ignore it, he could not turn away from the fear in her eyes as he positioned himself above her. He was almost grateful when she looked away from him, choosing instead to stare at the smooth stone wall. He touched her as little as possible. He wished that things could be different as he propped himself up with one hand and used the other to guide himself toward her.
“Please, just get it over with,” she whispered. Her voice sounded small. He paused above her and bowed his head against her neck. He gave her slight nod before he thrust forward, burying himself inside of her. She bit her lip to keep from crying out, but she could not stop the single tear that trickled traitorously down her cheek.
Seeing her crying nearly destroyed his already fragile conviction. He wanted to both hold and soothe her while also needing to flee from the room and never come near her again. He could do neither of those though. He could only do what everyone expected of him. He continued on as if nothing was wrong, focusing on anything he could except for the face of the woman below him. She wasn’t his. A contract mattered little to him in light of everything else going on. His father made her share her body with him, but she would never be his.
Faolan finished quickly, feeling almost relieved. She hadn’t enjoyed it of course, but then he really hadn’t expected her to. He quickly rolled off her and got out of bed. He could feel her eyes watching him as he threw on a pair of pants. He imagined the pain and loathing he would see there if he turned around. Instead, he pulled on a loose shirt and fled the room, leaving her in darkness with a whispered, “Forgive me,” trailing behind him as he escaped to the relative safety of the deserted hallway, struggling to swallow the bile that was already rising in his throat.
Chapter Five
Isabelle woke up slowly, the light from the early morning sun barely touching her eyes. She snuggled further under the blankets and groaned loudly. Her body ached and her nerves felt raw. She needed time to think about last night before she had to see Faolan again. But as she heard the subtle sounds of footsteps on the stone floor, she realized she wasn’t going to get that chance.
“Faolan?” she called, hoping that he wouldn’t answer. She told herself that perhaps it was only a maid, though she couldn’t remember seeing any in the halls the day before.
The footsteps stopped.
She forced herself to breathe.
“Yes, Isabelle?”
She sat up slowly, pulling the blankets tightly around her. She slid as far away from him as the bed would allow. “Hello.”
Faolan looked up from the teacup in his hand and nodded at her. She frowned, waiting for him to say something as he looked away.
“Faolan…”
“Come join me for some tea. I know that these are your rooms and I am sorry for intruding. But I wanted to speak to you some,” he said without raising his eyes.
She hesitantly nodded and rose from the bed. She slowly walked across the room, keeping her eyes warily on him as he continued to sip his tea. Once she had taken the seat across from him, he handed her a fresh cup and a piece of cake on a small plate.
“So tell me, Isabelle, how did you manage to get here without a horse?” he began once she had begun drinking the tea.
“I do have legs, Faolan,” she replied, sounding much harsher than she had meant to. But he barely blinked.
“You walked? All that way?”
Isabelle fidgeted nervously in the chair. His coldness was more unsettling than open hostility would have been. She would have rather talked to him about the night before, but she didn’t understand him at all yet. She didn’t want to have to handle an angry man, let alone while naked in his home. “Well no, a farmer we met along the road gave us a ride on his wagon for a few hours as he traveled to the next city.”
“But after that?”
Isabelle shrugged and popped a small chunk of cake into her mouth. “I
“Please, just get it over with,” she whispered. Her voice sounded small. He paused above her and bowed his head against her neck. He gave her slight nod before he thrust forward, burying himself inside of her. She bit her lip to keep from crying out, but she could not stop the single tear that trickled traitorously down her cheek.
Seeing her crying nearly destroyed his already fragile conviction. He wanted to both hold and soothe her while also needing to flee from the room and never come near her again. He could do neither of those though. He could only do what everyone expected of him. He continued on as if nothing was wrong, focusing on anything he could except for the face of the woman below him. She wasn’t his. A contract mattered little to him in light of everything else going on. His father made her share her body with him, but she would never be his.
Faolan finished quickly, feeling almost relieved. She hadn’t enjoyed it of course, but then he really hadn’t expected her to. He quickly rolled off her and got out of bed. He could feel her eyes watching him as he threw on a pair of pants. He imagined the pain and loathing he would see there if he turned around. Instead, he pulled on a loose shirt and fled the room, leaving her in darkness with a whispered, “Forgive me,” trailing behind him as he escaped to the relative safety of the deserted hallway, struggling to swallow the bile that was already rising in his throat.
Chapter Five
Isabelle woke up slowly, the light from the early morning sun barely touching her eyes. She snuggled further under the blankets and groaned loudly. Her body ached and her nerves felt raw. She needed time to think about last night before she had to see Faolan again. But as she heard the subtle sounds of footsteps on the stone floor, she realized she wasn’t going to get that chance.
“Faolan?” she called, hoping that he wouldn’t answer. She told herself that perhaps it was only a maid, though she couldn’t remember seeing any in the halls the day before.
The footsteps stopped.
She forced herself to breathe.
“Yes, Isabelle?”
She sat up slowly, pulling the blankets tightly around her. She slid as far away from him as the bed would allow. “Hello.”
Faolan looked up from the teacup in his hand and nodded at her. She frowned, waiting for him to say something as he looked away.
“Faolan…”
“Come join me for some tea. I know that these are your rooms and I am sorry for intruding. But I wanted to speak to you some,” he said without raising his eyes.
She hesitantly nodded and rose from the bed. She slowly walked across the room, keeping her eyes warily on him as he continued to sip his tea. Once she had taken the seat across from him, he handed her a fresh cup and a piece of cake on a small plate.
“So tell me, Isabelle, how did you manage to get here without a horse?” he began once she had begun drinking the tea.
“I do have legs, Faolan,” she replied, sounding much harsher than she had meant to. But he barely blinked.
“You walked? All that way?”
Isabelle fidgeted nervously in the chair. His coldness was more unsettling than open hostility would have been. She would have rather talked to him about the night before, but she didn’t understand him at all yet. She didn’t want to have to handle an angry man, let alone while naked in his home. “Well no, a farmer we met along the road gave us a ride on his wagon for a few hours as he traveled to the next city.”
“But after that?”
Isabelle shrugged and popped a small chunk of cake into her mouth. “I
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