I Am Obsolete

Ex chancellor Hans Gemeinhardt was a fallen man. His public embarrassment and subsequent exile had all but ruined his life, and his newlywed child bride, Renate, was all he had left. She was fifteen and beautiful, but because of her age he had taken a vow not to touch her until she matured to adulthood.
�You will call me �sir�,� he had said upon their first meeting. Renate had been given to him by a prominent family during his time as Chancellor in exchange for political immunity. The State was in complete control of his world, and he had been a crusader for its survival and importance, but upon laying eyes on Renate he could not resist disobeying the rules of the State he worked so hard for.
To say that Renate was reluctant would be an understatement: she was fearful. He was an imposing figure: he stood at 6�2, possessed a strong and muscular build, and his features were that of a hardened and stern man. She was barely five feet tall and weak: she was childlike in appearance and she possessed a meek and youthful manner which endeared him to her. He was loving toward her, but stern; he asserted his authority over her both as a husband and as a leader, and she fearfully obeyed.
Despite her fear of her husband, Renate showed him the highest appreciation: he was greeted promptly after returning from work with a hot meal, a back rub and a foot massage, and in turn he tucked Renate in at night and every night he would softly kiss her forehead. Hans quickly discovered that the more protection and quiet love he showed her, the more she would both obey and appreciate him.
This was before his downfall. After overseeing an obsolete man�s execution, and reacting to being trapped in his room with cowardice, he was replaced, punished by his peers and subsequently ejected from his country, taking nothing but his wife and a few other meager possessions. He maintained a semblance of his previous status in his new nation, but his life had taken a sad and unfortunate turn. Every day he thought back on the experience while in quiet solitude in his pitiful excuse for a �study� and regretted his reaction. He had fought with all his might to preserve and serve the State, only to have it turn against him after he revealed his humanity. It had hardened and embittered him considerably, and his treatment of his wife was evidence of this. While he was once loving, but simply stern, he was now cold and abusive: he had hit her more often than he ever had during the course of their marriage, and with time his devotion to his vow of purity began to diminish. His disappointment with his life manifested as a dangerous and bothersome lust, and he began to desire his innocent and na�ve wife in a way that he had never experienced with anyone else.
He walked into Renate�s room one night as she slept. Overcome with passion Hans slowly crawled into Renate�s bed and took her forcefully in his arms. She promptly awoke and began trembling with fear as Hans bit her ear and grabbed her hair by the root. He couldn�t stand it any longer; the lust was too much.
�Hans, no�� Her voice was tiny, childlike and full of fear.
�Yes, Renate. It is time to perform your duty as my wife.� He forced his lips against hers and held her where she was; she tried to push him away to no avail. His teeth sunk into her bottom lip, and she let out a loud and pained squeal. �Don�t fight me, or I will belt you.� Tears began to fall down Renate�s flushed cheeks.
�You�re not yourself. Please.� Hans couldn�t bring himself to reply, and suddenly the realization that he was breaking his vow and violating his own wife moved to the forefront of his mind. He pushed her away and quickly stood up and brushed himself off.
�I�m sorry. Goodnight.� Renate stared up at him, and the hurt she expressed in her eyes was too much for him to bear. He left the room and closed the door without another word.