In Her Shadow (ACOTAR)

Chapter Twenty-Five: Consequences

The box sat on her vanity long into the night, the note on top almost taunting her.

Do not open this until I come to you Little Bird, I want to see your face.

It couldn't be anything good. Either something meant to horrify her, or use on her later. She stared at it, well into the darkest hours of the night until she heard her door open and the King sauntered in, walking straight to her, gathering her in his arms, breathing in her scent.

"Heard from your sister?" he murmured into her hair.

"I made you a promise majesty, you would know if I did,"

He turned her around, assessing her face, always trying to catch her in a lie, "You'd never leave me would you? Like she did?"

"Elinoire was unhappy, you know that,"

"And are you... unhappy?"

Tell him the truth, her magic pleaded with her. He loves you, doesn't he? Maybe the truth will make him see.

She smiled, "I've never been happier,"

He kissed her, devouring her mouth with his own, his hands tugging her closer to him, his breath coming out in grunts and gasps. She was lost in him, lost in her desire, hoping that maybe today, maybe just once they would join as lovers and she would know what real pleasure felt like. Pleasure without any fear of pain, pleasure without any undercurrent of a threat. Did she love him? Of course not. But if this was to be her life, didn't the cauldron owe her just a small moment of happiness?

He turned her around to face her vanity and her eyes fell on the box as he whispered, "Would you like to know what your gift is?"

"Yes," she breathed as his hands gathered her skirts, tugging them up to expose her legs, his hand grazing the waistband of her underwear.

"Then open it little bird,"

She flipped the lid off and would have collapsed in horror had the king not held her upright. In the box sat the head of one of the Kings guards, a guard who had been kind to her these past months, who had always smiled when he saw her and made her laugh when no one was watching. She had never even gotten his name, but his presence was a comfort to her in her darkest moments.

Now his brown eyes stared back at her, lifeless. His face frozen in the terror of his last few moments.

"What... what is this?" she managed to choke out.

"A gift my love, I told you," the king nuzzled her temple. "I saw how this man was bothering you, so I took care of it. I thought you'd be grateful,"

She tried to struggle away but he held her tight as she cried, "He was... kind to me. He never touched me. Why would you do this?"

The King turned her around, "I saw how he looked at you, my precious love. Give him an inch and before you know it he would have had you against a wall, taking what is mine. I was simply protecting you,"

"But he was..." her knees buckled and she fell against him, head buried in his chest. "He wasn't like that,"

"And now you will know, Isolde. The only gaze you should look for is mine, the only man to make you happy and content is me. You're mine and mine alone, little bird," the king turned her around and pushed her so she was bent over her vanity, her face inches from the severed head of the guard. He pulled her skirts up and pulled her underwear down and began to slam into her with a ferocity he only reserved for her. She cried out, her senses battling her, always on that ledge between pleasure and pain. Her heart screaming at her to put an end to this. Her magic begging her to let it protect her.