Page 101 of Between Wrath and Mercy

“She’d already done her task? What was it?” That bitter beast that resided low in my stomach stirred, and I felt it in my tone. He snorted, likely reading my voice.

“She stitched me a cloak by her own hand. The Myriad must be desperate for me to marry. They’re getting rather boring. How hard is it to make a cloak?” He huffed a laugh.

“Hard for her, it seems, since she was so mad she wasted her time on it.” I shrugged, and he grinned.

“Oh, dear heart. I have no doubt you could make a much better cloak for me.” I kicked him, pulling my foot out of his lap where it had been resting, and he grunted, covering himself in protection. “Watch it!”

“So, that’s it? Did you tell our parents?” Lavenia’s face was stern as she waited for her brother’s answer.

“I sent them a message, don’t worry about it.” Rainier’s tone told me I, in fact, should worry about it.

“You didn’t go see them? That’s going to go over well.” She rolled her eyes, exasperated.

Sterling rescued Rainier from his sister when he came in to announce dinner. We walked into another room of the enormous house to find a long dining table. The dark oak floors continued throughout. The room had floor-to-ceiling windows, which allowed the moonlight to fill it. The chandelier had over a hundred tiny candles in it, and I wondered if someone had to light them all by hand. On the wall opposite the windows was a massive painting in a silver frame. I took my seat to Rainier’s right and studied it. It looked familiar, and I jolted in shock when I realized what it was. Rainier noticed my surprise and slid his hand onto my thigh when I turned to him.

“Did you paint that?”

“No, I commissioned a seer in the artist quarters. She painted it from my memory.”

“It’s—wow. It’s a flawless re-creation.” I had to avert my eyes for a moment because it was so realistic. The view was from inside the cavern, looking out to the water. It was a misty, grey day, and the sea in the painting was wild and rough with great waves cresting over the rocks. I could almost hear the sound of the water hitting them, the echo reverberating throughout the vast space, taste the salty mist in the air, feel the spray on my skin.

“Is it bothering you? We can cover it.” Rainier’s hand squeezed my thigh gently as he asked, and I felt another surge of warmth and affection for the man beside me.

“No, it’s alright. It’s beautiful. The artist did an amazing job.” I stared at it for a few more minutes as the meal was brought out to us, served in multiple dishes that we plated ourselves.

Everything in front of us smelled delicious, and I wasn’t sure I’d have room on my plate for everything I wanted. I grabbed some asparagus, a baked potato, and a chicken breast, as well as a bowl of salad. It was the best food I’d ever had, and Rainier watched me with delight as I let out a slight moan after biting into the chicken.

“I keep a small staff: Sterling, my butler, Mellise, my maid, and Deandra, my cook. I have a few stablehands and the gardener, but those three are the only ones who help care for the household. If you eat Deandra’s food like that in front of her, she’s going to fatten you up in no time.” The crooked smile he gave me was full of tenderness that matched what I felt for him.

“I don’t need any help with that.” I grinned and shoved a bite of potato in my mouth. He leaned closer to me and spoke so only I could hear.

“I’ve grown quite acquainted with your ass in front of me in the saddle. It may be rounder than it used to be, but all the more delicious for it.” I felt myself flush as his hand gripped my thigh possessively. Mairin eyed me from across the table, a single eyebrow raised, before I reached for my glass of wine and drank deep.

We all finished our dinner, and the servants whisked away the dishes before we even left the table. The other three went out of sight down a dark corridor before I heard them climb the stairs. I made to follow when Rainier grabbed my wrist, pulling me against his chest.

“Do you want to sleep in your own room?”

“I should, shouldn’t I? The servants?” He shrugged.

“The only one who lives on site is Sterling, and he won’t bother us. Melisse and Deandra go home after dinner.” I was surprised he didn’t keep more of his staff here full time, and I appreciated his simplicity.

“You did say you had a surprise for me. Unless you meant the bookstore?”

“I wondered if you’d wander there today. Do you think Elora will like it?” He tilted his head with the question, and I stood on my tiptoes to kiss him. His consideration of Elora surprised and affected me every time. I wondered if I’d ever grow accustomed to it, the easy acceptance of a girl he’d never met, all because she was mine.

“I think she’ll love it, thank you.”

“I already put her on the account, as well. Speaking of Elora, we need to get you to bed.” I nodded, and a thin exhale escaped my lips.

“I’m not sure I’ll be able to fall asleep.”

“I can help with that.” He gave me a coy smile, and I snorted but let him lead me to a small hallway off the back of the living room I hadn’t noticed before. His rooms were on the lower level and were likely enormous based on the size and height of the living room beside it.

The door at the end of the hallway swung inwards to reveal a large, open room. The ceilings mirrored the living room, the oak beams against white walls raised to a peak in the middle. The floor was the same dark color as the rest of the house, but there was a giant rug stretched across a large portion of the room, grey and fluffy. The wall opposite the door was a deep navy blue, almost black, with a giant bed centered against it. Nightstands on either side of the bed held small lamps which flickered with low light, giving the room a cozy feel, despite the size. There were windows on either side of the room with a set of paned glass double doors that likely let out to the garden. The windows were open, a cool breeze coming through, pushing the dark blue curtains to billow. Despite the draft, I was warm due to the fire crackling behind me. The fireplace took up a large portion of the wall the door was on, with a small sitting area in front of it and bookshelves built into the wall on either side. It was the door on the other side of one of the shelves that Rainier pulled me toward, and I found a bathroom bigger than my entire bedroom back home. There was a giant closet off the entrance, where I could see a variety of button-down shirts and jackets hanging before Rainier pulled me past the door. The room itself was different shades of white, from variegated marble patterns on the floor to the white porcelain bathtub before me. It was enormous and built into the corner, with an L-shaped waist-high wall creating two of the four sides. It was more of a small pool than anything else. He turned on the spigot, and after a moment, pulled my hand under the water, already hot. He nodded to the wall where the water came out, explaining the water reservoir system above the fireplace that kept the water hot. It was more efficient than the boiler that heated the water for the rest of the estate. Walking behind me, he gently pushed my hair in front of my shoulder as his fingertips trailed down my back.

“Something about unbuttoning your dress makes me want time to slow down.” Deft fingers went to work on the fastenings, and I closed my eyes, reveling in his touch. I couldn’t believe I was here, in Rainier’s house, being undressed by him. The man who had haunted my dreams and nightmares for the past sixteen years—longer even. The man had been a part of my dreams the moment I met him twenty years ago, since sharing a bottle of wine with him and his best friend in a dark garden. This man was a picture of patience and devotion, and I took a moment to bask in the knowledge he was mine. Regardless of what was to come—our rescue of Elora, his father’s illness, the pressure for him to wed—none of it could go wrong with us at each other’s sides. He kissed my bare shoulder as he slid my dress off it, continuing to unbutton all the way down. He turned me before pulling the dress off my other shoulder, and it slid down to the ground, puddling around my ankles.

His pupils dilated when he saw my new brassiere—bra as Lavenia called it—and the matching underwear I obtained from the seamstress, and I felt a warm flush spread over my chest as I squeezed my thighs tight. I reached for his shirt and started to unbutton it, but he pulled away.

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