Gerard's P.O.V

It was approaching morning when I heard the heavy clack of heels clicking against the floor, making their way to my room and growing louder. I frowned, listening closely. My mother was the only one who really wore heels, but she wasn’t here tonight as she was overseeing the repairs with the palace.

There was an abrupt, sharp knock at my door and I decided to make the effort to struggle to my feet and limp my way over to the door, opening it with my good hand, which had only just healed but was still covered in cuts and scrapes and burns.

In front of me stood Eliza. Her hair was a little longer than the last time I had seen her and was tied back. She was dressed in a deep blue dress, similar to all her other ones; it was tight and short and showed off as much of her body as it could without being considered inappropriate. Her face was free of make-up today and her height was increased by the intimidating spiked heels she wore, this time a silver colour and encrusted with jewels.

She gave me a bright and oh so fake smile. “Gerard! It’s been too long!”

“Not long enough,” I muttered under my breath.

“What was that?” she asked, frowning a little.

“Nothing, don’t worry. Um, come inside,” I mumbled, shaking my head and turning away.

I walked over to one of the armchairs and she followed, placing herself very promptly down onto the one opposite of me, sitting up with a straight back and perfect posture, crossing her bare legs over each other and placing her expensive designer looking handbag on the floor.

“I have something to show you,” she grinned, completely oozing with her fake happiness and enthusiasm, her smile too big and stretched.

“What is it?” I asked warily.

She reached down and scooped up her handbag, unzipping it and rummaging around before drawing her hand out again. She stood up and presented me with a two small black boxes. Oh God...

I took them from her and slowly opened them, wincing when I saw the contents of them. Inside one was a heavy looking platinum ring, plain and simple and expensive. The other was a thinner ring, clearly hers. It bore a giant diamond and the band was encrusted with swirling patterns.

On her finger she already wore her engagement ring, a matching partner to the ring I held in my hand.

“Oh...” I said flatly.

“What do you think?” She beamed. “They’re so beautiful, aren’t they? Think of how perfect we’ll look together on our wedding day! You have no idea how much I can’t wait to start wearing mine!”

And you have no idea how much I’m dreading the day I have to start wearing mine.

“They’re... nice,” I muttered, snapping the lid shut and thrusting them back at her.

“Do you not like them?” she demanded. “Because you know we can change them, but I don’t think we should because they are the rings that your parents wanted us to have after all, and I would never do anything to upset your mother and father, I-”

“Eliza,” I cut her off with a tired look. “I feel really tired and I need more painkillers. Do you think you could find the nurse?”

“Of course darling!” she cried, shoving the rings back in her bag and leaning down to kiss my cheek. “I’ll be right back!”

The minute she tottered out of the door on her stupid heels I shut my eyes and my head thudded back against the chair. I groaned in frustration, hoping she’d never come back.

But of course, she did come back, followed by the nurse, Maggie, who marched over to the metal pole next to my chair, fixing up the tubes and injecting the morphine into the clear plastic, then proceeding to check the bag of fluids hanging from the top of the pole.

“Anything else your Highness?” she asked.

“Could you help me back to my bed? I’m feeling sleepy,” I told her with a small smile.

“Of course, just let me-”

“No need!” Eliza butted in. “I can help him to his bed, he doesn’t need your help.”

Maggie looked a little startled before bowing her head. “Of course miss. I’m sorry.”

“You can call me your Highness actually,” Eliza said sourly, looking down her nose at her with a disgusted glare.

“Not just yet,” I sighed heavily. “Thank you for that Maggie.”

She smiled at me quickly before hurrying out of the room. I looked up at Eliza.

“You didn’t have to speak to her like that,” I said.

She rolled her eyes. “Stupid bitch just needs putting in her place is all. Anyway, I don’t want to talk about her. Let’s get you in bed.”

I just bit my tongue and let her ‘help’ me struggle and limp over to my bed, doing most of it on my own as she kept stumbling because of her ridiculous heels. When we finally reached my bed I bit my lip in pain and shifted myself into a lying position whilst she uselessly fussed around me.

“I’m staying tonight by the way,” she informed me.

“Oh,” I sighed. “OK. If you go downstairs and ask someone to find you a room-”

“Why would I need a different room?” she asked, not looking impressed. “I’m sleeping in here with you.”

“In... in my bed?” I asked, my eyes growing wide.

She rolled her eyes. “Yes Gerard. In. Your. Bed.”

“But...”

“But what?” she asked sharply.

“Nothing,” I mumbled, sinking down a little, turning my head to the side. “Is someone bringing your bags up for you?”

“They should be here any minute,” she answered and then proceeded to sit down next to me kicking her heels off.

She babbled on about the wedding relentlessly whilst I made ‘hmm’ noises and half hearted comments like ‘yeah, of course’ and ‘that’s nice’. When the knock at the door finally came, Eliza called them in and one of the vampire servants placed the bag at the foot of the bed and then left.

I watched as Eliza got up fluidly and unzipped the zip at the side of her dress and slid it down her body, leaving her in her bra and embarrassingly frilly skimpy thong. I looked away whilst the sound of material on skin quietly filled the room until there was silence.

I still didn’t look at her when I felt the bed dip under her weight and her hand stroked down my cheek.

“You can look at me you know,” she said softly.

I turned my head to find her lying next to me, the sheets pulled up around her body.

She smiled. “Don’t tell me you’re one of those people who waits for marriage before sex?”

“I’m not, I just... I don’t... we... I don’t feel like we really know each other yet,” I mumbled.

“Well we’ve got the rest of our lives to get to know each other. So we may as well get straight to the sex part,” she whispered in my ear, sliding up against me.

When my hand didn’t come into contact with any clothes I froze. “You’re naked.”

“I always sleep naked,” she grinned, biting her lip in what was meant to a seductive manner. “And I think maybe you should as well.”

“Eliza, don’t, please. I’m not doing this with you, not tonight. Just... just go and put some clothes on,” I muttered, turning my head away from her.

“Excuse me?” she asked, sounding appalled.

“You heard me. Just go and put some clothes on and go to sleep,” I told her firmly. “I’m not having sex with you.”

She sat up, glaring at me. “Why the fuck not?!”

“Maybe because I don’t fucking want to?!” I snapped.

She stared at me in shock. “Fine.”

With that she threw the sheets back and got up, revealing her perfect body and naked flesh that I wasn’t attracted to.

“If you don’t want this”-she gestured to her body angrily-“then you better not expect anything from me Gerard, not until you get down on your fucking knees and beg for it!”

I just watched in silence as she grabbed her clothes and hastily threw them back on, grabbing her bags and storming out, the door rattling behind her after she slammed it.

“The world is more likely to stop turning than me getting down on my knees and begging for you,” I muttered into my empty room.

I lay down properly and closed my eyes, only to be plagued with nightmares of a naked Eliza.