Melora stood next to her father's small throne. Her shoulders were pushed back, and her back was straight. Her long blonde hair fell smoothly down her back, stopping right at the curve of her ass. A long, red dress flowed around her. It was tight around her bodice but then flowed freely down her legs. A slit traveled up her right leg, stopping in the middle of her thigh. A jewel hooked onto a miniature gold chain clipped around her thigh showed off her father's wealth. Melora also knew that the gems brought attention to the exposed skin.
Melora's father was showing her off. She knew that. Melora was the only child of Chieftain Ba Coford. Her mother had died giving birth to her, so her father couldn't produce a male heir. This resorts to him showing off his daughter since she turned eighteen to an eligible bachelor. Melora closed her eyes and took a deep breath, tears stinging her eyes.
Chieftan Ba Coford needed to gain land and money fast. People from their clan left with every news of another raid on their land. Minor chieftains were claiming their land for their own. Her father needed to get rid of his daughter. He knew the only way for him to save his clan was to give her away to another chieftain with land and money to spare. On her twenty-first birthday, her father will have to come up with a decision about who he is going to give her hand to, much to Melora's demise. Melora knew her father was selling her, and that hurt more than she wanted it to. Ba Coford hadn't been the doting father she wished he would be. Knowing she was being sold damaged her; she hated the attention it brought her.
There was only one man that Melora wanted attention from. Her green eyes searched until she found him leaning against a pillar on the other side of the ballroom. He was barely visible to her as he stood in the shadows. He was always in the shadows during the day, watching her, protecting her.
Drystan was given to her as her bodyguard when she turned eighteen and was allowed to come to these gatherings. Ba Coford didn't trust her to be alone with any of the men in this room. But he trusted Drystan alone with her. Whenever Melora had to walk around the room, talking to many of the suitors her father would invite, Drystan was close behind her.
Melora could see Drystan's golden brown eyes shining through the shadows, watching her intently. She clasped her hands as her eyes met his, her insides warming up from the contact.
"Melora!" her father's voice snapped her out of her trance.
Melora took a deep breath as she gracefully turned to her father perched on his small throne and tipped her head to one side, a forced smile on her face. "Yes, father?"
Melora watched as her father gave her a bored look and motioned to the crowd before them, waving a hand. She looked at the two dozen young men standing before them, mingling with each other. None of them were paying any attention to her.
"None of these men are the ones I picked out for you," Ba Coford told her with a smirk.
"No?" Her heart sank whenever he would talk about this subject. Secretly, she had been hoping he would change his mind about giving her away, but she knew it wouldn't happen. She begged him to stop this search when it started, but he would always tune her out. Ba Coford was determined to sell his daughter to a man she didn't know or love.
Ba Coford moved his hand down to his right knee, a signal only for permission for Drystan to approach them. Melora stood up straighter as he came to them. His golden-brown eyes caught hers, and he smiled slightly, inclining his head to hers. His black hair was messy on his head and hung somewhat over his eyes. Full lips curved into a smile. Her eyes traveled up to his nose, broken one too many times, and then his beautiful eyes. Drystan was tall and full of muscle. His usual black shirt and pants hung tight against him, leaving little to the imagination. He had to know that he constantly tortured her, but she wasn't going to tell him. He was off-limits. Ba Coford made sure that she understood that.
Drystan stopped before reaching a strand of sunlight from the sun and kneeling before them. He bowed his head and waited for her father to motion for him to stand up.
"Take my daughter back to her room," Ba Coford ordered him. "Make sure that she is prepared for her journey tomorrow."
Melora snapped her head to her father. "T-tomorrow?"
Ba Coford looked up at his daughter; triumph smeared over his face. "I found you a proper suiter. Tomorrow, you will leave with Drystan and head to your new home. To your husband." He turned his attention to Drystan. "Make sure she is packed and ready for tomorrow's journey." He leaned back in his chair, looking over the party with a smile. "Take her away," he dismissed them with a flick.
That was her cue to leave, but she couldn't move her feet. Her birthday was tomorrow, and she would leave her home instead of celebrating it. Forever. To a man who she didn't know. Her hands curled on either side of her, her heart beating wildly. She didn't even notice that Drystan was already behind her.
"Let's go, Princess," his rough, deep voice sounded in her ear. Even though his voice was almost always gruff, it was still soothing to her. Her body always relaxed whenever he would speak to her. She'd heard him threaten people before, and the way he was talking to her now was nowhere close to that.
Melora kept her head down as he led her into a dark hallway and down to her room, opening the door for her. He led her into the room and shut the door behind them. She walked straight over to her bed and flopped down dramatically on it. Her head was still swimming with her father's news.
Drystan slowly moved around her room, closing the curtains to block any light front coming through. This was a routine for them. He permanently closed the curtains for her and waited until dark before leading her out onto the small balcony.
"Melora?" his voice called out to her. He only called her by her name when they were behind closed doors or in secret whispers. It was a rule that he had to call her princess whenever they were around other people or her father. She got annoyed whenever that title would come out of his mouth everywhere they went, so she told him to call her by her name when they were alone.
Melora leaned up on her elbows and looked up at him. A worried expression was etched across his face. Drystan was leaning up against the opposite wall. His eyes were filled with questions that she knew he wanted to ask. He knew not to push her.
"D-Do you know who he's giving me to?" her voice squeaked. Melora sat up and looked over at the suitcases by her door. They were already packed. The suitcases have been filled since her father told her he would give her away on her eighteenth birthday. He had told her to ensure she was packed and ready whenever he told her.
Drystan shrugged, his eyes floating to the floor. "I think I know. He had given me names and locations of the men he was contemplating sending you to."
Melora stood up and wrapped her arms around herself. She started to walk over to her room divider and stood behind it, making sure she was out of sight from Drystan. Her clothes for the night were already hanging off of the partition. "Were any of them young?" she asked as she started to strip.
Drystan didn't answer her, causing her to sigh. That gave her the answer she didn't want. "They're old?" Again, he didn't answer. She sighed again as she slipped her blue dress over her head. It was light and flowed around her, stopping at her ankles. This dress was more modest than the dress she had been wearing earlier. Once fully covered, she walked around the divider and noticed Dystan had moved from his position. He was now leaning against the wall beside her bed.
Melora sat back on her bed and brought her knees to her chest, resting her back against the headboard. She didn't want to go. There were many reasons, but she didn't know how to please a man. These men were going to be older. They've already been with women way more experienced than her. She was still a virgin. Her eyebrows furrowed. They wanted her as a virgin. She knew that. Her teeth sucked in her bottom lip as an idea came into her mind. Maybe they won't like her if she is damaged and send her back.
Melora looked up at Drystan and saw that he was already looking at her, his golden eyes boring into hers. "What are you thinking about, Melora?"
Another idea speared into her mind. It was ridiculous. He'd say no. He most definitely was going to say no. She had always thought that when she would lose her virginity, it would be in the arms of someone she loved and trusted. Her father unknowingly took that hope away from her when he sold her to another man.
Melora turned to him and sat on her knees. Scooting to the edge of the bed. "I have a favor to ask of you, Drystan."
Drystan turned to look at her, his arms crossing his chest. His head cocked to one side as he studied her. "What is it, Melora?"
A shiver ran down her spine at how he said her name. Melora looked down at her hands and started to pick at her nails. She was suddenly extremely nervous, no longer confident in her plan. "Y-You can say no," she hesitated.
Drystan stepped closer to the bed and placed his finger underneath her chin. He pulled her head up gently so she was looking at him. Melora watched as his eyes searched her face. For what, she didn't know, but his eyes darkened suddenly. He took a deep breath, his nostrils flaring slightly. "I cannot say no to you, Melora. What is the favor that you ask of me?"
Did his voice go deeper? Melora swallowed as she looked up at him. She couldn't believe that she was asking him this. He was forbidden to her, and she to him. But she didn't care anymore. She was using this excuse to be able to touch him.
"I," she hesitated again. "I need you to teach me." She swallowed again. "I need you to teach me how to be with a man."