and sitting was a long awaited relief.
She felt her pulse slow and her mind ease as she tried to get
comfortable and breathe in deep. She looked over at Kieren, frowning
as she wondered if she had a choice in letting him do it. She should
have taken the gun from him and done it herself to spare him that
anguish.
The time it took to get the ship out of the atmosphere and to a
safe distance where they could jump out of the system didn't take
very long, though with the thoughts that roiled in his mind, it
seemed to take an eternity.
Finally he arose from his seat, the pair on their way out of the
system as he turned and came back to her. Calling upon a lifetime of
training, he was calm and had only a warm smile for her.
She looked so helpless to him, he thought. On the run, sitting out
of place in the back of his ship in only a night gown and heels. He
crouched and slid onto the bed that also served as a bench to sit
beside her. Rubbing his chin and mouth a moment he then reached out
to touch her shoulder, smiling reassuringly, "How are you,
Ardanna? Did... did he hurt you in any other way? I have supplies to
treat most any minor wounds, and if he did anything else... we can
head for a sector with good medical assistance."
She shook her head slowly, "No, Kieren. You interrupted him,"
she said softly, not meeting his eyes. "He was just getting
started." She took in a breath, closed her eyes and felt the
bile rise in her throat before she swallowed it down, "That's
what happens to people without emotions," she said, her voice
heavy with sadness. "He didn't do it out of hate. Or malice. Or
anger. He did it because he could afford to and get away with it. He
did it because he feels nothing for me, or anyone."
Any doubts he had about her philosophy in the past, and how it
conflicted with the teaching of the Fiato , vanished then. He knew her
to be right, and hated bitterly that he ever bought into a philosophy
that taught otherwise.
"I never should have doubted you, Ardanna. You... you were
right about it all." He leaned in and carefully hugged her,
wrapping both arms about her and squeezed softly. "You'll never
be a slave to anyone else ever again, I swear that to you. With every
ounce of passion I have in me, from a life of repression, I do swear
to defend you from now forward."
She was pleading with herself not to cry, trying to remain strong,
but as he wrapped his arms around her she couldn't help but sob,
"It's fine, Kieren. I'm fine," she swallowed again. "It
could have been worse. I still have my worth." It had been so
fully ingrained in her that her virtue was something so dear to hold
on to, it relieved her to still have that tiny stretch of flesh. "He
didn't even want that," she said with a pause.
The subtleties of sexuality were lost on him. He didn't fully
understand what she meant or why she said it, but knew it somehow had
to do with her upbringing. Squeezing her a little firmer, his thick
hair rubbed against her cheek and tentil . "He was a cold,
emotionless monster, Ardanna... he wanted nothing any healthy normal
person should have." Even with the man dead, he felt the bite of
rage against him for what he did--what he tried to do--to her.
"You're free now. Free from him, free from captivity. Free to
live your life as you wish."
She closed her eyes against his nuzzle, inhaled deeply, her face
betrayed the fact that she was deep in thought. She hadn't really
thought of freedom, never really even wished for it until he had
shown her and told her of all she was missing. She stroked his arm
lightly. "I'm so sorry you had to get involved. Did... did
someone give you my message?"
"No. What message, Ardanna?" he raised a hand, stroked
his fingers over her face lightly, brushed away the lingering
moisture of tears with gentle caresses. She had always seemed so wise
and mature to him. He thought of her as so much more than him in so
many ways, but here she sat, wounded and unsure of herself,
completely lost in a galaxy
She felt her pulse slow and her mind ease as she tried to get
comfortable and breathe in deep. She looked over at Kieren, frowning
as she wondered if she had a choice in letting him do it. She should
have taken the gun from him and done it herself to spare him that
anguish.
The time it took to get the ship out of the atmosphere and to a
safe distance where they could jump out of the system didn't take
very long, though with the thoughts that roiled in his mind, it
seemed to take an eternity.
Finally he arose from his seat, the pair on their way out of the
system as he turned and came back to her. Calling upon a lifetime of
training, he was calm and had only a warm smile for her.
She looked so helpless to him, he thought. On the run, sitting out
of place in the back of his ship in only a night gown and heels. He
crouched and slid onto the bed that also served as a bench to sit
beside her. Rubbing his chin and mouth a moment he then reached out
to touch her shoulder, smiling reassuringly, "How are you,
Ardanna? Did... did he hurt you in any other way? I have supplies to
treat most any minor wounds, and if he did anything else... we can
head for a sector with good medical assistance."
She shook her head slowly, "No, Kieren. You interrupted him,"
she said softly, not meeting his eyes. "He was just getting
started." She took in a breath, closed her eyes and felt the
bile rise in her throat before she swallowed it down, "That's
what happens to people without emotions," she said, her voice
heavy with sadness. "He didn't do it out of hate. Or malice. Or
anger. He did it because he could afford to and get away with it. He
did it because he feels nothing for me, or anyone."
Any doubts he had about her philosophy in the past, and how it
conflicted with the teaching of the Fiato , vanished then. He knew her
to be right, and hated bitterly that he ever bought into a philosophy
that taught otherwise.
"I never should have doubted you, Ardanna. You... you were
right about it all." He leaned in and carefully hugged her,
wrapping both arms about her and squeezed softly. "You'll never
be a slave to anyone else ever again, I swear that to you. With every
ounce of passion I have in me, from a life of repression, I do swear
to defend you from now forward."
She was pleading with herself not to cry, trying to remain strong,
but as he wrapped his arms around her she couldn't help but sob,
"It's fine, Kieren. I'm fine," she swallowed again. "It
could have been worse. I still have my worth." It had been so
fully ingrained in her that her virtue was something so dear to hold
on to, it relieved her to still have that tiny stretch of flesh. "He
didn't even want that," she said with a pause.
The subtleties of sexuality were lost on him. He didn't fully
understand what she meant or why she said it, but knew it somehow had
to do with her upbringing. Squeezing her a little firmer, his thick
hair rubbed against her cheek and tentil . "He was a cold,
emotionless monster, Ardanna... he wanted nothing any healthy normal
person should have." Even with the man dead, he felt the bite of
rage against him for what he did--what he tried to do--to her.
"You're free now. Free from him, free from captivity. Free to
live your life as you wish."
She closed her eyes against his nuzzle, inhaled deeply, her face
betrayed the fact that she was deep in thought. She hadn't really
thought of freedom, never really even wished for it until he had
shown her and told her of all she was missing. She stroked his arm
lightly. "I'm so sorry you had to get involved. Did... did
someone give you my message?"
"No. What message, Ardanna?" he raised a hand, stroked
his fingers over her face lightly, brushed away the lingering
moisture of tears with gentle caresses. She had always seemed so wise
and mature to him. He thought of her as so much more than him in so
many ways, but here she sat, wounded and unsure of herself,
completely lost in a galaxy
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