"I don't know. I think she might have left..?" Sam stared determinedly at Jigano, not wanting to look at any of the rest of the room, where boiled flesh and yelling guards lurked just waiting to create a horrible flashback for him to deal with later.
He finally turned around when he heard the cauldron being moved, just in time to see the woman rising from the ashes like the phoenix she had been. She was beautiful, even though Sam had no chance in hell of being attracted to her. He watched her approach with a slightly open mouth, unable to believe he had made an accurate prediction earlier. He was even more shocked when she seemed pleased enough with him to marry him, despite everything.
Awkwardly, he reached forward to take her hands, his own shaking as they clasped her much more delicate fingers. Jigano's encouragement wasn't needed. As much as Sam desperately never wanted to be married to a woman, he would have agreed to anything if it meant the end of this book-induced nightmare. Mutely, he nodded at the woman and then looked back to Jigano with a half-sick smile.
He finally turned around when he heard the cauldron being moved, just in time to see the woman rising from the ashes like the phoenix she had been. She was beautiful, even though Sam had no chance in hell of being attracted to her. He watched her approach with a slightly open mouth, unable to believe he had made an accurate prediction earlier. He was even more shocked when she seemed pleased enough with him to marry him, despite everything.
Awkwardly, he reached forward to take her hands, his own shaking as they clasped her much more delicate fingers. Jigano's encouragement wasn't needed. As much as Sam desperately never wanted to be married to a woman, he would have agreed to anything if it meant the end of this book-induced nightmare. Mutely, he nodded at the woman and then looked back to Jigano with a half-sick smile.
