You didn't think I'd let Tuesday go by without a teaser, did ya? :)
This is about the only part of this chapter that is truly done, but here it is!!
***
“Isabella.” Edward leaned back a little in our chair and shook his head. His hand ran up my back, then back down to my waist. “I never make a statement I am not prepared to see through. If I had seen Seth at any time out in the forest today, we would not be sitting here now. We would be in the courtyard witnessing his execution.”
“I don’t understand,” I admitted. I didn’t – I didn’t understand how he could be so…callous towards someone he said was important to him. “Why would you have someone executed for such a…a little thing?”
“Going against my word is not a little thing, Isabella.”
“But you said he was important to you.” I was pressing, and I knew it, though sitting here with him was allowing me more boldness than I would have thought. On one level, it terrified me to be asking him so many questions, but he had wanted me to do so – indeed, he had demanded it – and I didn’t want to disappoint him, either. I also wanted to understand his reasons, for as incongruous as they appeared, I thought there must be merit to them.
“He’s only a soldier, Isabella,” Edward said, his tone chastising. “I have many capable soldiers.”
My eyes tightened, and as I felt the gentle thrumming of his heart beneath my cheek, my mind flashed to Angela and Lauren. I wondered just how the Princess came to regard us all as we cared for her and made sure her every command come to fruition.
“Princess Jessica has many capable handmaids,” I said quietly before I realized the words were coming from my mouth. My body seemed to freeze solid on his lap, but not so much that I couldn’t feel Edward tense as well. I felt the minute increase of his heart underneath his shirt as he held his breath. His fingers gripped my arm slightly before releasing me all together.
“Get up,” he said quietly. His voice was hard, dark, and it sent a chill down my spine.
***
This is about the only part of this chapter that is truly done, but here it is!!
***
“Isabella.” Edward leaned back a little in our chair and shook his head. His hand ran up my back, then back down to my waist. “I never make a statement I am not prepared to see through. If I had seen Seth at any time out in the forest today, we would not be sitting here now. We would be in the courtyard witnessing his execution.”
“I don’t understand,” I admitted. I didn’t – I didn’t understand how he could be so…callous towards someone he said was important to him. “Why would you have someone executed for such a…a little thing?”
“Going against my word is not a little thing, Isabella.”
“But you said he was important to you.” I was pressing, and I knew it, though sitting here with him was allowing me more boldness than I would have thought. On one level, it terrified me to be asking him so many questions, but he had wanted me to do so – indeed, he had demanded it – and I didn’t want to disappoint him, either. I also wanted to understand his reasons, for as incongruous as they appeared, I thought there must be merit to them.
“He’s only a soldier, Isabella,” Edward said, his tone chastising. “I have many capable soldiers.”
My eyes tightened, and as I felt the gentle thrumming of his heart beneath my cheek, my mind flashed to Angela and Lauren. I wondered just how the Princess came to regard us all as we cared for her and made sure her every command come to fruition.
“Princess Jessica has many capable handmaids,” I said quietly before I realized the words were coming from my mouth. My body seemed to freeze solid on his lap, but not so much that I couldn’t feel Edward tense as well. I felt the minute increase of his heart underneath his shirt as he held his breath. His fingers gripped my arm slightly before releasing me all together.
“Get up,” he said quietly. His voice was hard, dark, and it sent a chill down my spine.
***
