Page 40 of The Protector
Archer was cursing and objecting but Khan silenced him with a hard glance. “You are young, Archer, and I promise you this: Next time we have a tournament you don’t even have to fight. You have a spot as one of the five winners and a chance of being selected.”
“But that could take years.”
“It won’t, and to compensate you, Boulder will give you half of the prize money.”
Archer was clearly frustrated but stepped back and left the arena when Khan announced that he would now be performing the ritual to unite Boulder and me.
I was numbed from the shock I was in. Boulder held my hand and guided me through the ceremony and before I knew it, we were declared man and wife.
Marriage, a tradition that had been outdated for hundreds of years because of its predatory nature toward women and yet here I was, married to Alexander Boulder, the first Nman I’d ever met.
I couldn’t smile when Boulder picked me up and kissed me in front of a cheering audience!
CHAPTER 11
Laura
Christina
Boulder was wise enough to keep his distance and give me time to digest what had just happened. He complied when I asked him to take me back to my room and leave me alone.
Being in a haze, I was unsure if I should be furious, curious, or scared out of my mind.
Everything I had learned on my first year in college about the institution of marriage was coming back to me, and I kept hearing Kya tell me that I shouldn’t go and that I would end up some man’s property. I had wanted an adventure, but notthiskind of adventure.
When a soft knock sounded on my door, I turned my back, unwilling to talk to any of the cunning Nmen who had tricked me.
“Hello,” a soft voice called out and got my attention. A woman!
I pushed myself up on my elbows and turned my body to see her, and recognized Laura as she stood by the door with an insecure smile on her face.
“How are you doing?” she asked.
“I’m angry at Khan for tricking me,” I said but waved her closer. “Did you sneak in here, or do they know you came?”
Laura looked pretty with her blue eyes, ginger-colored hair, and a blue dress that enhanced her slim waist. “Boulder asked Magni to let me come see you,” she said and stopped next to my bed. “He’s right outside your door.”
“Who, Magni?”
“No, Boulder. He looks pissed.”
I widened my eyes from her use of the P-word. It was such a contradiction to see such beauty and innocence and then hear such foul language. Patting the mattress, I encouraged her. “Please take a seat.”
I waited for her to sit down before I continued. “I’m relieved to see a woman in this awful place. And obviously now I know why they kept us apart. Surely you would have warned me that they were planning to make me marry one of them.”
“Why? Are you against the marriage? I don’t understand.”
My jaw dropped.
“What?” she asked, her brows drawing closely together.
“Why am I against marriage?” I didn’t wait for her response, but answered the question myself. “Because it’s a ridiculous old-fashioned thing that went out of fashion hundreds of years ago.”
“It did?” Laura asked with great interest.
“Laura, sweetie, you grew up here so you have no idea, but in the Motherlands men are kind and gentle, not like these barbarians. And the women… we’re all educated, and not one would ever marry a man.”
“You wouldn’t?”
