Chapter Forty-nine: THE JAILER
“What do I do Beth?” I asked pacing around the room.
“What do you mean?”
“Look at the situation. I am the cause of all of this. Now Patricia is in the dark room because of me. I need to fix this.”
“You did nothing wrong. Ryan was the one that sent her there not you and besides, she deserves it.”
“No, she doesn’t. Technically I stole the man she is in love with.”
“But that’s not your fault. She could have bear her loss like everyone else and not be so hard about it. Shit happens. So relax and let me work on that face of yours.”
“I can’t stand the fact I am part of the reason she is in there.”
“But you should be happy that she is in there. After all, she has never been nice to you or anyone at all. She cares about no one but herself.”
“Well I was a slave, what do you expect?”
I settled on the bed just besides Beth forcefully exhaling.
“I need to fix this.”
“And how are you going to do that?”
“I don’t know. If she was in there for a different reason all together, then I wouldn’t have bothered much but I feel like I have a huge part to play in this.”
“So what are you going to do about it?”
“I think I should talk to Ryan.”
“What? Oh no that’s a horrible idea. Did you see his eyes? They glowed red in rage.”
“I didn’t say I would go now. I would wait a little bit, maybe for a day or two when he is completely calm and then speak to him about it. I hope he would listen.”
“Well he would.”
“You sound so sure.”
“Yes I am. I mean after what happened today, it is obvious he is clearly in love with you.”
“What? No of course not,” I chuckled.
“You know that he is. I have never seen him flare for anything concerning the welfare of this manor let alone a woman? It’s you Clara, you made this happen.”
“No, I can’t agree to that.”
“The earlier you see this the better. Ryan, the Alpha King is madly in love with you.”
“Oh please,” I scoffed.
There was a tap at the door and one of the maids walked in.
“Madam Ana seeks your presence,” she said.
“Oh God, this just got worse,” I muttered.
…
“Yes, you asked to see me,” I said as soon as I got into her chambers.
She had the same look that I had all day, the wrinkles behind her eyes were much visible shying away from the concealer. Her dressing matched her uneasiness as she paced around the room.
“What have you done Clara?”
“I’m sorry Ma but I am lost by your words.”
“Don’t act innocent! I know that you know what I speak of. I go on a few days trip and I return to hear that Patricia has been thrown into the dark room by the orders from the Alpha King because of a certain girl named Clara. I asked what went wrong and no one can place a finger of what she actually did wrong. I have called you here to tell me what the fuck happened.”
“Uhmm… I…”
“You know what? Save it. I don’t want to know about it anymore.”
She moved closer as she pulled my chin upwards with a piercing gaze.
“Whatever you did or said that made him throw her there, go back and undo it. Fix this! Or a red chin would be small compared to what I would do to you. Now get out!”
I had earlier planned on meeting up with Ryan in a few days time to talk about Patricia but with pressure pressing down on me, I knew that I didn’t have a few days to spare.
“Ryan,” I called out as soon as I got to the door of his chambers. It was somewhat ajar and so I could see to where he was seated; at his study table.
“Ryan,” I called out again as I slowly pushed the door open.
“Oh Clara I didn’t see you there,” he left the chair as he walked towards me.
“I’m sorry if I interrupted you.”
“No, it’s fine you are welcomed anytime. Have a seat.”
“Thanks,” I settled in in the chair beside the study table.
“Are you okay? How is your face?”
“It is okay, Beth made sure of that.”
“Let me see,” he moved towards me taking his hands over my face. I was frozen in time and space. I felt his breath on me. The warmth caressing the rims of my face skin down to my neck. The subtle scent of lavender filled my nostrils. As I looked up to him catching his gaze in the dim lights, my heart raced. His hands against my flesh stirred excitement in between my thighs as I shivered. And then he stopped moving his hands as he fixed his eyes on me now. I wanted to look away but he pulled me closer so I would only look at him.
“Don’t look away, lets have this moment.”
I had lost every will to speak, I wanted to have this moment with him, to share started that would live on as memories. It would calm our thoughts when they become like a turbulent wind and so I didn’t argue.
He leaned forward this time I could hear by breathing as I began to gasp for one. His nearness has stolen my breath away and it was as though I was lost in this maze. I wanted him as much as he wanted me or maybe even more. He pushed further again. I shut my eyes taking in all that he brought my way.
“I want you Clara,” he whispered, his skin against mine placed us in a rhythm that set our heart at a sync. I carved for his touch, my desires were just as his until we both heard a thud at the door and I pulled away like I was being zapped out of a trance; his charms.
“What was that?” I asked.
“It’s nothing.” He leaned forwards again.
“We should stop Ryan.”
I pulled further away from him leaving the chair entirely as I stood at a distance.
“C’mon Clara, I know that you feel the same way I feel for you. Why do you always fight it?”
“Look I am sorry I led you on but that’s not why I am here Ryan.”
“What’s wrong?”
“It is about Patricia.”
“And what about her?”
“You need to let her out of the dark room.”
“Why? She disobeyed my orders by hurting you she would never see the light again.”
“Ryan please, I feel like this is all my fault.”
“She shouldn’t have hurt you.”
“Whenever I walk around the manor, everyone looks at me like I am some villain. I know that she hurt me but please just let her out.”
“They don’t matter, no one else does. Why do you even want her out? I am doing this for you. To make you happy.”
“I know Ryan. I love that you care for me this much. Trust me, I do.”
“Okay fine, I would only consider this on just one condition Clara, he held my hands tightly in his grip.
“Okay?”
“I want you to answer this, do you love me?”
Wait what? How did I not see that this was a trap?
“What did he say?” Beth rushed towards me as I got back in, “Did he agree to it?”
“Uhmm… I don’t know. I can’t really say.”
“What do you mean by that? I thought that you went to speak with him.”
“Yes, I did,” I replied coldly.
“What’s wrong?” She asked.
I was caught in between telling her what exactly happened between Ryan and I, the shared moment from his caring words to caresses to the time when he leaned in for a kiss which I eventually ruined. Could I tell her about what he had asked me? Even I didn’t know the answer to that.
“Nothing… Nothing I can’t handle. I guess he was just distracted I would speak to him about it again.”
“Okay, then you shouldn’t be worried about it. I know that he would listen,” She said.
…
The next few days, I laid locked up in my room avoiding the gazes from the servants and maids, some had eyes of hope. Those that loved what Ryan had done to Patricia saw me as some savior.
Perhaps she was like a tyrant not just to me but to some of them. Some other half just couldn’t relate to the joy of not having her around maybe they had not had a personal encounter with her or preferred her being around to Madam Ana who had become vicious like a merciless tyrant who flared up for no reason at all.
I stayed away from Ryan as farther as I could avoiding his path until I could no longer cope with having to hide from him again.
Beth posed as my eyes and ears to the outside world giving me food and whatever I needed. She was the only reason Ryan stayed away from my room, she had just the right words to say to him keeping him out.
“I don’t know how long I can keep up with this. Eventually, you would have to come out or let him see you.”
“Just hold on for a little longer. I am still not ready to meet him or anyone else.”
“What did you say happen again?”
“It’s nothing you should worry your head about. And besides I am only doing this to get his attention so he would release Patricia. Do you think that it is working?”
“I guess so, he gets more furious whenever I deliver the decline message to him. The other day, he even slammed against the desk. I am getting scared Clara.”
“As long as he gets that angry then there is progress. He needs to bulge so Patricia would be out. I don’t like the way Madam Ana looks at me every time we cross paths. Her patience is running out, I can feel it.”
“I am glad you feel we are making progress but whatever it is, you have to figure it out. Get your shit straight. To you I am your friend but to him and everyone else here, I am nothing but a mere servant, a slave. No one gives a shit about me they can have my head anytime. Just have it in mind that if he insists on seeing you any further, then I would have no choice than to let him.”
“I understand. It’s just a matter of time and you wouldn’t have to hold on for me any longer and no one is having your head.”
I guess I spoke so soon. Beth was right, she was only a slave and Ryan would eventually run out of patience and might likely pounce on her. I feared for her and I knew that I would not stand it if she gets hurt just because of me. I had to dismiss her services for the time. Which brought me back to the point were I was left alone in my room without the slightest idea of what I would do next.
In between my drowsy state I heard a knock on the door, it was low and brief. Just the way I asked Beth to knock whenever she came around.
“Beth?” I called out but no one responded.
Then I moved closer, “Beth is that you? I told you not to come,” I whispered but there still wasn’t any response which was a bit unusual. But my stomach ached from having to eat nothing all day. The thought of her carrying one of those food sacks along caused me to open the door in a hurry. But it wasn’t Beth.
“Ryan,” I called out, “I feared it would be you,” I added.
“Well, you gave me no choice. I even had to pay your maid a visit.”
“Beth,” I gasped, “I hope you didn’t hurt her.”
“She is fine. I am not a monster Clara.”
“What do you want?”NôvelDrama.Org owns this.
“I want to know why you have been avoiding me.”
“You have refused to release Patricia even after I begged you to.”
“Is that why you have been avoiding me? Because of Patricia?”
I looked away folding my arms.
“Look Clara, I am in love with you and you are keeping me on the fence. I need to know if you feel the same way I feel.”
“Ryan, I don’t want to talk about that.”
“Well, that’s the only way I can release Patricia.”
“This is insane. Why do you always do this?”
“Do you know what I think? I think that you feel the same way.”
“What?”
“Yes, if you didn’t, then why did you flee from me and refuse to see me after that day I asked you if you loved me?”
“That’s just a really poor analogy.”
“Well, tell me something that actually makes sense.”
“You asked a really sensitive question that I was clearly not in the right frame of mind to answer. Just stop changing the freaking topic and release Patricia.”
“Then answer the damn question! do you love me?!”
“No! I don’t love you. Now I have answered the fucking question, let Patricia go and leave me alone! Leave!” I screamed. My voice quivered, tears rushed down freely. I saw Ryan’s eyes too not so vibrant as it first was. Perhaps I could have given a different answer but with the pressure I could only give out what came first to my head.
“It took you days and so much pressure to give out a reply,. He chuckled, “I’ll release Patricia. But you and I know that you are only bluffing.”
He turned to leave.
“Ryan,” I called him back, “Don’t ever do that to me again. You have no right to put me under such pressure, don’t do that.” I sniffed wiping tears off my eyes.
He said nothing only a chuckle as he walked out of the room leaving the door ajar.
No? Was it really no?
Perhaps my quest for freedom had clouded a lot of things, even my feelings.