affection chapter 9

Even with the blade poised beneath her chin, threatening to steal her breath, Sienna saw the Baron for what he was: small, petty, and utterly despicable. He was a man ill-suited to command even the crumbling ruin of a castle behind him, let alone the numerous servants who stood frozen like statues around them. In Sienna’s eyes, he was a man wholly undeserving of any authority. 

A sneer twisted one corner of her lips. The Baron, the man who had orchestrated her current predicament, now offered this pathetic, last-minute mercy. It was laughable. She longed to strike him, to feel the satisfying sting of her palm against his cheek, but her bound hands and feet made such a thought a cruel fantasy. 

Men surrounded her, a protective wall for the Baron. Even if her hands were free, her head would likely be separated from her body before she could land a blow. Instead of a futile struggle, Sienna stared at the Baron, her lips moving silently, forming words he couldn’t hear. The Baron, intrigued, leaned closer. 

“What are you…?” 

It was then that Sienna spat, the spittle landing squarely on his cheek. The Baron, incredulous, touched his gaunt face with his free hand. The sticky, transparent smear confirmed what had happened, and his eyes filled with a sudden rage. 

“You insolent wretch—!” 

Seeing him lose his composure, the carefully constructed mask of calm shattering, filled Sienna with a perverse satisfaction. Still kneeling, she raised her voice, ensuring it carried to everyone present. 

“You are a pitiful, pathetic man who can only assert his power by hurting a defenseless child.” 

“How dare you speak to me with such a foul tongue! I was a fool to offer you any mercy, you insignificant creature.” 

The blade that had been under her chin now pointed towards the sky. Sienna’s gaze followed it involuntarily, the blinding sunlight a sharp pain against her eyes. She winced, her lashes fluttering closed as a single tear traced a path down her cheek. Her bound hands clasped behind her back, fingers intertwined in a gesture of prayer. The knuckles, white with strain, trembled uncontrollably. She clenched her jaw, determined to stifle any whimper of fear. 

Please, let this be quick. Let this nightmare end. But like a lion toying with its prey, the Baron continued his cruel game. The blade whistled through the air, brushing against her throat, then retreating, only to return again and again. Each icy touch sent shivers down her spine, her blood turning to ice. 

“You’re afraid, aren’t you? Terrified.” 

The Baron chuckled with each flinch of her body. Sienna remained silent, but her silence offered no comfort, no escape from the humiliation. Her lip, bitten raw with fear and shame, began to bleed. She yearned to open her eyes, to face her fate head-on, but the fear of the Baron’s blade falling paralyzed her. The tension in her chest tightened, a constricting band of pain. 

Sweat trickled down her nose under the merciless sun. Then, faint and distant, came the sound of hoofbeats. The Baron’s voice faded, the focus shifting to the approaching sound. It wasn’t just one horse. Dozens of hooves pounded the earth, a thunderous approach that sounded like the coming of war. 

Could it be…? She knew it was foolish to hope, with a blade dancing before her eyes, but she couldn’t help the flutter of excitement in her chest. Her lips pressed together, her heart pounding against her ribs as if desperate to escape. The hoofbeats grew louder, so close now that she felt she might be trampled. A gust of wind, heralding the horses’ arrival, whipped past her, carrying dust and sand. 

“Stop—!” 

A young, yet commanding voice cut through the air, laced with urgency. The familiar voice, filled with desperation, compelled Sienna to slowly open her eyes. Through the blinding sunlight, she saw figures approaching. Blinking, her vision focused, revealing soldiers clad in silver armor, galloping towards her on horseback. Leading the charge, unmistakable and undeniable, was Damon. His voice, clear and boyish, rang out again, filled with desperate urgency. 

“I said stop—!” 

Sienna’s tightly clenched jaw relaxed, her lips parting slightly. The Baron, too, stood with his mouth agape, frozen mid-swing. 

“H-how…?” 

His jaw trembled in disbelief, his grip loosening on the sword. It clattered to the ground, spinning once before coming to rest in the dirt. The soldiers dismounted, swiftly overpowering and binding the Baron. 

“Sienna—!” 

Damon practically fell from his horse, unable to bring it to a proper stop. He ran towards her, his movements frantic, as if her life depended on his speed. As if she might vanish at any moment. Tears welled in Sienna’s eyes as she watched him approach. 

“My Lord…” 

A wave of emotion, so powerful it stole her breath, prevented her from finishing her sentence. She bit her lip, the words caught in her throat.