Chapter 3

"You'll lie down and he'll be on top of you. You both will be naked. He'll maybe kiss you or touch you before he'll spread your legs open. Then he'll put his member, his man part, inside of you. It will hurt a lot and he will move it in and out. How long that will last, depends on a man. I know it won't be easy but try to relax if you can and don't try to fight. The first time will be the most painful one, after that there won't be so much pain, unless he purposely makes it painful. I've heard that some men are kind to their wives, so maybe he'll be that kind of man. If he's not, you'll eventually adjust. Be strong and try to think about nice things. I usually think about flowers. I close my eyes and imagine a flower field. Then I start to count the thrusts. It's usually over before I reach fifteen. If you are lucky, your husband won't last much longer."

Shirei couldn't think about anything except the words of her father's wife. Tears burned behind her eyes, and she was so scared that she was shaking. There were so many things she couldn't understand, and she had been too terrified to ask. She knew that her husband would put his man part inside of her because that would put a babe in her belly.

What did his man part look like? How big was it? What if it wouldn't fit? What if it would break her? The pain terrified her the most. And she would have to be naked with him. She didn't want that. She didn't want any of this. Tears were filling her eyes again, and she turned her head away. She was afraid that her husband would be angry at her; he had asked her not to cry. She was trying very hard to stop, but she was too afraid.

"Alright, time for the bedding!" her father announced.

The new terror made her freeze; she had seen the bedding before when her brothers and sisters had gotten married. Her husband stood up and looked at her father.

"Lord Frey, I don't believe that we need the bedding…"

"This is my house, and I say we do," her father snorted. "Take them to bed!"

Shirei couldn't move, tears of terror rolling down her cheeks. She wanted to run or hide or anything.

"Robb," she heard her husband murmuring.

Shirei flinched when a gentle hand touched her shoulder.

"It's alright," Lord Stark whispered before lifting her up. "No one will harm you; I promise."

A few other men joined him, and they carried her out of the dining hall.

"Gentlemen," Lord Stark said harshly. "The first man who even tries to touch the lady's clothes will lose a finger. Understood?"

"My lord," Renn, one of Shirei's brothers, said. "My father said…"

"He told us to escort the lady to the bedchamber," Lord Stark cut in. "And that is exactly what we are going to do."

The men fell silent, sensing the resolve in Lord Stark's voice. They carried Shirei with care, not daring to defy him. Once they reached the bedchamber, Lord Stark dismissed the others with a stern look.

"Thank you, that will be all," he said, his tone leaving no room for argument.

Shirei was shaking violently, and silent tears were coursing down her cheeks. Lord Stark turned to look at her, a calming smile on his face.

"It's alright, Lady Shirei," he said gently. "Everything is alright, you will be safe."

She didn't know what to say to him, but thankfully she didn't have to speak when her husband was carried inside by her sisters.

"Thank you, ladies," he murmured as they placed him on the floor.

Derwa gave him a nod before looking at Shirei.

"Good night, sister," she said, giving Shirei a calming smile. Shirei wanted to beg Derwa to take her with her, but she couldn't. She had to spend the night in this bedchamber with her husband. Suddenly everyone else was gone and she was alone with him. She would have to take her clothes off now. The thought made her dizzy, she was afraid that she would faint.

She was trembling, her eyes wide with fear as her husband set her gently on the edge of the bed and knelt before her.

"Shirei," he said softly, "I promise you, no harm will come to you tonight. You don't have to be afraid."

She looked at him, tears streaming down her face. "But… my lord…"

"Jon," he corrected gently. "Please, call me Jon."

"Jon," she whispered, her voice breaking. "I'm so scared."

"I know," he said, his heart aching for her. "But you have my word, Shirei. I will not hurt you." He paused and took a deep breath. "Look… This is all wrong. This whole thing. What your father did… It was wrong. He should have never married you off."

Slowly, Shirei looked up, confused by his words. "Forgive me, my lord… Jon, I don't… I don't understand."

He looked sad, but he still smiled at her. "I won't touch you," he said. "You don't have to be afraid of that."

She was even more confused. "But… How can you…"

"What?" he asked when she didn't continue. She was too embarrassed.

"I… My father's wife… She… She told me what will…happen tonight."

He shook his head. "None of that will happen tonight, I promise you. You will sleep on the bed, and I will sleep on the floor."

She blinked nervously, fearing what her father would say. "Have… Have I done something wrong?" she squeaked.

Jon's expression softened even more. "No, Shirei. You haven't done anything wrong. This situation isn't your fault. It's your father's doing, not yours."

"But… my father will be angry," she said, her voice trembling.

"You just let me worry about that, alright? You can trust me."

She hesitated for a moment before she found enough courage to speak. "You… you won't put a babe in my belly?"

He looked away, his expression tense. "No."

She had never been so relieved, but she still wasn't sure if he meant what he said. "Do I have to be naked?"

"No, you don't. You'll be safe here; no harm will come to you. The only reason why we have to share this chamber tonight is your father. He expects us… to do what his wife told you about, but we won't. We only need to make your father believe that we have done that."

Shirei was confused again. How could they make her father believe that they had been naked together? She looked at her husband as he walked over to the bed and pulled the covers aside. Her eyes widened when he took a small bottle out of his pocket and poured the red liquid on the sheet.

"What is that?" she asked.

"Blood. Women bleed when…" He didn't finish his sentence, but she could guess the rest. Bleeding sounded normal when something was being thrust…down there.

"Alright, I think you need some rest after today," he said. "The bed is all yours, make yourself comfortable."

She looked at him insecurely. "What about you?"

Jon gave her a reassuring smile. "I'll be right here on the floor. If you need anything, just call for me. I promise, you have nothing to fear."

Shirei nodded, still feeling a bit uneasy but less afraid than before. She climbed into the bed, keeping her clothes on as Jon had said. As she settled under the covers, Jon lay down on the floor.

"Goodnight, Shirei," he said softly. "Try to get some rest. Things will be better in the morning."