"Lord Richard was discontent with controlling all of the northern lands and almost the entire southern territory.  He wanted control of the whole island. Our coastal kingdom along the southern peninsula was all he needed to have his dream.

"Our lands were small, but our people were fiercely devoted to them, and the royal family.  They knew of 
Lord Richard's ghastly history of blood and violence. They wanted nothing to do with him.  It was that passion that enabled us to withstand Richard's highhanded ways as long as we did.  Lord Richard knew that the only way to conquer us, without dashing his army to bits against the rocky coast, was through deception."

"He offered a 'peace' treaty - no more waging war on our land if he could have the princess' hand in marriage to seal it.  He thought our king would see his gesture as a way of bonding the two lands together.  Our king refused.  He wasn't fooled by Lord Richard's treaty.  The queen was his only remaining child and he loved her dearly, but my lady made the choice for him.  She willingly gave herself to that barbarian in the hopes that he would stop the war against her people.  She had seen too many people she loved die in the war, including her only brother. Our king reluctantly agreed finally and gave his daughter's hand in marriage to Lord Richard.  Just one day after the wedding, mercenaries in the pay of Lord Richard descended upon the castle, murdering all the inhabitants. My lady and myself are all that is left of that court.

"Lord Richard had finally conquered the last free territory to complete his kingdom.  One island all under one lord.  That is how the queen ended up being married to the man who murdered her people."

"They've been married two months almost," Nan began. "But tonight was the first time he..."

"She kept finding excuses.  She wasn't well, or was having her monthly cycle. She even took to hiding in the chapel.  She is repulsed and frightened by him. As there is no longer a reason to stay, she longs to 
escape.  But the lord, he keeps a very close watch on her.  He will give her another reason to stay."

"You think he raped her, solely to get her with child? To insure his dominance?" Nan asked aghast.

"She thought so too.  She was willing to bleed to death just then, rather than have his child grow within her, like a chancre, to eat away her life. But I was too selfish, I need her too much to let her go. She is all
I have left."

Nan looked at the beautiful woman as she slept.  She suddenly had this overpowering need to pull the queen into her arms and take her away from all this pain.

"Oh my," Nan thought to herself, "she's the one."

"My room is next the queen's," Lizabeth said, waking Nan from her shocking thought.  "I heard her screaming and came rushing over.  But there were guards at her door and they wouldn't let me in.  I begged them, but they only smiled at me and said it was about time he got some from her.  Filthy pigs.  I began hitting them, pleading for them to let me through the doors.  One of them grabbed a hold of me and put a knife to my throat and told me to keep quiet.  I stayed crushed in his arms, until Lord Richard left."

Two weeks past before Christine began to feel more human again.  The pain was still present, but was now more of a dull, constant ache than the sharp bite it had been.  She was able to walk a little and again took to strolling around the woods surrounding the castle.  As ever, escape was the only thing on her mind during the walks.  It would be so easy to just start running and never stop.  But Lord Richard had his eyes on her at all times.  A couple of guards always followed her whenever she left her rooms.

Richard's beating at least did have one good thing that came from it - being able to see Nan.  Christine felt a deep kinship with the healer.  She came everyday to take care of her wounds.  They often had long conversations.  Christine liked to watch Nan as she talked.  The smile that would form on her face, her beautiful blue eyes that sparkled, the color of her creamy skin.  She couldn't keep her eyes off of Nan. 

She began to feel that Nan's presence was a healing balm upon her very soul.  Christine didn't know how 
Nan felt about her.  She only suspected that maybe she wasn't in a one-sided romance.

On the first day Nan came to the castle, Christine saw her from her bedroom window.  Immediately her eyes were drawn to the beautiful form as she walked through the courtyard.  There was just something about her, Christine felt it immediately.  She wanted so much to meet her, to talk to her.  But she never found the courage or an excuse to start a conversation with the castle's new healer.

She had been trying to find the courage to approach Nan the evening that Richard invaded her room, demanding that he was going to get what he wanted.  There were no more excuses to use.  She was so afraid when he left and Lizabeth begged her to get treatment.  But then she remembered Nan and suddenly felt safe.

But she was still afraid.  She knew the consequences now of saying no to Lord Richard.  He hadn't come to see her since that night, but she knew her freedom from him was short.  She didn't know if she could live like a prisoner for much longer.

Christine began to dream of an escape and each of her plans included Nan.