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shoulders, and she did as he commanded .

    ***
    
Anna woke up alone in the room.  She smiled anyway as she stretched out her arms and legs.  She padded down the hall to relieve herself and returned to the room.  Anna thought about last night.  It was the first time she had ever been in bed with anyone, save her sister, and she blushed at the thought of his arms around her.  Anna also noted that the man had not touched her inappropriately, though she surmised that they had spent several hours together.   A part of her brain argued that his hand on her bare bottom was very inappropriate.  Anna jumped as the door opened.  A young girl entered, and announced that she was here to attend to her.  She must be Eva, the innkeeper’s daughter. 
    Anna had no idea what that meant, until it was occurring.  The girl bathed her, dressed her in a dark pink gown, and was now paying more attention to her hair then Anna had ever remembered anyone attending to previously.  She began to wonder what the man ’s plans involved.  How far until their final destination?

Eva led her back down to the main room of the inn.  She sat and ate the meal that had already been set for her.  She had not yet seen the man and wondered what business he was attending.  The innkeeper came over to her table. 
    “ Return to the room that you stayed in last night.  He is coming to gather you within the hour.”


    Anna nodded, “Thank you.”   She did what she was told, but began to pace the length of the room again.

The door opened and she stopped.  A much older gentleman was standing in the doorway.  He stepped inside, and stood staring at her.  She took in the sight of his awful double chin, the dark beady eyes, and the horrible smile on this face, when she saw the tabard.  It was black and yellow.  She looked at it and shook her head.  She remembered that cloth.  That same cloth had been touching her cheek the night she had been hurt.  She knew every detail in that pattern.  It was him.  Somehow after all of these years, the leader of the men was standing there in front of her. 
    Anna opened her mouth to scream when the tall man came through the door.  She bit down on her lip then.  He was wearing the same cursed tabard.  Tears began to pour down to her cheeks.  She was no longer worried about the nasty man in front of her; she was now terrified that she had trusted a man that was from the village that had destroyed her very existence .


    “ I see she remembers me.”   The old man reached forward and patted her cheeks.

Anna could not look at him; her eyes were focused on the man to whom she had told her story.  How was this possible?   She pulled back and tried to stop the tears.
    “ I am Lord Wendel, and you belong to me, my dear.”   He titled her chin to meet his eyes.  “I told you as much ten years ago.”
    Anna spat right in his face.  “You horrible, disgusting -”


    The man reacted quicker than his lord and smacked her across the face.  “Do not disrespect your lord.”


    Anna clasped her hand to her cheek.  “You are far worse.”  She spat at his feet.


    He smacked her other cheek.  “Do not forget the lesson that I taught you.”’
    “ That is enough.”   The older man had wiped his face.  “She will not be so bold and disrespectful inside our chambers.”


    Anna gagged.  “I promise if you intend to have me in whatever manner you speak of, that I will die by my own hand by tomorrow morning.”
    “ Let me teach her one last lesson, My Lord, before she is to go off with you.  You have my word that she will not backtalk you or take her life when I am through with her.”   His words that made a strange flutter in her belly the night before now made her ill. 
    Anna sucked in a breath as the older man nodded.  He ran his hands down over her hair and over her arms and chest as if he were inspecting an animal.  “You are mine, and