Chapter Thirty-Six

Tenderness Followed by Threat

The next morning, Alyssa slowly awoke, the sun was shining through her window onto the balcony, she then heard a faint thumping under her head. She looked up and saw Angel peacefully sleeping there, her head resting against his chest.

Angel then stirred and saw her laying there, "Morning Hun" he whispered, he reached up to stroke her cheek, Alyssa held his hand and nuzzled it feeling his warmth. "How you feeling?" he asked, "a little better" said Alyssa stroking his chest. Angel then nuzzled her shoulder and kissed her neck, "I wish we could do this all the time Alyssa, if only we could"

Alyssa held him close "why not?" she asked, "I wish I could have you here, I wish I wasn't a princess anymore, then I could be free to marry who I choose" Angel smiled at her and kissed her neck making her moan, he then climbed on top of her kissing down her neck to her breasts.

Angel then lifted her nightie wanting to share his passion with her until they suddenly heard footsteps in the hall, Alyssa sat bolt upright and Angel almost fell off the bed in shock, "Oh God!" she cried "the servants! Quick! You got to get out of here!" Angel didn't hesitate, he grabbed his clothes and ran to the balcony, "Hide!" she cried.

Angel pulled out his emerald "I'll go to the Great Forest!" he said "I'll hide there , I shall return Alyssa, I promise" he then used chaos control to vanish, Alyssa then lay flat back on the bed and placed her face in the pillow still looking at where Angel had vanished. Just seconds later there was a knock at the door. "Alyssa" her heart leapt to her throat when she heard it was Gabriel. "NO!" she shouted inside her head, "anybody but Gabriel!"

"Enter!" she called as she scrambled out of bed and pulled her dressing gown over herself, Gabriel then entered the room. "Alyssa" he said, he practically drooled as he admired Alyssa in her silk and lace nightclothes. "How are you feeling since yesterday?" Alyssa then remembered Lara-Su's death and tears came to her eyes again.

"Still hurt" she said "I still need time to grieve" Gabriel looked at her, yet his eyes looked at her ample cleavage that peeked under her nightclothes. "Lara-Su was just trying to protect me" said Alyssa sitting on the bed and wiping her eyes. Gabriel frowned "She chased after you because you were sneaking out" he said.

Alyssa looked up at him, "What?" she asked, "You need to be watched over princess" said Gabriel "those rebels will kill you!" "But how did you know Lara went after me?" asked Alyssa. She then realized, "No….Gabriel! You sent Lara after me! How could you! You sent her to her death!" Gabriel frowned angrily as he heard her words.

She stood up and glared at Gabriel, "You sent Lara after me! If you saw me go off why didn't you go? The Coward that you are!" Gabriel glared back at Alyssa furious "What did you say?" he snarled.

Alyssa didn't mince her words, Gabriel had been a complete coward and had sent her best friend after her instead of following her himself, he had been cowardly and had remained behind "If you saw me go off why didn't you come after me? I'm your fiancé!" Gabriel glared at her again, his anger boiling up "YES Darling!" he snapped "you are my fiancé and MY WIFE!"

He then stepped towards Alyssa and grabbed her arms, "How dare you speak to me like that!" Alyssa yelped in pain, "It's your fault your friend is dead! If you hadn't been sneaking off this would never have happened!" he shook her again and Alyssa yelped again as she felt his grip on her arms. "You say a word about this to your parents! I'll make you regret it! I will not be made a fool of! And I will not be demoted from my hounors!"

"Ok….!" cried Alyssa "Ok! Please! Stop!" Gabriel stopped shaking her but he didn't let go of her, "Don't…breathe…a word…" he rasped, he glared into her eyes, Alyssa could smell his hot breath, it made her want to scream. Gabriel then sneered then pressed his lips against hers, Alyssa tried to pull away but he was too strong, he then pulled away, Alyssa felt tears come to her eyes she was so frightened and disgusted.

"I can do what I want with you now" snarled Gabriel "you're my fiancé, and you will honor me! Disobey me and I'll make you wish you were never born!" he then let go of Alyssa and threw her onto the bed, Alyssa then began to sob and hold her arms, she looked down and saw that he had left marks there.

Gabriel then stood up and casually walked out of the door, "your father will wish to see you soon" he said, "and remember my warning…" he then shut the door, as soon as he was gone, Alyssa lay on the bed and sobbed hard, she had never felt so trapped and scared, she had now seen what Gabriel was capable of! At the party he may have been verbally abusive, but now he was physically hurting her!

She cried more and more, wishing Angel was still with her, as she cried, she heard another knock at the door, "Alyssa…" it was Sally! Alyssa acted quickly, she couldn't let them see her arms where Gabriel had grabbed her, so she grabbed her silk dressing gown and pulled it over herself covering her arms.

"Alyssa…" Sally called again, "yes…" choked Alyssa, "come in!" Sally then entered with Sonic, "Alyssa" said Sonic "you're still grieving…" Alyssa nodded, she couldn't tell them what Gabriel did to her earlier, she had to keep it a secret. "Still heartbroken by Lara-Su's murder?" asked Sally sitting next to her daughter and hugging her.

Alyssa nodded and sobbed into her mother's shoulder, she then felt Sonic stroke her hair, "My poor child" he said softly "I know how hard this is for you, losing your best friend" Alyssa nodded, "We came in to say that your mother and I have decided to delay your wedding to Gabriel…"

Alyssa's eyes widened, "We have to prepare for Lara's funeral, and you need time to recover" Alyssa cried again but she felt relieved that the wedding was being delayed. Sally continued to hug her and Sonic continued to stroke her hair "you can take time to recover my child" said Sonic, "seeing your friend being laid to rest will be a comfort"

Alyssa looked up at her father, "can….can I see her body?" she asked, "I want to see her for the last time…..tell her I'm sorry…." Sonic looked at his daughter sympathetically and stroked her hair. "oh Alyssa" he said "this is a difficult time for you, you need time….."

"Give me time to change" said Alyssa, "let me change into my black clothes, to mourn my best friend, I need time with her, just to tell her, even in death that I'm sorry, and that I will miss her….." Sally let go of her daughter. "Ok" she said "we'll let you get ready, then meet us in the main hall when you're ready…"

Alyssa nodded and stood up, she walked over to her wardrobe, then Sonic and Sally left the room, Alyssa watched them leave, she then turned to her wardrobe and began to look for a black dress. She peeled off her robe and looked at her arms, she still had marks where Gabriel had grabbed her, she threw her robe on her bed and dressed in a black dress with long sleeves then placed a veil over her head.

"I'm so sorry Lara…" she whimpered as she stared at her reflection in the mirror, "I didn't want this to happen" she pulled her veil over her face and turned to the door, she then walked out of her room holding back her tears and clenching her fists in anguish and sadness.

Poor Alyssa, and that nasty Gabriel!

Sorry about the wait peoples, horrid thing writer's block! Lol!