Chapter 404: To be stronger
"Well, I was not bestowed with the lung capacity to yell and be coherent at the same time," her fingers found the pendant charm she gifted him as a token of love during their wedding ceremony, "Yesterday, I had this suffocating feeling that no matter what I said or how many suggestions I could make, it wouldn’t matter in the end because your mind was already made without me being part of it,"
"I see," his arms wrapped more firmly around her, "Though I am curious, was it Ada that suggested you handle your... Frustration the way you did?" his diamonds flickered onto the surface of his desk which had been emptied to make space for her body only minutes earlier.
Arabella’s face yielded, allowing the blood that had rushed up to color it red.
"Ada suggested that I find a middle ground for the two of us. A way that allows us to solve our disagreements that does not involve me feeling inferior or as a decoration piece in my own marriage,"
At those words, Silas drew a deep breath, niching her head right underneath his chin, "I do like the way she thinks,"
"Yes, Ada has a lot to offer and quite honestly, I don’t think we would be sitting here today in each other’s arms were it not for her,"
Silas leaned forward, making sure to secure Arabella’s figure on his lap, "In any case, while the heart to heart still goes on, I might as well come forth with a secret of my own," with one hand alone, he managed to rummage through the stack of papers laying on the very side of the desk, literally threatening to find the floor at any second.
From underneath a few sheets, the vampire picked one to hold before his eyes. Upon ensuring it was the right paper, he then handed it to his wife.
"It’s been keeping me up at night," seeing the curious look that sentence earned him from his wife, Silas added, "Only for me can this expression serve as a figure of speech,"
The smile those words managed to put on her evaporated the instant her eyes landed on the sender of that letter.
Her hand rose, a tad shaky, to grasp it and read its content.
"I shouldn’t have kept it from you," he sighed, his breath feathering her hair, "I thought I was protecting you, but in light of what we just discussed, I believe it was a mistake on my part,"
She did not respond at first. Her gemstones sprinted from left to write then from the top to the bottom, leaping from word to word.
But then, she did it again... As though the second time, something different would be written on that letter.
"Are you alright?" Silas leaned over her shoulder a little as he whispered.
"I don’t wish to lie," her head went from left to right, ever so slowly, "When did it arrive?" her eyes just couldn’t leave the ink inscribed on it, isolating one word out of the bunch to focus on. That of Prince Cedric’s name.
She stared at his name so intently, in fact, that her vision blurred.
"A whole day ago," he admitted.
"Two letters in the span of two days...," she grunted through a long sigh, "I knew he was bold so, why would I be surprised?"
"Are you upset?" he mumbled, his lips fluttering against her ears.
"Not more than I already was, but... Silas," she carefully turned around to face him, "In the future, if a letter is addressed to me, then I want it to be sent straight to me and bu that, I mean me first. No matter how hurtful its content might be, I still want the honor of breaking its seal with my own hands," she only blinked when air threatened to sting her eyes, "I will never be as physically fast and strong as you, but if I want a chance at a good life, my mind has to handle what the winds bring along. If I allow even for words to break me then I might as well hand over the towel already,"
"Understood," he nodded, cupping her cheeks between his hands. They both kept their peace for a moment as gazing in each other’s eyes was satiating enough, but a new question popped in Silas’ mind, "Do you have any idea as to what sort of gift this one can be?"
"It has to be something that will fit around my body," her voice was above whispering range but only barely, "Either a piece of clothing or restraints fashioned especially in my honor. Something funny of that sort," she rolled her eyes.
Her words made Silas straighten his posture and bring her closer to himself.
Fortunately, he needn’t feel every sharp prickle they shoved up his spine. Indeed, footsteps’ sounds reached his ears, climbing in volume with every second that passed.
"Is Carlton on his way to us?"
As soon as her lips stopped moving, a collected knock landed on the door.
The action prompted her to rise from his lap and onto her feet to readjust her gown.
After Silas’ permission, Carlton made his appearance inside, "The tributes are in line and ready to be questioned, my Lady," he bowed before her first then turned to Silas, "My Lord,"
"Thank you, Carlton," Arabella smiled, "We will be on our way in a minute,"
"Are you sure it isn’t too soon for you to take on another round of interviews?" Silas asked the moment Carlton exited the room and shut the door behind himself.
But the look on her made him avert his gaze, "Fair enough then," he exhaled.
Among the second batch of tributes to be interviewed, only one hadn’t yet reached the required age but since his nineteenth birthday was to occur before the auction, his case wasn’t as much of an issue as Erik’s was.
Other than that, and yet again, a number of those men turned out to be innocent of the crimes they’d been sent there for.