4 Chapter 4

Elle awoke to a jolt from the carriage. Opening her eyes, she realized she had somehow ended up lying across her husbands' lap. With a blush of embarrassment, she sat up and adjusted her dress around her. She looked over to Aedan, only to find him asleep against the window. Elle took this moment to admire his features. She had spent much of their short time together, either asleep or looking down in respect or fear. He had a strong jawline with a small amount of stubble over his chin and cheeks. She had felt the strength in his broad shoulders as she slept. Her eyes traveled further down over his flat abs, but stopped suddenly, knowing what was below his waist. She looked out the window as her eyes welled up with tears in memory of their wedding night.

Aedan stirred in the seat beside her, as she carefully wiped the tears away. The last thing she needed was for him to see her crying. He would probably think she was crying over leaving her parents. She was a woman now, a wife. She needed to be strong. Turning her head, she greeted him.  "I hope you slept well, husband. Thank you for allowing me to rest on you." Where she had meant for her voice to be firm yet gentle, it came out quiet and shaky. Aedan responded only with a grunt, causing her to wonder if this would be a common way for him to speak to her.

She held back a sigh and turned to her window once again. After a few moments of staring at dark trees and hills, a sudden break in foliage gave view to a large open field with a building in the distance. Even from here, the building looked huge. "Dat is Callaghan Manor." The deep voice startled Elle in the otherwise quiet carriage. "We shud be dare soon." No sooner had he spoken, Aedan went back to his silence until they came to a stop at the end of the long road. They weren't quite to the castle, yet a gate stood in their way. After barking out several orders, Aedan sat back as the gates were opened. Elle looked with wide eyes at the castle growing larger with every moment. Once the carriage stopped for the final time, Aedan climbed down from the carriage and surprised Elle as he turned back to help her down. He seemed to have a few manners after all.

Callaghan Manor loomed over them, looking impenetrable. The inner gate had been raised in preparation for their arrival and several servants were bustling in and out, with luggage and crates from their carriages. Elle tried to take in all the sights as Aedan led her inside. She gave up, knowing there would be plenty of time to explore and admire her new home in the daylight. Even after her long nap on the way here, she could feel sleep tugging at the edges of her eyes. She barely kept up with Aedan as they walked further and further into the castle. It wasn't until he opened a heavy set of wooden doors, that she realized where they were going. This was their bedroom. It was a large bedroom with the biggest bed she had ever seen in the center. The sheets and mattress seemed to be inviting her into their fluffy folds from across the room.

Their luggage had already been brought in and unpacked. A nightgown had been hung from a changing screen in one corner of the room. Aedan crossed to the other side and began taking off his boots and outer clothing. Elle took this as a sign to get ready for bed. She walked to the changing screen and began removing her jacket and boots. She reached for the screen to close it around her, but hesitated remembering their first night together. Aedan had told her to never cover herself from him. For a fleeting moment, she considered changing behind the screen anyways. She still wasn't comfortable around this strange man who now called her wife. She knew it would do her no good, leaving the screen where it was and undressing in the middle of the room. Keeping her gaze down, she unbuttoned her dress and removed everything but her chemise. A cool breeze drifted through the room, causing the fine hairs on her body to rise. In an effort to get it over with quickly, she pulled the chemise over her head and reached for her nightgown. A pair of strong hands touched her waist, pulling her to the bed. No, please. Not again. She thought, knowing what would happen next. As she lay on the bed, she began thinking quickly on how she could talk him out of what he was about to do. "Husband, we've had a long journey. Maybe…" She was cut off before she could finish her sentence. "Be quiet."

"Please, I- I am still sore. I am not used to this." She begged, hoping he would soften for her. The response she got was nowhere near what she expected. He grabbed her hips and flipped her over on the bed. Her legs hanging from the edge of the bed and her bottom exposed to him. Shocked, she struggled to turn to him. His grip was too strong and held her in place as he once again claimed what was his. With each painful thrust, tears escaped from her cheeks and whimpers from her lips. "Yer'll do what Oi say 'til yer gie me a son. That's al' yer 'ere for." He grunted out the words with his final thrust, before releasing her. She barely noticed him pull on his clothes and leave the room. With shaking legs, she crossed the room and pulled her nightgown over her head. She climbed into the large bed and buried herself beneath the sheets. She couldn't understand why he had to be so cruel to her. Her mother certainly had not prepared her for this kind of marriage. Elle drifted off to sleep with only one thought in mind, to become pregnant with a son as soon as possible.