Xinye's view

I was resting on my bed, recovering from the morning work. I thought Xin had returned as I felt a weight slip in beside me. I smiled a bit in my sleep and felt what I thought was Xin kissing, so I responded to my dear husband's approach, but something was wrong with the kiss. This can't be Xin,' I thought and opened my eyes to see another man's face next to mine. "Stop!" I said, pushing the man away, "You are not my husband."

"Not yet," he agreed with me, "But you will be my wife." It was then I realised it was Prince Dudo who had kissed me

"Huh?" I said in confusion, tilting my head, "What are you on about? I will not marry you, ever."

"That is where you are wrong, my dear," he smirked at me, "IF I say you are my wife, you are my wife. We do not need a ceremony to say so."

"How arrogant, you can't say that," I was going to say, but I found myself knocked out by a rag shoved in my face. I remember opening my eyes a few times, only to be knocked out again by the same smell.

When I was finally allowed to be awake, I did not recognise the room and bed I woke to. I sat up, panicked, "What? Where am I?"

"You are in my palace," Prince Dudo said to me from the space beside me on the bed.

"Why? Why did you bring me here?" I was furious that he thought it ok to abduct me. It was not ok. But my health being what it was, prevented me from honestly expressing my anger at the situation. So, I spoke the words quietly.

"I told you, you are my wife now," he stated as if he believed what he was saying.

"You saying so, does not make it so, before my God," I said, "I am still married to Xin and will remain so as long as he is alive."

"Then I will have to kill him," he said, his eyes flashing in anger, "For I cannot have my wife look at another man again, regardless of who he is."

"No, do not kill him," I begged him. I did not want my Xin or family hurt to satisfy this man's lust, "You will cause an even greater sin on your soul if you do that."

"I do not care, as long as I have you," he said, kissing me.

"Don't," I said, pulling away from him. He seriously was creeping me out.

"I will give you time to adjust to your new situation, but do not think my patience will last forever. You are MY wife now. Get used to the idea. Now come, I will show you the palace grounds," and he held out hand out to me to balance on.

I think he thought he was being kind to me. I decided I may as well humour him. Perhaps I could find a way to escape.

"Will you get me a wheelie chair like you were carried on?" I asked, standing up and taking his hand. 'Perhaps I can escape if I have one,' I thought to myself as a smile was plastered to my face. My childhood had caused me to smile when I was stressed; it was a defence mechanism that was paying off now.

"If you so desire," he agreed readily as if giving me one would be no threat to his agenda, "But for as long as I am here, call on me to help. Alright?"

I nodded, still smiling and still very angry, but I said nothing. There was nothing I could think of to say in this situation, though I felt it safest to play along with his delusion. Nothing good would come of standing up to him.

"Good, now let's go," he said, linking my hand in his remaining arm for balance.

He walked me around the palace showing me the gardens and pavilions. It was then I realised how utterly hopeless my situation was. I had no chance of escaping; my only hope lay in my husband and family rescuing me. 

When night fell, I was escorted back to my room, and I was locked in. Prince Dudo's excuse was tigers prowled in this area, and it was safer for me if I was locked in.

After I was sure he had left, I collapsed on the bed and cried out to my God in sobs, "Please, God, rescue me from this situation, or give me the strength to bear it." as I cried, I heard a meow," and the next thing I knew was a cats tongue was licking the tears on my face.

"What?" I pushed myself upright and looked at the feline offender. "Soot, what are you doing here?"

The cat looked at me with its bright green eyes and started to groom itself as if to say, "I am here. Nothing else is of concern."

I smiled at Soot, picking him up and hugging him. I did not hug him for long as he did not like being embraced. "Thank you, Soot, for being here, and Thank you, God, for bringing him." I had no doubt the cat had to be led by God to come and be here.

Over the next two weeks, Prince Dudo did what he thought was his best to court me - constantly dragging me out and showing me things when all I wanted to do was rest. I still had not adjusted to the bed I was sleeping on, and it was causing my health grief.

Prince Dudo did not acknowledge my weakness at all, and I often would find myself fainting from fatigue or pain. Each time he would nurse me, but he was not patient. I would only just recover, my body needing a good few hours more to heal properly, but Prince Dudo would say, "Good, you're awake. Let's go."

I would groan and say, "I need more rest, Dudo." I had lost the respectful title sometime in those weeks. He took it as if I was feeling closer to him; not I had lost my respect for him - he was not worthy of the title Prince in my opinion.

"You have rested enough," he would say in response, "Come on, get up, and let's go."

I had no choice but to follow, but I could feel the tiredness in my bones building up. At some point, there would be a price to pay. I just was not sure what yet. The fainting spells were just the start, I was sure.

It was at the end of the first week I lost my right to privacy in my room. Dudo announced that he had waited long enough for me to adjust, so he would now sleep next to me. I sighed. There was nothing I could do about that. I just hoped he did not try anything.

Soot made himself known to Dudo that week, firmly planting himself between us as if to say to the Prince, hands off. You do not belong here.

"What is a royal cat doing here?" Dudo asked.

"I do not know. A cat is a cat. They do whatever they please," I answered.

"Hmph," he humpfed, "You are right. I guess I have no choice but to accept its presence."

I lay down for a little while before I needed to sit and sleep, so I did so.

Dudo was not impressed in the morning to find me like this, "Why are you sitting like that?"

"It is the only way I can breathe enough at night," I said, "Or I would be really snoring."

"I guess your snoring was thunderous before you sat up," he acknowledged, "How did the General cope with that?"

"Oh, he slept sitting beside me," I said cheerily, thinking of my handsome husband.

Dudo was sitting by then on the opposite end of the bed with his arm holding his face in thought, "Did he now?"

"He did," I affirmed before clamming up; I could see any further talk was on dangerous ground.

I was unhappy that Dudo was sleeping beside me. My treacherous body tuning to his, and I did not want this to occur. He was not my husband, and he was a wife thief. Despite this happening, I could not bring myself to feel anything for him. I was just glad that the cat Soot had decided to separate us by lying in between us.

The beginning of the third week that my troubles truly started. 

A/N If you enjoyed this chapter, please take the time to vote by pressing the star. Please let me know if you see any errors, as this is unedited.