“If that is what you wish, then that is fine.”
Her eyes lifted up in some form of surprise and delight at my reply. Did she think I would force her to be naked? I knew of
almost everything she’d been put through. Knew of all the times her own control was taken from her. I hoped she knew that I
would never force her to do anything with me or for me. She held full control of every piece on the chess board. I wish she
would figure that out already.
“What about the whole washing of hair and our bodies?”
I watched as concern flashed across her face. I wanted to reach out and touch her hand, to reassure her, but refrained from
moving.
“It is again what you wish. If you feel more comfortable enough then we will do that. There are cloths available that will
cover anything you want covered.”
I’d already requested that April have something made for Ornella, just in case. I knew it would be too much to ask Ornella
to go completely bare in front of me. I could wait. Iwouldwait.
“And the part about personal things? I don’t have any secrets and the one I did have, you already know.”
“Ornella—despite all those awful things in the summer house, I do want some form of friendship with you.”
Getting up from the table, I walked around. As she shifted in her chair, I knelt down in front of her, keeping my eyes on
hers. I could hear her mind race with a mix of sensations—passion, wanting, confusion, and lust as I brushed a stray strand of
hair off her face and tucked it behind her ear..
We really were hot and cold. Ice and fire. Polar opposites, but I couldn’t keep away no matter how hard I tried. Even
without the full story of our history and my own mind burying things, I was still drawn to her.
Every time after I left, I would visit her and watch her as she sat at the waterfall's edge, reading a book, and just enjoying
the peace and quiet. I envied her and wished to sit beside her, to enjoy her company, even if it were for only a moment.
Becoming king took me away from her, but even before that, after her attempt at our kiss, I had vanished. I ran away from her
and she felt all that pain. Even now, she remembered it.
Leaning a bit away from her then, I removed my hand which was resting against her cheek and cleared my throat as I got
back up. “If you wish, we will be friends. I can do that for you.”
“Will you kill any more people in my name? Those women in the tavern may have been in the wrong, but did they really
deserve to die? Or that village to be set ablaze?”
“Ornella, I will do everything in this world to keep you safe. They deserved to die, they sent those men to assault you, to
violate you, and rob you. I have no doubt they would have murdered you if I didn’t show up in time.”
Turning and moving away from her, I tightened my hands into fists. The thought of her being attacked and sullied awoke