Chapter Five

Alexander gazed on at Beatrice as she slept on the bed. She clenched the red and white coloured coverlet in one of her fists as she slept. Alexander remembered the promise he had made to himself earlier on before he had gone to fetch Beatrice for her wash and he vowed to keep it at all costs.

He was done being harsh with her. That was all in the past. Her sleeping form twitched a little and he took in her angelic face. She truly was beautiful. That was what had attracted him to her in the first place.

Her firm breasts nestled under her night dress as they moved up and down due to her breathing. Her hips were not were not too generous but they were the right shape and he loved them that way. Her also loved her slender waist, her elegant legs and her milk and butter complexion.

Alexander's gaze moved to her lips again and he took in how rosy they were. They were full and enticing. At this moment, there was nothing he wished more than to capture her lips with his and kiss her with the desire that was pulsing through him. He decided not to do that because he did not want to startle her and he knew she would feel displeased by his actions.

She moved a little to the right and her firm breasts jiggled a little. This little movement awakened a primal need in him and elicited a growl from his mouth. He simply wished to take her there and then, to bring her absolute pleasure, to make love to her until she cried out in the sheer bliss of release.

Alexander thought of how he would take her breasts in his palms and mold them, how he would shower kisses all over her body, how he would put his mouth on her womanly crevice and lap at her wet folds, how she would push his head in deeper and how he would finally sink his length into her when she was pulsing and ready for him.

He thought about how she would claw at his back because he was driving her crazy with pleasure, how she would come to her climax before him because she always erupted first and how he would empty his seed into her warm crevice.

He stopped himself right in time as his member was already rock hard and twitching underneath his breeches. He growled primally and went into the washroom to splash a bit of water from the ewer on his face. Alexander went back to the sleeping area. He sat down heavily on the window seat in the far corner of the room and took in the whole room as if he was seeing it for the first time.

His eyes darted continually from the sleeping form of Beatrice to the direction of the armoire and other places in the room. He had to stop himself from thinking about these provocative thoughts.

From now on, he would put Beatrice first. He was sure that she was not ready to make love anytime soon. With the state of her mind, she would not take kindly to him making any demands. He would not even think of doing so. He had to be sure that she was ready and that she totally wanted him, all of him before he would gladly take her and ravish her body.

For now, he was content to wait and watch her recuperate. He would also guide her on the journey to rediscovering herself. It was in that sitting position that Alexander fell asleep. He slept soundly till dawn.

When the first rays of light began to come in through the stained glass windows, Alexander woke up. He had not wanted to fall asleep on the window seat but the events of the previous day had taken its toll on him. He rubbed the sleep from his eyes and walked toward the washroom. There, he splashed some water from the ewer onto his face to make him alert for his coming duties.

Alexander walked to the kitchens and met the maids preparing the morning meal. When they were done with the preparation of the food, he sat down on the dining table to eat with his mother. As soon as he finished the food, he took leave from her and went to the kitchen to request for Beatrice's meal. A maid offered to take it to her but he waved her off.

He made his way to his chamber with the tray of food. He re-entered the sleeping area. Beatrice was still asleep on the bed. He walked to the bedside and tapped her on the shoulder gently.

"Beatrice, wake up and have your meal," he said softly.

Matilda stirred and blinked open her eyes. As her vision adjusted, the first thing she laid her eyes on was Alexander. Their eyes met for a brief second and something different coursed through Matilda's veins. She quickly averted her eyes and cleared her throat but she did not speak.

"Milady, you have to go to the washroom to wash your face and mouth. After then, you can take your meal. Thereafter, I shall send someone in with hot water for your morning wash. I shall also send Lucia in to come and assist you."

Matilda walked to the washroom. She poured some amount of water from the ewer to the basin and used it to wash her face. Then she gulped wayer from the ewer and swished it round her mouth to rinse the dirt out. She walked back to the bedroom, sat down on the bed and Alexander held out the tray for her to take.

She took it from his hands and set it on her lap. On the tray was a dish of fresh bread and fresh fruits like grapes, pomegranates, apples and cherries. There was also a cup of a sweet smelling wine beside the dish. The aroma of the bread wafted up into Matilda's nostrils and she inhaled deeply. This food looks delicious, she thought.

Matilda took a bite of the bread. It tasted as good at it looked and smelled. The fruits tasted as if they had just been brought it from the orchard. Before long, she had finished the food . She drank the whole cup of wine in one single gulp and set the cup down on the tray. Matilda heaved a sigh of satisfaction and looked at Alexander.

All these while, Alexander had been watching her as she ate. He liked the look of satisfaction he saw on her face and he took it that she had enjoyed the meal. Still, he needed to ask her for confirmation.

"Was the meal to your taste?" he asked.

" Yes, it was," was the simple reply that came out of Beatrice's mouth.

He moved to her side and took the tray from her outstretched hands.

"I need to return this. On the way, I shall send Lucia and a maid in with your bath water. I will not be coming back to this chamber anytime soon as I have some work to do. Lucia will keep you company until I am able to come back. Good day, milady."

He took his sheathed dagger with the emblem of a diamond and a scythe intertwined together on its handle, hung it on his belt and left the room, shutting the door behind him. Matilda walked to the window seats and plopped herself down on one of them. The cushions were comfy and she felt relaxed.

She looked through the stained glass windows at the sprawling edifice. The grounds of the castle was large. There was a garden to the left side of it and a fountain to the right. This place is beautiful. Too bad I don't want to remain here. She was jostled from her reverie by the sound of a knock on the main door of the chamber.

"You can come in," Matilda called out.

A plain looking young girl entered into the room with two buckets of water. She headed straight for the washroom and came out soon after with the buckets empty. She left the room and almost immediately, a second girl entered.

The girl that walked in was young, presumably ten and eight years of age. She was moderately attractive and had short, greasy hair. Her height was alright for a girl of her age and her eyes shone with compassion.

"Good day, Lady Beatrice. I am Lucia," she said. The Marquess asked me to come help you with your wash."

Lucia led the way and Beatrice followed. In the washroom, she poured some quantity of scented salt into the tub and helped Matilda to take her nightdress off, leaving only her chemise.

"You can take your leave now. I will handle it from here."

Matilda took her bath as she had done the night before and dried herself off with a cloth. She wrapped the cloth around her body and went back to bedroom. She met Lucia standing there with a set of clothes laid out on the bed. Matilda allowed Lucia to help her put on her clothes. Barely after she finished dressing up, the door swung open and a middle aged woman came in.

"Good day, Lady Victoria," Lucia greeted.

" Lucia!" Victoria called out and smiled.

She moved towards Matilda and clapsed her on the back with her hand.

"I am Lady Victoria, Alexander's mother. I have come to check on you after Alexander told me yesterday that you are getting better. How are you feeling now?"

Before Matilda could respond, a tall beautiful lady with red hair stepped into the room and enveloped Matilda in crushing hug. She called out in a cheery voice.

"My dear Beatrice, how are you doing today?"