7 Chapter 7 - Monsters

As the car finally stopped at its destination she was looking out the window herself. Silence had followed them for the last part of the drive. She hadn't quite known what to say to his making arrangements. She wasn't entirely sure what that was going to include and was half afraid to ask. Her eyes looked out the window at where they were and she blinked unable to help her surprise.

The Riverfront was known for its high quality food and beautiful view of the river it was built next to. Of course alongside its reputation for great food and service was a well known concept that it came with a very hefty price tag as well. She looked over, seeing Nathanial was moving and getting out of the vehicle.

She didn't move for a few moments before she finally climbed out, closing the door but looking towards him at the other side of the vehicle. "I can't eat here. It's way too expensive." she said, staring at him a bit intimidated by the prospect of spending so much money on a meal. Nathaniel looked over to her before he gave a wave of his hand and the car drove off.

"Are you saying you refuse to do as I tell you too?" He asked and just looked at her calmly. "I have to say, I have yet to punish someone over not eating because it was expensive but I'm willing to get creative if I need to." he added, his tone held a bit of amusement as he watched her.

She could feel the red creep up over her face as she looked at him uneasily. "No...I just...I've never eaten here before…" she said finally not sure what else to say. Afraid of arguing with him, she couldn't tell if his being amused by her was a good thing or a bad thing, but she was voting it was probably a bad thing with her luck so far.

"It would probably do you well to get used to things you have never done, I have a feeling I will make you do quite a bit you never even dreamed you would do." He said and his tone became somewhat suggestive as well while he watched her. She looked at him and couldn't help that red hue in her face darken.

She shook her head, not about to comment on that, though she couldn't help but think 'over my dead body'. Until she realized that might become a true statement if she wasn't careful as well. She moved forward and slowly walked up the steps to the restaurant, he moved with her after she reached him and they walked together.

She felt his hand rest upon her shoulder as he seemed to casually walk with her in half a hug. While he seemed relaxed and at ease she felt the tension rise up her very spine as the doors were opened for them by the employee waiting at the door.

"Lord Brixton, what a pleasant surprise!" The Hostess said with a bright smile. Rae looked to the blond and blue eyed woman a bit hesitant, not sure what to think of the fact that they were that familiar with the man she believed to be a monster. There wasn't a hint of fear or terror in the woman, just a warmth that said they were genuinely happy to see the man.

���Good Evening Miss Rachael." Nathaniel said and his voice held kindness and warmth to it as well. Ashley had to actually look at him to know it was the same man who she had seen be cold and terrifying at some point every time she interacted with him. As she looked at him she saw a warm smile and charm seemed to ooze off the man. He was a shining star of charisma in that moment which left her somewhat speechless.

"Would you like your usual table?" The woman asked as she picked up two menus, even giving Ashley a warm smile despite the girl looking at a complete loss for words. Nathaniel nodded. "Yes please. It will be just the two of us tonight." He added so the woman wouldn't be expecting anyone else to join them.

She gave a nod. "Right this way then." she said as she started walking past booths and tables. Ashley didn't know what to say so she opted for silence as she tried to figure out which was the real deal with the man next to her. Her eyes took in the luxury of the restaurant around them as they followed the woman. Everything seemed clean and had a shine to them, with a very modern look to it's design she almost even felt under dressed as she saw the other patrons in the building were wearing suits and dresses that probably cost several hundred dollars if not more.

"Here we go." The woman said as she came up to a door and opened it. Ashley paused as she noticed that there was actually a bit of a hallway here with several doors, private rooms if she had to phantom a guess. What sort of restaurant had private rooms to eat in? Her eyes looked to Nathanial then back to the door as the woman went inside and they soon followed.

The room itself was simple but matched the same modern decor as the rest of the restaurant. However on one side of the room the wall was completely glass giving a perfect view of the river. There was a rather large table with a white cloth over it that looked as though it could easily hold a group of five or six.

The hostess set one menu at the head of the table and the other to the right. "I will let Brandon know you're here." She said with a smile to Nathanial. She gave Ashley a curious look but also a smile before she left the room closing the door. As soon as they didn't have an audience Ashley moved away from Nathanial unable to help be uncomfortable with him touching her.

Nathanial didn't make a move to stop her, instead he went over to the glass wall and looked out to the river as he stood there rather relaxed. As she looked around the room she slowly made her way over to the glass wall though stood at the opposite end as he did, She did not want to be too close to him.

Despite the circumstances she couldn't deny that the view was beautiful, in fact with the setting sun it was like a beautiful painting full of oranges, yellows, purples and pinks across the horizon. She looked out at what almost felt a magical view and couldn't help but wonder why it was that the most beautiful moments in her life also seemed to be shrouded with darkness.

Almost as if knowing she was thinking about him she heard his voice cut through the silence that had fallen over them. "No matter how hard one tries, they can never dream to surpass the beauty of nature itself." He said as he looked out before looking over at her. "Don't you agree?" He asked and his question sounded like it held genuine curiosity.

Ashley hesitated looking over to him for a moment before she looked out at the river and sunset for a moment. "I think that depends on the person, not everyone sees beauty in the same things." She said lightly. "But I do find it beautiful. Tragic, but beautiful."

He paused as he looked at her. "Tragic?" he asked and looked out at the scene. "What about it is tragic to you?" he asked, his tone holding simple curiosity. There was no threat or coldness to him and she couldn't help but wonder if how he was before was more an act, he was an enigma to her.

She was quiet for a moment before she gave a shrug. "I think it's better if I don't answer. I don't want to make you mad at me." she said finally and honestly as she watched him. She met his gaze for a moment then looked away uncomfortably. Just then there was a knock on the door before it opened and a man stepped inside. Dressed in black and white uniform it was clear he was one of the servers for the restaurant.

"Are you ready to order? Or can I at least get you drinks as you keep looking over the menus?" he asked as he noticed neither of them were sitting at the table. Ashley looked at him with a bit of relief at the interruption. She looked at the menu and hesitated for a moment.

"Um...Do you have Sweet Tea?" She asked slowly. The man nodded. "Yes Ma'am." He said and then he turned his eyes to Nathanial who had now moved over towards the head of the table. "My usual Brandon." He said with a smile. "I do believe we need more time with the menus." he added as he looked over to Ashley.

"Ok, I'll be right back with those." he said before he closed the door, once more leaving them alone. Even though she liked the view Ashley couldn't help but wish they were out on the floor with everyone else, at least then she could feel a little more secure that Nathanial wouldn't try something unspeakable with her.

"Have a seat." Nathanial said as he pulled her chair out ever so slightly for her, then went and took a seat himself at the head of the table. Ashley looked at him uneasily before she slowly moved and sat down in the seat to his right. Glancing at him before she looked at the menu and very slowly opened it.

Just as she expected, there wasn't a single thing listed there that wasn't under fifteen dollars. She didn't know how anyone could afford to eat in a place like this. Or how a place like this could even afford to stay open if they were demanding so much money for their food. How was she going to choose anything, what if she didn't like it? Then that was money wasted and she was sure he wouldn't be happy about that. She hated eating in fancy places.

"Sweet tea isn't a common request for people who grew up in this part of the country." Nathanial said as a simple observation. "Did you live somewhere else prior to here?" He asked as he casually looked through the menu as well.

Ashley glanced over at him and hesitated for a moment. "I spent a lot of my childhood moving around, but most of it was in the southern states." She said slowly. She looked away from him and then back to the menu, flipping it to the back she half expected even this place had to have a kids menu. That was always a safe bet to order from, yet there was nothing but their drink list on the back.

She couldn't help but frown as she looked at the back then opened the menu up again. The only other thing she saw that was a possible win was steak, but it was also one of the more pricey items in the menu. Finally she closed the menu and pushed it away from her. "I don't know what to choose." she said finally.

He looked to her for a moment before he slowly closed his menu. "And why is that? Do you not see anything you would like?" he asked, he continued to hold a calm and patient atmosphere as he was watching her. He could tell she was nervous and uneasy, it was also evident she wasn't used to such expensive venues as well.

"I do, but it's expensive. And if I don't like it for some reason then it's a waste of food and money. I don't want you making up excuses to get mad or punish me." She said as she looked over at him making it clear she didn't trust him in the least.

Nathanial looked at her and then gave a bit of a laugh. "You either have a very low opinion of me, or of people in general. Something tells me it's a bit of both." He said as he watched her before giving a small motion with his hand. "I will not punish you for disliking what you choose. However I will expect you to order something else, you need to eat after all."

Ashley looked at him for a moment. "How do I know you're telling the truth?" she asked seriously and Nathanial looked at her for a moment before he seemed to become quite a bit more serious. "A man is only worth as much as his word." He said as he watched her. "I may very well set you up to fail simply for the joy of punishing you at times, but I will never go against my word. Honor may not hold merit for the majority in this age, but it does for someone such as myself."

She looked at him for a moment surprised and frowned a little as she watched him. She couldn't help the perplexed look that crossed her features while she watched him. Despite everything she couldn't help but feel that he was being completely honest with his words. She couldn't tell if that was a comfort or also terrifying considering some of the threats he had given her thus far.

"Well I guess I can have the steak then…" she said slowly as she watched him for his reactions. He looked at her for a moment before he gave an approving nod and leaned back in his seat while he watched her. "Very good." he said before pausing as he heard the knock on the door again and they were once more greeted by the man to who she assumed was named Brandon.

"A sweet tea for the lady." he said as he set a glass down on a napkin for her. "And the usual for you Sir." He said as he set a wine glass in front of Nathanial. It held a deep red liquid in it which she figured must be some type of wine. "Are you ready to order?" He asked as he stepped back looking at the two of them.

Nathanial looked at Ashley and then motioned for her to order first. She looked at him a little surprised before hesitating as she looked at the server. "Uh. I guess the steak, Medium well?" She said lightly. The man nodded as he wrote it down. "That comes with two sides and a salad." He informed her.

She paused for a moment. "Um just uh regular with the salad? I mean like no dressing or croutons. And I guess steamed veggies and a baked potato, though no sour cream or anything fancy with it, just uh butter?" she said as she looked at him. She couldn't help feeling uncomfortable with ordering in the first place. She could feel Nathanial watching her and every moment she felt she was being judged.

"And for you sir?" Brandon asked looking over to Nathanial. Nathanial gave a small dismissive wave of his hand. "I will not be dining tonight. My drink is enough for me currently." He said as he picked up the glass and took a small drink before setting it down on it's napkin again. The server nodded. "I'll put this order in and come back with that salad for you Miss." he said before he was gone again.

Ashley watched him leave and then looked over at Nathanial. "You're not going to eat at all?" she asked, feeling even more awkward about the whole situation. Watching him and looking at his glass for a moment before her eyes went back to him as she sat there in her own chair feeling like she had a spotlight on her now that she would be the only one eating.

"Beautiful but tragic. Explain." he said instead and she blinked at him having hoped they were beyond that. It had felt like she had gotten away with not answering but apparently not. She grew uneasy and uncomfortable as she sat in her seat looking at him. Almost sinking back in her chair a bit afraid of what his reaction would be.

"Tragic because the only way I managed to see that view is because it's here with you." she said finally as she watched him. Unable to help a rising fear and her pulse starting to speed up with it. He may have been acting warm and friendly but she couldn't get the cold frightening and threatening version of him out of her mind.

However he simply gave a bit of a nod. "The monster, as you most likely have already come to consider me." He said looking over to her and didn't seem disturbed or upset with his own words in the least. He took another small drink from his glass before looking at it with a few silent moments of consideration before he set the glass down.

"Monster is but one of many names that I have held over many years." He said simply and his eyes went back to her. She met his gaze and hesitated as they were no longer the swirls of chocolate brown as before but that black void of darkness. She blinked at him before looking away uncomfortable, almost afraid she'd find herself falling into his eyes.

"Of course from your perspective it is only a natural response for you to have with your current experience." He said with a small shrug as he sat there comfortably. "So I cannot hold that against you. I do think though, with time your opinion of me may shift." He gave a smile as he watched her.

She frowned at him and only paused as her salad was brought to her. She still had yet to even touch her tea. Yet seeing the plate of greens in front of her she couldn't deny she was hungry despite the company. She looked at him for a moment before she tasted the sweet tea and paused. It wasn't too bad, it at least didn't taste like they had added the sugar as an afterthought.

Looking at her plate for a moment she looked at the silverware before she just reached out and picked up one of the large bits of lettuce and ate it that way. The upside of not liking any dressings in her eyes was she didn't have to dirty or deal with silverware. Of course she could see him giving her an amused look. Yet she was determined to eat how she wanted and continued to treat her salad as finger food.

"Do you not know how to use a fork?" He inquired with mock innocence as he watched her, she looked at him and then took another bite giving a shrug. "I don't see a need for it with this. This is how I like to eat salads." she said as she looked at him.

Nathanial looked at her for a few moments appearing entertained. "I see." he said before he gave a small nod. "When it is just the two of us, I have no problem with you eating in whatever way you find most comfortable. However if we are ever to eat with others, I expect you to have proper table manners." He said finally while watching her.

"Your actions are a reflection of myself and my reputation. Remember that." he said as he looked out the window towards the river. "As it will mean there will be times I am forced to punish you even when I do not want to."

Ashley looked at him as she ate a bit of cucumber and then frowned a little at his words. She was a little surprised he would admit there would be times he wouldn't want to punish her, she had come to think he might be a little bit of a sadist with how cruel and cold he could be. Studying him for a few moments she leaned back some in her seat. "OK." she said lightly.

"Could you explain a bit more, so I understand why?" She asked finally as she looked at him before taking another drink of her tea. She watched him and hoped maybe if he would explain it would give her some inkling to what he was or just how bad the situation she was in.

He looked at her for a moment before he gave a small nod. "There is a hierarchy if you will among…..my kind." he said as he looked at her. "Imagine the world is divided as it is, but there is a secondary and secret network that reflects the boundaries that are setup by humans. However we have our own government if you will. What you would call a governor of this state, We instead call the 'Lord of this Land'. That is the position that I hold among my kind."

He watched her as he explained. "Our traditions are quite old and very much like the kings and queens of human history, though customs are quite different the level of respect and reputation one has is very much the same. So for example, should you insult someone beneath my status with your behavior, it is acceptable. However should you insult someone above my status, even if by accident. I will most assuredly be held accountable and expected to do something about it to make up for the offense. Very much as you witnessed with Gretchen and her new toy the night we met." He said as he looked at her.

Ashley looked at him for a few long moments and just blinked at him. "So…...around here, your the top person, but in other areas and stuff you're not?" She asked slowly while she watched him and he gave a small nod. "As for your status among what I call my own. There are the servants, which make the bottom tier, if you will. Then pets, which is your current status as of now." he said as he looked at her. "Then it is those who have shown promise and an ability to thrive among our kind. At the top….well it doesn't matter as I have yet to ever find someone suitable to reach such status with me." he said finally.

"As a pet you are here to entertain me. I will provide you with all that you could possibly need and in return you do as I say. Occasionally accompany me on trips that I want company for and so on." he said as he looked at her.

She was quiet for a time as she listened to him. Unable to help a small frown cross her features as he explained what her status was. She also couldn't help but wonder what that top status was he didn't elaborate on. She looked at her now empty plate as she had been eating while he spoke before her eyes went back to him.

"Is there any chance that a person is allowed to leave and be free again?" She asked finally as she watched him, unable to help be hopeful.

"No." He said rather calm but in a tone that held no room to argue. "Once your eyes are opened to this world, you are a part of it. If I was to release you into the world, or let you be free, as you put it. Someone else would then take the opportunity to claim you as you are now fair game. Once you enter this world there is no escaping it." He said, shaking his head. "Trust me when I say, you do not want your freedom. You may not understand now, but I am one of the kinder ones among my kind."

She fell silent as she stared at him and tried to let that sink in. He was kind by comparison? She didn't know if she wanted to try and imagine worse. She gave a small frown as she had hopes of escaping and making it back to a normal life. Yet with what he said it sounded like that wasn't possible. Of course he could be lying simply to keep her from trying, but it was hard to tell if that was the case or not.

There was a knock on the door again before the server came in now with her plate of food. She watched him set it down before her. "Thanks." She said lightly as she looked at it, though she wasn't too sure if she still had an appetite for it. She had been hungry before, the salad had helped but after hearing all of that her desire to eat had somewhat left her.

The man took her empty plate and then left without another word. She was silent as she sat there staring at her food before looking over at Nathanial who was now casually glancing out the window towards the river. Watching him she couldn't help but wonder how long she would manage to survive in his world.