Chapter 9: Chapter 9
"SO, EVEN THOUGH I FORBID YOU from leaving your room, you still did?" Serena Lasen was not mad. On the contrary, she was ecstatic because she was going to punish Magnolia.
She took an excited deep breath. "Bring me the whip from the drawer."
Magnolia walked to the table and with shaking hands, opened the drawer. She took out the black whip.
"No, not that one. The one with stones."
Magnolia's twelve-year-old body shuddered. She grabbed the other whip and brought it to Serena. It had five braided leather pieces hanging from it, and each braid had a small stone attached to its end.
Magnolia swallowed hard as she handed the whip to her guardian.
"Uncover your back," she ordered the little girl.
She obeyed silently. She unbuttoned her dress and turned her bare back to Serena. Her breathing quickened and she squeezed her eyes shut, waiting for the pain.
The loud crack came first before the whip came into contact with her skin. She bit her lip hard, to stop it from letting out any sound.
Serena hit again, and again, and again. Tears rushed down Magnolia's face, but she never screamed. She would never give Serena that pleasure.
"You insolent rat. You should be thankful that I took you in. Without me, you would have died a long time ago."
Another hit then another one.
Magnolia had nearly passed out from the pain.
****
Daniel rushed to her bed as she continued screaming. "Magnolia. Magnolia, wake up." He shook her a few times before she opened her eyes, dark and desperate eyes full of bitter tears. She pushes him away.
"Stay away from me, you monster," she yelled, not really seeing who it was.
"Magnolia, it's me, Daniel." Her eyes focused on his face.
"Daniel?"
"Yes, it's alright. It was just a nightmare." He slowly pulled her to him. She did not resist. He took her in his arms, and she clenched his shirt in her fists. "It's alright now, it was just a dream," he repeated.
"I wish it was," she whispered against his chest, but the duke heard her. He squeezed her closer to him unconsciously.
'Was it a memory?'
Magnolia calmed down after a few minutes. Maybe it was because she was too exhausted from her dream, but she did not resist Daniel's embrace. In fact, his soothing strokes on her back were quite out of character from all the rumors about him.
'But again, everyone thought Serena was a benevolent saint who took in an orphan even when she was not blood related.'
Magnolia unconsciously squeezed Daniel's shirt tighter in her fists.
"Shh." She heard him say as he rocked her gently. She could not help but to close her eyes. Somehow, she felt safer in his arms.
Daniel looked down at Magnolia's face and sighed in relief when he realized she had fallen back asleep. He slowly laid her down on her pillow and covered her with the sheet. Then he lay on his arm next to her. He pushed a few locks of hair away from her damp face as he stared at her with gentle eyes.
"I am sorry," he whispered. "I cannot love you, but I will protect you." He kissed her forehead.
He remembered his parents' accident and squeezed his eyes shut. His chest tightened. Even after all those years, he still could not suppress the feelings he got every time he thought about them.
'I cannot.'
IN THE MORNING, Magnolia tried to move but something was restricting her. She opened her eyes to a bare chest and heavy arms wrapped around her.
'What is this?'
She looked up and found Daniel's sleeping face. His shirt was completely open, and he was keeping her close to him.
'Oh my… why–why is he sleeping in my bed?'
Suddenly, she remembered her nightmare from the night before. She remembered how sweet Daniel had been, trying to comfort her. She closed her eyes and twisted her lips.
'What kind of situation is this? After my whole speech about how there shouldn't be any physical contact. How embarrassing is it to wake up in the duke's arms?'
She tried to break free but all she got was a groan from Daniel.
"Good morning, Your Grace. It is a beautiful–" Clara's voice trailed off when her eyes fell on the duke's bare torso. She blushed instantly and ran to the door.
"My apologies, Your Grace, umm Your Graces." She bowed without looking up again. "Please, ring for me when you need me." She ran out of the room as fast as she could.
Magnolia just watched with her lips parted. Clara did not even allow her to utter a word. She sighed.
"Why so noisy?" Daniel asked with his eyes still closed.
Magnolia pressed her lips together. She was grateful that Daniel came over the night before, he was so sweet, but he should not have stayed all night.
"Maybe if you had slept in your own room, it wouldn't have been as noisy." Magnolia wiggled around pushing against Daniel's chest to break free.
"Please don't move too much, I have a situation," Daniel pleaded.
"What situation? What are you talking about? Just let me–" Magnolia froze as she touched something odd.
"That situation." Daniel finally opened his eyes and laid them on Magnolia's scarlet face. A smile tugged on his lips at her reaction. "It is quite normal for a man to wake up with an erection sometimes," he teased her.
Magnolia's face got a darker shade of red, if that was even possible. She was at a loss for words. She wanted to push him away, but she did not want to hurt him.
The duke finally released her, she immediately jumped out of bed. He also stood up and walked toward the door separating their rooms.
"See you at breakfast, my dear wife." He left Magnolia standing immobile in shock.
'My dear wife?'
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone