~ NYSSA
I woke with a stabbing pain in my head and deep exhaustion in my bones.
I dragged myself into a standing position, trying to remind my legs how to move without buckling under my own weight.
Henry had cleaned up the glass shards and he must have returned soti while I was passed out because resting atop the chair he sat on last night were fresh clothes; a familiar pair of blue stripped leggings and a loose grey shirt. I’d left them behind when I left with Rowan in a hurry.
He’d been to my house.
The thought of him poking through my belongings sent a shiver down my spine but I pushed the thought aside. I slled like a dump and unfortunately, getting clean was a bigger priority than my discomfort.
Thankfully, Henry had not chained back so I headed towards the bathroom.
Only half of the wall was tiled. It looked like soone was building it but abandoned it halfway. A single bucket of water sat in the middle of the bathroom with a lone bar of soap.
I’d seen servants treated better than this however I could not complain. I made quick work of a bath, rubbing my skin aggressively to get the dirt off.
I was in the middle of changing my shirt when the white door opened and Henry walked in. I pulled the shirt over my head quickly, trying to hide my body from his view.
"You don’t need to do all that," he murmured as he made his way down the steps. "I will see it soon enough."
"Over my dead body," I spat, earning a deep frown from him.
In his hand was a bowl of what looked to be oatal and fruits. My stomach rumbled in hunger. He held it out to , silently beckoning close, but I did not move to him. After what happened yesterday, there was no telling what he had in store.
"Really, Nyssa?" he asked, with a roll of his eyes. "Will you starve?"
I pressed my lips into a thin line. "You can put it down. I’ll pick it up when you leave."
"You will either take it from my hands or not at all. It is your choice."
Three long seconds passed but I still did not move and he scowled. "I see you’ve made your choice."
He turned to leave and instant panic shot through . There was no telling when the next al would co and starving would not do any good. I needed my wits to be able to think of an escape.
"Wait!" I called out, slowly making my way forward. "I’m coming."
A shit eating grin spread across his cheeks as he stood in place, waiting for to get close enough. Once I was within reach, a hand shot out, grabbing my arm in a firm, bruising grip.
I tried to wrench free from him, but his hold was unyielding.
"Now that wasn’t so bad, was it?" he ground out, teeth bared. "You see how easy it is when everyone lives together in peace and harmony?"
He leaned forward, nose brushing against the side of my hair and I took in a full inhale of his scent. I could make out his stupidly expensive cologne and body wash. He’d been using the sa one since he was eighteen.
It was so familiar.
A few months ago, that scent would have brought peace and comfort. Right now, all it brought was unease.
"Let go," I hissed, finally wrenching my hand out of his grasp. "What do you want from , Henry? Why are you even doing this? What do you get out of it?"
He smiled, a soft, adoring look. "You."
I scoffed. "This isn’t about , Henry, and don’t delude yourself into thinking it is. This is about Rowan and your ssed up rivalry. This is about settling a perceived score. You didn’t want . You were more than happy to reject . You only decided I was worth anything when soone else wanted ."
"That is not true," he ground out, stepping up to . "I made a mistake, I get it, but I need you, Nyssa. No one else understands the way you do. No one has ever loved the way you do."
I rolled my eyes. "You an no one puts up with your bullshit the way I do. I can’t imagine that Alisa or Aria made things easy for you. I was your fool, your jester, and I am done. I have a mate—"
"A mate that killed your parents."
Her words died on her throat.
With everything that happened, she had not yet sat to think of the repercussions of that. She was angry, that much was certain, but she was too focused on her current predicant to nurse that anger.
"Well he never kidnapped ," she hissed.
Cold rage settled over Henry, his spine going rigid as her words hit their intended target. She watched a fire light up in his eyes, a fla unbridled that burned so bright she took a step back.
"If you want to be like this then so be it," he said decisively.
He tipped the content of the bowl onto the floor. Oatal splattering all over the dirty cent floor and her legs.
"Eat," he said simply.
She stared at him in shock. "You must be insane."
"I assure you that I am not."
His face was stoic, his lips pressed into a hard line and she could not help but laugh. The entire situation was fucking absurd.
Did he think she would get on her hands and knees like a dog and eat off the floor?
"And what happens if I don’t?" she asked, hands crossed over her chest defiantly.
"Until you eat it all, there will not be another al. I love you, Nyssa, and I have tried to be good to you, but if cruelty is what you long for, then cruelty is what you will get. I have tried to be kind. I will not allow you make a fool out of ."
Without another word, he turned on his heels and walked away, leaving her there.
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