Chapter song: Lie Awake by Angel Snow
As I leaned into Ronan, I couldn't help but wonder how exactly I had gotten to this point in my life. I had always considered myself a strong woman, and certainly never would have tolerated the type of abuse Ronan inflicted upon me today from any other man. I knew I should run away as far as possible, yet I remained leaning into him, ironically being comforted by his strong, warm body. There was something about him that pulled me in and kept me tangled in his web.
He was my pain. My ecstasy. My existence.
And without him, I was alone.
When my skin began to prune, I turned around and twisted the handle to the showerhead, successfully cutting the water off. Without looking at Ronan, I slowly stepped out of the shower and headed towards the towel cabinet. I could hear his heavy footsteps closely behind me as I wrapped myself in a towel and continued walking over to the sink.
The silence between us was uncomfortable and awkward, and immediately I was reminded of my previous boyfriends and the fights I had with them. When I made that connection, it became obvious that the tension Ronan and I were experiencing now was no different than what a couple would feel after an argument. I guess in a way, we were in a relationship – however twisted it may be – and we just had our first major fight.
As I started to brush my teeth, I could see Ronan in my peripheral vision, closely watching me from the side. The only sound that filled the room was the sound of me brushing my teeth and Ronan's watchfulness was beginning to make me nervous. I appreciated the fact that he apologized for what he did, but I was still upset and needed time to move on. The last thing I needed was him hovering over me watching my every move.
After brushing my teeth, I walked by him still avoiding his gaze, and entered my bedroom. I slipped under the silky covers on my bed and watched as Ronan sat down next to me. As my eyes drifted to his face, I saw him staring at me with such intensity I had to look away because it honestly felt like he was trying to read my mind.
"You cannot stay mad at me forever," he said in a low, serious voice.
"I'm not mad, Ronan. I'm hurt. Apologies can't fix everything," I said with a sigh. He narrowed his eyes in frustration as he glanced around the room and appeared to be at a loss for words.
"I do not know what you want from me," he hissed quietly before looking back at me.
"You do know," I whispered as I fiddled with my bed sheets.
Ronan growled with annoyance and stood up from the bed, causing me to look up. He glared down at me with irritation written all over his face and continued to slowly pace next to me.
"Your presence is quite inconvenient," he muttered as he continued walking back and forth beside my bed.
"If I'm so inconvenient, then let me go," I said loudly, causing him to stop and look at me seriously.
"No," he said almost immediately, which caused me to cock my eyebrow at him. He glanced away irritably before continuing his pacing next to me.
"Tomorrow –" he began loudly.
"Kree-Lar. I know. Nebula told me," I said under my breath. Ronan stopped and turned to glare at me, clearly annoyed with me interrupting him. I motioned with my hands for him to continue, which caused him to further narrow his eyes at me.
"Tomorrow you will speak to no one, unless instructed to or asked a question. You will stay by my side at all times. If asked, you will tell them you are my attendant," he said in a commanding tone.
"But I thought I was your prisoner," I said defiantly as I looked up at him.
"You are, but unless you wish to spend your time in the dungeons, I would refrain from using that term. The Kree do not treat prisoners too kindly," he said seriously.
"Great," I said uneasily as I pulled the sheets up to my chin. Ronan sat down next to me and leaned in closer to me.
"Follow my instructions and all will go according to plan," he said as his hand inched towards my thigh.
I rolled away from him onto my side, not at all in the mood to be touched. I felt him stand up from the bed, and a moment later I watched as he walked into his bedroom without another word or glance in my direction.
The next morning I was shaken awake by Nebula who was standing over me, holding what appeared to be a mask in front of my face. It looked similar to the type of mask I wore once when I went paintballing, and the thought of that almost made me smile as I was reminded of happier days.
"You must wear this when we are outside of the ship, although, technically you don't need it," she said with a smirk.
"If I don't need it then why do I have to wear it?" I asked tiredly as I rubbed my eyes.
"Because Ronan has ordered you to," she said cocking her head to the side. She tossed the mask in my lap and began walking towards the door.
"You have thirty minutes to be ready. Don't be late or else you risk angering Ronan," she said over her shoulder. I was already making my way to the bathroom as the door closed behind her.
Within thirty minutes I was showered and dressed in my skin-tight, one-piece suit and tall, black boots. As I was trying to figure out how to tighten the mask around my face, my door opened and Ronan briskly walked into the room. His eyes wrinkled with amusement as they roamed up and down my body, and I felt my stomach begin to tighten with unexpected nervousness. When he stopped in front of me, he gently grabbed me by my shoulders and turned me around so my back was to him. His hands began working on the straps on my mask, pulling the device tighter to my face until it made a hissing sound, and right away I felt oxygen begin to flow through the vent. Goosebumps began to spread across my skin as his large fingers gently grazed the back of my neck, pushing my hair over my shoulder.
I turned around to face him again and saw him staring down at me, but his expression appeared to be more serious than it had been before.
"You will not remove this mask until I instruct you to do so. Do not speak with anyone unless spoken to, and do not leave my side. Do you understand?" He asked seriously as he tilted his head down at me.
"Yes, I understand," I said tiredly, my voice mechanically altered by the mask. Ronan nodded his head and turned to walk out of the room, motioning with his hand for me to follow him.
As we maneuvered our way through the complex hallways of the ship, Nebula appeared and walked at my side in silence. My eyes never left Ronan's back as we continued walking through the dimly-lit ship, and I truly wished he would turn around and reassure me that everything would be fine. My stomach was in knots as we approached a large door, making me feel like I was going to vomit at any second, and cold sweat began to trickle down the back of my neck. I began to nervously fidget with my hands out of habit as we came closer to the door that led to my new home.
"Pull yourself together, Terran," Nebula said quietly as we came to a stop. I watched as Ronan's head jerked to the side as if he had heard her, but he quickly looked forward as the door to outside opened up.
Immediately white light filled the hallway, which caused me to squint my eyes because I was not accustomed to such brightness. Ronan continued walking forwards, and I hesitantly followed behind him as I began frantically blinking my eyes, trying to adjust to the brightness which seemed to engulf me. As we stepped through the door, my mouth dropped open as I took in my surroundings, and I was grateful that the lower half of my face remained hidden behind my mask.
We were walking down a long, metal ramp and lined along both sides were large men wearing obvious military uniforms. Their bodies were covered with shiny, silver armor that seemed to cling to their skin and on their heads they wore bright green helmets which reminded me of ancient Spartan soldiers. They wore matching green armor along their shoulders, wrists, and around their waists, where small weapons hooked onto their belts. They were large and blue like Ronan, but a few of them had skin the same color as mine which was really confusing.
I looked into the large crowd of people which now surrounded us and sure enough, the majority of the Kree had Caucasian skin. I also noticed that many of them were not as tall as Ronan, nor were they as large in frame, but they were still clearly much bigger than me. The Kree began shouting and cheering Ronan's name as if he were a hero, and I watched with awe as they gazed upon him with apparent love and devotion. Seeing him being admired by so many left me feeling confused, but also strangely proud. The crowd parted as we continued to walk towards a white, dome-shaped building, and I could feel their eyes on me the entire time, undoubtedly asking the same question I had been asking myself for a month – what was I doing here?
My eyes remained glued to Ronan's back as we made our way into the building, because I was too afraid to look anywhere else. The sound of the cheering crowd disappeared as heavy doors closed behind us, and now the only sound that filled my ears were our footsteps echoing off the metallic walls. Guards at the end of the hallway saw Ronan approaching and immediately opened the doors for us. As we walked into the large room, I saw a long, impressive stone table, and seated at it were dozens of important-looking Kree. Most of them were blue and wearing red uniforms, but a few of them were Caucasian and were seated at the end of the table.
Upon Ronan's entrance, everyone in the room stood up from their chairs and turned to face him, except for the man sitting at the head of the table. The man had blue skin like Ronan and on his head he had four black lines of paint drawn down his forehead, with two stripes on each side, and one across each cheekbone. The red, thick robes he wore appeared to be extremely heavy and had a regal quality about them. On his left shoulder there was a golden brooch which connected his outer robe to the red armor he wore upon his shoulders, giving him the appearance of a king.
As we approached the table I noticed many of the men were now staring at Nebula and I curiously, obviously trying to figure out how we were connected to Ronan. The man at the head of the table lazily turned his head to look at us and raised his eyebrows skeptically at Nebula and I as we came closer. Ronan stopped within a few feet of the man and knelt down on one knee, while he held his hammer in his right hand.
"Imperial Minister Hal-Dan," Ronan said, lowering his head as a sign of respect.
The Imperial Minister motioned with his hand for him to stand up, and Ronan quickly moved towards the empty chair to his right. Judging by his position at the table, I concluded that Ronan must hold an important position in his government. As he began to sit down, he made a hand signal at Nebula, and she immediately tugged on my arm and led me to the wall behind Ronan, where we stood in silence and watched the men converse.
"Ronan, we are pleased by your return. We heard a group of outlaws momentarily interrupted your plans. We were quite worried," Hal-Dan said in a mocking tone. I could not see Ronan's face, but I could tell from his body language that he was not amused by the Imperials' snide remark.
"They were treacherous scum and ran like vermin the second I came in possession of the orb. It was a pity they escaped Xandar before its' obliteration, however, I am certain they will show their cowardice faces again, and when that time comes, they will experience Kree justice once and for all," he said as he placed his hammer upon the table in front of him.
Wait, so that man who offered to help me – oh, what was his name – Peter? He was alive after all? I suddenly felt ten times lighter, as if a heavy weight of guilt had been lifted off my shoulders.
Every man, including the Imperial Minister, eyed the purple gem in Ronan's hammer with curiosity but I also detected unease and hesitation in many of their faces.
"What is it?" Imperial Hal-Dan said, intrigued as he looked between the gem and Ronan.
"An infinity stone," Ronan replied with obvious pride. The table erupted with murmurings and whispers at the news, and Hal-Dan straightened himself up as he looked back at the gem.
"And you believe you should continue to possess it?" Hal-Dan said quietly, causing the men at the table to become silent and stare at the two men.
"Yes," Ronan said in a low voice. "As Supreme Accuser, it is my right to possess such a weapon, is it not? A weapon that evokes fear simply upon utterance of its name belongs in my hands, because I am the one responsible for enforcing the laws of our people. A great responsibility such as this requires a great weapon," he said with confidence.
Many of the men nodded their heads in agreement as Ronan finished speaking, including the Imperial Minister, although he didn't look too happy about it.
"Yes, very well," Hal-Dan said as he looked around the table. "And what of them?" He asked, pointing his finger in our direction. "Why have you brought outsiders to our capital?"
"They contributed to the destruction of Xandar, and thus, have proven themselves worthy of serving me," Ronan said as he stared directly at Hal-Dan.
Although I could not see the look Ronan was giving the Imperial Minister, I could tell it must have been extremely intimidating because Hal-Dan looked away after only a few seconds. The Imperial's gaze drifted over to me and his eyebrows furrowed with confusion as he took in my appearance.
"You," he said pointing at me. "Come here, now," he said in a commanding tone. Nebula nudged me in the back and forced me forward, and I unwillingly began making my way towards him.
As I approached Hal-Dan's right, I hesitantly looked down at Ronan and noticed his eyes were narrowed with suspicion as he looked back and forth between the Imperial and me. When I stopped in front of Hal-Dan, I copied Ronan and went down to one knee and lowered my head. Hal-Dan's hand motioned for me to stand up, and immediately I stood up and locked my eyes on the floor, too scared to look him in the eyes. I didn't know what the hell I was doing here.
"Remove your mask. I wish to see the face of Ronan's worthy attendant," he said as he eyed me up and down with mistrust. My gaze drifted to Ronan's face as I remembered he instructed me to only remove the mask when he ordered me to.
"I assure you the air is safe to breathe within these walls," Imperial Hal-Dan said with slight annoyance. Ronan stiffly nodded his head once in my direction, and I quickly began loosening the straps on my mask.
The second my mask was removed, Hal-Dan elevated his brow and his mouth turned down as if he was genuinely surprised. I slowly looked around the table and saw the men staring at me with similar looks, obviously intrigued and roused by my presence. One light-skinned man at the end of the table was giving me a wolfish grin which instantly made my cheeks feel as if they were on fire. I nervously looked down at the floor and began playing with my hands behind my back.
"Do not be embarrassed, girl. You have managed to fluster my finest men, and that in itself is a great accomplishment. I can see why Ronan wishes to keep you around," Hal-Dan said with amusement.
"And what exactly will she be attending to, Ronan?" Hal-Dan asked seriously with a hint of suggestiveness. Several men at the table sniggered at his question, and I felt my cheeks burn even hotter in response.
Ronan looked at the men who laughed and they instantly quieted down.
"She will serve as my translator," he said curtly. What the hell could I possibly translate? It was very hard at that moment to maintain a neutral facial expression.
"Now if that is all, I have important matters to attend to," Ronan said as he looked at Hal-Dan with clear agitation.
"There will be a feast held tonight in your honor. We look forward to seeing you two there," Hal-Dan said with a smirk as Ronan stood up from the table.
Nebula and I followed closely behind Ronan as we made our way out of the room and into the large, ominous hallway. I began sliding the mask over my face as we approached the doors that led to outside.
"Forget the damn mask," Ronan said heatedly over his shoulder, causing me to stop and stare with confusion. Nebula smirked at me as she continued walking forward, obviously amused by Ronan's outburst.
When we exited the building, the large, excited crowd once again began chanting Ronan's name. I saw many of them whisper into each other's ears as they stared at me, but I pretended not to see them. We continued walking until a small ship, about the size of a car, lowered onto the ground before us. There were two seats in the front and back, but one of the seats in the front was already occupied by a pilot. Ronan sat down in the passenger seat, while Nebula and I jumped into the back seat.
As we ascended above the crowd and well into the air, I looked outside my window and gazed upon my new home, Kree-Lar. Everywhere I looked I saw metallic structures and dome-shaped buildings. There didn't appear to be any vegetation whatsoever, or water for that matter. Everything about this place was unnatural and extremely different from Earth, but there was something uniquely beautiful about it. Although it lacked nature, its impressive, modern architecture and technology left me feeling amazed nonetheless. It looked exactly how I imagined an alien planet to look, except better.
Our pilot directed us through the sky, zooming past other ships at speeds I couldn't even imagine, until we reached another large, dome-shaped building which was perched atop a stone hill. Its round, green roof glimmered in the sunlight, giving it the appearance of a beautiful, giant jewel.
When we exited the ship, guards were already waiting on both sides to escort us into the building. Two of the men walked ahead and opened the double doors for us, which led into a beautiful white hallway. The floors and walls were made of a gleaming, white stone which strongly resembled marble. We continued walking ahead while the guards remained posted by the door, which I was grateful for because their presence was extremely daunting.
The hallway opened up into a two-story room, with us being on the second floor, and in the middle there was a circular opening, guarded by stone railing which overlooked a courtyard. The hallway we were standing in circled the entire upper floor and served as a balcony as well. There were beautifully carved stairs in front of us that led into the courtyard below, but Ronan continued walking past the staircase and stopped at the first metallic door on his right.
"Nebula," he said motioning at the door with his hand. Nebula swiftly walked into the room and closed the door behind her. He continued walking around the circular hallway, and I followed behind him, becoming restless with curiosity.
"What is this place?" I asked as I scanned the large, round building. I leaned over the railing and looked down into the space below, and saw comfortable looking chairs and couches set up in a square formation.
"My home," he said without turning around. My eyes widened with surprise because I honestly wasn't expecting him to have such a beautiful house. This place was the complete opposite of his dark, fearsome ship.
He stopped in front of a door on the other side of the room, opposite from Nebula's door, and motioned with his hand for me to enter. I pushed the lever of the handle down and immediately the door slid open and disappeared into the door frame. As I stepped through, Ronan followed in behind me and the door quickly closed behind us on its own.
"You did well today," Ronan said to my back as I gawked at my new room.
"Hmm," I replied, too focused on my surroundings to pay attention to him.
The walls and floors were made of the same beautiful, white stone which made the room appear bright and cheerful. In the middle of the room there was a large window which overlooked the city, and filled the space with natural light. The king-sized bed was covered in silky light-grey sheets and the elaborate frame was carved out of a smooth, grey stone, and I instantly had the urge to rub my hand across it. As my fingers traced the impossibly soft stone, I noticed a door in front of me which I was sure led to a bathroom. I smiled with delight as I entered the room and saw a beautiful en suite bathroom, complete with a white, marble bathtub and shower.
"I take it you are happy with your accommodations," Ronan said over my shoulder, apparently agitated by my silence.
I turned around and smiled at him, completely forgetting that I was supposed to be upset with him. Ronan's eyes flickered with surprise at my open expression of happiness, and I immediately looked down at the floor and forced myself not to smile.
"Yes," I muttered quietly as my face remained down. He grabbed my chin and gently tilted my head backwards and stepped closer to me.
"You are a stubborn woman," he said in a serious tone, but his eyes gleamed with amusement. I jerked my head away from his hand, which only caused him to further smirk at me.
"My servants will provide you with more suitable garments and any other items you might require. At sun down I will return to retrieve you and escort you to the feast," he said looking down at me. I started to open my mouth to protest but he quickly interrupted me.
"There will be no discussion. Do not argue with me," he said in a deep voice before walking out of my room. I paced around the room pouting unhappily until a group of strange looking people walked in.
There were five of them and they were dressed in heavy, hooded black robes which reached the floor and gave them the appearance of monks. Their pallor made them appear sickly and the texture of their skin was bumpy and scarred. As I looked into their faces which were marked with black symbols, I sensed that these creatures were much older than I was, and they honestly gave me the creeps.
Three of them carried large handfuls of fabric, which I assumed were my new clothes, while the others carried an assortment of vials. The ones with the clothes walked over to the closet by my bed and began hanging the beautifully tailored clothes in order of color. From where I stood I could see dresses of blue, gold, and grey, each beautifully unique and extremely modern looking. There were also several pairs of shirts and pants, mostly grey and blue, but they were made of a thicker fabric and appeared more stylish than the clothes I was wearing now.
Two of the strange creatures walked over to me and one began unzipping my one-piece suit in the back, while the other removed it from my body. I stood there with wide eyes, unsure of what to do, and looked around the room uneasily. When I was completely nude, they led me into the bathroom where another one had already drawn a bath. I cautiously stepped into the water as I looked around at the female-like creatures, hoping I wasn't about to be killed in some strange sacrifice.
To my surprise, I felt hands begin to wash my hair and I purred as I felt their long nails scrape against my scalp. I closed my eyes and let my body relax as the odd servants continued washing my body. When they were done, I was guided out of the tub and led to the center of my room, where they began rubbing clear liquids over my body and soon I smelled like a bouquet of roses. They then began dressing me in a blue, fitted gown, while one of the servants gently braided my hair. One stood in front of me and held a black stick in front of my face, and carefully brushed two lines at the corner of each eye and on my bottom lid.
By the time they were done, the sun was beginning to set and I felt myself slowly becoming anxious about tonight's event. When the servants left, I walked over to the mirror in the corner of the room and gasped as I took in my appearance. It had been a long time since I had seen my reflection, and for a second I did not recognize myself in the mirror. My skin was creamier and paler than I remembered, and the blue in my eyes was now speckled with bright purple. To anyone else it might not be that noticeable, but to me it looked as if my eyes were glowing purple.
The black markings at the corner of my eyes gave me the appearance of an ancient Egyptian – well, if they happened to be blonde and pale. My hair was pulled up in an elaborate array of braids, but I could not see what it looked like in the back. My dress was short-sleeved and the shoulders of it pointed out slightly, making me appear stronger than I really was. It was modest in comparison to gowns back home, but it was skin-tight and clung to my body like an extra layer of skin, only accentuating my curves. Thankfully there was no cut in the front and the fabric reached the floor, so I didn't feel like a tramp wearing it. It was sophisticated, yet sexy – although, I don't think it was meant to be this sexy.
Ronan walked in as I stood in front of the mirror, and he stopped in his tracks when he saw me. His mouth slightly parted as his eyes scanned my body, and I instinctively looked down at the floor as I became embarrassed. He walked over to me and grabbed my face, and began unexpectedly kissing me with burning, hot passion.
"Mmmff – schtoppp," I mumbled against his lips as I pushed against his chest. I wiped my mouth and saw his black paint come off on my hand. He stepped back and looked down at me impatiently, his eyes still burning bright with desire.
"I'm not ready for that," I said feeling slightly flustered from Ronan's lack of control. I walked over to the window and looked out into the city which was beginning to glow with lights.
"When, then?" He asked impatiently as he stepped closer to me.
"When I trust you again," I said quietly, still facing the window. I heard Ronan exhale angrily in response.
"Come. It is time to go," he said quietly behind me. I turned around and saw him frowning at me, clearly unhappy with my decision to shut him out. I followed him when he turned around and walked at his side as we entered the hallway.
"So, how do I explain to these people that I'm your translator? What if they ask me to translate something?" I asked nervously.
"You do not need to explain yourself. If they ask, tell them I have prohibited you from discussing it. If they have a problem with that, they can speak with me," he said in a deep voice as we continued walking down the hall.
"What about my mask?" I asked confusedly as we exited the doors to the terrace. Ronan glanced down at me and grimaced with displeasure.
"They have seen your face. It does not matter now," he muttered irritably as we stepped inside the ship. Tonight Ronan was flying the ship instead of a pilot, so it was just me and him inside the tiny craft.
"What should I tell them when they ask me where I met you?" I said after a few seconds of silence.
"Knowhere. That is where we picked you up," he said looking over at me, smirking at my confusion.
"Nowhere…" I mumbled as I stared at him frustratedly.
"The name of the place is called Knowhere. We picked you up, you complied and supplied us with information which successfully led to Xandar's destruction. That is all they need to know," he said, his voice laced with warning.
We didn't talk the rest of the way there.
When we arrived at our destination, I walked behind Ronan with my head slightly tilted down to avoid the attention of others. We walked into a large, elegant room, filled with at least fifty people who smiled and clapped as Ronan entered. In the middle of the room there was a long, wide table filled with decadent foods and pitchers of wine.
"Do not wander far from me," he said before he walked towards a group of people.
I slowly walked towards the table of food, unfortunately aware of every single stare I was receiving. I picked up a round, metal plate and filled it with an assortment of rich foods. My hands eagerly clasped one of the large pitchers of wine and filled my goblet almost to the brim. The room was filled with conversations and laughter, but no one approached me, so I walked over to a large pillar and leaned against it as I began eating my food and drinking my wine. After a few minutes, I saw a white Kree man heading in my direction, and I immediately recognized him.
He was the man who smiled suggestively at me earlier today. Now that I was actually looking at him, he was quite handsome. He had dark brown hair and bright blue eyes, and the fact that he looked human made my heart beat with excitement.
As he got closer he smiled at me, and I saw his familiar wide smile and cute dimples. I blushed as I looked away and took another sip from my goblet. The wine here was absolutely delicious, and making it a lot easier for me to ignore the stares I was getting from the men and women around me.
"Hello," he said as he propped his hand against the pillar by my face. He was not as tall as Ronan, but he was still extremely tall.
"Hi," I replied quietly, feeling nervous by his close proximity. I took another sip from my goblet, hoping the wine would help me relax.
"What is your name?" He asked with a smile.
"Tell me yours first," I said smiling back. OK, maybe I should slow down on the wine.
"I am Mac-Varr. I work in the Imperial Minister's office. Now I must know your name, sweet girl," he said flirtingly as he leaned in closer. As my cheeks began to grow warm, his smile grew wider and his eyes wrinkled with delight.
"Silvia," I replied shyly before looking around the room.
As I brought my almost-empty goblet up to my lips, I saw Ronan staring unhappily at me from across the room, and I instantly straightened up and looked away. Mac-Varr glanced behind him to see what caused my change in behavior, and he turned back around and smiled at me again.
"Would you like to take a walk with me?" He asked, unphased by Ronan's watchfulness.
"Sure, but I can't go far," I said quietly as I carefully avoided Ronan's gaze. Mac-Varr held out his arm and I linked mine through his like I had seen in old-fashioned movies.
He led me out onto the stone terrace where others had gathered as well. Several women turned to look at me and proceeded to whisper to their friends as if I weren't even there. It felt like high school all over again. I sighed frustratedly as we continued walking towards the railing, and Mac-Varr gave me a curious look when we stopped.
"Many are wondering how a beautiful creature such as yourself ended up in Ronan's hands. Jealous women, especially," he said with a smirk as he looked at a woman to my right.
She was tall, beautiful, and fierce, and she was looking right at me. Her long, black hair flowed straight down her back, and I noticed she was wearing military-type clothing instead of a dress. Her toned arms and legs could clearly be seen through the tight clothing she was wearing, and I honestly admired her strong physique. I looked back at Mac-Varr when I realized I had been staring for too long.
"Who is she?" I asked timidly as I nodded my head in her direction. Mac-Varr glanced in her direction and smirked at me with amusement.
"She was an interest of Ronan's for a long time. Her name is Jul-Linn, and she is not one you want to mess with sweet Silvia, especially after how things ended between the two," he said chuckling before he took a sip of his wine.
"What happened?" I asked curiously. He paused and looked at me before smiling.
"Someone was unfaithful," he said quietly into my ear. I felt my heart sink at his words as I looked back at the woman who was still staring at me intently. I winced as my stomach suddenly began cramping horribly.
"I think I'm ready to leave," I said quietly as I rubbed my lower stomach and began walking away.
"It would be my pleasure to escort you home," he said, quickly walking up to my side.
"OK," I said uneasily. "I don't know if Ronan will let me go with you, though," I whispered as I looked up at him. He gave me a devious smile before holding out his arm for me again.
"I do not think it will be an issue," he said winking at me before we walked back into the room.
As we approached Ronan's group, I looked up and saw him staring at me and Mac-Varr with forced disinterest. He looked at my arm linked with Mac-Varr's and I noticed his nostrils slightly flared and his eyes burned with barely contained rage.
"Ronan, if you don't mind I am going to escort Silvia home. She is not feeling too well," he said politely with a smile. Ronan glared at Mac-Varr with such hatred I wondered if I should just tell him to forget it, but Mac-Varr continued to smile at Ronan as if he didn't notice at all.
"Unless you are afraid something might happen to her?" Mac-Varr asked in a worried tone, but I got the impression he was mocking Ronan.
Ronan narrowed his eyes at Mac-Varr before he looked around and noticed people were beginning to stare at us.
"No. Take her," Ronan said in a rough voice as he looked down at me with contempt. He turned back around and continued speaking with his colleagues as if I weren't even there. What the fuck was his problem?
Mac-Varr smiled down at me reassuringly as I stared at him with confusion, and he quickly led me outside to his ship. We were on our way back to Ronan's house and I couldn't shake the feeling that Mac-Varr was hiding something from me. That exchange between him and Ronan left me feeling extremely anxious.
"What was that?" I asked looking over at Mac-Varr. He glanced in my direction and grinned mischievously, causing me to wrinkle my eyebrows with concern.
"Ronan and I…. let's just say we have history, as I'm sure you will soon find out," he said smiling over at me.
"What? Why didn't you tell me? I wouldn't have left with you if I knew it would make him mad," I said, becoming more puzzled by the second. We landed on Ronan's terrace at that moment, which allowed Mac-Varr to avoid answering my question.
"It was a pleasure to meet you, Silvia," he said winking at me.
I glared at him as I stepped out of his ship and walked angrily towards the house, where guards already had the doors opened for me. I stomped past them and headed straight for my bedroom, wincing as the cramping in my stomach became more painful. I could feel a wetness forming in between my legs and I began frantically pulling my gown off of me as soon as I entered my bedroom. When my gown was fully removed, I entered the bathroom and looked down, and sure enough there was blood smeared along my inner thighs.
I immediately began taking off my soiled panties and threw them in the sink. As I began washing the blood out of them before they stained, Ronan abruptly walked into my bathroom, fuming with rage. When he saw the blood smeared between my thighs his eyes grew wide with horrible rage and fear, and he rushed forward and grabbed me by my upper arms.
"What did he do to you? I will kill him!" He growled furiously into my face as he held me.
"What? No! He didn't do anything. It's just my period, Ronan," I said, feeling absolutely mortified.
"Will you get out of here? I don't want you to see this," I said as I pulled at his hands. His look of anger was slowly replaced with utter confusion as he eyed me up and down, and he let go of my arms.
"What is happening to you?" He asked sounding slightly worried as I walked over to the shower.
"It's my menstrual cycle. It's normal, don't worry," I said tiredly as I turned the water on. Ronan continued to stare at me skeptically as I removed my bra and stepped into the shower.
"How often does this occur?" He asked seriously as he picked up my panties in the sink and inspected them closely.
"Will you STOP touching those," I yelled at him from inside the shower. He glanced at me irritably before dropping the panties back down into the sink.
"How often does this occur, Silvia?" He asked more forcefully as he walked over to the shower. He eyed me curiously as I washed the blood off in between my thighs.
"Every month. It lasts for about 5 days, sometimes more, sometimes less," I said quietly as I finished up and turned the water off. I jumped out and grabbed a towel from the cabinet, and hurriedly walked over to the toilet paper.
Ronan closely watched me as I made a small pad out of toilet paper, and followed me into the bedroom as I picked up a new pair of panties. As I began sliding the panties up my legs, I let my towel drop and Ronan stared appreciatively at my figure. I rolled my eyes at him and turned around so he couldn't see me slip the homemade pad into my panties.
"So did you just come here to stare at me or what?" I asked irritably as I remained turned around. He walked around me as I was drying my hair so he could look me in the eyes.
"I forbid you from ever speaking to Mac-Varr again," he said seriously, his eyes narrowing with anger.
"Forbid? You aren't my father, Ronan," I said angrily as I looked up at him. He immediately stepped forward, leaving no space in between us, and tugged backwards on my hair, but not with enough force to hurt.
"No, I am not," he growled lustfully as he leaned down.
His hand abruptly pulled my head to the side and his mouth fervidly captured my neck, instantly causing me to close my eyes and softly moan. I suddenly became aware of his right hand on my breast, squeezing and tugging on my nipple with expert skill. His kisses stopped almost as abruptly as they started, and he stared into my eyes with possessive desire as he held my chin.
"You belong to me, Silvia," he hissed before storming out of my room. I was left standing there speechless and slightly out of breath.
A part of me wished he had stayed so he could finish what he started, but I knew deep down that that wouldn't have fixed anything. He left me wanting more, and I was certain that he intended for that to happen.
No, I had to stay strong and make him work for it. I couldn't let myself give in so easily.
Not now.
Author's Note: This chapter and the next chapter will be a little longer than most if you haven't noticed. I intended for more to happen in this chapter, but it was getting too long, so I saved it for the next. I hope you enjoy it! I'm having a lot of fun writing this and love watching Ronan and Silvia's relationship develop... although it's developing very, very slowly ;)
Thank you to all of the people who follow/favorite/review... it definitely helps keep me inspired!