A Fairy Tale for Big Girls – 20. chapter

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When she opened her eyes in the morning, Mark was watching her, stroking her hair. He smiled tenderly.

“Good morning.”

She blinked, then frowned. He gently ran his thumb over her cheek.

“I’m sorry for what you had to endure last night,” he whispered. “But today you’ll be obedient, won’t you?”

The urge to hit him surged through her. Memories of the previous evening flashed through her head, so instead she only nodded silently. His smile remained tender.

“You’re a wonderful little girl.”

He looked at her lips and sighed.

“Let’s go down for breakfast. Otherwise I’ll start wanting something I definitely couldn’t talk you into right now. Get dressed. You must be hungry.”

She tried for a moment to understand his behavior, then got up instead and did as he wished. So caught up in her own thoughts and getting dressed, she did not notice Mark watching her until he spoke.

“Lili?”

“Hm?”

“You’re blushing.”

Of course he liked it. She only shook her head and, now dressed, straightened up. He stepped closer and wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

“They’ll all know, won’t they?” he guessed.

She did not answer, only flushed deeper.

“They won’t,” he smiled, stroking her cheek. “Everyone is quite certain you got a beating.”

She looked up at him, not even sure herself whether her gaze was frightened or questioning.

“But you have such enormous inhibitions that there was no need to beat you at all. Which pleases me greatly.” He kissed her lips lightly. “I’m not sure I would have borne your beating worse than you did.”

Then he went to the door, and Lili followed.

On the stairs he took her hand.

“They must have no idea at all what is happening,” he said.

“Hm,” she murmured. “I’m exceptional, yet I must behave like everyone else.”

“You’re not supposed to behave like everyone else. There are many things you do differently, or don’t do at all,” he objected with a frown. They reached the table. As always, he pushed in her chair when she sat down. He greeted those present, took knife and fork, and when all began to eat, went on, speaking to her.

“But raising your voice to the ruler of the country, especially in public…”

He looked at her. Her face bore a completely different expression than usual. He had never seen her shine with happiness, but she could at least look content. Now she seemed a little frightened, and above all withdrawn.

Naturally. He had tormented her nearly the entire night.

“…we’ve already made that clear,” he finished at last.

He reached for her hand and stroked it gently.

They began to eat, and Lili could not decide what to think. She was angry over what he had done and could not understand how he could now behave so kindly. Yet she could not deny that shouting at the ruler of a country was unforgivable. In some countries, she would have been hanged for it.

“Martin, you may speak to Lili. It is not forbidden,” Mark said aloud when he noticed his friend’s hesitant look.

Lili raised her head toward Martin. He hesitated, still watching Mark, then said,

“May I send someone to you today, if you wish?”

She frowned in confusion, and he added,

“Someone for a massage, or… to tend your wounds.”

She understood and smiled gratefully.

“I’m all right.”

Martin narrowed his eyes, studying her.

“Truly, thank you,” Lili insisted.

He made a disapproving grimace but did not argue.

“Then you still want the evening entertainment for tomorrow?” he asked Mark.

Mark turned to Lili and was caught off guard by her eager expression.

“Do you want it?”

“Of course,” she replied, delighted.

“Lili… if you enjoy such things, we’ll do them every day. All you have to do is wish for it.”

“Well, not every day. But tomorrow I would like it,” she smiled.

“Very well. It will happen.”

Martin took that as his answer and asked no more.

“May I go sit with the girls?” Lili asked that evening.

She had spent the entire day alone in her chamber, thinking. Now, with music and people moving freely up and down, the right moment to act had come.

“I’m bored,” she wrinkled her nose childishly.

“You may, little one,” Mark nodded, smiling gently.

“Stay where I can see you,” he reminded her, and when she nodded, he watched until she sat down.

He then turned his attention back to Martin and, without letting the cheerful chatter of the guests disturb him, continued their discussion of the advance of Philip’s troops. They both focused on the conversation, but from time to time, Mark checked on Lili with a glance. He was all the more surprised when Martin said,

“Have you noticed that Lili is speaking with Elena?”

Mark frowned at his friend and looked toward the table. He watched the women for a moment, then shook his head.

“No, she isn’t.”

“She is,” Martin insisted. “You see only her back, but watch her. Now and then she turns away so that even I can’t see her lips. And see what Elena does? She keeps playing with her goblet, staring at the table. Yet she clearly says something only after Lili turns away from me.”

Mark frowned. After a moment of watching, he had to admit Martin was right.

“It’s rather strange that those two…” Martin began.

“On the other hand,” Mark interrupted, angrily realizing that Lili was weaving a plan to escape right under his nose. “If there is one person in this castle willing to risk my wrath just so Lili would no longer be here,” he paused for a moment, and then he and Martin spoke at once.

“Then it is Elena.”

Mark pushed back his chair and slowly, ominously rose to his full height.

“Mark, don’t hurt her. You love her,” Martin tried to rein in his emotions.

“I would never truly harm Lili,” Mark replied almost calmly, giving his friend a lecturing look. “She merely needs a slightly firmer hand now and then. But after last night, I certainly won’t add any more.”

And he set off.

By the time he reached the table, nearly all the ladies had noticed him. He bent right down to Lili.

“You neglect me, my dear,” he said with almost unnatural politeness. Lili frowned suspiciously as he took her hand and forced her to stand. He kissed her fingers and announced,

“We’re leaving.”

He let Lili pass him, but did not move himself. Only when she had gone around him did he catch her and cast Elena a hard look.

“I forgot to tell you,” he said, holding Lili firmly around the waist with one arm, “that if Lili leaves this castle without my permission,” he pressed her back against him, “I will have you hanged without question.”

Lili whimpered, her knees giving way. He simply tensed his muscles to hold her with one arm and said to Elena, savoring the hatred and defeat in her gaze,

“So you should not only stop helping her escape. On the contrary, you should guard her like the apple of your eye.”