Read Online Rowena Through the Wall: Expanded Edition by Melodie Campbell - Free Book Online
Authors: Melodie Campbell
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the wall.
That night, the moons were full. Sleepless, I had been laying in bed watching them for a long while.
Ivan came to me and sat on the edge of the mattress.
"Please talk with me," he said. "We need to talk."
I sat up and looked at him. He didn't meet my eyes, but stared out the window at the moons.
"Understand when I am with you," he said, "I am made mad with desire all the time. When we are apart, I am consumed with worry for your safely. It is tearing me apart."
"I need you to be gentle."
"I want to be gentle, but when we are alone, it is like a beast takes over me. I cannot control it." He sounded bitter. "When another man looks at you, I want to kill him. Even my own kin."
That sounded grim.
"Jon told me about feeling bewitched when he first encountered you by the river."
I bet Jon didn't tell him everything.
"Let me sleep with you tonight. Let me lie with you and hold you, and I will not bother you for sex this night. I give my word."
The flow of moonlight blanketed the room in a soft embrace. I settled down upon the bed and moved the covers back to make room.
Ivan removed his clothes and slipped silently in beside me, gathering my back to his chest. His arms held me loosely. I felt him hard behind me, but true to his word, he made no move. Before long, I felt him relax and fall to sleep.
I silently made plans for my escape.
It started to rain midway through the night. I had to close the shutters since Ivan was sleeping like a log.
When I woke at dawn, the place beside me was empty.
As the rain subsided to a gentle sprinkle, I dressed quickly, determined to reach the stable undetected. Making no sound, I found my way down the stairs, past the great hall and through the side door.
Pools of water lay in the yard. As I walked, mud gathered along my skirt bottom. I didn't care. I was going home.
I hurried across the courtyard.
"Where are you going in this rain?" Ivan called behind me.
I hesitated. "I'm going to visit my horse." I turned toward the stables.
"No, you're not. You're lying." He grabbed my arm.
"Let go of me!"
"You're not going anywhere."
He grabbed my other arm and pulled me around. I tried to smack him with my hand, but I slipped and landed on my knees in the mud. He grabbed me around the waist and I struck out with my right leg.
Down he went on his back, into a mixture of mud and manure.
Someone yelled. Someone else laughed.
I attempted to crawl away on hands and knees, but kept kneeling on my skirt.
Then Ivan was upon me again. We rolled over and over in the muck, like two mud-wrestlers on cable TV. I slipped out of his grasp twice, then yelled like a banshee and called him all sorts of names. He pinned me to the ground.
A roaring, cheering crowd had gathered around us. Not a single man missed our debacle.
"You're like a greased pig," Ivan said, lurching to his feet. "That was a whole lot of fun, but let's do it without clothes next time."
I tried to kick him, but fell flat on my chest.
"Ivan! Rowena!" Grandfather bellowed from the top of the steps. "Stop this. Stop this at once."
Ivan reached out to help me up. I grabbed a handful of mud and threw it in his face. He gagged and someone whooped. Jon and Richard grabbed my arms and dragged me away.
Not the most elegant exit I've ever made.
"Holy hell, you can fight," Jon said with a snicker. "Have pity on the poor man."
Richard was panting hard, but whether in laughter or outrage, I wasn't sure.
Grandfather was livid. "Rowena, look at you! What is it with you two? Why can't you get along like civilized married people?"
Okay, so I wasn't a perfect example of grace and decorum. My beautiful lavender gown was ripped down the side and slathered with mud. My hair was caked and I could hardly see out my left eye.
Richard picked up a piece of my vest―the pretty one with fur trim that now looked black―and I could see his eyes were full of mirth.
Damn, this place was hell on clothes.
Ivan had fared no better. Mud
That night, the moons were full. Sleepless, I had been laying in bed watching them for a long while.
Ivan came to me and sat on the edge of the mattress.
"Please talk with me," he said. "We need to talk."
I sat up and looked at him. He didn't meet my eyes, but stared out the window at the moons.
"Understand when I am with you," he said, "I am made mad with desire all the time. When we are apart, I am consumed with worry for your safely. It is tearing me apart."
"I need you to be gentle."
"I want to be gentle, but when we are alone, it is like a beast takes over me. I cannot control it." He sounded bitter. "When another man looks at you, I want to kill him. Even my own kin."
That sounded grim.
"Jon told me about feeling bewitched when he first encountered you by the river."
I bet Jon didn't tell him everything.
"Let me sleep with you tonight. Let me lie with you and hold you, and I will not bother you for sex this night. I give my word."
The flow of moonlight blanketed the room in a soft embrace. I settled down upon the bed and moved the covers back to make room.
Ivan removed his clothes and slipped silently in beside me, gathering my back to his chest. His arms held me loosely. I felt him hard behind me, but true to his word, he made no move. Before long, I felt him relax and fall to sleep.
I silently made plans for my escape.
It started to rain midway through the night. I had to close the shutters since Ivan was sleeping like a log.
When I woke at dawn, the place beside me was empty.
As the rain subsided to a gentle sprinkle, I dressed quickly, determined to reach the stable undetected. Making no sound, I found my way down the stairs, past the great hall and through the side door.
Pools of water lay in the yard. As I walked, mud gathered along my skirt bottom. I didn't care. I was going home.
I hurried across the courtyard.
"Where are you going in this rain?" Ivan called behind me.
I hesitated. "I'm going to visit my horse." I turned toward the stables.
"No, you're not. You're lying." He grabbed my arm.
"Let go of me!"
"You're not going anywhere."
He grabbed my other arm and pulled me around. I tried to smack him with my hand, but I slipped and landed on my knees in the mud. He grabbed me around the waist and I struck out with my right leg.
Down he went on his back, into a mixture of mud and manure.
Someone yelled. Someone else laughed.
I attempted to crawl away on hands and knees, but kept kneeling on my skirt.
Then Ivan was upon me again. We rolled over and over in the muck, like two mud-wrestlers on cable TV. I slipped out of his grasp twice, then yelled like a banshee and called him all sorts of names. He pinned me to the ground.
A roaring, cheering crowd had gathered around us. Not a single man missed our debacle.
"You're like a greased pig," Ivan said, lurching to his feet. "That was a whole lot of fun, but let's do it without clothes next time."
I tried to kick him, but fell flat on my chest.
"Ivan! Rowena!" Grandfather bellowed from the top of the steps. "Stop this. Stop this at once."
Ivan reached out to help me up. I grabbed a handful of mud and threw it in his face. He gagged and someone whooped. Jon and Richard grabbed my arms and dragged me away.
Not the most elegant exit I've ever made.
"Holy hell, you can fight," Jon said with a snicker. "Have pity on the poor man."
Richard was panting hard, but whether in laughter or outrage, I wasn't sure.
Grandfather was livid. "Rowena, look at you! What is it with you two? Why can't you get along like civilized married people?"
Okay, so I wasn't a perfect example of grace and decorum. My beautiful lavender gown was ripped down the side and slathered with mud. My hair was caked and I could hardly see out my left eye.
Richard picked up a piece of my vest―the pretty one with fur trim that now looked black―and I could see his eyes were full of mirth.
Damn, this place was hell on clothes.
Ivan had fared no better. Mud
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