A Marq's Woman Ch. 04

Ahh, yes, Rade thought. I've got you now.

"But how did you…?"

"I have my resources. Although it's illegal for such marriages to take place, I have enough power to overrule the law." He paused. "So, are you going to do it?"

He already knew the answer, of course.

"Hell, yes. I just…Gods, I think I'm in shock! You really knew all along, didn't you?"

"Yes."

"When?"

"Right about the time you ordered a glass rod fashioned in the shape of a…" he stopped with a grating laugh when she threw a burning look at him.

"All right. I'll do it. I'll leave by noon today and be back with news. May I keep the picture?" she asked, indicating to the drawing on the table.

He nodded.

With the piece of paper in hand, Rade watched her shift out of the room. Even after six years, it still amazed him as to how she could change forms so quickly. He'd seen her shift to wind, horse, bird and once, even a worm. But even when she shifted, her form would always have the luminescent blue of her eyes. She was an interesting piece of work.

Speaking of interesting pieces of work, Rade thought as he reached for the Illiad globe in the corner of the table. Perhaps he should do a little checking up on the little one.

*

Kistle sat on the top of the hill, looking down at the fairly shallow lake before her. The white bed sheet that she'd fashioned into a dress billowed around her, catching the wind whenever it could.

Had it been only a day since she'd been taken from the Chapel? It felt like eons since she'd first felt Rade's touch. She'd been so afraid of him then, she thought with a smile. How things change.

A part of her loved this freedom, loved this vibrancy to life that she'd found outside the Chapel's walls. As a child, she'd never been allowed to saunter as far as the Chapel gates. Mother had always kept a tight reign on all of her girls. Many had suffered severe beatings from her for simple things. Kistle shivered when she remembered the bruises on Sister Gense's back when Mother had caught her winking at a boy at Mass. In Kistle's opinion, if Sister Gense had desired the boy, Mother should've cut her loose. Gense had been an orphan like Kistle, after all, and it should be her choice if she wanted to become a servant of the Goddess or not after eighteen years.

But Mother hadn't given any of the orphans a choice. It was either to serve or to be beaten. Kistle admitted ashamedly to herself that she'd chosen to serve only because she was afraid of the cane… that, and the darkness of the cellar.

She sighed and rested a cheek on an upturned knee. Her life had been so colourless – black habits, white candles, scentless bath soaps – everything had seemed so dull and lifeless. She had thought life was like that before she'd been so boldly taken away by her captor.

Now she knew the joys of being a woman, of freedom and of mild contentment. There was nothing more she enjoyed than rolling around in the grass with the kitten that she'd found prancing in the garden. And to take a dip in the lake sounded so forbiddingly exciting! Only the Goddess knew that Mother would punish her so if she found Kistle wearing nothing but a bed sheet over her chemise and plunging into dewy lake-water.

This is the way life should be, Kistle thought happily as she jumped to her feet. Facing the blue skies everyday, listening to the cooing of the birds, watching the fish swim about in the river! This is life! Not the dreariness she'd known amongst the four walls of the Chapel, repeating the same prayers every day! This is life and she was just beginning to feel like she was living it. And considering everything, she thought, being the love slave of a man was such a small price to pay for this life.

She tilted her head to the sky, feeling the sun's warm rays beat down on her. Mother had always told the girls that bathing in the sun would ruin their complexion for the Goddess. The Goddess needed beautiful girls by her side, not sun-burnt prunes. But Kistle didn't care. She didn't care about anything in the world except for the elation in her heart right then.

It really was a luxury, this, she thought as she rid herself of her 'dress'. The hypnotic waves of the lake became too enticing and Kistle made a dash for it, like a rabbit amongst the tall grass. Then, with one quick jump, she plunged into the warm water…

…only to find that her feet couldn't feel the bottom of the lake.

She struggled, like a snake caught in a net, to stay afloat, but it was no use. The water seemed to pull her down into its murky darkness and all she could do was scream.

*

Chapter five will be a while in coming. I apologize.

Feedback, comments and votes will be greatly appreciated, as always(: Thanks for reading this installment!

And to all of those who've mailed me, thank you for your support!

Lillian.