Free The Barbarian's Captive by Maddie Taylor Page B

science and research expedition — to get away from the constant turmoil and conflict.
    She made a face which apparently was answer enough for him as he continued.
    “Even though our ways may seem antiquated to many, they work — and always have.”
    “You have no crime and corruption on Primaria, where everything is sunshine and roses?”
    “Your sarcasm is not appreciated, mate, nor will it be tolerated. So curb it, please.” His golden gaze was penetrating, and despite his affected courtesy, she didn’t confuse it with anything other than an order. “And no, ours is not a Utopian society. I know of none that are. We have disputes, but we also have a strong family structure where most of our disagreements are resolved. In these instances, the male as the head of the family unit addresses any misdeeds. For conflicts that arise outside the family and affect the public good, we have a civil council made up of respected elders who mediate and — in extreme cases — hand down penalties. That occurs rarely. Our males usually deal with things under their own roofs before it gets that far.”
    She scowled, having been on the receiving end of his idea of dealing with things. “You mean your men deal with freethinking women by beating them.”
    “Eva,” he said, frowning. “Is that what you call the spankings I’ve given you? Beatings?”
    She opened her mouth to reply, but he cut her off first.
    “Be honest in your answer.”
    She wrinkled her nose. His palm on her had stung, though it hadn’t done any permanent damage. In fact, when she’d inspected her bottom for redness and bruising an hour after the last one, there had been no residual marks. The warmth and tingling had even subsided, which, if she were being honest, had been rather… disappointing.
    “I require a response. Do you think I beat you?”
    “No, but you’re huge; you could do some real damage.”
    “Yet, I won’t — ever. Not only because I don’t want to cause you harm, but also because we have laws which dictate very clearly the extent of female punishments within the family.”
    “Seriously?”
    “Yes. In general, physical chastisement is limited to a spanking across the buttocks or thighs. Usually, a few swats with an open palm is sufficient. Worse misdeeds may result in a paddling, or a lashing, but never to the point of true injury. Closed fists, any blows outside the fleshy backside, or excessive force are all expressly prohibited and dealt with harshly by the council.”
    She gaped at him. What kind of place was he taking her to?
    He noticed her skeptical expression and continued his explanation. “Let’s look at your military background again to put this in perspective. You had rules of conduct to follow, correct?”
    “Of course.”
    “If you broke the rules were you punished?”
    Eva shrugged, not liking where this was leading, but answered honestly. “Yes.”
    “How so?”
    “Early in our training, running or push-ups are common. After that, we are most often assigned extra duties, ones that no one ever wants, like cleaning the bathrooms, digging trenches for untold reasons, or trash disposal. Sometimes privileges are taken away, and for severe infractions, confinement, demotion, and possible dishonorable discharge — the last two causing a hit directly in the pocketbook.”
    “Push-ups?”
    “They’re strenuous exercises done in repetition. I did so many early on that my shoulder muscles screamed and ached for days. Once I had to run so long I puked.”
    “Hm, screaming muscles for days, or running until your stomach heaves — I’m assuming that is what puked means. Both sound harsh — and much worse than a warm bottom. What about these confinements and demotions? I’m assuming this is a reduction in rank, which can be a humbling experience, a blow to the pride.”
    “Yes, and if the soldier has a family, they are impacted by the reduction in pay that goes along with it. Confinement for me would be