I began to change my clothes as Adrianna had asked, listening intently to the voices drifting up from beneath the door. I slipped off my boots, shirt, and vest before slipping a beautiful gown that had been laid out on my bed, on. I then slipped of my pants and folded them, my shirt, and my vest. I set them in a large dresser along with my flute and my extra supplies.

I walked out into the middle of the room and stood in front of one lone mirror that hung ominously in the corner of the room. I slowly walked towards it, hesitant of my own reflection. I finally gathered enough courage to look upon myself and was stunned by the person who was staring back at me.

I slowly reached out and touched the cool surface of the mirror for I could not believe my own reflection. The solace red eyes of a beauty marred from the world shone against skin white and pure as fresh fallen snow as they starred attentively into my soul. Her hair shimmered in the morning light and it gracefully curled at the ends and hung down to the middle of the beauties back.

The silky gown that this beauty wore was a ruby red, lined with gold satin, crisscrossed in the front and the sleeves flowed out elegantly. The dress flew down past her feet and flowed as she stepped closer towards the mirror. The beauty looked as if she were walking on air. A glimpse of her golden slippers was the only reference of her being earthbound.

"That can not be me!? Can it?" I breathed as the cool glass numbed my fingertips.

"It is." A deep voice replied.

Startled, I turned towards my door to see Adrianna standing with her husband, a smile coveted each face. As my eyes met the tyrant's and I saw the grin on his face, I felt utter disgust flitter throughout my bodice.

"My, don't you look lovely." Adrianna chirped.

"Indeed." added the tyrant as he wrapped a powerful arm around Adrianna's small waist.

I could not speak and I did not wish too. Why waste air for a heartless murderer? Especially if he is to try and force me to wed a man I have never seen... the bastard... He has corrupted Adrianna's mind with this sickness that she calls 'Love".

Love is something that I have never truly known and when I do taste its sweet intoxication, it turns bitter and is replaced by pain... by sorrow... by hatred...

"Well... Shall we go downstairs?" Adrianna inquired as she motioned for me.

I walked slowly towards her feeling the torturous symptoms of being powerless... of being caged...

"Well we aren't very talkative this morning!" the tyrant bellowed as I followed them out the door.

"Phantess, is there something wrong?" Adrianna asked as we walked down the stairs.

I did not answer as I took each step solemnly; Adrianna gently grabbed my arm and pulled me around towards her as we came to the bottom of the stairs. As my red eyes met hers, she understood.

"What is wrong pet?" the tyrant inquired as he gently grasped Adrianna's arm.

"Oh nothing." She replied, her face filling with guilt, "Phantess is just a bit nervous. She hasn't gotten used to this place yet.

And I never want too...

"Well... After she meets our son and they get to know one another, she shall feel right at home. Don't you agree angel?" the tyrant, Hilsham, chuckled.

As his eyes met mine, I felt a putrid stare fill my blood red eyes. This sent his chuckles fleeing and it replaced them with worry and... Fear.

He feared me... He had heard probably all of the stories about me... how I "murdered" this person and that person with daggers I made from scratch. At that very moment, I felt power surge through my veins as I waltzed through the dining hall.

"H...Have a seat Miss." Hilsham stammered.

"I will go fetch my son." spoke Adrianna as she walked down another hall.

Hilsham stood awkwardly at the end of the large table, keeping a close eye on me as I began to stare at the many paintings that hung along the walls.

"Dearest!" Adrianna called as she walked down the hall.

"What is wrong pet?" Hilsham inquired.

Pet... My father... used to call mother that... Oh Mum...

"Christian is not in his room! And the servants do not know where he is!" Adrianna fretted clasping her husband's hands.

"It will be fine now pet." Hilsham cooed, patting his wives hands, "Chase! Kerulen!"

As these words echoed throughout the room, my captors, the kicked man and the stabbed man raced towards the tyrant.

"Yes oh sire?" the stabbed man replied.

"Chase! You and Kerulen go and fetch my son! He has gone missing!" Hilsham bellowed.

"Yes oh powerful Hilsham." Chase replied as he and Kerulen dashed down the hall towards the exit.

In all the confusion, Hilsham and Adrianna's attentions left me.

My opportunity...

I quietly snuck towards a door that I assumed was the entrance towards the garden.

"Oh what are we to do?" Adrianna spoke as I crept out the door and gently shut it behind me.

"Oh Miss Phantess?" I heard Hilsham say before their voices faded away.

I then stepped out of my cage into a utopia. A small stream sang in the sunlight as the whinnying of horses floated in the flower-scented breeze. As I walked along the small stream, gently running my fingertips along the tops of wild flowers, I came upon a beautiful creature.

A beautiful black stallion stood majestically by a tower in the middle of the flower filled garden. I walked slowly towards it, feeling the power radiating off of its breath.

"Hello beauty." I spoke softly as I stroked the stallion's neck.

It whinnied softly and then began to walk towards a figure that was standing in the shade of the tower.

"Hello Phantess." The figure spoke, its voice deep.

My whole body quivered under the depth of the figure's hypnotic tone.

Like poison, I could not help but give in to the toxic qualities of the voice that called to me.