Roland awoke to a cry of anguish from the bed.

'Rose'?! he called. Getting no response he hurried to her bedside, lighting a lamp he could see she was in the throws of a nightmare, the sheets pulled every which way as she struggled against invisible hands.

'Doloron, no'! she cried.

Roland gritted his teeth. What dreadful thing was she reliving? He grabbed her shoulders stilling her form as he spoke her name over and over willing her to come back to him. With a jerk her eyes flared open her body tense, shaking and covered in a cold sweat. Seeing the look in her eyes he let her go raising his hands palms up.

No sooner had he released her than she averted her eyes and silently, swung her legs to the floor raising herself up with a wince she tried to hide she walked past him to the windows. She slid open a curtain to peer at the moonlit waves beyond, trying to bring her breaths in time with them as they rolled over the beach. Roland watched as she curled her hands into fists digging the nails into her palms in a desperate attempt to regain control of her trembling body. He followed her like a sombulist, pulled to her by some dark invisible force.

She jumped as she felt Roland's hands rest lightly on her shoulders. She had not even heard his approach. Not trusting herself to move or speak she remained rooted to the spot, her palms lifted to press on the cool glass, her body tense.

She gasped when she felt his hands slide to her hips. As a choked noise escaped her lips he breathed into her ear soothingly.

'shhhh'

She was powerless to move as his hands drew the nightshirt up over her hips his fingertips skimming her waist and ribs as the fabric gathered in his hands revealing her naked back to him. He made a low noise behind her as in the lamplight her scars were laid bare to him. Thin red lines spreading from her knotted shoulders to the tops of her buttocks.

With her teeth clenched and her eyes pressed shut she willed herself still as his warm breath ghosted her neck and the seconds of his silent inspection wore on.

She nearly jumped out of her skin when she felt him fist the cloth in one hand at the nape of her neck so he could lightly trace the path of her marks with his fingers. Under this frightening, gentle touch she could bare out no longer and burying her face in her hands she began to weep. As if released from a spell Roland let go the fabric as if it were aflame and as it fell back to her knees he span her round and crushed her in his arms. His heart beat painfully against his ribs as he held her, his own breaths erratic as waves of anger and pity washed over him. Her face still buried, sobbing brokenly into his chest he held her tightly soothing her cries and stroking her hair. 'It's over' he murmured, 'your safe now, i'll protect you, I won't hurt you'. He repeated these words over and over like a prayer his heart breaking for her. Alongside these nobel feeling something more base rose inside him. To his shame he realised he was enjoying the feeling of her body in his arms and found himself wishing the circumstances were different.

Feeling slightly guilty he gathered her unrestisting body into his arms striding back to the bed he sank onto the soft covers arranging her now mostly still form in his lap. Cried out and emotionally exhausted she allowed herself to lean against him weakly collecting herself for a few moments. Rose lifted her head and wiped her eyes with a soft laugh of humiliation that was immediately choked off when she looked into his face. He was gazing at her with an expression that immediately reminded her of where she was and whose arms were around her. hesitantly she shuffled away from him and back to her side of the bed where she stared straight her arms wrapped around her knees. Sensing her fear Roland left the bed to pour Whiskey into two glasses from a decanter on his sideboard. Silently she took one from him as he swung his long legs onto the bed to sit next to her. They sipped his whiskey in silence for a few moments before he sighed and asked the question he had been dreading the answer to.

'Doloran, did he….force himself on you, Rose'?

Rose took a sip of her drink her eyes narrowed. 'No' she whispered, 'he wanted to, I could tell, the way he looked at me, I just knew' the words were pulled out slowly as she shivered 'I don't know why he didn't, we both knew I couldn't fight him. In some ways I almost wanted him to just get it over with but he never did. He would hurt me for any resistance I showed, I think out of some kind of frustration. Afterwards he would almost be kind, as if-'. She trailed off lifting her eyes to his suddenly defiant 'I know you are wondering why I didn't run, when I was left alone in the caves' she smiled ruefully as he nodded. 'When I was pulled here I literally landed in front of him. I know nothing of this land and everywhere he showed me was full of death and destruction. I honestly did not think there was a chance for me out there so I bided my time in the hope he would come through with his promise.

'After I….brought you here, I don't get why you were still so eager to return to him' Roland asked his brow furled.

'There are people I want to protect too'. I'm not the only one he had working for him, they are not from our world but elsewhere, he has made the same promise to each of us, I think. They are more, accomodating to his ideals than me so he never hurt them but i'm afraid he will now if i'm not there'.

'if he hasn't already he won't. I think you were a….. special case and even then he couldn't have you the way he wanted to so he just hurt you in other ways, the bastard!

Rose nodded but said nothing, swirling her drink in the crystal tumbler. When their passions rose she could see the similarity Bracken had told her about Roland and Doloran. They even moved in same way, with the same purposeful stride. In actions though they thankfully differed. Regardless, she found her fear of Roland freshly renewed. At the very moment he touched her scars she realised with a sharp clarity she was again prisoner to a man that wanted something from her. If he knew what yet she did not know and what she felt about him was utterly confused. She was vulnerable and hurt and he was strong and in control, this imbalance of power alone was enough to scare her. Though there had been nothing sexual about the way he touched her, it had been unsettling all the same. She wondered what would have happened had she tried to protest, would he have let her go? Did he realise that it was the combination of her nightmare and this confusion that had moved her to tears. Of course not! Perhaps it be easier to let him take whatever he wanted from her, this powerful man in her bed, well, in his bed actually. She shivered at the bittersweet thought of that surrender. They were both adults and she knew he would not be cruel, but could she bring herself to sleep with her captor even if part of her wanted to if only to remind herself what gentleness felt like.

Roland shifted on the bed breaking her from her abstract thoughts he took her glass from her and placed them both his nightstand. Despite her concerns Rose was pragmatic enough to know that he was unlikely to pounce on her in the night. Will a sigh she squared her shoulders and steeled herself.

'Stay' she whispered

Roland looked at her questiongly

'here' she murmured, 'stay'

Looking at her Roland could see the open conflict play out on her delicate features. Despite her fear she was attempting a kindness toward him, putting his comfort ahead of her own worries. Knowing he should reject her offer outright the thought of returning to the sofa was not a pleasant one and he found himself nodding.

Rose watched in apprehension as he slid under the covers to lay down next to her

'I'll wake you if you dream again' he said simply. 'Can you get the light'?

'Sure' she whispered, blowing out the lantern. With her head full on confusion she expected not to sleep again that night but soon she drifted as the sound of his even breathing lulled her.