Chapter 4: Unfair Kindness

Jolt of pain in my neck woke me up roughly making me open my eyes to stare up to the dark, black ceiling. Everything was dark around me but before I could sit up, the sting at my neck and ache of my arms made me lie still. My heart hammered against my chest as I took deep breaths trying to calm myself down. How could anyone catch me?

When corner of my eye caught a dim light coming from the other side of the hard bed, I was forced to ignore the pain and turn my head hoping that the kidnapping and the bite was all just a simple dream. But when the fate was the one that I wished it would be? I squinted trying to see if there was a door or something like that but I still didn't get used to the darkness of the room therefore I gave up and started to look at my surroundings.

As I started to make out the dark objects in the room, I found myself being in the expensive looking room. Beautiful art hung from the walls, large chandelier was on the ceiling, closet almost took up the entire wall and bed was much, much bigger than all of me. Pillows underneath my head made me fall back into them since they were so soft and the blanket that was put over me was just as soft.

It was truly the best room I've ever been in.

Sudden creak of the door made me look back quickly at it. The ache shot through every inch of me as I tried to writhe out of it half crying half angry. Soft footsteps interrupted my struggling through the pain and low chuckle came from the shadowed figure as I shrunk away from it. "Ah, you woke up. I was worried that the bite killed you. You slept for five days already.” It paused sighing before it continued with grim smile. “Famous Violet. I hear many rumors about you and yet one of them wasn't true." The figure leaned closer and then I saw the horrid red eyes and sharp teeth of the creature. "You are so much beautiful up close even if my servants told me that smell of you was horrible." It shook its head sadly.

My smell? I frowned confusingly as creature bent down and touched my burning arm with his hand cold as ice. The burning throughout me second by second, slowly went away leaving me tired and on verge of bursting in tears. As I sighed with relief, creature smiled its toothy smile and continued. "Anyways, I was thinking about you serving for me. I’ll provide you shelter, food, all the riches you ever saw and anything you want.”

“So what? I don’t need anything. I have everything. Besides, what are you?” I asked calmly looking at him annoyingly even though my heart was beating so far in fear. Keeping my gaze calm and cold, creature seemed to be slightly taken back with my reaction. But then it laughed and nodded. “Alright. How about this?” It sat down on the bed laying its hand beside mine. “You will eat the food and after awhile, I’ll tell you what we are, okay?”

Hearing sound of food, my stomach grumbled and I blushed lightly beginning to nod. The creature grinned again his toothy grin and continued. “Great! My name is Duke Ostralach. And this is my humble home. Let’s go!” Mr. Duke grabbed my arm and pulled me out of the bed pulling me towards the door and outside into the hall.

I yelped at the sudden movement as my arm began to feel like they were broken and ripped off and my neck from unable to keep my head straight ached as if someone wanted to strangle me. When we walked out into the bright lit hallway with dozens of windows showing star light sky, I stumbled and fell down, my arms somewhat softening my fall.

Mr. Duke looked down at me and then probably noticed the red gashes on my arms, shoulders and one big, red bite mark on my neck. At least I expected them to look like that with this whole deal of pain. I turned my head to him and wincing, asked. “Pretty idiotic guy, your pathetic servants caught as well, where is he?”

He looked thoughtful for a moment, before he replied. “Oh, he’s in dungeon. If you want, you can see him after dinner.” I nodded slightly scared to set off the pain again and he reached out giving me his hand. I accepted it gladly and he hauled me up in his arms.

With that, he carried me to another room as my face was burning in embarrassment. When he set me down, I found myself again in the luxurious and bright light room with maids coming towards me. I started to walk back my eyes slightly narrowing on them but firm, cold hands made me stay in place and let maids swarm over me dragging me to the change room.

They started to change me from my dirty clothes to beautiful dresses trying on each one of them and when they found pretty dress for me, they started to mess over putting on makeup on me. Each time then they took it off and put another type of makeup almost making me snap at them beside of the pain in my neck that kept bothering me. But when they were finally done with everything to make me pretty like a princess, they pulled me out of the change room and presented me to Mr. Duke.

He stared at me with wide red eyes looking me over many times perhaps to make sure that it was still me. I looked annoyingly back at him and turned around facing the mirror.  Shock struck me when I saw my reflection in the mirror. That beautiful didn’t look in any way like me. Although she, the angel, had same blue eyes staring back at me. And yet, she had small red marks on her arms and a bit bigger one of her neck.

Mr. Duke walked up behind me his perfect features beaming at me. Resisting the urge to elbow him hard, I walked away from his grasp and said. “I want to eat. Where’s the dining room?” He laughed softly before he hooked my arm with his and pulled me once again into the hallway.

As we walked towards the food, I looked at the stars in the large windows as we passed them. So many of stars were in the sky tonight, so something must happen either today or later in the week. I looked away from them before I remembered something sad and looked forward already smelling the food. The dining room was probably somewhere nearby.

I was right. After short while, we stopped and servants opened the doors for us showing huge dining room with large table along with crystal chandeliers up in the ceiling. Amazement of riches of this “humble” home once again struck me. Mr. Duke led me to the table and pulled out the chair for me gesturing me to take a seat. Once I sat down, he sat down as well across me still wearing bright smile.

Servants then streamed inside the empty room setting food before us almost making me drool at the smell of them. Silverware was laid neatly beside the plate along with some glasses in front. When I looked back at the food, thought ran through my mind making me wonder. Mr. Duke might poison me but somehow I didn’t care. Also I didn’t think he would after seeing me in this appearance. Leaving that thought behind, I noticed that servants walked backwards to the walls of the dining room standing straight and looking forward yet unmoving.

Mr. Duke cleared his throat making me look at him and when I did, he nodded to the food. “Are you going to eat it? Or not?” With a scowl at him, I began to put random food on my plate until it was all full. Before I could dig into pile of food, my mind nagged me about proper manners of the lady and almost forced to behave like one. Giving in to the rightness, I took knife and fork and began to eat slowly.

While I was eating, Mr. Duke was forced on my face only and his food so he didn’t notice me slip larger knife than I held into folds of my dress. Perhaps it will be good use later on. Soon he started to talk. “So I heard that you had quite a hunt on us in the woods, yes? Even though I should be angry, I’m not. I’m quite relieved as you say to get rid of annoying pests. Although I didn’t think that you yourself would come out in the woods with them.

“Besides, I knew that I had to see what you looked like. Regular and along with all the makeup that ladies wear on their faces. And it brought me further into curiosity of you. By the time my servants bit you, you should have been dead. But look. You are alive as any of us even though you have small marks that are ruining you porcelain skin. How can it be?” He leaned forward looking at me seriously.

I shrugged as I set down my fork and the knife leaning back into my seat away from him. “Why ask me? I’ve never been bitten before and this sure bloody hurts.” He laughed at my answer this time almost receiving knife flying straight at him but since he seemed some kind of baron and guards were right outside the doors.

After the dinner was finished mostly by me, Mr. Duke stood up and as I made my request to see Drake again, he nodded and lead me out of the fabulous room and headed towards the dark basement that I guessed will be filled with rats and cobwebs. And I was quite surprised to see clean spiral case going downwards with bright lit torches on the walls around us.

Walking down the stairs, I held up the silk red dress that maids put me into and scowled looking down at the steps careful not to step on anything or slide from the polished looking steps. When we reached the last step, Mr. Duke reached out and stopped me looking down at the dark floor persistently. I frowned lightly and as I started to ask why he stopped me, he picked up small rock and threw it down on the ground glancing at me and back forward.

Next second spikes rose from the floor, arrows flew right before us, axe swung from the ceiling and then everything stopped and stayed still. Mr. Duke sighed and turned his head around to face me saying. “You need to be more careful, princess. Or you will get badly hurt.” He turned back around and continued his way around the traps and the weapons that lay around on the floor. And I had no choice but to follow his footsteps.

We finally reached the wooden door along with the rusty looking lock that seemed wasn’t used in quite awhile which came again as a surprise to me since past everything I saw today, objects were cleaned and polished very well. Mr. Duke then took out the key and putting it into the lock, he opened the door with loud creak.

The light streamed inside the cell outlining dark shape of person on the floor with his arms chained up to the wall. Mr. Duke rested his hand on my lower back and led me inside lighting up the room on the way. After the room was lit up, my gaze instantly moved to the person and I wasn’t as much as shocked like I was before seeing the pretty objects and surroundings.

I crouched down and reached out to brush dirty black hair from the pale looking face before looking him over. The clothes were pretty ragged and scarped although there were no cuts on his skin or any blood. Just old, dirty clothes that were put on him. He even didn’t smell that bad at all. Then I pulled my hand back slightly and slapped the person. Mr. Duke standing beside me flinched at the sound before he cleared his throat uncomfortably speaking lowly. “Umm… Why did you do that?”

Keeping my eyes on the person that groaned and slowly began to open his eyes, I replied. “Well, I had to wake him up some way. Would you suggest that shocking him would wake him up faster?” Person’s head turned around and faced me his eyes looking me over, up and down. After awhile, I heard the same soft accent that asked me for my name few days ago. “Ah, Violet. What a pleasant surprise. But why are you here? And why are you trying to dirty this pretty dress? It suits you very well, I must say. So I suppose you had been treated well here, yes?” His green eyes left mine for a moment and I followed them to find that the glare was directs to Mr. Duke who gritted his teeth and lowered his head downwards averting his gaze.

The single movement made me question some of statics that Drake had and before I could even find the answer to my questions, I turned my head back to him and smirked. “So they got you too? That isn’t much of a surprise since you are a careless, foolish, and too enthusiastic as well a player kind of guy.” I leaned closer taking whiff of his new smell grimacing slightly as I continued. “I don’t want to do anything that will lead to being with you. Right now although I got no choice but to need your help to escape. So drop you bloody act and start to…” I stopped myself and leaned back standing up while brushing off the hem of the dress on the way.

Drake watched me for few moments before turning his head to Mr. Duke and smiled dazzlingly. “Mr. Duke. What a pleasure to see you again, sir. I see you got pretty acquainted with Violet. Mind me asking but can I have some food?” My gaze instantly turned to Mr. Duke with faint smile wondering what his answer will be. Mr. Duke wiped his hand down his face and nodded then murmuring lowly. “Yes, but later on though. Remember, you are still the prisoner.” Drake kept his smile although it wavered a bit taking a darker shade of it if it was possible.

Then I spoke making them both look at me. “Sir, you wouldn’t mind me having him as my own slave. I guarantee that I won’t leave this magnificent household and I will though take a good care of him.” Drake stared at me in amazement having his grin grow brighter until I kicked him for effect that he was a prisoner as a fact. Mr. Duke started to say something but I cut him off keeping my calm yet sharp gaze on. “Sir?” He sighed and nodded. “Only if you promise to stay here.” In return I smiled charmingly at him. “Of course I will.”

His features relaxed as he once again smiled at me toothy smile. “Very well. Here’s the key. You can join me in the ballroom afterwards if you want. If you are tired from today, you can go back to your room. Excuse me.” He bowed his head to me as I stood there dazzling him with my smile and then left leaving me along with Drake who after few minutes bursting laughing.

I moved my gaze at him my smile turning into a scowl before I crouched back down and grabbed whatever was left of his shirt pulling him closer. “Dare to laugh once more, pretty boy, and I swear that you will never laugh nor speak again. Got it?” I controlled my voice as much as I could although angry vibrations from it could not be hidden. Drake in response smiled fueling my anger in quicker way. “Sure, princess, whatever you say.”

 Wave of rage went over me fueling more and more my anger that I was trying to suppress and surprisingly I could. In my head, I kept repeating to myself that he was an idiot, carefree, player kind of guy and I was just wasting time on him now. Nothing was keeping us together and I could actually leave him here to rot while I escaped. However, that’s a bad idea for a future leader or some kind of high class person I hoped to be. Besides he’d actually help me if I asked him nicely. So instead of slapping him again and leaving the place by myself, I unlocked the chains from his arms and stood once again straightening my dress.

Drake rolled his shoulders back and forth as he slowly rose grimacing. Standing close to him, I felt that as if I had the same ache that he had and everything was hurting a dull pain. Confusion settled over me but I insisted to myself that it was because of the bite marks on my arms and neck. Although when I stepped away from him while he was stretching, the ache stopped and all the pain that I had before along with it was gone too.

 Rolling my eyes, I gathering the fabric and headed towards the door but stopped when I heard voice behind me. “You look very beautiful in that dress, Violet.” I turned around finding Drake right behind me with unsettling closeness. He grinned spreading his arms as if I would want to hug him. With a scoff, I turned back around resisting the urge to shock him and went out of the gloomy dark dungeon.

After the tight space and gloomy atmosphere inside the cell, the torches on the walls and open windows that showed us the starts welcomed me back. As I breathed in the fresh air, Drake walked to the window and stood in front of it closing his eyes with a smile. I scratched my arm absently looking him over and wondering how could he get from stupid and grinning guy to whole other person that seemed so cold and merciless if he was given a sword. I walked over to him resting my elbows on the window, I looked out at the quiet land.

He spoke quietly then leaned closer and closer to me as he set his hand on my lower back. “Why would you want me as your slave? Is there anything you want me to do?”

Author's Note

So sorry for delay! What do you think though? :)

Reviews

[Gummy Bear]

Wow! I can't wait to read more! ;)

[Ice Girl]

thank you! I'm working on another chapter :)