—
I woke, the moonlight seeping through the clear cracks of the window beside my bed frame. I sighed when unable to feel the heavy weight of my eyelids. It was going to take me a while to fall back asleep.
As usual, I slowly stood from my bed. A small yawn crawled across my lips as I quietly walked across my room. Hitting my desk with my elbow, an item fell and landed onto the wooden slabs underneath my feet with a thud. I winced at the sudden sound, hoping nobody woke up from it.
I carefully pushed my bathroom door open, not caring to turn the light on as I knew it would only sting my eyes. I could see through the dark air, anyway.
Finishing my business, I walked over to the counter. It felt smooth and marble-like, yet didn't seem like the modern type. When I opened the bathroom door again, I covered my mouth to stifle a shriek.
Two of the guards stood right at my front, tall, broad, and silhouetted. I couldn't see them that well by the way the shadows worked on their figures.
"Oh, my God," I breathed, placing a hand onto the centre of my chest. "Did— did Elliot send you?"
"No," a voice answered. It sounded like Elijah, it probably was. Once again. "We heard a noise from our rooms, and deemed it were important to come make sure you hadn't done anything to harm yourself."
Their rooms. I forgot they had their own.
"No, I... I'm okay," I replied. Just shook to my core and nearly scared to death. I finally looked up, squinting to catch the sculpture of his face, able to see the jawline that was further sharpened by shadows. "You can't just walk into my room."
"No?" It sounded like a small chuckle was supposed to follow after that, making it deem like the word was laced in a teasing tone.
Suddenly, the light flickered on, and I shut my eyes at the abruptness of it.
I was starting to get annoyed now.
"Why would you do that?" I asked, my vision squinted and one eye closed. Though, I was still able to make out Elijah face, along with Matteo's behind him.
"It was dark." Elijah said.
"What made the noise?" Matteo muttered. His voice was similar to Elijah's. Although a tad deeper, still enough to scare. I pointed to the hairbrush on the floor, and he hummed.
It all hit me at once, and my eyes widened beyond the stinging of the bright light. The both of them were in causal clothes. So causal that their sweatpants hung low on their hips, and their black t-shirts were hugging their biceps— holy, biceps. My eyes widened even more.
I was, too, in causal clothes. But my shorts and tank top seemed normal to me, as I'd never seen a man— even Elliot— in merely loose sweatpants with a thin shirt to match.
When I finally looked to their eyes to make sure they hadn't caught my widened ones, I saw that Elijah was looking at my top, whilst Matteo was looking at my shorts. Normally, I'd assume they were either dirty, or had something on them by the way they were staring. But there wasn't judgement in their gaze, yet something else I couldn't decipher.
"You should go to sleep," I said. As my words fell from my lips, their eyes lifted to my own. I felt more nervous now. "It's just that's it's midnight and I think Elliot wanted to introduce training tomorrow."
Matteo nodded simply. A short, small nod. As Elijah's lips perked up into a small grin, though one side lifted slightly higher than the other.
"Mhm," Elijah hummed. As he turned, I took a silent breath of relief when their eyes were finally off mine. "Goodnight, Marella." And my door was shut.
My lips parted. It sounded much different coming from him than Elliot. It sounded more genuine, more... kind. I liked it a lot better.
—
Sunlight lightly beamed through the sheer fog on my window, the colours adoring my room now bright and warm. I fluttered my eyes closed again and dragged the sheets higher up my body.
I felt so peaceful, so full of nothing but content. I could hear mumbled speaking, though it was muffled through the door, and drowned out by my sleepless fatigue.
I heard a creak, and I peeled my eyes open in response to the sound, seeing Elliot walk into my room. I noticed he didn't come without weapons. Two daggers sat on either side of his hips, held up by a holster. One of the new guards was on his side. Elijah. His face brought me back to last night.
My eyes were wide open now. Was I late to something? "Good morning, Marella," Elliot started, taking a few steps closer to the side of my bed, whilst Elijah stayed at the door.
"Hi," my voice came out as a raspy whisper. I sat up, avoiding Elijah's eyes.
"Are you just waking up?" Elliot asked. I removed the blanket from my body, my legs suddenly getting a rush of cold. I nodded and stood from my mattress. I then looked up, confused by the sudden glare across Elliot's eyes.
I looked to where his eyes were fixed, seeing my pyjama shorts and tank top. What was wrong with it? Elliot has seen me in this before, what was the problem now?
"Get changed. I'll be waiting in the hall." Elliot said, a new sternness in his tone. When he turned around, I caught a steady glance at Elijah. He was looking at my outfit, too, but he didn't look mad at all. He looked like he did last night when he saw it.
The two men walked out, giving me the privacy to change into something more appropriate to walk around the castle in.
When I pushed my door open, I could see Elliot standing there, along with all three of the guards. I noticed again how as the guards wore suits, it looked slightly tighter on their biceps, whereas it wasn't like that for Elliot.
We followed Elliot down to the Grand Room and into the kitchen, greeted with the daily scattering and silent maids that roamed the halls.
"Sit, Marella. I will be back in a moment." Elliot said.
I was then more than aware of the three guards who stood behind me. I avoided their eyes and beautiful faces as I walked to the long, familiar table I took all of my meals with.
How long Elliot was going to take, I didn't know. I couldn't hear any movement, and looked over my shoulder. They weren't there. Where did they go? My eyebrows pushed together as I turned around in my seat, seeing the three of them against the wall around two meters behind me. I didn't even hear them move.
Matteo had a blank expression, though the corner of his lips lifted when his eyes met mine. Admittedly, I looked away, and my gaze automatically shifted to Elijah. He was staring back at me, and when I looked to Alessandro, he had a blank expression on his face, close to a scowl. Was he always mad?
I began to wonder if he really did speak. I haven't heard him say a word yet, and they've been here for a few days.
I looked back to see if Elliot was coming, and he wasn't. I blinked a few times and turned back around. More familiar with Elijah, as he speaks to me the most, I called him over with the wave of my hand.
He strode over, his height becoming much larger than I remember, as I'm now sitting rather than standing.
"What can I do, Marella?" He asked, tilting his head slightly downward to meet my eyes.
I angled my head up at him, unsure of how to ask. As my eyes flickered behind Elijah and locked on Alessandro, I quickly looked back to the man on my right. "Can he speak?" I whispered.
His eyebrows pushed together before he looked over his shoulder. Following my line of vision, he grinned and faced me again. "Yes, he speaks."
"When?" I asked, genuinely. Though, I supposed he took it as a joke when he started chuckling. "He's never said anything to me before."
"He doesn't speak to pretty girls until he gets to know them a little better," Elijah's voice lowered. He winked, small and subtle, whilst the grin lifting one corner of his lips formed into a small smirk. When his eyes passed me, his expression completely changed and he stood up straight.
Elliot walked in just as Elijah got back to his spot against the wall.
Know them a little better, what does that mean? And— wait, what did he say about—
"The food will be here shortly. I'm sorry for the wait." Elliot cut off my thoughts, and suddenly, he was sat right beside me.
After breakfast, Elliot led the way to one of the floors that were separated for specific training. There were targets, knives and different types of guns next to them, and a gym-like area with all sorts of training equipment specified for the types of battles we face. They face.
This was the training introduction I had told Matteo and Elijah about last night. I would tell Alessandro, if he could— would talk.
As Elliot began speaking to the guards, I suddenly felt the urge to go back to my room and dive into one of my books. I didn't like listening to this. It was boring, and I was uninterested by the fact that I knew I'd never be in here for any real reason other than this.
I stared at the floor for what felt like five minutes, until my name snapped me from my thoughts. "Marella," Elliot spoke. I looked to meet his eyes. "You stay there for a moment while they get set up." I nodded.
My eyebrows pinched in confusion when the men started removing their suit jackets, "You may use the clothing stored in the rooms at the back if needed." Elliot informed them. When seeing them begin to unbutton their dress shirts, my eyes widened and I immediately looked away.
Don't look. Don't look. Don't look.
My, God.
I caught one glance of Matteo, and my eyes almost bulged out of my head. His entire torso was broad and all muscle, his biceps— like I interpreted— were huge. His abs looked almost purposely flexed, yet had a mixture of a softer look to them.
My awe-struck eyes flickered to Elijah, who sent me a knowing smirk, I felt my cheeks flush rapidly in embarrassment.
I needed to get out of here.
I turned and headed for the door— "Marella. What did I ask?" Elliot's voice stopped me. He didn't sound angry, but the clear warning was evident in his words.
I turned back around and stayed put, my eyes on the floor.
After a few minutes of the men getting changed, Elliot's figure finally met mine. As I looked up, an unreadable expression took over his face. I couldn't tell if he was angry or not, and sometimes that scared me.
"Come on." He led me out the room. I looked over my shoulder, the small glance giving me the sight of all three men watching me walk out. The same smirk on Elijah's face, Matteo looking intrigued, and Alessandro— he wasn't angry? Though, his expression was still blank.
I turned back when the door shut behind me.