Starting from the crown of her head, his hands briskly, unceremoniously, ran down her entire body. The man left no inch untouched, including her hair, pelvic bones, thighs, and hips. His touch didn't linger, his face remaining expressionless as he swept his hands further and further down.
Eventually, he had to crouch.
Frozen in place, the young woman saw a quick flash of mischief cut across the man's gold eyes when he glanced at her. Without any more warning, he kissed the bare skin just below her knees, where her underwear (as the horrible men who had dragged her out of bed refused to allow her to put on another layer of clothing) she'd worn to sleep had been torn earlier.
Her thin and white chemise made of silk covered her entire body, from her shoulders to her wrists, before stopping at her ankles. But, with the rough treatment and taunting threats the men had terrified her with, the delicate underwear had been torn apart at the ends, leaving her knees and lower legs bare. The guards had thought it was hilarious when she'd been frozen in fear, certain they were about to have their way with her after ripping apart her chemise.
A jolt of electricity shot up her spine, pulling forth a pained whimper. Her legs rocked unsteadily, but his attention was swiftly returned to finishing the rest of his task.
Once even her toes had been carefully touched, he rose back to his full height, smiling warmly. "Feel better now, sweetling?"
For her part, the young woman was feeling overwhelmed, terrified, confused, and grateful.
Eyes shining in satisfaction, the man reached out to pat her head gently. "Great. Now, we should be leaving. No reason to stay any longer is this useless place if you're well and whole again. Come," he murmured, reaching out to grasp her left hand tightly.
Glancing down the length of her body, the young woman felt a rising flame of frustrated shame and rage burst to life in her heart.
The blood, dirt, and shit-stained chemise that was her only possession at the moment had been cleaned. All the disgusting things that had been on her underwear or bare skin had somehow been washed away with his hands.
There was no doubt that, though confused how this man had accomplished it, the young woman was grateful nonetheless. She felt eternal gratitude in her heart blossom to life for the simple fact that her body no longer hurt and all the things broken had been fixed.
But...even still, none of her gratitude could clear the anger and shame she was feeling at this moment!
In the process of healing her, the chemise had been bunched and forced upwards at her thighs. The soft, thin material had been pushed in, toward the center of her body.
The stranger's hands hadn't left any part of her untouched, after all. He had even let his large, hot hands dig through the material of her underwear, stopped only by the shape of the clothing.
Even as her whole body began to shake in a reflection of her rage, the young woman could see the imprint of his fingers, which had pressed so hard on the fragile silk. Fingerprints that were less than a millimeter away from the indent where her thighs came together and her hidden temple was located.
Those hands, that even at this moment she could still feel the scorching heat of, had stolen her chastity!
Memories of her elderly paternal grandmother who had spoken to her in secret the day after her coming-of-age banquet, rushed through her mind.
'Now, — dear, you must remember to guard yourself well from the hands of men. Since you are of age for marriage, many will lust after you, despite your engagement with the crown prince. You must be aware of what comes from the joining of man and wife. ...It will be hot, painful, and Goddess willing, over quickly. He may shout, groan, and perhaps even scream. Sometimes they are quiet about it and make no noise, but make no mistake that you must endure no matter how painful and awkward you feel. Even if he is crushing you, you must simply lie there and stay still. Do you understand?'
When the young woman gulped and stiffly nodded, her grandmother had reached out and taken her hands, squeezing them tightly.
'This is all required for your future children. Perhaps after a few times it might not hurt as much, and hopefully, you will conceive on the first try. But always remember this fact: any man that touches your hidden temple has taken what worth any future husband might find in you. If you are not untouched on your wedding night, you shall be seen as nothing more than a loose woman and will most likely be killed in a fit of rage. Especially if your husband is the future king. No one can question that any of his children are actually his. Do not let yourself be caught alone with any man. They are nothing more than salivating beasts when given the slightest opportunity, even your father.'
Seeing red, she jerked her hand out of his, pulling back. When the dark stranger turned to face her, a strange expression made it impossible for her to tell what he was thinking.
"What is your name?!" she shrieked, pointing a shaking finger at him. "If I somehow manage to live through this, you must take responsibility!"