Caress of Twilight--Chapter 5

So the only sensible thing Merry does is take Rhys's gun away. He uses his coat to cover the desk. Merry persists in not understanding that Rhys was freaking traumatized by goblins and rambles on about this being Rhys's second chance. She calls this an irrational phobia with a basis in reality and decides that Rhys has to do it for his own good, and if she backs down she'll look weak.

And then the first unforgivable thing of this book happens. Merry negotiates with Kitto for what they do next, and Kitto decides on foreplay. This is not the unforgivable thing. The unforgivable thing is that Merry then goes out of her way to point out that Rhys could have negotiated too. 

Yes. Let's point out to a fucking rape victim that he could have barganed his way out of rape, or at least out of losing an eye.

Ah, but it's HIS fault because he was too bigoted to learn about another culture. If he'd been more educated the goblins would not have disfigured him.  RIGHT. Because rapists always listen when you tell them not to do things.

I've said it before, I'll say it again: Male rape exists. And victim blaming in a rape is no more attractive when the victim is male than when they are female.

And then Merry kisses him and tells him he's still pretty, and this makes everything okay. Because it's not the rape and torture that is the problem. It's the fact that Rhys is missing an eye. And when she kisses him Kitto's arm is trapped between them, but it's alright because Rhys doesn't actively scream. 

She kisses all his scars. He flinches and panics and almost starts crying, but she keeps going because this is good for him.

And then, in the middle of the makeout session, Rhys realizes that Kitto is still, like, right there, and he panics again, and then he's all like "Well, get this shit finished" and Kitto is all like "Nope, I'm good." There's ramble about how Kitto doesn't want Merry to lose her guard, and Kitto goes on about how weak he is and how great Rhys is for being in the running to be the King one day, and how he is, yep, a natural born victem. Merry thinks about how awful it is to be born weak, and the chapter ends.