(A N)
LovelySOS, quinnyandco, Mom...Thanks. :) I seriously couldn't write a thing without your wonderful help and support. :D
Adrian's moment of empathy didn't last long.
Despite my outburst, I was called to read to him the very next night, and every night for the next two weeks. The strange part was that it wasn't really a burden. Adrian was quiet, but an attentive listener, and I grew to sort of like the evenings I spent reading to him.
I still found myself despising him during the day, but when I sat down to read, it was like he became a different person, a less domineering one. More of an Ian, really, I thought, my face turning to a grim expression. Too bad he isn't like that all the time. I walked to his room for another of our nightly reading sessions.
The night before, we had ended the current chapter on a cliffhanger, and my mind refused to really concentrate on much of anything until I found out what happened next. All day my mind kept wandering back to the story.
It was maddening, really.
I hurried towards the decorative diamond door, an eager smile lighting up my face. I had looked forward to this moment for nearly eleven long hours and my curiosity just couldn't wait another second to be satisfied.
My good mood faded instantly when I spotted Adrian through the half closed door. He had his back to me, and he was arguing fiercely with a beautiful girl.
"No, Natalia, I refuse." Adrian hissed. He turned in my direction, and I shrank into the shadows, freezing there. His amber eyes were full of an intense fury I had never before seen, not even when he'd been angry at me and Dan sneaking around the castle.
This girl, Natalia- much to my shock- just laughed. She seems bold, I thought, wondering if I should be scared for her. Adrian probably wouldn't be too hesitant in disposing of a servant- or whoever she was.
"You always were a master of the dramatics, Adrian." Natalia continued.
I shivered at the terrifying look Adrian shot the girl, but Natalia seemed unfazed.
I stared hard at Natalia, my eyes narrowing. Something in her tone seemed strangely familiar, and I racked my brain to remember where I had heard that cold, accented voice.
An image popped into my mind of Dan, crumpled on the library floor with that girl leaning over him, and I gasped, nearly dropping the book I had been carrying in my shock. I ripped my eyes away, holding myself against the wall once more, my heart pounding in my chest.
It was her. Natalia was the girl who had drugged my brother.
I wanted to run. To get as far away from the evil girl as possible. She was dangerous. But something... fear? curiosity? held me captive. Adrian started to speak again, and I risked another peek through the half-shut door.
"You cannot control my love life, Natalia." Adrian said, pacing the room in a hot rage. "Goodness knows, you manipulate enough of my existence already." He paced faster. Back and forth, back and forth, until I began to feel a little dizzy as my eyes tracked him carefully from where I hid.
Natalia must have felt this dizziness, too, for she wrinkled her delicate nose at him. "Do sit down, you're giving me a headache with all of that excess movement." She said calmly.
Adrian ignored her, and continued his heated rant. "I see through your little games Natalia. You have more control over my castle than I. Tell me, how many influential people have mysteriously died since you took over?"
Natalia smirked. "Such a fuss over an arranged date." She said, smoothly redirecting the conversation.
Adrian turned on her and slammed a hand down hard on a table. "I will not go to the masquerade ball tomorrow with one of those idiotic friends of yours." He threw his arms into the air dramatically. "In fact, I'm not going with anyone." He said, his tone dead serious.
Natalia's eyes narrowed, much in the same eerie way Adrian's did when he was trying to intimidate me. "You must have a date." She said quietly, emphatically. "It is out of the question for you to go alone." Her eyes were still narrowed, holding his gaze.
Adrian ran a hand through his silky black hair, and a moment of silence passed. "Fine." He spat.
This answer didn't satisfy Natalia. "Who will you be taking, then?" She prompted. "The Duchess Hightower? Lady Elise of Kent? Lucrezia of Eragon?"
Adrian waved away her suggestions with an impatient hand. "No, no. None of those stupid gold diggers." He said.
Natalia placed a delicate hand on her hip. She sighed in exasperation. "Who then? The cook, perhaps? Or a maid?" A small smile graced her perfect lips, and she laughed. "Wouldn't that be a riot? The rich, handsome Lord Adrian Kabra, hanging on the arm of one of the household help!"
Adrian's mouth curved into a wicked smile. "You know..." He said, casually adjusting his tie. "That really would be something."
Natalia giggled into her hand. "Yes, can you imagine it?"
Adrian's smile deepened, as did the underlying cruelty in it. "I can imagine that quite well, actually." His sardonic grin grew even wider. "You see... That's exactly what I intend to do."
Natalia stopped laughing.
"What?" There was a slight pause before Natalia yelled, "No! Get back here, Adrian. ADRIAN!"
But Adrian was already bursting through the door, and I had no time to hide.
Without even stopping to take full notice of me, he grabbed my arm, and began marching me down the long hall.
"Who was that?" I gasped, trotting to keep up with the young Lord. Worry that Adrian would get mad at me for spying, gripped me, but he didn't seem to care. He stared grimly ahead, and quickened his pace even more. "That," He grudgingly admitted, "Was my sister."
I started to speak, but Adrian stopped short, and whirled around to face me. "Can you dance?" He asked abruptly.
"Y-Yes?" I said, bewildered at the question and at his intensity. Grace had taught Dan and I both how to dance when we were small. Dan hated our lessons and often got out of them, but I had actually looked forward to spinning about the kitchen in Grace's arms. It had been fun, and now it was a good memory. "Why do you want to know?" I asked, suddenly wary of the wicked glint in his eyes.
Adrian nodded towards me, and a small smile of satisfaction crept over his handsome features. "Good," he said, letting go of my arm. "You shall accompany me to tomorrow's masquerade ball."
I stood frozen in place. I was the maid Adrian meant? But I couldn't go to a ball! Especially not with... With HIM!
"No," I managed to croak, my eyes widening. Adrian let out an exasperated sigh.
"Why must you insist on imagining that you have a say? It's so irritating." He leaned closer to me. "You have to go. You don't have a choice." He straightened up with a bitter laugh. "Neither do I, really. It's funny." He said, glaring back at his bedroom door. "I'm just as much of a servant as you are."
I bit my lip.
"I'm sorry, but I can't go, Adrian." I whispered. It just wasn't something I could do. I was already shy enough, and attending a ball where I'd have to hang off of Adrian's arm didn't sound appealing to me.
Going to a ball with a lord meant everyone would be staring in our direction.
Especially because he was rich and I was a 'nobody'.
But Adrian shot me a horrible glare, so I lamely added, "I mean, I can't go because... I don't even have a costume!" It so sounded pitiful, but I had to say something. I couldn't go. I just... Couldn't.
Adrian's eyes glittered roguishly. "Leave that to me." He said, and he turned and continued his march down the hall.
"Where are you going?" I called after him.
"You said you were in need of a costume, correct?" he asked, over his shoulder, his gait never faltering.
"Adrian, No! Please! You can't be serious!" I gasped. "I can't, I don't-"
He smiled, ignoring my outburst. "The carriage will be ready at 7 sharp tomorrow evening."
And then he was gone, leaving me alone with a million protests still hovering on my lips. This is bad, I thought. Really bad.
It was only then that I realized that I hadn't even gotten to finish the chapter that had seemed so important only moments before.
