Fourteen

The man placed a soft kiss to the side of her temple and smiled gently as he put his mask back on. Nothing had changed. She was as pure and clean from dark human desires as when he first found her. He knew she was just the same as she was all those years ago. The only exception being her blossoming into a much more beautiful woman. His heart throbbed with emotions. Ones he hadn't felt in years.

He took her down many hallways and corridors until she started to hear the voices of others once again. The darkness of the hallway fading away and becoming brighter than before. She thought about escaping but the threatening look in his eyes said otherwise.

He then wrapped his overcoat around her and it practically covered her entire frame and the metal cuffs she wore. The man was so close to her, her head practically rested on his shoulder as they walked, his hand on the small of her back as he guided her.

From afar they looked like a tired couple going home, and no one would've expected a kidnapping was underway.

She wished to scream but before they left the hallway he had threatened to kill her friend if she didn't keep quiet and unassuming.

She gazed over the crowd looking for Jyn, but he was nowhere to be seen. He was probably searching the building for her. Only the guards by the entrance hall noticed the slightly nervous look on her face but the man behind her made a show of interlacing their hands together and they looked away much to her displeasure. She could've shouted or screamed but this man would've started a bloodbath.

Once out of the ballroom it didn't take them long to exit the building. Now in front of Silla was a large black floating holo-craft, it was next to all the other guests vehicles outside the building. Seeing her hesitation to get in the vehicle, he picked her up from under her legs cradling her body to his chest. On the inside of the levitating craft were plush leather seats and soft carpet flooring that felt amazing on her now bare feet.

Still she was surprised that he hadn't decided upon decapitating her at this point. He probably wasn't pleased with her kicking him in the balls earlier and then running away.

Looking to the front window in the mesh, she noticed a driver sitting in the front. She suddenly looked over at the green eyed man getting the courage to ask him the question that had been bothering her since he first took her against her will. "Why are you taking me with you?" She asked confused. His eyes looked to hers in surprise. Instead of the annoyed expression, she was expecting he gave her a soft smile. Almost like he was happy she decided to talk to him.

"I v'ill tell you another time, sweet." For some reason not knowing made her relax a bit. Although the situation she recently encountered was terrible the five star luxury she was experiencing was absolutely exquisite. She had never been in a holocraft this fine before much less one so luxurious. The situation wasn't great, but the luxury was rather nice.

"Where are we going?" Silla wanted at least a hint of what her fate would be.

"V'e v'ill be paying a visit to whomever your guardian is."

Her brows raised in confuse at this new information. "Why? I don't live nor talk to my family." Silla explained to him.

"Doesn't matter, dearest. Legally z'ey own you."

"You do know I'm an adult right? The way things work down here are a bit different than in the upper ring."

As soon as she opened her mouth, he glanced over at her blankly. "You are a v'oman, dear. Since you are not married, your family has the sole right over v'hat is done to you. You must have overlooked z'e fact that the upper ring- the central part of the city is v'hat decides the laws for the entirety of the city. Z'ese laws v'hich are not enforced in z'e lower ring still apply to you."

Oh right. She had forgot. She forgot about how annoyingly aggravating these sexist laws were. The woman in her wanted to stomp and scream that he couldn't just ask her parents to hand her over. Of course he was right but she still hated it. Most women were retained my their family till marriage or something else that could lift the family in status.

Or they could just sell their daughter.

It worked either way really.

For these reasons it befuddled her as to why her father or his family didn't do so already. They probably thought she wasn't worth anything. Once the rest of her family saw this rich man, no doubt in her mind she would be taken. That or they would try to pawn their own daughters off to this man.

When they finally arrived at her grandparents manor, they stepped down from the holocraft to stand in front of the grand entrance. Her father  although he was illegitimate came from a well off lower ring family. Though they never shared that wealth with her or her father. To them she was a useless child and as a woman her only goal was to bring honor and wealth to her family. She was to be beautiful like a doll, without emotions or desires.

A servant man stood outside the manor, and once he saw the rich man next to her he spoke, "please follow me," the servant bowed his head and started to walk inside the manor. If it was just her, he would've called the guards and not allowed her such easy access. With this rich man beside her, she had no limits and it stung a bit. Even if she was biologically part of the family, she certainly wasn't treated like she was.

The house was grand but nowhere near the grandiosity of the building she had been in previously. Frankly she was surprised that she hadn't seen any of her eligible cousins there. Or maybe she just didn't notice them. Silla who was walking next to the green eyed man who had taken her looked upon the walls that were painted white in color. The chandeliers she had always found beautiful the rare times she got to see them when she was a child. As they continued to walk further and further inside the manor, she found herself walking apprehensively. Not knowing where exactly the servant was leading them.

There were finally taken to double doors of carved wood, that was pushed in for them to step inside the room. "Please take your seat here and the Masters will see you soon."

The door was pushed forward and in came an old man and woman. They wore fine garments and jewelry on their person. Both had deep frown line on their withered faces yet smiled once their eyes landed on the man next to her.

Her grandparents were here.

Both of them walked forward to their seats which were plush and had decorated metal and wood on it. And although they smiled at the man next to her and not Silla, it was a rather charming welcome. Her grandfather leaned back against the chair, raising his hand to say, "sit."

Only now did he notice Silla, his eyebrows raising in surprise as he gazed at her. "Oh my, I haven't seen Charles' daughter in awhile," he said while looking at the grown woman in front of him. "You've grown to be quite beautiful, I never would've guessed that you'd look just like your mother, dear granddaughter." He smiled down at her. Her grandparents were rather please with how she had grown, yet looked down on her because of the illegitimate bloodline. Oh how they loved to make a mockery out of her sleeze father and whore mother.

"So... What is the reason for your visit. With our granddaughter no less." Her grandmother asked the man next to her. Curious as to why a man with such presence and prestige would bring himself here, next to her. The cuffs she wore and the large jacket around Silla's shoulders didn't escape their notice.

"I am hoping v'e have good ties in z'e future. After all, it v'ould be a shame not to share good relations v'ith z'e family of z'e woman I v'ould like to have next to me." His deep voice and words had Silla frown.

"Ah- a slave. That can easily be arranged for the right price." Her grandfather grinned his face starting to look more like a demons. Her grandfather was already getting ahead of himself and started rambling, "Before anything is arranged I would like for you to meet the rest of the family and perhaps another granddaughter of mine. You might find her more suitable- for other roles." It seemed her family was already planning to milk this man next to her for everything he was worth. If he agreed to join one of her cousins in matrimony it would only elevate the family more. She would just be the side piece in their plan.

The green eyed man next to Silla glanced to look at her. From where he sat, he could sense the breathlessness from her. The woman's skin looked pale, and her eyes didn't meet his, Silla gulped, and his eyes followed the action of her throat. He could tell by the black smog attached to her family that they were full of greed and pride. They were not suitable to be around her.

Once again the two doors opened and in came her eldest cousin. Her brown hair and teal eyes complimenting the fancy red dress she wore. Her semi-long hair was left half open to show her womanly appeal. The green eyed man moved to look back at the grandparents. In comparison to Silla this woman was decked to the nines. He could see the eagerness in the other girls eyes, and he cocked his head.

This man was not an aristocrat for no reason, did they think that they could pass the eager one to him by hiding the younger girl who he was interested in? A soft chuckle escaped his lips that had everyone look at him in wonderment of what he had found to be amusing.

"Why don't we have dinner? I'm sure you must be starving," grandfather looked at the servant who bowed his head.

"Please follow me," the servant walking towards the door opened it stepping outside the room. He held the doors open for them to pass, her grandparents leaving first. Followed by her cousin as if she was the diligent granddaughter out of the two when it came to her and Silla.

Silla by mistake had sat on her dress and therefore she ended up late in getting out of the room. She was following her cousin, almost walking past the door when she felt the masked man place his hand on her back. Her body froze along with her heart, leaping up in her throat, startled by his action. She then heard him laugh and felt him move his hand away, one side of his lips pulling up as he walked past her to chat up with her cousin, Melda.

Silla had started to walk free after he had let go of her side, walking forward to talk, to her cousin, inquiring about their family more. Her heart was beating loudly in her chest and she tried to will it down but the anxiousness she felt in her throat didn't settle down no matter how many times she tried to calm it down.

From, behind she noticed the man's frame. He was abnormally tall, his shoulders broad from behind and the shirt that he wore along with the vest fit his body well enough to show his body structure. His hair from behind was long while the front was shorter that had been combed back. Even Melda who was who was often prideful the way she walked and talked now listened and spoke only when she was needed to.

Her deep blue eyes continued to look at the man, following them to a large dining room.

While Silla was behind, her footsteps careful, Melda, on the other hand, kept up a calm and composed, feminine composure around her. Smiling only when needed and her words polite but one could tell she was confident with what she spoke. It was clear she didn't understand how dangerous this man was, she just saw the riches he owned.

"Our family sponsors many businesses and I teach the children of the local lords. Basic words for them to learn." Melda said during her conversation with the tall man.

"Hmm... It is always good for v'omen to occupy themselves z'ith v'ork than idle chatter," said the man who stood above all the people she had ever met.

Melda had never seen a man this handsome until now. She didn't know why or how her poor illegitimate cousin had attracted such a man nor where she found him. But his deep voice could do wonders and soon her anger was long forgotten. She came to the conclusion that this man would take Silla as his slave and offer marriage to herself. Melda finally felt that the Gods had answered her prayers to receive the attention of a man she was worthy of.

"I love children. It is much easier to teach them," attributed Melda, subtly pushing the information that she was ready for children.

"How about you?" The green eyed man turned his head just enough to the side, letting Silla know he was talking her.

Silla who had started to look at the paintings again felt like she had been caught off guard and she asked, "What? I wasn't listening to the conversation," she didn't bow her head or even look the least apologetic.

"Do you enjoy children, Silla?" The way he called her name, even Melda noticed the difference and she purses her lips but didn't interject. Why was this man looking at her? Paying attention to her? 

Melda wanted to scold her cousin for not keeping her attention here as this was not anybody to be taken lightly. How dare she almost ruin her chances with this man? A man from the upper ring didn't give his attention to everyone but when he did, one was supposed to keep it. People who didn't know to keep and respect it were often found behead for their disrespect.

"I don't know," Silla tried to keep her words as short as she could right now. Not wanting her words to bud so that she would have to answer more to him.

"You don't?" He looked ahead of her, this time his voice much sharper.

Silla's hands clenched together. Did she offend the man?

Melda was the first to turn around with her eyes slightly wide with the way her younger cousin had spoken to the man. They finally came to stand outside the dining room, the servant leading her grandparents in when the green eyed man turned around to say, "V'asn't z'at hard to speak now, v'as it?" His darkened eyes stared at her, a smile on his lips before he stepped inside the dining room.

Melda pulled Silla's arm for a second, her sharp nails digging into her skin, stopping her cousin from getting inside the room, to say, "What was that?!"

"What was what?" Silla asked rather coldly.

A maid arrived at the door that had both the girls step inside the dinning room and take their seats next to the rest of the family that seemingly arrived a bit earlier than them.

The entire family.

Including Silla's father and Melda's sisters and other cousins who were already vying for the green eyed man's attention.

She could tell as soon as she entered the room that all eyes were in her and she could feels the scathing glares of her father the most.  "Well... Look who came back..." Charles the illegitimate son and Silla's father spoke. She was surprised he was even invited into the manor again. Obviously her grandparents thought that whatever this was, was a serious matter.

"Whatever it was that made you desperate enough to crawl back here for help you'll have to get on your knees and beg me for forgiveness. Maybe I'll grant it to you-" He smirked but his cocky attitude didn't get to last long.

"CHARLES! SILENCE!" Her grandmother screeched, her father instantly backing into his chair. Both of her grandparents wanted to look good in front of this man but her father was obviously ruining the image they had worked so hard to preserve. At her outburst of rage, her grandmother had a cold nervous sweat drop down her face. She tried to laugh the situation off but, the tension in the room didn't fade. It was then that her father noticed the other person in the room. Their uninvited house guest was well dressed and obviously much higher in status. His gaze hungrily on the man next to her as if he could already taste the money coming off him.

While her grandparents and the rest of the family were treading carefully when it came to speaking to the green eyed man as they didn't want to do something that would be considered rude; Melda was not the same. After the man's little attention to her in the hallway, Silla's eldest cousin had taken that the man wanted her to be his wife. She also decided that it was alright to speak to him much to her younger siblings jealousy. When only a glass of wine was placed in front of him with no food on his plate, curious Melda asked him, "Are you not going to eat with us, milord?"

"I v'ill v'hen I v'ant to," with those words, he had got the girl not to ask him unnecessary questions. Silla's grandfather then then snapped his fingers for the butler to start serving them and their guests.

"Feel free to request what you want to eat and drink. The table is all yours," said her grandmother to the green eyed man, raising her glass up in the air. The family was swarmed by maids, asking them what they would like to eat, everyone but Silla that is. She was not asked nor was she served any food. Everyone but her was served their dishes and they sat pleasantly eating and divulging in conversation. The man next to her certainly noticed this, and he didn't order anything himself, instead he drank out of a simple wine glass. It seemed they weren't going to stay here as long as her grandparents thought they were.

"Now to the main event." Her grandfather jibbed patting his mouth with his handkerchief and raising his glass.

"Since we so graciously let you into our home, it is only right that we get to know more about you."

"Which family do you hail from, guest? It is only right and propped etiquette now that you've dined with us." Her grandparents were greedy for his money and lineage. Once they confirmed and knew which family he came from, preferably from the upper ring, they could start an alliance. It would be even better if he was an aristocrat, as he certainly looked like one.

The green eyed man placed his glass aside that still had wine and brought both of his hands forward to interlink his finger below his chin.

"I hail from z'e house of Kaiserreich."

"I am Phanes Von Kaiserreich and z'e heir to one of the main five aristocratic households in the upper ring."

Phanes then took off one of his gloves to show a single embellished ring. It was large with a green gem similar to the color of his eyes but the ring was also a seal for the house of Kaiserreich. It's detailed coat of arms wrapped around a snake in the design made that apparent. It by itself confirmed his identity. 

It was nice to be able to put a name on a face. Ever since he cornered her in the hallway Silla wanted to know who this man was. Although Silla herself was a bit surprised at this information. She knew he was from the upper ring and already she suspected who he was, having it confirmed made it all the more real. However the rest of her family were not able to school their expressions as well as she.

"Oh my... Very well, as you are the heir apparent, do you have any other relatives?" Her grandmother asked for formality. She wanted to know more about his family, more specifically if she could make an alliance with them.

"It's just me. All alone, but once I marry your granddaughter v'e can start planning to have a family," Phanes words were firm, and his gaze startling.   The unnerving smile on his face had everyone not touch their food for a good two second.

It was strange to Silla that he was the only one left in the Kaiserreich aristocratic house. What happened to the rest of them? Where were his parents? His siblings? It was odd. How'd they die? Silla didn't know why, but it felt like she was standing in a lake that was frozen with ice, but the ice was thin. One wrong step and the person would be under cold water. She was turning anxious with the way he was looking at her that she wanted to go back to her home as fast as she could.

Some of her relatives were so nervous that they were unable to eat, and placed their fork and knives beside their plates. The others when their meal had finally ended, Phanes finally spoke for what he had came here for.

"As previously mentioned, your granddaughter has caught my attention, and in z'e interest of it, I v'ould like z'at I take ownership of her. And z'at she starts living v'ith me immediately," Phanes words had her grandmother's glass slip out of her hand. He had a serious look on his face, "Do not v'orry about her living conditions. She v'ill be treated like a queen. She v'ill be looked after v'ith maids and servants v'aiting on her. She v'ill be tended from z'e tip of her toe to z'e hair on her head, v'ith jewels and fine quality silk on her skin."

"R-Right away?" Her grandfather asked with evident surprise in his voice. He knew that the man had taken an interest, but this was too sudden. They hadn't been prepared.

"What about the courtship? Or the dowry?" Her grandmother started panicking. When a normal marriage alliance took place the suitor would show up to their woman of interests household and ask permission first. If successful the man would start courtship over a period of several months, not only courting the woman but her entire family. Then the dowry and the bride price would be paid in full. This wasn't how it was supposed to happen! The elderly woman chewed her long nails, she had no choice but to make an exception for this man.

"I do not see v'hy z'ere's any need to v'ait or prolong z'e time. Having her v'ith me v'ill get her adjusted to marriage and z'e upper ring." Phanes remarked to lean back against his seat to see the look of shock on their faces.

"Your excellence," her grandfather bowed his head, "We won't be able to spend time with her after she gets married and lives there. Give us some time so that we can arrange a bride price and-"

"I wasn't asking you," Phanes interjected.

The palms of Silla turned sweaty hearing this, and on the other side, Melda couldn't be anymore glad to come live in the upper ring with him.

While majority of his intentions seemed unclear to Silla she knew of his desire towards her. She wasn't sure if it was material want, possession, or lust that he was trying to satisfy. But it obviously ended with him wanting her isolated and her hand in marriage. She had sat for the better part of an hour watching her greedy family jump through hoops in order to satisfy this man. They still hadn't caught on to his trickery and they didn't even realize that he was just playing with them like puppets on strings.

Phanes then let out his final verdict, "From this time onward, Silla will stay with me."

Melda and the rest of her families eyebrows drew together in confusion. Silla? Did they hear it wrong? The aristocrat had taken his time to talk to Melda, the eldest, charming her and not Silla who looked particularly pale today in comparison to her.

Silla's grandfather felt a sheen of sweat form on his forehead. It appeared what he worried had come to be true. The aristocrat had his eyes on his youngest illegitimate granddaughter, Silla. "Your excellency, I beg you to reconsider it. My eldest granddaughter is more eligible and you might find her to be more of your taste." With Silla at the helm of this man's affections, the family would get nothing! They'd get a bride price and a dowry but that would be the end of it. They'd be completely cut off from this man's fortune.

Phanes looked at Silla whose eyes turned wide, she was utterly helpless in front of this man. "She might not like it now, but she v' ill eventually come to like z'e life z'at I provide for her. I am sure her cousin Melda can put good insights into why she should choose life in the upper ring. Right, Miss Melda?" He turned his head to look at Silla's cousin, who managed a furious tight lipped smile at him. Melda's hands had long turned to fists as she nodded, her nails digging into the palms of her hands.

"Lovely," praised the green eyed man, "It's not everyday a person gets to share the same table as me. You should count yours stars that my eyes fell on her and that I'm not going to behead every part of this foul family. You smell of filth."

The whole family still in shock her father finally blew, all the questions and rage that he had suppressed boiling over.

"Whore, what the fuck did you do? How did you cause this!" His words were harsh as he looked at the green eyed man's luxurious clothes. There was clear envy swirling underneath in his glassy cataract eyes. Looking at her fathers aged and withered face she realized how most wouldn't recognize the man he used to be. Which in honesty wasn't much.

The mysterious man next to her uncovered a wicked smirk that had made its way onto his face. He was staring down at her father, and she could only imagine what evil thoughts were circulating in his mind.

Out of Phanes hands a document of sorts shined and slid out in front of her father to read. It was holographic and film like- seemingly like paper but not.

"...Sign below, if you agree to z'e conditions." The old man furrows his brows in confusion before looking it over. His wrinkly calloused fingers pressed onto the thin film; the words were digitized so only he could read it from where he stood.

The withered man started reading it and Silla just stood there a bit clueless. He barely read over it and then spoke. It was obvious he saw something that excited him. "Deal. But I wanna add another hundred thousand Crites. She's pure and untouched. Surely that brings her price up." Her father said talking about Crites- city credits their currency.

"We v'ould need a doctor to confirm z'at and once he does you can get the extra Crites," Phanes added his face blank. Gone was the wicked smile from before.

"Son... What did you just do?" Her grandfather spoke.

Her father smiled with a clear look of pure greed on his face. "Take her then. Silla you better be a virgin or gods help me I will murder you."

"NO! YOU OWE US! I DON'T PERMIT YOU TO LEAVE YET!" Her grandmother screamed hysterically as the servants dashed in circles trying to calm the fuss. They had left the family in all but shambles, the only satisfied person in the room being her father. Silla had no choice but to go with him and was put back into the same long black vehicle Phanes had put her in before.

On the inside as they sped away, off into the distance Silla wasn't afraid to bargain her life with this man. "I will pay double whatever my father was offered." Silla spoke forwardly, meeting his eyes.

Phanes then let out a genuine laugh. "Your deal is quite tempting but v'here v'ill you get the money? Surely by z'e v'ay you dress you aren't z'at v'ell off."

"I'll work and pay you monthly. Eventually, I should be able to get the money back," she bargained only making his amused smile become wider. His green eyes swirled with mirth as he rested propped his chin on his gloved hand. He looked down at her as if she was a cute kitten. The man wasn't taking her seriously at all.

"In order to pay off a sum z'at large you and your children's children v'ould spend z'eir lives slaving away in my ore mines," he grinned elegantly bring his intertwined hands down to his lap and over his long crossed legs.

Her face paled in fear. Just how much was she sold for? Any hopes she had in somehow getting out of the situation was crushed under that mans leather foot.

Why is he doing this to her?

Why is he terrorizing her?

Why her?

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to be continued...