No words. Two fine horses pulling a carriage rumbled loudly past, causing Stare to sit upright in alarm. Vitruvion steadied her easily, before raising his other arm, and pressed against her shoulder to hold her still as he picked up his feet and headed over the road.
My agreeing to stay with you willingly was not … meant to provoke this.
He quickened his pace to avoid a rider on a grey stallion charging down the road. As I said, Stare, he replied also in the mind, the privacy of it more suitable now. 'This’ is my request. You know - he broke off, and she could feel the pride that ruled him begging him not to continue.
I know, she answered. I never thought it would be so public.
As per your other term, I will not … touch you … like that. His words came out as a growling stutter.
There are others, she growled, Other things I want to say. Not at the very least to get some clarity on what he meant by 'thinking about’ freeing her.
And we will discuss them, he replied. Compromise, but for the most part, we have an agreement.
Stare blinked twice, her eyes wondering over the sliver of his face that she could see from her position. There was a sincerity that she saw in his eyes, a sternness in his jaw that she knew immediately she could trust.
She glanced back over his shoulder, watching as more guards joined their rear, stepping out from the gloom and the early morning snow that they had hidden themselves in as she and Vitruvion had begun their long, nighttime walk. Now, they were gathering, coming out of silence to gaze at what had precisely become of their employer and his favourite.
Finally she saw Brer come around the corner, and the half giant paused for a moment before throwing her a rare smile. She sucked in her breath quickly, sitting up, taller - and Vitruvion played on it. He looked back to see the collection of his employees, surveying them with a general sweep of his eyes before he smiled. Stare saw in that moment genuine pleasure and happiness, a rare sight for a man who had been through so much. And for her - an honest moment of bliss was beyond her much of the time, because of what she had been through and what she had seen. Because of what he had done, but other things also. Her whole family dying, her brother killing her. He had made her with the same hardened heart he had, and now she had decided to devote her life to giving up fighting, to working with him. Indeed, she would have remained in some close proximity to him, fighting for every chance of freedom she could - but this way … there was far more patience and kindness and hope. And the tall house he had mentioned - she doubted it would feel like she was a princess, locked away in a tower. Indeed, the fact that he had not misused Blaze and Sable for the past three months gave Stare some hope - although it could not excuse their ruined lives. With her own willingness to a fairer future with him, Stare honestly hoped that the two girls would now never need to suffer again.
Vitruvion could always use prostitutes.
