Six

Ruby didn’t leave her room all morning. She lay in bed, staring at the ceiling, feeling the dull ache in her body. She wasn’t sure if it was the pain that kept her still or the weight of everything that had happened last night.

She wasn’t stupid. She had known Kane was cruel. She had known he had no interest in love or kindness. But last night, for a brief second, she had seen something else—something hidden beneath all that rage of his and now, she couldn’t stop thinking about it.

Gloria had stayed with her for a while, offering advice on how to handle him. Handle. She chuckled inwardly, as if Kane was just another problem to solve. Maybe he was but he was also like the storm in his eyes—violent, unpredictable, and very much impossible to control.

Still, he had chosen her. That had to mean something.

Didn’t it?

Ruby forced herself out of bed. She took a long bath, letting the warm water soothe her sore muscles, then she got dressed in something soft and loose, then made her way downstairs.

The house was quiet. It always was. Aside from the guards and a few servants, it felt empty. No one wanted to be around Kane unless they had to.

She found Gloria in the kitchen, chopping vegetables. The older woman glanced up and smirked. Ruby smiled back, glad to see a nice face in all this sea of scowls

“Surprised you’re walking.” Gloria said and Ruby managed a small smile

Ruby rolled her eyes and sat on the stool across from her. “Barely.”she said and Gloria chuckled, setting the knife down.

“You thought about what I said?” She asked

Ruby sighed. “Yeah.”

“And?”

“And I don’t think I can win him over,” she admitted. “He’s not interested in being won over.”

Gloria leaned forward. “Then don’t try to win him. Try to understand him.”

Ruby snorted. “Right. Let me just ask him why he’s such an asshole. I’m sure he’ll open right up.”

Gloria laughed. “Not in those words, sweetheart. But he wasn’t born this way. Something made him like this.”

Ruby frowned, what did she mean by that.

“And what if I don’t like the reason?” She asked and

Gloria shrugged.

“Then at least you’ll know what you’re dealing with.” She replied. Ruby didn’t have a good answer for that, because deep down, she already wanted to understand him.

————————————————————————————

The sun was setting when Ruby wandered outside for some fresh air. The garden was peaceful, the sky painted in warm shades of orange and pink. She was damn tired of staying indoors, dealing with the image of Kane banging her like a dog, and the terrifying truth of how she was starting to like it, she hadn’t admitted that to anyone, even Gloria

Ruby turned and her heart stopped, she didn’t expect to see Kane.

He stood near the large oak tree, arms crossed, watching the horizon. He must have sensed her approaching because he spoke without turning around.

“I thought I told you to stay away unless I called for you.” He growled.

His voice was sharp, could have cut ice, but there was no real anger in it. Just… exhaustion and wariness.

Ruby hesitated. “I just needed some air.” She said softly

He finally turned to look at her, his green eyes unreadable. “And yet here you are, standing in my presence.”

She swallowed. “I can leave if you want.”

He studied her for a long moment, then looked away. “Stay if you want. Just don’t talk.”

That was… unexpected.

She stood beside him in silence, watching as the last of sunlight disappear behind the mountains. The air between them was heavy, but not in the way it usually did. It wasn’t suffocating, just tense, like a sky before a storm. After a while, Kane sighed

“Why do you keep pushing, huh. I know what you’re doing trying to get me to be nice to you and all that” he growled

Ruby glanced at him. “Because I don’t believe you’re as heartless as you pretend to be.” She said, hoping he didn’t get angry for it

He scoffed. “You’re naive.”

“Maybe.” She shrugged. “Or maybe I just see more than others do.”

He didn’t respond for a long time. Then, in a voice so low she almost missed it, he said, “Don’t.”

Ruby frowned. “Don’t what?”

“Don’t try to understand me.” His jaw clenched. “You won’t like what you find.” He added and stormed away

For the first time, he didn’t sound cold. He sounded… almost human.

And that scared her more than anything else.

———————————————————————————-

Ruby decided to test Gloria’s advice. She wasn’t going to chase after Kane. If she had learned anything, it was that Kane didn’t respond well to people wanting things from him.

So, she waited.

By mid-afternoon, he came to her.

She was sitting in the dining hall, eating an apple, when he walked in. He didn’t say anything at first. Just stood there, watching her from the doorway and she ignored him.

After a moment, he spoke. “Come to my room tonight.”

Ruby looked up, meeting his gaze. “Why?”

His eyes darkened. “You know why.”

She took another bite of her apple. “I don’t know, Kane. You were pretty rough last time.”

Something crossed his face—too fast for her to read. “You’re my wife. You’ll do as I say.”

Ruby tilted her head. “Maybe. But I don’t think you really want a wife who just follows orders like a trained dog.”

His jaw tightened, she had hit a nerve. Ruby only hoped she hadn’t gone to far

“I don’t care what you think,” he said. But his voice didn’t sound as cold as it usually did.

Ruby stood up, walking past him without another word. He reached out and grabbed her neck and slammed her into a wall

“Watch it Ruby, I kill people for less, don’t you ever fuck with me” he growled and Ruby stared at him, right in the eyes.

“Let go” was all she said. He glared at her some more then he released her neck

“See me in my room in five minutes, keep me waiting and I promise you, you hate your life”