She can't be Tamed

Chapter 34 - Lion's den

He stalked towards the kitchen, angry he'd spilled the truth to her. It had not been his intention to tell her, at least not so soon, but when she kept prying he did anyway. Outing the truth to someone else was also a bit of a relief however. Only a few people knew the truth behind his broken engagement, so it felt good to let it out. Besides, it was only fair she knew. 

Quickly descending the stairs he arrived at the kitchen. Normally he loved the sight of the only place in his castle that was always busy, but his sexual frustration in combination with the memory of his ex-fiancee put him in a bad mood. And that while he never even met the bitch. Yet, he'd thought he knew her by the hundreds of letters they'd exchanged and he fell in love with her and her written words, agreeing to the marriage proposal their befriended fathers had drafted more than twenty years ago.

But then she had to betray him, on the day of their wedding no less. They'd sped things up, because his father was extremely sick and his last wish had been to see the marriage of his oldest sun. His twin would pick her up with a small escorte, and he would see her on their wedding day. But instead of a bride, he received a battered brother and a fractured dream. 

When his father died a few days after the missed wedding his love and doubt had slowly morphed into anger and depression. For weeks he'd stalked through the castle, feeling he had nothing left to live for. The only thing keeping him from doing something drastic was his little sister, Lyla. She'd been his sunbeam in dark times.

And then, a few weeks later, the hunt for 'the forest girl' caught his attention.  A woman in the woods, too smart to be caught by several huntsmen? That was interesting. He soon figured she would serve as a great distraction for his heartbreak.

And she was. He loved her spirit. And although he started to doubt that she could be tamed, he was in for the challenge. But right now he could use some time without her, to gather his thoughts. So when he spotted his brother sitting at one of the tables, munching on some bread, he figured he'd kill two birds with one stone. 

*

She heard the door swing open and she stood up from the bed she was chilling on, having nothing else to do in this boring room. Expecting Ashe, she turned around, ready to attempt a sarcastic curtsy for her 'master', but to her horror it was someone else. Someone she met before, according to the gruesome scar over the side of his face, where she'd almost cut his eye out. He was the man she'd been running from when Ashe captured her. John.

"You." He'd recognised her at the same time, even though so much had happend between then and now that she felt like a different person. He discarded the platter of food in his hands on the first surface he passed while walking towards her, wich happened to be the bed.

"W-what are you doing here?" She stepped back when he came closer. How could this be possible?

"I live here, you stupid slut." A few seconds passed while he took her appearence in. "You're actually being fucked as the whore you are by my brother dearest." A mean chuckle escaped him. "Oh, the irony." 

His brother? Ashe was the brother of this worm? Oh no.

Seeing the shock on her face he laughed even harder.

"Oh, you didn't know it was him, did you? Tell me, darling, does he know our dirty little secret?" He reached for her cheek but she stumbled further backwards, repulsed by his touch. If by 'little secret' he meant his rape attempt wich gained him nothing but a ugly scar over his face, no.

"N-no." She never hated the damned chain around her wrist more than in this moment, because she'd reached it's end, wich prevented her from avoiding him any longer. His hand reached out again, and this time she couldn't stop him from stroking her cheek.

"Good. You better keep your mouth shut. He won't believe you anyway, but I'll make sure you won't be able to speak again. Or do anything at all, for that matter. " She believed him, so she nodded without hesitation. His eyed screamed murder, and his earlier actions spoke for themselves. He was a bad man, completely rotten from the inside. Compared to him, Ashe had been an angel. She'd pick him over John any day.

When he walked away after his warning, she accomplished to remain standing - even though it was at the furthest spot from the door the chain allowed - her heart beating furiously, until the door slammed shut behind him. Realising she was truly trapped in the lion's den, she sunk to the floor while the first tears left her eyes. Cause this also meant she was Ashe's runaway bride.

And he could never find out.

*

A/N    Surprised?