Part 9

"W-what?" Elizabeth spluttered as she came to a halt.

Michael spun around to face her. "I want you as my 'reward'."

"B-but we agreed that you would 'die'," she managed to choke out.

"I understand that, but I wish to change the rules of our agreement. I want us to stay married, and I will not conveniently disappear from your life."

"Why?"

Michael wanted to tell her it was because he loved her. He had loved her since he had first seen her, but it had taken him nearly the entire week to figure it out. Loving her felt so wonderful. She had softened his temper and she could calm him down when nothing else would. But he knew from what she had told him one time earlier in the week, that she had no intention of ever marrying for real and she would never allow herself to fall in love.

He couldn't allow himself to be vulnerable. He had worked hard for many years to mask his emotions from others and not to allow himself to be manipulated or hurt by others. He could not take the chance that she would laugh at him, or tease him.

He would just have to live with the friendship she offered so willingly and maybe one day she would grow to love him.

"Michael?"

He realised that he had not yet answered Elizabeth's question. Scanning his mind, he searched for an answer. "Money."

"What?" She asked, hoping she had heard him wrong.

"The money and the connections I can gain from your family. That's why I want you as my reward." His heart broke at the distraught look on her face. He had betrayed her trust and her friendship, but he couldn't tell her the truth and he wouldn't let her go.

She turned so her back was to him. Michael reached out a hand, laying it on her shoulder. She flinched at the contact, as though his touch had burned her and he pulled away from her.

She struggled to keep the tears from rolling down her cheeks. Her back still to him, she said, "All right, Michael. If that's what you desire, I will obey. I promised that I would honour your request, no matter what it was, and I will abide by that." She started to walk away from him.

"Elizabeth, wait. Please." He called after her.

"I think it would be for the best if we had no contact before the wedding." A lone tear rolled down His cheek as he watched her walk calmly away from him, and he knew he had lost her, possibly forever.

Elizabeth could feel his eyes burning into her back, but she did not turn to face him. She broke into a run as soon as she was out of his direct line of vision. She would not allow him to see how badly he had hurt her.

She ran until her legs ached and her lungs burned. Collapsing on the ground, she finally let her tears fall. She sobbed uncontrollably, for now she knew what it felt like to have her heart broken.

She cursed herself, for she had allowed herself to hope that he wanted her as his reward because he loved her like she loved him.

For the first time she had let herself become attached to a man, to love a man, and then he had proved what she had long believed: men were cruel and inconsiderate and they had no qualms walking all over you.

Never again, she told herself, would she allow a man to worm his way under her defences and into her heart.

END PART 9