Chapter 2
It's not like I would run away…..Lord Sebastian…..After all, I'm the one who begged for you to do this to me
I asked you to do this to me 2 years ago. Yet…even now….it's as clear almost as if it was yesterday.
"I reject, the Collonae family has been serving this country for over 1000 years being sent down generation after to generation as a family business. You believe I would sign it over to you"
He smiled.
My father gritted his teeth and sat down in his chair. "Look at my lovely daughter over there; she is next in line to inherit this business. A beautiful intelligent and well-rounded lady, I've grown her into the perfection I've wanted, she is more suited than even a God to run this company"
"Ah…Is that so" He replied tilting his head to the side.
"I do not care if you be from the army or from the government. No one will have this company!" He fished slamming his hand on the table.
A playful grin danced across his lips. "Even if I took your daughters hand in marriage and rule it by her side" He said, a Celtic sereneness of smooth silkiness lacing through every word that was poured through his lips.
My eyes widened.
"Foolishness!" My father said standing out his chair causing everyone apart from him and I to jump immediately. I sustained my posture in the chair in the west side of the long semicircular desk that was around him as he sat in the middle, one leg comfortably crossed over the other.
He smiled and tilted his head to the side laying his eyes on me. Such a lustful gaze that kept me attached, even death would not allow me to look away. I was locked in his gaze. Blue brown or even hazel eyes were a normality of a human being. But his were golden, a hint of red dancing silently behind his stare. My mouth watered with unbelievable hunger and my body tensed as a forbidden feeling ran its way through me. I never felt like this before, but somehow I felt like his fingers were trailing along the surface of my skin.
"Sanelle!" My father shouted for what caused me to break out my daze realizing that this was probably the fifth time he was calling my name.
I slowly turned my gaze to him.
"I said, Can you believe his impudence, to have the audacity to look at you too"
I looked down.
"Your daughter surely lives up to the rumors. So unbelievingly beautiful" he said as he never once broke his eyes off me. "But of the recent rumors she has proven them true. Cladded in Black wearing a black veil over her face in weeping for her mother for 6 months now. I'm sorry for your loss, but it's a pity to see such a beautiful girl like yourself cladded under such unrevealing layers of cloth"
I tilted my head to the side, speechless
I rose to my feet and bowed respectfully before walking to the door. Well knowing I was still in earshot he made a comment that I knew only I heard. "You interest me"
I paused and turned around the veil covering my face as I turned my upper body towards him. I looked into his eyes as he looked over his shoulders. Golden eyes penetrating into me almost like reading my every thoughts.
I turned around and made my way to the door closing it behind me.
"You have a lot of audacity"
"Pride is man's pleasure"
"I believe you are aware tonight will be an opening service for the Collonae's family. We just bought out half of the estates in this country and now we are almost even richer than the president himself" He gave a roar of laughter.
A smile crept its way over his lips as he looked at the haughty man laughing in his own self gratification
"They say that curiosity killed the cat, probably your arrogance killed your wife"
His laughter stopped and he looked at him. "How impudent!"
"Impudent….you're the one who is disrespectful, Do you always curse off the people who come to make an offer with you"
"You want to take my company from me!"
"And do you always act like that in front of your daughter, she even left"
"She was of course disgusted with you, she always leaves"
"And don't you think it has something to deal with you?"
He went silent.
He rose to his feet and turned on his heels and made his way to the door as a butler opened it, "I look forward to seeing you more often Mr. Collonae, especially in your nightmares"
The door closed behind him.
"Impudent Bastard" He said as he watched him walk out the office and leave the room. "I must get ready for the event" he said otherwise.
I opened my eyes when I was woken by one of the maidens
"It is time you prepare for tonight's event"
I looked at her and then back into the plain air of nothingness" Yes…father intended to have me attend his parties in mothers stead
I rose up before walking to the dresser as they all begun to dress me.
Such unbelievable emptiness rushes through me. I feel so completely lost and empty yet overflowing and found. I wanted something that was out of reach yet I felt so provided and given everything I needed. What did I want but already had?
I had been lost in my thoughts only coming back when I realized I was walking through the ballroom door and entering into the crowded party. Everyone turned and stared at me. Of course they were surprised. My choice of clothing was quite odd. It was a white dress that flowed most moderately inches from the ground a deep V with thin mesh sleeves and the V occupied with the same mesh like material. The rest of the dress was silk and smooth, glistening lightly in the light. My veil was changed to white pinned down neatly on the top of my head as it fell down covering my face and ended at my waist. I had no intention to reveal my face. It had been well hidden for six months now and I do believe that it deserves to be hidden for the rest of the eternity. I've never been a person of many expressions or emotions, and worse after my mother's death; I've become a person of little or no words.
I slithered my way up the steps and to my father who sat on his huge chair.
"Sanelle, my daughter, you arrived, oh god darling, please remove that cloth from over your face"
I simply stared and took my place in the seat next to him. Mother's seat. She'd usually be here; I would be in my room.
I felt swooned by the music but I kept my place sitting still and motionless in the chair.
Lost….but found
Filled…but empty
I sat there for what felt like hours watching as they danced talked, and drank champagne staring at people who were staring at other people while I on the upper hand stared at them all. I smiled. I grew bored of my state and rose to my father bowing.
"Leaving already?" He said in disbelief doing his 10th glass of weak champagne before looking at the crowd of people. I turned and descended the staircase this time on the far right holding on the side. I was at the base when a hand slid over my gloved ones. I glanced up and stared though the curtains of white to see Him.
"It's a pleasure to see you at this event"
"I thought you left" I said gently breaking the silenced I had maintained from the weak began.
"Of course not….after hearing there would be a ball I decided to go home and ready myself for the event" He smiled, "What a soft and gentle voice you have, you look beautiful" He said this time softer and smoother.
I've heard those three words countless times yet I never once felt the effect like the one I was feeling now.
"Dance with me" He said leading me until the ballroom. I wanted to pull my hand out of him, scream, run, never do I ever want to dance on the center of the ballroom floor in front of so many people. I felt him bring me to the table closest to the floor. Every one seemed to be staring at us. All the dancers, talkers, watchers, their eyes had found a new interest, and that was us, he and I.
He pulled off my gloves and surprisingly even as he did it I was shocked I allowed him. I stared at him as he removed it, and then rested them on the table. "I've been dying all night just to see this face." He said unpinning the veil that was attached at the top of my head.
"No" It was soft. Almost inaudible and unbelievingly fragile. With my gloves off I had full sight to my ivory skin that was pale but at least contain some spectrum of color. The absence of my veil revealing the deep V dress and a good amount of skin. But most of all I felt the breeze touch my face and how delighting and wonderful it felt.
He stared at me frozen for a moment, "Beautiful is an understatement for you"
I blushed.
He gently pulled me to the centre of the ballroom. Almost perfectly in tune a song I knew by air began on the orchestra and he laced his hand around my waist along with his hands in mines. I caught my breath as I felt our skins connect. "You removed one of your gloves" I said softly.
He smiled.
I looked away.
This was unfair.
I could care less about being swooned by the music. My worries laid in being swooned by him tonight. His face neared mines and I drew out of my daze when I felt the hot air kiss my face.
"Come back" He said gently as I blinked twice, probably thrice, before turning to him and staring at him emotionlessly, "Do you always stare out into nothingness like that" he said surprisingly interested rather than worried
I nodded and looked away embarrassed.
"You are truly admirable when you do it, however, I would most likely prefer I you laid your gaze on me instead, I'm becoming jealous of you staring into the air than upon my face" I turned to him, "I rather have those deep blue eyes search me instead of the air for answered questions….Maybe I could give you solutions"
Sexual ones? I asked in my mind but instead I did as he said, I stared at him, Looking in his eyes as we danced on the floor owning every inch of it like it was ours, moving perfectly with the music like it was our own, leaving the gazers in awe.
"You're not human" I said gently
He continued smiling, "I'm one hell of a man" He said finally
I continued staring, his eyes were inhumane. They were the eyes of an animal, the eyes of something dark and deceiving, lusting and dangerous yet alluring.
"You're not normal Lady Collonae" He said leaning over.
I ignored him and accepted his embrace allowed him near.
"Why is it that you possess the soul of two?"
"Excuse me?"
"Your mother's soul, you have it, she lives on inside you, she left her soul in you"
I looked away, what manner of madness is he speaking of.
"Are you lost? Are you confused, with two souls inside you must be confused, two different lusts, two different needs, two different hunger locked inside"
What is he saying, he sounds foolish but at the same time it makes sense, too much sense.
"Your mother must be filled, completed, you on the other hand, wanting…..lost…Lost but found, Filled but empty, is that how you feel?"
I stared into his eyes. "Yes…That is how I feel, without hope yet with salvation, without chances yet countless opportunities"
He stared at me surprised. "A complete sentence, that's a first"
I couldn't help but break a smile. Not a short lived fleeting one but one that made it clear to me that it was being admired. I saw him smiling back. "Your smile is priceless" He said silently.
The music stopped and so did our movement. He pulled me close to him and ran his hand up and down the arch of my back exposed back due to the deep v at the back of the dress, "You skin, it is very delicate and soft. Your hair a wicked shade of brown. Dark and rich like the shade of chocolate, yet your eyes are so beautiful. A deep smoky blue that pulls me within."
I inhaled his scent. "I'm tired, I'm tired of all of this, this purity, sanity, I hate it all"
"Do you want pain? Madness? Fear?"
My eyes widened,
"Yes"
Are you my salvation?
"I will give it to you, do you want it"
"Yes"
Be my salvation
"Come with me then, never return, come with me and find the answer you're looking for"
I looked at him. What is this? I know this is bad but why do I feel like I can trust this man?
"I'll only come if you tell me what you are" I said silently
"Sanelle!" I turned around to see her father, "Never had I seen you remove that cloth before. And why are you talking with this man?!"
I turned to him and he was smiling.
"Do you?" He asked a playful grin on his face
I turned to my father completely, "Remove yourself from beside him at once!"
He leant over and gently whispered in my ears, "Make your decision now"
"Child listen to me! You are twenty one years old and the next head of this company! Instead of being around that disgrace fid yourself right here by me at once!"
"10…9…8…7…6.." He began counting down. I continued to look at my father as he shouted at me, "Sanelle! You are causing a scene, come now!"
"5…4…3.." he continued behind me every number sounding lower and softer as the danced inside my head
"You are as stubborn as your mother!" he said walking to her raising his hand ready to hit her"
"2..1"
"Take me" I said. And the next thing I knew….time froze, everything moved slowly, the entire day played through my head. And he was standing behind me still, everywhere else in darkness. No ball, no father, just utter darkness.
"A demon" he said walking around to me. His eyes were different, pink with black slits burning with power ad lust. "That is what I am" he said slipping off his glove, "I'll form a contract with you…in return…for one of your souls."
I looked at him.
"I'd be honored to give you what you want, revenge, pain pleasure…I'd e your servant"
"I'd be your servant" I said looking at him as he paused and looked at me, "I'd be your servant" I repeated.
"Usually I serve under you as your butler, nut your inquiring for me to be your master?"
I went down on both legs humbly looking down, "I rather be your servant, than your master"
"Lady Sanelle Collonae…you unbelievingly interest me. To fall so fa from the head successor of a world ruling company, to a toy of a demon, much less a human being"
"Yes"
"What do you want?"
"You know what I want." I said looking up
He smiled, "Yes…your right, I do" He said bending down before he too faded into darkness.
I opened my eyes to find myself in a cell. It was huge and contained two rooms. The front room which was dark and had nothing but a bed….a fancy royal bed, except it was in a room that had shackles and chains lying on the ground inside. The second room was different, it had equipments, torturing equipments. The walls were made of brick with a few cracks here and there and smelt like dirt and a tint of blood. The equipments were clean and in the west side of the 10 step hall to that room, there was a bathroom.
"You'll stay here" He said as I came back to the front room. "However let me inform you that you still have the opportunity to go" He said showing me the open gate.
I began talking off my shoes.
He smiled.
"You really are interesting"
He walked over to me and I sat up staring at him. He held the hem of my dress at the front and in one swift movement pulled it off. He looked at me, he eyes blazing with that feverishly pink full of hunger.
"Disgusted?" He asked.
"Amazed" I corrected.
I stood there in my corset. For a moment I thought he would touch me and remove the rest of my clothes. Instead, he reached in the centre of the bed and placed a fold of clothing in my hand. "Dress in this, a new pair will be delivered every afternoon, but I need you to be dressed in this" He said as I took it from him.
"Is this all too fast" he asked
I shook my head and he smiled, "Good, I suppose you are aware of what will happen from now on"
I nodded
He smiled and walked to the door and turned to me with a smile.
"Sanelle….my name is Sebastian Michealis; please do treat me as your master, both in the mind, and especially the body"
I nodded and blushed, He's domineering and sexual.
"I will please you tomorrow with a pleasurable torture"
"I see it fit" I said softly
He smiled, "so do I"