Chapter 3 THE PREPARATION
The door of the room suddenly opened, giving way to some maids who were neatly dressed in black gowns made for female workers with a white apron which was needed to store important materials worn to cover their dresses up.
They all marched towards me in an assembling order with grim looks on their faces as if they were not pleased to have me in that room.
I couldn't let their expression or intent bother me, after all, they were mere maids and I myself wasn't comfortable with whatever was going on.
The woman whom I presumed to be the chief maid stood still beside me and gave a sharp nod to her downline, signalling to them what to do next just as they had practiced.
Two girls slashed out the distance between themselves and me and grabbed my arms at once, pulling me out of the chair I had been sitting on after another had loosened the rope I had been tied up with.
I knew I was not fit to go up against them, not while they had other backings and they obviously outnumbered me, so what more could struggling with them do?
I relaxed my momentarily tensed up muscles and allowed the girls holding my arms to lead me out of the room. I needed to read the entire room first before I could make a plan to escape.
I had to, I had to get away from this man— Santiano Rafael Devereaux as soon as I could. Everything about him reeked of danger and dread and I wasn't going to stay under the same roof with someone who had taken Dylan away from me without batting an eye.
But he had promised to give an explanation at least. Maybe things weren't going the way I had imagined them to be after all. Maybe Dylan was not dead, just maybe.
Stepping out of the room, a grand door was opened, revealing a well defined hall with towering ceilings that carefully balanced precious chandeliers and unmatchable allure.
The windows were intricately designed with precious ornaments and rare diadems, balancing the natural lighting and shine from the precious dark stones properly, but the dark and gothic allure of the hall held a refined poise.
As we walked down the hall while I took glances at the corners just to master the routes and rooms, my guides suddenly pushed me through a corner, tossing me roughly into a room that had its doors open.
'What in the world is wrong with them?’ I yanked in my thoughts, a slight moan escaping my lips as I regained my balance.
Inside the room were more maids, tendering slight bows at me while their hands remained folded before them.
The door was shut close and the chief maid walked her way towards me with her head raised with an unhinged prudence.
She had suddenly gotten a cane in her hands and the first thing she did was use the tip to poke a shrill at me.
“What are you doing?” I demanded, irritated by her action.
But the woman spoke no words to me. She gave her underlyings a nod again and they began to undress me without my permission.
It was then I pieced up what room we had entered— a bath house.
I tried to struggle against the two girls undressing me as I couldn't stand naked in front of ten women I have never seen in my entire life for once.
But all my efforts were futile as more maids joined in, overpowering me and tossing my wedding dress away like it was some piece of trash while I stood stack naked in the middle of the room.
“Allow us to tend to you, Lady.” One of the maids said, bowing her head to me in order to avoid making contact with my eyes.
I remained still for a moment, not sure I was prepared to have multiple women touch me at the same time.
“Plea-se.” The maid said under her breath with a shudder.
She was clearly scared I would refuse their advances and I suppose it could get her in trouble afterwards.
I eventually gave in and they led me into a bathtub which was filled with milky water and freshly plucked roses on its surface.
Just like a newborn, my whole body was washed by them without missing a spot. After they had finished, I was laid on a table where I was massaged with the finest lotion and perfume that made me smell like a newly born baby.
And while all this was happening, a few tears escaped my eyes as the heavy thought of all that had been happening over the last few hours began to gnawn on me.
Afterwards, I was wrapped in a towel while an astoundingly beautiful black gown with slits meant for me was hung on a mannequin which was rolled out as I was taken to another room.
Today should have been the happiest day of my life, but everything got ruined before things could fall in place. I remembered the church, the pew, the priest, even his blood couldn't save him.
At that moment, I really felt helpless, but if the devil has brought himself to me without an invitation, why not dine with him till he bleeds to death?
That was all it took, and very soon, I was treading down a staircase into a wild ballroom. At the base, he was waiting— waiting for me like he was my groom.
He had a look in his eyes that was bold enough to announce how dazzling I was as I descended towards him. I could notice a change in him and that was probably his suit which had a more delicate glint compared to the last I saw him in.
And when I reached him, he had his hand already stretched out at me, smitten and totally lost of words to speak.
I politely gave out my hand and like the most gentleman in a fairy tale, he gave my hand a kiss. At that moment, I felt I was in control, in total control of everything.
Or maybe I was always in control— of this man, Santiano Rafael Devereaux.