"Your smile suits you." she spoke and then froze. As if the words did not mean to speak out loud. But she did say them anyway. When she thought that he would not reply, he took the apple from her hands and brought them closer to his lips.
Her heart stopped when his eyes looked at her intently and he took the bite. She swore that she felt the bite on her neck. Her heart reached for her throat and thumped so loudly. The kiss of last night burning her body again.
His face did not look white like them but tanned with the sun and the lines feathered in the corner of his eyes did not match the face of the young man she remembered. His face hardened and so did his eyes. Yet, when he smiled, she could see that young man again. Startled at simple actions, surprised and impressed by anything that would have brought a scorn or laughter from others.
He had depicted her as amazing, something fascinating that was worth his attention. So, like a fool she had believed in it. And when she had jumped from a tree in this manor, she had been stared by everyone as if she was an abomination. Later, she was locked in her room until she remembered only walking.
Yet, this smile stood between them like an invitation murmured in the dark and she did not want to reject it. She wanted to reach for his arms and lay in them like they have been in the past when they had met secretly, the soft breezing wind around them, the circling of hawks, nothing had changed.
"You seem too attached to the staff. They must have taken good care of you." except, she was the wife of someone now. Kissing the man in the dark corners of the room was not enough? That she wanted to kiss him in the broadday light where any passing one could see them
And worse, he did not even offer it. Her blood went ice at that thought and she looked away.
"It is human nature to care about others. Is it not taught to the king's men in the court?" The taunt was meant to hurt but it only earned a chuck from him. It was wicked, full of darkness that promised destruction.
No, the boy had lost and a cold man had replaced it. She was just blind to not notice it earlier.
"And here i thought that you would be happy that i kept my promise." he smiled that did not reach his eyes as he held a low hanging branch of an apple tree. A small green apple is lying there. His hands reached for it and played with it idly.
"Thank you for keeping your promise after taking what you wanted in exchange." she pressed. She was never going to accept that she wanted that kiss too, not in this life. He plucked the unripe apple with force. The branch shivered and a few leaves fell on the ground too.
"Last night, when you were in my arms. It did not feel forceful to me at all. My lady, you rather seem willing to do more." Yes, she was. If he would have asked, she would have taken her clothes off and kissed him until he forgot all about his hatred and only remembered her body like in the past.
But in the light, she was no different. She still wanted him with her every breath, every drop of her blood. But he wanted to send her to the gallows and that drew the line.
"I am glad that you enjoyed the price, my lord." Under his steady state, she fought the urge to shift and fidget.
"If you have made sure that I am nothing but an opponent you can defeat with one stare like you have done in the courts or ballrooms, then you have already proved your point." she would not give him the perverse pleasure to destroy her though.
"It looks like the lady was watching me intently there." she had never regretted any of her words so much. She had proved that she was always looking for him when he was busy with other women in his arms. Everyday a different one to hold. It must be the woods, the flooding of her memories and on him too for the voice did not find mocking anymore.
It had a low pain or she must have misjudged it. But then, how his touch on her arms could be explained. It was gentle, promising and full of emotions like last night. She closed her eyes and dug her nails deeper to hold her sanity.
"Strange, my eyes were always on you, yet I never found you looking at me." the words stopped her breath. The blood stopped and then flowed with double speed to make her shiver in his arms.
She opened her eyes and looked at him as if her life was depending on his next words. But it was a mistake for she felt melting in his gaze, as if she was standing there bare, waiting for him to touch her and cover her with his arms.
Heat felt between her legs.
"I have always seen you dancing with your husband or someone he had pointed at. The smile never leaves your face as if you were enjoying every twirl you take. Every touch of them was making you feel alive again." She searched for her voice and found nothing. Even her balance suddenly seemed effortful to maintain.
"But it helped me truly. And I am grateful that you did it so effortlessly in front of me as if my presence meant nothing to you. For it gave me the strength to replace my emotions from a new and fresh hatred that burnt me like hell. But at the same time offered me enough strength to rise to where I am? You have left me because I was weak and now.. That I have the power to destroy you, you want me again. But do you think I am foolish enough to fall for the same tricks again?"