Chapter 11 - In Which She Becomes Confused

"Where are we going, my Lord?"

Lianne asked as she was led by Cain onto the hallway that interconnected the ballroom.

He was holding her hands firmly so she couldn't go back to the party where Lady Faye was. It seemed that he was successful on keeping the princess on this part of the mansion without Lady Faye knowing, and he was damned going to do the best out of this advantage.

"I have something to show you, Lianne," Cain plainly replied as he glanced briefly at the princess observing the calmness that she was showing. "I'm sure you would definitely be excited."

"But Lady Faye, she's-"

"Shhhh..." Cain cut off. "Let her have fun in the party, Princess. Being a head governess is surely not an easy task."

Lianne only stared at Cain's back as they continued to find their way into the hallway. From the looks of things, he was without a doubt hastily walking, not wanting to waste any moment.

The hallway was a long wide one with a maroon carpeted floor. Its walls were painted with a mossy dark green shade with an outline of gold which hang double-torch wall lamps that provided the hallway light.

The wooden casement windows on the left side show the Soulisse garden vibrant at night with spotlights on, but Lianne wasn't able to admire such scenery for she was continually dragged by Cain to their destination passing a small parlour room with stained glass walls and a music room. She realized she had never been in this part of the mansion when Cain toured her around the place months ago.

She was catching her footsteps in the process when they reached their destination. It seems handling such a high-heeled footwear was such a tiring task than cleaning the stables - that she admitted to herself.

He opened the main door, motioned the princess to enter and then went directly to a wooden cabinet beside the master table.

"This used to be my father's study room," Cain stated as he turned to face the princess again, placing a disc-shaped object wrapped in white linen on the palm of his hand.

Lianne watched as he unwrapped the object clearly confused as to its value.

"What is that?" she questioned.

"I found this while on a mission. I never thought that it would mean anything until I realized it may be connected to you," Cain replied as he began to hand the object to the princess who was standing across the master table. "I thought you might want to keep that."

She reached for the object and examined it meticulously hoping to find out what was Cain so enthusiastic about.

The general noticed her confused eyes and smiled. He approached her slowly and then began to whisper in her right ear. "You do not seem to remember what that is, Princess."

Lianne was surprised to find Cain near her; his chin touching the skin of her right shoulder. She tried to step forward realizing he was too close for comfort, but the master table in her front hindered her from doing so. With the closeness of Cain's breathing, she immediately noticed he smelled slightly of alcohol.

"Here let me help you." He obliged and took the object from her, sliding his arm in the process.

He raised the object high above their heads and intentionally illuminated it against the pendant lights hanging in the ceiling.

To Lianne's surprise, the light and shadows mixed together showed a clearer view of the crest embossed in the disc stone.

"Oh my..." Lianne held out her breath. "This is my father's crest!"

"You remember it now?" Cain asked in a gentle tone.

"Oh, Lord Cain! This is just magnificent! How did you-" she shouted just as she quickly turned to face the general.

With the rush of her excitement, she had soon forgotten that he was still close behind her. Instantly, their eyes met; Lianne's twinkling eyes under Cain's fervent stare; and without any warning, he pressed his lips against hers to the princess' surprised reaction.

His mouth tasted of wine and this was made more evident when Cain slid his tongue inside her.

She pushed him instinctively away, but he caught her hands and restrained them with one hand alone, while his free hand steadied her face so she could not jerk away.

"Mmph! Sto-!" Lianne gasped and tried to reason with the lord, but then he caught her again and seized her lips with force.

She unknowingly dropped the stone on the floor in the haste of freeing herself, following which every item in the master desk fell on the floor when Cain pushed her onto the desk.

"No! Lord Cain!" Lianne shouted desperately as he released her lips and went on to caress her bare neck. She felt unmatched by his strength that even how much she pushed him away, he did not falter.

"Don't do this, I beg of you," Lianne once again pleaded.

"Lianne, I love you... I need you. I want you...now," Cain harshly spoke and continued to kiss her lips again rendering her unable to answer.

"My desire for you has become intolerable," he added once again in a more obsessive manner. "I want you Lianne."

The latter was greatly astonished by his bare confession. It had never dawned on her that he would feel that way, but he was drunk! He could just be blabbering. He could be mistaking her for another woman. Could she consider his feelings for her real?

His hands were all over her body. Touching, stroking every inch of curve that was within the pathway of his hands. She began to feel an ominous feeling that the master of the house was not in his right mind to do such an appalling thing against her will.

Cain did not reply with even a single word when she ordered him to stop. Instead, he continued his zealous attention on her and successively tugged the back of Lianne's gown to unzip her dress.

This time it alarmed her greatly.

Cain was seriously not listening to her pleas and even went as far as to carry her off right into a nearby settee of the study room to provide her a softer place to accept his kisses.

Mere seconds later, the top of her gown was pulled down and her breasts consequently spilled free.

"Cain, no- ah!" she cried in reaction to the tingling sensation she felt when he nibbled on her pink aroused nipples.

She was stunned to realize that such pleasure was beginning to mount on her and that her emotions were entirely stirred amidst being consciously against the idea.

She had been treating him like a brother for heaven's sake! How could it end up like this?

The alcohol definitely was the reason for his rather aggressive and demanding behavior, but he appeared to act properly when they were still at the dance floor. What was happening to him?

Realizing that she could never stop him with reason, she got a hold of an empty cigar ashtray available at a coffee table near them and with one forceful move, she struck the general in the temple.

With this move, Cain abruptly stopped his advances and became stunned to see the dripping blood from his head to the cheeks of the princess. He could see the tears streaming down her eyes and the disdain swirling in it when she looked at him.

"Lianne?" he uttered in a surprised tone. "I'm, I'm so sor--"

There was then a knock on the entrance door of the study room that caught both of them off-guard.

Cain impulsively sat down, assisting the princess to sit at the same time and responsibly zipped her gown.

Lianne felt relieved that somehow she did the right thing in order to make the general come to his senses, but upon seeing Cain's bloody temple, she could not stare at him anymore feeling remorseful of what happened. Why did he have to do this kind of thing? Why did he have to do this with her? Those two questions filled her mind.

The door opened and then Sir Karl came into view, his eyes obediently looking down on the floor while informing the Master of the House the Head Servant's message.

"My Lord, Lady Faye had been looking for the princess of Regaleria for quite sometime. She said if you will not send her out, she will have to be inclined to report your indecent behavior to the King."

Cain murmured an inaudible curse as he understood what the message meant. Amidst the throbbing pain in his head, he stood up and went to face the majordomo in the door.

"Tell Lady Faye that the princess will be spending the night here."

Lianne was shocked upon hearing it.

"There is no need to take such drastic measures as Princess Lianne is well and good," he added.

The majordomo dutifully then excused himself after the general dismissed him, but before he could close the door, Lianne's voice resounded in the air.

"Wait! Sir Karl." She quickly stood up, placed the cigar ashtray on the coffee table and composed herself calmly. "I will go with you."

Sir Karl automatically glanced at the Lord waiting for him to comment regarding the princess' decision, but Cain only turned quickly to her wearing an indifferent expression.

Clearly by the way he looked at her, Lianne could sense he doesn't want to let her go, but she gathered up her courage, started to walk, met Cain's unwavering gaze as she approached the open portal and began to exit without any word of goodbye.

Cain grabbed her arm in the course of it and said, "Lianne, please."

The princess replied, but she did not even shot him a single glance. "I'm sorry, Lord Cain. I need to go."

Sir Karl waited when Cain, though with great hesitation, released her arm. He saw the evidences of what had just transpired between the two: seeing the princess' apparent flushed face, a drop of blood on her cheek and Cain's bloody temple. He knew his master had done something wrong, but he cared not to comment anything about it.

Some time later, the door closed as the majordomo and the princess walked into the hallway to the entrance of the ballroom where Lady Faye was already anxiously waiting.

"Princess Lianne," the Majordomo softly spoke whilst pulling something from his coat pocket. "Use this to wipe your cheek before you face Madame Faye."

He offered her a white handkerchief to which the princess obediently took.

She faced her reflection on a wall mirror and saw a small trail of blood along her cheek. Her fingers shook as she gently wiped the blood away.

To her surprise, she noticed a small purplish red blot on her left neck and instantly linked it to Cain's kisses. How could she ever face Lady Faye properly now without being scrutinized by this kissmark?

The Head Servant saw the princess and the majordomo approaching and instantly felt relieved seeing her. However, she recognized at once that the princess somehow looked rather nervous than earlier and had a look of sadness in her eyes. She couldn't dismiss the fact also that she saw a red blemish on Lianne's left neck that wasn't there before they went to the Soulisse mansion.

Their eyes met but Lianne instantly averted hers in the process.

Sensing the princess didn't want to be questioned, Lady Faye immediately offered her the crocheted shawl she used a while ago in the carriage to cover her neck realizing it was without a doubt a kissmark.

"I want to go home, Lady Faye," Lianne requested, her eyes dull with any expression.

The Head Servant offered the princess her elbow as they exited the foyer of the Soulisse mansion. "Indeed we will my dear, indeed we will." She replied with an upset voice.

When the carriage left for the Regaleria mansion, Cain was at the same study room standing in front of the glass window watching them leave. He had his head already bandaged and cleaned of blood clot.

He hissed as the carriage was now nowhere in view and when he turned to face the master desk, he stared angrily at the disc stone left by the princess which now had a crack up to the middle part effectively tarnishing the once perfectly embossed crest of the Vhillana Kingdom.