Payment

The Meeting

Note: Rewritten but not triple checked for spelling and grammatical errors. If you see one feel free to comment

"Kana?" I called, walking down the hall. A window had been left open over night, causing it to be a little chillier than usual. I could see the turning of the weather. Fall was just about up. So, I wrapped my robe around myself extra tightly and made my way down to the dinning hall. It was early and Kana hadn't come to bed last night, nor was she anywhere to be found when I woke up. I was caught wondering if it had to do with the fight at dinner. After all that had happened, I regretted not going after her. I didn't know why I hadn't.

I looked for her in all the room I hadn't yet explored and even asked a few of the buzzing bees rushing around in morning madness. Most of them, to my surprise, didn't speak English like I had hoped. I had no answers and no leads.

The cold marble stung my bare feet, reminding me that I should turn back and get dressed. You would think wearing shoe would be instilled in my soul. When I lived with my parents, if I hadn't worn shoes I would have most likely gotten an infection from stepping on rusty nails. The floorboards had been littered with them. I used to have to wear shoes with metal plates at the bottoms at all times. I didn't need them here though. 

Yet another first, I wandered around freely, without a single concern for my life or safely. It was nice.

As I approached Dominik's office, voices tore me away from my thoughts. Whoever was talking wasn't happy, that's for sure. Their voice erupted through the hallway making the workers in it freeze. We all looked at the door for a moment as if someone was about to be hurled through it. When no one was, I knocked. Gently at first, then so hard my knuckles hurt.

Giovanni opened the door. He was looking behind him, his voice continuing to leave him at such a volume it didn't seem right.

"I'm not changing that law!" He barked before turning to look at me. And as soon and he realized who exactly I was, he smiled. It was sick, twisted and made my skin crawl. 

"Why hello there, Roza. Come in!" Pulling on my arm, I was dragged into the room before I could protest. Awkwardly I stumbled forward, all eyes on me. I felt naked in only a short nightgown and a robe.

Looking around I found Dominik standing by one of the bookshelves and Kana laid across his desk almost casually. But if I were being honest she looked as if she were posing.

They seemed quite relaxed for a business meeting, despite all the yelling. No one but Giovanni looked upset. And when I turned around to peer over at him, he wasn't alone. Two Giovanni's came from behind me and leaned in close to look me over as if I were on display. Stepping back I hugged myself, feeling a little violated by their serpent like gazes.

"Leave her alone!" Dominik hissed. I could here the exhaustion edging his voice.

"Calm down, Nikie! I was just having a look at the darling." One of the two chuckled. They looked exactly alike. Down to their clothes, they were mere images of themselves, the same person but in two bodies.

I held my breath, scared that I might run if they so much as moved another finger. With Dominik there, they seemed calm in a way, like they knew their boundaries and were slightly afraid of crossing them.

That's when I remembered something that made their appearance wrong. I knew that Dominik and Giovanni had fought. They had fought so hard that blood had been splattered across the flood. But looking at the twins, I didn't see a single scratch on either one of them. I also hadn't seen any bumps, tears or bruising on Dominik's knuckles. It made me wonder if perhaps they had fought with weapons. Or perhaps they hit below the chest. It didn't seem plausible though. If you were going to hit someone from anger, it would be in the face and it would be with fists.

It just added to the millions of questions that would come back to torment me later.

"I am Giovanni." Bowed the one to my right.

"And I'm Renee." Bowed the one to my left.

Peering behind me to Dominik, I saw the anger boiling in his eyes.

"It's a pleasure to meet you." My voice was meek, smaller than I had wanted it to be. It showed how shaken I was and I saw that reflected in their gaze.

"And I you." Purred Renee. His sickly pale fingers, like a deadly viper, shot out and snatched my hand before I could guard myself. Lifting it to his lips, he gave it a meaningfully gentle kiss. 

I pulled away, hugging my hand to my chest as if he had bitten me. And he laughed in face at the fear in it.

"That's enough for now. Why don't we take a break?" Kana sighed.

She rolled onto her back, her dress hiked up to show off her marvelously long legs. She seemed more sensual than usual. Always slow and purposeful, she moved with grace. She reminded me more of a princess now than ever before.

"I agree." Chimed Dominik as he approached me from behind, his hand gripping me by the waist. He attempted to move me forward without an explanation and I nearly fell from the lock of my legs.

"Why? Does she not know?" Renee grinned wickedly.  

"Stop it." Dominik spat. Shoving the blonde out of our way, he pushed me towards the door, never for a moment leaving my side. 

They didn't seem to want to let us go. I saw it on their faces. It was hard for them to let me leave without panic dousing me with doubts. But they weren't about to challenge Dominik again, at least not right now. They held their tongues, biting back on their words long enough to let us leave.

When the door was shut in their faces and it was just the two of us in the desolate hallway, I couldn't stop the feeling of relief hitting me like a brick.

"I'm sorry. I forgot they were coming." I turned to confront my savior, my eyes filled with admiration.

"It's fine. Usually theses meetings take all day, if not more. I should have had someone watching your room to inform you when you woke." Dominik sighed. He lifted his hand and rubbed at some invisible crumb on my cheek. I had a feeling he simply wanted to touch me. "Come with me to the tea room? I need to have a talk with you."

"I would love to."