Chapter 3: The Burden of Marriage

Days and weeks and months went by.

The room was dimly lit, the fire crackled in the hearth. Valérien hovered above his wife, their bodies entwined.

She lay beneath him, her frail body trembling, her fingers curling into the fabric of his tunic. Her pleas barely more than whispers.

"Please... stop," she begged, her voice breaking as she tried to push him away, her small hands pressing weakly against his chest. "Be... be slow."

But Valérien was beyond hearing her now, beyond the reach of compassion or kindness. Her words fell on deaf ears as he forced himself upon her, the softness of her cries fueling the dark hunger inside him. Her resistance only spurred him on, a twisted sense of satisfaction swelling within him as he saw the tears streak down her cheeks.

She turned her face away, pressing it into the bed as if trying to escape the reality of what was happening. Her fingers clutched the sheets, knuckles white with the effort to bear the pain.

Valérien leaned down, his breath hot against her ear, his lips grazing her neck before sinking his teeth into the delicate skin. She cried out in pain, her body tensing beneath him, but he didn't relent.

He gripped her hips, pulling her closer, forcing himself deeper as she struggled in pain but the struggle only seemed to excite him more. The harder it was, the more he liked it, the more it fed the darkness that had taken root in his soul.

When it was over, he pulled away, leaving her broken and sobbing on the bed. She couldn't even move, her legs too weak to support her, her body too battered by the brutal assault. But there was no comfort for her, no gentle touch to soothe her wounds.

He dressed in silence. With practiced ease, he adjusted his embroidered tunic, smoothing out the fine fabric as though nothing had happened. The soft tap of his leather boots echoed in the room.

"Your body tires so easily," he spat, his voice sharp, cutting through the silence like a blade.

Valérien stood tall by the bedside, bathed in moonlight. His blonde hair fell in soft waves, catching the silver light and making him appear almost otherworldly. His cloak draped over his shoulders.

With sudden force, he grabbed her arm, his grip bruising. "So weak... so utterly pathetic."

Before she could react, he flung her back onto the bed. Her body landed with a dull thud, limp and unresisting, her broken sobs muffled by the tangled sheets.

Her eyes, glazed with pain and fear, barely registered the fury in his gaze. She was too broken, too lost in her misery to comprehend the depth of his disdain.

Without another word, Valérien simply turned away, his expression one of detached indifference, as though the scene before him were merely an inconvenience. The hem of his cloak brushed the floor as he walked toward the door. He didn't look back. There was no need.

The sound of her sobs haunted him as he walked away, but he pushed it from his mind, refusing to let her weakness taint his thoughts.

****

The next day, the sun rose bright and clear, a stark contrast to the darkness that had filled the night before. Valérien dressed in his finest clothes, his mood oddly light despite the events of the previous evening. It was as if a weight had been lifted from his shoulders, the burden of his marriage momentarily forgotten.

His mood brightened even more when he learned that his brother, was arriving from across the sea. The news brought a rare smile to his face, one that softened the harsh lines of his features. His brother had always been a beacon of light in Valérien's life, a reminder of the innocence he had once known, and the brotherhood that had always brought him solace.

His brother arrived in the early afternoon, the sound of his horse's hooves echoing through the courtyard as he dismounted and greeted the servants with a warm smile. Valérien met him at the door, his usual cold demeanor melting away as he embraced his brother.

"It's been too long," Valérien said, his voice filled with genuine warmth as he clapped his brother on the back.

"It has," His brother agreed, his own smile broad and infectious. "I've missed this place, and I've missed you, brother."

As they walked together through the halls, the darkness of the previous night seemed to fade into the background, overshadowed by the joy of their reunion. Valérien felt a strange sense of relief, as if his brother's presence had somehow cleansed him of the guilt that had been gnawing at the edges of his conscience.

But even as they laughed and talked, a part of Valérien couldn't forget the broken figure he had left behind in the bedchamber. No matter how hard he tried to push it away, the image of her tear-streaked face lingered in his mind, a silent reminder of the man he had become.

For now, though, he pushed those thoughts aside, focusing on the joy of having his brother home. The darkness would return soon enough, but for the moment, Valérien allowed himself to be lost in the light, if only for a little while.