As Krista dragged me into the hall I was shocked at the sheer beauty that surrounded me. Everything was so wonderfully styled and perfect looking. Small chandeliers hung evenly spaced and were so shiny and pretty. I really like shiny things, I've been told to have the attention span of a cat around shiny things. Large arched windows were in-between the four doors I counted that include mine, as Krista came to a stop at a staircase and pointed to a set of double doors across from the hallway we came out of.
"That is Jace's and my bedroom, and it will be yours when I pass my crown to you." My attention focused on her as anger filled my broken heart. "Oh don't give me that look, I know you do not want it, I just have to say it for listening ears.” I noticed two men behind me that were dressed in black. Their hair was military, so short hair they almost looked bald. They were very tall and ridiculously muscle bound.
"Who are they?" I blurted out as I looked back at Krista.
"Those are... uhhhh..." she looked around biting on her lip "Oh they are bodyguards, yep bodyguards." She smiled at me like she had just won the lottery or something.
"Bodyguards, for what?" I asked, as her smile fell off her face.
"Uhhhh...." she grabbed my hand and started dragging me down the stairway. "For protection, that's what they do, silly." she was walking fast and I almost had to run.
"I'm pretty sure you're not telling me the truth." she stopped at that statement and turned fast as the grip on my wrist became tight.
"Are you calling me a liar, I'm the queen, how dare you?" I was pretty scared of Luke, but the way she looked at me made me shake and I would really rather have Luke here and mad.
"I ... I ahhhh... I'm...s- so-sorry," I choked out as she looked at me, making me want to hide behind the guards.
She just turned and continued walking down a hallway that looked the same as the one before, she didn't talk the rest of the way through the many halls until we stopped in front of a double wide door. She glanced at me and walked in as I heard a male squeal as I grudgingly stepped into the room that was filled pale and light colors. There was a platform with three mirrors next to each other with a door and curtain on the side. I young guy came bouncing out a back room with a big smile on his face. Krista met him half way and they hugged each other. The man turned to look at me. A big smile spread across his face, as he started bouncing over to me. Of course, I instantly took a step back.
"Honey, I'm not going to hurt you!" he stopped a few feet away and looked shocked. Krista was next to him.
"I am afraid I frightened her on the way down, she's usually a little spit fire." He looked at her and grinned.
"Oh darling," he said darling very drawn out, I believe do to a very thick southern accent. "I know. Personally, I think anybody that's been here for the last 24 hours, knows about that." They both started laughing as their attention turned back to me.
“Annie this Victor. He is the royal dress maker." He stretched his hand out and I hesitantly gave over my hand to shake his.
"Hello, it is very lovely to meet you, finally!" He looked at Krista. “After all, it's been a decade," Victor said. "Ten years since I heard you were coming. I'm so excited to also finally put a beautiful face to such an interesting tempered person." They both started laughing at this statement.
"I don't understand" they just confused the crap out of me. Finally, Krista spoke up.
"Well, Annie, vampires have very good hearing and we try to not listen and you and Luke..." she paused and looked as if she was thinking. "Well the arguments you two have, are turning into a form of entertainment for everyone else." I was so mortified I am sure they could hear that, too.
"What!" I almost screamed.
"Annie, it is not what you think, I explained it wrong, it is more like a game." She smiled, as Victor was somehow behind here like a scared child seeking protection.
"That's not any better!" I shouted back.
"Yeah, it really just sounds bad anyway I try to simplify it." She pressed her lips into a fine line, and I noticed she looked like Luke when she did that.
"Why don't you explain in detail, then?" I demanded.
"Well, you might not like it, but we have a little pool going." she stated calmly.
"A pool? What is this pool for?"
"Wellllllll," she dragged it out "its kind of, a lot of pools," I nodded for her to continue. she looked like a child that had been caught with her hand in the cookie jar. "Well, the first is to see how long you will go before you crack and finally will be with Luke. The second is who wins the arguments on a daily basis, like you won today, I got three grand out of it. And the third part we kind of gamble on all of it." she was smiling at me trying to keep me calm, but I wasn't having it.
"Does Luke know about this?”
"Oh, no! He would be very angry, and make us stop it. Really, its only for the girls in the castle."
"So you all know he basically almost killed me yesterday, and did nothing to stop him?" I shook my head in disbelief.
"Annie, Luke's head over heals about you, he would never truly hurt you." At this, I turned toward the door we had entered and I started walking out the room so angry and on the verge of tears. I couldn't bear to be in their company anymore. I stepped out the room and was about to walk down the hall to where I could see more stairs heading down. A few steps out the door I felt two set of hands around me as they lifted me up and brought me back to the doorway where Krista was standing. She looked almost disappointed and slightly amused at the same time.
"That is the other thing they are here for," she said while wrinkling her nose.
"What, for being rude and invade my personal bubble?" I spat at her.
"No, to prevent you from trying to escape." she looked at me, no longer amused. "It is the only way you are allowed out of your room."
"What!" I screamed.
"Luke has ordered you must have two body's guards and must have a vampire from the castle with you when you are outside your room."
"No, that's not fair, I don't want to be followed around!"
"I know, I would hate it, too, but you're not very well-behaved and we can't have you trying to escape."
"Can I go back to my room?" if said very upset and angry. My only real plan of escape was just lost. I started walking up the staircase. I got more ticked off as I noticed others in the hall moving out of my way. I didn't really care, I just wanted to go home and forget about this messy nightmare. I then heard a door open instantly got angry as I heard Luke laughing as he walked out of a door smiling his big, bright smile which just made me feel like throwing something at him. Luke turned and glanced in my direction and his face fell instantly. A person caring a briefcase stepped into the hallway behind him and my heart jumped for joy as I ran toward them. It was Joel's dad. I think is name was David, although I never called him that. He told me a long time ago just to call him 'Pops'.
I ran straight to him and hugged him so tight, I was afraid he would disappear before I got my chance to. I'm not sure when I started crying, but there are tears running down my face, as he gently patted me on the back to calm me down. When I was finally was able to relax enough to speak to him. I looked up and smiled at him and said:
"'Pops you came for me," his smile fell as fast as I said the words. He looked over to Luke who was standing next to him.
"Annie," he said in a low voice. "I'm not here to take you home." confusion and dread washed over me.
"I don't understand if you're not here for me, then what are you doing here with these monsters?" he looked over to Luke again. Luke just looked down avoiding both of our gazes.
"Annie, I work here, I'm the royal family's accountant." I looked at him horrified.
"WHAT!" I screamed at him.
"Annie calm down, my family has been in this position for many years." I started crying again, as I turned away from him. "Annie, if I knew that you were the prince's mate I would have never let your relationship with my son go as far as it did.."
I really wish I had something to throw at him. "How can you say that? You said I was a part of your family less than two weeks ago!" I sobbed at him.
"I know and I'm sorry, it only made this situation harder, but you will more than happy with Luke now. And Joel will find someone else." He tried to move closer to me, but I backed away.
"How dare you say that, Joel is your son!" I couldn't believe he told me to basically to forget about him.
"I know, and we are helping him heal and move on." That pissed me off.
"He would be perfectly happy, if it was not for this jackass who took me away from him, and brought me here with my brother that we thought was dead but guess what, he's not dead brother.” I paused. "But you already knew that, didn't you?"
He sighed. "Yes, we knew even before that he was coming here." I looked at him.
"We! how is 'we'" I looked back as I was about to storm off.
"We as in my parents, wife, ..." he paused and rubbed the back of his neck "and my children" I froze as my heart sank.
"Joel..." I couldn't even speak right as so many questions ran through my mind.
“Yes, we were aware of the truth about your brother, but it was best that you didn't know. We were not allowed to share that information with you."
I walked off after he said that. I just wanted to get away from them and the crowd of bystanders who were watching. I heard someone calling after me, but I didn't look back. I just wanted to get to out of this place and cry my eyes out. David had to be lying to me, there no way Joel would ever keep a secret like that from me. They must be trying to trick me. I felt so tired and confused as my legs started to burn from all the stairs I had to climb. But it felt better than the pain my head. I finally got to the top and just wanted and almost collapsed from being overwhelmed by all this. Once I entered what I came to think of as my room, I slammed the door shut behind me, but the bang I expected never came. I looked and of course, it was Luke was standing there closing the door quietly behind me.
"Get out!" I screamed.
"I just want to make sure you were okay," He started walking closer to me as I backed away.
"I want you to get out of this room!" Luke sighed and stopped.
"Annie, I know you're really upset, but everything that happened was for good reasons."
“Get out! I don't understand why you aren't listening to me!"
"I understand just fine, but I'm trying to help and make things better." He said a little louder.
"Then get out, I hate you and you make everything awful when you're around!" He froze as his mouth hung open, as we stood there in a stare off .
"You... you don't mean that." He looked down while shaking his head.
"Yes I do, I hate you, you ruined my life, and I will always hate you for that!" I said in a calm voice so he could hear the truth behind it.
He just stood there with his face in that emotionless frozen mask, then turned away from me and started walking to the door. When he opened it, and turned his head slightly and spoke very quietly, but I could still hear him. "I'll have dinner brought up for you because I'm sure you do not want to eat with me." And with that he was gone. I realized it was only early afternoon, meaning this day was still not even close to being over.