Here's another one! I'll probably post the last one tomorrow.
This one contains more of the M rating so just be prepared.
Jealousy.
I've never felt it so badly before now.
Dany is incredibly beautiful. Slender figure, long legs, soft features, long blonde hair. She's not annoying or clingy and her laugh is light and smooth like silk. She's a Lady. I'm a soldier. How can I compete with that?
And Peter.
He's incredibly taken with her. At tea, she was all he could talk about and that's when the bite of jealousy came.
On top of that, I've had to deal with Gale's subtle advances. He's quite handsome, I admit. A mess of curly brown hair, strong chiseled features, and a scruff of facial hair that is rather ruggedly handsome. It might be my jealousy at work, but I've spent more time with him hoping that Peter will notice. But by the time I had to retreat to my chamber to ready for the banquet, Peter noticed nothing.
"Evi, are you nearly ready?" Lucy calls up to me from below.
I've been standing in front of the mirror for several minutes, not believing the person reflected back at me. The woman in the mirror is stunning, the golden dress hugging the curves of her body in such a perfect way, her golden skin glowing and soft to the touch, and her hair is pulled in a weaving and curling up-do that reveal the gentle contours of her face and neck, Peter's necklace dropping just above her bust. She can't possibly be me.
"G-give me a minute, Lu," I call back.
It's all just overwhelming and I don't even hear Lucy coming up the stairs until I hear her gasp of delight.
"Evi, you look exquisite! Susan, come up here!" Lucy calls to her sister.
"I knew we picked the right gown," Susan beams, upon seeing me.
"I don't think I can go out there," I say, not feeling as confident as I should.
"Evelyn Wood!" Susan scolds, "That is not the yank I know. What happened to the girl who flaunted everything! Who wore revealing black dresses?"
I chuckle, the black dress she's referring to somewhere among the battle wear in my wardrobe.
"Susan's right. You've got so much to be proud of! Now let's go out there and show 'em," Lucy grins.
"I'm supposed to meet Finnick here," I remind them with a smile, "You two go on ahead."
They nod, each beaming mischievously before leaving me in my room. Not long after they leave do I hear knock on my door.
"Knock, knock, your escort is here," Finnick's snarky tone comes through the door.
"Are you going to laugh when I open the door?" I ask.
"That depends. You in a dress will be hard not to laugh at," I can practically see the smirk on his face.
"Finnick, you laugh and I will beat you so hard—"
"I won't laugh, let's just go already," he cuts me off and I hesitantly open the door.
His smirk is instantly wiped from his face as it twists into a dumbfounded look. I don't exactly know what Finnick was expecting but he's rendered speechless as a blush inches across his cheeks. There's something inherently adorable about that blush and the way he tries to cover it up, clearing his throat and raking his fingers through his messy brown hair.
"Not what you were expecting?" I giggle, hooking my hand around his arm.
"Not exactly," he breathes, "Evi, you're stunning."
Now it's my turn to blush.
As we near the Grand Hall, my hold around Finnick's arm tightens significantly. He notices my anxiety and chuckles, holding me closer and placing his other hand firmly over mine.
"Don't be nervous," he whispers in my ear, inadvertently sending chills down my spine.
When we walk into the crowd, I'm thankful that people aren't staring. Most of the visitors don't even notice my presence and the ones who recognize me praise their compliments and move on. Apparently my appearance is only a big deal to me. Finnick and I schmooze our way through the crowd, eventually making our way up to the front. Where Peter is chatting with Dany, who looks elegant in a purple, straight-length gown and Edmund is flirting with Gemma, the stable girl.
But my heart sinks when Peter doesn't even notice me and I pretend to listen to Finnick who's talking with one of Tristan's guard.
"Evi!" I suddenly hear Edmund's voice, being twirled around, "You look fantastic!" he laughs.
He's laugh is infectious and I let him spin me around and observe every detail of my gown.
"I would go a step further and say ravishing," Gale's suave voice pulls me away from Edmund.
"Thank you," I give him a small curtsy, catching Edmund's frown out of the corner of my eye before he disappears.
"Would you care to dance, milady?" he takes my hand in his but I'm a little hesitant.
"Actually she's a bit preoccupied at the moment," I'm now drawn into Peter, who's somewhat sneering at Gale.
"Oh I am?" I furrow an eyebrow at him.
"Yes," Peter insists, drawing me a bit away from Gale, "Evi, I don't like the way he's looking at you."
I don't believe him.
All day, all day he's done nothing but fawn over Dany and now he has the nerve to tell me I can't dance with Gale? He hasn't even noticed me all day! And now because I'm all dressed up he notices!
I tear away from Peter, linking my arm with Gale, "Let's go dance."
Peter looks positively hurt by my action but I don't care. What about how he's hurt me all day? I turn to Gale with a smile, wrapping my arms around his neck as he leads me around the dance floor with delicate poise.
"He seems quite absorbed in you," Gale comments, briefly glance at Peter who's watching with mounting bitterness.
"Really? Because I seem to think he's fonder of your sister," I reply.
"Oh, now I understand," he lets out a haughty chuckle.
"Understand what?" I confusedly look at him.
"You two are in love," he laughs as if the notion is silly.
"What do you know about it? How dare you presume to know me," I accuse, breaking away from him.
Pushing my way through the crowd, not caring who I bump into, I make my way to the balcony the fresh air clearing away my dizziness. Gale pinpointed the exact reason for my frustration. Peter is supposed to love me, not Dany. He's said so himself. So why is he out in the gardens with her and not me? I watch them laugh and talk, lazily strolling through the gardens below the balcony. The sight makes my face grow warm and tears sting the corners of my eyes. Feeling utterly defeated, I begin pulling the pins out of my hair, letting my wavy locks tumble on my shoulders.
"There you are," Finnick joins me out on the balcony.
"Come to give me more attention now that I'm all beautiful and dressed up?" I bitterly ask.
"Evi," he shakes his head, "I always thought you were beautiful."
His answer resonates within me and I look up into his smile with tears in my eyes.
"What's wrong?" he sweetly wipes away my tears with his thumb.
"Nothing, it's just stupid girl stuff," I shake my head, clearing away the lingering tears, "I shouldn't have snapped at Gale the way I did."
Finnick frowns, "I don't like him."
"Why? Because of the way he looks at me?"
"Yes," he matter-of-factly states, "And because I'm just getting a bad vibe from him. Something's not right."
"You sure that's not just jealousy speaking?" I smirk, poking at his sides.
"Maybe a little," he admits, holding my hands.
Another man fighting for my attention. God, I just want this night to end. I can't take this all any longer.
"I'm going to go to bed, Finnick," I sigh.
"Are you sure? It's still early," he tries to coerce me to stay.
"Yeah. I'm just really tired," I nod, giving him a peck on the cheek before heading out of the Grand Hall.
Peter is falling for another girl.
That's the only thing I can think of as I silently walk back to my room. But maybe it's for the better. Maybe it's time to move on. Peter can't be a single King much longer, he has responsibilities. And, I mean, there's the slightest chance that we might be able to be together...but what if something happens? What if I'm forced to leave?
I'd be just like Granddad.
A traitor.
I'd be abandoning Narnia all for what?
A hunch?
I can't do that. I can't make the same mistake he did. I won't make the same mistake he did.
"Hello."
Gale's voice startles me and I whip around, my hand clutching my furiously beating heart.
"Jesus, you scared me!" I breathe a sigh.
"Sorry. It wasn't my intention," he apologizes with a handsome smirk, "Where are you off to? There's still plenty of dancing to be had."
"I'm a bit tired and I was just heading off to bed. If you'll excuse me," I bow my head, moving past him.
Only, he grips my arm, spinning me back around.
"What are you doing?" I frown, trying to pry my arm from his grasp.
"Maybe I could come with you," he says, backing me up into the wall.
"I hardly think that's appropriate," I say, ripping my arm from his hand.
"It wasn't a question!" he barks, roughly pinning my arms down and forcing my shoulders into the hard stone.
His mouth captures mine and I panic. I use all my strength to push him away but I don't get far and he tackles me to ground, a blade suddenly cutting into my neck.
"Stop moving!" he growls, "You move or scream, I slit your throat. Understand?"
Hot tears burn a fiery trail down my face as Gale sickly uses his free hand to grope my body. Every instinct tells me to scream, kick, flail, do something to get him off me but that knife is already drawing blood at my restricted cry for help. And I can do nothing as he slips his tongue into my mouth, his hand working under my dress and up to my thigh.
"WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?"
Gale is tackled away from me by Finnick.
"Hey, hey, just having a little fun, mate," Gale tries to placate the seething Finnick.
"LIKE HELL YOU WERE!" Finnick throws his fist in Gale's face, knocking the smirk right off.
Gale tries to fight back, wielding his dagger but Finnick deftly kicks it out of his hand dealing several blows to Gale's face. The shorter, leaner Gale is no match for Finnick who is extremely well-built and experienced. Gale is a bloody mess, clinging on to consciousness before Finnick finally stops beating him.
"If you ever, EVER come near her again, I'll kill you! You sick bastard," Finnick growls, throwing Gale to the floor.
"Evi. Evi, come on," his tone is soft and gentle, so unlike the way it was just seconds ago. He's gentle as he slips his hands under my arms to bring me up from the floor. His touch sends a surge of electricity throughout my body and I jump into his arms, absolutely sobbing.
"Come on, Evi," he urges again, this time there are tears in his eyes. But I can't move. So he swings his arms under my legs, easily lifting me from the ground.
I bury my face into Finnick's chest, my body still wracked with sobs and I let him take me to my room. Just inside, he sets me down taking my face between his hands.
"Stay here. I have to inform the Kings and Queens."
I let out a pathetic yelp, grabbing onto his sleeve before he leaves, "Don't!"
"I'll lock the door. I'll be back. I promise. Stay here," he takes my fingers off his arm, slipping out of the room.
Terror grips me in a way I've never felt before. There's nothing stopping Gale from coming back and violating me once more. I look down at my trembling hand, catching a glimpse of my dress, stained with a few specks of blood from the cut on my neck.
This dress.
My skin crawls underneath the feel of it. It's because of this dress that Gale came onto me. I feel so dirty just wearing it. It's an ugly reminder of what just happened and I suddenly need to get it off but my hands are trembling so much that I can't get the ties undone and I panic once more.
The dress is choking me.
I can't breathe with it on.
It needs to come off.
It's not coming loose.
I can't breathe.
I collapse to the floor, struggling through my tears to even see the damn knots. I hear the door unlock and Finnick is suddenly on the floor with me.
"Get it off!" I scream, "Just get it off of me!"
Finnick wrestles my hands away from the knots, takes his knife out and simply cuts the dress off and I scramble to get out of it, kicking it as far away from me as I can. I don't even notice the sharp chill that consumes my nearly bare body as I'm left in my bra and panties. All I feel is Finnick wrapping his arms around me, rocking me back and forth as he soothingly rubs my back.
Thank God for Finnick.
He was there.
It was him who saved me.
Not Edmund.
Not Peter.
Finnick.
I owe Finnick everything.
"H-he...he was gonna..." I choke out, through my cries.
"I know, I know. It's ok now. I'm here. I'm here, Evi," he soothes, stroking my hair.
We stay on the floor, me half naked and bawling into Finnick's chest. He's patient throughout my entire episode, letting me cry out every single tear I can manage. And even when I stop and then start again, he's patient. Eventually, nothing more comes and I'm silently, just sinking into Finnick as he gently sways me back and forth.
"Let's get you some clothes, huh?" he draws me back with a faint smile.
But I just feel like I'm in a daze and I just let him tug an under-tunic over my head. I think he did it to salvage my modesty but I could hardly care at the moment.
"Can you stand?" he asks, helping to my feet.
Absentmindedly I nod, letting him help me up the stairs to my bed. I'm angry, I'm scared, and I'm hurt. If I had been clothed in my Order tunic with my weapons at my sides, Gale never would have gotten the jump on me. And where was Peter? If he loves me like he says he does, then he would've been there with me. Not with Dany. God, I feel so betrayed by him. I can't even describe it. Everything in my mind is just so all over the place right now, I can't make sense of any of it.
"Thank you," I whisper as Finnick is busy trying to pull back the blankets on my bed.
"Don't thank me," he shakes his head, not at all smiling.
"Why not?" I frown.
"Because I didn't get there soon enough," he snarls, throwing one of my pillows down out of anger.
"The bastard put his hands all over...kissed you...put a knife to your th—"
My lips were on his before he could finish. Just the feeling of his soft lips on mine is enough to send tens kinds of sensations through my lower abdomen. Finnick is slightly stunned by my reaction but remembers himself and circles his arms around my waist, kissing me back with the same intensity. I can't get enough of Finnick, and I comb my fingers through his hair, trying to press myself farther into his body, loving how every curve of it fits with mine.
The back of my knees hit the side of my bed and I lose my balance, tumbling backward with Finnick falling with me. Are lips are only separated for a second as he repositions his body over mine, taking my mouth in his with an animalistic vehemence that makes my body ache. He senses this, placing his hand on my hip and bringing it up to meet his and I gasp, breaking off the kiss to catch my breath. Lust floods my entire body and makes my mind dizzy with longing. Everything about Finnick is setting off my pulsating need. His ragged breathing, his hazel eyes, the way his tongue wets his lips in anticipation, the tiny beads of sweat starting form on his hairline.
God, how I want him.
I need him.
With this thought, I bring his lips back down on mine, my hands running down the length of his back. I try to flip us over, wanting the upper hand, but Finnick has other plans. The weight of his body comes down on mine, his hips worming their way between my legs and I relish in this new pressure, my gratefulness coming out as a gasp.
"Wait," Finnick pauses, breaking away, "Wait. Stop."
"What's wrong?"
Finnick sighs, sliding off my body, "Evi, you don't want to do this.
"I don't?" I furrow an eyebrow.
"No. You don't. Not really. You're just reacting on adrenalin. You'll wake up in the morning, mind clear, and see me here and you'll hate me for it. If this is what you really want, I need to be sure."
I can tell it pained him to stop and I'm still not quite sure what the hell he's talking about. But I let him press a brief kiss to my cheek before he goes downstairs to sleep on the couch.
Leaving me more confused than I've ever been.