The Duke and the Deal

09. Mixed Emotions

Thus, as Ella and Amos were experiencing these forms of emotions that are inapplicable to understand in the first place, the utter silence continued to envelop around them.

As they finally arrived at the castle, Ella and Amos both made their way inside the castle. Finally breaking the silence, Amos finally mustered up the courage as he stood in front of Ella, blocking her way and said to her in a cold, stony voice:

Who was that man? "I told you to stay."

It wasn't what he was actually planning on saying but he couldn't just be straightforward with her, especially involving that matter.

Not surprised at all by his tone, Ella replied with the rage that still riled up within her:

"If I remember correctly you said you'll be back in an hour or two. That did not specify that I had to stay and wait for you like a longing fiancé who actually gives a damn about what you say because frankly, I don't."

With a fierce and domineering step towards Ella and with eyes that could burn like the hell greater than what Ella was feeling inside, Amos said with a hard tone backfiring at Ella:

"You will give a damn," Amos leaned in towards Ella with their noses almost touching, still maintaining fiery eye contact. "Because in time you will realize that you need me." Amos drifts his forefinger across Ella's cheek, causing Ella to break eye contact with him and look the other way. "Whether it be now or later, you will realize how important I am to you, otherwise you would've lost your family by now," Amos whispers intently to Ella's ear causing her to shiver at the warmth emanating from his breath across her neck.

She felt sickened at his presence and worse as he sought to remind her about this outrageous deal he had formed upon.

"Don't forget your place, Ella. Remember." He finally said before leaving an infuriating but sad Ella to stand in emptiness. Pondering upon the thought as to how she came to be in this deal in the first place.

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

As evening arrived with quick intent, Ella was busily admiring the cultural patterns and designs above her bedroom ceiling, how each held a simplistic but precious significance towards the ceiling's plain structure. She couldn't help but think back to what the duke had last said, "Don't forget your place, Ella." She then thought:

If I were to be like the designs beneath the ceiling and the duke were to be the plain structure of it then I would be his precious significance, giving him an eminent purpose. But what was his purpose? Ella thought hard as she couldn't quite put her finger on why the Duke rushed to marry ever so soon.

However, taking her away from her dazzled thoughts, a few knocks sounded at the door causing Ella to abruptly uplift herself from her lying position, now on full alert.

The door slowly opened revealing a shy Freda who seemed troubled to have disturbed Ella's exclusiveness.

"Sorry for disturbing you milad...err...Ella." Freda hesitantly speaks whilst almost bowing but remembering what Ella had said earlier on not being formal with her.

"It is fine," Ella smiled genuinely as she made her way towards Freda. "You did not disturb me," Ella said with ease as she arrived before Freda and placed her palms on her shoulders to reassure her.

I wasn't doing anything useful anyway. Ella thought with an internal snicker.

Looking into Ella's whirls of mystic green pools, Freda nodded with satisfaction at Ella's gesture and smiled gratefully as if she thought she was going to be attacked by Ella. But she ought to think otherwise because she knew that Ella wasn't like the rest of them. She was a genuine kind with a tender heart who cared for her maids.