A knock. Finally out of the bathroom and dressed in her plain, silk, A shape, gold dress with blue designed lace, tapped around the neckline, Belladonna swung the door open, expecting Raquel as usual but instead there were guards at the door, with different boxes in their hands, stacked on top one another, tall enough to cover some of their faces.As if the helmets they had to wear weren't already enough trouble for them to begin with.What was going on?"My Lady. You are up already. Good."Raquel flashed her a smile. "What is going on?""Gifts from the people, from last night. Please, can we come in?""Of course," she stood aside so that they could come in and the guards rushed in, putting the gifts at one side of the room, till they finally put down the last box, then finally left."This is all so much." Belladonna said with a gasp.She had never received so much gifts in her life, it made her temporarily forget her sadness on her earlier wasted efforts.Raquel squealed with excite
She had promised not to interfer in their family affairs but that didn't stop her from seeing what Colin was doing as stupid. Why turn down help for your daughter just because of your ego and have your wife unable to do anything about it because you are the 'husband'.It felt more like a cage than a marriage, but who was she to judge.Different people had their ways of doing things and if she tried to help Raquel out of it, she felt that she would only persumed it as a punishment instead of a favour. This was a life she knew and knew nothing asides from it. Maybe in future, she would change it but I till that one month was over, she must stay totally out of it."Good morning, Colin.""My Lady, the King will not be able to join you for the breakfast this morning. I have been ordered to express his deepest apologies and his promise to make it up to you at dinner.""Thank you. Your wife already told me that."Something ticked in his jaws, his gaze flying to Raquel, who gulped, arching
"Well, thank you for the gift."His gaze moved to her necklace. "I can not wait for you to finally be able to wear it.""Thanks for that too, but I was talking about the sewing machine.""Oh, that." He moved his hand a little, trailing a side of her neck, then he withdraw his touch slowly. "Anything for you. Will you like to learn a little swordsmanship, my Lady?"That just sounded like another opportunity to get closer to him. An opportunity she definitely wouldn't miss. Just as she had said yes, he was giving the order for everyone to leave the training room, the next thing she knew, they were alone, the room was locked and he was behind her, his heat engulfing her, while his hand guided hers as he taught her the basic techniques. The way his voice filled her ears was pure heaven.With how today had started, it was all going so well. Strike.Attack.She giggled and he laughed at some of her individual defenses and attacks.Her moves were really sloppy, uncalculated and either to
"Here is my Family."The black cloth that had been over the painting slip to the floor. The room was just as Belladonna had left it the day she had been here, different paintings had been pulled down and cover and the room smelt a little dusty, but this wasn't the painting she had seen the day she came in.This painting looked different. Looked alive... somehow.In this big frame, there were four people.His Mother, a lean woman with piercing auburn hooded eyes that had a glint of humour in them, bold and black eyebrows, high cheek bones accompanied by a neck that looked like a bit of a stretch. Her auburn hair was made into one big cornrow, leaving only wavy strands out to cover some parts of her face.Next to her, on the small black sofa, sat a man with full mutton chopped beards and long black hair mixed with scattered strands og grey. His gaze was piecing brown, like he knew all the secrets there would ever be to be kept. He also looked similarly huge like Eli. In his hand was a
"They loved Lex's wild spirit more than my tamed one. Found him bathed in blood all too often for his age."Belladonna furrowed her eyebrows.At what age was it appropriate to be found bathed in blood? Blood!"Lex was a lot like my parents than I was. At a point," he chuckled, turning his gaze to her, "I almost started getting jealous, but," then he raised a finger up, "I could not hate my brother. I mean, he was my baby brother after all. I loved him. He made me happy. His presence, his laughter, his troubles, the way I would always have to clean up after his mess in the village when he would go barserk on the animals." He chuckled again, his eyes filled with warmth and absolute love. "I never complained. I took some of the blames of what he did, but like I said before, my parents knew who the psycho was." He looked back at the painting, folding his hands behind him. "At the end of the day, we are still family."Belladonna looked at the painting once again. What a happy family the
"I had not noticed it at first but each of them would always come to her every night, while we were in their little living room, by the fireplace. They would take her hand and lead her out through the door. They were all so kind to her, I did not suspect a thing."Belladonna could sense the rage that he was trying to hard to hide from his voice. Kestra must really mean a lot to him. That gave her mixed feelings.She was sure of one thing though, she felt horrible for Kestra. It explained more about her scars.She folded her arms across her, her face creased into a frown, her gaze planted on the floor, the color of which she couldn't even see since her focus wasn't on it.She shouldn't be feeling this way. It made no sense to."Kestra was good at hiding secrets. Even after I told her, everything about why I was in the forest, who I was and we had stayed tight friends for a whole month, she never told me about how her brothers used to abuse her sexually and physically. Till one night,
"Eli---""I will outline here." His words came out muffled, as he pressed gentle kisses along the crook of her neck. "And here," his fingers moved along her shoulder, up her neck, the rough leather grazing her skin, blood turning into fire in her veins. She bit her lips to restrain herself from making a sound but then his tongue flickered over that part of her neck and her arched her neck to him, tilting her head to the side. "Sadly," He pulled away, looking down at her, her hands holding her thighs, his grip tightening. "I am a terrible artist." He moved closer, his breath mingling with hers. "But I have other ways to appreciate the art that you are, when the time comes. Better ways, I promise you."His hand snaked into her hair, pulling it slowly, making her look right at him. He let out a gasp. "You intoxicate me, my Donna. More than the finest wine."Her hands glided up his robe, up to his neck, as she fought herself on her desire. It was strong. Consuming. But she had to b
"I have bored you with my family's histories, have I not?""You did not bore me.""It feels unfair that I did not ask of yours."She frowned, the book and that image drawn largely over it, blurring out, turning into a mere background as her mind moved to different thoughts from what was in front of her. All she could think about was how her family had been such a weakness to her, a vulnerable longing that the Bride Thief had easily used and almost gotten away with, if she had not been observant. Her mind centered around that lack and the emptiness fed her brain. She didn't want to think about it, so she wouldn't say."You already know.""There must be some that you would love to tell me personally?""No, Eli. I have nothing to say." She snapped, regretting it immediately. With clumsy hands, she pushed the book back on shelf, making it blend in with the others."I"m sorry. I just don't want to talk about them, they are not nice to remember.""That is alright." He took her hand, turni