"What is the meaning of this, Quinn? I am to be the wife of the King! This is entirely inappropriate and could compromise my reputation. Release me at once!" Belle demanded, her voice laced with anger. She had steeled herself against his petty schemes, but this particular approach was beyond her expectations. If this encounter were to happen in public, her image will be ruined and Quinn will get away with it.
"Since when have I cared for morals?" Quinn retorted, his voice calm but laced with defiance. "Do not forget, my dear, that you agreed to this deal. Are you scared already?" His face dipped closer, his nose brushing her hair as he inhaled its familiar, intoxicating scent. He had always found himself drawn to the fragrance, one of the many things that had ensnared him in the past.
"I agreed to no flirtations, nor to tolerate such shameless behavior," Belle countered, her tone sharp as she sought to unnerve him. "Only a man who knows he is destined to lose would resort to such desperate measures." She thought her words might pierce his pride, but instead, she realized too late she had only stoked his audacity.
"Shamelessness has always been my specialty," Quinn said with a devilish smirk. "And your fiery resistance, Belle, only inspires more wicked ideas. For instance, at this moment, I find myself wanting to kiss you."
Belle could no longer contain her frustration. Turning sharply to break free, she didn't expect him to suddenly loosen his grip on her. She stumbled, falling forward against him, her body pressing into his.
"Oops, my apologies," he said, a smirk playing on his lips. It was clear he had let her fall deliberately, delighting in her embarrassment.
"Why did you let me go?" She demanded, her voice sharp as she pushed herself upright, her eyes flashing with anger.
"What? Did you not ask me to release you?" He replied, feigning ignorance and further fueling her fury.
Gritting her teeth, Belle began to argue, "I told you…" but stopped herself, realizing how futile it was to engage him. With a sigh of resignation, she said, "You know what? I relent. But let me make one thing clear, you shall never kiss me. Not now, not ever. Rid yourself of such foolish notions, and never corner me like this again, especially when we are alone."
She turned to leave, but before she could take a step, his hands slipped gently around her waist, this time with a tenderness that unsettled her even more.
"Let me go, Quinn! What is the matter with you?" She cried, twisting in his arms, her temper flaring once more.
"I release you, and you complain. Now I hold you, and you complain again. What exactly do women want?" He mused aloud, clicking his tongue in mock frustration.
"What do women want?" Belle repeated, her gaze steely as she met his eyes. "We wish to be far from men like you. We wish to be cherished by men who recognize our worth and value it. *I* wish for a man who is your opposite in every conceivable way."
"Is that why you lured Hezekiah into accepting you?" Quinn countered, his tone dripping with accusation. "I am not surprised by your cunning. But tell me, Belle, are you entirely certain Hezekiah is the man you imagine him to be?"
For a fleeting moment, his words planted doubt in her heart, but she quickly brushed it aside. Scoffing, she retorted, "How predictable, Quinn. You will stop at nothing to sow discord. Yet, your efforts are wasted. Any man…any man at all, is better than you."
Instead of angering him, her words seemed to amuse him further. His smirk deepened as he leaned slightly closer. "Tell me, Belle," he said, his voice dropping to a provocative whisper, "did you enjoy our first night together?"
Her jaw dropped in stunned silence. His question was so wildly inappropriate and out of context that she found herself momentarily at a loss for words. How could he dare ask such a thing in the midst of this argument?
"Release me this instant, Quinn!" Belle demanded, her voice sharp as she continued to wrestle against his hold, pointedly ignoring his question.
"I shall, but only after you answer me. That is my promise," Quinn replied with a calm assurance. His tone made her pause. She ceased her struggles, her breath uneven as she considered his words. He did not seem to be jesting, and though she couldn't see his face in the dim light, something in his manner suggested sincerity.
"Very well, since you insist." Belle's voice was laced with hatred. "I despised every moment of that intimacy. I loathed the first, and the second which was the last. It gave me a part of you I never wanted, a child I hated but could not bring myself to end."
Quinn's grip slackened, his arms falling away from her. For a moment, Belle was caught off guard by his sudden retreat. Could it be that her words had struck him? No, surely not. He would only be relieved to hear she didn't want the child.
"You are free to go," he said, his voice void of its usual teasing. The abruptness of his release unnerved Belle.
"Are you toying with me now?! Why pose such a question only to react like this?!" She snapped, her irritation masking her unease.
"I gave you my word that I would let you go if you answered," Quinn replied with a low chuckle, his tone light yet unreadable. "How does that make me guilty of toying with you?"
Belle faltered, realizing her paranoia had gotten the better of her. He had done nothing wrong, yet she had foolishly anticipated some deeper meaning, leaving herself disheartened. Why had she expected anything different from a man like him?
"Do not dare sneak up on me again, Quinn!" She warned, pointing a finger at him before storming away. The sound of the passage door slamming behind him echoed through the corridor, drawing a smirk to his lips.
Left alone, Quinn mused on her words. So she hated the child? That explained why she hadn't told him about it. Perhaps she had even orchestrated her miscarriage, staging the tragedy to spite him. Or worse, she had aborted the child before he could ever learn of its existence.
"Then it seems we are two souls bent on making each other pay," Quinn murmured, his fingers trailing idly over the stone wall as he turned and departed in the opposite direction.
In her chambers, Belle slammed the door shut and slid to the floor, her back against the solid wood as silent tears spilled down her cheeks. Her words to Quinn rang bitterly in her ears, and she loathed herself for uttering them.
"I am sorry, my child," she whispered to the emptiness around her, her voice breaking. "I did not mean a single word I said. Forgive me, my darling."
She clutched her knees, sobbing as grief consumed her. The memory of her pregnancy had been one of her most cherished joys, no matter how it had come to pass. Losing her child had nearly driven her to the brink of despair, and now Quinn had ignited those painful memories she had desperately tried to bury.
"I was a fool to accept his deal," Belle muttered bitterly, her tears soaking the fabric of her dress. "But I cannot retreat now. If avoiding him is the only way, then I must find a way to keep him at bay."