Merricks head was spinning with the events of the last few days. At one moment everything seems to be getting a bit better, the Plague of Narrowhaven was dealt with and people were recovering. He was very proud of his beautiful wife Scarlet, who from the beginning had such a great part in this all being possible She composed the directions for the making of the cure for she was one of but two even capable of doing this and now the only one with the skills to copy and decode such things from this book that was acquired. Scarlet was even there for the making of the antidote which was to cure the one infected. Yes, Merrick was very proud of his wife indeed.
Then came the banquet, and this man Michael, who could not keep his grubby little mage fingers from his lovely wife. Yes Merrick knew that with Scarlet’s beauty and disposition that men tend to gawk and follow and even comment. This one goes to far. As if he thought Merrick would be blind and not see him playing with my wife’s hair as he did. Merrick felt that here at the banquet, at the Kings estate, with so many present it was not the time or place to deal with this disrespectful being. He would confront him when first he had the chance.
Merrick was not happy with this man but he received word that a potion he was having recreated was ready for him and this brought back some happiness to him. He was going to be able to undo what Samuel has done to her perhaps. This was going to allow his beautiful wife who thinks there is no such thing as love the ability to possibly understand it and even feel it. He was happy for but a short time. The potion once given to his wife seemed to have not the effect of the one he was given to begin with, in fact it seemed to have no effect at all. The next thing Merrick knows, Scarlet is spending time with this Man from the banquet and not focusing on this as she usually does. Something was not right and Merrick didn’t like it.
Oh the dark thoughts that where filling his mind. The things he wanted to do to this man with no respect for another’s wife, for all those who felt he was not suited for Scarlet. It is not my problem they cannot see that I am the only one who truly Loves Scarlet. I may not know what some others know or all there is to know about her, but I know more than many, and enough to know that she is my the one for me, the only one for me. Merrick also knows he wants to learn everything about her, every detail, for he loves this women to no end. He needs to make all these people understand and respect this.
Yes, they all need to learn. They all need to pay. Everyone does, even those he has not met yet! yes everyone needs to pay. Everyone will be the same, it will never end. I might as well just make everyone learn this.
These thoughts have been visiting Merrick’s mind for several days now, but they are getting louder and more frequent. They will pass he thinks. They are just because of stress and everything that is going on. He passes them off and pays little attention to them.
It Finally hit Merrick one eve after Scarlet actually told him she loved this …this Mage. Even after telling Merrick this, he could see confusion in her expression. How could this come to be? Wait, the potion, yes the potion. It had not worked for him. The old man told him he hired this man to get a sample of Scarlet’s hair at the banquet! That man! It was this Michael, and the potion didn’t work for Merrick. Merrick realized he had been had. The potion did work! Not for him, but for this mage! Those dark thought of dealing with these people re entered his mind and this time he was not so quick to brush them aside as nothing. He went to Scarlet and spoke with her and using a bit of information he had learned, he ordered her to fix this my making the proper potion and ending the effects of the one he himself had given her which actually worked for another. Merrick was not a very happy man at the moment. More mad at himself for being duped as he was, but there was plenty of anger for this other man and for well , for everyone else……everyone.
Scarlet started the potion and informed him it would take a week to make. A week to long he thought. He was no honestly sure he could wait that long. The following evening after an argument between Scarlet and this Michael, Merrick had seen her literally attack the man and grab his throat. This, he had to admit, did bring a smile to his face and he was again proud of his wife. They returned home and after showing her the new bathroom in the Keep, told her if she could just make the effects of the potion given to her go away that would be enough. She told him she could make that right away and be ready that eve. Merrick told her to do so for he felt in his heart he needed no damn potion to make her feel for him as she did for this other man with the use of one. She will see and feel what true love is, even if it takes some time. Scarlet made the potion and consumed it and within moments he was hearing things said to him as she had before he gave her the false potion. He was happy again. Happy for a little bit again. for they returned home and retired to the bedroom with a bottle of wine which was not tainted with anything. Scarlet at first was a bit reluctant to drink any but once Merrick assured her it was not tainted, she threw back a few glasses rather quickly and wanted more. I went and got her something a bit stronger and after one glass I asked her a question about Samuel. She rose and with a few choice words about men and what they want with her she vanished in thin air. This did not sit well with Merrick. All Merrick could think about was how people would pay for all this disrespect. Yes they all will pay. They need to learn respect. They all do and even Scarlet it seems. He remembered her words from way back when they first met and were seeing each other. " I am not like others Merrick, if you don’t want me to go you best use chains!" she told him. Merrick sat for what seemed like hours starring at he flames of the fire in the bedroom. Then, almost without thinking at all he left and went and purchased some materials and went to work in the bedroom.
A bit after he finished his project. Scarlet returned and came up to meet him in the bedroom. When asked where she had been he barely recalls even listening to what she told him. Another little lie he was sure it was, no matter. " lets go to bed my love and perhaps in the morning we will all feel a bit better. After he helped her out of her things as he usually does and got her comfortable in bed. Merrick reached down and picked up the chain which was on the floor a bit under the bed, and merely casually clasped the shackle about Scarlet’s ankle and locked it. Even with Scarlet’s total shocked expression and wide eyes, Merrick calmly told her how much he loved her and that if she wanted chains put on her than chains is what she will have. ”No one loves you more than I Scarlet, no man, no beast and no God can love you as I do. you will learn this."’ Merrick said this because he does just that. He knows this is how he feels and there is no questioning it. Merrick told her he will give her anything she wants, chains included.
