Prologue
"Rima, you know my old colleague Aziel, don't you?"
Mother placed her fork down softly on the table, only letting a faint ting ring through the massive dining hall. With a demure smile on her rosy lips, she turned to face Father, hands held politely in her lap.
"Yes, dear. Mr Aziel Herrera was a force by your side back in the day, wasn't he?"
"Herrera was a good man," Father agreed, placing his forearms along the table imposingly, staring down the two people before him. Those two people were Mother and I.
I sent a docile smile Father's way, patting down the napkin in my lap for good measure. He smiled when he saw me. I was his princess; kind, quiet and polite.
And since I was his princess, it was only fitting that he was my king.
"That is why I am allowing him to come live at our estate come Thursday."
Mother's lips parted open in shock, but quickly covered it up with a straight face. I was quick to follow her example, shocked by Father's news.
People never visited our house, let alone stayed here. Father said it was because men could not be trusted. He said that they would take advantage of a sweet naïve girl like me. So to think he'd allow an older man to come see our estate—to live with us? I wasn't sure whether to be shocked or scared.
Men will do bad things to you, my princess, my Father always told me. They will take the red from your lips by stealing your blood. They will take the silk of your hair by damaging your heart. He had always looked at me with kind eyes as he said this.
I'm scared, papa, I would say in return, curling into his side.
He'd say he'd protect me. And though I loved him so, trusted him so, and believed him so, his words had always confused me.
Because he too was a man.