Roan- The King with an ice cold heart (rough draft)

Chapter 4

"Trying to escape, weren't you?" He asked in an almost mocking tone, clearly knowing the answer. I didn't bother to respond, but I simply lowered my gaze to the forest floor. "Come along then, if you have no witty response to amuse me." He gripped me by the rope restraining my wrists roughly, not caring whether my skin bruised more. Roan practically dragged me all the way to his horse, giving the animal a friendly pat for it's patience. 

"Forgive me for my failure to understand, but what use am I to you? I assume you had no intention of capturing me, so why not let my body lay with those rebels you struck down?" I asked him, a hint of resentment feigning my words. The man towered over my small frame, his rough, dirty hands making their way to my face. He seemed reserved to his own mind, his fingers combing through my long, tangled and matted hair to see if I had any fresh wounds to my skull. I tried to search for the answer to a question I had not yet known in his expression, but his face remained blank and unhelpful. I pulled away from him timidly, his eyes quickly turning to meet mine.

He saw my questioning expression and with a sigh, he spoke. "I'm making sure I didn't hurt you when you were below me. I can't have you die and become dead weight." His words stood nonchalant, his hands lowering from their search in my scalp, one of his fingers brushing against my nape. 

"Dead weight? You wouldn't leave my corpse to rot here?" I found him suspicious,  sirens going off in my head. This man seemed to present himself as mostly clueless when concerning himself to me, but I shouldn't discount the possibility of him being a threat. He thought for a second, his icy gaze not faltering. "No. Dead or alive you're worth something. I know that much." He grabbed my hips and lifted me onto his horse, climbing on and settling behind me. "The man that captured you wouldn't torture a random ordinary maiden for no reason. So either you know something of value, are someone of value, or you're just a pretty face that'd fetch me a good price at a sale." Reaching his arms forward, he gripped the reins and guided the way through the forest, navigating silently as it began to sprinkle rain from the sky.  

"So you're going to sell me then? Since after all I am but a harmless fair maiden. I hate to disappoint your fantasy of me being somewhat important, but alas, I am no one." I lied lightly, looking over my shoulder at him. If he truly didn't know of my origins, then he'd underestimate my ability to fight and to be a danger. 

He released one hand from the reins, snaking his fingers to my waist, chills running down my spine. "Even if you're a nobody like you claim and I don't end up selling you, then I wouldn't be partial to it. After all, I carry a few fantasies that you would prove useful to me in." He whispered, his lips brushing softly against my neck. 

My breath hitched, his lips burning against my skin. I shifted quickly, leaning forward more in order to move away from him. The wounds on my abdomen stung, the fresh cuts seeping out blood. "If you dare try to harm me then I swear you'll live to regret it." I hissed at him, squirming.  

He simply chuckled with a smile. "Ah, so the snake has some venom. Good to know," Roan said, his hand reuniting the other on the reins. The rain grew heavier as big, plump drops fell onto us. They drenched my ragged, blood stained clothes, however slowly washing off whatever fresh blood and mud it could.