Under the vampire Lord's protection-Chapter 577: The sight of it

The grinding of his wife’s teeth was not the best of melodies to reach his ears.

On their bed he sat with nothing... Just sat there, waiting for her to call for him, knowing full well she wouldn’t.

Arabella was lost in a world only her eyes could see while Silas desperately fought to remain afloat out in the middle of a vast sea on his own.

For an entire week, the vampire had been inert, powerless while his wife took hit after hit and what she probably considered far worse than beating.

From the bathroom, the drumming of her heart grew more and more frantic and her breathing quicker, shallower as if something with sharp teeth mercilessly gnawed at her flesh.

Silas caught himself holding his own hands up and staring at them, the same way Arabella did earlier.

She also did so in limbo upon crying that they were covered in blood.

Was that same twisting and jabbing at his core persistent in her as well? Preventing her gemstones from seeing the truth of things in front of her?

"He’s not there! He’s not there! He’s not there!" the frenzied whispers came from the bathroom, as tight as a hiss and as quick as the wind.

Silas leaped to his feet and rushed to the door but stood frozen at the threshold upon seeing her curled on herself, still in the tub, head down and nails digging into the flesh of her own arms.

"He’s not there! He’s not there!" she repeated over and over, only clawing harder at her skin.

Between going up to her and wrapping his arms around her and standing rooted in place, Silas settled on something in the middle out of worry any direct physical contact would only sicken her more than she already was.

"Do you still see the prince?"

She was startled either way... Gasping as her neck nearly snapped when turning around.

"I am sorry!" her eyes remained wide, "I keep forgetting that your hearing is...Advanced,"

At the very least, her figure seemed to relax, shoulders slumping as her hands fell under water.

"Don’t apologize," Silas finally gathered the guts to approach the tub and knelt down to eye level with his wife.

The flames of the candles around them flickered much clearer in her glistening eyes that swam in the tears she fought to reel in.

He cared very little for how pathetic his own reflection looked in them either and instead chose to focus on her grief.

"Please, never apologize about this again," his hands reached for her cheek ever so slowly.

"The prince was repulsive, but not scary. He was predictable even," she flung her eyes away.

The words froze him in place, but there were more of them.

"It was the General that made my skin crawl... He-," her voice went mute as if collapsing.

The silence that followed did not help quell the fire that roasted his entrails and so, he pushed, even though gently, "Speak to me," it was no order, but kindness that he begged for, "Share the weight," his hand finally reached her cheek, though barely caressing its surface, "I assure you I can carry it along with you,"

Upon connecting with her face, he witnessed her eyes squeezing shut for the first tears to finally flow freely down her cheeks.

"Everywhere I turn, behind me there’s the General and in front of me... I see my father but not as the man he once was... only the carcass that hung from the noose," the first cry escaped her, "All my life, I could have never foretold he would meet the same end as my mother," after taking a sharp breath, she continued, "I don’t know what twist of fate wanted this but it is still so cruel,"

Silas brought her head to his shoulder and patted the hair on it as her muffled cries filled the space around them.

"Come," he whispered, "You’ve sat enough in that water,"

The vampire stood up, picked up the nearest bathrobe and wrapped it around her body as soon as she straightened to her feet.

"Let me carry you to bed,"

"No!" she responded quickly, "I’d like to walk there, please,"

He did not argue and followed behind her until she settled on the bed.

From the closet, he took a clean nightgown and held it for a moment, "Would you like my help changing? or...,"

She hesitated, looked down at herself then back at the gown. Silas understood and placed it right by her side before turning towards the curtains that led to the second half of the room, but before he reached them, her voice rose again.

"They made it a rule for me and only me,"

That was all she said without elaborating.

"What rule?" he asked.

"I wasn’t allowed to wear anything or cover my body at all, no matter who watched," Arabella sat straight, facing the window, her voice surprisingly only breaking at a few syllables, "I was paraded through the halls and hallways, while crawling on my hands and knees when I had the energy to move and other times, I was just dragged on by nothing but the leash and collar around my neck,"

The words must’ve tasted bitter, disgusting even... But, expelling them out in the open was one of the only ways to lessen her burden.

Perhaps it would help her feel like someone was sharing it with her. Unless that too caused anguish.

"There were many times where I internally begged for the pressure to lessen, for some mercy and then there were others where I simply hoped that witch would tug hard enough on the leash to severe my head clean off the rest of my body,"

Before Silas could say a thing, she continued, "I am not proud of those moments, I must face the truth as well. In my lowest hours, I too hoped for quick relief and an easy way out," her eyes flooded with tears again, "I don’t want to be alone. I know I need help for I can no longer stand the sight of my own naked body, but I also can’t stand the thought of someone else... Even you ever laying eyes on it. What am I to do?"