Erik's POV
I stormed back into our room, already aggravated over Nadir's harsh words.
"Get up, Christine," I growled. "We have to meet the Shah and his mother for breakfast."
Christine rolled over and rubbed the sleep out of her eyes.
"And good morning to you too," she groaned. "Why do you sound so angry this morning?"
"No reason," I lied. "Just get dressed, and hurry."
When we were both ready to go, I escorted her out of the room and we met up with Nadir. Christine and he spoke to one another as we trailed down the many hallways until we were in the Palace's dining room.
"Ah, there is my master mason…"
I helped Christine into her seat before taking my own. The Shah was once again wearing my ribs around his neck… Oh, it was a gesture that was simply driving me mad!
"I was going to leave you to your rest this morning, Erik, but I thought about inviting you and your slave to breakfast. Wasn't that ever so generous of me?"
"If you insist, your highness…"
I was taking a sip of my tea, when I heard the Shah chuckle.
"Why, I can't help but notice your neck this morning…"
"My neck, your highness?"
The Shah rose from his throne like chair and circled me, his monstrous hand brushing against the right side of my neck.
"Love bites?"
I picked up my silver spoon and raised it so that I could see my reflection… There were a few red marks on the side of my neck.
"They're nothing," I assured. "I was bitten by a bug in my sleep."
"I don't know," the Shah teased. "They look sort of human to me."
Great, this was all I needed and at this ungodly hour of the day. The Shah was at Christine's seat now. I knew the man made her feel uncomfortable, for I could see her shaking.
"So, tell me little slave, did your master have his way with you last night? Did he make you bite him?"
"N…No, your highness…" she shuddered.
"Speak louder! I can't hear you, girl. Did your master have his way with you last night?!"
Christine nodded and that's when the Shah grabbed her hair and pulled her neck back. Oh, I wanted to kill him! How dare he touch my wife like that?!
"Enough!" I growled, shooting to my feet. "I have a right to take my slave to bed with me if I wish. She is my wife, and I can do whatever I want with her!"
"Is that so? If that's the case, then I would truly love to speak with you about this…"
The Shah let Christine go and had her removed from the room. She didn't want to leave, but I nodded and she left without arguing about it. When the Shah and I were alone, he pushed me back into my chair and smiled.
"So, tell me, dear mason, how did it feel to take a woman?"
"I…I'm not going to sit here and explain that to the likes of you. I don't go around asking you about your love affairs, so don't ask me about my own."
"Ah, you have a tongue today… You best shut up before I decide to take a few more of your ribs. Someday I may even have to place your hideous head on a spike and display it throughout the palace. It would be a nice addition to the rest of my collection. Anyway, I wish to tell you my own little secret…"
The Shah scooted his chair closer to my own and patted me on the back.
"You believe your slave to be pure? She's not a pure angel, Erik of Egypt. You see, last week when she was out and about while you were working, your little slave girl and I had lunch with one another. You see, I get what I want, Erik, and last week, I wanted her. I took her to my bed and had my way with her…and oh, how she loved it."
My fists instantly flew to the man's throat, but the guards were there to stop me. No! No, this couldn't be the truth! I wouldn't let this be the truth!
"Easy there, mason… You wouldn't want to over step your bounds."
"You're lying! You're lying…My slave… She would never."
"But she did. She didn't want it at first, but I forced her to do me. Afterwards, I made her swear to me that she would never tell you. You can ask her, but I can tell you that she would deny it, for I told her that I would have you murdered if she told you. You should have taken her to bed sooner, mason. I do enjoy a tight virgin…I crave it, and I always get what I want."
I was heartbroken, for if Christine truly made love to the Shah, then last night had been for nothing. I stood to my feet and tossed my glass to the floor in anger.
"Next time you take your woman to bed, think of me, and all the pleasure I had given her. I'm sure she might even call out my name in the middle of it, seeing that you couldn't bring a horse to orgasm. I don't know how she ever goes to bed with you, Erik of Egypt. One would have to be truly drunk and passed out to go to bed with the likes of your hideous self. Big day tomorrow, man… The work on my torture chambers will officially begin. Have a wonderful day resting…"
With that, I found that I couldn't go home… Not after what the Shah had said to me. No, instead, I found myself searching for Nadir. The rainy season had finally arrived and the whole desert had turned into a soaking wet wasteland. I didn't care that it was storming… No, I wandered outside the palace walls, soon coming face to face with the man I had been searching for. At first, I believed it to be a palace guard, but when I turned around and noticed Nadir's horse headed my way, I knew that it was anything but.
"Erik? Erik, what are you doing out here? You're going to catch your death!"
The man grabbed me by the arm and hauled me up onto his horse's back.
"I was heading home for some lunch. I guess you could join me… At least it's warm and dry there."
The entire way to Nadir's house was silent, for all I could think about was the Shah and him taking my wife like I had last evening. I was like a lifeless zombie, believing that I have had everything taken from me.
"Erik, what's wrong… You're acting rather strange today."
Nadir dragged me into his home and handed me a blanket to wrap around my soaking wet body.
"Erik, snap out of it, man… What has gotten into you?"
"It's over, Khan…"
"Over?"
Nadir sat me down on his couch and his servant offered to make us tea.
"Erik, what are you talking about? This morning you seemed as though you were the happiest man alive. Though, I couldn't blame you, for Christine truly does love you."
"Y…You left me with the Shah this morning before leaving for your daily duties, Khan. He…He noticed a few love bites on my neck. I…I didn't make Christine do anything to me that she didn't want to do. I…I actually had no idea what I was doing last night. She took control and taught me pleasure, I hadn't thought possible. When I confessed to the Shah that I had taken her, he laughed and sent her away. I wasn't sure why, but when Christine was gone, he confessed that he had taken Christine a few days ago."
"What?" Nadir growled. "He truly said this?"
I pressed my eyes closed and nodded… Oh, it was the most painful nod I ever had to give.
"He said that he loved a tight virgin, and that Christine was just that. He said that I should have taken her weeks ago. Oh, Khan, what am I going to do?"
"And did you say anything to Christine?"
"The Shah told me that he made Christine promise not to say a word. He said that he told Christine he would murder me if she said anything about it. You know the Shah better than I do, Khan… Is he…Is he that type of monster?"
Nadir looked down at his hands before looking back up to meet my gaze.
"I know that he takes women to his bed all the time, Erik. Sometimes, they come willingly, other times, they come tied and screaming for their lives. I'm…I'm sorry… If this truly happened, then I am so sorry, Erik. He was right though… You should have made Christine your own on your wedding night. If you had, he wouldn't have touched her. He's all about purity…"
"What am I going to do, Khan? How can I ever face her again? How can I ever look her in the eyes without sorrow?"
"Pretend that it never happened… Push it from your mind, Erik. You must, for Christine's sake. I'm sure she didn't go willingly, and if you knew the pain she went through, I'm sure it would only hurt you worse."
"Khan, I'm telling you…Before my reign of power in this palace is over, I will have that man's heart in my hand. I'm going to murder that bastard!"
"Erik," Nadir gasped. "Don't say such words… You shouldn't be telling me this. He is a man of power."
"He shouldn't be in power! He is a bad man, Khan! A horrible and despicable man! He should be burned at the stake! He doesn't have any remorse for anything in this world!"
"Maybe, Erik, but if you murder the Shah, you will be hunted down and you will be murdered."
"By who? The peasants hate him…They would adore me for doing the deed, and I would gladly volunteer!"
The servant was walking into the room when she heard the words escape my lips. She gasped and nearly dropped the tray that had our cups of tea on it. Nadir turned to her and said something in Persian… It seemed to calm her, for she left the room a few moments later.
"You should head back to the palace before you say something that my servant will go blurt out to the Shah himself. Go home to Christine and pretend that this visit never happened today, Erik."
But how could I face her? I took a breath before entering my flat, only to have her rush to me and wrap her arms tightly around my body.
"Erik! Oh, Erik, I was so worried about you! I…I got so worried when you never returned that I began questioning the guards. They didn't know where you had disappeared to, and I began to worry that the Shah had hurt you again. But you're here…You're here…"
"I…I am," I said, breaking contact from her. "I'm here."
Christine pressed her head against my chest and sighed. It was as though the world had come off of her shoulders.
"You're all right, and for that I'm thankful. You scared me…so, so much."
"I'm here now…"
Christine took a step back and gasped when she noticed that I was soaking wet.
"Were you out in the rain? You're soaked…"
Christine tried to unbutton my shirt, but I backed away.
"I…I can do it myself. I'm… I'm going to change."
I rushed into my bedroom and began to unbutton my wet clothing. Though, a few seconds later, I heard footsteps and turned to find Christine standing behind me, her robe at her feet. Oh, just the mere sight of her sent shivers down my spine. She pressed her body against my own and ran her hands down to my bare hips…And then, she kissed me, but this kiss just wasn't the same.
Poor Poor Erik. Evil Evil Shah... Please review!