Under His Watch {16th Century Valois-Orléans-Angoulême Romance]

Chapter 11

Blinking she opened the door to his study, he was there standing in front of couches in his study. "Take a seat," She gulping, and then sat down. His face grim he had a drink in his hand, wearing a serious black pantaloons and a White shirt with his crest on it, he must have returned from a meeting, and she got him out of it. She frowned knowing this would increase his frustration.

"I am going to talk civilly towards you, Madame Wife, and simply ask you, why you did it?" He stated staring straight at her face.

She tried to calm herself think of an excuse that she could use to gain his trust again, somehow the truth would only land use in more abuse. "I needed some time to think," Those piercing blue eyes held the calm before the storm. "My lord,"

"Could you not think in the chapel, the study, the bedroom instead of running to almost the other side of the country?"

Dominic paused, touching the glass of the window, as he confessed to her. "Making me sick with worry you could have been kidnapped, raped held for ransom you are the wife of a nobleman. The wife of an earl," His voice rose higher.

The room went sickly quiet Dominic tapping his fingers against the winder pane, Jacqueline looked at his face trying to see how angry he was. He was fuming.

"Have you no sense?"

"That's the point I'm always inside subject to the glances of others I needed to breath. I wanted to feel independent, short term or long term," His face asked her to continue."I wanted a job, I would live by myself and be away from you,"

"Independent, a woman," He sighed to himself. "A wife is to obey and submit and you are a wife if you have not realised. You will obey me as I wish and revoke these ideas,"

Jacqueline stayed quiet, touching the new dress. Sliver and white it had a sense of vulnerability. Maybe Dominic's delusion that she was his pure, untouched maiden; maybe it was his illusion that he could mould her into his. "I will revoke nothing," She spat.

"You will if you wish to survive in this world I assure you, you are nothing without me. Society would spit you back at a butcher if it wasn't for me and my kindness. I have been lenient, I could of beaten you locked you in your own personal torture chamber, but I haven't."

She looked at him, how could a human be so cold? "This is my own personal prison."

Dominic cried out as all remains of sanity left him. Prison! She was fed, dressed and entertained she had a husband who didn't rape every moving thing, leave her on her knees every night or leave strict orders to make sure she saw no one and only him. What else did she want?

"Then I am your warden," Thinking he continued" As well as your husband. You will stay indoors and are only allowed to go out with my permission and me as a chaperone."

"Why should I, master?" He looked startled, his eyes flickered with hurt.

A master was different to a husband, well he thought anyway. "Yes that's what you want from me my honour and everything to be yours. And isn't that the want of a master to his slave take it I have nothing else to offer?" She was now panting as he just stared at her.

"Leave here and go to your chambers you are forbidden elsewhere. If I catch you I will beat you till you till you are on the verge of death." She narrowed her eyes he couldn't scare her with empty threats. She glared at him when he put down his drink and watched her in return.

"Leave now." He suddenly roared. He had never shouted at her nor beaten her so the threat seemed less empty.

She stumbled slightly as she got up, his eyes had no sympathy and then left the room. She did not curtesy and did not look him in the eye.

Dominic sighed defeated, he threat was harsh and the hate in his eyes made it clear he would carry it out. Hearing his bedroom door being slammed he smiled and began to read. A book placed underneath the chair. He opened it.

Men and their disgraces, what an interesting book, the person was on: The need for command. It must have been Jacqueline he would deal with her for reading such books but for now shut it and left it where he found it.

+++

Pacing around his room, she remembered Dominic's face. His eyes were wide more commanding and fatherly, like her own, she looked like her trembling hand.

She was more afraid of him than her father, being a man of the army he had training his sculpted muscles meant he would hit harder than her father. His father never threatening to beat her whilst he had threatened her frequently, her father just punished her with objects.

The night was coming quickly, she sat on the bed looking at his bible, she felt uncomfortable and shuffled off his bed, slipping onto the floor, and she nestled next to the fire place. Coughing and trying to get comfortable, she slung her arm underneath her body, laying her head on it.

Tears slipped, too scared to even sleep on her own bed. Or run again, there was no point a nobleman she was in the mist of her village some knew her already. They would be rewarded for their betrayal of her to her husband.

Knowing this sad fact that no one could help her but herself, she knew no one above Dominic, no one that could help him without their gain. His father would beat the life out of her for her disobedience to his son and heir. Her father would drag her back to him curbing her 'Male like 'Attitude, through days of fasting and prayer till she was too weak to kneel.

She wanted to be happy, she imagined someone who made her happy.

Feeling as she was dancing she nestled into her lover. Remembering as a child when the ladies of the village would tell her she would marry a handsome kind man, it was in her tarot cards. She had smiled at them giddy and created this imaginary lover. She nestled into her lover again. "Idiot,"

He had long blond hair tied in a low ponytail; he would carry her to his home and offer her everything in exchange for her love. She would mock a serious thought process even though she knew her answer, before she would carry her like bride style to his chambers. She would begin singing to him and then they would talk till the sun rose, as they would sleep the day away. But her lover was not that toned. Her father had banned her from seeing those women again; she always hated him for that.

Opening her eyes she saw Dominic carrying her toward the bed, she squirmed trying to get out of his grasp. He tightened his hold on her, carrying her bride style. He dropped her on the bed, "I want to sleep on the floor." Dominic ignored her and began removing his shirt.

Jacqueline took advantage of his position and returned to the floor, he sighed. "Get back in bed."

She shook her head, trying to enjoy the heat from the fire. "I don't want to the floor is comfortable and I am tired."

"I am ordering you to get in the bed, before I drag you into it." She looked at him, seeing he was going to advance towards her she swiftly got up and got in the bed covers.

He sat on his side praying quickly before lying down. Wearing nothing but pantaloons his bronzed chest looked godly. She kept her thoughts to herself and tightened the covers around her. Looking straight in front of her she could not stop thinking. The ceiling she wondered how long till he did the deed. Soon as he needed and heir she would make love, if possible, too an arrogant cold man, a man who treated her like a dolly.

She shuddered and chuckled lightly as she recalled hoping for an Adonis (The fictional recreation) and god answering her prayers with a malicious twist, a cold lover. "Life is cruel," She whispered.

"Be quiet and sleep," Dominic commanded, closing her eyes in pretence she waited till he was snoring lightly, mouth slightly opened before shuffling to the corner of the bed, not caring if she fell off.