her brothers would choose for her. The Luther brothers. She shuddered and the meal that she’d so recently consumed threatened to come back up again.
What would it be like to have a husband who cared for her, one who treated her kindly? She’d always wanted children and a home of her own, but had never dared to dream. The tapestry had done that for her. It had tempted her to dream. But more than that—it had given her the courage.
Three years. She’d put three years of her life into that piece of cloth. It had taken her months to plan the design and to slowly confiscate lengths of thread from all that she’d spun and dyed. Her brothers sold and bartered her threads and she’d never seen a penny for her efforts. She’d decided on her seventeenth birthday that she at least deserved to have some of the thread itself.
She’d started at the edges of the design, creating the trees and plants. From there she’d added some birds and animals as she’d worked her way toward the castle in the center. The castle itself had been one of her own creation. Made of gray stone, it stood proud and tall. A fortress, yet a home.
After two years, she was ready to begin the two warriors who’d stood in front of the castle. Why she’d settled on two and not more, she’d never know. Perhaps it was because she’d secretly longed for a husband of her own. To have that, she’d have to belong to at least two men. She didn’t want to belong to three. She’d been around too many rough men her entire life. The fewer, the better.
34
It was in that final year that two of her brothers had been killed by Zaren Bakra, and Leon and her second-eldest brother Harmid had become obsessed with the Bakra brothers. Their obsession had obviously become hers and she’d used their descriptions of the men to complete her tapestry. They represented freedom to her. They had defeated her brothers and their victory had given her the courage to fight for her own freedom.
In her own way, she wasn’t lying. The truth was that the tapestry had brought her to them. Without it, she’d never have had the sheer audacity to defy Leon and to flee the only home she’d ever known.
She couldn’t stay with them. Oh it would be easy to give in to them. They were good men, kind men. A woman could do much worse for a husband. But no matter what she thought she might like to do, she could not stay. If her brothers ever found out, they would make outright war on the Bakras. They had already suffered enough at the hands of her family. She would not bring more hardships and strife their way.
But, a sly voice in the back of her head whispered, there was no reason she could not enjoy their sexual advances. They would be gentle with her. She didn’t know how she knew that, but she didn’t doubt her instincts—they’d kept her safe too many times for her to distrust them now. Genny had always feared losing her virginity to one of the rough, vile men her brothers called friend. She’d always known they would be brutal, taking pleasure in her pain. Not so Jarmon and Garrik.
They’d already had plenty of opportunity to make use of her body if they’d desired it. She was a woman alone with no protection and no real weapon. They were two exceptional warriors in their prime. She hadn’t stood a chance if their intentions had been less than honorable.
Instead, they’d reassured her and fed her.
Perhaps this opportunity was a gift from the gods. She’d prayed to them for years, begging them not to let one of her brother’s horrible allies be the one to take her virginity. Maybe this was the answer to her prayers. This was an opportunity to have men of her choosing initiate her into womanhood and the mysteries of sexual relationships.
Heat flooded low in her belly and her sex dampened with need. She’d never felt this way around any other men in her life. Could she truly let this opportunity slip through her fingers? They wanted her. They’d left her no doubt of
What would it be like to have a husband who cared for her, one who treated her kindly? She’d always wanted children and a home of her own, but had never dared to dream. The tapestry had done that for her. It had tempted her to dream. But more than that—it had given her the courage.
Three years. She’d put three years of her life into that piece of cloth. It had taken her months to plan the design and to slowly confiscate lengths of thread from all that she’d spun and dyed. Her brothers sold and bartered her threads and she’d never seen a penny for her efforts. She’d decided on her seventeenth birthday that she at least deserved to have some of the thread itself.
She’d started at the edges of the design, creating the trees and plants. From there she’d added some birds and animals as she’d worked her way toward the castle in the center. The castle itself had been one of her own creation. Made of gray stone, it stood proud and tall. A fortress, yet a home.
After two years, she was ready to begin the two warriors who’d stood in front of the castle. Why she’d settled on two and not more, she’d never know. Perhaps it was because she’d secretly longed for a husband of her own. To have that, she’d have to belong to at least two men. She didn’t want to belong to three. She’d been around too many rough men her entire life. The fewer, the better.
34
It was in that final year that two of her brothers had been killed by Zaren Bakra, and Leon and her second-eldest brother Harmid had become obsessed with the Bakra brothers. Their obsession had obviously become hers and she’d used their descriptions of the men to complete her tapestry. They represented freedom to her. They had defeated her brothers and their victory had given her the courage to fight for her own freedom.
In her own way, she wasn’t lying. The truth was that the tapestry had brought her to them. Without it, she’d never have had the sheer audacity to defy Leon and to flee the only home she’d ever known.
She couldn’t stay with them. Oh it would be easy to give in to them. They were good men, kind men. A woman could do much worse for a husband. But no matter what she thought she might like to do, she could not stay. If her brothers ever found out, they would make outright war on the Bakras. They had already suffered enough at the hands of her family. She would not bring more hardships and strife their way.
But, a sly voice in the back of her head whispered, there was no reason she could not enjoy their sexual advances. They would be gentle with her. She didn’t know how she knew that, but she didn’t doubt her instincts—they’d kept her safe too many times for her to distrust them now. Genny had always feared losing her virginity to one of the rough, vile men her brothers called friend. She’d always known they would be brutal, taking pleasure in her pain. Not so Jarmon and Garrik.
They’d already had plenty of opportunity to make use of her body if they’d desired it. She was a woman alone with no protection and no real weapon. They were two exceptional warriors in their prime. She hadn’t stood a chance if their intentions had been less than honorable.
Instead, they’d reassured her and fed her.
Perhaps this opportunity was a gift from the gods. She’d prayed to them for years, begging them not to let one of her brother’s horrible allies be the one to take her virginity. Maybe this was the answer to her prayers. This was an opportunity to have men of her choosing initiate her into womanhood and the mysteries of sexual relationships.
Heat flooded low in her belly and her sex dampened with need. She’d never felt this way around any other men in her life. Could she truly let this opportunity slip through her fingers? They wanted her. They’d left her no doubt of
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