บท 32: Roses and thorns
As done yesterday, Vincent did not ask for her hand, letting her have her free space. He signalled the butler and Orson quickly bowed to take Shadow away, "He has been a good boy today, let him have an excellent lunch today." Orson bowed and took the chains for Shadow in his hand. "Come, Prudence," Vincent walked, and Prudence heeled behind him.
She was glad that the panther had not done anything to the Edlers, but she also wanted to get out of its vicinity as soon as she could.
They walked to the main gate of the manor and Prudence noticed how it was the same path that she had taken for breakfast in the morning. The manor was huge and like a maze from inside. Prudence was conflicted between two options to either remember the ways around here or to not pay heed to them at all because she wanted to escape here and also did not want to start getting used to this lifestyle. Out of curiosity Prudence questioned, "Does Shadow get along wit everyone?"
Vincent was pleased to see how the girl was slowly getting her curiosities up for things around here, "No, Shadow is quiet feral for others, but a few people in the manor can handle him. He sometimes has his lunch with me. Would you love to do that one day?"
"I doubt I would be able to eat when I know I myself am a meal for someone in the room," Prudence remarked.
Vincent's lips curled at that statement. She would be his meal one day and she had already had lunch with him. It just made him more conscious of her presence and the way she peculiarly smelled like musk today. Unlike in the morning, Prudence had dressed with clothing of his choice, and Vincent basked in her beautiful appearance. He had specifically picked out colours to suit her beautiful orange hair. They added a different kind of beauty to her blue eyes.
"You never know whose meal you are going to be," Vincent said while shifting his gaze ahead, where a maid opened the door for them to step outside.
Prudence's eyes snapped at him, and the meaning was not lost to her. It was a statement meant to test the fears inside of her, and it did poke her. But not the part where she feared to be Vincent's meal. Prudence rather felt a strong need to stab the man.
Vincent turned his head to her as his lips twisted, "no need to glare, as my woman you will get used to it."
It only irked Prudence further. When Vincent had called her, his woman in front of George, Prudence wanted to correct it immediately. Maybe even take the Edler's help to get out of here, but the time had already shown who stood above whom. "I am not your woman. Please don't say such things to others," Prudence said in a stern voice, still trying to be as polite with it as she could. She was still learning to be polite and, with how Vincent was, she doubted he would take the non-polite part of her well.
A while back in the dining room during lunch, Vincent had broken the glass, and the anger in his eyes was evident to Prudence. She felt lucky it did not direct it to her, but Prudence also did not want to see the day when it would be towards her.
"You live with me now. What is wrong with claiming that what is mine?" Vincent said casually as they walked to the garden.
Prudence gritted her teeth as her fist clenched her dress. She was holding back her tongue too much around him and with the pistol that he carried around and the black panther that lived here, Prudence doubted she was in a safe space to run her mouth. She for sure wanted to tell him how tyrant he was.
Vincent, who was observing her body language well spoke with a chuckle, "You do not have to be this defensive or offensive, I won't let any harm come on you."
Prudence blinked twice before she came to understand what he meant. It was odd hearing it from a person who had just yesterday pulled a gun at her, "You speak good jokes, His Grace." Prudence wanted to retaliate, but this was the best way she thought to get back at him.
Hearing her audacious words, Vincent's lips curled in amusement, "I don't think I joked there now, Prudence. I have taken a liking towards you and I only see it fair that you stay safe and with me."
Prudence looked at Vincent with crossed eyes, trying to figure out which man wooed a girl like this. There was no need for her to stay here and more than all of it, there was no need for her to like him back, either. It was rather that Prudence did not want to give any change to his lifestyle at all. Surrounded by dons and pistols and dangers that lurked in the darkness. She wanted a decent life where she could wake up every day and worry about her mother having had her breakfast or not or her horse being well fed or not.
Prudence fell a foot back from where Vincent was walking and spoke in a low voice, "I do not wish for a life like this, His Grace."
Vincent looked at her, "And why is that so?"
Prudence lifted her eyes from the ground to look at him, "Because this life is filled with unsafe possibilities for me as well as my loved ones, not to mention I am afraid of the night creatures and you are one." Her eyes looked into his crimson eyes and what he had done to Abiona immediately flashed in front of her eyes.
Vincent very well what the girl was saying, but he also wanted her and that desire was stronger than any other inside him.
He wanted every bit of her body and her soul. To have her orange locks sprawled on his bed while he wakes up to her beautiful face. She was the sun he wanted for his morning and he was ready to get it any which way possible.
"If you are afraid about your loved ones, I have already set maids for your mother and rest assured they are very good at combat with us Vampires," Vincent said.
Prudence did not understand the obsession he had with her, "Doesn't that keep my mother in a perilous position to have them around her?" If the maids were capable enough, then that only meant one word from Vincent and she might find her mother dead... even the thought about it disturbed Prudence. She did not even want to reason with the compromising situation she found herself in. She wanted to get out and away from here, to take care of her mother and Daisy and nothing else.
Vincent stopped in his tracks and Prudence, who was about to overtake him halted her feet immediately, "You overthink things a lot, Prudence. I would never let any harm to come on you or your family."
"You have already threatened me twice," Prudence responded immediately.
Vincent chuckled at the response and away from there towards the roses that were planted in the garden. There were other flowers that grew along with them, and Prudence saw how the garden was filled with a pattern of colours. There were cobblestones to walk on and the path was carved through the garden like a snake going around the field. Vincent plucked a rose and brought it to Prudence. Extended his hand ahead that held the rose, "Does this show a better gesture of my feelings?"
Prudence looked at the rose in his hand sceptically before she extended her hand to take it from him, but Vincent quickly pulled the rose back to his side and Prudence ended up following it with her hand.
She looked at Vincent with knitted brows before her gaze fell back on the rose and how Vincent was plucking the thorns, "You see, Prudence, not everything that looks beautiful is safe for you. There are always thorns in the path and when they are too much, they do nothing but hurt you." Having cleared the thorns, Vincent handed the rose back to her and Prudence took it from his hand, twirling it between her slender fingers.
"I do not understand what you mean, His Grace," Prudence said, as her eyes moved from the red rose in her hand to Vincent's red eyes.
Vincent signalled for her to walk, and they started walking through the garden again, taking in the pleasant smell of different flowers in the air. Vincent gazed at the twirling rose in her hand and spoke, "There are going to be many who could offer you the rose Prudence, not many who would be capable enough to pluck the thorns out of the way. With the kind of personality you have, you will encounter danger one day or the other, as you did with Don Sam. Do you think your dear George would be able to save you during such times?"
Prudence let those words sink into her mind, but they still did not convince her. She wanted safety and Vincent was a screaming danger sign. With him being the Mafia King, there was always a danger of her getting in danger.
"Fear is never a way to woo any girl," Prudence spoke her mind out, "It feels nothing less to shackles and that would never lead to love."
Vincent's lips twisted in a smile as they took a turn on the serpentine cobblestone pathway. "Don Sam would return from his quick trip tomorrow. I am sure you would love to meet him before he goes to your house searching for you," Vincent looked at Prudence, and how her face had turned pale at that thought.
Prudence took a sharp breath as the need to go back home returned back to her. But she knew very well that she had stepped on the ego of a dangerous man. Somewhere her heartfelt gladness that she had not done that to Vincent or God knows which grave she might be resting in. However, she did not want to owe Vincent anything with respect to removing the thorns from her path. "I could go to my mother's hometown and be safe there, His Grace."
Vincent sighed at her, "and do you think Don Sam won't follow you or not hunt you down on the way there? We vampires are quite fast, you should know."
"Why do you insist on helping me so much?" Prudence was frustrated by her acting and holding back her tongue. She was concerned for Daisy and the drafting today. She doubted she would be able to go and participate in the horse race with Don Sam lurking around the corner, but she at least needed to get away from Vincent, who worked with Sam Murray.
Vincent clicked his tongue, and it had all the high horses in Prudence mild down. "Do you love to hear it so much that I have taken a liking to you that you keep asking me to repeat it over and over again?"
Prudence did not mean that, but this man had turned her words in his favour in moments. Such a smooth talker he was.
"I am saying this is not the right way to woo anyone. If you love me, you should be ready to set me free," Prudence creased her brows as she looked at Vincent, "I am not ready to live in the middle of this scary life."
Vincent had wanted to take a walk around the garden thinking it would mild down the girl, but he should have known it was not going to be this easy. No matter how much anyone said what about her, she was a girl made of fire and fear could not extinguish it. Vincent did not resent that fact. Rather, he wanted her fire to be set free. But letting her free was not an option here. She would get used to this life slowly and Vincent would make sure she comes around.
"I was going to keep it a surprise," Vincent said, "but seems you fear too much. I have called Don Sam to visit the manor. It would be a lovely reunion for you won't it be Prudence?"
The smile on Vicent's lips scared Prudence to her core. There was a chill that ran down her spine and there was nothing more for her to say to him as they walked back to the manor. Vincent kept silent throughout the way. The fear the rose in Prudence had a lovely scent, and he let it sink into her. He was good at eliciting more fear in people and somewhere he loved to do that with her as well.
While they walked inside, Vincent had planned to walk her to her room, but Drakos stood there waiting for Vincent.
"I have work to take care of. Orson will take you to your room," Vincent said, and as if on cue, Orson came to bow in front of Prudence and walked ahead of her so he did not lose her way.
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Author's note: The updates for this book will be once every three days. Nevertheless, I will be keeping the chapters lengthy <3 Currently, I am adjusting to a job and so am still trying to figure out the proper time to give to both my books. Do check out 'Alpha Princess's Possessive Mate' as that book is updated daily.
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