I do not own the WWE or any of the characters associated with it. I only own Rose and her family.

Chapter 4

The next three months passed fast for both Rose and Marcus. Marcus had gone off to war and Lord Kane, his brother, took care of Rose in his absence. Lord Kane was cruel to everyone who wasn't Mary or Rose. Mary was out of the line of fire mostly because Rose liked her.

Lord Marcus was coming home this day and the whole castle was buzzing with activity. Rose was starting to show her pregnancy. She had not been with Marcus since he had hurt her. She didn't mind the absence of her lord, but she also minded that he wasn't there for her pain. Mary and Lord Kane did what they could for her and Kane even rubbed her stomach for her.

Lord Kane had come into the main hall to find Lady Rose sitting on her chair and Mary whispering to her mistress. Lord Kane walked over to them and smiled at Lady Rose.

"My lady, a messenger has arrived to inform you of some news." Lord Kane said.

"Show them in, Lord Kane." She answered.

The man came in and he looked quite upset. "My lady, Lord Marcus will be home today in time for the feast. He requests that everyone wait for him to arrive before we start the festivities. He arrives home with the spoils of war: gold, jewels, and slaves."

"Thank you and please tell my husband we await him with good news of our own." She smiled.

"Of course, my lady."

He left and Lord Kane looked at her. "Lady Rose, are you sure you want to tell him?"

"Why not?" She asked. "I would think this would please him."

"As you wish, my lady."

As soon as the servants were done setting the tables sometime later, Lord Marcus walked in with his line of troops, including Lord Adam, who had a slave on his wrist. Lady Rose looked hurt for a moment, but quickly covered it up; Lord Marcus didn't seem to notice.

Lord Marcus kissed his wife and smiled. "I brought you a new jewel for your hair. It's as emerald as your favorite gown." He produced it and placed it in her hair.

"That looks so beautiful. I adore it, my lord. I have some news for you." She answered.

"What's that, my love?" Sounding concerned, he took her hand.

"My lord, we are having a baby. I'm starting to show, the doctor thinks I'm three months along." She stood up to show him and embraced him. "Does this make you happy?"

"More than happy, my dear. Lord Adam came home with a new woman, a spoil of war. They are to be married in a week. We are going to celebrate their marriage here in the castle." Lord Marcus decreed.

"That will be most wonderful." She said with false cheer. Smiling, she left her chair to approach Lord Adam. "I heard the wonderful news. Congratulations."

"You aren't happy with the news, are you, my lady?" He asked her.

"Of course not. You fight for me and I wish you would have asked this lady's permission first." She said curtly.

"In my defense, Lord Marcus decreed it as soon as I found her." Lord Adam didn't look pleased either, now that Rose looked at him more closely. "I heard you are showing with child."

"Yes, the first night I laid with my husband, the doctor suspects." She sighed and looked at Marcus. "I hope he looks upon me with love." Before Adam could answer, she left his presence and made her way to the gardens.

Lord Kane found her some time later among the roses. "A beautiful fragrance to match the lady's beauty." He took a seat beside her. "What troubles you, my lady?"

"Why did Lord Marcus kill my parents? Was I disobeying him? Was it a punishment?" Rose asked as she looked at the roses around her.

"Lord Marcus felt that if they were still alive, you wouldn't love him. It wasn't a punishment for you, but it was a punishment for him. He didn't want to do it, but he felt it would be the only way to get you to stay and love him." He took her hand. "Lady Rose, he does love you. He just wants what's best for you and you know he would give you your homeland if it were in his power to do so."

"I wish he weren't so cold. He doesn't show any affection. He's so formal."

"He was raised as such, my lady. His mother died when he was but a child and I fear it took his kindness away until he met the Lady … you."

"You were going to say something else." She teased.

"You are Marcus' other half, some would say the better half. You temper him and you make him feel human." Kane shifted uncomfortably.

"What do you mean human?" Rose suddenly looked at him.

"My brother and I are not of this world. We are like the Lady Morgana of your childhood stories." Kane explained. "Your husband can tell you more."

Rose left him in the garden and went to her room. She opened the door and found a robed dark man swearing in a new follower. She gasped and they both looked up.

"Get her!" The raspy voice of the leader said.

Suddenly, three men in robes grabbed her and took her to the leader. She struggled, but she realized quickly that it was futile and it might harm the baby she was carrying.

"Please, I'm with child." She said.

"My beautiful Rose, I wish you had not found out like this." Marcus revealed himself as the leader and she tried to squirm from his touch. "I am not of this world. I am a reaper; I take the souls of men. They keep me young and happy. When I am at war, I suck the souls out and keep them in a jar until I need them. But I need new followers who will help me gather souls. Those who join willingly get rewarded; those who don't, like Mary, are constantly watched and they are punished if they misbehave."

"Which am I, my lord?" Rose asked quietly.

"Release her. She is my wife after all." He took her hand. "I am willing to share all of it with you. You are married to an immortal. I could make you immortal too. You would be with me always."

"I have to think about it. It's so much to understand." Rose said. "Please let me think about it."

"I will give you as much time as you need, my love." He turned to his minions. "You are dismissed and make sure that the slaves are branded to their masters. Lord Adam's slave must be branded to Lord Adam." They nodded and left the couple alone.

"What would I do if I joined you? Are you evil? You're the Reaper. I didn't know that it was because of what you are." She gasped.

"I am a Reaper and my brother Kane is a demon. We are beings of Hell, but when I met you, I knew I could regain kindness and humanity. It's why I want to love you; why I need to love you." He said to her, taking her hand again. "I might be a monster, but I need you. Our child needs you. Please, I don't want to bind you to me without your consent. It would hurt me deeply."

"I don't know if I could do it." She answered.

"You wouldn't be bound until after the child was born. That's how much time you have." He swept his cloak in a flourish. "If you cannot decide by then, it will be done against your will." He left her there, finding a guard outside the door. "She isn't allowed to leave without my permission. Lord Kane has no jurisdiction over my wife." He growled as the guard nodded.

"Yes, my lord."

"Rose, you are to remain here until I get back from my meeting. I will trust you not to run from me."

She sat silently, wondering if he would really bound her soul to him. She was driven from her thoughts when she heard her name being called by Mary.

"My lady Rose!" Mary said, shaking her. "My lady, you must get up. My master requires your presence immediately. Change and go meet him in the throne room!" She franticly grabbed a green cote and a grey gown.

Rose dressed, and arranging the emerald in her hair, she wondered if that would please him. She went to the throne room to find Lord Adam and his slave on their knees naked and tied up.

"My lord, what's wrong?" She asked.

"My lady Rose, this is the price of disobedience." He took a whip and started to beat the slave. "This whore has committed treason against my realm. She used her body to sell the enemy all the secrets of this court. Lord Adam brought this to my attention. Lord Adam has just been released from this contract of marriage and bond."

Lord Adam got up and got dressed in front of the court. "I am ashamed by this bitch and she deserves a fate worse than death." He then left the room.

Kane came forward and took Rose to her chair. "Just watch." He instructed.

Marcus came to the mutilated back of the slave and watched her pant. "You worthless slut. You think you can get away with what you did. You thought you could sell your secrets to my enemies. It wouldn't help them anyhow. Now, before I condemn you to a soulless defiled husk, what do you have to say for yourself?"

"You are a monster and you will burn!" She spit out.

"BLASPHEMER!" Kane yelled from beside Rose. "Brother, you must give her the pleasure death as a lesson to all the women in this kingdom that betrayal does mean a horrible punishment."

"You're right, but first I need her soul. Get my jar." A minion brought a large glass jar. "Your soul is mine you traitorous bitch." He grabbed her head and with a wave of his hand, her essence emptied into the jar. "Soulless husk, take her to be burned. We have no more use for this whore."

Rose sat and watched all of it and gasped in fear. She was married to that? How would she survive the next ten minutes, let alone the next six months?