These Vengeful Vows

Chapter Two

Sapphire sat slowly on her bed and looked around her room. It was beautiful, she had to admit once she could get past the colour. Her window had a nice view of the outside, showing the sprawling mansion. She saw a white door and stood to open it expecting it to be the bathroom expecting it to be the bathroom but it was the closer and it was already filled to the brim with clothes.

“Wow.” She muttered.

There was a vanity opposite her bed and on it were make-up and skincare products. She noticed another white door at the opposite end of the room and sure enough, it was the bathroom. Bathtub, shower,the usual. This was a far cry from the apartment she and her Dad lived in in the suburbs. She was still trying to figure out all this. Her father had told her she was betrothed to someone when she was seventeen and she wasn't allowed to have any boyfriends. She didn't really say much about it. It was her father's decision and her father knew best.

A knock from the door jarred her from her thoughts.

“Come in” she said and a tall brown haired man entered bringing in her luggages. She quickly moved to help him.

“Thank you so much.”

“ It's nothing.” He said with a smile.

He was handsome she had to admit but not like her betrothed, Olef. In fact they looked totally different. Where Olef had dark hair, this man had light brown. Where Olef had grey piercing eyes, this man's eyes were hazel. Sapphire guessed they weren't related. Olef was beautiful in that dark, brooding way and seemed to have a permanent scowl on his face. Sapphire was still hurt by what he said. But what was she expecting? Roses and dates? Okay, maybe.

“I'm Ian by the way. Olef's Best friend.” He said it in a way that seemed like he had to convince himself.

“It's nice to meet you.”

The butler poked his head in through the open door.

“Miss Sapphire? Your father will be leaving soon. He's sent for you.”

A jolt in her heart. “I'll be right there.”

***

Sapphire tried to hold back her tears as she hugged her father. This was it. He was really leaving. He pulled back and stroked her cheek. Seeing the look on her face he said, “No stop. Don't cry, you're in a better place now.”

She nodded but a tear still slipped.

“ This is what your mother wanted. And we have to honour that now that she's no more. Do you like your betrothed?"

She thought about those angry eyes and the storm in them. She couldn't say how she really felt so she just nodded to put her father at peace.

“You can call me anytime. Okay?”

“Okay Dad.”

They hugged a final time and one moment he was entering the car, the next he was gone. Sapphire stood staring at the empty space for a while. She felt someone come up beside her and slightly stuffed. It was Mordecai Lockwood. Looking at him now she could really see the resemblance between him and Olef, the same dark hair and grey eyes that looked like they held a storm within. Mordecai was only a little more rugged than his son.

“You look so glum. Aren't you happy to be here?”

“I am sir. I'll just miss my Dad.”

“ Oh don't worry. You'll see him soon enough. And don't call me sir. I'm your father-in-law now. Call me Dad.”

Sapphire didn't really want to but it didn't seem like this man was used to the word no. She nodded with a smile.

“I hope you're settling in well.”

She nodded.

He stroked her cheek softly. “ You look just like your mother.” Sapphire stilled the blood draining from her face and she took a step back.

“You…knew my mother?”

“I'm sorry if you were offended by Olef earlier.”He said abruptly out of context. “Ever since he lost his mother two years ago, he's…not been the same. I'll speak to him too but I want you to promise me you'll be patient with him.”

“I…will.” She said, reeling from the whiplash.

Mordecai smiled and Sapphire knew he was breaking hearts back in the day with that smile. Sapphire didn't know how she was supposed to be ‘patient’ when Olef didn't even want anything to do with her. And what was that about her mother?

After that Sapphire got a tour of the mansion by Martin the butler. The whole thing took about an hour as the house was so big. Unnecessary, sapphire thought. By the time she got to her room she was so tired she collapsed on the bed. These six months were going to be hard, really hard.