Chapter 9 ~ Lukas Von Bayern

 

I returned to the wood working shed and continued to work on the gift for my dear wife. It would give her the greatest pleasure and the greatest pain she’d ever experienced. Both would be given by my hands.

I was going to ruin her and make her hate herself as much as I hated her. She would never be in a position to hurt anyone ever again.

I could hardly wait to see her body tied down, forced to submit to whatever I did to her. In two days at this time, she would be broken but forced to move on. I was going to force her to smile at my side so her people wouldn’t suffer. I was lucky to find her on her courses. It made this easier. I didn’t have to wait for her. She wasn’t expecting a child from the Eagle Prince.

“My lord, may I have a private word.”

“What is it?” I asked, glancing up at my adviser for only a moment.

“I heard that there is to be a wedding tomorrow. Is that wise?” he asked me.

“Probably not, but it’s the best way to ensure peace and get my revenge.”

“But the girl has to have known the true reason for her marriage to the Lord of Tirol when she could have been married directly to you. She must have wanted to see her father on your throne.”

“I understand that. That must make this all the worse for her.” I felt the corners of my mouth lifting up.

“Why would you marry a woman like that. She’s your enemy. She wanted to see you dead. Look me in the eye and tell me that this has nothing to do with her beauty.”

“I can’t. I would have let my men use her and kill her if she didn’t have the face of an angel. The only truthful thing that Werdenfels ever said was that she is a beauty second to none.”

“Then keep her as your mistress, but don’t marry her. A mistress could be sent away when you’re finished with your pleasure. You are letting your enemy get too close to you. She could kill you while you sleep or slip poison into your food.”

“Don’t tell her that. I wouldn’t want you to give her any ideas.” I grinned at him.

“No one expects you to marry her. Whatever uprisings occur could be taken care of swiftly with a strong hand.”

“I don’t want to be away from home any longer. We spent too much time trying to root out all of those who support my enemies. The war is over. After seeing Sofie, no other woman could compare. I’ll have what her father denied me. Instead of being the loving husband I told him I would be, I’ll be the cruelest husband who ever lived. I plan to make her obey my every word, even the ones I barely whisper.” I pictured myself leaning over her as she was tied down with her legs spread wide, whispering in her ear that she wasn’t allowed to come as my fingers relentlessly tickled the hidden nub between her legs.

I was going to push her to her limits, and then once she was there, I planned to push her over the cliff and watch her fall and break right in front of my eyes.

I had a dark spot in my soul that I would have kept hidden from my wife if her father had given her to me when I asked for her. Now I wouldn’t have to hide a thing.

I hadn’t wanted to gain lands or strengthen alliances. I had wanted a beautiful wife at my side, one who was chaste with a sweet smile, but it was too late for that. That dream was over.

Sofie was the only possible wife around. I didn’t want to waste time at court looking for a woman to take to wife. I wanted to rule my lands in peace.

Thanks to this war, my lands had doubled in size. I was now the direct connection to the Italian trade route. Everyone who wanted to trade with them would have to go through me. This was going to make me very rich. The silver and coal mines in Werdenfels made it a rich country although it wasn’t larger than a city, and now Tirol was also mine. I honestly had more land than I knew what to do with. I had duties to attend to, but I needed to see to Sofie first. She needed to be trained so I wouldn’t be stabbed in the night, and I wouldn’t have to worry about poison in my beer.

I may not have started the war, but I left the battlefield as the winner in every aspect.

Those who wished to take what was mine were dead. There was only one person left to punish, Sofie.

She would learn to fear the lion in me.