It had been four days since they arrived back in the mansion.
When Lady Faye first saw the state the princess was in, she immediately gave the King an exaggerated line of sermon, to which the latter heartily accepted.
It truly caused the governess great concern, with Lianne’s wound and enervated state mainly, but seeing the princess in a much livelier spirit than in the past, she finally conceded.
Lianne had to stay in her bed the first two days for the whole day to rest and replenish the energy she had lost as strictly urged by the governess. She even made the princess drink a variety of vegetable cocktails in order to raise up the volume of her blood, but this time it was from the royal doctor’s prescription.
As much as Ruen wanted, he wasn’t able to be with her the first two days either for matters of the court immediately needed his attention. Two of these in particular were the latest transgression the Lord General had committed and Olga’s apparent debilitated state.
Lianne made it sure that Ruen would devise a good plan with the royal councils regarding the rebuilding of the City of Olga. She requested it as much having seen first hand the city and its poor, war-stricken residents.
He was only able to visit her and stay in her bed chamber during the evening, spending in each other’s arms in a blissful moment together.
On the third day, she was finally permitted by Lady Faye to graze the hallways of the mansion, and on the fourth, she was able to take Arinna for a ride at the stable yard in the afternoon. The pain on her wound was beginning to subside and she could now take deep breaths without wincing. However, as clear as the memory she had with it, the scar that was now forming was becoming evident.
Much of Ruen’s time was devoted to the royal council, sitting always at the head of the council table. He would have wanted to ride alongside the princess with his stallion but more pressing matters kept him from it. It was accustomed during Garlow’s reign, whenever a meeting with the council was held, the main location would be in the throne room. However, upon Ruen’s personal decision, he opted to hold it in the council room on the third floor, the west wing of the mansion.
The meeting went on for hours and days, with most of the discussion about the rehabilitation and rebuilding of not only the City of Olga, but apparently all of Garlow’s conquered neighboring lands.
Truly, the impact of being a king had already reached Ruen head-on. The meetings were exhaustive, but he needed to keep his focus straight as the welfare of these people were in the line. Surely, Lianne would have him do the same.
However, there were times when his thoughts would wander to the princess, especially when he feels the slight tug of an object in his pants pocket whenever he moves. Inside the pocket of his black slacks was a small square-shaped box. Inside it was a hexagon-cut diamond ring, set on a gold band embellished with tiny sky-blue sapphire stone.
It was this certain object that made his heart beat faster than normal. He’d give this ring to her soon and with it his pledge of eternal love.
***
It was past dinner. Lianne was reading a book when she heard a knock on the main door.
It was an eerie one, with the rhythm continuous and heavy. After having lived all her life inside the mansion, she already developed a keen sense of knowing which staff were on the other side of the door. Servants would just usually knock thrice and enter. Lady Faye and Lord Jared would knock once. Ruen wouldn’t even knock at all.
So hearing the unusual knocking now made her think who it was who had come to visit her.
Rising up from her bed, she decided to open it. A confused look was on her face as she turned the knob open, but it instantly changed to a surprised one when she was greeted by the man she had least expected to see.
“Cain! You’re… alive?!” Lianne caught her breath.
The one addressed was smiling handsomely when their eyes met.
“Lianne…” Gently, he whispered her name.
Without hesitation, she speedily closed the door.
Cain however was quick to stop her and was able to step inside without any trouble. He cupped her mouth to stop her from shouting and then pinned her to the wall.
Lianne panicked when she noticed him locking the door. She pushed his chest away as hard as she could but it was to no avail.
“Please Lianne, I need you to calm down, ” he suggested, taking note of her unwelcoming, reaction.
Her breathing started to pick up and she shook her head.
“Please, I just need you to listen to me, ” he pleaded again.
Lianne had no choice but to agree. He was never going to release her if she’d act hostile towards him.
She slightly nodded and with this, Cain loosened his hold.
“What is there to listen, Cain?” she stressed, giving him a glare. “Based on your actions, it’s clear to see you only have bad intentions for me.”
“Don’t judge me yet, princess. You should know that what I did is all for you.”
“For me?” She snorted, then sauntered out of the confining wall to the center of the receiving room. This distance, she thought, should be enough to keep her safe. Safe from his touch.
“I did remember that you just stood there as that priest cut his way on me! And now you tell me it is for my welfare!?”
“Lianne, ” he started as he neared her.
She stepped back in reaction, but Cain didn’t take her action lightly. His face turned from a contrite one to a stern one, his eyes icily cold staring zealously at her.
Lianne didn’t miss it and so her heartbeat quickened even more. This was exactly the same eyes she saw when he was inebriated at the Soulisse ball. Only this time, he didn’t even take a single glass of liquor.
“It may sound selfish to you but I did it so that I could make you mine. I care not about Garlow’s resurrection nor his wicked plans. I simply wanted you in return for my services with that priest.”
“So you do admit it! It was only for your own selfish reasons!” she cried out.
“I don’t consider it selfish at all Lianne if it meant I could have you.”
Lianne scoffed and shook her head. “And you think I would just give myself to you after what you did?”
“I’m your savior, Lianne. After learning that the ritual was incomplete, he wanted to kill you to fulfill Garlow’s resurrection. Of course, I can’t let that happen so I ended his life instead. If it wasn’t for me, you would have been dead by now, and Garlow alive.”
His words were a new revelation to her. Was she unconscious at that time? She didn’t remember that happening at all. The cliche phrase ‘I would rather die than for him to live’ was just pure understatement because Lianne definitely wouldn’t want to die if it meant Garlow would be revived again. But whether Cain’s claim was real or not, she didn’t care a damn thing anymore.
“I don’t know if I should thank you for that or not, ” she just replied in a doubtful way.
“You can at least come with me as a small recompense, ” he suggested and then offered his hand to her.
Lianne stepped back again, opening up a wider space between them. This time, there was an ominous feeling she could feel circling inside the room and she was feeling suffocated with it.
“Avoiding me is futile, Lianne, you know that.” A smug smile on his lips appeared.
“Cain, you know I wouldn’t go with you. Why do you force me?”
“Because I don’t want you to remain here!” he snapped, a grim look patterned his face just remembering the King. “Especially with that man!”
Lianne understood what he meant. He was talking about Ruen. She waited for a moment to answer him once again, hoping to lessen just for a bit, his escalating rage.
“I’m sorry, but I will not go with you. That’s my answer, Cain, ” Lianne stated plainly as if she wasn’t affected at all but deep inside her emotions were already in turmoil.
“Do you think I wouldn’t notice it?” Cain retorted, nose cringing.
Her brow arched in confusion. “What do you mean?”
“It clearly shows, Lianne. Without a doubt. Honestly, you said you hated him, but here you are enjoying his company, so much so that you even gave your virginity to him.”
Cain gritted his teeth feeling disappointed. This was jealousy for sure. One that was deadly.
‘How did he know?’ she asked herself, surprised.
She tried in haste to make an alibi, but before she could think of any, Cain seized her waist fast enough that she wasn’t able to escape.
She squirmed, trying to break free from his hold, but he didn’t give her even just a small chance at freedom.
With desirous eyes, Cain neared his face, planning to kiss her.
“No Cain, stop this!” she cried, flinging her hands in between them.
He ignored her protest. He continued to advance, seizing her head with one hand so that she could receive his kiss.
And receive it, she did.
Cain’s mouth was upon hers, insisting and demanding.
Lianne cried out in agony, rejecting the onslaught of his kisses. This was indeed reminiscent of Ruen’s invasion a few days back after he arrived from the funeral, but this time, with Cain, she felt appalled by it.
“Cain… no… please! Ple…. ase sto… p!” she pleaded in between kisses.
The latter pulled back and gave her a scowl. “I don’t think you said that to him when he kissed you, Lianne. Now, give me what you gave him! I want it now!”
He looked like a wicked villain in search of the holy grail. He lifted her up and threw her over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes.
Lianne protested, cried, and pounded his back when he entered her bedroom.
He threw her in bed and confined her there, securing her wrists with his hands over her head. Her legs were locked in between his knees as he hunched down and neared her face.
“I have imaged you under me countless of times, Lianne. You don’t know how much I am delighted seeing you like this.”
She shot him a cold, unwelcoming glare. “Don’t you do this! Haven’t you done enough already?!”
“On the contrary, I believe I haven’t done enough at all, ” he replied with a grin, “Well, not just yet.”
He reclaimed her lips, pressing it deeper so that she couldn’t move.
His mouth was intoxicating. Lips tender and smooth but he was aggressive, inserting his tongue in a rough manner inside her own and she was repulsed by it.
It was a minute of complete torture until Lianne shivered as his mouth left hers and traced a scorching path on her cheek and to the helix of her left ear.
“Cain, no!” she shouted, pushing his chest again when he released her wrists.
However, his hand was quick to slide in and cup the fullness of her breasts beneath her white satin dress. He pressed his thigh closer to her and that’s when she instantly felt a throbbing pressure growing in between his loins.
A shocked gasp caught Lianne’s throat. She shot upright, forcefully exerting effort in shoving him away with both hands.
“Surrender to me, Lianne. Succumb to my kisses, ” he urged, trying to keep her steady.
“No!” She yelled on top of her lungs.
Inside her mind, Ruen’s face kept popping out. Oh, how she wanted for him to save her now. But for him to see her with Cain in this most awkward situation, she couldn’t bear for that to happen. She would have to find a way to save herself from this situation.
Cain’s hands came back and this time it was to undo the zipper that was the only thin protection of her body against his assault.
Despite Lianne’s fighting, he successfully pulled her dress down and without difficulty, it lay bunched up on her waist. Her brassiere was modest enough to show only the delicious swelling, but it didn’t deter him from trespassing it. Without delay, he unhooked her brassiere, ultimately exposing her two pink globes.
His hand returned to cup her breast and this time he kneaded it tenderly, gently like it was raw clay molded into a vase.
Lianne shivered with the sensation he had ignited. Yes, despite her denial, she could feel them affecting her as any other woman would.
She felt a ticklish feeling when his tongue grazed down on the now taut peaks, sucking and probing it like a hungry man. She released a small gasp but immediately quelled it not wanting for him to hear.
It didn’t sit well with her realizing he could make her feel this way too. Like Ruen could. She hated it. Every manner of it.
He placed his weight on top of her and then continued to caress the fresh scar on her chest staying true with his promise on giving the caring it deserved.
Fortunately enough, the ache Lianne felt from her wound successfully pulled her back to her senses. She forcefully pushed his face to stop his kisses and glared at him in disgust.
To Cain, he saw a different side with this, however. She looked flushed, almost panting and aroused.
“Your body is reacting to me, Lianne. You kind hide it. Why fight?”
She hissed at him. “I will fight for as long as I could, Cain! I will never surrender to you. I don’t love you!”
With this, his eyes darkened. He pushed her back in bed and proceeded to claim her mouth once again, suffocating her, showering her with his unchecked desire.
***
At the east entrance of the mansion, Lady Faye was with a maidservant, holding a fresh basket of carrots for the horses to eat. It was her last duty for the day and she most certainly was looking forward to a good rest on her chamber.
However, she caught sight of Paul just a few steps down the stairs tending a black-spotted stallion, tethered into a lamp post.
She approached him, wondering about the stallion of why it wasn’t kept inside the stables this time of the night.
“Good evening, Madame Faye. I see that you have the carrots with you, ” Paul greeted in good spirits.
Lady Faye stood with both hands clasped and eyed the horse first and then to Paul.
“Why is this horse not yet in the stables, Paul? It’s already evening and a cold rainy one for that matter. Do you want this horse to catch a cold?”
Paul looked at her confused and then smiled on her way. “Well, it is the general’s order for his horse to remain here, Lady Faye, that is why.”
“General?” she asked, raising a brow at him.
“The Lord General, Madame. This is General Cain’s horse.”
In an instant, her heartbeat spiked up realizing that the general was still alive.
“Where is he?!” she asked quickly.
Oblivious of her rising panic, Paul cocked his head to the side and answered, “Inside the mansion, Madame. I believe he is visiting Princess Lianne.”
Lady Faye cleared a good lump in her throat. She pulled her skirt up and ran inside the east entrance as fast as she could without looking back at Paul.
“Quickly, tell the King now!” she ordered in haste to the maidservant next to her.
The latter nodded and headed into another direction going up the third floor.
Lady Faye climbed up the wide marbled stairs to the second floor and continued onto another long hallway leading to the princess’ chamber.
When she reached there, she didn’t care to knock. She twisted the doorknob to open only to find it locked.
“Princess, are you in there!?!” she asked loudly in the front of the main door, but there was no answer.
“Princess, open the door!” she tried again, her worry rising, but there was still no answer.
She held a breath and covered her mouth with both of her hands, shaking her head from side to side with her frightened eyes staring at the closed portal, fearing that they were already too late.