The man's heavy weight holding her down sent a burning rush of fear searing throughout Gabriella, pulling a threat of darkness through her vision. Gabriella fought it off, not sure she wanted to, but unable to leave herself anymore vulnerable then she already was. She'd been sure the man's wrath wouldn't be triggered if she didn't try to fight, didn't respond to the urges to scream and cry. It was harder to hold to that conviction now. None in her life had ever treated her with anything but respect, no man had ever treated her as anything but fragile, one who must be protected and cherished. They had certainly never handled her so roughly.
Gabriella was afraid, very afraid. Still, her resolve not to show it kept her face neutral as she regarded the man. The way he was watching her, the way he had gone still above her, no movement made to act on what he'd voiced moments ago, calmed her some. And made her curious. Maybe he could be reasoned with.
Gabriella took a deep breath, difficult with the man's weight, and licked her lip. "I can see the reason in getting dry..." she paused, thought on how the little man had addressed him, and hoped doing the same would gain her some ground with the man who seemed high on his own authority. "My Lord." she licked her lip again, feeling strange using the archaic title, but barreled on with determination. "But it would be hard to do so like...this."
Slater's frown was dark. Damn it. What was it going to take to rattle the chit?
"You think it would be...hard?" a dangerous smile took to Slater's lips as he reached down, slowly, making sure the girl followed the motion, and jerked a short blade from his belt. "I think it will be quite simple, if you are referring to your clothes..." his smile broadened, noting how her eyes widened, head turning slightly to follow the path of the blade. Slater took his time bringing it up between them, bracing himself above her with one arm. "With a bit of thought I believe you will accept all else will be...easy as well."
Gabriella closed her eyes, not wanting to see what he would do with the blade. A shiver passed through her body and when a fair bit of time had passed and the man still hadn't moved she opened her eyes. The man was smiling, just watching her. Now Gabriella understood. He wanted her to be afraid.
It didn't mean he wouldn't hurt her, but it gave Gabriella something to work with.
Setting her eyes on his and tilting her chin up Gabriella shrugged off her fear. "Do what you have to...My Lord..." there was no deference to the address now, in fact Gabriella made it sound fair disparaging. "But can you make it quick? You're quite heavy."
Slater couldn't hide his shock. Here he was, pressing his large, muscular form against her, holding a dagger over her, and she had the nerve to tell him to hurry? To complain that he was heavy?
"Do you have any concept of the things I could do to you little one?" to emphasize his point Slater put his knees on either side of her thighs, resting his hand by her head and trailed the tip of the dagger carefully along the revealed flesh above the collar of her shirt.
The girl twitched, but other then that there was no reaction to the threat. Her expression hadn't changed. "I suppose you could cut me up...or rape me." she arched a brow at him. "But I don't think you will."
Slater tossed the dagger aside, rose up on his knees and grabbed a handful of the girl's shirt, yanking her up to face him. "You think not? I wouldn't be so certain of that if I were you." he sneered at her when her lips parted in surprise. "I am not known for my kindness."
Clinging to the small bit of hope that glowed within, telling her she was on the right path, Gabriella smiled at the man, giving a little shrug of her shoulders. "I'd like to know how I'm expected to know that. I don't even know your name."
Eyes fixed on the dimple on the girl's cheek Slater shook his head. "I am Lord Slater Moloch, Duke of the Vox Terra's northern region." the girl rested her hands on the bed of pillows behind her. Shaking his head again Slater let go of her shirt, watching the way she cocked her head and regarded him with unnerving curiosity. Despite himself Slater found he wanted to learn more about the confident and composed little imp. "What is your name?"
"Gabriella Fairling." she said without hesitation. Wrinkling her nose she reached up and pulled a wet string of hair from her neck. Wet as it was her hair stuck to her pale flesh in several places, its color darkened in dampness reminding him of blood.
Slater couldn't help it. Without realizing he'd done so he dropped his aggressive bearing, reaching out to take hold of a long strand of hair from where it rested on her shoulder. Playing it around his finger he lifted his eyes back to her face.
The girl was beautiful, but she would be. Without the allure of her face and form she might have been passed over, regardless of her greater value. The Northern courts greatest weakness was its vanity, a flaw that had near lost them the last war. Slater had spoken to his brother of this, but King Villem Moloch's conceit was legendary. It was why his bastard brother who resembled him so fiercely had been graced with their father's name long after the man was dead. Their father had never claimed Slater, but Villem couldn't care less. To Villem his brother being left to poverty was a grave insult to him. One who shared the powerful line of the king should have a title befitting the superior lineage.
Slater wasn't about to complain. It had turned out far too well for him. None cared that his mother was a whore. None dared speak to him without due reverence. When Slater had been brought to his brother as a boy it had been out of fear of the king's wrath. As Slater grew it had become fear of his wrath. Slater had much enjoyed the transition.
Returning to his earlier thoughts Slater shook his head and sighed. They had collected only twelve youths, twelve youths that contained the power needed, all well suited to the various tastes of the king, his highest councilors, his ladies and his general. Slater thought it was foolish, but after voicing his objections once he wouldn't waste his breath doing so again. Villem was a wise ruler, in all but this. While the court of the southern land grew strong on the powers of the fair and the foul alike, the north would indulge in their fancy, savoring it to their pleasure rather then fill on it as needed to lay a final blow on those who continued to test their strength.
Slater only hoped his brother's latest plan would tip the odds in their favor. Not since the wars of their ancestors, a hundred score back, had they left their realms to steal power from others. In times of peace or for small battles they would collect the unawakened from their own lands, feed from them to speed the replenishment of their own force. In the battle only days past all their own reserves had been spent, all those that Villem found fair enough to be worthy that is. Rather then lay aside his ridiculous standards Villem had ripped through the veil and sent his men through, bidding them to return only when they had in hand the most powerful, and beautiful, the other realm could offer.
Slater smiled at the girl, thinking on it. There was no doubt Villem would be well pleased with his brother success. Chuckling Slater let the strand of hair slip from his fingers. Villem loved a redhead.
The thought took the smile from Slater's lips. There was no doubt Villem would want this one. Which meant she, above all, should be comfortable. Villem would not be pleased if Slater scared the girl and made her harder to handle. With a sigh Slater admitted he was lucky his attempts had been in vain.
"Why do you look so serious all of a sudden?"
The girl's blunt words snapped Slater from his musings. The way she was nibbling at her lip again sent his thoughts somewhere else entirely.
"I was thinking that you are very pretty."
Gabriella shifted, trying to get the feeling back in her legs. He'd been sitting on them long enough to make them numb. "I'm sorry." her tone was distracted as she concentrated on wiggling her toes, clenching the muscles in her thighs hoping he'd eventually get the point. The way he was watching her made it clear she'd eventually just have to tell him to get off.
"Sorry? Why in the world are you sorry?" he stood suddenly, throwing up his arms. "By the gods girl, what is wrong with you? To threats you smile and to compliments you apologize. Will a beating make you laugh?"
Gabriella bit back a grin, crossing her legs, happy to have found a way, however unplanned, to get him off her. "If I thought it would make the guy beating me give up...sure."
With a jolt Slater realized what the girl had done. He'd gone from trying to frighten her, to admiring her, to all out exasperation in mere moments. At this point he had no idea what to do with her, and it wasn't a revelation that sat well. Slater was always in control, he liked it that way. The girl not acting as expected was making any kind of control impossible.
Gabriella waited while the man warred with his mangled thoughts. Wishing he'd hurry she wrapped her arms around herself, shivering as she realized how cold it was. She'd worn a cute little blue plaid, pleated skirt to her party, as well as a white tank top with little ruffles along the chaste collar that hit just below her collarbone. It looked nice and was perfect for the summer weather, but she had a feeling it wasn't summer here.
Leaning on her limitless patience, seeing as the man seemed nowhere close to reaching any kind of resolution Gabriella rubbed her arms, hoping it would help make the wait easier. That got Slater's attention. Now that her arms weren't covering her chest he realized the dampness had made the shirt, quite concealing in its cut, completely see through.
The sight cleared his mind of anything but the vision of her. Firm breast, revealed nicely beneath the soaked cloth, so round, perfectly formed, making his palms itch to touch them. Tiny nipples, awakened by the cold, poked out, beckoning him, a slight blush screened by the material.
"Come here." Slater said, forgetting all else but how his body cursed the distance between them.
Gabriella stared at the man, eyes wide, lips parted. She felt safe enough seated on the cushions, several feet between them, but the command, paired with the look in his eyes, jolted her. There was no way she was getting up.
"I'm quite comfortable here. Thanks." she said, forcing her tone to sound light and unconcerned. She didn't think he would leave it at that. She was right.
With a short growl Slater stepped forward, wrenching her to her feet. Without thought beyond what he must have, now, he jammed his mouth against hers.
Gabriella let out a little shriek of a sound, taken so off guard she couldn't hold it back. Not that she'd never been kissed, she'd had a couple of boyfriends, but those had been soft kisses, gentle. Those boys never wanted to chance her father disapproval, but all failed her father's inevitable third degree, growing nervous and fidgety under the sharp scrutiny of the man that had spent his life training soldiers for war. Her father was a big, scary man. They hadn't dared try more. This man, Slater, was bigger. Gabriella had a feeling he wouldn't have been afraid, even if her father's approval was an issue.
Which it wasn't.
Slater pressed his lips down harder, liking the vulnerable sound she'd let out in her surprise. Her little whimper spurned him further. The little girl wasn't quite so unfazed now.
Hands on her arms Slater held the girl close, knowing his firm hold was bruising her skin. Right now he didn't care. A reaction, any reaction that revealed a loss of her control was all Slater wanted. He wasn't aiming to please, he was aiming to shatter the girl's shields.
