Chapter 35: Space Apart

• Now placing my hands on her chin, I said a lie to her. "So if I chose you to be my bride you will have no choice but to marry me."

Sally looked at me not having anything to say to my bold statement. She was shaken with fear from my grasp held at her chin.

After taking a breath within my silence from studying her frozen stance. I let her chin go and backed off.

I knew I had partly lied to her since she did have rights' to refuse marriage. According to the legend, I had just learned, she is the first hybrid-woman to even have rights.

However, her rights would slowly fade if she willing chose a husband to give some of those rights up to him. Yet, I'm still pondering to myself on what to do with her. Especially, with what I am feeling for her.

I know very well she would know the full truth one day. Yet, I don't know if marriage would be a good idea, because of my strong enemies. I need more time to myself to weigh out my options. It looks as though she and I could use some space to think, I thought when I glanced at her.

"I'll take my leave and let you have some space. You can enjoy the air since I know you can't escape today. There are more than enough men on guard so don't even try it!" My masculine voice partly threatened, so she understood.

She didn't say anything and seemed fleshed from her shock. So I walked off through the balcony doors and down the hall leaving my room. From there I was walking in the huge wide red silk carpet hallway.

••••

On the tan rose detailed wallpaper, the walls are decorated with pictures. My mother was a fanatic when it came to her pictures. The halls are covered in family portraits with our Highest Rankers friends and families. Mom constantly took pictures of me with my friends and more dreadfully, with Rachel, as we grew up together.

Mom would always seek a picture of anybody doing whatever. It could be little girls playing in a garden and she'd capture the moment. Then send the picture to the Highest Ranked artist to be painted and framed. From there she would find a place for it on walls in one of the palaces or mansions my dad would own.

Since this Mansion is owned by my father. My mother is the one who decorates it. For this particular mansion, she had it decorated in, large planters on the floors. Hung on the walls are different size wall bowl vases holding flowers and plants. Up against the walls, she had half cut wall stand tables dressed in doilies and added a vase or some knick-knack on its display.

My Royal family and I owned so many buildings. We lived with our most trustfully Highest Rankers and their families. The hall was filled with doors, to different rooms for a lot of us living here at the moment.

I passed up many men patrolling the halls from Aaron's Division. Mostly they were my dad's Highest Rankers men. There were some ladies and kids, I passed up too. The place was getting filled by my families and even some of my own Highest Ranker families returning home from the Royal vacation.

Before my father left, I told him. A few of my Highest-ranked men, their families, and I would be staying with him. Since I have work that needed to be done within this general area.

The city I took Sally from is semi-closer to this Mansion. Compared to my mansion, I was currently staying in. Plus I have other nearby places, I needed to go to for business, which is closer to reach from here too. A lot of my men staying with me are back at the mansion, I was staying in.

Likely some are coming home from going on the Royal vacation. Which is just my family going on vacation with their Highest Ranker friends and their families. Not everyone went, some of my men just sent their wives and kids away.

Perfect! Just what I needed for my added stress. Up ahead the hall, I saw my closed-aged cousin Frankie. From the mischievous look plastered on his face. I knew he found out about Sally. Once catch sight of me, his pace even fastened to reach me.

With an odd smirk on his face, Frankie said. "So I heard about the new woman you have locked in your room. And I heard the truth. News is traveling fast." Frankie stated in a whisper near his left ear. "So a Duchess?"

I looked around seeing teens, kids, and some ladies walking past us in the middle of the hallway. I couldn't believe he just said that right out in the open, for anyone to hear! Luckily nobody heard him. Jeez! He could have at least spoken in our warrior's tongue, I thought, really annoyed at him. But he seemed very engrossed about Sally and likely wasn't thinking.

"Would you not say that here! Bad enough no one told us the truth of this matter long before!" I whispered out hissing.

Frankie said lower-pitched glancing around to see anyone. "Ya I know I'm slightly annoyed about it too." He outwardly asked, with a raising mischievous brow. "You taking her as a wife?"

I looked at him with nothing to say and started to walk away from him.

Frankie continued. "You should know my father is in the process of speaking with Grandfather Phil. He is asking permission to give Sally to me if you do not take her as a bride. Then I will surely take her as a bride."

I stopped dead in my tracks feeling my blood pulsates through me. Slowly, I turned back around and walked real close up to Frankie's grinned face.

"Not without my permission first," I said in an icy pitch. "As of right now whether I decide to marry her or not. She is mine! Do what you want with Rachel but Sally you will leave her be!"

Frankie laughed insanely. "So you do feel something for her then?" He asked with amusement. "Never thought I'd see the day you would become territorial over a woman. Even more intriguing I'd say you're forming a bond connection to this girl. If this is true." He lastly stated between is laughter.

I only walked off getting flustered. Without saying anything else to him. From behind me, I only heard Frankie çhuckling to the idea I might exactly feel something real for this new woman, I have in my room. I exhaled loudly, to think.

From this very moment on the news about my developing bond connection with Sally, will spread to my Royal family. It's bad enough most of my men knew. Now it will be even worst once my Royal family knows.