Ivy Gates || PJM || Ivy Book One || ✔

19.

"Daisy?" I asked softly, not wanting to seem too pushy or rude. The General had never spoken to me like this before, and I didn't want him to close up again. It was almost as if he were treating me like an actual human.

I moved to the table with the ingredients I selected, and dropped them in the pot. 

"Do you need water?" He asked, his voice quiet. I nodded and he went to the cupboard again, and retrieved a jug, before filling it with water and pouring it into the pot. I kept quiet, waiting for him to continue to speak, but all he did was pull out one of the chairs at the table, and sit on it, watching me with what I might consider to be gentle eyes.

"Yes, Daisy," He said, finally breaking the silence, "She was the girl before you," He took a deep breath, "My first woman. The one I.." He trailed off and sat up straighter, running his fingers through his hair.

I kept quiet as I moved to the fire and hung the pot on the hook dangling down. I stirred the contents a few more times and then timidly went back to the table. The General stretched his leg and pushed the other chair out from under the table, and I took that as an invitation to sit.

"I loved her," He said simply, not looking at me, "I had a distrust of women, since my fathers woman poisoned him. He watched her be executed before he died. He was always rough and strict with her, and he made me watch. Told me that women only learn if you're.." He trailed off again, rubbing his face with a hand.

"But Daisy was different. I saw her at auction when I came of age. I didn't want to go, but I was already climbing the ranks, so they made me. She was beautiful," He huffed out what sounded like a laugh, "She really was. But she came with a warning. She was aggressive, and they had to tie her hands behind her back. I felt sorry for her, and I purchased her straight away,"

The General was staring at his hands as he spoke. I wasn't sure if he was telling the story to me, or just speaking, but I listened anyway.

"When she came to me, she had bruises on her face. Her wrists were rubbed red raw from the ropes, and she was so malnourished I was surprised she could stand. I wanted to make her better; to heal her and show her that not everyone was bad,"

He looked at me then, his brown eyes staring directly at me, "I have never raised a hand to a woman, Bee," He said softly, "I've never physically hurt a woman. The system is wrong, and I hate seeing women being beaten. But I'm the General," His eyes turned steely, "I have an image to uphold. I have to protect the city, and I can't do that if I'm weak,"

I had a sudden thought about the two times he had grabbed me around my neck. Neither times had hurt; he had just rested his hand on me. And both were in public; one was in front of the guards that tried to rape me, and the other was in the store while he was getting me a collar. He had never hurt me.

He took a deep breath, and went back to the subject of Daisy.

"I nursed her back to health, I showed her love. I was gentle in all aspects, and unless we were in public, I gave her virtually no rules. But she betrayed me,"

He looked down at his bare chest, "She stabbed me in the chest; she was aiming for my heart. She had me fooled the entire time. She didn't change, she was just acting. She pretended to love me. The city council voted for her execution, but-"

The General stopped speaking when the piercing sound of an animal howl reverberated through the room. I jumped out of my seat, heart pounding in fear, and he stood up, moving to my side. He placed a calm hand on my shoulder.

"You're safe in here, Bee," He said softly, giving me a little squeeze, "The cage prevents them getting close, and the ponies are highly trained; they won't make any loud noises that might attract more,"

"Yes, Sir," I said, my eyes wide as I tried to control my rapid breathing.

The General turned me to look at him, and bent slightly, looking directly into my eyes, "You're safe," He promised, "I won't let anything harm you. Now how's dinner coming along?"

The General let go of me, and I took a deep breath and headed to the pot. The water had boiled nicely, and I added the remainder of the ingredients, turning it into a thick stew. Using the hook placed next to the fire, I lifted the pot off of the flames and placed it carefully on the floor as the General gathered two bowls and some spoons.

"I'm sorry, Sir" I said, "It's stew. It's just so cold, that-"

"I like stew," He cut me off, "I just didn't eat it because it reminded me of her,"

He spooned some of the stew into a bowl and handed it to me, before serving himself and sitting at the table, leaving me standing by the fire in shock. I had never seen the General like this before, and it was honestly confusing me.

"Come and eat," He said firmly, "Then we need to sleep. We need to ride at dawn, and we've made enough noise,"

"Yes, Sir," I said, going to the table and sitting opposite him.

"This is good," He said quietly, "I like it,"

"Thank you, Sir," 

There was silence between us until we had finished eating. The General stood and I gathered the dirty utensils, taking them to the bathroom and rinsing them out in the sink, before putting them back in the wardrobe.

The General sat on the bed, watching me as I moved about the cabin, and it was so quiet, that it made me jump when he spoke.

"I saw you laughing," He said, and I turned to face him, "Those days in the kitchen. I saw you laughing,"

"I'm sorry, Sir," I said quickly, "I didn't mean to slack off, I just-"

"It was a beautiful sound," He said, lowering his head so his hair obstructed my view of his face. He leaned down and slipped his boots off of his feet, "I'd love to hear it again,"

My mouth dropped open. I had no idea what I was supposed to say to that, so I opted for the safe route.

"Thank you, Sir,"

"You know," The General stood up and unbuttoned his pants. He pushed them down so he was left in just a pair of long, tight thermals that the men wore in the winter; they were not unlike the leggings I was wearing now, "I think I'd like you to call me Jimin. At least when we are alone. Would you do that for me?"

Once again my mouth dropped open in shock and he looked at me with a small smile, his cheeks pink, "Bee? Would you do that for me?"

"Yes sir- I mean, Jimin," I could feel my cheeks growing hot, and the General smiled at me, a smile that was warm and genuine, not unlike the one he had shown me when we first left the great walls of the city.

"Good. Come to bed, we have to get up early,"