Drugged And Trapped

 When she did not take the task, he dismissed the staff himself. Polly was standing beside him when he was doing that. Perhaps to help him better in knowing their duties. Or choosing for him which one would be better to keep because he had dismissed all the kind ones but had kept all five who had been closest to Gabriel. And who had tormented her most.

She was sure it was done by her husband. He was not here, yet he had an eye here and could control everything. He had always been witty, cruel without emotions but this.. She had never thought she would witness something like this. But then, she had never thought that she would meet Lennart again.

The kind and funny man she once knew was lost but a brutal man had returned. If she told him about her husband, he would make sure she would be dragged too to the gallows. 

She looked at the food he had sent for her long ago when he dismissed the crowd of servants. Strangely, she could hear their complaints and pain. And it made her chest heavy. She did not want to see them anymore.

She picked up the bowl of soup and one sniff made her pause. It had drugs in it. She knew them because her husband had mixed them a few times in her food when he had… she gulped. Len would not do this to her. Not now, not when he was still testing her.

Yet she could not bring herself to drink it. She took a sip then two but threw the rest of it inside the vase near the window. She would find a way to throw it down later. She checked the bread then. When she was sure it was fine, she took slow bites of it. She would need all her strength for dealing with him.

She climbed to the bed and drew the curtains, sealing herself into the darkness once again. She had taken a bit of drugs, sleep should come naturally, but it was the last thing that came. The thought of him standing outside, waiting for her to get lost in dreams kept her on the edge. 

 Nora climbed into bed and drew the curtains, sealing herself into darkness before she lay down.

But his cold eyes and that cold look was bent to haunt her. And his touch in the morning, it reminded her of all the past moments and her needs. Needs she had forgotten she had. If only, her skin could forget his touch so easily as he had forgotten their love. But her body burns at that memory.

Thank goddess he never approached her in those balls they have attended together in the capital. She would have searched his eyes all night to find the image of a girl he used to look at with awe, as if there was nothing more fascinating than her. 

A time when she had thought she could achieve anything. He would find a way to take her and marry her. He would help her in being a knight, living a life she desired but look… where her dreams had brought her as warrior, or an adventurer who would slain dragons and bring kings to their knees. He had assured her again and again that she was no ordinary woman and like a fool she believed in those words. She believed in him.

Tears slipped again. Their hot touch reminded her of the time she had entered this palace. Depressed and hurt, how she wanted to contract him. To ask why he did this to her. But then, she met her husband and another struggle started. A struggle that made her forget him at once. She had wept often but for completely different reasons. It was his words and his touch that had made it difficult. 

It was similar to the touch he had given her tonight but entirely different at the same time. She stretched her arms on the large oak bed covered with a canopy of laced silk with silver and red flowers embroidered in it. She should be grateful her husband had told her as he had touched her here.

He had told her that he had saved her family, saved a deceitful woman like her too. She sat up at once as she felt the presence of her husband. But the room was empty. Was she hallucinating now?

She stood up at once and walked toward the window again. If he wanted her to take the drugs then he should have returned and saw its impact too.

How did he want to hurt her? Should she show him her wounds and tell him that someone had already done it for her? Would he be glad and thank her husband or would he be irked that someone had snatched that pleasure from him too. 

No matter what he would feel toward others. He would only look at her with hatred like he was. She closed her eyes and another tear spilled her eyes. When she looked out of the window, it was already the middle of the night. It takes two days. Two days since she had been confined here with only one meal a day and no contact with other people.

The door opened again. She looked at it with hazy eyes only to see him standing near the bookstand, leaning on the wall. One foot crossed over the other. He looked as weary as her. How she wanted to hug him and tell him that it was alright. He could hurt her, she would not mind it. Not anymore.

"You look awful." she whispered. Perhaps the drugs had lent her a new strength.

"I have been working for three days without sleep." he shrugged as he pointed his chin to her. She nodded like a muddlehead.

"But why are you not sleeping? Feeling fear finally?" he titled his head, perhaps scaring her. But it only made her laugh. 

"Fear.. you have no idea how many times have i felt it that i do not feel its impact anymore."