Keegan fell to his knees with a harsh curse. He braced his weight on his hands, stumbling to rise, only to be knocked across the back. Pain splintered through his body, spiralling inwards, purging the air from his lungs in a loud hiss. Rough stone connected with his cheek followed by the warm trickle of blood down his forehead.
"Well, well. What have we got here?"
Sharp nails bit into his scalp, jerking his head upwards. Dark eyes glared down at him, the woman's ruby lips turned up into a cruel smile. She wore a crown of red crystals and was dressed in the most erotic battle leathers he'd ever seen. They were tight to her skin, accentuating her overly large breasts and slim narrow hips.
"You wear the seal of the Kingdom of Garinth, do you not?"
Keegan could only nod, his throat too dry to speak. He moaned as the woman released him, pushing him back to the floor.
"Excellent. You're just the type of man I've been searching for." She laughed, a shrill sound that sent shivers down his spine. "How fortunate for me you decided to invade my land."
His head snapped up. Invade her land? He'd done nothing of the sort. He'd merely stopped to seek shelter from a storm when he'd been ambushed and knocked unconscious. And if his memory served him correctly, he'd been outnumbered seven to one.
"No." He choked the word out. By the Gods, he hurt. What in all the Heavens had they done to him?
"Are you implying Queen Vestna of Corand is lying?" The woman shot him a sly smile. "That could be considered treason. A crime punishable by death in my land." She sashayed over to him and placed a cupped hand under his jaw, lifting his head until his eyes met hers. "But don't worry. I have no desire to kill you...yet. As a matter of fact, I'm going to give you what every man dreams of. His very own virgin to tutor."
She released him again, giving his head an affectionate pat. "You do like women, don't you?" she taunted. "I've heard several stories about Garinthian men, and I'm not certain which one to believe. Either you have trouble fucking women in general, or you prefer men." Her smile widened until her teeth gleamed. "Either one works for me."
Queen Vestna waved her hand at the women standing at his side. Red flames flickered around him, flashing pain through his body until he collapsed. "Take him to the basement and chain him to the wall. Mira's Rite of Passage doesn't begin for two more nights, and I want him on the verge of death when we take him to her." She laughed. "A fitting gift."
)
