In the Arms of a King (My Warrior Lover) by Daniella Divine

1: A Raw, Scottish Savage
     
    Sabina was up well before dawn the next day. She dressed for warmth, with a heavy, woolen stola covering her tunic. No-one was up in the house…even the servants wouldn’t start on their tasks for another hour or so yet. Walking on tip toe, she crept out of her bedroom into the kitchen and filled a basket with bread, cold meat and salted fish. She found some squares of linen and put those in the basket, too, along with some ointment from the medicinal cupboard. Although she tried to be as quiet as possible, every movement she made seemed to create a loud noise that echoed through the villa. She was terrified that she would wake someone in the household, and all her plans would be ruined.
    But no-one was disturbed and a few minutes later, she was stepping undetected out of the villa and heading towards the woodland that surrounded the fort. But there was another important step to pass before she was out and free. She knew her biggest problem would be getting past the sentry at the gatepost. He wouldn’t hinder her progress, but she didn’t want anyone to know where she had gone. When she reached the gate, she found the sentry slumped against his sentry post, fast asleep. Sabina thought how lucky he was that it was not her father who had found him. He would have been court-martialed for sure, and probably stoned to death. The Roman army tended to be tough on those who didn’t make the grade. But his dereliction of duty certainly made her escape easier.
    Sabina sneaked past him, the basket gripped tightly in her hand, then she ran across the clearing to the edge of the woods. When she was safely inside the forest, she looked back and checked to see if anyone was pursuing her. But all was still and silent, the darkness around her absolute. She found an oak tree that was big enough for her to hide behind, but which also gave her a good view of the fort. She waited in the woods patiently, watching the first fingers of daylight creeping into the sky.
    ***
    The wait seemed eternal, but it was probably little more than half an hour. The monochrome greyness of early dawn had given way to the pinky-orange streaks of early morning when the heavy wooden doors of the fort were thrown open. Two soldiers appeared, with another shape between them. The shape was thrown forward, and Sabina realized it was Blaine. He stumbled and fell to the ground, landing face first on the rough stone that encircled the fort. The soldiers laughed, and one of them ran forward to kick Blaine in the butt as he got to his feet. Then they retreated inside, shutting the doors behind them.
    Sabina was relieved. Her father had kept his promise, and even if his treatment was rough, it seemed that Blaine was now free. Blaine looked around him, a little uncertain of the situation. He seemed as unsure about this as she was. He stood up straight and stretched his back, as if he had been stuck in a cramped position for a long time. Sabina could hardly bear to think what horrors he might have endured in the custody of the Roman guards. Then Blaine started striding away from the fort, looking back over his shoulder to see if the Romans had changed their minds.
    There was only one road that led away from the fort, and Blaine came along this road at a fast pace – obviously intent on putting some distance between himself and his captors while he had the chance to do so. By the time he was close to Sabina, he was a good distance from the fort and shielded from its view. She dared not step out of the undergrowth…there was no telling who might be watching. Blaine was walking past her, oblivious to her presence, when she called out in the loudest voice she dared.
    ‘Blaine!’
    He stopped dead in his tracks, turned and peered through the trees. The expression on his face was one of total confusion and surprise. Sabina stood up and waved from behind the oak tree. Blaine switched his gaze to look at her, raising his hand to shield the rising sun