The Princess of Cordoba Read online

  “Let’s head back in. One missed meal won't kill us.”

  She looked confused again, but this time just shrugged and made her way back into the barn. He watched her go, wandering what other surprises the 17th century had in store.

  Chapter Five

  Ariana watched as James slept soundly. Specifically, she was staring at his long lean body stretched across the hay and leaves that they had found to use as bedding on the hard barn floor. He was an attractive man, she thought to herself. When she had first laid eyes on him, she had thought him to be an apparition because his blue eyes seemed to peer into her soul. She had been caught off-guard and had reacted instantly, hitting him with the butt of her knife. He had been lucky she hadn’t stabbed him. Years of playing imaginary war games had made her skilled with knives and swords.

  And after that encounter, she had studiously avoided his gaze as much as possible. She didn’t want him to know that she was attracted to him. His presence had awoken something in her she hadn’t known was there before. And when he looked at her, she felt her stomach flutter in nervous anticipation. She knew the word for what she felt was lust.

  She was curious about what it would be like to be with a man. Especially, this enigma of a man. His clothing was odd, he spoke with an unusual accent, but he treated her like an equal. It was something she was unaccustomed to.

  She knew her days of freedom were numbered. She felt like a caged bird. Soon, her father’s soldiers would find her, and she would resume the life she previously led. However, this time married to a man she did not care for. She felt powerless but she knew she had to return.

  But she thought to herself, not tonight. Tonight, she could pretend to be someone else. Tonight, she would have her freedom before her father and Maximiliano’s henchmen found her. She accepted her lot in life. She would return. She had been impulsive, but just a few nights of freedom had been worth it.

  And now she planned to do something that she had only heard whispers of. She didn’t want Prince Ferdinand to be the first man and only man to touch her. Her stomach turned at the thought. She wanted to know passion. She wanted to know lust. Even if for only one night. The handsome stranger, she was sure, would comply.

  Feeling excited, yet nervous she lowered herself next to him, unsure of how to begin their coupling. How did one seduce a man?

  She sat down next to him and then lay down, pressing her body close to his. He didn’t wake. Unsure of what to do next, she trailed her hand up his arm to his shoulder.

  He batted at her hand sleepily. She frowned. She needed to try something else.

  Frustrated, she shook him awake. Startled, he raised up. She blushed. He looked delectable when sleepy.

  “Is something wrong?”

  “Yes,” she said and then quickly recovered, “No. Nothing is wrong.”

  He lay back down and Ariana stared at him. That had not gone as she planned.

  Again, she shook him.

  “What is it, Ariana?”

  She cleared her throat, thinking to herself, why not tell the truth. “I am to marry in a few days.”

  He just continued to study her.

  “But I do not love him.”

  “I’m sorry.”

  “It’s my duty. I accept that now.”

  “I’m sorry you have no other choice.”

  “I want you to take me,” she blurted.

  “Take you?”

  “I want to know what it feels like to be with a man. A real man. Not that simpleton that I am promised to.”

  He was fully awake now and his eyes stayed on hers. “Are you sure?” he asked simply.

  Ariana nodded and then before she lost all bravery, she stood up. She started with her pants, undoing them nervously as she felt him watching her. She felt sheepish and silly but stared down at her hands as she pushed the pants down her hips and stepped out of them.

  She couldn’t hear him, but she felt his eyes on her as she started with the shirt, slowly undoing it until it too fell to the ground. And she stood there in the moonlight naked and exposed, James said nothing, he just reached his hand out. She took it and he pulled her into his arms. Uncomfortable, she stiffened, and couldn’t dare meet his eyes.

  “Look at me,” he said tilting her chin up so that their eyes met. “You’re beautiful,” he said tracing a palm down her cheek.

  She forced herself to look at him. And the look she saw on his face was pure lust. It made her tremble in anticipation and he rubbed her arms, thinking she was cold. Goosebumps appeared where he touched. He lay her down next to him and said, “Are you sure?”

  She nodded and closed her eyes. He kissed her then, softly on the lips. She had never been kissed before. She liked the feel of his warm lips caressing hers and felt his tongue urging her lips apart. She opened her mouth a little and was startled when she felt the tip of his tongue touch her own.

  She giggled unable to help herself. But her giggle quickly turned to a gasp, when she felt his palm cup her breast. Her body stiffened as he kissed her while feeling the weight of her breast in his hand. And then when he trailed a finger across her nipple, she moaned.

  “Did you like that?” he asked, while placing kisses across her collarbone and down her neck.

  She gasped.

  “I guess you like that too,” he said with a smile in his voice.

  She shuddered as pleasurable sensations gripped her body. He kissed her everywhere, it seemed, beginning with her shoulders and making his way down her body. With one hand he caressed her nipple and he suckled the other making her moan in pleasure. She brought her hands up and placed them on either side of his head, not wanting him to move. And then he alternated, caressing the other nipple this time and bringing his warm mouth to rest on her other breast.

  She moaned his name and he continued to suck her nipples as he traced a hand down her thighs. He pushed her legs open, licking at her nipples as his hand continued to caress her body. He slid a finger inside of her, finding her tight, warm and wet.

  She gasped and tried to close her legs.

  “Open your legs, Ariana,” he said gently, as he stroked her thighs. She did as she was told, and he rose back up and kissed her as he let his hand travel between her legs again. This time, he began to play with the little nub that rested above the folds of her womanhood. Pleasure gripped Ariana and she moaned.

  He pushed a finger inside her then, kissing her hard as she moaned against his lips. And as he worked his finger inside her he began to move it in and out. Then he added a second finger, stretching her just a little as he penetrated her with his fingers, preparing her for what was about to come.

  She began to shake as the sensations became too much, and he withdrew his fingers and stroked her clit, sending her over the edge.

  “James!” she screamed. Heat seemed to overtake her, and her body began to shake. And just when she was spent and gasping, James lay on top of her and spread her thighs with his own. He kissed her softly as he pushed inside of her, patiently sliding inch by inch letting her grow accustomed to being stretched by him.

  Ariana closed her eyes and bit down on her lip. Her thighs quivered and she felt pain for the first time as James filled her and stretched her and then he began to thrust into her, and she cried out.

  “Did I hurt you?”

  Too shy, she didn’t answer. But she didn’t want him to stop. “Don’t stop,” she said feeling torn emotionally. He began to move against her again, in and out of her, painfully slow, stretching and filling her with every movement.

  Her femininity began to clench around his cock. And every thrust, brought with it pleasure and pain. But she wanted more of him. She couldn’t get enough as she opened her legs wider for him, crying out in pleasure now as he began to thrust into her at a quicker place.

  His breathing became more intense. And she felt him grow harder inside her. And then suddenly, he groaned and shoved into her one last time, before, collapsing on top of her. She felt wetness between her legs
then but was too spent to move or speak. And when he finally pulled out of her she immediately missed his fullness and warmth.

  Feeling satiated, she cuddled next to him. Gone were thoughts of tomorrow. For that evening, she was not a princess. She was not a caged bird. She was just a common woman lying in James’ arms.

  Chapter Six

  James kept his eyes closed and listened to the sounds around him. He knew it was morning, but he was hoping when he opened his eyes everything that he experienced the night before would just be a dream. Well, almost everything.

  He wasn’t so lucky. He opened his eyes and realized he was still in a barn, in the middle of Spain, in the wrong century because she was still there. His Ariana. She was the only thing that felt right about the whole situation. He stroked her face, thinking of how vulnerable she looked as she slept.

  He was surprised by her. Surprised by her audacity and take-charge attitude. He hadn’t known women in the 17th century could be so forward. However, he had a suspicion this particular woman was just special. He stroked her hair back from her face and covered her with the shirt she wore before.

  He watched her sleep wondering what she was dreaming about as she frowned deeply while she slept. Maybe, he thought ruefully, she was dreaming that she was in a different century. A century where she could make her own choices and her worth wasn’t defined by who she was expected to marry.

  His stomach growled, making him realize he hadn’t eaten anything since, well, way before he found himself in the wrong time.

  She began to stir. And before he knew it, she was looking up at him curiously with her wide hazel eyes.

  “Did you sleep well?” he asked her.

  She nodded and then stretched. He watched the movement, feeling himself harden again when she accidentally exposed a breast.

  She blushed when she noticed it and quickly covered herself. Pulling her shirt to her chest, she said, “I need to dress.”

  “Of course,” he said knowing she was asking for privacy and probably space.

  Getting up, he made his way to the door of the barn and watched the sun finish rising. He marveled on how he could see nothing for miles on end. But as much as he loved history, he didn’t romanticize the past. He wasn’t interested in getting the bubonic plague. He wasn’t interested in trying to fit in and abide by their wacky laws. He knew he would be considered some sort of witch if he were to tell anyone the truth. He wasn’t even sure if Ariana believed him.

  “You would like to find your way to the palace, still?” she asked coming up behind him. She was fully dressed now, and he wanted to reach out and kiss her, but her face was difficult to read, and he didn’t know if she would welcome his affection.

  “If you know the way, I would appreciate a guide.”

  She looked solemn, “I know the way. Let me take you.”

  “Thank you,” he said meaning it. He still held the belief that maybe someone there could help him. He didn’t’ believe in sorcery or magic, but he did believe in science. And he hoped he could find someone there who might explain how that crystal in his pocket somehow pushed him back in time. It was a long shot, but he had no other ideas.

  They set off at a steady pace and he guessed the castle was not too far away. She was quiet as she led him. She gave off a sense of purpose but also resignation. Gone was the person he had met yesterday. She seemed to have lost some of her fire. And he figured it was because she had finally accepted her fate.

  “Who is the person you’re planning to marry?” he asked.

  “It is not my plan. It is my father’s.”

  “Ok, so who does your father want you to marry?”

  She hesitated before she answered and then said, “Why are you inquiring?”

  “Just curious.”

  “Hmmm. Tell me more about this time period where you are from.”

  They were crossing a stream now and he didn’t know what to tell her, but he guessed whatever he had to say would just be a distraction for her. She looked as if she wanted a distraction.

  “In my time period, women can marry whomever they want.” He thought about his statement and then changed it, “Well, some women. I guess in certain places women still don’t decide who they marry.”

  She frowned, “I guess in your time, men still continue to rule the world?” Before he had fallen asleep, he had told her about the 21st century. He doubted that she had even believed a word, but maybe he was wrong.

  He grunted, “I guess we aren’t as advanced as we might like to think.”

  “That’s terribly sad.”

  He could see that she meant it and struggled to find something else to cheer her up. “But for the most part, women can do what they want. They can hold the same job as men. My mentee for example,” he said then realized she probably didn’t know what a mentee was. “My mentee is like my apprentice, I’m training her. She’s as intelligent and brave, more capable than any other person on my team.”

  “Yet, is she the only woman on your team?”

  He sighed, “I guess I can’t convince you that the 21st century is any better than the 17th.”

  “It seems to me that for women, not much has changed.”

  “Well women, in most countries, can vote for their elected officials. And they can work. And drive cars.”

  “Cars?”

  “They are modes of transportation.”

  “Like a type of horse?”

  He shook his head, “It’s made of metal...well in most cases nowadays, fiber glass, actually never mind. I’m terrible at explaining things.”

  “Yet you’re a teacher?” She laughed.

  “Although it might seem otherwise, I’m actually pretty good at teaching.”

  She laughed, “I do not doubt that you believe you are good at teaching.”

  He was happy he had made her smile again. She needed to smile. “Did you grow up here?” He asked wanting to know more about her. It was funny, he knew her intimately, but knew nothing about her background.

  “Grow up?”

  “Yes, it means were you raised in this country?”

  She nodded. “It is the only home I know. But I suppose after I marry, I will live with my husband in his province. I have not given my living situation much thought.” The mere thought of him made her sick. She turned to James, “You are lucky to be a man in any time period, James. But tell me more.”

  “We have pizza,” he said grasping for straws.

  “Pizza?”

  “Yes, it’s bread with tomato sauce and melted cheese on top.”

  “I am sure I have tried that before.”

  “We have Disney World.”

  “Disney World?”

  “It’s a giant theme park with a ton of people running around, and long lines---”

  “Sounds like purgatory,” she said with a laugh.

  He liked her sense of humor. More than that, he liked her. He realized then that he had known her for less than 24 hours, but he was closer to her at that moment than any other woman in his life.

  Occupied with his own thoughts as they approached a clearing, he didn’t hear the horses until it was too late.

  “Quick, James, hide!” she called out, but it was pointless.

  Soldiers appeared on horseback from all sides, blocking off their escape.

  “Princess Ariana!” cried a woman, slightly older than Ariana. She had a wide face and rushed over to embrace Ariana in a tearful hug.

  Princess? James thought to himself. He had defiled a princess. Great.

  The guards also dismounted and grabbed James as he stood there wondering what to do next. The guards were barking orders to him in old Spanish which James struggled to comprehend. He tried to communicate with them, but the more he spoke, the more they seemed to become incensed.

  Ariana pulled away from the other woman’s embrace and spoke sharply to the guards. He understood a little. Specifically, he understood the word kill. Was she threatening them?

  Seconds later
, she barked orders at the soldiers, climbed onto the horse with the other woman and rode off. To his surprise, one of the soldiers bound his wrists with rope and tossed him on a horse. The palace seemed to be forever away as he tried to keep himself on the horse, using nothing but balance and his bound hands.

  He just prayed that the crystal stayed in his pocket. He knew it was the key to all of this. After all, it was the only thing that seemed to come back with him to the past. And he had been holding it before the world he knew disappeared. He just hoped his world wasn’t permanently out of his reach.

  Minutes later, he saw it in all its grandeur. The castle. If it weren’t for the fact that he was hanging uncomfortably on the backside of a horse, he would have been in awe. In person, the palace was a study in opulence. It reminded him of La Alhambra de Granada because it was situated in the midst of a beautiful forest. The architecture was beguiling, and he tried to take mental note of everything wishing his colleagues could see this in its full glory. The castle seemed older than the 1600s. He assumed it had been built in a previous century and then passed on and possibly restored. The walls were ornate and as they approached the inner area, he could see the gardens were surrounded by built in water features, that served to make the area look positively majestic.

  He was so busy looking at the architecture that he did not notice that they were coming to a stop. They roughly lifted him from the horse, and he managed to catch himself before hitting the ground.

  He looked for Ariana and found her in a forceful conversation with a short man who looked beyond displeased. His expression was murderous. Their exchange was angry and bitter, though he didn’t understand the words. He did understand the tone.

  James then noticed another man standing behind the king. Or at least, he assumed the shorter man was the king. The other man was tall with a narrow, solemn face. He watched James, taking in his odd clothing.

  Abruptly the king turned to his guards and shouted an order. The guards reached for James and dragged him away. James didn’t make it easy for them, as he kicked and fought them as best as he could, his hands still tied by the thick rope. But it was no use. James was incapacitated and there were too many of them.