The Lord's Stepdaughter- Part Three

"Mama, where are they taking us? Pixie! How is she? I am worried" Harriet asked, her face as red as a tomato. She had shed tears for too long, that the exhaustion had kicked into her weak body.

Making sure her child was safe in her arms, Marinette rolled the beige curtain of the carriage to the side. At a distance, she watched them bypass foreign lands. Holding back her anger, she took in a deep breath.

"He has no right to force me! He doesn't" She mumbled. A protruding headache was soon to onslaught her. Taking her eyes to her daughter, who had collapsed and was numb in her arms, Marinette gradually loosened her insecurities.

She had to be strong.

The carriage took a left turn to the main street in the capital of Aetherwatch. Both commoners and higher classes bustled in each corner. Unlike the darker side of the town, the capital shone lustrously. Carriages of distinct altitudes and statuses, likewise, voyaged along. Merchants were roaring, selling commodities to make ends meet.

Marinette ran her eyes along a section of ribbons as the carriage passed a stall. She had thought of purchasing one for her daughter. Harriet hadn't been able to enjoy such privilege. But then, it was better she stayed inside and did not announce herself and create rumors or whatsoever.

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"Miss Chowbury, after you" Butler Timothy, put his gloved hand forward as he planned to enable Marinette out of the carriage. Harriet was still asleep, and so the woman maintained the child on her shoulder, indirectly refusing the butler's assistance to get off. Butler Timothy quietly withdrew his hand and set it back behind him to the other.

"Follow me," He told sternly.

While Marinette was seen by the servants of the manor, they began speaking amongst themselves. Some, even bold to chastise her. The woman could only look away and swallow her dignity. It wasn't the time to make an uneven scene when she had scores to settle.

"Please, do oblige to instructions. My Lord detests disobedient cats" Butler Timothy told coldly, as he noticed the woman failed to lift her feet from her position. He was irked. He only resumed his steps when she began coming after behind.

Marinette tramped languidly, her feet hurting from progressing inside the house where her husband had been massacred. The bitterness, malignance and contempt came wafting back through her veins. She wished she'd be able to extricate these emotions. They were ingesting her heart, and slowly terminating her brain.

She stepped into the main door of the manor, and for the first time, she was thrown into a thrill. The interior of the building was extravagant and moneyed. There were candles lit principally everywhere. Two chandeliers were dangled above. The imposing openings and style allured her eyes, yet she forced herself to look away.

"If you do not mind giving the child to the nanny. My Lord would like to have a word with his future wife."

"I AM NOT..." Marinette yelled. She looked away from the questioning eyes of the servants at her sudden outburst and sighed. She frowned deeply and said "I am not his wife, and I will never become his wife. Not of a killer"

"My Lady, the child" A middle-aged woman came forward to pick Harriet up, nonetheless, Marinette shoved her off.

"You cannot separate my daughter from me. I won't allow it."

"We aren't doing that, My Lady. The child must be uncomfortable on your shoulder. I'll place her on a softer bed" The nanny, Mrs. Claudia, had to explain. When Marinette still felt pessimistic, the aged woman authenticated her with her honesty.

"Don't do anything to my child, or I'll kill you. All of you" Marinette threatened as she reluctantly let her daughter go.

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Butler Timothy led the way as he took Marinette to his Lord's room after her unreliable threats. A human threatening a nightly creature? That's stupid.

"My Lord, Miss Chowbury will be entering" Butler Timothy announced.

"Let her in" A voice eluded from the room. Standing in front of the Lord's bedroom door, Marinette shivered a bit. She was in the house of a vampire, and that alarmed her. She was now rued about leaving her daughter.

What if those bloodsuckers sunk their parasite into her child's neck? That will be terrifying.

"Miss Chowbury, please go in. My Lord has a limit to his patience. He detests to be kept waiting" Butler Timothy had warned before leaving the corridor premises. Alone in that part of the hall, Marinette darted her eyes around. She desperately wanted to run back to her daughter and flee from the place, but after the incident back at her house, she knew she wouldn't be able to explain the death of Harriet's donkey.

So, taking a huge amount of courage, she proceeded against her heart.

"Sweet Mary, welcome to my fine abode. How has the journey been? Has it pleased you?" Marinette clenched her hands to a tight fist beside her skirt. She sucked in a sharp breath as she was crazed by the words of the man. He was sitting on a large chair, by the window of the room. The decor in the room didn't matter to her, and whatever plan he was brewing, she'd make sure she ruined them all.

"You are a murderer," she said, calmly. Too calm.

"I know, Mary. Every man must hunt for food, don't you think?"

Marinette shut her eyes tightly. Her jaws tingled, and her teeth were gritted. Her blood was boiling and if she gave into her agitation, she would die. Whether he was purposefully provoking her or not, Marinette wasn't comfortable.

"Men fight for virtue, but I doubt you can be called a man" She hissed.

The man chuckled. He replied,

"I see, but I am the same person who widowed you, forgotten that memory? I must say, his blood tasted exotic. It was nothing like I had tasted before. A mixture of heaven and hell. Sweet Mary, you shouldn't let a flower of yourself become withered. I am giving you the right to become my wife. My woman. You should rejoice, not scowl" He surveyed her uniquely beautiful features, and a warm flow entered his heart.

"You are sick, Frank!! You are in delusion if you think I'll become a wife of yours. I'll rather wither" She yelled out aloud. He had infuriated her.

"If you still fail to become my woman, maybe you are tired of the little remaining life of your child. Hmm? Are you? The child is too weak to fight for herself" Lord Sinclair finally fronted her as he stood up. His copper-brown eyes were mysterious yet too outspoken and obvious by his sickening intentions.

"Beast! If you kill my child. I will die too!! I will end my life."

"That's tragic to abhor such thought, Mary. But not in my presence"

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Hours moderately passed, and the girl on the bed was still sleeping solemnly in the unknown room. Her body was flat on the mattress, and her hair covered her face. Even then, the girl refused to be awakened by the disturbance of her hair.

"Father"

"Don't go. Stay here with me, please. I miss you."

The lonesome room was filled with her audible words of pleas, inspired from her nightmare. She looked small and unhealthy. Then suddenly, she jerked from the bed, her head hurting. There were tears in her eyes, and her lips were bitten hard. Taking her eyesight to the unfamiliar place, she frowned and jumped out of bed.

Where was she? Where was her mother?

"Mama" She screamed.

The room was too spacey. As she scouted the entire place in search of her mother, Harriet panicked. She wanted her mother. She darted her eyes to the large door at the center of the wall, and instantly, ran towards it. Without further delay, her hand fragilely turned the knob and opened the door, escaping the room.

Outside the room was far more challenging as the corridors had no ending. Harriet began to feel afraid.

Where was this place?

"Mother" She yelled, but no one was there to respond to her. That led to the child walking endlessly until she met two people on the way. The two ladies were maids, and when they saw the child, they glared at her. This made Harriet rethink her decision about asking for her mother from them.

"Are they mad at me?" She muttered to herself.

The ear-pleasing laughter of a child echoed in the corridor, and when Harriet followed the sound, she surprisingly took heed of a small frame in her mother's arms. She was too stunned to speak, especially since her mother was caressing the brunette hair, the same way she did for hers. Harriet stood there feeling unhappy and depressed. Her face went pale.

Her mother was embracing another child. Why? She was her only daughter, why hug another?

"Dear, come" Marinette surveyed the girl standing near the pillar, connected to another larger one. She called for her, however, Harriet remained stagnant.

She interrogated almost immediately, "Who's that?"

Marinette smiled and gently tucked the girl's hair behind her ear. She saw her daughter's accusing look and continued to gesture to her to come to her. Since she was soon to become the mother of the girl in her arms, she decided to introduce the two girls to one another. That way, Harriet wouldn't be lonely anymore.

"Harriet, come meet your friend. Her name is Emine" Marinette's smile deepened. The girl in her embrace pulled away as she looked at her daughter. Emine clapped her hands consecutively and grinned from ear to ear. There was warmth in her chest and a sense of contentment which frantically made her bounce on her toes.

"Emine, meet my daughter. Her's is Harriet" She addressed. Harriet blinked her eyes. She was flamboyant and angry about sharing her mother with another.

Emine, on the other hand, was very excited and judicious to have a younger sister. Emine, being the last child and only daughter of the Lord, had been deprived of a lot of happiness. She had no mother. Her brother had no time for her, and she made no friends. The girl was very pretty. Her brunette hair was curled, unlike Harriet's straight ones. The girl's eyes were forest green that often sparked each time, she was happy.

"Hello, Harriet" Emine greeted first shyly. The maids whose duty was to cater for the child's needs were truly disheartened by her longingness. They knew how hard it was for a child to be birthed without a mother by her side. Though they suspected the reasons for Marinette's position, they were still thankful to her.

When she observed the eyes of everyone laying on her, Harriet pouted. She reciprocated the greeting, reluctantly "Hello, Emine."

"Good" Marinette snapped at the awkward situation. She brought her daughter closer to her and made her address Emine as an elder sister because she was older by two.

"Mama, why are we here? Did Father live here too?" Harriet was curious. As she became aware of the living room, there were velvet rugs spread on the marble floor. Two chandeliers were hung in the ceiling, and plenty of candle stands were on top and lit, giving the room more color. The square windows were large on the wall and were too many for her to count. All in all, the place was too flawless and beautiful.

"You'll live here too, with me" Emine was fervent to play with Harriet. She wanted to display her dolls and toys to her sister. Despite her enthusiasm, she wasn't bold enough to say this.

Harriet shook her head incessantly. "NO"

"You don't want to live here? Do you not like me?" Emine asked, her heart thumping.

"I don't" Harriet replied straightforwardly, disregarding Emine's crestfallen look.

Marinette noticed this and scolded her daughter "Harriet, you shouldn't be mean to your friend."

"But she is not my friend. I only have Darius. Mama, when are we going to return to our home? I miss Pixie" Harriet clasped her mother's skirt.

"She is hurt by your words" Marinette told. As much as she spoiled her daughter, she didn't teach her to be rude.

Harriet was getting intolerant by the minute, and when she saw the look of hurt in Emine's eyes, she was flabbergasted.

She hadn't meant to hurt her.

"I am sorry" She apologized. Emine averted her gaze and gulped down her saliva. She nodded her head and replied "It is ok, I am immune to it"

"Emine, you should voice out your difficulty, don't bottle everything inside. It can damage your health. Ok?" Marinette declared.

"Yes, Mother"

"So, why don't you be Harriet's guide? Take her to your room and show her your dolls" Marinette had known from the start about Emine's obsession with dolls and her eagerness to advertise them all to her new sister. Even if she was still against this marriage, her heart softened due to the child's loneliness.

Emine smiled wider "Yes, Mother"

Marinette nudged her daughter, who was still adamant to leave for home, to follow behind.

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A stronger bond was soon to ensue between the newfound sisters.

A/N

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