Helplessly Bound

Chapter 36

Boredom: the desire for desires.—Leo Tolstoy

Fola woke up with the tiredness she had felt for the last two weeks. She wondered about the cause of her unusual fatigue. Was it the stress of implementing Bisi's plan or was it the burden of returning Chief Naade's favor? It had to be the latter.

She dragged herself into a sitting position and leaned her head against the headrest. A weary sigh left her lips and her mind drifted to her new debt to Chief Naade.

He wasn't bluffing when he said his favors come with a heavy price. His allowing her to attend the graduation of her siblings came at a price. A price she was still paying and didn't know when she would stop.

I want you in my bed every night," he announced in a stoic voice.

In the eyes of the world, it wasn't a price but her duty. After all, fulfilling her husband's desires was part of her wifely duties. But every night she felt used and soiled.

"It's time to get up," Acantha declared as she marched into the room. "You have ten minutes."

From the corner of her eye, Fola watched as Acantha crossed the room and plopped down on the armchair in front of the window. Fola ignored her and closed her eyes. What would it be like to slip away from all the chaos destroying her peace of mind?

A pinch on her shoulder jolted her. Her eyes popped open and connected with Acantha's frowning face.

"What do you think you are doing?" Acantha's eyes darkened.

Fola's stomach flipped and she swallowed. "I was just catching my breath," she muttered and climbed out of bed.

She trudged into the bathroom and leaned against the closed door. Her eyes traveled to the bathtub and a feeling of longing washed over her. She wished she could soak herself in the tub for hours. However, Acantha's presence in her room erased her yearning. Enjoying a hot bath would probably remain a dream for several weeks to come.

Feeling more sorrowful than before, she had a quick shower, wrapped herself in her robe, and entered her dressing room. Her eyes stopped on the navy blue dress hanging on the hanger, a dress Acantha had handpicked. Over the weeks Nora had grown more scarce. Although she still oversaw the affairs of the house, she didn't meddle so much in Fola's life. Fola didn't know whether to be happy or sad. After all, Nora had only transferred the reins of control to Acantha. She, Fola, remained a captive.

Her anguish couldn't increase more than it already did. With hunched shoulders, she returned to the room after getting dressed. Acantha stood up as she returned. As usual, Fola waited for Acantha to give her approval before leaving the room.

Acantha gave a curt nod and raised her head. "Let's go," she commanded and moved to the door and Fola followed her out.

The walk to the dining room was silent. When they arrived at the dining room, Fola muttered a greeting to Chief Naade and cast a glance at Banke who sat on his right. Fola wasn't surprised when Banke scowled at her. Fola's frequent visits to Chief Naade's room had caused Banke's hatred for her to increase. How could she tell Baanke that she would be happy if they could trade places?

She discarded her thoughts and rushed her food as fast as she could. Banke's heated gaze almost made her choke several times. Fola sprinted out of the room after gulping down her glass of water. She walked a few distances from the dining room and took in deep breaths to calm her racing heart. Moments later, the queasy feeling in her stomach faded and the tightness in her shoulders eased. However, she was left with another issue. What should she do next?