Forced Handfasting by Rebecca Lorino Pond Page B

time.”
                  “Of course, of course!” Harro rushed out of the dining room to fulfill his employer’s wishes.
                  “On that note, I will leave the two of you to yourselves,” Niko said. “I’ll see you tomorrow, my friend.”
                  Jahan nodded as Niko walked by with a smile on his face. “Let’s go,” he said to her as soon as Niko was out of sight.
                  He had finally let go of her hand. Instead, he guided her through a third doorway with a hand on the lower part of her back. As they walked, she took in everything around her. The place seemed to be a maze of hallways that stretched off in every direction possible. She passed numerous closed doors, and wondered what was hidden behind them. Upon reaching the end of the hallway they were in, the area opened up to house a staircase that led to the second floor. Her bare feet were soundless as she climbed the stairs behind her husband. At the top of the stairs, she stopped for a moment to take a breath. The climb had winded her because of her poor condition.
                  “Why are you stopping?” Jahan walked back to where she had stopped.
                  “Give me a moment to catch my breath,” she said. She fanned her face with her hand to try, and ward off the sudden hot flash.
                  Jahan immediately realized his error and rushed to her. “I am sorry. I didn’t think…” he paused as he watched her.
                  “It’s...okay, I’ll be fine in a moment. I haven’t had much exercise lately.” She tried to smile up at him in between her gulps of air.
                  Jahan didn’t utter another word before he swooped her up into his arms. It was becoming a habit with him carrying her everywhere.
                  “You don’t really need to carry me. I just needed to rest for a moment,” she said.
                  “You will regain your strength soon. A few hot meals and some much-needed rest will have you feeling better. Still, I will send for the doctor to make sure you are healing.” Jahan turned, and headed up another flight of stairs that led to the third floor.
                  “Maybe it was a good idea for you to carry me,” she murmured when she saw the next flight of stairs.
                  “My private rooms are on the third floor. No one else resides on this floor, so you will have all the privacy you need.”
                  “Including from you?” she asked.
                  “No,” he replied sternly, “Not from me. Have you forgotten so quickly that you are now my wife?”
                  She folded her arms across her chest. “How could I forget?”
                  At the top of the stairs, there was a small alcove that housed a single door. She watched as Jahan pressed his thumb to a red panel on the wall next to the door. The door open with a small click, and slowly swung inward. Once inside the room Jahan set her down on the wooden floor.
                  She couldn’t believe her eyes! The rooms she was to occupy with Jahan were bigger than half the school she taught in. Everything in the room, matter of fact, was big. Two brown sofas sat in the middle of the room facing each other separated by a tan, and cream colored rug that had geometric designs on it. A tall cabinet stood against one wall and housed several books and knickknacks. Two doors in the middle of the cabinet hid something she couldn’t see, but was curious to find out what. A very large window, without any window treatments, allowed a view that took her breath away when she looked out. Several paintings that contained wildlife or scenery were hung on the walls throughout the room. A closed door off to the side alerted her to the presence of a bedroom, the only bedroom in the so called