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Royce gave her, as he said.
It was doubtful that Royce would actually discuss her with his cousin. Why should he? She
was just a wench he was attracted to at the moment, enough to want in his bed, but not
enough to mention to his family. He would not admit such an attraction to a slave, especially
a captive slave of an enemy despised by them all.
Eda knew what was happening, but she was loyal to Royce and not about to tell anyone that
Kristen was defying him and he was letting her get away with it. She scolded Kristen daily
for her stubbornness, for it was her feeling that if Royce wanted her, he should have her. She
was also aware that their one night together had been agreeable to them both, for no
screams had come from his chamber that night, no bruises had marred Kristen's smooth
skin the next day. She was coldly silent that day, but Eda had guessed the reason why,
seeing her glare so often at her chains.
Eda had called her foolish after that for not trying to curry her lord's favor in that age-old way.
Kristen had retorted that she could do without such favor that still kept her chained like an
animal.
She was puzzled, however, that Royce was conceding to her wishes. He continued to ask
her to share his bed, and continued to accept her refusal, though less graciously lately. She
had never dreamed he would. In fact, she had expected him to force her instead. That would
have been more in keeping with her position that put her utterly at his mercy. But he didn't.
And that he didn't was causing Kristen some unanticipated frustration of her own.
She still wanted him. And now that she knew what lovemaking was all about, she wanted
him even more than before. But pride, of which she had her fair share, was going to keep
her from ever saying so again to him, anyway.
That night Kristen waited anxiously for Royce to come to her room again, but he did not. She
thought of him seeking his pleasure elsewhere and tried to convince herself that she didn't
care. She would have been less irritable the next morning had she known where he did
spend the night.
As it was, the day proved a long one and she was feeling like the cat that bit off its nose to
spite its face. Much of her misery was of her own making. She was sure now that Royce
would not come to her chamber again, that he was done with her. Not seeing him the whole
day strengthened this conclusion.
Still, Kristen waited a while after Eda removed her shackles and locked the door this night,
sitting on her pallet in the dark, plucking at the already frayed ends of her rope girdle, and
hoping. She didn't want Royce to just give up on her. She wanted him to force her to give in.
Her pride wouldn't let her, so he had to overcome that. Why didn't he?
After waiting more than long enough, Kristen finally sighed and removed her clothes to
sleep. That was one thing she had not done this last week, until after Royce had come and
gone. Last night she had slept in her clothes, as uncomfortable as they were. But tonight
he wasn't coming.
She was still awake when the door opened. A torch in the hall behind him made his huge
frame a black silhouette in the doorway. Her body came instantly alive with tremors of
excitement. She was filled with joy that he had come, that he hadn't given up yet. But none of
this showed in her expression as she looked toward him, unable to see his own features
with the light behind him.
When he just stood there without speaking, she realized he wasn't going to. Well, she
supposed he had his pride, too. And words were unnecessary to know why he was here.
She conceded enough to break the silence. "Do you take the chains away for good,
milord?"
"Nay."
"Not even if I swear on my mother's life that I will not leave this place?"
"Nay, because for all I know, you could hate your mother, or she could be dead, which would
make your vow worthless."
Kristen controlled the pique that pricked her because of that. She rose up on her elbow,
letting the thin blanket fall beneath her breasts. This was an unfair tactic on her part, but she
was tired of this stalemate.
She put enough anger into her voice to make him think she was unaware of what she had
done. "I happen to love my mother very much, and she is most certainly alive, and no doubt
worried sick about me. You think because I am a woman that I am without honor? Or is it [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]