The Art of the Corset (2017)

Chapter Thirty Nine- Freedom is Only a Song

"I see you are now with child....any chance he is mine?"

"Not even by a miracle." She said with a raspy voice before he swung towards her, forcing the blade to slice her cheek and land just beside her ear.

"I told you that we are not done. I suppose I should thank Amelia for arranging this meeting. If not for Terrah reaching her and having her write to me...this could never have happened...and a story without an ending would just be torture for those involved."

"What is it you plan to do? Rape me again? There is nothing more you can use against me...everything has already been taken."

"Not everything." He spoke with a slight hesitation before slapping her and forcing her to fall on her knees. When kneeling in front of him, he then used his own knee to hit her stomach, repeating injury to her stomach until she grew physically ill-which he then left her on the ground for a moment.

"I heard that child could hold the blood to anyone...can I know the father?"

Due to her silence, he grew angry and moved closer to her, forcing her to fall unconscious by his punches and kicks. Coming in and out of consciousness, Evelyn awoke to see Marcus holding her hand and Julianna speaking to him-although she could only hear muffled sounds.

"My love!" Marcus exclaimed upon seeing her eyes open slowly and Julianna placed her hand on Evelyn's arm.

"Adams!" She suddenly remembered the horrific details before Marcus eased her by his words.

"He will never hurt another soul, Evelyn."

"Is he..."

"No...simply castrated and placed in the tower. He will likely die within the year, but it is the sentence given by the king."

"Marth knows?"

Julianna nodded. "When the news of your child-"

"My child." She grasped her stomach before feeling something on her skin. Looking down, she saw a bloody scar that was recently stitched.

"My child..." Tears filled her eyes as she traced the wound back and forth.

"You were bleeding from within...the child had to be removed to ensure your safety."

"My child..." She could only bring herself to speak those words as the thought of Adams ruining her chance at happiness, and taking the life of a child, was more than she could bear.

"His sentence was to be simply left for dead?" She asked with a clenched jaw. "My child is dead and he deserves only that?!"

"She." Julianna spoke, trying to soothe her. "Your child was a girl, Evelyn."

Several days had passed as Evelyn was finally growing strong enough to move on her own. She had not spoken to anyone in this time, and only moved back and forth to the water, where her child was buried right beside the water. She would sit with each moment she was awake and speak to the child as if she was alive, all while holding her hand over her stomach-as she had done when the child was still inside of her. Hearing steps behind her during one of these visits, she turned and expected Marcus, but found Marth.

"You did not tell me of her." He spoke as he held a single rose in his hand.

"There is no connection of you and I, which was made clear by your contract. You have no right being here."

"I am the-"

"I know what you are, Marth!"

"You hid a child from me-"

"A child that does not bear your blood...your specifically."

"You are certain?"

She remained quiet and turned back to the makeshift tombstone that was crafted from wood and a cross made of sticks.

"What would she have been named?"

"I find any attempt you have to talk to me in the poorest taste, Marth. If you will excuse me." She withdrew herself from the sand and moved towards the steps before watching him carve something into the wood and then place the flower in front of the cross. When he left, she moved close to find ROSE written in large letters on the wood and a flower over the grave itself. A perfect red rose that had bloomed to outshine any before it.

Time drew on as Rose's first birthday had passed and Evelyn drew lanterns from lamps and small boats made by a set of men hired by Marcus. Seeing this, Marth then had the same repeated until the ships made it to her side and she blew the candles of them out, hoping he would cease his attempts. Before this could be done, he met with her once more and they spoke of the misunderstandings while they were together.

"The letter between you and Terrah-"

"I had never corresponded with her...to be frank, I forgot where she had been until you spoke of her now..."

"The contract of divorce."

"I wanted you to vote against it, but as you did not, I wanted to grant you something that could make you happy in a way I could not any longer...I wanted to grant you your freedom."

Hearing those words, broke her heart once more, as she then hid herself away for another year, focusing on Marcus and Julianna. When another birthday had passed, lanterns were lit and the candles were blown out, only now, in a way that was not irritated, but symbolic. While moving to bed that night, she brought her feet to the window and watched the lanterns go to Marth's side of the lake before then picking it up and searching for her. When his gaze landed in her direction, he blew out the flame and she brought her fingers to the glass, suddenly feeling anything but free.