Marriage Bites – Chapter Two

It was nearly a week later that I lay in my bed wide awake. Jared was softly snoring next to me while I aimlessly stared at the ceiling attempting to follow the scrolling gold gilding work that swirled around our bedroom roof.

I sighed and shifted my position in the bed once more and huffed in annoyance as my body wouldn’t let me sleep. I couldn’t help but think about how crazy my life had become: I was a seventeen year old married girl who is pregnant and whose husband is a king and who also happens to be going to war.

Out of annoyance I kicked off the bed covers. I sat up and got out of bed on the mindset that a short walk about the castle would help me to become tired and sleep better. I slipped on a robe and fuzzy slippers as I slunk out of the room. I eased the door shut and quickly crept away from the door.

I giggled quietly at the funny sounds my slippers made on the slate floor that echoed through the corridors. I wound my way through to the large ballroom. I started to hum a song to myself as I weaved my way through the large round tables to the dance floor. I kicked off my slippers and began to waltz by myself to the song I was humming.

I closed my eyes and began to sing the song out loud as I twirled myself around the floor. My singing kept being interrupted by my own laughter as I giggled at how silly I looked. After a few minutes of dancing my laughter ceased as my singing grew stronger and I waltzed in my nightdress more. I eventually stopped dancing and panted slightly – I wasn’t sure how long I had been dancing. My allergies began to make my nose tickle and my eyes water because as I danced I kicked up the layer of dust lining the floor.

I screamed bloody murder and flew five feet in the air as I heard slow clapping that came from behind where I was standing. I spun around to see a cloaked man standing in the shadows. I hadn’t even heard him enter.

“You have a lovely singing voice, my Queen”

They way the man said it made it sound not like a compliment but instead sent a chill down my spine.

“I have a message for your beloved husband, my name is Alec and I come from Karzac the city your pathetic kingdom once owned. I rule there now and Jared is not welcome. Tell him that if he wants you and your unborn babe to survive; he better not continue to make plans to attack us in two weeks.”

I stood frozen in shock

“How did you know about…?”

“Oh yes, I know you are pregnant, I can hear its little heart beating away” he cut me off with a vicious smile

Instinctively my hand flew down to my stomach and gave a small smile at the thought of my little baby having a heartbeat. It was then that his threatening laugh cut through to my ears and his threat turned over in my mind.

The idea that this…thing was threatening my baby made me go all maternal and my maternal instincts caused me to leap at this evil creature. Caught unawares I managed to knock him to the ground and began to hit him in the chest.

“Don’t… you… dare… threaten…me…Jared…or…our…baby!!” I shrieked.

I felt a low rumble of a chuckled roll through his chest. He easily flipped me over and pinned me to the dance floor by my neck. I let another earth shattering scream erupted from my lips. I growled up at him which caused him to push harder on my neck.

I gasped for breath as the hood came away from his face to reveal the same pale skin I had grown used to but littering his face were battle scars that criss-crossed his face giving it the appearance of a worn street map. The man immediately reacted to this and hurried to cover himself – by placing his hand over his marred face.

I took this as an opportunity to try and free myself from his grasp. But he just chucked coldly at my feeble attempts. I once more let out a shriek that would wake the dead – where the hell was everyone??

“Sarah…?” I finally heard Jared’s sleepy voice echo through the corridors

I drew breath into my lungs to call out once more when Alec curled his hand into a fist and raised it above my stomach.

“Call out, and I’ll punch you so hard your little bubsy will be obliterated.” Alec hissed down at me.

I whimpered in fear and tried to clutch my stomach. I closed my eyes and silently prayed.

“Sarah…??” I heard Jared call out again

He sounded closer than before so hope began to soar in my chest, as Alec growled again in annoyance. I hardly dared to breathe as I waited to see what would happen. The fist that was raised above my pregnant stomach was wavering slightly in anticipation and suspense. My eyes shot open as I heard the rickety ballroom door opening and immediately I stiffened.

“Sarah what are you… Sarah what is going on here?!?”

Jared’s voice filled with rage as he saw the scene before him. I looked at him, frightened that he might be taking the situation completely the wrong way but I was relived when all his anger was focused on Alec.

“Alec” he hissed hotly as he bared his fangs

“Get your hands. OFF. My wife.”

Alec merely smirked at Jared and looked down at me.

“Remember what I told you Queenie… and so you don’t forget…”

His smirk grew and I watched in slow motion as his fist slammed down on my stomach with more force than a Mack truck on steroids. Everything around me suddenly started too happened in slow motion as I gasped due to the sharp ripple of pain that burst from my stomach.

I watched as Jared ran at Alec with full speed, flinging him off me and across the room. I saw Alec crunch into the stone wall like a rag doll thrust upon the pavement. I felt the earth shatter as I tried to sit up, ignoring the wrenching pain in my abdomen.

Suddenly the world sped back up and seemed to be moving in fast forward – my world was suddenly moving to fast. I felt wave after wave of panic surge through me as I saw a puddle of blood forming underneath me. After several attempts to stand I gave up and called for Jared to help me.

His eyes widened as soon as he spotted the blood and flew to my side at once. He gingerly picked me up and raced down to the castle hospital. I don’t know what happened to Alec but neither of us cared. Fatigue began to tire me out and the rhythmic bounce of Jared’s run put me into a light dose – even with the pain I was in I managed to fall into a light sleep. But in all honesty, I wasn’t sure if I had in fact passed out or just fallen asleep.

I felt myself being lowered onto a bed and I deducted that due to the pain I had been put into a semi-conscience state as I could hear what was being said, I just felt like I was dreaming it.

“Well sire, nothing seems to be wrong, all her vital organs are functioning fine, heart-rate is good and there is full brain function – I wouldn’t be surprise if she could hear us speaking right now” I heard a surgeon say

I light blush crept onto my cheeks as he said this as I felt like I was listening in to a private conversation.

“See! She’s absolutely fine”

“But….but… SHE WAS BLEEDING FROM HER--*cough* erm…yeah…” Jared stuttered embarrassed.

The air in the room stiffened. I heard the quick rustle of papers followed by an intake of breath. There were a series of shuffling footsteps and low humming whispers and I felt Jared grasp my hand.

“Excuse me sire, we need to run a blood test”

I felt a prick on my arms followed by a few seconds of aching pain. Then I heard some more footsteps. Once more the room was silent save for the slow breathing of Jared and my slightly raspy breaths.

After forever and a day the doctor re-entered the room.

“I... I’m so sorry… the punch caused Sarah to miscarriage… you have my condolences and sincerest apologies… I’ll leave you two alone…”

Jared’s calming hold on my hand turned into a death grip. My eyes snapped open and immediately began to tear up. This is defiantly not how Jared was meant to find out about my pregnancy.

My heart broke when Jared dropped my hand like it was on fire. This caused my tears to swell and race down my cheeks. All the tiny pieces of my heart broke into two as Jared got up and left.

An hour later I was let out of the hospital and slowly hobbled my way back to our bedroom. I creaked open the door and looked at Jared sitting by the window. The moonlight glinted onto his face and his cold eyes never wavered from their endless staring.

I crept into the room, shut the door behind me and eased myself down onto the bed.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” his voice came as a low whisper.

There were several moments of silence while I tried to formulate an answer in my mind. Finally I managed to stumble out

“I wanted you to focus on the battle… I… I didn’t want you to be distracted and get hurt…”

“Bullshit” he scoffed at me.

I was taken-a-back by his attitude as usually he would comfort me in such a time of great loss for the both of us. There was even more awkward silence.

“How long…”

“What?” I asked stupidly

“How long did you know?”

I cringed as I knew my answer would make him mad.

“… About a week…”

He stiffened and stared once more out at the moon and the surrounding forest. Soon he seemed to have an epiphany and an ironic grin passed over his lips.

“I can’t believe how blind I was… the sickness… the ‘big news’… the dizzy spells… gosh I am such a fool!”

I couldn’t take it anymore. I burst out into another round of big fat tears.

“Don’t you know how this is affecting me? I’m seventeen years old! I’ve just had my life threatened by some freak who hates you. I’ve been kidnapped. I’ve been rejected. I’ve been threatened. I’ve been married. I’ve been PREGNANT and then MISCARRIED. And now I could be widowed… I’m not even legally an adult yet!!”

There was an awkward silence that followed in the room that was like a huge pink elephant. The silence was only broken by my sobs and sniffles.

"Sar... I'm so sorry... I shouldn't be shouting at you - if its anyones fault its mine for getting you involved in this whole thing. Its just... I'm feeling some pressure from dad to have a kid and I now know that I shouldn't place that pressure on to you. I'm sorry"

I walked over and hugged him.

"We'll have one when we feel ready to have one" I mumbled into his embrace

"I love you" he replied

"I love you too"

A/N:

Hey guys.

I’d just like to dedicate this chapter to a particularly nice reviewer: blackheartband as she said some really nice stuff about my stories ^.^

Thanks to all the people who voted:

-RomanticallyCliched-

gillx

Silly-girl 15

Angeleyez61888

Blackheartband

Vij

I hope you enjoyed this chapter and please, please review

xx. Mel

I redid the ending to this chapter as I was overseas and thinking about it and it annoyed me how I kept making Jared into a bad guy not the sweetheart I wanted - so sorry everyone but I also couldn't see how to make the story move on and not go back into a loop

Sorry again and next chapter out soon as I'm on my two-month break from school