Marienne's life was completely undone when her village went up in flames. Badly burned and her eyesight lost, she awakes in a strange place, with no knowledge of how she arrived there. Her savior was the enigmatic and alluring Victor, the Lord of Az...
Author's Note: I do believe last chapter I said that it was the longest chapter to date. Well, Chapter Five tops it at 3,300 words! Hopefully they don't get much longer than this one is. As usual, I hope you enjoy this new chapter into Eyes of Azyron.
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Victor led me back to my room, promising to see me shortly at dinner. While I felt a strange longing creeping up on me from his absence, I was grateful for the opportunity to rest and collect my thoughts.
I wasn't sure what I thought of him. He was a gentleman through and through, but what interest could he possibly have in me? Rich and powerful men married rich and powerful women. I was neither of those things.
I chided myself, cursing my silly thoughts out loud. He was simply a kind and caring man, that was all. I was a stranger in his home, someone he graciously saved from certain doom. He was trying to be hospitable. Still, I couldn't stop my heart from racing when I thought of his body close to mine, our arms entwined as we stood in the garden just a few moments ago.
"It's like I've gone mad." I said to the empty room around me, fully exasperated with myself. I walked over to my bed, threw myself upon it, and stared at the ceiling. After a few minutes, I began to drift off to sleep. I was dozing gently when a knock on the door made me start and sit straight up. I stumbled over to it, not entirely sure of my own feet yet, and pulled it open just wide enough to show my face through it.
"May I come in, Marienne? I have something for you." It was Amelia. A sigh of relief escaped me as I let her in. I needed her steadfast calm to soothe my nerves.
Her hands were full of an exquisite shade of blue cloth. "What have you there, Amelia?" I asked her, reaching out to help her sort the awkward bundle.
"My lord sent it for you." Her reply huffed out of her in the effort it took to both squeeze through the door and set the bundle on the bed. "He wanted you to feel properly dressed for dinner tonight." There was a certain satisfaction in her voice.
"Oh, well then. I suppose I understand it would be unseemly to show up underdressed." I smiled at Amelia, but I had some misgivings. I was the daughter of a woodcutter and a midwife. My finest clothes had always been saved for church and special occasions, never something so simple as a meal.
Amelia sensed my discomfort. "He didn't spend any money on it, if that is what troubles you. We have guests come and go quite frequently, and from time to time they leave a few of their things. It seems that they do not miss them too terribly."
That did little to bring me comfort. Something felt wrong about wearing a lady's dress without her having any knowledge of it. I bit my lip, and reached out towards the swath of deep navy blue that covered my bed. The fabric was clearly a type of velvet, soft and voluminous under my fingers. It surely couldn't hurt to try it on, could it?
I turned towards Amelia, motioning for her to help me pull off my current dress. She undid the careful work she'd done this morning when she'd helped me into my stays, then I slipped off my shift. We slipped a new one over my head, this one much finer made and a soft shade of cream. It was a bit lower cut than I usually wore, and I realized that must be to accommodate the cut of the dress. The stays this time were of finest whalebone.
