Chapter 16

Stephane nearly didn't slept at all that night. His lip still burned from where she had bitten him but he welcomed the pain. After he had drowned his frustration downstairs with a few goblets of wine he had returned to their shared room. Catherine feigned being asleep but her uneven breathing gave her away. She had turned her back on him and lay on the outer edge of the mattress to avoid any contact. Stephane was trying to ignore Catherine by all means but his thoughts still revolved around this incredibly stubborn and frustrating woman he had married.

He just couldn't understand how different she behaved since the day they were wed. She was not only being prickly and uncooperative, she acted in the most bizarre way. Not like her usual self. And that worried him. Normally Catherine did not behave self-destructively but her wound up idea of their marriage made her act irrational as well as completely inaccessible.
The unfortunate outcome of this evening showed it all too clearly. And her obstinacy did also have an effect on his actions. He was afraid he might have gone too far. He knew that he would never take her against her will, but did she known this as well?

In retrospect he was shocked how easily he got carried away by the ruthless tactic he came up with. For no matter how tough and strong Catherine was, she had just opened up to him three days ago and admitted that she had been a victim of sexual violence in her youth. He had to ask himself what kind of husband he was if he still threatened her with a forced consummation of their marriage despit this knowledge and that he would never harm her or take her against her will? He was ashamed for his intemperate behaviour but he did not know how to master this situation anymore. What was so special about this woman that brought out the worst in him? Over and over again.

Perhaps it was for the best to ignore her until her permanent resistance died away? If she eventually understood that he was not pursuing a hidden agenda, perhaps she could engage in their changed relationship. There was only one thing he knew for sure:
Whoever forced Catherine de' Medici to do something against her will should never turn his back to her afterwards if his life was dear to him. She pushed endangerment ahead of herself like a bow wave which made her all the more desirable in his eyes. He could only hope not to fall into her fairway.

Though Charles had assured him that he held his mother personally responsible for his well-being, he still knew that if he pushed Catherine between a rock and a hard place she would still close in for the kill if she felt compelled to do so. And he did not want to carry matters too far because he clung to his life.

Getting more and more frustrated by each passing second, Stephane rolled over and promptly bumped into his wife who instantly stiffened. He uttered a deep, indefinable sound and moved away from her. A thousand words lingered on his tongue, excuses and reproaches alike, but he swallowed them all - unspoken. He would have liked to attempt a reconciliation but her reaction to his accidental touch had quickly taught him better. His best course of action was probably to outright ignore her. He was sure Catherine couldn't handle ignorance well.

One did not simply ignore Catherine de' Medici with impunity. He even briefly considered releasing her of the obligation of living in the same chambers, but he decided against it. If he offered his wife her own space as refuge she would fully retreat. And that was the exact opposite of what he was striving for.

Maybe his new tactic would lead his wife in the direction he would like to see her. Willing, brilliant, unwavering - and at his side.

I'm sorry, but this chapter is quite shortish. More to follow soon. Have a lovely evening, my dear readers.

at Meryl Streeptease: Hello dear, welcome on board. I'm glad you enjoyed this story, many thanks for letting me know!

at D: Stephane is overwhelmed with his wife - that's what's going on, Hon. ;o)

at demidicigirl: Grazie, cara. Your review means so much to me - I love writing Catherine and her reactions. They are both great characters and I'm trying to stay as in-character as possible. But sometimes I get carried away... :-)

at MediciQueen: I'm also happy I decided to translate this. Otherwise I wouldn't be able to read all your wonderful reviews! I'm happy you guys are out there - reading and cheering. It's a great feeling.