“I-I’m sorry, I just… I needed,” Aida swallowed back the rising bile scalding the back of her throat as she bowed her head. Continuing to inch further away as the heavy tread of dreadful boots and the clink of armor filled her doorway.
“What’d you need, girl?”
“Where you going now? Nothing to be afraid of.”
“Come back here, sweetling.”
The rough cadence of soldiers swarmed through the room, gnawing at the back of her neck as she curled closer around her middle. Whine thin when footsteps came nearer.
“What are you doing, Taid,” one of them asked in a growling murmur.
“Shut up, Yer'ard,” the other said over his shoulder, before this Taid turned to Aida. Brushing the tips of his fingers under her chin, he failed to bring her head up as she continued to cower before him. “We’ll not hurt you, sweetling.”
“She smells…” Another made a sound too close to a groan, armor rattling, pinging against the others as he shoved past to come closer. Tasting the air with hard inhales.
“Incredible,” Taid husked.
He took her wrist, pulling Aida’s arm out to unfurl her from the trembling ball. Yet more rushed forward as if given some signal. Pulling at her curls to rub the strands between their fingers. Tugged at her limbs, forcing the wooden joints to unlock so they might breathe in her scent right against her skin. As they petted Aida’s back and thighs, urging her to move this way and that, she remained stiff. Unresponsive to the growling sounds they made and the none too gentle demands, though she did not fight. Suffocating terror keeping her silent, a viscous ball of it lodged thick in her throat to stifle all air not tainted by the thickening fragrance of bitter musk and rank urgency.
Through it all, she heard Otaso’s admonishments. The cruel things he would threaten her with to keep this very thing from happening. Even as they lifted her skirt to bare the stockings they began tugging down, with her eyes so wide they hurt, she heard him in the back of her thoughts. The awful things he’d said in the darkness of the dungeon, of what she was and would forever be now.
Another scent cut through them all. Overpowering as it swept over her, ravaging her senses even from a distance. It sent an icy wash of dread churning in her stomach at the implications. What he would do upon seeing her like this, his men, all of it. Now she did move. Jerking from their grasping hands, uncaring of the hair pulled free. Letting it tangle in their fingers in fine, gossamer strands as she scrambled on hands and knees towards where the roiling heat of his presence already darkened the doorway, long before his hulking form filled the space.
Throwing herself to the floor, debasing herself in obeisance, he didn’t even let her stammer out the words of apology for having made such a spectacle. For whatever it was she’d done to entice his men so, she hadn’t meant to do it, did not wish it. Not that it mattered as he grabbed the back of her neck with a roar that rumbled through her in a thunderous tumult, scraping her nerves raw. Shoved against his chest, held there by that cruel grip as the meaty thumps of fist and flesh coming together tangled around her spine alongside acrid fear.
“Er’it,” someone shouted, the burly shape of another male wading into the fray. Grabbing the one who had touched her up by collar and belt to hurl them out into the hall. Far from the bellowing king and into some measure of safety.
“Get them out of here before I have their heads,” her new master yelled, dragging her further into the suite. Fingers digging deep around the delicate vertebrae of her nape as he clutched Aida against him.
When the door slammed shut behind the others, he pulled her away. Now she had a name for him, one she didn’t dare utter aloud as he sucked violent breaths through his nose. Chest heaving as he strangled her neck further, he growled.
“What are you wearing?” Each word enunciated to painful clarity, the razored edge of them shaving away thick cuts of her flesh to flay her alive before his flaming gaze.
“It’s the only one that doesn’t lace up the back, sir,” Aida mumbled through trembling lips, hand twitching towards her armoire.
“They…” With a rumbling groan, he shoved her away. Tossing her onto the bed either by chance or design so that Aida sprawled limp across the edge before him. “I see now that I cannot trust you.”
No matter how hard she blinked, Aida couldn’t stave off that first tear, though it was the only one that escaped her miserable will.
Chapter 7 Aida
He didn’t speak to her again through the entire day though he made her follow in his shadow. Kept well within arm’s reach as he bustled through the haunted remains of the castle and all its darkest secrets, he deigned only to snap his fingers at her. Directing her to sit, to stand, eat, drink. Every movement controlled to his whims.
It hadn’t been easy, either. For he’d chastised her every time the clamoring tide of armored men stomped towards him and she’d flinched. Grabbing her arm to pull her back into place. Not even looking at her as he snapped and pointed for her to retake her position when she tried to hide from the horde of robed figures who stared. Even when the dark eyed beauty in flowing azure robes trilled her fingers over his arm, smiling up at him. A familiarity there, the woman’s hands knowing the shape of his body, and with far more emotion than Immari had ever shown Aida.
Not understanding the sickening thrash of emotions twisting through her stomach, Aida crawled deeper inside herself. Hiding away from this new and strange world he thrust
