Chapter 5- Castle Life

"It is time to go to dinner, Miss. Lord Hunter will be the one to escort you to the dining room. I shall now take my leave." She replied and quickly scurried out the door, closing it before I could ask who Lord Hunter is. Judging by the title, he must be related to Lord Bellamy somehow.

I took the opportunity alone to look at myself once more in the mirror. I felt out of place and downright awkward in this style of dress. Every aspect of my body was now amplified. I looked older than eighteen and I was not sure if this was a good thing. Though my body had been maturing quickly, I still thought of myself as a child. Now I was forced to take a good look at myself and there stood a young woman looking back at me.

A minute later, I heard the doorknob rattle, followed by the door swinging open. The person that came from behind the door was a tall, lean young man who looked to be slightly younger than Lord Jagger. He had straight black hair that stopped at his shoulders, flowing like a scarf. His eyes were a lighter shade of red compared to Lord Jagger's, but they were just as hypnotic.

As he walked toward me, the Lord's neutral expression changed drastically. He paused and simply stood, his eyes scaling me up and down with a gaping mouth. I was not sure why he had this expression. Could it have been the way I was dressed? I felt uncomfortable, but I could only stare back. It was then that his eyes stalked up to meet mine. He seemed as if he were trying to figure something out or was he critiquing me?

He ran to me and enveloped my body in a tight hug. I was pressed awkwardly against his chest as I was much shorter.

"Um, Lord Hunter, I presume?" I said nervously while holding up a finger and taking a few steps back. He raised an eyebrow at me as if confused by my actions.

"Yes, it is I. Be very still, there is something I must check" Lord Hunter replied stalking towards me. I looked at him questioningly before asking "What is it, my Lord?". He gave no answer and instead grabbed my shoulders and pulled me very close to his body. I was frightened, to say the least. What is this man doing? I wanted to move back but I was frozen. My body would not allow me to move.

It was then that he leaned his face down to my neck. Involuntarily, I tilted my head to look away from him. What was he doing? I felt my breathing pick up its pace and become harsh. I could feel his breath fanning my neck and wondered what I should do. Is this man crazy or just rude? My thoughts then came to a pause as I heard him inhale deeply.

I desperately hoped that this situation would not lead to a bad encounter. Suddenly, he pulled back and gave a small bow "Oh how I have missed your scent. Just the mere thought of it provided me with comfort whenever I had felt afraid long ago". I looked at him feeling rather confused by his actions. "What do you mean by that, my Lord?" I asked. "Come, you shall understand at dinner" he spoke, holding his hand out to me. I contemplated whether or not to take his hand. It did not seem like I had much of a choice anyway. If I am to find out what is going on, I need to go to this dinner. With nervousness plaguing my mind, I placed my hand in his and we began to walk. There was so much I wished to ask him and Lord Jagger, but I knew neither would answer until they were ready, so I kept silent.

There were many rooms on this floor of the castle, which made me curious as to what was inside of them. We reached the staircase and made our way down, pausing at a room with large double doors. Lord Hunter opened the door and my mouth gaped in astonishment. It was stunning with a large crystal chandelier hanging in the middle of the room and a long table filled with food just below it. Sitting in the front of the room was a piano on an intimate stage. It resembled that of an opera stage which I had only seen from afar before. I found myself taking in the beauty of the gold and white interior around the room.

There were statues, paintings, and little antiques all around. My eyes had a hard time keeping up as everything was so grand that I could not resist looking at a different piece each second. I was so focused on the interior that I almost missed the people seated at the table. I saw one familiar face seated at the table, Lord Jagger. Seated beside him was a young lady wearing a lovely dark purple dress that made her flowing raven hair and blue eyes pop. Lord Jagger was dressed in an appealing blue ruffled collar shirt that hugged his muscles, along with white breeches.

Seated on the other side were two older people, a man, and a woman. They looked to be in their late thirties, and they exuded such grace and beauty. They must be the duke and duchess, but how did they have children at the age of Lord Jagger and Hunter? The duchess would have had to give birth when she was a child for this to be possible. Maybe they just look younger than they actually are, I thought to myself. The duchess showed off her raven hair in a sleek updo and wore a red dress that hugged her slim body. The duke possessed dark brown locks that were tied back into a bun with a few strands left out framing his face.

His upper body seemed fit as the white puffy shirt that he wore clung to his body. What a family I thought to myself. "Come now, Phoenix", Lord hunter said, snapping me out of my observative state. I saw that Lord Hunter had his hand outstretched toward the room motioning for me to enter. As soon as I walked in, everyone's heads turned to look in my direction, as if they could hear my steps. I felt my nerves starting to act up and my shyness protruding. As I neared the table, I greeted them awkwardly and bowed. "Good evening M'Lords and M'Ladies". I did not dare to raise my head, for commoners should always keep their heads low in the face of high-status people. "Phoenix darling! Please raise your head and come join us", I heard the older woman speak cheerily.

I raised my head and walked with Lord Hunter to get seated. He pulled a chair out for me right beside Lord Jagger. I sat and caught his eyes for a moment, he was watching me intently. "What exactly happened to me?" I leaned over to him and asked in a whisper. "You fainted shortly after I helped you, so I brought you here," Jagger said. "Phoenix I am sure you are feeling confused right now but not to worry. We shall explain everything to you in due time", the duke spoke with a warm tone. I jumped at the sound of his voice. "Um... yes Duke Bellamy", I answered, feeling unsure of why these people were acting so kindly. I relaxed as conversation and eating began at the table. The family introduced themselves to me. The young lady was their daughter, Victoria. The Duchess Kathandra and Duke William seemed to show a great deal of interest in me.

"Tell me, dear, what is your family like?" the Duchess spoke in a kind tone.

"Well, I am the youngest of four children and we all live with our mother and father. Mama works at a brothel as a maid and Papa is a fisherman. There is not much to tell, my Duchess. I am but a simple commoner." I replied while picking at a piece of lettuce.

"Dearest, there is always more to people than meets the eye. You are more special than you know" the duchess smiled widely. The Duchess had a smile as warm as my mother's. It was the first time in my life that anyone apart from my family had shown true interest in me. Though this begs the question, why would they find me interesting?

"Phoenix, what do you do each day? I would like to know about your routines", the Duke spoke.

"The day normally includes cleaning, washing, cooking, and reading. I never have much time to engage myself in any leisurely activities", I spoke, trying to keep a small smile on my face.

"Do you not walk around the village or explore the gardens?" Lady Victoria asked with a concerned expression.

"There are times when I would like to, but then I remember who I am and how I would be treated. My sisters and I prefer to stay away from the villagers. They are not the kindest toward us half-breeds", I shrugged. I removed my glove from my hand and took a piece of chicken. I could not feign manners and etiquette before biting into it. I never had the opportunity to eat food that looked as good as this, so I would take full advantage of it. This food tasted amazingly expensive if that makes sense. I was sure that the spices they use on this must cost more than my entire house. I looked up at Lord Hunter, smirking with amusement as he watched me eat with no utensils. I looked down to avoid his gaze and continued to pulverize the chicken with my teeth.

"Those people, when will they ever change? They act as if their paleness makes them superior to anyone. You should stand up for yourself whenever they act like this toward you", Victoria folded her arms, obviously upset by what she heard.

"It is not that I will not stand up for myself. It is just that I prefer to avoid conflicts because they never end well. I shall never mimic their repulsive behavior. If I am to disrespect someone in order to make my point, then I shall never make it. There is no point in arguing with someone who is ignorant. For what good will that do? If a man is not open to change, then my words alone will have no impact on his thoughts", I spoke while eyeing the roasted pig at the center of the table.

" Your words seem quite mature for your age, dearest. Tell me do you study?" Lord Jagger asked while cutting a piece of the pig with his knife. He jabbed it with his fork and then placed it on my plate.

"Thank you and in regards to studying, my family could not possibly afford it, my Lord. I am only able to read books that Mama brings me from the village center", I spoke, using the fork to place a piece of the pig in my mouth. I normally eat a lot but this time I felt even more famished. It was as if I had been starving for years.

"You are not meant for the life of a commoner, Phoenix. We are sorry it took us this long to take you here" Lord Hunter looked very apologetic.

"Forgive me for asking once more, but why am I here? I really need to know". I put down my fork and waited to hear what explanation they could possibly have for this. It made no sense. Why take me here and feed me? Noble people were never this kind to commoners.

The family looked at each other as if searching for approval among themselves and nodded.