Chapter 7
The morning dawned bright and clear, but it was not so in Ari's room. She kept the curtains drawn on the windows and her bed. Breakfast came and went, and she stayed locked in her chamber, accepting no visitors. Her whole body was sore, and one of the gashes on her back had reopened in the night. Wrapped in her dressing gown, Ari paced the small area in front of her door, contemplating everything that had happened in the last forty-eight hours. It was too much, it all hit her at once, and she fell onto the bed, burying her head in the pillows. There was no use in crying again, that only made her eyes puffy and did not help the thought process. At a loss for words or ideas, she dozed.
Around mid-day her door opened and shut. Without looking to see who it was she called,
"Get out, I told you that I don't want to see anyone today!"
"Not even me?" Turning, she saw Erik standing there.
"No, least of all you."
"What did I do to have you angry with me? The kiss? If you didn't like it, I won't kiss you again. I just thought that we had chemistry, and you seemed to want me to kiss you again, so I did. But I never suspec-"
"Just stop talking. It's not you, trust me, it'd be a lot simpler if it was. Please, leave me alone. I don't want anyone near me." He looked at her, slumped over in her chair by the window.
"What's wrong? Something happened after I left last night. What? Talk to me Ariella."
"No! It's none of your business. Go talk war with my father, or spar with my brothers. Leave me alone!"
"I can't," he muttered. He could sense that something was going on. He glanced at the bed, saw the sheets were rumpled, the blood from her wounds, and anger welled up inside of him. "Who?"
"Who what? What are you talking about?" she snapped, turning to look at him. He was still regarding the bed and didn't see the fear that had entered her eyes.
"You know very well what I'm talking about. Who took you last night?" Now he saw her and she blanched. "Ari tell me. Who did it?"
"I, I don't know," she lied.
"Yes you do, I can see it on your face. Tell me."
"I can't. No Erik, you don't understand. If I told you, if I say anything at all, there's no telling what he might do. It's not that I don't want you to know, but you could get killed, and that I truly do not want. I have lived with it alone for long enough, I can live with it for as long as I need to."
"Christopher? The stable master? The steward? Who Ari? Please, I need to know. It hurts me to see you like this. Let me help."
"I want to tell you, and I do. But it isn't possible, for your sake and my own. If I just pretend like it doesn't happen, then it won't happen for a long time. It was just your coming and my being so drawn to you that triggered it. Really, I'm fine, just sore and tired. Please, I don't want to talk about this." She begged him with her eyes, and he sighed.
"Alright, but I will find out Ariella. And I swear to you that I will make him pay for what he has done to you." He reached out to stroke her cheek, and saw the pale bruise that marred the perfect surface. The anger was in his eyes now and she put her fingers over his.
"Don't. Just let it go. For me."
He groaned and pulled her close, letting her head rest against his chest. He ran his fingers through her hair, so thick and curly. She put her arms around his waist and breathed in his scent. They stayed like that for a while, neither one moving. When the bell rang for lunch they pulled apart.
"Are you coming?" he asked. She shook her head.
"No, I'm keeping up appearances. I've already yelled at four servants that I wasn't coming out of my room and to leave me alone. Can't back down now, they won't respect me if I did." He smiled at her, then kissed the top of her head.
"I'll save you an apple."
"How big of you. Thanks Erik, really. You don't know how much it means to me that you care."
"Oh, I think I do Ari. I think I do." With that, he ruffled her hair and left, whistling as he walked down the corridor.
She spent the remainder of the day watching the birds twitter and soar above the clouds and through the trees. She thought about what she was going to do. He'd hurt her, yes, but she knew if she let that rule her body and soul that she would not be able to grow. And she liked Erik. He made her laugh, feel herself inside, set her free. With him came feelings and sensations she'd never known, and she didn't want to lose those. Why should she sacrifice her own happiness for a man who treated her like chattel and who raped her whenever the mood struck him? No, she wasn't going to let him tell her how to live her life or let him restrict her to what he wanted. He wasn't her father, nor was he her keeper.
The wardrobe in the corner of her room held many gowns and outfits, and none fit defiance and freedom of choice better than the yellow taffeta. It brought attention to her eyes and fit her body snugly. With a black ribbon about her neck and the same color shoes, she looked like a gypsy from the east. She added bangles to her wrists, then thought better of it at the amount of noise they made. As quietly as a mouse, she left her chamber and moved slowly down to the antechamber. Few people were there, although servants bustled around like worker bees. William sat on the edge of the dais, picking at his nails with his knife. When she entered, he looked up at her, the shock written all over his face. He recovered swiftly, smiling at her with a mischievous glint in his eye.
"Ariella," he said, putting his knife away and reaching out his hand to her. "Good to see you up and about dear."
"Well, my evening was simply full of surprises and I needed to recover from the alarm it caused." He kept smiling up at her, and patted the spot next to him. She shook her head with a grim smile.
"What sort of surprises? Nothing too scarring I hope."
"Oh, male surprises. Very unexpected. I only hope that they won't happen again."
"Don't count on it. You were very uptight last night, but I only hope you enjoyed it as much as I did."
"Of course. I especially liked the part where you hit me. Left a little mark for me to remember you by."
"You just take heed of what I said. You'll pay for it with more than just your sleep if you don't."
"What? Afraid that he might take me away and you can't have your nightly excursions with your sister? There are more than enough women who would willingly share your bed. Why me?"
"You fight back. And you're too beautiful to be touched by another man, one who doesn't appreciate you. When Father dies you'll be mine, and it won't matter a whit what you want or not. You already belong to me and you always will." He stood up and moved closer to her, squeezing her bottom. "Don't you forget that Ari. You're mine."
He left her standing there, anger welling up inside. Moments later Erik walked in and came to her side.
"What was that about?"
"What was what about?"
"You and William. Did he hurt you?"
"No, Erik. You can't hurt your property," she said, looking into his eyes.
"Him?" he asked. He looked towards the door he'd left by.
"Who else? None other would dare to touch the Lord's daughter, no one other than his very son."
"But, but that's incest! You could become pregnant with his child Ari, your son and nephew both!"
"Shh, keep your voice down! I don't need the entire manor to know my shame. It's not out of choice but force. I can only hope that Father will not die any time soon. Because once he goes, Mother will not last much longer. And then my fate will be sealed. But let's not talk of this. I want to have my fun while I still can." She slid her arm around his waist and hugged him. He gave her a squeeze back. People began to file in for the meal and he began to separate them, but she hung on.
"Let me have my fun while I can. Who cares what they think?" she whispered. He grinned at her.
"Alright then, you have your fun, little gypsy. Have your fun."
The morning dawned bright and clear, but it was not so in Ari's room. She kept the curtains drawn on the windows and her bed. Breakfast came and went, and she stayed locked in her chamber, accepting no visitors. Her whole body was sore, and one of the gashes on her back had reopened in the night. Wrapped in her dressing gown, Ari paced the small area in front of her door, contemplating everything that had happened in the last forty-eight hours. It was too much, it all hit her at once, and she fell onto the bed, burying her head in the pillows. There was no use in crying again, that only made her eyes puffy and did not help the thought process. At a loss for words or ideas, she dozed.
Around mid-day her door opened and shut. Without looking to see who it was she called,
"Get out, I told you that I don't want to see anyone today!"
"Not even me?" Turning, she saw Erik standing there.
"No, least of all you."
"What did I do to have you angry with me? The kiss? If you didn't like it, I won't kiss you again. I just thought that we had chemistry, and you seemed to want me to kiss you again, so I did. But I never suspec-"
"Just stop talking. It's not you, trust me, it'd be a lot simpler if it was. Please, leave me alone. I don't want anyone near me." He looked at her, slumped over in her chair by the window.
"What's wrong? Something happened after I left last night. What? Talk to me Ariella."
"No! It's none of your business. Go talk war with my father, or spar with my brothers. Leave me alone!"
"I can't," he muttered. He could sense that something was going on. He glanced at the bed, saw the sheets were rumpled, the blood from her wounds, and anger welled up inside of him. "Who?"
"Who what? What are you talking about?" she snapped, turning to look at him. He was still regarding the bed and didn't see the fear that had entered her eyes.
"You know very well what I'm talking about. Who took you last night?" Now he saw her and she blanched. "Ari tell me. Who did it?"
"I, I don't know," she lied.
"Yes you do, I can see it on your face. Tell me."
"I can't. No Erik, you don't understand. If I told you, if I say anything at all, there's no telling what he might do. It's not that I don't want you to know, but you could get killed, and that I truly do not want. I have lived with it alone for long enough, I can live with it for as long as I need to."
"Christopher? The stable master? The steward? Who Ari? Please, I need to know. It hurts me to see you like this. Let me help."
"I want to tell you, and I do. But it isn't possible, for your sake and my own. If I just pretend like it doesn't happen, then it won't happen for a long time. It was just your coming and my being so drawn to you that triggered it. Really, I'm fine, just sore and tired. Please, I don't want to talk about this." She begged him with her eyes, and he sighed.
"Alright, but I will find out Ariella. And I swear to you that I will make him pay for what he has done to you." He reached out to stroke her cheek, and saw the pale bruise that marred the perfect surface. The anger was in his eyes now and she put her fingers over his.
"Don't. Just let it go. For me."
He groaned and pulled her close, letting her head rest against his chest. He ran his fingers through her hair, so thick and curly. She put her arms around his waist and breathed in his scent. They stayed like that for a while, neither one moving. When the bell rang for lunch they pulled apart.
"Are you coming?" he asked. She shook her head.
"No, I'm keeping up appearances. I've already yelled at four servants that I wasn't coming out of my room and to leave me alone. Can't back down now, they won't respect me if I did." He smiled at her, then kissed the top of her head.
"I'll save you an apple."
"How big of you. Thanks Erik, really. You don't know how much it means to me that you care."
"Oh, I think I do Ari. I think I do." With that, he ruffled her hair and left, whistling as he walked down the corridor.
She spent the remainder of the day watching the birds twitter and soar above the clouds and through the trees. She thought about what she was going to do. He'd hurt her, yes, but she knew if she let that rule her body and soul that she would not be able to grow. And she liked Erik. He made her laugh, feel herself inside, set her free. With him came feelings and sensations she'd never known, and she didn't want to lose those. Why should she sacrifice her own happiness for a man who treated her like chattel and who raped her whenever the mood struck him? No, she wasn't going to let him tell her how to live her life or let him restrict her to what he wanted. He wasn't her father, nor was he her keeper.
The wardrobe in the corner of her room held many gowns and outfits, and none fit defiance and freedom of choice better than the yellow taffeta. It brought attention to her eyes and fit her body snugly. With a black ribbon about her neck and the same color shoes, she looked like a gypsy from the east. She added bangles to her wrists, then thought better of it at the amount of noise they made. As quietly as a mouse, she left her chamber and moved slowly down to the antechamber. Few people were there, although servants bustled around like worker bees. William sat on the edge of the dais, picking at his nails with his knife. When she entered, he looked up at her, the shock written all over his face. He recovered swiftly, smiling at her with a mischievous glint in his eye.
"Ariella," he said, putting his knife away and reaching out his hand to her. "Good to see you up and about dear."
"Well, my evening was simply full of surprises and I needed to recover from the alarm it caused." He kept smiling up at her, and patted the spot next to him. She shook her head with a grim smile.
"What sort of surprises? Nothing too scarring I hope."
"Oh, male surprises. Very unexpected. I only hope that they won't happen again."
"Don't count on it. You were very uptight last night, but I only hope you enjoyed it as much as I did."
"Of course. I especially liked the part where you hit me. Left a little mark for me to remember you by."
"You just take heed of what I said. You'll pay for it with more than just your sleep if you don't."
"What? Afraid that he might take me away and you can't have your nightly excursions with your sister? There are more than enough women who would willingly share your bed. Why me?"
"You fight back. And you're too beautiful to be touched by another man, one who doesn't appreciate you. When Father dies you'll be mine, and it won't matter a whit what you want or not. You already belong to me and you always will." He stood up and moved closer to her, squeezing her bottom. "Don't you forget that Ari. You're mine."
He left her standing there, anger welling up inside. Moments later Erik walked in and came to her side.
"What was that about?"
"What was what about?"
"You and William. Did he hurt you?"
"No, Erik. You can't hurt your property," she said, looking into his eyes.
"Him?" he asked. He looked towards the door he'd left by.
"Who else? None other would dare to touch the Lord's daughter, no one other than his very son."
"But, but that's incest! You could become pregnant with his child Ari, your son and nephew both!"
"Shh, keep your voice down! I don't need the entire manor to know my shame. It's not out of choice but force. I can only hope that Father will not die any time soon. Because once he goes, Mother will not last much longer. And then my fate will be sealed. But let's not talk of this. I want to have my fun while I still can." She slid her arm around his waist and hugged him. He gave her a squeeze back. People began to file in for the meal and he began to separate them, but she hung on.
"Let me have my fun while I can. Who cares what they think?" she whispered. He grinned at her.
"Alright then, you have your fun, little gypsy. Have your fun."