CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

There was a woodpecker next to her. That was Selene's first thought as she woke. The steady drumming of beak against wood assaulted her waking ears. What was a bird doing in her room? She thought carelessly.
With a meow, Selene turned to seek comfort on... Was her bed so hard or was she quite asleep? The warm watery movement on her lids made her jump. Had the candle wax melted on her eyes? Was she blind? And why did the bed tangle her so?
Selene opened her eyes to see the Lord's face, his left arm slung heavily over her arms, his legs tugged her inbetween his thighs, his body in the hard wooden chair and engulfing her, tucked between his frame. His lips were parted slightly as he breathed.
"My Lord...my Lord " Selene called
Her bare legs could feel the cold morning air and the warm body through the breeches the Lord wore.
"Lord" she called more loudly
"Go back to sleep" he murmured
"It's me, Selene" she said, trying to tell him of their situation without sounding like the child she felt.
"I know who you are " Edgar replied sleepily, his eyes still shut
"We aren't quite...maybe you could rise and let... "
"We are on the throne in the throne room, we spent the night here. Now go back to sleep Selene" Edgar interrupted with a soft sigh and turned his head to rest squarely on the back rest of the enormous throne.
"I wish to rise, I can not believe I spent the dusk with.... Here" She decided to finish
"The morning is just beginning even the servants are yet to wake. What duties should take you out of sleep so early Selene?" Edgar asked
"I am uncomfortable here" she blurted
"And why?" Edgar asked, for the first time opening his eyes that morning to glance at her, just briefly before he shut it again
"My back aches and my neck too " She said
"So you wish to leave here? " Edgar asked
"Yes" Selene replied
"But that will make me uncomfortable " Edgar responded
"I do not care about your discomfort " Selene retorted
"Well I do so we lay a while longer" Edgar declared with a. long yawn
"Let go of me " Selene ordered
"Be quiet child " Edgar shushed
"Let go of me! Let..." Selene was muted by the sudden tightening of the Lord's grip on her thigh. His stronger legs pinning hers together.
"Let. Go. Of. Me! " Selene barked and with a weak shove drove her knee to the Lord's groin.
His only reaction was a jerk and his leg slagged on hers.
Was he impotent as well as cruel?
"Get of me this moment or I will scream and everyone will know you tried bedding me " Selene threatened
"I am unquestionable" he simply stated
"Not above the council certainly" Selene said
"You wouldn't get to them, not without my approval " Edgar said, his voice soft and his eyes closed despite the princess' seething anger.
"You grey haired vulture, release me or I'll... " Footsteps were approaching.
Heels on the hard marble floor. The soft thuds that followed was the unmistakable sound of boots. Guards.
Selene looked at the Lord expectantly. Surely he wouldn't let them barge in on them. Sol would think her the king's whore. Would any man court her with such title? She didn't want to die a virgin. Unmarried yes but not without the sinful pleasures of life.
What would she say if they caught her, shame would kill her. Had the Lord don't this to frame her? Paint the picture so he could then bed her?
"She knows better than to walk in on me" he said, sensing her distress.
Selene listened carefully, the heels had paused by the door and so had the heavy warrior shoes.
The low tap in the door was the only one that came after which they left.
"Now let me up!! How could you let me spend the night here? Indecent with you and in such compromising situation?" Selene asked angrily
"You refused leaving me Selene" Edgar said, an amused smile gracing his face
"I did not! " Selene barked
"Believe what you must " he answered
Selene could feel the shiver rub through her. What else had she said to the Lord? Oh she knew what foolishness she could demonstrate when it came to the Lord. Had she confessed her nightly desires to him?
Selene could now feel the hairy legs of the Lord rub against her as he rocked his left leg. Her dress left her thighs and legs bare, the lords leg over then both.
She could also feel the thumping of his heart, she wondered why it was so loud, was he hypertensive? Or perhaps....
The Lord had suddenly sprang from the throne. She reached for anything at all to hold to, was he so upset to dump her on the floor?
The Lord stood to his full intimidating height but she was yet to fall. Then alone did she realise that he was holding to her.
He walked to the large door and pushed it open. Two guards bowed by the other side.
"Keep me... I can walk!!! " she yelled shamefully as he passed the servant filled hallway to her room at the side of the manor. He opened it effortlessly with her in arms and pushed it close.
The Lord didn't drop her till he got to her bed and even when he did, he fell with her. His weight slightly on her in a way that reminded her she was a woman and him a man.
"Why did you take me here?" She asked, uncertainty making her stammer
"You said your back aches, you should be more comfortable here" Edgar responded
"You should leave" Selene said. Was the cold morning air now warm, so close to the harsh winter here in the southern empire? She doubted.
"You should go into town by sunrise. Try to rest" He added
"I can not, you're making me sca...uncomfortable" she argued
"Many things makes you uncomfortable princess " Edgar replied with an amused chuckle
"I do not bed children" he said dismissively
Selene was about to protest when she felt the warm weight of the king leave her. He turned to the farthest part of the bed.
Selene turned with a sigh to face the wall. He didn't need his confused touches and affections. She could bet on the Lord. He was as unstable as her very own certainty of escaping the feared empire.
Her thought drifted to her father and her younger sister. Wishing she could
Some how run back to the past and live the life of royals and marriage plans. Surely it was better than walkers and a stern butler.
"When do I get to meet with my father? " she voiced
Silence replied her.
"You promised" She added
She then noticed the Lord's presence was no more. Turning she noticed the room was empty and the door was shut.
She hadn't even heard him leave. Selene thought as she drifted off to sleep.
********
Nina drew the corset closer and Selene sighed, she had grown thin, her waist no larger than the sickly slave's own. She saw no need for tight corsets at all.
"That'll be fine. Thank you " She said flatly and left the tall mirror to her bed. The chest of ornaments she had thought lost amid all the ruckus at Riverland now laid before her. She pulled out an onyx studded bracelet, a gift from the Duke of Ziza. It was one of her father's match making visits, where she was told to smile and curtsy properly do she could find a suitor. The Duke - whose name she couldn't quite remember - had given the onyx to her at the end of the dinner and promised coming to her again. But of course he didn't, Selene had made sure you wouldn't.
She had later learnt though through an idle servant's gossip that the Duke was courting Melinda, one of her older half sisters.
Even her sea green dress reminded her of Miranda, her favourite half sibling. The daughter to the ever singing slave woman the great Cedric had laid with. A love child just like the rest of them. But then Dwayne had made a show of housing them all and shamelessly taking them to gatherings, he was proud of his concubines, "They are all beautiful" he had always said.
Miranda had been the wildest of all her half siblings, not nearly as her but spirited nonetheless. She never took heed to father's words of early marriage and ladylike manners. An opposite of her slave mother.
The dress she wore she had gotten from Miranda when she had been engaged to the Prince of a province in the eastern empire.
She wouldn't witness their wedding, if at all they would still wed.
"You look beautiful my lady" Nina said beaming
"Thank you Nina" she replied
"I will not need you for the trip, Nicholas will do just fine" Selene added, she didn't need anymore company with the Lord, Nicholas was enough.
Walking out the door, Selene could hear the Governess' sharp tone as she spoke with a maid.
It made her wonder what child the witch would have bore for her father had she fallen for his charms. She doubted that she was with child at all, her flat belly and graceful steps conveyed as much, she was not knowledgeable about conception though but she was certain Cedric was cursed with daughters.
How else would all women from across the empires bear him heiresses alone.
"Your highness. The coach IA ready" came the voice.
Selene turned to see the butler, hands folded behind him as he spoke.
" Thank you " she said and followed him
The morning air hit her nose with it's dewy smell. The outside was busier than its inside as servants walked about, scrubbing the tall walls and sweeping the front yard, leaves littered the corner they turned and all servants bowed as they passed them.
The stable boy handed two grey stallions to Nicholas who whispered something to the boy and gave him a bunched cloth. The chubby boy smiled and scurried away.
Selene was helped into the empty carriage and Nicholas took the drivers seat.
She could hear the horse neigh and begin to move.
"Is the Lord not ready? " Selene asked
"He has court matters to see to. I will show you around " Nicholas replied and pulled the horse to a steady pace.
Selene had just grown wary of the trip.
The slow walk took them past the walls of the manor to the grass lands that stretched beyond her line of sight.
She saw the smaller brick houses that began after the path of the grassland.
Sol was decently arranged, it's buildings along the large path that went on for as long as they'd rode.
"The higher society lives here, closer where hey can communicate with the Lord" Nicholas spoke loudly, hoping the wind would let her hear him.
True to his words, as they rode farther, the houses stood less accordingly and the gravelled pathway became muddy. But the brick houses still stood beautifully, clustered but beautiful.
Sol was a fine kingdom Selene thought
" It is lovely here" Selene said
" Edgar rules well" Nicholas simply responded
Selene watched the back of the butlers head. He was either right or merely trying to sing his master's praise. But everything about the man disputed him being a sycophant.
They went at a slower pace as they went to where Selene could only describe as the heart of the empire.
People walked through the busy crowd. Some wearing the manor's servants uniform.
" This is one of Sol's largest markets" Nicholas said
Selene could now see the stalls and colorful fabrics outshone the leafy vegetables and tuber crops.
" This is..massive" Selene said in awe. It was a large space, yet still filled. Bodies struggled to move past each other. She could see the market go on and on.
"But not the largest. The largest is at a province by the boundaries of the west" Nicholas said with a proud smile
"Could we go in, I am with a few coins I could buy with" Selene asked. Sounding like a baby even to her own ears but oh she did not mind so long as she could buy one fine dress.
"I'm afraid we can not, even I can't resist the temptation of good cotton and fine wine"
"Let us go to the largest market then, I could buy you a bit of what you want " Selene promised eagerly
The stern man smiled.
"I fear that is even worst, the women can not miss me and wine there is even finer " he replied
"Women? Like love peddlers?" Selene asked
"Yes and innocent maidens alike" Nicholas responded
Selene smiled. She wondered if the man was married. The thought of women and the butler made her chuckle.
She stared at the circle that formed around a.... Body? A limbless body.
"What is that? " Selene asked
"Walkers attack" He replied
"It is this bad at Sol? " she asked incredulously
"Aye...the Lord works at it" he answered
"I see" she said
She knew women were not allowed in the kingdom's politics. Her father had thought her that much
The coach slowed to a stop and he turned around
"The Lord said not to wander too far, we must return" Nicholas said
Selene wasn't listening, she could only think of limbless bodies and the stench of a walker.
What was the Lord doing to keep it save? Was it working at all. With the news of the Lord's fury about the creatures, it was dangerous to know it haunted the kingdom.
She thought of her safety and Mia's. Was her father alright at all?
Selene only came to realize they had arrived the manor when the stable boy came to help her down the carriage. Nicholas came down and let the horses be led away.
"What kept you out that long?" The lord greeted them furiously
"My lord " the butler said with a stifled laugh and an exaggerated bow, he hurried out of sight
"We went into the town" she replied
"Come" he said. Worry clearly written on his face
"How save am I here?" Selene asked
Shaken by the sight at the market
"Very save" Edgar replied
"The walkers live with us, how do I know I and my sister are save here? " she insisted
"I am not a child Selene, I am planning " Edgar said with a frown
"Plan faster" Selene replied.
"Or you marry faster. To some safe haven" Edgar retorted
She was lost of words. Her rapid closing of mouth said so
"Lunch is served " He said as he walked from her towards the dinning hall
"I am not hungry " She replied
"It was no request " he called out as he took a turn.
Selene scowled at his retreating back.
Oh she'd watch him try to force her to lunch