Page 12 of The Freedom You Seek

The entrance led into a small building, and Jelric closed the door behind us. It was dark inside, and if there were windows somewhere, they must have been so dirty that they didn’t allow much light in. Mynose told me we were in some sort of stable—the air was reeking of animal waste, and even though I didn’t mind pungent smells to some degree, I had to struggle to fight back the urge to throw up.

That was when the full gravity of the situation settled in: I was alone with a man I didn’t know or trust in a dark stable.

I had to get away before something terrible would happen. Everything Jelric had said and done so far painted an alarming picture of his intentions. But he was blocking the only exit I was able to see, making an escape impossible.

Jelric still fumbled around with the door—I couldn’t see what exactly he did—and only stepped away after the bolt had sunken down with a loud clank.

“I don’t like this place. Please, let me leave.”

“And I don’t care what you like or not, betrothed.” Jelric trailed closer to me, and instinctively, I retreated backward.

“Hmm. It seems that your tendencies to be difficult are real. Your father’s warnings about you being headstrong were not in vain, but don’t worry. Strict education and punishment will certainly change that quickly—and I’m not scared to put in a little bit of extra work to get what I want.”

“You can’t be serious. I’m a human being with my own opinions. You have no right to say things like that.”

“Don’t worry, you’ll soon learn that every right I want to have is mine when it comes to you. It’s you who’ll have no say and no power in this marriage.” Jelric smirked and took another step toward me.

“We aren’t married yet.” And the longer I interacted with Jelric Feroy, the more I knew I could never marry him.

“Oh, that changes nothing. You’re already mine. The choker on your neck is proof of that.”

Realization hit me as I peered into his leering face. He was basically giddy with excitement. He relished making me afraid, controlling me, degrading me with his words and actions, and the fear churning in my stomach intensified.

“What do you want from me?”

“I want to make you beg.”

“I won’t. Leave me alone.”

“Why should I? I told you I’d test you today.”

“Keep your filthy hands off me!” My back slammed into the uneven wall as my betrothed shoved me hard. I winced in pain as my still-sore skin started to bleed again on impact. My eyes widened, and Jelric’s smile became diabolical.

“You’ll be my wife, and I’ll be the benevolent god you submit your life to. I’ll govern over your very existence. Your every move, every breath, will depend on my permission.”

“That’s insanity!”

“No, it’ll be your reality. Although strictly speaking, youarealready my property because your father signed the binding matrimonial contract. The wedding is only a mere formality.” Jelric’s fingers touched the choker around my neck with more gentleness than I’d thought him capable of. But then he pushed me harder against the wall, and I could feel his breath—a stench even fouler than the fecesin this stable—hot on my face. It didn’t come as a surprise that my father had already signed me over, nor was I shocked about him not informing me.

“And I can do whatever I want with my property.” Jelric leaned forward all of a sudden, and I gagged as he pressed his lips hard against mine.

Again, I was paralyzed, but as he forced his tongue between my lips, the spell broke, and I struggled against his touch, desperately trying to push him away.

Jelric’s unyielding grip on me tightened, and his tongue claimed my mouth relentlessly. I screamed against his lips and, in an act of desperation, bit down hard. The metallic taste of blood filled my mouth, and Jelric pulled away, fury blazing in his eyes.

“You’ll regret that.” He was fuming, and I realized that this momentary act of defiance had been a grave mistake. Jelric had me cornered, and there was no chance of getting away.

His hand collided with my cheek, so hard I saw stars. I was dazed, and he took this as an opportunity to throw me into an empty stable box onto a flimsy layer of dirty hay before lowering himself down as well, using his body weight to keep me pinned in place.

My adrenaline surged as I panicked, and I fought hard against his grip, but all my strength wasn’t nearly enough to free myself.

Jelric’s hands started to wander, groping my breasts through the flimsy fabric of my dress, and his foul breath accelerated. “I like these. Big and ripe and allmine.”

“Stop touching me!” I had no more doubts about what he was planning to do to me. I screamed in panic, but he planted one of his hands over my mouth. All my thoughts only centered on how to escape, to flee, to run, and I threw my head left and right in an attempt to get rid of the thing that was clamping down on half of my face.

“Stop struggling girl, and shut up. I’ll get what I want anyway. It’s up to you how good it’s going to be for you. So, just stay still and accept your gods-given duties.”

He suddenly removed his hand from my mouth. However, before I was able to scream for help, his lips claimed mine once more and swallowed every sound I made.