The Lord’s Forced Bride +21

Chapter 1

CHAPTER 1

THE DAY IT ALL BEGAN

My father was reading the letter that had arrived from the palace. I was watching him intently. There was a look of concern on his face that I had never seen before. I didn't need to hear every word to understand how terrible and cruel the order in the letter was.

"A marriage for peace..." my father whispered. At the request of kings weary from war, they had decided to marry me, a royal noblewoman, to the leader of a Scottish clan.

"The king's order is final," my father said, turning to me. "His name is Andreas MacKenzie. According to the king's letter, you must marry the leader of one of the most powerful clans in Scotland, Elena... At least the Scottish bastard isn't married."

I clenched my teeth to suppress the fear inside me. "Father, is such a marriage possible? So much blood has been shed. The Scots consider us enemies. How can I go there?" I whispered.

My father shook his head helplessly. "This marriage will be a guarantee of peace, Elena. We must obey the king. Don't worry, I'll come with you and stay by your side for a while. Once I see you're safe, I'll return to the palace."

“Alright, Father. Since it has been deemed appropriate, I must fulfill my duty.”

“Ah, my daughter, you’re my only child… Giving you to that wild boar of a Scottish lord is very hard for me too.”

I bit my lip. So this is my fate…

***

The next morning, I mounted the horse prepared in the palace courtyard. A few guards were with me. My father also prepared himself and set off with me.

The barbaric Lord, leader of the Scottish clan, hadn't even come to our palace to take me. He hadn't deigned to come to us. He had sent word and sent his men with horses to take me. He himself was waiting at the border...

As I left the courtyard under the pitying glances of the people, I tried to hold my head high on the horse. We had to go on horseback because the carriage couldn't pass through the narrow roads.

The pain in my heart must have been reflected on my face. In order to secure this peace, I was being given away like a "war trophy" to another man. And to a Scottish man I hated at that...

After a long journey, we reached the war-ravaged border region. When we came to the stone bridge, I saw a tall man wearing a black cloak standing directly opposite us. He was not only tall but also quite large and muscular. He was accompanied by many Scottish soldiers... As we approached them, my eyes involuntarily drifted to that man. His confident stance, his harsh facial features... He was just as described, even more terrifying. This man must be the heartless Scottish lord they call Andreas. No one else could look so barbaric.

The horses stopped. My father reached out his hand to me, saying, "Come on." When I got down, a cold wind blew past. My heart was pounding, and I did wonder, 'Should I run away without looking back?'. But where would I run to after coming here?

Andreas walked slowly toward the bridge. His broad shoulders, stern gaze, and the intimidating energy he radiated... I shivered. The thought immediately popped into my head, 'Is he really as ruthless as the rumors say?

"Lady Elena," said Andreas. His voice was quite loud. He didn't need to shout. His voice was so deep that I flinched where I stood. His gaze seemed to read the fear inside me. "Are you the English lady I am to marry?"

When he said English lady, he looked at me as if he were cursing me. Or so it seemed to me. I guess I'm becoming paranoid, but since I despise him, I have no doubt that he harbors unpleasant feelings toward me... Even his sarcastic words were like insults. But actually, all he said was "English lady," which is definitely not an insult.

I nodded my head and gave a distant greeting. "I am," I said. "I must tell you that I am obliged to marry you as part of the agreement."

He looked at me strangely. I couldn't tell if it was mockery or anger. "Yes," he replied. "I was ordered to marry an English lady for the sake of peace. Rest assured, I want this marriage as little as you do!"

My father, disturbed by our exchange, intervened: "The truce between your King Robert and our King Harold requires this marriage, Lord Andreas."

Andreas's gaze hardened. "This is no honor for me," he said, making no effort to hide his anger. "But for the sake of my clan and our king, I will consent to this marriage."

“In the same way, I have agreed to marry you for the same reason. And this is certainly no honor for me either!”

Andreas clenched his fist and held back his patience. He approached me and pulled me off the horse by my arm. Stumbling, I hit his hard body and realized he was as solid as a rock. He leaned toward my ear. "I've decided to wait for a moment when we're alone to show you your place. Let's see if you can still stick your tongue out then, my lady!"

I swallowed hard. When I smelled it, my head spun. It smelled very strange, like something burnt, or rather like soot. It was clear they had traveled while resting by the fire. But strangely, this smell didn't seem out of place on the man. On the contrary, it suited his barbarism perfectly.

“Let go of my arm!”

“Get on that horse!” he said, pointing to the enormous horse he had brought with him. It looked like a monster next to my small horse.

“I already have a horse.”

“You won’t even make it halfway on that horse! Listen to me and get on that horse!”

“It’s too big; I can’t ride it!”

“Right, you’re a princess! It’s a miracle you even know how to ride a horse!” he said mockingly.

If he weren't such a big man, I would have definitely slapped him. But if I did that, I would end up being the one who suffered.

“You can take your guards and the lady’s horse and leave, Prince Edward!” he said, looking at my father.

“I’ve decided to come with you for the wedding. You understand I must ensure my daughter’s safety, Lord Andreas Mackenzie.”

"Fine! It's your call!" he said rudely. Normally, he should have addressed a prince of royal blood as 'Your Highness', but he didn't care. "But you can't set foot in the castle with your guards! If you want to come with us, get rid of your guards and that puny horse!"

My father told his men to leave. And they took my horse with them. With a grudging acceptance, I walked toward the big horse…

I tried to mount the horse but couldn't manage it. My father came to help, but even with his help, I couldn't do it.

"So I'm going to be the husband of a delicate princess who can't even ride a horse? Screw this!"

I stared at him, my mouth agape. What strange curses he was hurling. And I was the target of this insult. My father didn't say a word to the man either, which made me even more upset...

“This horse isn’t the right size for me! What does my being delicate have to do with it! Also, watch your language, Lord Andreas! I’m not cursing because I’m marrying a barbarian, so don’t you either!”

“Am I the barbarian!” he roared.

“Yes, your reputation has reached England! Or did we hear wrong?”

He grabbed my arm and pulled me toward him. His dark eyes had turned as black as pitch. “VERY TRUE! I AM A BARBARIAN! YOU’D BETTER ACT ACCORDINGLY, LADY ELENA!”

I looked at him fearfully. He, however, never spared his wild gaze.

This man hated me, and I didn't want him either. But we had to learn to live together. I looked at my father. His gaze seemed to say, 'Be patient.'

When he lifted me up and put me on the horse in an instant, I almost screamed. Even though I was a fifty-pound girl, he was as comfortable as if he were lifting five pounds. Then he jumped on behind me.

“What are you doing!”

“Until you get used to this horse! Would you rather fall off and hit your head on a rock?”

"Fine! Until I get used to it..." I grumbled.

"If you're ready, let's go," Andreas added. Soon everyone was on their horses, with the soldiers behind us in formation. My father was close by, watching me anxiously.

Andreas stretched his arms out to the reins on either side of me. He was riding so fast that I had to practically press myself against his chest. The wind hit my face so hard that I couldn't open my eyes. I reflexively turned my head to the side and leaned against his chest.

"Can't you slow down a bit!"

“We’re not out for a stroll, my lady! We have a long way to go!”

I felt pressure against my buttocks. It definitely wasn't his leg or part of the saddle. To figure out what it was, I reached behind my buttocks. Something long, hard, and stick-like was between Andreas and me. "Something's poking me," I said.

“It’s my cock.”

My eyes widened in shock. “What! What did you say!”

“I should have said ‘my tool’—a lady like you wouldn’t understand a dick.”

“Are you a pervert or something!”

“I’m a healthy Scot! Scots aren’t as feminine as the English, my lady! With your hips pressed against my c**k like that, what did you expect?”

I tried to slide my hips forward, but the horse was too fast. Andreas was very rough. It was definitely harassment as he forced that huge c**k into my flesh through the fabric of my skirt. What's more, I couldn't scream because I was being harassed by my future husband! What luck!

As we made our way toward Scottish soil, the darkness inside me began to grow. I feel like a lamb walking into a wolf’s den.