Love Between Two Kinds

Chapter 16

The messenger took the words of Mr. Denton to the castle and the Crown was immediately pissed.

"What do you mean, she's went missing?" the Queen asked with irritation.

"Your Grace, her father said she has gone missing, since last night" he bowed.

"Get out of my sight. And get me somebody who can find her, from the council" she ordered and August left the presence of the Queen.

"I must find that girl at all cost" the Queen muttered to herself.

********

Back at the old castle, in the study, Robert watched Nicklaus's expression and knew he was vexed.

"What are you going to do with the girl?" he asked, despite knowing his mood.

"Nothing, that will be of concern to you" Nicklaus replied him.

Robert frowned a bit and took a parchment from the table, that held names of some places in the kingdom.

"New leads?" Robert asked.

"What do think?" Nicklaus replied with slight annoyance.

"Am I going or are you?" he asked again, knowing he was hitting a nerve. Nicklaus glared at Robert and looked away from him. Not replying his question. Robert grinned a bit and left the study with the parchment in his hands. He entered a room and took out a coat and wore it, before heading out. He went to the barn and took out a white stallion. Jumping on it, he rode into a forest.

Tiana sat on the cold floor in deep thought. Her eyes looked dry and red, as she has been crying since she was dragged into the room. Her long black curly hair, that was usually neat, was now fizzy. Looking like it has been pulled violently countless times. She regretted ever leaving her house that day to find more information on the vampires. She regretted for not listening to her Mom, who told her not to go out. She regretted ever going into the Inn to eat. She regretted everything. She regretted ever learning about the vampires in the first place.

Heavy footsteps from outside the door brought her out of her thinking state and she looked up. The door opened and a group of maids came in. They entered the bathroom and prepared a bath for her. Without asking for her consent, they grabbed her viciously and sat her in the bath. Tearing up her cloth violently, they pinned her down and started scrubbing her body. Tiana struggled to get out of their grip, but she couldn't. She fought back her tears, and pressed her lips to prevent her from screaming.

After scrubbing her, they dragged her out of the bath, dried her body and hair, which they washed in the bath, and sat her down in front of her mirror.

A maid opened the closet, and brought out a beautiful knee length dress, and placed it on the bed. Another maid, opened a draw beside her and brought out comb and hair accessories. Without warning, they took hold of her hair and started styling it. After that, they put her in the purple dress, and wore a purple diamond necklace, on her neck. Before taking their leave, one of the maids put a light purple shoe at her feet, without saying a word to her.

Shocked and confused by all what just happened, Tiana stared at her reflection in a mirror and she was a little bit puzzled by her appearance. Her hand reached to touch the necklace on her neck, and she whispered

"Wow"

Her hand left the necklace and went to the corset, which for some reason, was snatched a little too tight. She tried her best to at least loosing it a little, but to no avail. She finally gave up and continued to study her appearance.

Nicklaus stood at the window in his room, watching snow fall on the ground. He wore a dark suit, with a white shirt and long black trousers. The collar of his shirt was left flying, with an unknotted bow tie, hung around it. He took a comb from a table beside him and used it to comb his hair.

Knock knock

Someone knocked at the door and he said to the person

"Come in"

Not long after, a mad walked in with her head bowed and she informed him,

"The Miss is ready, Sire"

Nicklaus nodded and waved her out. Putting the comb back on the table, he took a coat from a hanger behind him, before exiting to the room he put the mermaid girl, who for some reason, has been crying a lot. He had ordered someone to be getting the pearls her tears made, and he has been keeping it in a bottle, inside one of his drawers.

Upon getting to the room door, he twisted the doorknob without knocking and opened it. His gaze fell on the girl in purple, and he stood still for a minute. His sharp eyes looked at her from head to toe and his heart, for some strange reason, skipped a beat. Even though it was snowing, there was still rays of sunshine which found a way inside the room, giving the purple more light than before. He noticed how the dress snatched a thin waist, making it seem more thin. Her dark skin made the purple stand out. He noticed her hair was packed up and he was slightly pissed. Without any warning, he marched up to her and extended his hand to pull the ribbon that hold her hair, but she took a step back, preventing him. He glared at her and he observed her face and was more irritated, when he saw fear in her eyes.

"Please don't hurt me" she said to him, as tears filled her eyes. Ignoring her plea, he grabbed her by the waist and pulled her close. His other hand reached for the ribbon and pulled it out, making her hair fall. He took out the pins attached to it and toss it on the table.

"Much better, ain't it, darling?" he said to her, but she could not respond to him as she was already shedding tears.