Prisoner

Zoe

Lord Duke returns sixty minutes later with a suitcase I recognise very well. I packed it for my honeymoon. I guess Sir Leonard’s men brought it back from the hotel suite I used to get ready this morning.

He gives me a nod and turns around to leave.

I let out a sigh before tearing off what was my favourite wedding dress. Now it’s just a reminder of how disastrous my dream wedding turned out to be. I fold it up before stuffing it on the trash bin and put on my tracksuit. I still can’t believe that Brad deceived me like that. I should have known. He was a Harvey after all. More than anything though, I can’t believe that I am wedded to the country’s boogie man. What am I going to do?

Thinking of the boogie man, where the hell is he? It’s been two hours since I got here. I don’t know what I am expected to do. On second thought, maybe it’s best this way. The way he keeps throwing in the spousal rights thing is scaring the living daylights out of me.

I am still pacing around the massive suite when an old lady walks in and opens the door wide. I am wondering why when two women probably in their late twenties wearing maid’s uniforms walk in pushing a large trolley of food. Everything I see here looks like those royal movies. Even the golden food trolley is exactly what I have seen in those movies.

“Good evening, Lady Maloy,” the old lady greets with a gentle tone and I immediately like her.

“I am Lady Margaret, Largota’s stewardess. This is Sophie and that is Letty. We are at your service and have brought your dinner.”

I smile at her and hope my naivety is not so obvious. I don’t even know what it means to be a stewardess.

“Good evening, Lady Margaret and ladies. Thank you, but I am not hungry.”

The old lady lets out a sigh before signalling the two women out.

“You have to eat, My Dear or there shall be trouble for me and the girls.”

I look at her and only see honesty in those warm eyes. What monster gives trouble to an old lady for such a stupid thing? I have my answer as I ask the question. My cold-blooded, murderous husband would. I wonder how she ended up here.

I nod my head and she leaves. I would never intentionally put anyone in danger, but I will never be forced to eat when not hungry either.

I head to the trolley and find seven dishes and fruit platters. Taking enough portions of each dish, I enter the bathroom and flush the food down the toilet.

There, I have eaten.

I wake up the following morning and decide to explore this place. I have to know it and maybe I will find a way to escape.

I, unfortunately meet my husband’s girlfriend on the first floor corridor.

“You have no authority to be here,” she says with a menacing voice.

“Funny, my husband has not informed me of that. As his wife, by law, I have all the authority,” I say, intentionally pushing her buttons. I don’t know what her arrangement with my scary husband is, but I am not going to be bullied by a mistress when I did not ask for this.

“Leo is mine. Don’t think that you are something because of a meaningless marriage. Leo does not want you!” she snaps while I laugh. I strike a cord. Good to know.

“Why would he marry me then? I mean, my fiancé was already dead when we took our vows. Funny, he did not even mention you,” I say with an innocent smile and see her nostrils flare. She huffs and storms away while I continue and find myself in what seems like a study. I walk around the polished mahogany furnished room and not find a single thing skewed. The room has this aura that immediately tells me that is his study. A shiver descends my spine.

I tell myself that it is just a study, but I can’t help feeling like I am in a devil’s lair. I leave it faster than I did the rooms before it.

The more I explore, is the more I see guards in every corner. They are in every floor within the castle and even more outside. Escaping is really going to be hard.

It is just after eight in the morning when Sophie approaches and invites me for breakfast. It’s only when I meet Lord Duke that I realise that I have been to every floor yet I have not seen my husband.

Two days later, it’s the same thing. It does not help that there is no signal at all here. I am starting to feel like a prisoner. With an exception of Jane, everyone is respectful, but they all keep their distance.

I am seated at lounge when Lord Duke walks in.

“Where is he?” I ask before he can greet.

“Who, Ma’am?”

“My husband.”

“He did not say,” he responds with a straight face I am getting used to.

“Does he ever say?”

He shakes his head. That should give me comfort, except I can’t live like this. I have not seen any way of escaping this place. I need to negotiate with him to let me go.

“Why is he so angry?”

I am really curious to know. I don’t suppose that a person can wake up angry and hating mankind.

Lord Duke just looks at me and does not respond. That is exactly what everyone does here when I ask about anything related to the stranger I married.

“What exactly am I expected to do here?”

“Anything you want, Ma’am. This is your home now,” he says as if I am in the best place in the world.

“Anything I want? So, no one will stop me if I try to leave?” I ask, pushing my luck.

“Leave to where, Ma’am?” he asks and even sounds surprised that I would want to leave.

“Back to my life!” I snap, and soon beat myself. All these people here are clearly terrified of my husband. The part I don’t get is how they seem to be genuinely loyal to him at the same time.

“You can do anything you want, except leave,” he says firmly, making me think that is an order he was given.

“Huh! So I am a prisoner here?”

He sighs and leaves when Lady Margaret walks in.

“Patience, Dear. This will feel like home soon,” the old lady tries to reassure me. Surely she does not believe this.

“I doubt it.”

I don’t know anyone who would feel at home after being forced into a marriage and locked up in a castle in the middle of the woods with no way of communication with the outside world.

She smiles and places her wrinkled hand over mine. “You, my dear, have the power to melt that heart. It is your fate.”

“I don’t want to melt any heart. I just want my life back!”

I feel bad for snapping when she is being so nice, but I am frustrated. 

“Argh! Stop acting like a spoiled-brat. You should be thankful that Leo saved you from your stupid self,” Jane sneers. I did not even see her walk in.

Today she is wearing a red leather suit and a white crop top. The skirt is so short it’s a miracle that I cannot see her panties. The crop top ends right above her navel, revealing a silver belly ring. The red stilettos make her unrealistically tall. She looks like an escort. Maybe that is what my murderous husband likes.

“Excuse me?” I ask, my rage taking over. All this is making me a ticking bomb. I can feel my usual control slipping away each day I am a prisoner in this castle.

“Had you used your non-existent brains, he would not have had to wed you.”

“Stop talking to me,” I warn. I only tolerate Leonard’s insults because he can hurt my family, but I don’t have to take crap from her. 

“Or what, Whore?” she challenges, opening the gates to my rage.

I let out a weak laugh and get on my feet. This woman clearly does not know me. 

“Lady Maloy is his wife. I suggest you walk away right now,” Lady Margaret tells the woman I am about to introduce to my crazy self.

“I am not scared of her,” she says with her nose up.

“It’s not her you should fear, but the one who brought her here,” Lady Margaret says and I see fear flash in her eyes. Wait, is she also scared of him? Why on earth would she date the devil she is scared of?

She huffs and storms away.

“Don’t let her get to you, Dear,” the old lady advises. I don’t know if I can when she has that attitude and resides here.