Lily's POV
Bright sunlight strewn across my face woke me up. Coming through the big windows the same windows I had spent the whole night trying to open. I had tried every window. I had tried the door too and all of them were locked.
A quiet knock at the door brought me out of my thought. I heard a key turn in the lock. as the door opened. A woman wearing a clean, gray uniform walked in carrying a tray of food.
"Good morning, Mrs. Visconti," she said. Her voice was not warm, but it was not mean either. i could deal with that "I am Maria. I have brought your breakfast."
She placed the tray on a small table near the window. I looked at the food. There was so much. Eggs. Toast. Fruit. Juice. It was more food than I usually ate in two whole days.
"Thank you," I said quietly.
"Mr. Visconti would like to see you in his study after you eat," Maria said. She did not look at my eyes. "I will come back to take you to him."
Then she left jamming the door followed by the click of the lock. I was alone again.
I sat down to eat, the food was good. But I could taste nothing when stomach was tight and full of fear. What did he want? What would happen now?
When I was done, Maria came back opened the door and stood there.
I followed her out of the room. We walked through the huge mansion. The floors shiny, the ceilings high. Vases and Paintings here and there But it felt cold. Empty. Like no one really lived here.
Maria stopped at a big wooden door. She knocked once.
"Enter," Kaelum's voice called from inside.
Maria opened the door for me. As i walked in, she closed the door right behind me.
This room was full of books, and i mean walls and walls of books. Kaelum sat behind a big, dark wood desk. writing on some papers. He didn't even look up when I came in.
"Sit," he said, still not looking at me.
I walked to the big chair in front of his desk, sat down and put my hands in my lap, trying desperately to keep them still.
"These are your rules," he said, while still looking at his papers. "You will listen and You will remember."
I nodded, but he could not see me. He did not care.
"Rule one,". "You will not leave this house. Not without me. Not without one of my guards. Never alone."
"Rule two,"You will not ask me questions. You will not ask about my business. You will not ask where I go."
"Rule three," he said. "When we are in public, you will smile. You will act like a happy wife.
"Rule four," he said. "You will not speak to anyone unless I say you can."
"Rule five," he said. He finally looked up from his papers. His eyes hard. "You will do exactly as I say. When I say it. No questions. No arguments. Do you understand these rules?"
I looked at his cold face. I felt very small. "Yes," I whispered. "I understand."
"Good," he said. He put his pen down. "Tonight is your first test. We are going to a party. A gala. Very Important people will be there. You will wear the dress I choose. And you will smile."
He stood up and walked into a closet and opened it. Inside were many dresses. All beautiful. All expensive. He pulled out one dress, a deep blue color. Like the night sky. He held it out to me.
"Wear this," he said.
I stood up and took the dress from him. The fabric was soft. It felt expensive under my fingers.
"Kaelum?" I said softly. I was scared to ask. But I had to. "What if I make a mistake? At the party?"
He turned to look at me. His eyes got narrow. "Then there will be consequences," he said. His voice was low and dangerous. "Do not make mistakes."
He pressed a button on his desk. A moment later, the door unlocked and opened. Maria stood there.
"Get her ready," Kaelum said to Maria, without even looking at me.
Maria nodded. "Yes, sir."
As Maria led me away, I glanced back at Kaelum, watching me. His face held no expression. I could not tell what he was thinking.
________
Back in my room, Maria helped me to put on the blue dress, it was a perfect fit. Like it was made just for me.
Maria did my hair and applied little makeup on my face. She was very quiet as she worked.
"You look beautiful, Mrs. Visconti," Maria said as she fixed a piece of my hair.
"Thank you," I whispered. I looked at her in the mirror. She looked kind. I had to ask. "Maria?" I said, my voice very quiet. "Have there... have there been other wives? Before me?"
Maria's hands stilled for a moment. She stopped moving. She looked at my face in the mirror. But shook her head.
"It is better not to ask questions, ma'am," she said softly. "It is much better. Just do as Mr. Visconti says. That is the only way."
When she was done, I looked in the big mirror. A stranger stared back at me. A beautiful woman in a very expensive blue dress. Her hair was perfect. Her face was perfect. But the eyes were still mine. They were scared lonely eyes.
Later, Kaelum came to my room, wearing a black suit, looking very handsome. But his eyes were still cold and his face held no expression.
"Remember the rules," he said. He held out his arm for me to take. "Smile and look happy."
I put my hand on his arm. His arm was hard under the suit. We walked out of my room and down the big hall. My heart was beating so fast. I felt like I was walking to my execution.
The guards opened the big front doors. I saw the long, black car waiting for us.
But just as we reached the car, Kaelum stopped. He turned to me.
"One more thing," he said quietly. So the guards would not hear. "There will be a man there tonight. His name is Don Orsino. If he talks to you, you must be polite, but be brief. and do not look him in the eyes for too long."
"Why?" I asked. The word came out before I could stop it.
"Because I said so," Kaelum snapped. His fingers tightened on my arm. It hurt. Then he took a deep breath. He looked at the car. "Just do as I say. He is... a dangerous man."
As we drove away from the big mansion, I looked out the window. I saw the big gates close behind us. This was the first time I had been outside since I arrived.
Instead of feeling free, I felt more trapped than ever.
Because now I knew. It was not just Kaelum I had to fear. There were other dangerous men in his world waiting to devour me.