part three
reunited
It was surprisingly easy to retrieve his bride. Mannimarco kept his hand in hers as he led her into his realm. She was terribly quiet, but he knew she would be after such and ordeal. She kept her hood up to cover that pretty face of hers, but Mannimarco didn't mind.
He would see her as often as he could while she stayed in his palace. "I would like to set some ground rules." He tells her, "First, I am not here to harm you, you can do what you wish here. Secondly, I would like to make sure we at least have two meals a day together. I will have blood supplied and ready for such things. Third, I would like you to relax. This isn't as serious as everyone has made it out to be."
Her hand goes rigid.
His eyes find hers. "Do not think of me as a monster. I know what they've told you and they're wrong."
"How would I know?" She asks, in an icy tone.
"You will get to know me over time." He promises her. And that was the truth, all he wanted from this, before their vows were to be said, was to have some time with her. He's grown quite the liking to the little vampire, but she hasn't had the chance to be in his presence. To truly understand who he was.
"Then what? You force me to marry you?" She snaps. Her eyes blaze with that fire he was becoming all too familiar with.
He gives her a few moments of silence before answering. Enough time for her to think on what she's said. "I will hope by the time we are to be married you have changed your mind. Instead of seeing me as some despicable creature, you might find me as someone who would be worthy of the title of husband."
She doesn't say anything. Just resigns herself. She will come around eventually. Mannimarco just pulls her along, up the gravelly path and finally to the open fields. He can feel her shock when they pause on the tall hill.
Below them, resting along the rolling grassy fields sits a looming estate. Like a large snake, it winds around the hills and crowns them but didn't take away from the view. Beyond them, he can see the jagged cliffs rising in the distance along with the dancing rainbow of color up above. This land had an odd liking for color and light. One day, the clouds would refract all kinds of colors, as if there were a million suns up in the sky. On others, the day would be as bright and blue as a summer sea.
As for his palace, there were only three stories and one tower. But the gardens were extremely well tended to. Lakes and ponds kept immaculate. The interior held many, many sprawling rooms that would more than accommodate the both of them. One couldn't see another soul for days if they wished.
But he knows that won't be the case with her. She won't need that much convincing. A few short weeks here will have Serana changing her mind.