Silence Reigns

Chapter 11

His father was dead.

After everyone else had, Ransom felt the pain, released the tears, said the prayers at the grave of the king. Then all he felt was nothing.

Before Ransom had gone to military school, Landoness had been a good father. The only version of his father had been after his change of heart when Helen found out about his multiple affairs. He was supportive, caring, and even went out of his way to teach him how to swordfight. That resulted in Ransom's interest in the military, and when he decided to go, Landoness supported him wholeheartedly. It was not his mother, but his father he always went to for advice, for someone to talk to, for sparring practice (before he grew too elderly).

They said he died in his sleep. Ermias conjectured that it had been a heart issue, though he wasn't sure.

How ironic, Ransom thought, that the elected usurper king who had nearly brought the kingdom into civil war would die so peacefully.

Not long after his father's death, he had heard that Edom had been named king.

Now, as he rose from his knees and watched the sun set, he only felt dread. The kingdom was doomed—of that he was sure.

At least when his father was king, he had some loopholes he could jump through to get at his brother. But now Edom was no longer just the crown prince.

He was the king of the Eastern Kingdom.

The silence was killing her, taking over her soul like the clutches of the Devil himself.

Erielle eyed the knife on the table. How easy was it to take one's own life?

No, she couldn't do it.

The window was open, and a breeze chilled her skin. It was quiet. She hated the quiet. Why wouldn't a bird sing, or a dog bark, or someone scream, for gods' sake? Why couldn't she just scream, like she wanted to?

The door banged open behind her, and she whirled to see Edom shutting it behind him. She regretted her wish for noise.

Now there would be too much, and she could not scream. Could not cry.

It had been several weeks since the wedding, and during that time, she had tried to avoid Edom as much as possible. But every night—except when he entertained a 'companion' every now and then, which was becoming more and more often—he demanded her presence. The nightmare wasn't how he treated her; it was that he had taken her heart and body by force, and she had to share with him every night what was meant to be shared by two people who loved each other.

Never like this.

She backed up against the window as he approached, feeling her hand reach out into open space. What if she just jumped...

"Hello, wife." With a demonic smile, Edom grasped her waist and pressed her tightly against his body, cutting off her escape. She felt her body go rigid, though she willed it to move, to run, to fight.

His movements were rash and his words slurred. "My mother wants to usurp my power. You want Ransom. I won't allow it. I won't allow any of it. I am king!"

"Please," she whimpered. "Stop. You're drunk."

"No." He shoved her against the bedframe. As his hands violated her, she could hear the rabid desire for power in his voice. "You are my property. Once, you were a mistake of mine, but now I am free to do what I wish. I am king now, and you will never speak a word."

She was his doll.

As he smothered her on the bed with his weight, her hair was stained with silent tears, and as he tore the clothing from her body, she made no sound.