Part 6 The Lady and the Dark Prince

“You are waiting for my answer!” What do you expect me to say? That I love you and will never leave? That is not what you are going to hear. I loath you and wish to go home, but I” Her voice falters, and she turns her face away from him. Her breasts rise and shake with each ragged intake of breath, and tears roll down her face. She tries to repress any sounds of distress before he can hear them, but it’s too late. Filled with fear at her predicament, the pain she has endured, and the betrayal of her family, the tears will not stop.

He shifts position on the bed and strokes her brow, pushing the hair from her eyes. Distraught, she barely notices the gentle touch. Images of the past weeks flash through her mind. Memories of what has transpired come back; she remembers little bits here and there.

In torment, she pulls against her restraints, screaming, “Let me go, let me go, you bastard. Release me, please, please untie me.” The skin on her wrists and ankles becomes red. Blood speckles the chafe marks. Throwing her head back in anger and frustration, she screams.

He rolls to the edge of the bed and looks at her over his shoulder a disgusted expression on his face. He shakes his head and moves to stand. His eyes narrow he growls at her, “Stop thrashing. You’re hurting yourself.”
He reaches out and grasps her ankle. Angry, yells obscenities and tries to kick him .

“Quiet!” he says.

There is so much menace in that one word, she stops screaming. He grabs her ankle, pulling so hard he lifts her off the mattress, nearly yanking her hip out of its socket, the bindings the only thing keeping her on the bed. Shocked that he lifted her with one hand, she is more afraid of him now then when he whips her.

Her voice comes out in a whisper. “I will do whatever you want just release me.” The bed creaks under her continuing struggles and the sound seems loud “Please, just release me,” she begs, “please.”

He looks the length of her body from her well-formed feet to her tear streaked face, and says, “I may release you from this bed, but you are never leaving this castle, you are here to stay, nothing is going to change in that regard.” Untying first one ankle then the other he examines the damage. Running his fingers over each ankle, pleased that it isn’t as bad as it looked. He lifts her leg higher running one hand down her calf he leaning in and licks the blood from her ankle. Startled she tries to jerk her foot out of his grip; that action only causes his fingers to tighten. She winces’ forcing herself to relax.


Trailing one hand along her body, he traverses the few steps to the head of the bed. Removing the last binding, he examines her wrist as he did her ankles. She watches him and tries not to squirm. He looks into her eyes, turning her hand slowly over he gently kisses her palm. Confused she doesn’t know what is going on. One minute he scares and abuses her, the next he is tender. The complexity of this situation changes from one minute to the next, he treats her like a prisoner, then a lover. He tells her nothing, not her location or his future intentions. Exhausted all she wants to do is sleep. The bed gives as he places one knee next to her instead of going around to the other side; he leans over her body and unties the last rope. Blushing at his nakedness, she closes her eyes and turns away. As he pulls her arm over her chest, his hand crazes her breasts. He sits on the bed next to her and repeats his ministrations, right down to the kiss. He says nothing as he works, then abruptly stands and moves toward the fireplace. The chamber has cooled the fire burning down. Tossing two logs onto the embers the blaze leaps to life causing sparks to fly up the chimney.

Watching from the bed as he retrieves his pants, he says not a word to her. With one last look at her, he leaves the chamber. As always, the next sound is the key turning in the lock.