The Heiress of Baylin

“Let’s elope,” I pleaded to Brandon early the next morning while I rested my head over his bare, hairy chest. I wrapped my leg around him in the bed sensually. I loved the feeling of my skin on his.

“I can’t,” he spoke with reluctance in his voice. As much as I could tell he wanted to, eloping with me would be extremely dangerous for him. Even if he had said yes, part of me knew I would be frightened for his life.

“I know,” I accepted, gazing at his deeply saddened expression. Our eyes locked for a long moment. I tried to think of a way we could evade the battle. I did not want him to fight. I feared that I would lose him if he did. I considered sneaking out of the castle while it was still dark but guards surrounded the exits at every corner. Escape would be impossible. As I gazed into his eyes now, he seemed lost in thought and I could tell that he was deliberating the same idea.

“I wish there was a way,” he murmured, almost to himself. “But I can’t escape the battle. I must do my duty and fight with honor.”

“I did not realize you were so patriotic,” I mused.

“Baylin is my country,” he shrugged. “I’ll defend it until it is extinct.” When he spoke like this, it only served to fuel my excitement over him. I pressed my lips to his chest, kissed him before tracing my lips up his neck. I lovingly bit the edge of his strong jaw and heard a moan escape his breath. “We can’t, Mary. It’s almost dawn. I have to go soon.”

I did not like hearing him tell me that he would leave. I worried about losing this moment as though the memory of my night with him would slip into oblivion. I wanted to cling to this minute and never let it go. He suddenly chuckled as a thought emerged in his mind.

“What is it?” I wondered.

“It’s just funny. I was trained in the art of restraint and assigned as your protector because of that. But no amount of training could keep me from you.”

“That is funny,” I agreed. “But I’m glad you failed.”

“Me too,” he whispered before stroking my cheek with his thumb. He then proceeded to trace his thumb to my lip and I softly bit it.

“I wasn’t always a guard, you know,” he brought up. “I was raised as a son to a builder. My father built houses for a living and I learned how to do it. Someday I wish to build a quiet home in the country, far away from court…” He kept his eyes on mine and added, “…with my wife.” This last statement sent my heart in a flurry. Since there were no others, he clearly implied that he wanted me as his wife. They were words that would have him executed if anyone had heard them spoken.

“How did you manage to become a royal guard?” I asked.

“When I was a boy, I had the pleasure of meeting the king with my father who had worked on adding an extension to the castle to make it more grand,” he explained. “The queen admired me immediately and convinced her husband to rear me into the guard profession…” he deliberated thoughtfully for a moment. “The king was so enraptured by her. He did anything she told him. Her liking towards me often had him feeling on edge, jealous you could say.”

“Did you and the queen ever…?” I asked, wondering if the king’s jealousy had been justified.

“No. It wasn’t like that,” Brandon assured me. “She was like a mother to me.”

I considered this story and thought about how the king must have felt on that night when I was reluctant to leave Brandon’s side to dance with him. It probably caused old feelings to bubble to the surface. Even if Brandon’s relationship with the queen had been innocent, the king probably suspected the worst. He must’ve felt that Brandon was a long-time sexual rival.

“Anyway, it doesn’t matter now,” Brandon dropped. He then wrapped his arms tightly around me and proceeded to kiss me once more before gathering himself from the bed and dressing back into his trousers. Parting from him felt like being stabbed by a thousand sharp knives but I knew he needed to sneak out before he was caught.

“It is painful to think that I have to give you up but the reality is, you will probably be made to marry either our king or the Estrian king, depending which side wins. Hopefully I’ll be dead before I live to see it happen.”

“Don’t say that!” I snapped, hated hearing him talk about dying. “You will live, understand? You will! We’ll find a way to elope, have a quiet country life.”

“I love you,” was all he would reply as he stealthily slid through the door. My eyes felt swollen, tears wanting to escape as his silhouette vanished. Now I would never know if I would ever have another moment like this with him again.

It was still early as the sky was still dark outside my window but I knew there was no possible way that I could fall back to sleep. I walked towards the mirror with a candle and glared at my reflection.

What have I done? I asked myself, deliberating my night with Brandon. I knew I should have been ashamed of where I had allowed the night to progress. It was sinful in the eyes of God. I couldn’t, however, bring myself to drift too deeply in regret since the memory of the act only lifted my spirits. Still, I tried to shake away the happiness of it so as to lessen the pain I knew I would feel when I would inevitably lose him. I felt the sting of sadness overwhelm me when I considered that he would be fighting in battle today.

Thomas would be in shortly with an array of other servants to groom me so that I could distract the enemy. No matter how much I tried to submerge them, the memories of the night with Brandon continuously flashed through my thoughts in brief increments. I smiled as I remembered the softness of Brandon’s touch and the loving way that he kissed me, the dimples in his cheeks when he smiled. My happiness turned to guilt and these feelings continuously fluctuated, flipping from one to the next with each passing second. My mind was chaotic.

A distant memory with my father suddenly surfaced as I contemplated the day to come. His clothes were covered with dirt one evening from having worked the field all day with my brothers to put dinner on the table.

“Mary,” he had said, “as a woman you will, unfortunately, be limited in life. If, however, you ever have an opportunity to serve your country, you should consider that a great honor.” I wondered briefly whether or not my father would have been proud that I was about to use my sexuality to serve my country. Being the last surviving woman of the great plague oddly granted me with the opportunity to be more than just a woman and possess power. Yet, I still found that I had to use my femininity in order to influence. No matter what, I couldn’t seem to escape the status of my sex.

I was mostly silent while Thomas prepared me that morning. He dressed me in a beautiful, white dress, white for purity though I did not feel so pure after the previous night with Brandon. I shook off the thought, bringing my mind to the present. I watched through the mirror as Thomas made up my hair so that it flowed neatly into thick, golden curls. I should have been excited to start my new life in Estria but I was anything but.

“You’re quiet, my lady,” Thomas noted.

“It’s a big day,” I shrugged, not wanting to tell him about the many thoughts bubbling to the front of my consciousness.

“I understand,” he dropped to my satisfaction.

“We just received word that the Estrian ships have docked along the shores. They’re on their way now. Make haste,” announced one of my guards from the door, not Brandon.

“Yes, my lord, she is dressed,” replied Thomas. I stood up from my seat and he gave me a friendly hug. “You look beautiful, Mary, and I just know that you will make your kingdom proud.”

“Thank you, Thomas.” I almost said, “you’ve been like a mother or a sister to me” just in case something happened to him but I stopped myself once I realized how insulting that might come across.

“I am going to miss you too, Mary,” he said before gesturing me out the door. My guards guided me outside to the stables where I begrudgingly met with William. He was dressed in armor, something I had not previously seen him wear.

“You look breathtaking, my lady,” he complimented proudly. “You are well suited to drive the enemy mad.”

“Thank you, my lord.”

He asked me to mount a magnificent, white horse. I sat sidesaddle on the horse’s back, as customary for women to ride. Our fleet of Baylin soldiers surrounded me. Everyone was dressed in armor and armed with swords, ready for fight. The Estrian king had a reputation for being changeable, unpredictable. I hoped that there was a chance we would not have to do battle today but only part of me believed in that outcome.

We exited the castle in a parade of brown and gold. Our country’s flag waved proudly with the hawk displayed for everyone to witness. I was the only figure dressed in pure white so the view of me was sure to stick out in stark contrast. The king rode beside me in front, leading our fleet. The guards followed closely behind me. My heart thudded with nerves. I occasionally glanced behind to look at Brandon but he was actively attempting to avoid my gaze – understandably. After last night, it must have been hard for him, knowing he’d have to watch me be taken by another man if he survived the battle. I frowned at the thought.

Once our entire fleet was outside the confines of the castle walls, the king stopped us to turn and face the crowd. He gave an inspirational speech, lifting our men’s spirits by delivering praises to our kingdom. The men cheered excitedly. The king possessed a talent for inspiring them, I noted. This was enough to ease the nervous tension for a while until we reached the wide, grassy clearing where we were to meet the Estrians. A wall of forest surrounded it.

We stood and watched as the procession of the royal Estrian army emerged from behind the trees. They marched towards us, arriving with pageantry, proudly waving their flag that flashed the image of the fox, the symbol of their country. Their entire brigade radiated with their two national colors, red and black. They came to a halt at the end of the clearing, maintaining a field of space between our two armies. They may have been just as cautious as we were. The sky was cloudy, hazy and ominous.

I examined their army that appeared bigger than our own. The king of Estria was stationed on a black horse – a contrast to our king who was positioned on a white horse. He took his stance in the front-center of his army, wearing a grand, red robe with black trim while our king wore his usual brown robe with gold trim. The Estrian king looked younger than our Baylin king, more full of life. His son, the prince, sat on another black horse beside him, looking equally as vibrant and healthy as his father. Their kingdom’s image displayed the epitome of health, virility. I glanced at our own king on his horse beside me who looked frail in comparison. I knew in that moment that we did not stand a chance. I tried to mentally prepare myself to marry the Estrian king or prince but the image was difficult to choke down.

Our sides stared at each other in silence for a while. We were unsure what to expect. I crossed my fingers, praying silently that this wouldn’t erupt into battle. The Estrian king suddenly alarmed us, boldly riding alone across the field to our side. Some of the soldiers on our side readied their swords but our king gestured for them to hold their ground. Our guards made sure to crowd around the king and I in order to keep us both safe from the uncertainty of the advance.

Once up close, the Estrian king appeared smug. This threw me into confusion since he seemed too happy for someone about to lead into battle with us.

“Hello,” he greeted our king and then turned to examine me. “I’m sorry to startle you but I had to see it to believe it. There really is a living woman. How peculiar that she has survived…”

“This woman belongs to us,” our king retorted. The red, Estrian king howled with laughter.

“I don’t think you realize it but our army is much larger than yours,” he mentioned. It hadn’t escaped my notice.

“Our army may be smaller but our spirit is stronger,” our king argued.

The red king gently kicked his horse to step closer towards me. His eyes focused on me intently, as though he were trying to assess that I weren’t actually a boy disguised as a woman in order to fool him.

“The fullness of her breasts would be hard to feign. She really is a woman,” the Estrian king concluded his assessment.

“Of course she is!” the Baylin king enthused. The change in his temperament alarmed me. “She is a beautiful woman at that.”

“Hmmm… can she sing?”

“Like a nightingale,” our king answered.

“Oh really? Sing something,” he ordered me.

“Must I?” I asked, turning to my king.

“Yes,” He demanded in response. My cheeks burned crimson. It seemed very odd that I would be asked to sing on the battlefield. I considered that this was the distraction I was told to provide. I inhaled, annoyed but complied nevertheless. Everyone was silent as they watched me. I breathed a sigh of relief once my tune came to a close.

“Her voice is good,” the Estrian king agreed. “But,” he said while scrutinizing my appearance, “she’s blond.”

“So?” our king challenged.

“Dark hair was the style amongst the women in our country. My son won’t be interested in her.”

Our king looked infuriated. So was I. I hated how the Estrian king presumed that his side would have me.

“Need I remind you that you do not have any women in your country? Also it does not matter if your son likes her or not. She is property of Baylin,” our king quarreled.

“We’ll see about that,” the red king threatened. It was then that I realized I had to take action. The two sides were seconds away from a fight. As much as I disliked it, I knew that I needed to follow William’s advice. I gazed passed the Estrian king to his son on the other end of the field. I took a deep breath before kicking my horse into a forward gallop, ignoring the protest of the red king as I took off. My own king and Baylin army remained silent as though this is what they had wanted me to do from the start.

The prince met me mid way with his guards behind him. My heart thundered wildly in my chest at what I was about to do now.

“What do you mean by venturing over here in this manner? Are you mad?” the prince demanded with confusion in his tone. Up close he did not look as handsome as he did from far away. His face looked hard, eyes severe. But it didn’t matter how he looked, I reminded myself. At once, I grabbed the end of my dress and pulled it over my thighs to expose my legs. A loud gasp escaped the Estrian army. With this one act, I had officially let go of the dignity that Brandon and all of the other Baylinian men had admired about me. All for Baylin, I chanted to myself. The prince’s face quickly warmed, losing any traces of confusion or anger by my approach. Sexuality was the one card I had to play and thankfully this tactic seemed to be effective. Everyone on the red side was preoccupied by the view.

“Forgive me for I am the last of the fairer sex in my country,” I said, pushing a flirtatious hint to my tone. He remained silent while his eyes were focused lustfully on my legs. Even his horse was still. My tactic was working so I continued, “out of all my many choices in men, my loins seem to ache only for you. I cannot resist the sight of such divine masculinity.” It was clearly a lie meant to cater to his vanity but he seemed to buy it. I felt degraded for speaking this way but my own self-preservation was eclipsed by a greater priority.

An image flashed in my mind. I briefly thought about how the world used to be before the plague. I pictured the ballroom in the royal Baylin castle filled with the sight of beautiful dresses flowing with the synchronized movements of dancing feminine figures, the laughter of little girls. I imagined the many weddings that would have taken place in the churches across our land, the many lonely men who would still have their loved ones. I considered the battle that we would be avoiding now if the plague hadn’t occurred. We didn’t deserve to go extinct. I knew this to be true in my heart. The fact that I was here in this situation deeply saddened me.

“Charge!” the Baylin king screamed loud enough to stir the land. My army came in a raging gallop, racing toward this side with swords outstretched. In a swift movement, the prince grabbed me and pulled me onto the back of his horse with stealth. He then kicked his horse into a furious gallop so that we could escape the scene of the fight. I gripped my arms tightly around him, afraid of falling. We were leaving the clearing, heading towards the surrounding forest. I expected him to come to a stop once we were out of harm’s way but he kept pushing his horse even further. Why? Why take me away while his army was fighting against mine? Something felt off and dangerous about his actions.

I could hear the roaring of war break out behind us, the clashing of swords as the two sides collided with one another. This sound drifted with each passing stride.

“We should turn back,” I urged but he ignored me, taking me deeper into the forest. “Stop!” but he wouldn’t. Fear raced through my veins. Something terrible was written in his intentions and I could feel it in my gut. Tears rolled down my eyes in fear. I was being kidnapped. We came to a halt on top of a hillside, deep within the alpine forest. He dismounted and placed his hands to my waist to lift me effortlessly off his horse.

“What is going on?” I demanded to know but he wouldn’t answer. His eyes looked dark with passion as he gazed at me intently. A cold shutter ran down my spine. I almost bolted but he grabbed my arm and yanked me to his side. With force, he pressed me against a nearby tree trunk and crushed his lips to mine. Instinct pushed me to fight him. I tried to squirm out of his grip but he was too big, too strong. I felt helpless under the pressure of his weight.

“Please don’t,” I pleaded when he briefly parted his lips from mine to take a breath. “Be a gentleman. Honor my maidenhead.” It was a lie since my maidenhead was already in Brandon’s hands. Still, I hoped the lie would be successful in deterring him from what I could feel he was about to do. He ignored my cry, pressing his body feverishly to mine, squeezing me even more tightly against the tree. He lifted my leg up right then and I shut my eyes, bracing myself for the violating, unthinkable act he was about to commit against my body.

That’s when it happened. I heard a thud as a force hit the prince. I felt as his body swiftly fell limp. My eyes remained firmly shut, afraid to look. I could feel a strange sensation of warm liquid oozing through the fabric of my dress. I inhaled deeply before slowly opening my eyes to the frightening sight of the prince’s lifeless eyes glaring back at me. An arrow had impaled him in his side. At once, I screamed and shoved his corpse off of me. I gazed through the trees to see the killer responsible. He was standing in a clearing with archery equipment, a strange man of tall stature dressed in peasant clothing. I was almost prepared to thank him for saving me but something in my gut warned me that he too was dangerous.

“You’re mine!” the man shouted before sprinting in my direction. I was about to take off into a bolt but then another man on horseback darted from a hidden spot in the bushes, lunging after him. To my immense relief, I immediately recognized the man on the horse as Brandon. Brandon plunged a sword into the man’s chest. I flinched at the sight. Once it was done, he quickly flocked to my side with concern in his eyes and pulled me onto the back of his steed.

“Are you alright?” he asked me hastily, eyeing my gown that was drenched in the prince’s blood. “Are you hurt, Mary?”

“I’m fine,” I assured. “Thank God you’re alright.”

“I followed after you as soon as I saw the prince take you.”

“What about your duty to fight in the battle?” I wondered.

“It’s not important. You’re my priority now.” I wrapped my arms around Brandon and squeezed him tightly.

“I love you,” I told him.

“Any survivors from the battle will be searching for you. I need to take you somewhere safe,” he explained. We were then stirred by a sudden rustling from the shrubs. It was but a simple squirrel but the sound had been enough to alarm us both. “We must go,” he said before kicking his horse forward.

I was scared and I didn’t know where we were heading. I turned my focus on the motion of Brandon’s breath. I felt his back move as he inhaled and exhaled against my chest. Despite the crisis of the circumstances we now endured, at least I was with him. If I had to undergo damnation with anyone, he was my obvious, first choice. At least, I considered, I was with the man I loved and trusted most in this realm. With the threat of danger surrounding us in every direction, I felt somewhat more secure while I was clinging to him now. The words that Brandon spoke in the moment after his silent deliberation were cold enough to send a shiver down anyone’s spine, “We’re on our own now, Mary.”

I had to choke back the overwhelming sense of frightening reality that was delivered by this simple yet chilling statement. I shut my eyes, squeezed him tighter and refocusing on his breathing.

“Yes, we are,” I conferred. But at least I am with you…