The Witch's Daughter and the Rogue Lord

Normal day

    I scream several insults at myself in my head. I could've left it at that. He would've left and never returned, sworn to secrecy though. But I have now tied myself to this man. What could repay such a thing? My mind immediately answered with images of his eyes on me. Starring at me with hunger. The heat radiates through my face. Surely this gentleman wouldn’t have anything sinister in mind.

    I shake the thought from my head. I must focus on getting out of this room and onto my tasks. Today will be normal. I look to the only other exit, my window. My bed pressed right up against it, making it the perfect ladder. I grab up my skirts and crawl on the bed. I push open the glass.

    The sun has barely come up. Colors of orange paint the trees as the sunlight touches them. I look around. No one to be seen. Few people take a stroll this side of the castle so early. Good, I then assess the drop. I breathe through my teeth. It's much too far to drop. I’ll have to climb. I look beside my window. “Yes.” I smile when I see the vines growing from the side of the castle. Perfect! They looked like they made it far enough down to drop. My confidence grows. I’ve landed from much farther heights.

    I begin to remember a moment in my childhood, when I had climbed a tree to hide from Dragg and his wife, at the time, Elenore. I can still hear their worried calls. Even though Elenore didn’t particularly like me, she still treated me like a human being. Erik would be the one to spot me, high up in the tree. Even he sounded panicked. My heart raced at the idea of him caring for me, even in the slightest. The branch I was resting on began to weaken then.

    NO! I can’t think of that right now. I begin to hike up my skirts. The last thing I want is to get caught up in them and fall. Or worse, rip another dress for the poor Mrs. Crach. I wrap the length of my skirts around my waist until most of it is bunched up. I assess my look in the mirror. I let out a giggle. My bottom half looks like a mushroom. My undergarments were fully visible. I blushed at the thought of someone seeing.

    I ignore my growing anxiety. I make my way onto the bed and peek my head out the window again. Still, no one to be seen. I nod my head with determination. Not another thought will be spent on this. I turn and back my legs out of the window. My feet search for a strong part of the vine to settle my weight on. They soon found their spot.

I look down towards Ferron's window. The shutters were closed. I smile at my plan. This will be a normal day. I grab onto the vine with one hand and tug. There is no way this would snap on me. I breathe deep and slow. I swing one leg over, then the other. Then I begin to shimmy down the foliage.

    This isn’t a normal day starting. It still felt so satisfying to be so evasive. My breathing quickens as I feel my hands begin to shake. My arms feel sore already. It's been a while since I've climbed anything. My resolve is not so easily broken. This will only make me stronger.

    My moment is short-lived as I hear a scream fill the air. As my hands tighten around the vine, I realize it was my scream. My foot had not found any more vine. My sweaty hands pull my entire body up so I could try to find better footing. My eyes shoot down. The vine did indeed end and I was still nowhere near the ground. “Shit.” I try to slow my breathing. I just need to get a few feet closer. Maybe I could find a protruding brick.

    My stomach leaps into my throat as the vine gives out with a loud snap. The world seems to be falling all around me, though I know better. Everything looks like long blurred lines. I hear another scream other than my own, but the pounding in my ears does not allow me to hear.

    I land roughly on something hard. Pain radiates through my back, but not as bad as I'd thought. The something that I landed on begins to move and groan beneath me. I gasp, “OH GODS I’M SO SORRY!” I push myself up and quickly turn towards the poor person that broke my fall. My stomach knots up and all the heat in me travels right to my face.

    Ferron moans painfully on the ground. “Damnit Lii, what were you trying to do?” I reach my hand out to help him up. He accepts. 

“I just wanted to come outside," I say pitifully, hoping he won't pry further.

“Have they ever shown you the doors?!” The irritation in his voice grows. He looks at me. The frown he held disappears. He sighs and asks gently. “Are you alright?”

 I nod, “Yes…I’m sorry Ferron.”

He returns my nod and smiles. “Desperate to avoid Dragg?” 

I quickly nod, remembering it was him I truly wanted to avoid… wait a moment. “What are you doing up so early?” 

His cheeks reddened slightly. “Well, I …never went to sleep, Milady.”

    Ferron's eyes lowered for a moment then shot back up to my eyes. His face grew redder. “I um…had too much on my mind from the events of the evening. I…Um …” His eyes shot back down to my lower half.

The heat in me burned. I bit my lip. What was he looking at? The heat dulled as I remembered. “Gods!” I yank my skirts from my waist and push them down. “Ferron!” Why didn’t you say-"

“I was trying to Milady!” He answered before I could finish my question. “It was just hard to find the words without embarrassing you.”

“I am embarrassed regardless!” I snap at him

For a moment it looks as if he wants to smile, but holds it back. “Forgive me for saying so, Milady, but I do feel like we are past certain boundaries-"

“No! Some boundaries are uncrossed, MY LORD.” I add mockingly. “I’d prefer they remain as such.”

    This time he doesn’t even attempt to hide his happy smile. “I am sorry, MY LADY.” He sounds it out slowly.

I take in a deep breath and release it as a sigh. It doesn’t seem like I was going to get my normal day.