Maiden and the Monster Read online

  Maiden and the Monster

  Michelle M. Pillow

  Maiden and the Monster © copyright 2005 – 2013 Michelle M. Pillow

  Second Electronic Printing April 2012, The Raven Books

  First Electronic Printing November 2005

  Cover art by Michelle M. Pillow, © Copyright 2011 – 2012

  ISBN 9781452447834

  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

  Published by The Raven Books at Smashwords

  Smashwords Edition, License Notes

  This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each person. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

  All books copyrighted to the author and may not be resold or given away without written permission from the author, Michelle M. Pillow.

  This novel is a work of fiction. Any and all characters, events, and places are of the author’s imagination and should not be confused with fact. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, or events or places is merely coincidence. Novel intended for adults only. Must be 18 years or older to read.

  Published by The Raven Books

  www.ravenhappyhour.com

  Raven Books and all affiliate sites and projects are © Copyrighted 2004-2013

  Maiden and the Monster

  Michelle M. Pillow

  Winner of the 2006 Romantic Times Reviewers’ Choice Award

  Winner of the 2006 Romantic Times Reviewers’ Choice Award

  Maiden and the Monster

  Medieval Historical Romance

  Vladamir of Kessen, Duke of Lakeshire Castle, is feared as a demon in the land of Wessex. The Kings have granted him a title of nobility in exchange for his part as a political prisoner. Discontent, he bides his time in his new home until war will once again rip through the land. But boredom soon turns to devious pleasure as the daughter of his most hated enemy is left for dead at his castle gate. Now the monster bides his time plotting revenge.

  Lady Eden of Hawks' Nest doesn't know what to think of the man who saved her life, but she can't wrench her thoughts away. His words are those of a tyrant, true to his vicious reputation, but his touch is that of a man, stirring passion and lust when there should only be fear. It would seem the infamous monster is not as monstrous as he appears.

  A Romantic Times Magazine TOP PICK!

  “4 1/2 STARS! This is a perfect blend of history, emotion, tension, hot sex and fascinating and sympathetic characters, and the writing is superb. Pillow chooses magical details to set the scene, and they add to both the history and the emotion.”

  Page Traynor, RT Bookclub Magazine, April 2006 Issue

  Also by Michelle M. Pillow

  If you like this book, you might enjoy…

  Historical Romances by Michelle M. Pillow

  Maiden & the Monster

  Emerald Knight

  Lord of Fire, Lady of Ice

  Paranormal Historical Romances by Michelle M. Pillow

  Naughty Cupid Trilogy

  Cupid’s Enchantment

  Cupid’s Revenge

  Cupid’s Favor

  Portrait of His Obsession

  Mists of Midnight

  Medieval Fantasy Romances by Michelle M. Pillow

  Realm Immortal Series

  King of the Unblessed

  Faery Queen

  Stone Queen

  Dedication

  To my best friend, The Raven Books co-owner, Mandy M. Roth (www.mandyroth.com), a very talented author and artist who helped me greatly in the making of this new edition’s book cover. I’m lucky the horde of barbarians put us in the same dungeon when they caught us trying to…wait, we promised not to talk about that. I mean, I’m lucky to have you in my life.

  To my readers for your loyalty, support, and for following me from genre to genre. I appreciate it more than words could ever say. Thank you for your emails, and for playing with me on Twitter and Facebook.

  The end of this book contains two Complimentary Excerpts

  of Michelle M. Pillow’s other Historical Romances:

  Lord of Fire, Lady of Ice

  Emerald Knight

  Author Note

  In 878, King Guthrum and his vast nation of pagan Vikings (also known as Norsemen or Danes) had rule over half of Briton. Though initially they came to the shores to raid and pillage, they eventually settled in their newly conquered land. A powerful race, the Vikings were said to be nigh unstoppable. And before the rule of Christian King Alfred of Wessex, known as Alfred the Great, they had gone relatively unopposed.

  During this time, the Danish king was at war with King Alfred, which culminated at Wiltshire in what is known as the Battle of Edington. This was the last significant battle between the two kingdoms and Alfred won. Now the tides of power were turning. Guthrum and his Vikings were on the losing side.

  After experiencing decisive losses, the Danish king signed the Treaty of Wedmore. The treaty allowed Guthrum to leave with the provision that he never return. Furthermore, the land was divided in two parts—Wessex and what later became known as the Danelaw (Northumbria, East Anglia and Essex).

  In accordance with the treaty’s demands, King Guthrum had to leave several men from his army in Wessex. These soldiers resided as political hostages—insurance for peace between the two kingdoms. If Guthrum broke his promise never to return, the hostages would be killed. As part of the treaty, the pagan men were also made to convert to Christianity.

  Often noblemen and knights held as prisoners were given leave to move freely, held only by their word of honor. It is in this rocky political climate that our hero finds himself, a prisoner of a foreign king, surrounded by the very people he’d been at war against.

  Though the events surrounding the story are fact, the characters, titles of nobility, circumstances and the story itself are a complete work of fiction.

  Happy Reading!

  Chapter One

  Lakeshire Castle, Wessex, 879 AD

  “God’s bones, Ulric. Methinks this land of Wessex is making you soft!”

  Vladamir of Kessen, the Duke of Lakeshire’s voice was hard due to his exasperation. He knew his tone had a gravelly quality, which reflected a Baltic culture far to the northeast of the Saxon manor of Lakeshire. The heritage gave his softened words a hard bite as the harsh press of his lips gave his features a merciless appearance. Vladamir did it on purpose.

  “‘Tis irrational, foolish old man, for you to insist I stand downwind of that rotting pile of animal carcasses for nary an instant more. I don’t know why you thought I’d be interested!”

  His accent frightened the people under his rule. In fact, everything about him scared these people. He wanted the Saxons afraid of him. If they were afraid, they would follow his orders and leave him alone. He’d been in Wessex for a year and the plan had worked so far. It wasn’t like he’d been sent to make friends.

  Vladamir was the very first Duke of Lakeshire. It was a position he didn’t relish. If he had his say, he’d live out his miserable days alone in a castle far away from everyone and everything. Either that or he’d gladly ride into another war.

  Frowning sternly, he narrowed his eyes in annoyance and made no move to leave for his training exercises, though his fingers itched to grip his sword. Instead, he swept the fur lining of his cloak off his shoulder. The breeze lifted the weight of his unfashionably long, straight black hair off his shoulders and he absently watched the strands trailing away from him. He purposely wore
the heathenish attire of those who lived in the Danelaw rather than to adapt to the more civilized dress of the nation of Wessex. He did it to irritate the Christian sensibilities of his Saxon neighbors and to drive fear into those men who were made to unwillingly serve under his rule.

  Yea, everything about me is different than this accursed land. I’m a man without a country. I hate Wessex and I hate the land of my father. And I hate the peace between them both.

  Tense, Vladamir raised his arm, motioning to the guard who stood above him on the dark stone of the bailey wall. A black onyx ring glinted on his finger, shining like a beacon the guard would be able to see. With a deft flick of his wrist, the duke silently commanded the knight to raise the outer gate.

  The young, fair-haired Saxon didn’t hesitate to follow his barbaric lord’s order. Like all his subjects, Vladamir knew the guard watched him intensely for any sign of movement, no matter how small. It wasn’t out of respect for him that the man instantly obeyed. It was out of fear. Fear was the reason all the Saxon warriors residing at Lakeshire Castle followed his command. They’d all heard the sinister rumors that followed him from his homeland, and he’d never tried to earn their respect or change their opinion of him.

  Angrily, he jerked his arm, letting his irritation show. Vladamir knew what he was, knew what he looked like, and it was his intent to appear monstrous in both mannerisms and appearance. His linen undertunic was dyed to the pitchest of blacks. Although the material was of obviously rich quality, it lacked the perfected embellishments that frivolous nobles prided themselves on.

  The sleeves of his tunic hung over his wrists and settled over the backs of his hands in long rolls. The undertunic fell loosely over his tightly fitted black braes, the long slit down the side showing a hint of his thighs. He fastened the material of the braes into place with laces that joined at the side and wore a plain, thick leather belt over them. From this belt hung an imposingly sharp knife and a modest leather pouch, which contained small pieces of flint for starting a fire and an iron key that fit a door the servants didn’t even know existed.

  “Clear it away at once. Methinks you have interrupted my morning training for naught more than fetid garbage.” The duke ordered Ulric, only to growl in anger when the gate didn’t rise fast enough to suit his impatience. He rested his hand on the hilt of his sword in warning. The action wasn’t missed. Another knight disappeared off the wall, obviously going to hurry the man lifting the gate. Vladamir relished his ill humor, wallowing in it. “Argh!”

  He sighed as the gate finally squeaked on its iron hinges, making the slow trip up. Gripping his sword, his scowl deepened. Instead of watching the gate, he stared at the hilt. The monstrous broadsword at his waist was in a leather scabbard, hanging from a leather shoulder baldric. The strap crossed over his chest so he could easily draw the weapon at the slightest provocation.

  Still irritated, he glanced back to Ulric as the man tried to get a good view of the rotting animals through the gate’s crosshatching. The servant turned to the duke, eyeing the nobleman’s attire. Vladamir glanced down at his clothes, again thinking of how different he was from the Saxon men.

  Over his tunic he wore a woven cloth belt of black and silver. It wrapped about his waist and knotted on the front right. He left the unadorned ends to drape freely about his thighs. The undertunic’s oval neckline was laced high and tight against his thick neck, hiding the entirety of his chest from view. It was only on the rarest of political occasions that Vladamir was obligated to don an overtunic. He didn’t feel the need of such formalities in his life when it came to dress. But, on those rare occasions, the overtunic was also black with very little silver embroidery.

  The only relief to the investigating eye that Vladamir allowed was the lighter colored rocc, his fur cloak that was constructed of the skinned hide of several gray wolves. He would’ve dyed the fur black as well, if not for the ample waste of time and resources the project would consume. He wore the fur side inward for warmth as was customary among his fellow pagans.

  “By all that is hallowed!” Vladamir growled, not caring who heard his cry. Many of the servants milling about the yard skidded to a stop at the sound. A small smile of devious pleasure automatically curled the sides of his mouth. It took a few seconds, but soon the servants were hurrying away in relief when they realized they weren’t the cause of his present anger.

  It was a well-known and accepted fact to the people of Lakeshire Castle that Vladamir had converted to Christianity solely to please King Alfred of Wessex in accordance with the Treaty of Wedmore. The duke did nothing to dissuade their beliefs or make them think that he was sincere in his conversion. Let them believe he was a devilish monster sent by King Guthrum to torment them.

  In truth, Vladamir didn’t much care for the Christian God, nor had he cared for the many gods of his ancestors. He lost faith when his wife died six years before. As he thought of it, it was quite possible he’d lost his faith before then.

  Lowering his chin to glower down from his towering height, he curled his nose in disgust as another gust of wind assaulted him. The air carried a stench so severe that, even with his war-hardened training, Vladamir couldn’t ignore the putrid smell. His expression turned quickly into a snarl. For all his rough appearance, Vladamir was a clean person, having been influenced by the peculiar bathing rituals of his father’s people, the Vikings. He even insisted his household followed suit and bathed at least twice a sennight. It was a completely pagan routine little heard of in the dwellings of the Saxons. He’d received some protest over the decree, but it was necessary to keep such smells as these rotted animals out of his home.

  His forehead wrinkled in irritation and tried unsuccessfully to determine what exactly emitted the foul odor. “What is it, Ulric? It smells of decaying flesh. Who would dare to lay carcasses afore my gate to rot?”

  “Mayhap, ‘tis a sacrifice in honor of the castle,” Ulric offered with a grave shake of his head. The manservant’s expression said he highly doubted it.

  Ulric had traveled with the duke to Wessex the year before. A short man with a balding head, he had a pleasing face hidden under his trim beard. His jaunty nature was a direct contrast to that of his dark, forbidding lord—just as his rounded frame was opposite Vladamir’s sinewy one. He wasn’t only the duke’s seneschal but was also the closest thing Vladamir could call friend.

  “Nay, ‘tis not the season for sacrifice,” Vladamir answered as he looked up to the changing sky. It was early morning, yet the sky darkened to purple. He pulled the broadsword from his waist in one smooth motion and flexed the muscles of his sword arm in distraction, scuffing the tip across the dirt in a lazy stroke. Smirking, he said, “Besides, the prelate has forbidden such practices. ‘Tis too barbaric a custom according to the church.”

  He sighed, fisting his hands as he pressed his lips tightly together. Upon closer examination, he discovered that the rotting bundle was actually an oddly shaped mound of pelts. Resting his fingers firmly upon his hips, he was mindful of the tip of the broadsword that still rested on the ground.

  The stronghold’s gate stopped above him, but he didn’t bother to move. The gate was constructed of thick English oak and bound together with iron strips. The pointed ends at the bottom of the gate were wood reinforced with iron, causing them to act like metal teeth if lowered too quickly. Eyeing the spikes, he morbidly thought of how effectively they could sever a man in two.

  Ulric rushed forward to the pile as soon as the spikes were out of his way. The seneschal’s wider frame lumbered with the effort it took him to kneel and he grunted under the strain. Swiping the sleeve of his brown tunic across his forehead, Ulric placed his arm before his nose as he leaned closer to the pelts.

  Impatient, Vladamir watched Ulric pick through the skins. He followed silently behind, refusing to sheath his sword. The seneschal sat straight up in surprise.

  “M’lord, it would appear to be a maiden amongst these pelts. Methinks I see the entrails of a ra
bbit in her hair,” Ulric yelled through the sleeve of his tunic.

  The servant again wiped his sleeve across his brow before returning it to his nose. His small brown eyes shone with concern. With a grumble of disdain, Ulric lifted entrails from the maiden’s hair and flung them aside, only to gingerly remove a rabbit carcass the same way to reveal the bloodied lines of her swollen face. It was impossible to see whether she breathed.

  In the distance, the sounds of fighting men and clashing swords filled the air as the knights competed in mock battle. A flock of wild birds flew high above to seek shelter from the changing sky. Their song softly drifted downward. None of the sounds pleased the duke as his eyes stayed trained on Ulric.

  “A maiden? Out here? And scented with festering carcasses?” Vladamir searched the forest that surrounded his castle. The hum of insects was quite clear on the morning air, and he noticed that the red bristled pigs grazing just beyond his walls were undisturbed. Nor could he detect movement within the barren limbs of the trees. Finally satisfied that the girl was alone, he turned his attention back to Ulric. He refused to show any interest in the maiden.

  “Wake her and send her on her way.” He kept his voice passionless and made no effort to help the woman. “If she is dead, burn her, for I won’t tolerate that wretched smell in my bailey.”

  “Should we not try to find out who she is first? Mayhap there are those who search fer her even now. Would you deny her kinsmen a proper burial?” Ulric protested quietly.