To Seek A Love: Book 1

by Masked Man 2

"...Why, my dear husband...I am glad to think that in your eyes, I am a woman of more beauty than a goddess. But I pray tell, which goddess might you mean? Lovely Aphrodite?" Emilia flashed a coy smile into the looking glass and silently praised herself, in pleasurable guilt, for the alluring tones she had managed to achieve in her voice. "Ay, you flatter me much."

14. Uncommon Humors

I think this might be the longest one thus far. Go, me. ;P

I nothing but desire your happiness... "Is that so?" he asked, his voice a bare whisper. Only half-conscious of what he did, Iago turned his back on Emilia and stalked tightly to the small window at the far side of the room, resting his elbows on the sill and bringing clenched fists to his brow in aggrieved resignation. "You truly are in an uncommon humor this day, Emilia, are you not?"

He could feel her keen stare burning into his back, and it carried a weight that far surpassed that of his dusty cloak, which she had divested him of not a minute before. There was passion in that gaze, and concern, even, tempered with a humility and meekness that his better half cringed at, and his malevolent half reveled in seeing.

Was subservience a virtue? Should he scorn it as weakness, pray for the return of Emilia's fiery, defiant spirit and combative, trenchant wit? Or should he, as any man might, take pleasure in the knowledge that he had an obedient wife, who desired nothing more than to please his fantasy...?

...The trouble was, he knew that she had appetencies greater than that...had he begrudged her those ambitions so wholly as to drain them out of her? Should he, for once, take her at her word, and turn to meet her, concede to her efforts to please him, as she had requested?

Feigning a vigor he did not feel, Iago ran both hands through his hair once, heaved out a soundless, weary breath, and did indeed turn, casting hard, pale eyes down to meet the supplicant figure of his wife: the picture of contrite solicitude, with her hands clasped before her and her eyes lowered.

"You truly desire to please me?" He spoke to her softly, with only the faintest trace of huskiness betraying his trying thoughts. "Then I would have you leave me, for I find your presence-" NO ! Damn it all, why had he said that? He hadn't meant that at all, it was that cursed other half speaking, he had to find some way to relate that to her...!

Shocked by his own callous words, Iago pressed his eyes closed, unable to bear the image of what he assumed was Emilia's stricken visage, wishing to Heaven he could take the words back while the gaoler threw back its ugly head and laughed.