Tristan's Loins by Karolyn Cairns Page A

He looked amazed,
as he tasted the food. She felt forgiven when he finished. His dark
look made her wince. No, he was still mad.
    "I’m going to get some writing done today, I
promise." She was worrying her lower lip as he went back to the
third grade reader he worked on.
    He ignored her and she got angry, really
angry. What right did he have to treat her this way? She was trying
to rewrite his whole existence! He could at least be appreciative.
A voice reminded her that she had been the one to screw it up in
the first place. She knew no amount of apologies from her would
excuse her making him a murderer and a rapist.
    Tristan seemed to understand she had placed
fast and loose with poetic license with a thought her characters
were not real. It was done with no malice on her part. Seeing him
sitting before her now, so proud and distant made her heart ache
somehow.
    Selene typed for the next three hours in
silence. Tristan worked upon his reading and letters and ignored
her completely. She felt wounded by the time she stood up to
stretch. She had successfully rewritten three chapters. If she kept
going, she could finish it tonight and set him free to pursue the
lovely Rhiannon with no skeletons between them anymore.
    Selene paused as she sat back down, feeling
the pang of jealousy keenly. She created Tristan for Rhiannon and
vice versa. Why did she feel such unadulterated fury to think of
him with the heroine in her book? This was definitely something she
should have discussed with Dr. Saunders, but she had been in a
hurry to meet up with Axel.
    "I’m ready for you to atone for ignoring me,
Selene. I’ll accept whatever apology you have ready."
    "Excuse me?" She blinked at the arrogance in
his tone. Did he actually just say what he said? Had she written
the man to be this cocky? No way was she going to grovel to him! "I
have no intention of apologizing to you, Tristan. I have a life
outside of this book, even if you don't! You will not control me
until you have it all written to your satisfaction!"
    Tristan looked like he would have taken his
sword to her if she were in front of him just then. He jumped up
from the table and glared up at her, his face reddening in
anger.
    "Just hurry up and write me out of here! I
would get on with this ridiculous farce of yours and be done with
it! At least Rhiannon has cause to treat me so poorly!"
    "Alright! That's it! I have had enough of the
cold shoulder and the attitude, buddy! I go out to meet my friends
for an innocent evening, and you go ballistic! I haven't seen the
outside of this apartment since I moved into it! I had to get out
of here and not think about anything else but myself for a few
hours! I'm sorry if that angers you, but I have my own problems,
Tristan," she said angrily and crossed her arms over her chest, a
definitely rigid cast to her features.
    Tristan seemed to soften a bit at her words.
"I’m anxious to get out of this room, Selene. As much as I like the
pizza, and the other things you send, I’m very much wanting to
leave here."
    "I rewrote the first three chapters. I have
four more to go and then we can get you on your way," she promised,
seeing him visibly relax at her words. "I could finish it all
today, if you wish, but it would be sloppy work. I would only have
to come back to it. We risk you being stuck somewhere else
then."
    "No, you must get it right," he said and
paced once more, growing agitated. "I do not care to stay in this
room for eternity, if that is what this means. I feel as if I’m in
hell, Selene and this be the punishment for what I have done."
    "You mean what I have done, don't you?" she
said and shook her head. "This is not your fault! I did this! I’ll
fix it for you, Tristan. I’ll do what I can."
    "I did not care if she hated me then,
Selene." He was looking morose as he rubbed his stubbly jaw. "I
feel ashamed for what I did to her now. I did not see her feelings
at all. I saw only what I wanted from the marriage. Surely,