Four
Dark Ages, 1457.
My blood boiled, and my heart went out to them. How could he behave like that and not show a stitch of remorse? I didn’t know what to think at that point, and to my sadness there was nothing I could do to ease the situation. I was at the top of a horse held tightly by him. But what confused me most was that I didn’t feel he was a threat to me. I felt protected in his arms.
“You can’t do that to human beings! What have they done to deserve such a fate?”
“I don’t need to explain myself, nor my attitudes to you or anybody, but since you insist, they helped to betray my father and kill my brother, as for those I have sentenced them to slavery.”
He boasted to me in the most merciless, bitter tone I’ve heard in my life and with no room for arguments. Was all this for vengeance? Although he told me I wasn’t a slave, I worried about my safety. Who knew my fate once we got to our destination? I may not be a slave in his eyes, but he held me hostage. What was the difference? None in my point of view, I didn’t know which would have been the worst of fates, ended up in the hands of those two perverts or the devil himself.
“Will it be worth losing your soul, so you can carry on with a vengeance?” I couldn’t shut up. I was too astonished to help myself, but I didn’t want to anger him.
“My soul is already damned, I have nothing else to lose.”
I didn’t dare to look at him, so I kept staring at the road in front of us. He may believe what he said, but I heard the biting tone in his voice. He cared. Deep down, I’m sure it was something that gnawed at him every second of his existence. His muscles strained around me, and I felt sorry for him. What happened in his life to make him what he was today? I didn’t agree with his manners, but who was I to judge him?
The trip to Argeş turned out to be hell. I was under his scrutiny the whole darn time. He made it impossible for me to get close to those people. I couldn’t even take water to assuage their thirst, and that saddened me. He merely talked to me the whole way through, but at night I didn’t escape from sleeping with him entangled with me. No, he didn’t seduce me, but for an excuse, he confessed that having me in his bed I chased his demons away, but little did he know his demons would find their way to haunt me now.
We’ve known each other for only three days, and it seemed like an eternity. I didn’t know what to do, or how to act in front of him, and neither did he. The pull between us was strong, and every time we touched, sparkles would fly around. Despite his cruelty to the others he never wronged me, I knew he gave me time to come to terms with my fate, and I wished I understood how I was so attracted to an evil creature like him. I knew he would be the death of me!
“Anton! Bring four men to serve as her guards, she’s not allowed to leave the premises until I come back.”
“You can’t do that to me! You said I was neither your slave nor hostage!” I yelled at him, but he had already gone. I looked at Anton, frustrated.
“If you excuse me, lady, and please don’t leave until I’m back with the guards, you don’t want to anger him, trust me.” Anton advised me with an almost fatherly tone, then he also left. About fifteen minutes later, he was back with four gigantic men. I stared at them, shooting daggers, and stomped away, sitting by the corner in a childish fit.
Three months have gone by. All this time if we had exchanged a few words was too much and drove me insane. He provided me with new dresses, personal things, toiletries, and food, but he didn’t allow me to leave the room, besides a courtyard close by.
The reconstruction of the castle came along well, and it wouldn’t take long to finish, but at what expense? I knew what he had done to those poor people, and sometimes I heard them crying, yet he didn’t let me help at all, and for some reason he avoided me, but every night he would fall asleep with me in his arms. He never touched me except sleeping by my side, and every day I grew more and more accustomed to the warmth of his body close to mine.
“Alizandra, come I want to show you something.” I sat by the courtyard, and he appeared out of nowhere, startling me. It was the first time I saw a glint of happiness cross his eyes. He got me by the hand and led me to a room facing the very steep side of the precipice. It marveled me when I saw it. He had built a small chapel there. “I had the monks come and do the wall painting and everything else.” He added, glowing.
“It’s beautiful!” It looked like a little monastery, and I understood he had good intentions, but would God forgive His house being built on the blood of others? My question was about to leave my lips, but I refrained myself because I didn’t want to see that boyish face gone.
“Thank you for being here with me.” He embraced me by the waist, taking me from the ground, and for a second there, I saw emotions when he had none, a different side of him. I hugged him back. My body came alive, and my heart skipped a beat.
“Like I’ve had a choice on that…” I retorted and regretted the moment it came out of my mouth. He put me back on the floor and his face was back to the everyday cold granite he wore. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean that way.” I tried to patch up, but the damage was done.
“No, it’s fine. I must leave for a while. Business can’t wait and I have to attend to them. I don’t know when I’ll be back, but you’re protected here. I put guards all over the place. They will move you to our main quarters and please, do not disobey me in this matter. I don’t want you roaming outside the castle until it’s all done.” He stared at my eyes, and goosebumps spread all over my skin, but not the good kind.
“Why? You don’t want me to see the horrors happening out there? The torture and punishment you put those people in? Is that why?” Then I came to my senses, but I had already said them, and I couldn’t take my words back. The real dread came when he stopped in his tracks and looked at me. Right then I saw the devil flashing in those eyes.
Reaching me in three long quick strides, he grabbed my throat and threw me against the wall, knocking the air out of my lungs and held me there, pressing on my neck. My eyes were so wide, I believed they would pop out of their sockets. The air felt too thick to breathe and my heart pounded so erratically I thought I was going to faint.
“Never, I mean, never challenge me this way. I won’t be this condescending with you again!” He was so close, I felt the warmth emanating from his skin. His gaze left my eyes and settled on my lips.
Before I knew it, his mouth was on mine in a rough, brutal kiss made to punish, but setting my body on fire, and I melted into him. My arms flung to his neck, bringing him to me, while his mouth devoured me and his tongue plunged inside, claiming mine.
There was nothing sweet about the kiss. Its purpose was to stake a claim and chastise me for what I dared to say. But I loved every minute, and I didn’t want to let go of him. He sucked and bit at my bottom lip, drawing a few drops of blood, which he licked, staring at my eyes. We both heaved for air as he let go of me and put some distance between our bodies.
It took me a few minutes to catch my breath; I didn’t think a kiss could leave my body in such a burning state since I’ve never been kissed before, and I wanted to taste his lips again! “Where are you going? For how long will you be away?”
“It’s none of your business, Alizandra. I warn you, don’t defy me ever again!” He pivoted on his boots and left me there, frustrated, alone, and cold.