Status: hiatus
Love, and Other Torture Devices
Visitor
"Lady Almira."
The young woman's eyes jolt open and she quickly sits up, "yes?"
"You have a visitor."
"It's Edmund," Almira throws the thick blanket off of her body, quickly exiting the bed.
Silently, one of her bedchamber maids puts her robe on her.
Impatiently, Almira ties the robe's strings around her waist. The dark material covers her sheer nightgown, from the base of her neck to her bare feet.
Brushing past the calm servants, Almira walks out of her bedchamber and into the small foyer of her quarters.
"Did you just wake?"
Silently, Almira shakes her head. Her long, brown locks move lightly with her head, brushing against her robe.
Edmund's eyes narrow at the chambermaid who had obviously awaken Almira.
"We can talk here," Almira's hand rests against her covered collar bones. "Or somewhere else."
Slowly drawing his glare away from the maid, Edmund extends his hand to Almira.
Accepting his hand, Almira is guided out of her quarters and down the hall.
The fire place in Edmund's personal study is already aflame, assuring light and warmth throughout the entire room.
Edmund allows Almira to enter the room first, carefully watching her lower herself onto the couch, curling her legs beneath herself.
Blinking slowly, Almira watches Edmund lower himself back to his natural height after hearing a distinct, loud, sound -- iron scraping.
"Did you just lock the door?"
"I might have," Edmund shrugs.
Almira stifles the yawn attempting to escape her lips, as she watches Edmund lower himself onto the sole chair across from the couch.
"You should be rested before we speak, Almira."
"I am well rested, Edmund."
He shakes his head.
"You look exhausted," she says quietly. "What's been happening?"
Edmund's posture relaxes, and he sinks in the chair slightly.
"You can tell me," Almira whispers, barely above the crackling of the fireplace.
Edmund's jaw muscles visibly tighten, as he glares at the table separating them.
Resting her temple in her hand, Almira rests her elbow on the arm of the couch.
"The wedding date... it has been moved up."
"How far?"
"This weekend."
Almira sits up again, "Excuse me?"
Edmund says nothing.
"Edmund?" Almira scoffs.
He sighs, "What I am about to say, does not leave us, Almira. When you leave this room, you must act as if you never heard it."
Almira's eyes narrow.
"We're going to be crowned at the ceremony this weekend."
"What!?"
Edmund says nothing, continuing to stare at the short table.
"Why? What happened, Edmund?" Almira slowly gets up from her spot on the couch and rounds the table. "What happened, Edmund?"
Slouched down in his chair, Edmund stares up at Almira, who is less than six inches above his eye level.
The words leave her lips so quietly, he isn't sure if they really did or not. "What did you do?"
"I killed him," Edmund whispers back slowly, watching Almira's eyes widen as she quickly backs away from him.
The table knocks Almira's legs out from beneath her. "Don't touch me," she nearly snarls at Edmund when he quickly rises to help her off of the table. "Don't you dare lie a finger on me."
Edmund's eyes narrow. His voice is quiet, "Excuse me?"
"You're a killer," she shakes her head.
Edmund's jaw tightens again.
"You killed your own father," she whispers, inhaling deeply as if she ran into a brick wall. "You killed the King. They're going to kill you, too--"
Edmund roughly grabs Almira's hand as she reaches for her neck. He pulls her entire body weight up and to her feet in that single motion.
Almira's eyes grow wide, quickly filling with tears.
"I am the King now, Almira," he snarls through clenched teeth, leaning down to get closer to her face. "And nobody is going to kill me. You are one of three people who will ever know of this, do you understand?"
Saying nothing, Almira just stares up at Edmund, through the tears completely blurring her vision.
"Do you understand!?" He screams, his nose nearly touching hers.
She verbally cries out and nods after he jerks on her wrist.
Releasing her, he slowly retreats to a desk across the room.
Almira allows herself to sink to the ground limply, hugging her thin, shaking knees.
Edmund collapses in his chair, before leaning back and swallowing heavily as the sound of Almira gasping for air meets his ears.
The young woman's eyes jolt open and she quickly sits up, "yes?"
"You have a visitor."
"It's Edmund," Almira throws the thick blanket off of her body, quickly exiting the bed.
Silently, one of her bedchamber maids puts her robe on her.
Impatiently, Almira ties the robe's strings around her waist. The dark material covers her sheer nightgown, from the base of her neck to her bare feet.
Brushing past the calm servants, Almira walks out of her bedchamber and into the small foyer of her quarters.
"Did you just wake?"
Silently, Almira shakes her head. Her long, brown locks move lightly with her head, brushing against her robe.
Edmund's eyes narrow at the chambermaid who had obviously awaken Almira.
"We can talk here," Almira's hand rests against her covered collar bones. "Or somewhere else."
Slowly drawing his glare away from the maid, Edmund extends his hand to Almira.
Accepting his hand, Almira is guided out of her quarters and down the hall.
The fire place in Edmund's personal study is already aflame, assuring light and warmth throughout the entire room.
Edmund allows Almira to enter the room first, carefully watching her lower herself onto the couch, curling her legs beneath herself.
Blinking slowly, Almira watches Edmund lower himself back to his natural height after hearing a distinct, loud, sound -- iron scraping.
"Did you just lock the door?"
"I might have," Edmund shrugs.
Almira stifles the yawn attempting to escape her lips, as she watches Edmund lower himself onto the sole chair across from the couch.
"You should be rested before we speak, Almira."
"I am well rested, Edmund."
He shakes his head.
"You look exhausted," she says quietly. "What's been happening?"
Edmund's posture relaxes, and he sinks in the chair slightly.
"You can tell me," Almira whispers, barely above the crackling of the fireplace.
Edmund's jaw muscles visibly tighten, as he glares at the table separating them.
Resting her temple in her hand, Almira rests her elbow on the arm of the couch.
"The wedding date... it has been moved up."
"How far?"
"This weekend."
Almira sits up again, "Excuse me?"
Edmund says nothing.
"Edmund?" Almira scoffs.
He sighs, "What I am about to say, does not leave us, Almira. When you leave this room, you must act as if you never heard it."
Almira's eyes narrow.
"We're going to be crowned at the ceremony this weekend."
"What!?"
Edmund says nothing, continuing to stare at the short table.
"Why? What happened, Edmund?" Almira slowly gets up from her spot on the couch and rounds the table. "What happened, Edmund?"
Slouched down in his chair, Edmund stares up at Almira, who is less than six inches above his eye level.
The words leave her lips so quietly, he isn't sure if they really did or not. "What did you do?"
"I killed him," Edmund whispers back slowly, watching Almira's eyes widen as she quickly backs away from him.
The table knocks Almira's legs out from beneath her. "Don't touch me," she nearly snarls at Edmund when he quickly rises to help her off of the table. "Don't you dare lie a finger on me."
Edmund's eyes narrow. His voice is quiet, "Excuse me?"
"You're a killer," she shakes her head.
Edmund's jaw tightens again.
"You killed your own father," she whispers, inhaling deeply as if she ran into a brick wall. "You killed the King. They're going to kill you, too--"
Edmund roughly grabs Almira's hand as she reaches for her neck. He pulls her entire body weight up and to her feet in that single motion.
Almira's eyes grow wide, quickly filling with tears.
"I am the King now, Almira," he snarls through clenched teeth, leaning down to get closer to her face. "And nobody is going to kill me. You are one of three people who will ever know of this, do you understand?"
Saying nothing, Almira just stares up at Edmund, through the tears completely blurring her vision.
"Do you understand!?" He screams, his nose nearly touching hers.
She verbally cries out and nods after he jerks on her wrist.
Releasing her, he slowly retreats to a desk across the room.
Almira allows herself to sink to the ground limply, hugging her thin, shaking knees.
Edmund collapses in his chair, before leaning back and swallowing heavily as the sound of Almira gasping for air meets his ears.