would be dead. She kept her head lowered. To stare across at them would get her a beating later and although Kerdred would not risk hurting his 'son' she was carrying, at eight and a half months pregnant she was tired, tired of everything.

She was waiting to be paraded in front of Kerdred's family. His father and brothers had come the night before, on their previous visits she had been kept in her quarters. Kerdred now had three wives each one picked only for their potential to produce healthy strong sons. Kerdred's two brothers were in fact his half-brothers, both red haired with light brown eyes that had touches of green in them, they looked far more like their father than Kerdred did.

Shade was a lot better off than many women. The average woman in Thantos had a very difficult life. Seen as property of the men they were expected to work hard, bear children, serve their men without complaint and consider themselves very lucky if they had a man who did not regularly hit them. Shade had learnt the hard way, at first standing up to Kerdred, then just giving him 'looks' as he put it, now she just usually kept her head lowered in his company; which he took to be a sign of compliance. It was however, hard to hide the total loathing she felt for him. The last eighteen months had been filled with beatings, rape and humiliation for Shade.

She heard her name mentioned.

'Come on then let me see the size of her, big I've been told,' laughed Drumlin slamming his tankard on the table. 'And more ale!' he said turning to one of the servants.

Kerdred's younger brothers, Hawke and Tremlin copied their father's, 'More ale!' much to his amusement; at fourteen and twelve respectively their father didn't mind them drinking and falling over after just a couple of tankards. However it would bring shame on his family if they couldn't handle their drink when they were older.

'Shade!' Kerdred commanded.

Shade stood up obediently and walked over to the table. She wore her specially made dress designed to show off her pregnancy to its full.

'Come here girl,' said Drumlin grabbing her by her arm.

She allowed herself to be pulled towards Drumlin. He roughly patted her stomach then went to her breasts squeezing them.

'It will not be long now, she looks about ready,' Drumlin said smiling at Kerdred. 'Your son feels as if he will be a good size too,' patting Shade’s stomach again.

Shade wanted to ask what happens if it's a girl, but knew to keep quiet. If it was a girl, she would probably get a beating and the girl would be passed to a wet nurse. As one of the other wives was pregnant, the focus would turn to her, Shade would still be used to bear children, but the first wife to bear a son always held the greatest status. Shade was a wise woman, a witch, she was only meant to have one child, a girl, whose father should be of her choosing.

Drumlin slapped her bottom, 'Go back to your seat now, I have important things to talk about and can't have a woman around distracting me.'

Shade walked past Hawke and he nipped her hard, so shocked was she that she let out a cry and turned ready to slap his hand. She stopped herself just in time, lowering her head she backed away from him and hurried to her seat. Drumlin roared with laughter, Kerdred however was a little less impressed.

'Hawke, who does that woman belong to?' Kerdred said glaring at his younger brother.

Hawke put on a sheepish grin and turned for help from his father.

'Oh, Kerdred let him be, he's still young yet, maybe it’s time we found him a young maid,' Drumlin interjected giving Hawke a sly wink. 'Now Kerdred, I need you to tell me how the plans are coming along, it will not be long before your brothers are old enough to fight by your side. They have a right to rule their own kingdoms,' said Drumlin.

Shade listened to their plans Drumlin wanted Kerdred to rule Thantos after him, Hawke to have Korin and Tremlin to have Daranel. There would be years of fighting; she tried not to think about all those who would lose their lives. She did not want to be part of it, nor did she want her child to be part of it. Her decision made, a small grimace crossed her face; how better to get my revenge than to die tonight while Kerdred's family are here, you shall never have a child from me, she thought. Up until that moment she had always thought she was carrying Kerdred's child, conceived through rape, a 'thing' growing inside her that would one day grow into an adult as evil and heartless as Kerdred. Some nights she dreamt the baby was a hideous monster with too many limbs and eyes. Now she had decided to take her revenge, the unborn baby became as much a victim as she was. Shade touched her stomach, something she had avoided doing, never wanting to feel any connection with his child. Shade bowed her head lower, clenched her fists and in her mind, to her unborn baby she said, I am sorry but I have no choice.

Shade pulled gently on the sleeve of a servant next to her and whispered something quietly to him. He nodded his head and approached the table where Kerdred sat. They were still deep in discussions and the servant waited patiently to be acknowledged. Kerdred looked up and motioned to the servant who then passed on Shade’s message to him. Kerdred glanced across at her bowed head and nodded, the servant returned and helped Shade to her feet. Shade held on to him and over played her feelings of tiredness just in case Kerdred did look again in her direction. The great hall doors were opened and there on the other side, as she expected, the Nefkin sat waiting for her.

When she had first arrived at Kerdred's stronghold she had been surprised to see these 'apes'. Nefkins had a fearsome reputation as uncontrollable, intelligent apes from the mountains of Forlorn. Their sheer size and power made them dangerous, but their intelligence made them even more so. Fully grown they could reach over seven feet tall and were covered in silvery white fur which in certain light would take on a pale blue tinge. They had long powerful arms, when walking they stood upright but when they were hunting they ran on all four limbs. Shade had not been able to believe they could have been tamed.

Her Nefkin 'guard' had been trained the old way, his incisors had been pulled out and judging by all the scars you could see under his fur, beaten many times. He was called Fingal and was probably the only friend she had made in her time here. Kerdred did not know of her ability to join minds with other animals. She had been unsure as to whether she could connect with Fingal, being so closely related to humans but when she tried, he turned and faced her tilting his head to one side. At first it was difficult, unlike her Kestrel who was happy to feel the great excitement Shade experienced seeing though his eyes and then in time the love they each felt for each other. The connection between Shade and Fingal was one based on their mutual sadness and pain. Fingal knew never to give any outward sign when Shade 'talked' to him in his mind. They would sometimes sit together on one of the fortified walls looking out at the great forest. She pictured her village for him to see and how Kerdred had killed her mother, he showed her the terrible treatment he had received. There were times they were both just staring out at the forest with tears gently running down their faces. It was however Fingal's job to guard her, Kerdred had said 'protect' her, but Fingal was really there so she didn't try and escape.

As they walked away from the great hall Fingal’s great arm reached out