The night passed without incident for either of the reluctant couple. It took a very long time for Ember to fall asleep, aware of Ethan beside her, and frightened of what would happen when morning came. She'd witnessed such examinations; her understanding was that they were painful, no matter what state you were in. But eventually weariness won out and dragged her down into a fitful slumber, safe for a while from the discomfort of the waking world.

It took so long for her to fall asleep that she missed the rising dawn, the changing of the guard. And despite her reservations, her nerves of the night before, she was sleeping peacefully. If she had known that she was curled against Ethan's back, her arm wrapped about his waist, her forehead resting between his shoulder-blades, doubtless she wouldn't have been quite so easy. But it seemed as though his presence made it somehow easier to cling to sleep, and to keep herself oblivious for just a little while longer.

He'd fallen asleep almost immediately, more tired than he'd thought, and though his sleep was restless and his dreams troubling, he'd somehow managed to get through the night. As unaware of the dawn as she was, he was equally unaware of her curled against his back, or maybe he just found her warmth and closeness comforting in his sleep.

Unfortunately for them both, they were not going to be allowed to linger in their comfortable oblivion. An hour after dawn, the heavy door to Ember's rooms was unlocked and thrown open, six women striding inside. The curtain to the bed was thrown back, and hands reached for both sleepers. Ethan was dragged from the bed and into the main room, held in place for a perfect view as Ember, startled from sleep and fighting all the way, was pinned to the bed by capable hands, her legs spread wide.

A moment later, Marka entered, barely sparing a glance for the man as she passed him. "Examine her," she ordered, and an eighth woman scurried inside, hurrying to the bed.

Dragged out of bed, half asleep, it took Ethan a moment to shake the sleep from his brain and remember where he was and what was more than likely going on. Despite the salve he'd used the night before, the guards were none too gentle in their greeting, and the pain in his leg reminded him of the wound, though that was not his most pressing concern. "Ember!" he shouted as he was bodily dragged out of the room. "Don't touch her!" he shouted, lunging forward to get through the guards and defend a girl he'd only just met the night before.

His guards truly didn't care about his well-being, provided they didn't damage his ability to father children. Despite there being four of them, he was close to overpowering the hands that strained to hold him back, until one particularly unpleasant woman jabbed her knee into the stitched wound on his leg.

He struggled against the hands that held him back, frantic to reach Ember before anyone else dared touch her, but as soon as that knee jabbed at the wound, his leg gave out and he cried out in pain as he stumbled to the floor. He wasn't sure what he was so angry about or why he felt the need to protect her, but he found himself shaking with rage, angry at the humiliation her own mother was doling out. "I did what you wanted. Now leave her alone!"

"Be still," one of his guards ordered him. "Or worse will come to you." They dragged his arms behind his back, securing his wrists quickly even as they moved to hold him down to the floor.

In the bedroom alcove, Ember cried out in pain as the examination took place, struggling against the two women who held her down under her mother's watchful eye.

"Well?" Marka demanded of the medic, who hurriedly withdrew her hands, removing the tainted gloves.

"There is blood on the sheets, and she is broken," was the report, offered by an obviously cowed woman who didn't really want to be there.

Marka nodded. "Good," she said sternly. She turned, calling to someone who stood beyond the door in the passage way, and a man entered, limping badly, the evidence of a severe beating all over him. He carried a tray laden with food and drink, setting it down on the table before leaving without saying a word.

As hard as Ethan struggled to free himself from his captors, they had the advantage, holding fast and keeping him securely in their grasp. Hearing Ember cry out in pain only made him struggle that much harder, but to no avail. Maybe if his leg wasn't wounded, he'd have been able to fight them off, but not now, not yet. "I'm going to kill you, do you hear me?" he shouted, the threat obviously meant for Marka, growing bitter with hatred.

The woman who held all these women under her sway ignored him. She was used to such threats by now. She nodded to the medic. "You may go." The women holding Ember let go, and the girl scrambled back under the quilt, huddling like a child beneath the covers, visibly shaking. Marka turned to Ethan finally, bending to look into his eyes with a rather satisfied smirk. "Continue to do your duty," she told him, "and one day, you may have an opportunity to attempt your threats."

"It's not a threat. It's a promise," he told her through clenched teeth. Though he knew he shouldn't bait her, he couldn't help himself, eyes flashing with rage and hatred. He intended to keep that promise, if it was the last thing he did. It didn't escape him the way the medic and the servant had cowered before her, and he wondered what it was that she held over them so that no one dared rebel against her. "I hope you can count because your days are numbered," he hissed at her, his leg throbbing fiercely, though he was more concerned with Ember.

"Then get her with child, and pray it is female," Marka told him from behind that superior smirk. "Or it will be your days that are numbered." She straightened, and without sparing even a glance for the huddled girl beneath the quilt, walked out of the room. Ethan's guards released him carefully, evidently prepared to do more than aggravate his wounds if he caused trouble, and backed from the room after her. The heavy door was drawn shut, the lock clicking into place, and they were alone once again.

That kiss was having an equally unexpected effect on him, and as she practically melted against him, he found his arms reaching for her, sliding around her waist to draw her gently closer. His own eyes fell closed as he lost himself to that kiss, forgetting for now the pain in his leg and the ache in his heart, only wanting to linger in that moment as long as she'd let him.

Her breath staggered against his lips as she felt his arms slide around her. What is he doing to me" Yet she couldn't have halted her reaction, even if she had wanted to. It was overwhelming, too strong to deny, allowing herself to be soft and pliable in his grasp, to slide as close as he wanted her to be as her hands rose of their own volition to tentatively slide over his shoulders, daring to touch the skin she'd been so transfixed by just the night before. Take away the imprisonment, the unwilling meeting, and it was everything a first kiss should be, promising so much more than it could give in a single breath.

He'd probably kissed half a dozen girls and women in his lifetime, but not a single one came anywhere close to the intensity of feeling that was generated by that first kiss. Maybe it was the situation; he wasn't really sure. He'd been wondering what it would be like to kiss her, and now that he knew, it was even sweeter than he could have ever expected. He'd only hoped to help her forget about what they'd done to her, the pain and humiliation they'd caused her, but that one kiss between them seemed to have been so much more.

He had certainly achieved his goal, but in doing so, had awoken a part of Ember Keel she hadn't really been aware existed. Released from that kiss, she remained in his arms, a long moment passing before her eyes flickered open to stare into his, shallow breaths making her chest heave quickly as the shyness seemed to come back to her. Her hands, so sure against his skin as he kissed her, drew back as though afraid to touch ....as though afraid of being punished for touching. And yet a small flicker of humor lit her eyes as she found voice, one of those hands lowering to lay her palm very gently over his healing wound. "You-you're a bad liar."

He'd felt it, too - that nameless something that was made his heart beat a little bit faster and his breath come a little bit shallower. He blinked in surprise when she pulled away from him, already missing the warmth of her lips against his, the soft touch of her fingers against his skin. He recognized the humor in her eyes, but failed to see the humor in the situation, until she touched the stitched up claw marks on his thigh, distracting him from confused, muddled thoughts of her kiss. "What?" he said, furrowing his brows in confusion, not realizing until then that the wound was seeping blood and throbbing painfully. "Oh," he said, looking to where her hand was covering his thigh. "One of them dug her knee into my leg. I'll be fine."

She rolled her eyes at him. "You don't have to be," she pointed out, raising her hand to show him the blood that was now decorating her palm as well. "Give me a moment, I'll get the salves." Was she distracting herself from the urge to slide closer and pick up where the kiss had left off" Possibly. But she was also distracting herself from the shock and humiliation, not only of having been treated that way by her own mother, but of having him see it happen. She twisted, long legs stretching out to begin the slide from the bed.

He was frowning again, not because she seemed concerned about him, but because he was concerned about her. He didn't want to mention it though, afraid of bringing her more shame and embarrassment. If only she'd let him help her, but then they hadn't started out very well the night before. He shifted his gaze as she slid off the bed, feeling his cheeks flush hotly for some reason at the sight of her long bare legs. He was at a sudden loss for words, which was very unlike him, and he knew she was going to insist on the salve whether he liked it or not. "I, uh....I suppose I shouldn't have told her I was going to kill her," he said, feeling suddenly awkward.

She stumbled as she gained her feet, hissing just a little at the jolt she felt at the apex of her thighs. Hoping he hadn't noticed, but knowing he must have done, she paused, looking back at him with a rueful smile on her lips. "She hears it every day," she assured him. "Trust me, she won't give it a second thought. So long as you don't make a habit of it. Wait here." One long finger touched the tip of his nose as she warned him with a look to do as he was told, and she turned, hating the very slight limp in her gait as she made her way into the main room.

He started forward as she stumbled, startled concern on his face, though she caught herself before he could do it for her. Every time he thought of what she'd done to herself because of him, because of her mother, it only made him hate the woman all the more. "She must have enemies. People who would like to get rid of her," he mused, wondering if they had any allies here or if they were completely on their own.

"Of course she does," Ember called back to him, a little more careful with herself as she opened up her hidden box to find the salves once again. "But she has a fanatical guard as well. If you want to get to her, you have to get through them, and they're the best armed people in this place." There was a scraping sound as she pushed the box back into place, and she was visible for a brief flash, moving into the bathroom.

He stayed where he was, listening as she moved about in the next room and catching a quick glimpse of her as she moved past toward the bathroom. "Yeah, well, I'm not exactly ignorant when it comes to weapons, you know," he called back, reminding her of the fact that he was a soldier and no stranger to combat or weapons. If he'd had a little more time, he just might have finished off the mutant that had clawed his leg, had he not been captured first.

"No, I mean fanatical," she said, coming back into view with a pair of linens over one shoulder, the salves in one hand, and a shallow bowl of water in the other. Evidently if a thing was worth doing, it was worth doing well, in Ember's mind. "I've seen them form a human shield for her against her enemies with children. There isn't one of them who wouldn't gladly die for her. They scare me." Setting the bowl down, she sat on the bed with him once again, her eyes falling to the healing wound in his thigh. Her fingertips brushed the inflamed skin, concern on her face. "Although I would gladly gut the bitch that took advantage of you."

His eyes widened a little at her statement, though he wasn't sure why he was surprised. After all, what else could be expected of people who were heartless enough to abandon innocent and helpless newborns to die, in a world where every child was precious" "They just might get their chance," he muttered, at least, if it came down to that. He visibly flinched when her fingers touched the angry, red wound, breath hissing as his muscles went rigid. After a moment, he let out a slow breath and relaxed just a little. "It was feeling better. I think the salve helped."

"I just wanted to say thanks. That's all," he told her somewhat shyly, though he thought there was a lot more that needed to be said between them. He knew she didn't have to help him, just as he didn't have to help her, but something between them had changed from the night before, and he found himself secretly hoping it was just the beginning of a feeling that might grow into something special.

This time, the smile did curve her lips - a small, shy thing that seemed to make her glow, unaccustomed to praise as she was. "You're welcome," she answered his thanks as shyly as they had been offered, her eyes lingering on his before she turned to gather together bowl, linens and salves, and begin putting them all away.

Though he didn't dare admit it, the smile on her face did something to his insides, something strange that he'd never felt before. It wasn't a bad feeling; in fact, it was rather pleasant, though he wasn't sure sure yet if he was simply feeling a physical attraction to her or if it was something more. He forced himself to turn away at last as she gathered up the bowl, linens, and salve, and he continued on to the main room.

The tray that had been left in the main room held a large jug of water, a smaller jug of milk, half a loaf of bread, butter, fruit, and a package of fresh clothing for Ethan's use. Ember wasn't long in tidying up, moving to join him in the main chamber. "You're going to get very bored in here with just me for company," she offered regretfully. "I'm afraid I may be incredibly boring. It has been a very long time since I just spoke to someone."

"Don't worry," he said as he picked at a grape and popped it into his mouth. "We're not staying long enough to get bored." So, it seemed he had a plan for escape, or at least, the start of one, but he wasn't saying much more than that just yet. There was a lot of stuff he needed to know first, and as tempting as the thought was, if her mother thought they were going to be spending all their waking hours working on making a baby for her just so they could be disposed of when they were no longer needed, she was truly foolish.

"So tell me this plan of yours," she said, settling herself down to cut the loaf. Despite how generous the portions they had been given were, it seemed that Ember did not eat very much at all. One slice of lightly buttered bread, one pear, and one small cup of milk were her breakfast choices. Determined to ignore the ache between her legs, she made herself comfortable, turning her eyes to him curiously as she nibbled on her bread.

Bread and fruit were hardly enough food for a man who was used to eating much more, but then, he wasn't going out on patrol for long periods of time or doing anything too strenuous, so for now, it would just have to do. He frowned a little at the meager amount of food she was claiming for her breakfast, not wanting to look like a glutton, though he was hungry enough. "It's gonna take a lot of planning," he said as he claimed a seat across from her.

"I haven't seen any changes in the routines and security for myself," she warned him. "But I doubt much has changed, to be honest. Why change a system that works?" She glanced at the food, a small smile playing at her lips. "Most of this is meant for you, you know. I don't usually get anywhere near this much."

"Because..." he started as he plucked up a slice of bread and spread a healthy portion of butter on it. He would have preferred some sausage or eggs or even jam to accompany the bread, but he was too hungry to complain. "A system that never changes becomes predictable. We can use that to our advantage." He arched a brow in mid-butter spreading to look over at her. He had to admit that she was slender, but she didn't look malnourished at all. "They keep you cooped up in here all day long?" he asked curiously. "How do you get any exercise?" What he really wanted to ask was how did she keep her sanity.

She'd seen his slightly disappointed expression as he took in what constituted breakfast here. "There will be meat at lunch, and at dinner," she assured him. "Our chickens have apparently been struggling to lay recently, so I don't get eggs." She shrugged, blushing a little as she realized he was looking her over. Her toes curled, wondering what he saw when he looked at her, eyes dropping to her food once again. "I am expected to take care of that myself," she told him, in reference to exercise. "There are weights under the desk, and when you are fit enough, we can spar. It is a way of passing the time," she admitted awkwardly.

He had been taking her in, it was true - looking her over, determining whether she seemed physically fit despite her slight frame. She was full of spunk, that much was certain, but how much did she know about defending herself" "Spar?" he echoed, chuckling a little. "You want to spar with me?" He just shook his head. It wasn't that she female. There were plenty of females in the militia back home, and her people had more than proven their combat abilities. In a way, his being here was proof of that, but he wasn't sure she'd be able to compete against a trained soldier.

"Well, I haven't fought anyone for a few months, but I do know how to do it," she told him, unable to keep her smile from deepening as she realized he must have assumed that she was as delicate as she looked. "I was trained to be soldier, to be able to defend myself if I needed to. You will probably win every time, but ....well, I would enjoy having someone to spar with."

"Okay," he agreed, just about devouring that slice of buttered bread while she explained herself. "You should stay in shape, anyway. We've got a long way to go, and it's not gonna be easy." But he expected she already knew that, probably better than he did. "So, how'd you meet this Niles guy?" he asked as he poured them both a glass of milk.

She considered his question for a moment, thinking back. "As far as I remember, he'd always been around," she said finally. "He never caused any trouble, so he was trusted to work on the vehicles - they run on solar power," she explained, knowing that gas was a thing of the long distant past. "When I was on the patrols, I got to know him. I used to talk to him, and sneak him extra food when I could. Then, when I was confined to the compound, I started to hang around in the bay where the mechanics work. We just used to talk, though never when anyone else was around. He didn't treat me like an overlord or someone he hated. He just talked to me."

"I wonder if my father knew him," Ethan mused thoughtfully, though he had never heard mention of anyone named Niles. Still, he figured there was probably a lot he didn't know. "So, you became friends," he said, stating the obvious. She had been the enemy once, but it was hard not to like someone like her, despite who her mother was. "It was brave of you to try and help him."

"If she is, I would be the last to know," she told him quietly. "She won't ever trust me again, and I know there are secrets she doesn't share with anyone but her trusted inner circle. Maybe if I'd played along, I would know what she's up to. But I won't kill for killing's sake, and I won't treat another human being like dirt just to please my mother. So I'm an enemy within the walls. I am just lucky to have a few friends, still."

"Can we count on those friends for help" Do you trust them enough to know they won't betray you?" he asked further. If his plan was going to succeed, they were going to need all the help they could get.

"Two of them, I do," she nodded, confident in this. "Gia, and Nemone - chief medic and the captain of the watch." She smirked faintly; there was a clue in there as to how she had gotten Niles to the border in the first place. "The others, I wouldn't dare to ask. They share my feelings, but I've seen them do as they're told rather than risk punishment. I won't put my life in the hands of someone who lacks the courage of their convictions."

One brow lifted, a little surprised to learn the captain of the watch was a friend. That would definitely come in handy. "Gia....She was the one who brought me here," he said, though it was more of a question than a statement. "She didn't seem very happy about what was going on."

"She isn't." Ember seemed to debate with herself before adding, "She's my aunt, my mother's sister. She's in charge of all the medical staff, as well as the breeding program. If it wasn't for her, the men would be in a far worse state than they are. She's the only person who can talk Marka around to a reasonable conclusion. I-I had hoped Gia would be the one who did the examination, but ....obviously Marka doesn't want me to hold onto family ties."

That was enough for him and without much thought, he blurted, "Do you want her to come with us?" After all, if what she was telling him was true, it was likely the other woman could end up being punished for helping them escape.

"She wouldn't come." Despite the obvious concern this caused her, there was a certain amount of pride in Ember for her aunt. "I've asked her before, why she didn't go when she sent her man and their son away. She said that no one here would be able to take her place. No one would be able to hold Marka back. So she stayed, and because of her, the men are fed and clothed, they're given medicine when they need it. They're kept healthy, for as long as they can be. It is worlds away from how it used to be, so I'm told."

"All right," he agreed, reluctantly. It wouldn't hurt to have an ally on the inside here, anyway. "But if she changes her mind, she's welcome to come along." He finished off the apple, his hunger hardly satisfied, though it would do for now. "She said something to me before she brought me here." Or maybe Rob had said it; it was all a little murky in his head. "Something about that if I cooperated and gave you a child, I'd be able to stay here with you, but if your mother is planning on getting rid of you, I assume she'd get rid of me, too." Not that it mattered; he didn't plan on sticking around long enough to find out.

"Usually, if a woman likes a man, she keeps him," Ember explained in her quiet way. "If he gives her a female child - and if he has proved he can be trusted - he is entrusted with the raising of that child until she reaches ten years old. Then she's given into the school's care, and if her mother still likes him, he stays around. If she doesn't, he gets put to work."

"That isn't an option with us," he said. Even if for some strange reason they decided to stay, he assumed they would both be disposed of as soon as her mother had a girl child to raise as her own. It would buy them some time, however, if Marka thought her daughter had a change of heart. A small smile flittered across his face at the thought of tricking the older woman.

"No. We don't have any options." She drained her glass, moving to stand and stretch briefly. "I should get dressed," she told him. "Did you want the bathroom' I can wait."

He blinked out of his thoughts of trickery and escape, the smile fading as he turned back to her. "No, go ahead. I'm gonna eat a little more, if you don't mind." And sort some things out in my head. There was more than one way to skin a cat.

"All right." Ember's tiny, shy smile made a reappearance even as his faded, and for a moment, she hesitated, weighing her options. A blush bloomed over her cheeks, and she hurriedly bent, touching her lips to his in a brief, sweet kiss. "I'm glad you're here," she whispered to him, turning to slip away.

The kiss took him by surprise, and for a moment, he was speechless, but before he could reply, she was already gone. He touched his lips where she'd kissed him and the smile reappeared, soft and just a little bit wistful, longing for another kiss and another, though he didn't want to go too far too fast.

They had time. Indeed, they had a year, provided they didn't shorten that time with their own growing attraction to one another. A year was plenty of time to wait and plan. This time, when the escape was made, it would be successful. Ember was determined that Ethan would get home, whether she was there to see it or not.

((Lovely family she's got, eh' Many, many thanks to Ethan's player!))