Destined

"You Can't Blind All Men"

I had to admit, I was really surprised, that Amarin kept his composure. You had to have nerves of steel to resist the urge to hide under the gaze of an angry Creachadair - all the more to the Protos with his aura that called "obedience". I watched how Amarin bowed once again in front of Gaisgeil, but in a decent way not like somebody who feels intimidated and shows submission. I must say, he gained my respect in doing so.

„My Lord, I am Amarin, newly appointed member of the Daonnachd council." Gaisgeil was in a blink of an eye in front of the young man, staring him down. Amarin was a tall Daonnachd but he couldn't keep up with the height and body size of Gaisgeil. The other men in the room seemed to have stopped breathing. I saw Consilius move, a few steps, obviously ready to intervene. „My Lord..."

 „Quiet", Gaisgeil's loud voice boomed, nearly shaking the walls of our little home. Consilius paled instantly. Gaisgeil stared Amarin down. „Who do you think you are, being turned on by my destined?", the accusing voice of my destined shot at his supposed human competitor. We all heard his low threatening growl. I felt shivers on my skin...but not unpleasant ones. Gaisgeil's head whipped in my direction, revealing a knowing smirk on his lips. I lowered my eyes, ashamed that he could smell the reaction of my body to his possessive behaviour - lust. My hormones played tricks on me. Something in his voice that clearly claimed me, turned me on...to my utter shame  and annoyance. I didn't want nor needed this feelings.

Amarin's eyes turned to slits to my complete horror, showcasing his reluctance. Are you stupid?, I wanted to shout. Save your life, show you are sorry. But no words left my mouth. I was paralyzed.  Does Amarin want to die? At the moment he screamed to be killed by a predator, who felt attacked. I tried to step closer but was interrupted. „No, stay away Callida...", Gaisgeil's command stopped me in my tracks. Slowly I retreated. His voice left no doubt, he wanted to clear something and my interference was not wanted.

„Now, once again, why are you lusting after my woman?", he asked again. Immediately I felt my cheeks burn of emberassement. Why did he put his claim on me in such an open way? He knew exactly, that nothing was solved between us. Gaisgeil had no right to call me his.

I saw something flicker in Amarin's eyes ... something like insurbordination. Yes...there it was... a strange kind of antagonism flashed in his dauntless stare. Was he willigly jeoperdazing his life? I couldn't believe what I was witnessing.  Gaisgeil must have seen it too, because in the next instant he had his big hand wrapped around Amarin's neck, putting pressure on it, cutting off his air supply. Amarin wrapped his two hands around Gaisgeil's in a desperate attempt to remove them - but in vain. Slowly his face was turning red, his eyes watering, reflecting a desperate fear, that kind of fear you feel, when you comprehend that you are in a mortal danger. 

"Please, my Lord, no ... he is only a boy...I beg you", Consilius was on his knees, begging for the life of his precious charge. What I saw in Gaisgiel's eyes let me grab his arm. "Gaisgeil, please, don't", I pled for mercy. Gaisgeil didn't stop, but turned his head in my direction. "Why are you begging for his life? Why do you care for him?" I huffed and shook my head helplessly. "Theos, I don't know him, I only met him a few moments before you came." My hand on his biceps grabbed him harder. Amarin's eyes begann to flutter, indicating, that he was loosing his conciousness. "Please, let him live", I whispered.

Instantly Gaisgeil let him go. The young man fell on the ground, nearly fainted. "What is going on here", my grandfather's voice interrupted the madness. Consilius rushed to Amarin, helping him up into a sitting position, rubbing his back. Amarin's desparate gasps for air filled the silence. My grandfather rushed to help. I wanted to follow, when I felt Gaisgeil's hand grab my fist like an iron cuff. 

"No, not  you", Gaisgeil's hoarse voice commanded. I obeyed by instinct. My mind knew, that I would only cause more agitation on his feral behaviour. The Lord made a clear statement: he wouldn't allow another male to stake a claim on me. I was HIS. And I was smart enough to know, when to oppose and when not.

Amarin was slowly regaining his conciousness, his breathing stadying. As soon as his breaths stabilized a little bit, the challenge was back in his eyes. And something else: hate. Nacked, open hate. I shook my head. Didn't he get the message? We were not in the position to rebel against much stronger species like the Creachadair. I watched my grandfather try to stand up from his kneeling position, but failed. Gaisgeil saw his attempt too, because in the next moment he let my fist go. Now I was free to help my grandfather. As soon as I guided his upper body, he was on his two feet. Slowly he walked in front of Gaisgeil. "My Lord, what happened here? Why did you strangle that boy nearly to death?"

Gaisgeil rose to his full height. "Because that boy", he spat, seizing Amarin up and down, who  stood meanwhile on his own two feet with his hands on his knees, "was aroused by your granddaughter. I smelled it, I heard it in front of your door." Now everything made sense to me: He heard Amarin's tone; he smelled his testosterones through the door. 

The perplexed face of my grandfather morphed into an amused one. "Well, can you really blame him? You see, Gaisgeil, beauty runs in our family.  I mean, look at me...?" Gaisgeil's facial expression was  ... how to describe? Simply ridiculous. Unbelief and shock were clearly written on his features. He wasn't used to be mocked. The Lord of Desa didn't know what to make out of silly little jokes.

My grandfather burst out laughing, leaving us others shell-shocked. Nobody made fun of the Lord! Carefully I observed Gasgeil's facial play. Would he lash out at my old grandfather? My body froze, when my careless granddad padded the shoulder of the Lord in a cheerful way. "Oh, you have to learn to understand us Daonnachd, if you want to be happy with my granddaughter." To my utter disbelieve, Gaisgeil chuckled silently, watching me in a side glance. Than he turned his attention back to Amarin, his face hardening again. "Nobody is allowed to lust after my destined", he muttered in a calm way.  My destined smirked in satisfaction when he heard Amarin's rugged breathing.  

Grandfather shook his head. "You can't really punish that boy for having eyes, Gaisgeil. Callida is a pretty young woman, there will be many men who will appreciate her beauty. You can't blind all men of Gordan!?"

"That can be arranged", my destined muttered, resulting in my grandfather to shake his head laughing. "You have to live with it and be proud, that she is yours, like you are hers." We both stiffened at the same time, uneasy by the words of an old wise man. I KNEW, that my grandfather chose his words with a purpose. He ment it well, but I turned around, wanting to flee. 

"Callida, please...wait." Gailsgeil's plea made me halt. Slowly I turned around.