Inheritance

Part 2. Chapter 33: Irrational

The door creaked open, and there stood Pollyanna in a nightgown which exposed her scarred legs.

Eory realized this was the first time he had ever seen her wearing anything close to feminine other than at the ball.

It was also the first time he had ever seen her looking anything close to vulnerable.

Eory said not a word. He didn't want to do anything to make her change her mind—she was a testy and angry woman after all.

A silent intensity hung in the air between the two.

The room, bathed in red lighting, felt eerie and perverse.

Pollyanna's lithe footsteps echoed in the dead silence of the sparsely decorated room.

The old woman sat on the floor and pushed her back up against the bed.

Eory waited for her to say something.

"Do you know how lucky you are to have me, Eory? Someone who will always come to rescue you no matter what?" Pollyanna asked.

Eory stared forward, wondering how she wanted him to answer such a question. "I am grateful for your protection, but not grateful that you are willing to strike down anyone who looks at me suspiciously."

Pollyanna snorted. "How funny. When I was a little girl, I would have thanked Renthas himself if I had a knight who killed anyone who looked at me suspiciously." Pollyanna invoked the human god's name.

There was a pause, and then Pollyanna looked up at the ceiling. "Nobody was ever looking out for me. I prayed every night for someone to rescue me, but it didn't happen."

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On Pollyanna's wedding night, she ran through the white, pristine halls of Kline's beautiful manor.

She was as prey running away from hunter.

Earlier that fateful night, Pollyanna's heart had been thumping with terror the whole time while Kline said his vows.

Her eyes swept the crowd which was gawking at her—some people were barely biting back laughter and others were merely smiling with adoring eyes.

She found her mother's face.

She had an approving grin adorning her face.

The priest spoke to her, "...To promise to serve him in all of his endeavors, bare his children, and be faithful to him under the eyes of Renthas?"

Pollyanna's vision swam as she looked to her mother who nodded at her silently.

"I d-do..." Pollyanna murmured.

"You may kiss the bride." The priest said to Kline.

Kline stepped toward her with a greedy look on his face.

Automatically, Pollyanna stepped back in fear.

The crowd, which had been clapping and cheering—some of them even cooing—went dead silent at Pollyanna's unintentional movement.

Kline scowled at her.

He dug his fingers into her arms and wrenched her toward him--shoving his lips onto hers.

Pollyanna did not close her eyes. She stared up at the sky in horror.

She glanced back at the crowd and saw Rory looking absolutely devastated.

Why couldn't you save me? Pollyanna wondered.

Pollyanna was silent at Kline's side as he went around having benign conversations with all the townsfolk who were congratulating him.