-William-

He turned the key and the sound of it the door being locked was all that could be heard. Until suddenly, the door started to tremor violently. William took a step back. Looking at it for a second or two before he realized what had happened.

Jade had thrown herself against the door and was banging at it hard with her hands. Over and over she hit her hands against her side of the door. Judging by how the door was moving and the sound of every bang, she was using all the force she could muster. Force he hadn't thought she was capable of.

"What are you doing? Why the hell, did you lock the door?!" She screamed from the other side. "Let me out!" Her voice sounded desperate as she kept hitting the door.

William studied the door in silence. He waited for Jade to stop without answering her. If she reacted this strongly, she wouldn't listen even if he did take the time to explain to her why he was looking the door.

The sound of her crying reached him and an excruciating guilt washed over him. The feeling was one he rarely experienced and he didn't care for it. He stayed on the other side of the door as to comfort her, without her even knowing it.

After a while she finally calmed down. William waited a little longer before turning to the door of his own room which was opposite to hers. Silently, he opened the door but hesitated before entering. He listened for her once more. There came no noise from Jade's room but he could hear how heavy she breathed, and then came a quiet sniffle.

He wanted to explain to her that he only locked the door because he needed to be sure she was safe. But it was of no use. She wouldn't accept any explanation he would give her. Not as long as he kept her locked in a room against her will. He didn't want to, but he needed her to he safe.

He had lied to her in the carriage as well. When she'd asked what he needed her for... and he'd answered that he didn't need her. He did, and he wanted her. He'd never needed anything or anyone as much as he did her.

He had been very disappointed to find out just how resistant she was to this arrangement. So much more than he had expected. Of course, she wouldn't be happy that she was given away to a complete stranger... but could she not feel what he felt when he looked at her?

The first time he had laid eyes on her, his whole world had turned upside down. How was it not the same for her?

-Jade-

Jade waited a couple of minutes for an answer. There came no sound the other side of the door, but she knew that he was there. She could feel it.

A moment later she heard him open his door and how it closed behind him. She sniffled and backed away from the door. Really? He is locking me in here? Tears overflowed her eyes and trickled down her cheeks.

Jade walked over to the bed and sat down, drowning in devastation. Sobbing and crying she laid down in and covered herself with blankets. She was still fully clothed, apart from her soaked shoes which she removed. She shivered when her feet took shelter underneath the covers.

She fell asleep crying, alone and afraid.

. . .

The next day Jade woke up to the sound of a gentle knock on the door. A part of her was relieved that the worst night of her life was over. She hadn't slept at all. Her head felt heavy and it ached from all the crying and lack of sleep. Jade sat up and pressed her hands against her face. It was dry from crying. Her skin felt cracked and her eyes felt so dry that they couldn't muster another single tear.

"Miss? You have to get out of bed." A voice spoke to her through the door. It was the driver.

The driver entered before she answered him. He took a look around the room. The eyes of the old man was careful not to look directly at her. He quickly located her bag with his gaze and grabbed it. Then he approached her with a gentle smile on his lips that were surrounded by his thick grey beard.

"Come now, miss." His voice was kind. He reached out a hand and gently motioned her to get out of bed. Jade threw the covers aside and accidentally sniffled.

Ashamed to look like a crying child she lowered her gaze to the floor, a tear fell down her cheek. The driver wiped it away with his calloused hand.

"Stop crying. It doesn't suit you, miss." He said and smiled warmly at her. The soft expression in his face made her feel less frightened. At least one person was nice to her.

The man looked like he was about her father's age, maybe a bit younger. He didn't have as many grey hairs as her father did, except for his grey beard. The kind eyes were a light shade of blue.

"Where is he?" She asked nervously. Her voice shivered as she spoke.

"He's eating. You'll need to eat too before we leave, miss." The driver answered and went for the door. "It will take us a whole day to reach the castle before sundown." He continued and waved at her to follow him. "If we are lucky." Jade looked at her shoes which were still lying at the floor, still wet.

"The castle?" Jade repeated, ignored her shoes and followed the driver downstairs and into the dining room. It smelled of bland tasting porridge and warm milk. There was also a lingering smell in the air, it smelled of ale and vomit from yesterday's drunken guests. "He owns a castle?" She asked.

"A castle?" The driver chuckled. "He's owns several...Well, he has one. His father has several." He explained and herded Jade through another door and then to a table. Before Jade got the chance to ask about his father, she saw that the subject of her questions were already sitting at the table. He looked like he hadn't gotten any sleep, just like Jade.

He looks the same as yesterday... She thought. Apart from the dark circles underneath his eyes.

The only other seat was to the left of the man. Jade would much rather be seated opposite to him, so she wouldn't have to be close to him. She threw an anxious look towards the driver who took a seat at a table close to theirs. With an encouraging nod he told her to take her seat next to the man. A bowl of porridge and a cup of milk waited for her, but she had no appetite.

"Good morning." She mumbled as she sat down. The man didn't so much as look at her. He didn't even answer her. He just kept eating his breakfast. "Good morning?" She repeated herself, irritated.

He can at least speak to me if I am to join him for breakfast...

"Eat." He ordered her. Jade frowned in confusion.

He was practically urging me to ask him questions yesterday, and today he doesn't even want to talk to me?

"You can at least-"

"Eat!" He ordered her again but now with a stern look. "Is it hard for you to do as you are told? Am I not speaking clearly?" Jade scoffed. Surprised by his extreme rudeness. Why would she ever do as he told her?

Suddenly, she heard the driver clear his throat. He gave her a look that said "Eat and don't talk back". Jade felt her temper start to boil inside of her. She would not accept this! She would not be treated this way!

Without a word she stood up, grabbed the bowl in one hand and slammed it upside down onto the table. The porridge went everywhere; into the man's bowl, on the table, the floor and a drop even made it's way onto his cloak.

The driver immediately got up and disappeared outside, as if he knew chaos would follow Jade's action. She bit her lip nervously. This was apparently the wrong thing to do, but it was too late now. However, she decided to stand her ground.

"Eat it yourself." She hissed and walked after the driver, giving the man no chance to answer.

She slammed the door behind her and walked out into the pouring rain, heading for the carriage. In seconds, she was soaked and her hair stuck to her face and when it was all wet, little rivers of rain coursed down her face. She had never experienced rain like this. It literally stood down like thousands of thin rivers from the sky.

"Hey! Miss! Don't let the rain get to your skin! You will get sick!" The driver yelled from the carriage. He was tending to the horses for their journey. As soon as she saw him he had set off towards her, running at her through the unforgiving rain. He was only wearing a jacket and his hat, which it barely kept up with its new job of keeping his face dry. When he reached her, he pulled her hood up and ushered her gently towards the carriage.

"What are you doing wandering out into this rainstorm?! You foolish little creature!" He exclaimed. His pace was rushed, like he wanted to get her inside as quick as possible. If Jade hadn't been so upset, she'd smiled at his thoughtfulness.

When he opened the door for her he looked down and his eyes widened drastically.

"You are not wearing shoes, miss!" He gasped as Jade put one of her feet on the first metal step under the door of the carriage.

"No." She answered. "I left them in there." She said and nodded at the inn. "They were still wet and I won't need them when we arrive, will I? Why bring them?" Jade argued.

The driver didn't answer. He just closed the door and told her to stay put as he went to get her future husband. The man without a name... She thought and followed the driver with her gaze as he hurried towards the inn.

Seconds, he came back out with his employer behind him. The man walked past the driver with strides that were hard and fast. He was clearly very angry and Jade knew it was because of her porridge-throwing from earlier. As he came closer, she could spot more stains of porridge on his cloak. Apparently, she had caused a bigger mess than she initially thought.

Maybe I should have just eaten and maintained the peace...

Jade rolled her eyes as the two men approached the carriage. Her so called future husband almost stomped his way over to the carriage. Water splashed underneath his knee-high boots. It did not seem to bother him that it made him even wetter. Jade scooted over to the far end side of her seat when he ripped the door open.

The dark blue eyes were almost glowing with rage as he sat down in front of her. She kept her hood on as protection when he pulled his own off to let her see how furious he was. Every inch of his face was tense; his jaws were clenched and his lips were in a very strict line. Not to mention how his eyebrows were furrowed, giving him a intimidating scowl.

Jade waited nervously, her heart in her throat, for a scolding. She even closed her eyes to brace herself, but nothing happened. She opened one eye slightly and could see that his mouth was not moving but his face screamed at her. It seemed like he was trying to suppress his urges to scream at her.

Does it go against his beloved manners to insult and scream at me? She wondered relieved.

"Here." He said after a moment.

A a pair of boots were thrown on the empty seat next to Jade.

"My driver said that you didn't bring your shoes... You shouldn't risk becoming sick." He added reluctantly. As if the words were very hard for him to say out loud. Like they had a bad taste to them. However, there was still a pair of boots next to her... Apparently, he cared enough to keep her warm and healthy.

"Thank you." She mumbled.

Before she reached to grab the boots she hesitated. Her gaze studied him cautiously, waiting for a sudden charge from his side, but he didn't move an inch. Neither did he say anything as she quickly grabbed the boots and put them on. Their warmth and protection was true bliss to her.

The rain followed them all day and when darkness fell, Jade was sore all over and not just in her buttocks. They were especially sore but her back screamed stiffly at her as well.

She noticed that the man watched her as she rubbed the back of her thigh, up to her right butt cheek. She had thought he was asleep before she had moved for the first time in hours.

"From the look of you, I guess that you are not used to travelling?" He asked with a calm voice. She shook her head and wrapped her cloak tightly around herself.

"Really? It shows?" She asked wryly. He chuckled and raised his eyebrows, confirming his own assumption.

"A little." He answered and leaned forward. Jade leaned back, vigilant. She didn't want him too close to her. He stopped when he noticed. "Are you afraid of me?" He asked and looked down at their feet and then at her face again. His gaze was impossible to read. It didn't reveal anything about what he was thinking or feeling.

"Yes, a little." She replied silently. "A lot." She corrected herself and put her feet up on the seat, pulling them close to herself. Terrified...

"Why?" He asked as it was the simplest of questions. Like he hadn't just taken her away from her home.

"Why?" Jade repeated curtly.

"Yes. Why?" His tone remained calm, despite her crudeness. "I have barely touched you..."

"You dragged me away from my home without any explanation." Jade exclaimed and felt her temper start to boil inside of her instantly. "You are rude and obnoxious" She continued with a venomous tone.

"I don't see how me being rude is a reason for being afraid of me..." He argued, not seeming the very least insulted by her words.

"You haven't even given me your name." Jade replied. The man nodded, as if he agreed that this was an acceptable reason for being afraid of him. "You are nothing but a stranger to me." She whispered and tried to make herself smaller in her seat. Trying to protect herself from him.

Jade exhaled heavily before she continued.

"You locked me in my room last night, and to be blunt; You are so... cold." She said and felt that she had finally had her say. For now. She had been completely honest, no detail had been spared. It was just as well that he knew that he scared her. In fact, she had much more to say but she did not expect him to sit and listen peacefully as she read him a list of reasons why she feared and loathed him. It would either result in him retaliating, or he wouldn't care. If he would even listen.

The man did not answer her. It almost seemed like he knew she wasn't done talking. Jade swallowed impatiently, uneasy by his silence.

"Why did you lock the door?" She asked with anger burning inside of her. No answer. "Where did you think I was going to go? Home? I can't find my way home! I had absolutely no idea of where we were! Hell! I don't even know where we're going now!"

The man leaned back again.

"An answer is apparently asking too much of you..." She snarled.

"I didn't drag you away. Your parents agreed to it." He said quietly. Jade kept quiet, but was still irritated. When he didn't continue, she lost control.

"What about me?" She asked. "Did you ever consider asking me? Do you not wish, that the one you wish to marry, wants to be with you? Or is that not relevant?" Her words were spiteful.

He didn't answer her. He was just sitting there, silent. She couldn't tell what he was thinking and it frustrated her immensely.

"What about your name? You haven't even told me that. Do you even know mine?" She breathed sadly.

"Of course I know your name!" He exclaimed. "That was the most stupid question you have asked so far."

"Then what is it?" She urged him coldly. "What is my name?"

"Jade." He answered with a dark husky voice.

She inhaled slowly at the sound of her own name falling of his lips. Somehow it made her calm down... He said it in a soothing way, almost like he had the ability to say it just right. No one had ever said her name like that. Deep down inside of her, a little fire was lit. Somewhere, inside of her, a part of her liked the way he said her name.

"I don't see how that was a stupid question." She said quietly. "You wanted me to ask questions." She snapped even though he hadn't said anything rude back. She regretted it immediately when he leaned closer to her. His eyes locked with hers and she felt trapped. She wanted to turn her gaze away but she couldn't... There was something in his eyes...

"I did." He admitted. "But I will only answer two more of your thousands of questions..." He growled ."Choose wisely."

"Why did you lock me-"

"I locked you in that room for your own safety." He interrupted her before she had even uttered the whole question. "We spent the night in a very dangerous place. I told you that when we arrived yesterday. I didn't lock you in the room. I locked everyone else but me out of it." He muttered.

"Don't speak to me like I am a child." She muttered in a futile attempt to keep her honor intact. "Will you give me your name?" She asked, looking out the window when she didn't expect to get an answer in return.

"William." He answered her.

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I hope you liked this chapter!

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Love Jenny

Updated: 2nd if September 2020