Bon Appétit! :D
Elizabeth's POV
Angelo and Rafael protested as the guards in the hallway stopped them from entering the governor's room. Once I had stepped in, the two bodyguards stationed at the door had shut it behind me. They were dressed in a black uniform, wearing their fox-head helmet. Members of the unit I had came across on the hill.
Loud yelling passed through the door as the two prince made it clear that they wanted to accompany me in. Yet, the shouts were quickly cut off. "Open the door," An amused voice sounded off from behind and one of the bodyguards obeyed the command. The two princes were surrounded by raised firearms. The governor was making it even clearer that he did not want to let the princes in.
"I'll come out." I assured, offering a small smile. It was the truth but the princes looked at me, pained. "Alive, Elizabeth." Rafael responded as both of them took a step back from the door. As the door slowly swung shut, the Mietitore prince's eyes never left me. His icy blue eyes were a reminder of my promise to him.
The governor resided in a presidential suite. It was highly different from the rooms I had been to for the past few days. Using a minimalist theme to decorate the room, it fitted his image. Simple but tasteful. Plain grey curtains were draped across the windows to lighten the harsh natural light shining through in the afternoon. A few chairs and two tables, white or grey colour, decorated the room. A wardrobe, a king-sized bed and a sofa were the only other furniture taking up soace, resulting in a very spacious room.
He sat down on the curved sofa facing the closed windows, showing a translucent view of the Spargimento Di Sangue and the hills, which were going to be empty for another year or so. The soft natural light that managed to shine through highlighted his salt-and-pepper hair. Under the light, the governor appeared to be older with deepened lines of age. He belonged to a group of old men one can easily find a handful on the streets.
Yet, on the king-sized bed laid a sleeping redhead with blankets pulled up to her chest. The wig was partially falling off her hairline, giving me a peek of her natural brunette hair. She shifted in her slumber and turned around, showing me a view that made me shudder. A wide patch of purple and blue covered either sides of her neck and her right cheek was slightly swollen. I do not know much about rough sex but surely, the participants do not suffer such severe injuries.
Staring at her red wig, the shade of red was scarily similar to mine. Not mine, Charlie's. The realisation was a hundred times worse than when I became aware of us sharing the same shade of hair. Knowing that the governor was trying to replicate my dead mother threatened my self-control to not throttle him.
This was an exact representation of the monster in the room. The governor gave off an impression of a clean, refined man on the outside. But on the inside, he was just a piece of scum rid of conscience. Noticing my disgust as I peered at the sleeping beauty on his bed, the governor only smiled widely at me. I hope that she's sleeping and not fainted into unconsciousness.
Picking up the wine glass, the governor sipped on the red liquid as he sneered at the two incompetent men who was knocked out by the two positioned at the door. "Dieci!" He called out and one of the bodyguards jogged to his side from the other parts of the room. They were all wearing the fox helmet, making it impossible for me to distinguish his men.
"Master." Dieci kneeled with his right knee, left hand fisted and placed on the floor. Head bent and looking down on the floor, Dieci awaited for further instructions. A sign of outmost obedience that I thought only appears in historical shows. Though I felt guilt for feeling relieved, I was glad that Angelo did not require this kind of respect from me.
"Wake these garbage up," The governor ordered without looking at his man. Instead, he crooked a finger at me and shifted his eyes to the white wooden chair placed infront of him. Shuffling slowly to the white wooden chair, I glanced at Dieci who got to work immediately, slapping the two men into consciousness. When that had failed to work, Dieci splashed buckets of water at them.
The name of his subordinate called for a light sheen of sweat on my back. I bit down on my lips, hating the fact that I understood the origin behind Dieci's false moniker. Dieci means ten in English. This man was the tenth one to be branded. A calling that reminded that person, he or she was bounded to the governor permanently like the mark on his or her arm. It was extremely humiliating but not above the fear the governor's men must feel for their master.
I sat down on the chair and crossed my legs, swinging the blood-red pouch around my finger. "Where are my brothers?" I asked but the governor was distracted by my actions. Muddy brown eyes gleamed at the thought of having the ring, the one thing in the world that could harm him. For someone like the governor, I wondered would he destroy it or display it proudly for the rest to see.
A sharp tip nicked at my jugular and a trickle of blood ran down my neck. Another bodyguard had appeared from nowhere. "Where the fuck are you guys hiding in? The washroom?" I whined, keeping my cool. Seriously, I always wondered how these big-shots arranged their entrance. They have the most interesting ways to present themselves. The governor chortled, "Hand over the ring, sweet Diana."
"Do you really think Sam Mente is stupid enough to store evidences into just one ring?" I sighed at the overly arrogant governor. The deceased Mente head was intelligent and very capable, he would not put all his eggs in one basket. A fact that the governor knows better than me.
The governor perked up at my suggestion, a little torn. His greatest fear is losing his authority. Since there were only rumours about the Mente's ring, it explained why he went so far to retrieve it. However, if Sam had used other methods to store evidences of his crimes, the governor would not have any reliable ways to find out if that was true or false. That monster mercilessly hunted down everyone on Sam's side and eradicated them. Not once did the governor tried to settle this with a civilised conversation, it was obvious that he would not know the full plans that Sam Mente had.
Not knowing would push the governor into hesitation, and that was enough for me. I only hoped my bluff would be enough to buy me a ticket out of here, alive. "What else do you know?" He interrogated, no longer having that easy smile. Clicking my tongue at the short knife on the verge of piercing into my fragile skin, the governor told the bodyguard to back off with one look.
"Where are my brothers?" I tried again, staring at the governor. He broke into a wide grin and declared, "You lying bitch." Luckily I had quick reflexes. The short knife stabbed into my palm instead of my jugular. Ignoring the throbbing pain in my hand, I kicked the bodyguard's groin and he backed off. However, I caught the governor shooting him a look before he did so and became aware that pain was not a deciding factor in the bodyguard's actions.
Despite seeing blood dripping from my palm and feeling the relentless throbbing pain, I forced my body to relax against the chair. "Look. I don't want a stupid title or to expose your sinister crimes. I just want to make my real family whole again. You tell me where they are and let me off, and I'll tell you all that I know." I revealed, injecting every ounce of sincerity I have into my voice.
Before the governor could say any further, the two awoken men were screaming. Albeit muffled, their expressions were enough to show that they were terrified of the one before me. Dieci slammed the back of his rifle into their heads but it only caused the two men to have an even greater reaction.
The governor let out a satisfied smirk, thinking that I was just a simple, nineteen year old. "You know it was such a pity that I wasn't there to see Charlie gun down Sam. She once said to me that she loved him more than anything and look what happened in the end." He savoured every word that left his mouth. I clenched my fist, digging my fingers into the wound. It was the pain that hindered me from lunging at this monster.
When I looked back at the governor, a gun was pointed at me. "It will be the same for you. Your brothers will die at your hands. Why not I save your brothers' lives?" The gun shots sounded like canon blasts from a near distance and I hugged my body in self-defence. Seconds past before I realised that there was no burning pain in my body.
A rumbling laughter echoed from the shooter and I looked up to see the two men collapsed onto the floor. Identical holes were carved into the middle of their foreheads with a bullet in it. One by one, Dieci dragged out the bodies. I inhaled sharply at the violence that had just occured. It had happened to me once and the governor was telling me that it could happen twice, if I overstretched his patience .
"One's in the Ravine and the other's in the Pit." My heart stopped beating. The Ravine was impossibly far and the Pit was a galaxy away. My faith was terribly shaken at the impossible missions. "You should die now, Diana. It's impossible to save your brothers." The governor encouraged, a gleam of pity in his eyes but more so, gloat. He was right and I hated it. Travelling to the Ravine was crazy enough. To enter the Pit, where all the governors stay, made death sounds like a luxurious holiday.
I understood the hidden words he did not say. Not only were my brothers in places I had never dreamed of, the governor would also be hunting us down. Searching for someone I have never seen before was like trying to forget my own name. A rock will tell me to not seek my own death if it can actually talk.
My brothers, Darius and David. They are respectively, sixteen and fifteen now and somewhere out there. I was shaken when I first heard where they are in. However, I remembered how desperate my parents were on the night of the big fire. They gave up everything they owned and more to get us to safety. Charlie and Sam had exchanged their lives for our's. This was enough to produce a definite answer in my heart. Like my parents, only my death will stop me. I will never abandon my family.
"You don't get to have a say in that. What else are you hiding from me?" I pushed, thinking about Lilith's words. If she had known about the white jade necklace, there was a high chance that the governor would too. The governor contemplated and then shrugged his narrow shoulders. "No harm telling a dead man, I supposed. Each of you have a white jade necklace that those pesky phantoms use as identity tags." His confidence was not unfounded.
Yet, his smile was constrained, something was bothering the governor. "Now, tell me what you know." The governor turned his head away and attempted to look like the victorious one in our meeting. What could he be worried about? It was definitely not me finding my brothers before him. I observed him as I settled into my chair.
For a man like the governor, he was holding himself back way too much. This was a monster who ensured Dr. Greene lives and attends every single meeting of the Crossing. To shame her and to remind her repeatedly, that he had won. He also wears the other Mente's ring, flaunting his victory every time someone saw that ring.
I am the daughter of his worst enemies. There were no reasons for why he had to restrain himself from sharing all the information he had of my brothers. It was the best opportunity to strike me hard and watch me fall to my lowest. In addition, he would gain even more control of this situation. The more he shares, the more fear I had for the amount of knowledge he has as he would be one step nearer to my brothers. Yet, none of that happened.
Smirking, I stood up from the chair. The governor knew as much as he had said. Hence, the worried expression on his face because he was now as clueless as I am. Pretending to be a naive nineteen year old blinded by her impractical dream of finding her remaining family, I placed the blood-red pouch on the chair with reluctance.
Eyes lingering on the Mente's ring inside the pouch, I hinted with false regret. "Where everything started, that's where everything will end too. The dangerous place shall be the safest." Tilting my head to the side, I smirked at the governor who had clearly understood the riddle. No one stopped me as I walked towards the main door, busy serving their master. By telling him that the dungeons he kept Charlie and Dr. Green contained a big clue, I prayed that it bought me enough time to do what I had planned.
"Sette! We leave immediately." The governor growled anxiously. I turned around, my bloody hand staining the door handle. Sette, seven. Responding to the governor, the bodyguard who nicked my neck stuck to the governor's side. Both of them looked up at me, but I made eye contact with the red orbs on the fox helmet. One of the Marionettes is here. Barely able to tear away my eyes, I pulled on the door handle and walked out.
Upon leaving the governor's room, the two princes rushed up to me. Dodging their questioning stares, I exhaled loudly and briskwalked to the elevator. I was very eager to distant myself from the governor, for it could be life-saving. The princes got the hint and said nothing but watched me press the elevator's button anxiously.
As the bodyguards on patrol paced back and forth, my breath shortened and I started panting. When the elevator stubbornly refused to arrive on this floor, my legs automatically ran to the stairs. I heard Rafael's shouts but my body moved on instinct, trying to get away from danger. Stairs spiralled downwards, making me giddy but my legs refused to stop.
One moment of carelessness sent me falling down the stairs. I sprawled across the flat ground, ankle twisted. Yet, the pain only spurred me on to keep moving. It was the precedence for my future. "Elizabeth!" Angelo scooped me up in his arms and sat me down on the nearest step.
When I insisted on walking, Angelo pulled me down by my arm, and sat down beside me as Rafael removed my sneakers. "What's gotten into you, Piccolo?" The Valentine prince asked, frowning. I stared at my swollen left ankle, the governor's words replaying in my head. "Nothing...nothing," I replied softly. Deep breaths in, deep breaths out, Elizabeth.
"You're bleeding, Elizabeth." Angelo stated, pulling out a handkerchief from the insides of his jacket. I stared at the ugly wound which bright, metallic red was flowing out from. The Mietitore prince knotted the handkerchief twice, my hand small enough to have excessive cloth left. Though Angelo and Rafael were focused on bandaging me and rubbing my ankle respectively, I could feel their burning curiosity. However, they would not be getting anything out of me.
Hooking an arm around my waist, the Mietitore prince supported me as we walked back to his room. We passed by semi opened doors where Mafia families were packing up their bags to leave the Liminality and fully opened doors of rooms emptied of any signs of life. The three of us minded our own businesses, not desiring more troubles than we have gotten out of the Crossing.
Once we were inside Angelo's room, I discovered that our bags were packed and placed at the foot of the bed. Cushions were thrown around as the Yilian brothers and Julian were having a cushion fight with one another. I took a double take when Yosef and Yan got themselves involved too. The Mietitore prince and I sighed at the same time when Rafael joined in as laughters and smiles were thrown about in the room.
Busy playing, none of the other boys noticed my new injuries and I was glad. It would be hard to answer any questions at this point. "Party at nine." Angelo dangled an invitation infront of me, pulling my mind out of the new troubles I have. I grabbed the beautiful letter and read the header. "Mietitores and Valentines warmly welcomes you," I chuckled, it was a formal event hosted at the White Coffin. A celebration for the recent changes brought on by the Crossing.
"Are you sure your dad wants me there?" Brandon Mietitore had viewed me with disappointment just yesterday. After all, I had crushed his dreams to let his family and him be free from the permanent grasp of the governor. Angelo could have been having a bigger celebration for freedom, even if he was clueless about it. "Well, he specifically told me to make sure that you are going to be there." The Mietitore prince admitted with a smirk.
I frowned at his expression, the Mietitore prince was not done. "Spit it out, Angelo. What else have you got on your mind?" He cocked an impressed eyebrow at me, and elaborated. "Old lady wants you there too." My eyes widened, Lorenze was a lot tougher to deal with than her husband. She was most likely going to threaten me with more frightening ones that her husband had used.
Just as I was about to refuse, my phone vibrated in my pocket. There was a new email from the buyer who had agreed to purchase my worn down house. The buyer had personally requested for me to show up tomorrow evening for the paperwork. My property agent informed that the buyer was not going to sign the deal unless I showed up. "What's wrong?" Angelo posed as he stared at me, seeing something I was not seeing.
"What?" I muttered, tilting the phone away from Angelo even though he was not looking at it. He cannot know. The Mietitore prince did not reply but hooked a lock of hair behind my ear and trailed one finger down the shell of it. Tugging lightly on my earlobe, he whispered, "You're frowning." It caused my mind to go blank at the interaction going on between us but Angelo to grin at my reaction.
Loud coughing broke me out of the daze and Rafael yelled, "Boys!" Instantly, the boys scrambled about to put on their sunglasses. Serious, the Yilian brothers and the Oracle saluted me and left with our bags. The remaining Valentine prince only pulled down his sunglasses towards the tip of his nose and gave Angelo a slow and exaggerated wink before kicking himself out of the room.
Throwing Angelo a sheepish smile, I hobbled to the door. Not unexpected, he caught up with me and scooped me up easily. "So, are you coming?" He pressed for an answer. I glared daggers at him and punched his muscled chest. Yet, this only made him smile widely and me groaning in pain. His chest was as hard as it looked. "Are you a masochist? Do you like pain?" Crossing my arms, I refused to give his face any more attention. Instead, I checked my phone for the previous email to find out the identity of the buyer. It was the information I had failed to read when Lilith interrupted me.
"I do have a way for you to find out, interested?" Angelo flirted and blood rushed up to my cheeks. However, all sorts of naughty thoughts flew out of the window as I read through the paragraph I had missed out previously. Things were progressing at a much faster pace than I was anticipating. Since I was so short on time, it is for the best to attend the party where I could meet everyone.
"Call Black Bear too, I miss him." The Mietitore prince sensed that something was amiss as the seducing grin faded away. For once, I did not mind the attention we were getting as Angelo carried me to the mini van awaiting us at the front of The Liminality. Grabbing an ice pack from the Oracle with one hand, the Mietitore prince sat me down in his lap and at the back of the van. I sighed in relief as he iced my swollen ankle.
The Mietitore prince acted normal around the rest but the conversation soon headed in a serious direction. Rafael had began by asking, "Who do you think could be the fifth royal family?" Yosef caught my puzzled expression and informed me that the governor did not declare any new family for the royal title. It was news that left the non-royalties in an excited buzz.
Hence, the boys were predicting that there will be a power struggle happening soon and temporary alliances may be formed. The next few months would serve as a crucial time as families may used the power imbalance to gang up on the current ones in power and claim the higher spots as their own. Of course, the royalties would not be spared from all the fun.
My heart sank as I thought of the possible intentions behind this decision made by the governor. It was an informed guess that he wanted to take advantage of the inevitable mess and remove the rest of the families involved in the Hollow War. Be it just the people who were involved or their entire family, someone was going to get hurt badly.
Sorry, not hurt badly. They were going to taste death, exactly as the Mentes did ten years ago. I could only wish for the governor to be distracted by his hunt for the "evidences" left behind by Charlie and not send any aid that could turn the tide. If not, this would just be another Hollow War with new victims decided from the start of the game. Going to the party was a good choice, I supposed, the royalties need an early warning.
A quick glance around the van left me feeling sad. I will never want to see any of them, eyes closed permanently and lying in a coffin. It was terrible to comprehend that I might not be around to save them, just like the last Hollow War. Too busy trying to save those from the last war, resulting in new people to mourn for.
I do not want to always be one step behind the governor and clearing up the mess left behind. Being alive but all by myself is a nightmare that has scared me enough. However, given the current situation, I am afraid that this will be my fate.
Whew! Elizabeth has a extremely long and difficult journey ahead :(
What will you do if you are Elizabeth? Let me know in the comments!
Thank you for reading and see you in the next chapter! :)