Chapter 239 TEIGEN LXIII
The scent of fresh flowers filled the air. Roses and lilies sat in large vases, almost too many to count.
Sawyer’s voice came low, pleased with himself. “Do you see, Elara? Tomorrow you’ll stand here as my wife. The nobles will bow. The Empire will celebrate. And while you wear my ring, your precious Ryker will kneel at the block. His death will be my wedding gift.”
Elara’s knees almost gave out. Her whole body shook. “You are a monster,” she whispered.
Sawyer only laughed and tightened his hold around her waist. “And yet tomorrow, you’ll be mine.”
He didn’t let her go. He guided her forward like she was something to show off, his arm tight enough to make it hard to breathe. Elara turned her face away, trying not to look at the beautiful hall that would become her prison.
Her heart pounded hard in her chest. With every step, she thought of Ryker. His violet eyes. His warmth. The way he held her hand in the marketplace. She pictured him beaten, weak, dragged to his death while people watched and cheered. The thought made her feel like she might collapse.
Sawyer leaned close, his lips brushing her ear. “You should be grateful. Not many women get to be my bride. You’ll carry my children. Share my bed. The Empire will sing about us.”
Her stomach turned. She forced herself to stay steady. “I would rather die,” she said quietly.
He stopped walking.
Before she could react, he shoved her against the cold stone wall. His eyes darkened, something dangerous flashing in them.
“You speak of death,” he said softly, “when your life belongs to me?”
Then he kissed her.
It wasn’t gentle. His hand gripped her chin, forcing her still as he pushed into her mouth. The smell of wine made her feel sick.
Elara struggled, hitting his chest, his shoulders, but he didn’t move. He held her in place, pressing her harder against the wall. Panic rose inside her. She tried to turn away, but he followed her.
Her vision blurred with tears. Anger and fear mixed together until she couldn’t take it anymore.
She bit him. Hard.
Sawyer pulled back with a low growl, his hand going to his mouth. Blood showed where she had bitten him. He stared at her, shocked.
Elara breathed heavily. She wiped her mouth with her hand and glared at him through tears. “I will never be yours.”
For a second, everything was quiet.
Then his expression changed. The shock faded, replaced with something much worse. His eyes burned with anger, and a slow, cruel smile spread across his face.
“You little viper,” he said. “You think this will save you? You think this makes you strong?”
He stepped closer, slamming his hand against the wall beside her head. She flinched but didn’t look away.
“All you’ve done is make things worse for yourself.”
Her legs shook, but she held his gaze. “Do what you want. You can trap my body, but you will never own me.”
He let out a dark laugh. “We’ll see.”
He leaned in again, close enough for her to feel his breath. “Tomorrow night, when everything is done, I’ll remember this. I’ll remember that bite. That fire in your eyes. And I’ll take my time with you. You’ll beg before the night ends.”
Her stomach twisted. His words made her feel sick, but she refused to break. She dug her nails into her palms to stay strong.
Sawyer finally stepped back. He wiped the blood from his lip, smearing it across his skin. “Tomorrow,” he said quietly, “you’ll learn what it means to defy me.”
Then he turned and walked away, his steps echoing through the corridor until he disappeared.
Elara slid down the wall once he was gone. Her legs couldn’t hold her anymore. Her whole body shook. Her lips still hurt.
She covered her face, trying to hold back her sobs, but they came anyway.
The hall was empty now. Too quiet.
But his words stayed in her head, repeating over and over.
Her chest ached. It felt like her heart might break.
Still, somewhere inside her, something refused to die.
He could threaten her. He could force her into this marriage. But he could never take everything from her.
She whispered into her hands, as if Ryker could somehow hear her. “I won’t break. Not for him. Not tomorrow. Not ever.”
Tears fell freely now.
She didn’t know what would happen next. She didn’t know if Ryker would live to see tomorrow.
But for him, and for herself, she would hold on.
No matter how much it hurt.
The corridor was dim, lit only by flickering torches. Elara leaned against the cold stone wall and slowly slid down until she was sitting on the floor. She raised a hand to her mouth and felt the sting. When she pulled her fingers away, there was blood on them.
She stared at it but didn’t react. The shock was still there, but it felt distant now, like everything inside her had gone quiet.
Footsteps came rushing down the hall. Not guards. Lighter, faster.
A hand grabbed her wrist “My lady!”
Camilla dropped beside her, her face full of worry as she took in Elara’s pale skin and the blood on her lips. “What happened? Who did this?”
“Elara.”
Phillipa and Winnie appeared behind her, both tense and alert. They stood close, almost shielding her from the rest of the corridor.
Elara let out a shaky sound. It might have been a laugh. It might have been a sob. “Sawyer,” she said softly. “He—”
Camilla gently touched her lips, then pulled her hand back to look at the blood. Her eyes widened. “You bit him?” she asked, almost in disbelief.
There was a hint of pride in her voice. “Elara… you’ve lost your mind.”
She let out a small breath that almost sounded like a laugh, but it quickly faded. “Come on. You can’t stay here. Lean on me.”
Elara didn’t argue. She let them pull her up, though her legs shook badly. Phillipa steadied her from one side, while Winnie wrapped a cloak around her shoulders to cover her.
“Camilla, get something to clean that,” Phillipa said quietly, glancing toward the stairs. “Winnie, see if Augustine is free. We need to be careful.”