Lair of Beasts [Book I in the Curse Of Blood Saga]

Chapter III - Why me?

My father and I stood almost eye to eye, his face banked with fury. That was perhaps another reason why my presence offended him so: that I, a girl, should dare to surpass him in height — it certainly would not be long before he would have to look up to me and I knew how much he must despise that fact.

"I will not marry him!" I cried. My father's sharp nose seemed to quiver with violence as his brown eyes bulged in affront.

My face was doubtless ashen. Though I had objected impetuously, my voice, which started off rather boldly, soon faded into a horrified whisper. Father grabbed me painfully by my hair and shoved me, face first, to the floor. I clutched at his brutal hand where he tore at my scalp, desperately willing myself not to retch at my fathers feet lest I befoul his chausses and earn myself another beating.

"You forget yourself, girl!" The sibilance of Edwyn's voice was deadly calm and bellied the rage I knew was simmering below his frigid calm.

"How can I forget when you remind me every day that I'm of no consequence-"

The blow to my temple had been too quickly dealt for me to endeavor dodging it, and I found myself lying on the cold flagstones, clutching at the stale rushes, while I fought down the bile that was threatening emergence.

Where that boldness had come from, I know not and had no time to ponder it. All conscious thought was extinguished as I lapsed into the sweet black abyss. I was insensible only a moment for when I came back to myself, Edwyn still towered over my dormant form railing furiously about the marriage contract having already been signed; I groaned as I struggled to clear my thoughts.

My ears were yet ringing their agony — I had been momentarily stuck deaf — and I tried to shake the nausea from my benumbed head, but my vision was still somewhat blurred by the assault. I was quite convinced my sire, who's meaty fists were not unlike a bear's, had very nearly split my head in twain.

"...hence, will I have no more insolence from you! Not another saucy word, unless it is to say, 'aye, Father'!"

He waited, eyeing me with his gimlet glare, but I held my tongue, unwilling to entice him to further violence and uttered only two words to appease him.

"Aye, Father."

I looked to Elinor for support, but she shook her head pitifully, unwilling to attract Edwyn's virulent attention. I winced, verily disappointed in the woman, though why I should be, I knew not. Truly, I had expected neither support nor cosseting from her for she had done naught but observe vapidly from the sidelines each time Edwyn thought to strike me; which thankfully did not happen often.

"Godwin comes on the morrow to discuss the contract, before he journeys home. You will smile sweetly and gag that shrewish tongue...or you will taste my fist again!"

"Aye, Father."

"In sooth, I would that he take you with him when he leaves," he muttered, "but 'twould seem I must suffer your presence here a few years more."

My betrothed would not be so easily taken in by my counterfeit simpering. I had met him only briefly, but I felt keenly that he was a man not to be trifled with carelessly; if at all. I could now put a name to a face and I shuddered at the thought of being wed to a man well over thrice my length in age. However, there was nothing strange in that. 'Twas no irregularity that girls, many of whom were of an equally tender age as I, married men even older than my intended.

That aside, I was still confused by that strange sense of menace that had surrounded him like an evil fog. Our encounter had been abrupt and fleeting, yet he had engendered such trepidation in me that had nothing to do with logic and everything to do with the elemental need to outrun that which means to harm you. It made nary a jot of sense, but I had found him shuddersome in the extreme.