This photomanipulation and eight others have been entered into the Holiday Challenge hosted by *CAStock. My nine entries create an illustrated short story of love and betrayal set in the Long Winter years 2201 to 2222 AD.

CHAPTER 5 ~
“I can’t marry Victor! I won’t!” Kiera declared vehemently to herself as she walked quietly across the foggy square to the house where Victor lived with his mother. “If he’s any decent kind of man at all, he won’t hold me to a marriage contract I had no control over.” As she approached his room, she was surprised to hear two voices, Victor’s and that of a young woman.

“It’s getting late, Moira. Time for you to get dressed and get out of here before Mother finds you in my bed,” she heard Victor say.

“Are you sure you don’t want me to stay just a little longer?” purred a soft, persuasive female voice. “Once you’re married to Kiera, you won’t have need of me any more,” she complained.

“Kiera means nothing to me. The betrothal was Mother’s idea. Once Kiera is expecting a child, she’ll be, shall we say, indisposed, and unable to govern the clan. I’ll become the new leader. And then,” he paused for added effect, “you and I will continue right where we left off. Come here, Moira, and show me what I’m going to miss in the meantime.”

Kiera could not avoid an audible gasp. Taken totally by surprise, Victor looked up just as she stepped across his doorway.

“What do you think you’re doing here spying on me?” he demanded. The young woman gathered the sheet about her and tried to leave but Victor pulled her back to his side. “So what did you expect, Kiera? That I’d wait patiently for you to come of age? A man has needs, you know. You’re not lily white yourself. I saw you flirting with Alexi at the dance. He’s always hanging around you all the time. Why, I’d be surprised if he hasn’t already bedded you himself!”

“How can you say these terrible things?” she exclaimed. “Unlike you, Alexi is a good and honorable man. He stays near me because he’s assigned to guard me, not because he’s looking for a way to get me into his bed.”

“Lighten up, Kiera. We both know we’re stuck in a marriage contract that neither of us wants. But we don’t have to let that get in our way of having some fun, do we? Once we’re married, you can spend all the time you want with Alexi. And I’ll spend my time with Moira here. Of course, you may change your mind about Alexi after you have a chance to really get to know me.”

“I would rather die than sleep with you, Victor! And Alexi is a thousand times the man you are or ever will be.”

“You shouldn’t have said that, Kiera; you’ll be sorry you did when we’re married,” he threatened.

“I will never marry you, Victor. Never!” And with one last withering look at him, she turned and hurried from his room, brushing past Miriam who had been disturbed by all the shouting and who was now standing in the doorway.

“You fool!” Miriam screamed at her son. “And you,” she pointed at the young woman, “get out!” She swung back to confront Victor as the younger woman gathered her clothes and rushed from the room. “You know Kiera’s going to go straight to Alexi the moment he returns and tell him everything that’s happened here.”

“I don’t give a damn about Alexi!” he replied vehemently.

“Well, you should give a damn! He’s the last man you ever want to cross. In case you haven’t noticed, Victor, he’s obviously in love with Kiera. And Alexi won’t rest until he’s settled the score with you.”

“It doesn’t matter what she tells him. It’s her word against mine. The Council has nothing they can hold against me.”

“First, Victor, Alexi is going to believe her and not you; and he won’t care how the Council decides. But second, even if Kiera pleads with him not to beat you within an inch of your life, Alexi can be extremely persuasive when he wants to be. He’ll have that piece of fluff of yours spilling everything she knows to the Council in no time.”

“Then I guess we need to keep Kiera from saying anything to Alexi, don’t we.”

“A drastic situation requires drastic measures,” she observed. “We need a plan and we need it now, before the Guard and Alexi return.”

“My aide trapped a tiger,” he said after a short pause. “So, we were just planning a wee bit of sport,” he offered in response to her raised eyebrow. “There could be an accident instead.”

“You’ll only have one chance, Victor. Make it count.” And she walked out his door.

Stock Used:
Room (Challenge Photo Stock) [link]
Model (Cast as Victor) [link]
Model (Used for right hand of Victor) [link]
Model (Cast as Moira) [link]
Snowy Outdoor Scene [link]
Love Seat [link]
Red Breasted Bird [link]
Chickadee [link]
Picture Frame [link]

Wikimedia Commons – Public Domain: Painting [link]agr_by_Arbo.jpg
Artist: Peter Nicolai Arbo (Norway 1831-1892), Title: Dagr (riding Skinfaxi), Painted: 1874

Photomanipulation processed in Adobe Photoshop CS3