Free Web NovelChapter 33: Chapter 33
" Glaring at me like that won’t make me agree to your terms." Ragnar said. He was sitting on the bed, Circe bed, his back propped against the headboard, his legs arranged neatly in front of him.
A faint, almost smug smile tugged at the corners of his mouth, just enough to be noticed, and just enough to make Circe want to hurl something heavy at his head. It was the kind of smile that suggested he knew something she didn’t and was far too pleased with himself to keep it a secret.
Circe glared harder. There was so much anger and hostility in just that one look that Ragnar almost reconsidered his plan to rile her up. Almost.
It was admittedly a very risky endeavor given the fact that she had a weapon and was more than willing to do serious damage with it if he pushed her hard enough. But what else could a man do when his only options were either to annoy the wife that abhorred his very existence or go mad with boredom. And despite the risks, the former was growing increasingly tempting with every hour that passed.
Ragnar had been conscious for nearly three days and he was still yet to see beyond the four walls of this room. Lady Taryn had forbidden him from even leaving the bed. Granted, he still had injuries that hadn’t fully healed and his leg hurt whenever he tried to put weight on it but right then he was ready to start climbing the walls just to entertain himself.
Being stuck in a room with only his thoughts and a scowling woman as company had its way of making a person reevaluate their entire life. It left him alone with his thoughts, a truly dangerous thing. Even more dangerous than Circe’s dagger. In turn it made him restless and just a little bit more reckless.
It was one of the reasons he loved being a soldier, the thrill of constant movement, the camaraderie of his fellow men, and the sense of purpose that came with each new mission. Isolation like this made his skin itch and his thoughts spiral. He was a man meant for wide open spaces, for the freedom that came with galloping across unfamiliar lands with the wind in his hair and the sun warming his face. There was a kind of peace in the chaos of the battlefield, a rhythm in the road that made him feel alive in a way stillness never could. free𝑤ebnovel.com
During the time he spent with Circe, he learnt she wasn’t a really good conversationalist. It was either that or she despised him so thoroughly that she would rather simmer in silence than engage with him in any way. She no longer asked him questions and anytime he tried to start a conversation, she typically only replied with curt, one word answers. More often than not, she just ignored what he said altogether while glaring at him.
Ragnar’s already smug look somehow became even smugger.
" Sitting on that chair for so long must be awfully uncomfortable. How about a trade? I will take the chair and you’ll take the bed." He had a playful smile that made him look mischievous, younger. Nothing like the man everyone watched slaughter a beast twice his size. " Better yet we could both share the bed, it’s big enough for us. I’ll even promise to behave myself, hands tied behind my back and all."
Circe growled at him. Actually growled, like a forest creature. He knew he had pushed her too far with that one. Ragnar wouldn’t even blame her if she chose to bury her dagger in his chest right there and then, blackmail be damned. frёewebnoѵel.ƈo๓
" I am your warden not your friend, so stop pretending like I’m anything else." Circe hissed. She said the word ’friend’ like it was a slur.
" Of course we aren’t friends. We would have to accomplish a civil conversation first. You are something entirely different. You, princess, are my wife." Ragnar said, looking far too pleased with himself for getting under her skin.
" Not of my own free will." She argued.
" Oh, I’m sure, but we’re still married regardless."
The steel of her blade glinted as a warning. Ragnar could already see her control splintering so he decided to give her a much needed reprieve. She deserved it after putting up with him for this long.
Ragnar closed his eyes. " Tell me something. If I eventually help you in leaving Lamora, and please humor me for a moment here, where would you go? You can’t return back to Westeria. The king has already started deploying his soldiers there and is in the process of making it one of the colonies under Lamora."
He heard her breath hitch, and he stared at her in confusion. Was she truly unaware of this? Did she truly believe that she would just waltz back and find her kingdom the exact way she left it? What exactly did she think would happen after king Zeriel ordered Ragnar’s troops to completely level the Westerian monarchy.
Circe looked away. When she spoke next, her voice sounded far more subdued.
" Anywhere is better than here."
Ragnar pitied her. None of this was her doing or even her choice, yet she bore the brunt of it all. Married to a man she loathed and trapped in a foreign land she had no allies in. Now she was stuck with him, a man that planned to use her for his own gain.
" Without a doubt. Anywhere is better than Lamora."
" How patriotic of you." Circe snorted. She watched him plant his feet on the floor before slowly pushing himself off the bed. He wobbled with every step he took, placing one hand on the bed to settle himself.
" Look at me, Princess. Do I look like someone who has been treated well by their country?"
If they could do this to one of their princes then what would they do to someone they saw as nothing but a prisoner?
" And yet you still serve the queen. You practically trip over your own feet rushing to do her bidding." Circe accused. Her eyes narrowed at him when he started slowly closing the gap between them.
